BIG EVENT LATEST…THREE of the World’s top four riders will be in action at Swindon in the Elite League Riders’ Championship on Saturday October 19.World Champion Tai Woffinden is assured of a rapturous reception from supporters of all clubs after confirming his title triumph at Torun earlier this month.Woffinden’s next challenge is to complete an immediate double by adding the ELRC to his trophy collection for the first time – a feat managed by Chris Holder this time last year – and it would also mean two major event victories in the UK, as he became British Champion on his home Wolverhampton circuit in May.Holder unfortunately misses out on the chance to retain the ELRC due to injury, but the riders finishing third and fourth in the World Championship are both in the line-up.Danish star Niels-Kristian Iversen has enjoyed another strong season both domestically and internationally, culminating in a third-place GP finish, whilst evergreen American Greg Hancock has been a vital component in Poole’s Elite League title push since joining the club as a replacement for Holder.Hancock is one of three former ELRC winners in the field, having triumphed back in 1997 – the first year of the Elite League – when racing for Coventry.The Pirates are one of six clubs with two representatives in the meeting as Hancock is joined by Australian sensation Darcy Ward, whilst both Matej Zagar (Belle Vue) and Kenneth Bjerre (Peterborough) have scored heavily in away wins for their clubs at Blunsdon this season – and Woffinden’s Wolverhampton team-mate Fredrik Lindgren won the event in 2010.The other former winner is Swindon track specialist Bjarne Pedersen, who was victorious on home territory when racing for Poole in 2004.The host club, whose top three were all closely matched by average, will be represented by Danish duo Hans Andersen and Peter Kildemand, with the spectacular Kildemand making his first appearance in the event.SpeedwayGB Events co-ordinator David Hoggart said: “Swindon take great pride in staging this event, and we are delighted to be taking it back to the Abbey Stadium once again.“It is firmly established there at present and we know they will have the stadium and facilities in perfect condition for the meeting.“It’s a terrific line-up and of course for Tai it’s the chance to complete an incredible set of World, British and Elite League individual titles, but I’m sure there will be several of his rivals going out there to stop him.”
ELRC (Swindon, Oct 19, 6pm): Danny King (Birmingham), Tai Woffinden (Wolverhampton), Scott Nicholls (Coventry), Craig Cook (Belle Vue), Greg Hancock (Poole), Krzysztof Buczkowski (Peterborough), Fredrik Lindgren (Wolverhampton), Hans Andersen (Swindon), Kenneth Bjerre (Peterborough), Bjarne Pedersen (Eastbourne), Davey Watt (Lakeside), Jason Doyle (Birmingham), Darcy Ward (Poole), Niels-Kristian Iversen (King’s Lynn), Matej Zagar (Belle Vue), Peter Kildemand (Swindon).
SPEEDWAYGB EVENTS SERIES 2013BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: ROBERT BRANFORDBRITISH FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: SOMERSETPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: EDINBURGHPREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: OLLY ALLENELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, Oct 19NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENTS:NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: DUDLEYNATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: DUDLEYNATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: STEVE BOXALLBRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENT DATES:WORLD UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP Round 3: PIOTR PAWLICKIGRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: NIELS-KRISTIAN IVERSEN
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE co-promoter George Carswell is excited by the rapid development of Aces asset Richie Worrall this season.Carswell said: “Richie has confirmed he intends to ride on Wednesday for the Aces Select (against Leicester), which is brilliant news. He's a very exciting prospect for the sport as a whole, and it will be a great opportunity for the fans to see him back in action in Manchester. “He's had a very successful year with the Kings Lynn Stars and people will be able to see how much he has progressed and improved since he guested for us at the start of the season.”BIRMINGHAM face an uphill struggle to translate their table-topping finish into the Elite League Championship after a heavy defeat at Poole on Monday.The Brummies were only able to provide five heat winners at Wimborne Road but will be looking to their impressive home record at Perry Barr next Monday (October 14) as they bid to turn around a 21-point deficit.COVENTRY promoter Mick Horton is relishing the prospect of hosting local rivals Leicester this weekend, with the sides set for home and away clashes in the East Midlands Bowl on Sunday.Horton said: “This fixture has been on the cards for a couple of seasons now, and it should be a cracking day of action. Leicester will be strengthened considerably and I know they are set to announce a couple of surprise riders for the meetings.“This must be one of the biggest local derbies there is, and I’m sure supporters like us will be really looking forward to it.”EASTBOURNE skipper Cameron Woodward has pledged his future to the Arlington club for 2014.Woodward told Speedway Star: “I made the progress with Eastbourne I’ve wanted to do for the last three years. To put a point and a half on my average, I’m really pleased.“I’m not going anywhere, presuming Eastbourne want me again. I thoroughly enjoy it here and it’s my home from home now.”PETERBOROUGH compete their season with a re-arranged home Elite League clash with Belle Vue at the Showground on Friday.The Panthers will also host their end-of-year rider awards at the stadium after the action, with supporters able to vote for their Rider of the Year.POOLE star Tomas H Jonasson says the Pirates team have come together as a successful unit in recent weeks, leading to them securing a 21-point lead to take to Birmingham for the second leg of the Elite League Grand Final next Monday.Jonasson said: “We are all looking for each other on track and off, and everyone delivered the points. We were all one of a kind tonight and when you have such good team spirit it is much easier to team-ride. “We have put ourselves in a good position and now we must go to Birmingham and just be focussed, like we were focussed tonight. Nothing has been won yet so we must go there and do all we can, but we are feeling good with such a good lead.”WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten has paid tribute to World Champion Tai Woffinden, who has been on the Monmore club’s asset base since 2006.Van Straaten said: “It's not often that when you first see a rider you can say they will be a World Champion, but with Tai that was the case. From the beginning you could tell he was something special, and we are just delighted he has fulfilled all that initial promise.“For us to have the World Champion at Wolverhampton is superb for the club, and we are all proud of what he has achieved.”PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
EDINBURGH safely secured their place in the Premier League Grand Final with a home win over Ipswich, and the Monarchs now await the results from the other group.Edinburgh No.1 Craig Cook told the Edinburgh Evening News: “It was a no pressure match for us really and I tested out a few things over the course of the evening. As for doing the job in style, it was a meeting to go out and enjoy before the real intensity of the Grand Final, it’s the calm before the storm if you like.”IPSWICH’S injury list proved too much to overcome as they went down to back-to-back defeats at the hands of Edinburgh at the end of their Premier League play-off campaign.The Witches will now stage one more meeting at Foxhall this season, with their popular 16-Lap Classic event scheduled for Thursday October 17.LEICESTER will include Polish international Krzystzof Kasprzak when they stage home and away clashes with Elite League Coventry in the East Midlands Bowl on Sunday.Kasprzak left the Bees earlier in the summer and will line up in Lions colours at Brandon at midday and the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium at 6pm as one of the most historic local rivalries in the sport is revived.NEWCASTLE raced to an emphatic home win over Redcar to boost their Premier League play-off chances, but promoter George English knows this week’s matches against Somerset will be vital.English said: “We had to race with a high level of determination and that's just what they 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.”PLYMOUTH ended the season with a narrow home defeat, going down 43-47 to top-three side Newcastle in a closely-contested meeting at the St Boniface Arena.Devils co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “Newcastle were sharper out of the starts, but the meeting provided some entertaining racing to end our season with another last heat decider.”REDCAR promoter Brian Havelock admits the club’s title dreams look to be over after heavy weekend defeats at Somerset and Newcastle in their play-off group.Havelock told gazettelive.co.uk: “I think our chance has gone now. Somerset will come to us with some confidence and in any case the points difference is going to make it difficult and that’s the thing now – Newcastle beat us by more than we beat them by and Somerset did us with a big score. We needed a point from this weekend.”RYE HOUSE skipper Jason Bunyan admitted the Rockets faced the toughest of tasks in trying to overcome a 28-point deficit in the KO Cup Final against Somerset – but was pleased to at least finish the season with a home win.Bunyan said: “It was very important to get the win after last week. It was never realistic to get the (first leg) points back, but it was nice to finish the season riding on a sunny day with your mates.”SOMERSET have silverware in their trophy cabinet after securing the KO Cup last weekend – but their attention is now firmly switched to a vital series of meetings in the Premier League play-offs.Manager Garry May said: “Whatever happens at Redcar on Thursday, we will still need to beat Newcastle at home on Friday, the more points we beat them by the better, so we really need the Somerset fans to get down to the Oaktree Arena on Friday night to get right behind the boys in what could well be a season-defining match for us.”WORKINGTON saw their hopes of a place in the Premier League Grand Final ended last week when Edinburgh won at Ipswich to repeat the Comets success at Foxhall Heath seven days previously - but the new Comets promotion are still satisfied with their first season in charge at Derwent Park.Co-promoter and team manager Tony Jackson said: “Naturally we were disappointed to miss out on a place in the Grand Final, but nevertheless we would like to say good luck to the Monarchs in those fixtures.“Overall there are many positives we can all take from the season, which saw us end with an identical league record to that of the previous year, reach the play-offs, give a good account of ourselves in the knockout cup, stage a Test match, appear in a live TV meeting and then finish our season by resurrecting the Cumberland Open Championship, which saw us get a popular home winner when Rene Bach lifted the trophy. The season has certainly given the club a platform to move forward next season when we, like other tracks, will have an air fence in place, which should add a whole new dimension to the racing at Derwent Park.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY 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
SATURDAY OCTOBER 12:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Belle Vue 7.30
SUNDAY OCTOBER 13:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Newcastle v Somerset 6.30EAST MIDLANDS BOWL: Coventry Select v Leicester Select 12pm, Leicester Select v Coventry Select 6pm
MONDAY OCTOBER 14:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Birmingham v Poole 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16:BLUE RIBAND: Poole 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 17:16-LAP CLASSIC: Ipswich 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 18:BRANDONAPOLIS: Coventry 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19:ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon 6pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 20:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Kent 3pm
TUESDAY OCTOBER 22:BANK’S OLYMPIQUE: Wolverhampton 7.30
