(SPEEDWAY 1)
TAI Woffinden has been crowned Great Britain’s first World Champion since the year 2000.Wolverhampton star Woffinden needed a maximum of six points from the season-ending Grand Prix of Poland in Torun, but actually secured the title as early as his second ride of the night.Woffinden’s Heat 5 victory over Jarek Hampel proved enough as the Pole was relegated to third place in the race, ending his chances of catching the British rider.Wild Card Adrian Miedzinski won the meeting whilst Hampel finished second in the series, nine points behind Woffinden, with King’s Lynn’s Danish ace Niels-Kristian Iversen third.(SPEEDWAY 2)
TAI Woffinden was ecstatic to completely upset the pre-season odds and realise his World title dream in Torun.Woffinden followed in the footsteps of Great Britain’s previous champion in the Grand Prix era, Mark Loram who took the glory thirteen years ago - but the Wolverhampton rider was a rank outsider when he re-entered the series in March.Woffinden said: “I got a wild card and I was 500/1 in January to win it. I know people who put £20 or £30 on me back in January. I think they’re going to be pretty happy“It has been an amazing season. It hasn’t been an easy one, but I’ve put everything I can into my speedway this year and really made it happen.“I’ve had two broken collarbones and I’ve come back from that fighting fit. To put in the performances I’ve been putting in all season was a great achievement.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
BIRMINGHAM boss Phil Morris has stressed previous results count for little when his side head to Poole on Monday for the first leg of the Elite League Grand Final.The Brummies topped the regular league table before securing a 19-point aggregate win over Wolverhampton in their semi-final – but they now face the in-form Pirates, who eliminated reigning champions Swindon, over two legs to decide the title.Morris said: “It sounds odd but this is where the work starts, we’ve all worked so hard to get here and we know that it’s a clean canvas to work with. All our boys have form around Wimborne Road and the team spirit last week against Wolverhampton was exceptional.“Poole have a great side and it’s going to be a great spectacle for the fans with no-holds-barred racing action. We need to try and limit Poole though obviously we’re going there for the win. We got one in the away leg during the semi-final so we can definitely do it again.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
EASTBOURNE have pegged their regular admission prices for a packed programme of track action at Arlington on Sunday afternoon.The Argus Sussex Championships features 35 races in various categories, including a full senior event with all of the Eagles regulars and other track specialists and newcomers.Eastbourne promoter Mike Bellerby said: “We have 16 heats of senior speedway, eight races for the juniors and that’s followed by 11 heats of quad bike racing. That’s 35 races in all and we have held the admission prices at our normal Eastbourne level.“People can have their lunch and easily get down to Arlington in time for the start of the meeting. The racing will be all wrapped up in time to get the children home and into bed at a reasonable time.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
SHEFFIELD promoter Neil Machin has spoken of his pride for Tai Woffinden, after his Godson secured the World Championship title in Torun at the weekend.Machin was a close friend of Woffinden’s late father Rob, and gave Tai his first Premier League ride in Sheffield colours on his 16th birthday.He said: “I know how much this means to Tai and his family. It is great for them, great for British Speedway and a great testimony to my late friend Rob Woffinden.“Tai can only get better - he is young, dedicated and has the world at his feet. What’s more, for the first time in a long time, the British media are waking up to a new opportunity too.”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
POOLE go into their fifth Elite League Grand Final in the last six years when they face Birmingham at Wimborne Road tonight.This is the first time the Pirates have staged the first leg at home and promoter Matt Ford is looking for his side to replicate their form of last week’s win over Swindon.Ford said: “It will be a strange experience in a way but we will go out there on Monday knowing that we need to produce a performance something similar to that we produced against Swindon. “There can be no arguments that we were on the button last Monday and if we can have all the lads fired up in the same way then anything is possible.”Poole are set to welcome Rohan Tungate back from injury but Micky Dyer is a major doubt due to illness, with Kyle Newman on stand-by, whilst the Brummies are at full-strength.(SPEEDWAY 7)
SOMERSET clinched the Premier League Knockout Cup for the second time in their history with a successful defence of their first leg lead at Rye House on Sunday.The Rebels took a 28-point lead into the meeting and only went down by two on the day, having been put under a little pressure by a trio of Rockets 5-1s. Skipper Jason Doyle celebrated his 28th birthday with a 12-point maximum from four rides.Somerset promoter Debbie Hancock said: “Garry May (manager) gave the boys a game plan and it worked a treat. Although Rye hit us with those 5-1’s mid-meeting, we knew we had the strength in the final few heats to come back at the Rockets, which is exactly what happened.“All the boys rode exceptionally well and although the hard work was done in the first leg at the Oaktree Arena, they still had a job to do and they did it superbly in front of a great band of travelling Somerset supporters.”
(SPEEDWAY 8)
NEWCASTLE improved their chances of reaching the Premier League Grand Final with an emphatic 61-35 home win over local rivals Redcar.Ludvig Lindgren and Lewis Kerr were both paid for 17 points for the Diamonds whilst Richie Worrall added four race wins, and their forthcoming clashes with Somerset will now be crucial, whilst the Rebels also have to visit Redcar.Newcastle boss George English said: “We had to race with a high level of determination and that's just what we did and took a good, sizeable win which will have helped our cause.“But there's still an awful lot of work to do if we want to win a place in the Premier League Grand Final.”
(FIXTURES)
MONDAY OCTOBER 7:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Poole v Birmingham 7.30
TUESDAY OCTOBER 8:NATIONAL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Dudley v King’s Lynn 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7.30WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9:NATIONAL LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: King’s Lynn v Dudley 7.30CHALLENGE: Belle Vue Select v Leicester Select 8pm
THURSDAY OCTOBER 10:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Redcar v Somerset 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 11:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Belle Vue 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Somerset v Newcastle 7.30SCOTTISH CUP 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30
