BIG EVENT LATEST…FORMER Elite League Riders’ Champion Rory Schlein has joined the field for this Saturday’s showpiece event at Swindon (6pm).Schlein, who won the title in dramatic fashion at the Abbey Stadium in 2011, takes the place of injured World Champion Tai Woffinden as one of four changes to the originally declared line-up.The King’s Lynn man joins team-mate and World No.3 Niels-Kristian Iversen in a field which now also includes Swindon star Troy Batchelor, Great Britain captain Chris Harris and Polish entertainer Grzegorz Zengota.Batchelor missed out on an original place as his Robins team-mates Hans Andersen and Peter Kildemand were just ahead of him in the club’s October averages, but his 8.21 figure would make him a No.1 at several other clubs.Harris, meanwhile, has three British titles to his name but has never won the ELRC and will be looking to sign off his first season with Birmingham in style – whilst Zengota, a Swindon asset, has been a bright spot in a tough Elite League campaign for Coventry.Woffinden is to have surgery on his collarbone injury this week, ruling him out of the meeting and fellow British rider Danny King has been granted absence for family reasons.American ace Greg Hancock is unable to compete due to a prior commitment and has sent his apologies, whilst Matej Zagar picked up a knee injury in a crash at Eastbourne on Saturday.SpeedwayGB Events Co-ordinator David Hoggart said: “We are very pleased with the quality of replacements and what’s also pleasing is how keen they were to do the meeting.“Rory’s victory in the Final a couple of years ago was one of the big highlights of this event’s recent history, and we all know what Chris can do on his day.“Bringing in Troy will be good news for the home supporters and there’s no doubt he has the class to do well, and Greg (Zengota) has also been really keen to race on his old home track, so it still promises to be an excellent meeting and we look forward to seeing everyone at Swindon on Saturday.”
ELRC REVISED LINE-UP: Chris Harris (Birmingham), Rory Schlein (King’s Lynn), Scott Nicholls (Coventry), Craig Cook (Belle Vue), Troy Batchelor (Swindon), 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), Grzegorz Zengota (Coventry), 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 stand-in boss Jack Lee was pleased to see his side secure victory against a strengthened Leicester team in the final Kirkmanshulme Lane action of the season.Lee said: “For a group of riders who don't normally ride together, they gelled really well and to finish the night with such a convincing win is a great achievement and a great feeling, and I'd like to thank all the boys who rode for their superb efforts.“The Lions put out a very strong outfit to face off against us, they had five known heat leaders in the team. They gave us a bit of a scare early on and things were pretty tight up to Heat 9, but everyone dug deep and pulled together to put on a really great show for the fans.”BIRMINGHAM promoter Alan Phillips is proud of the club’s achievements of 2013, with the Brummies having gone into the Elite League play-offs on top of the table.Phillips said: “I want to thank all our supporters personally for the fantastic support that I personally have received and also the club and riders in general this last fantastic season.“As a born and bred Brummie, it was very special for me and I was proud to represent you again this year and I'm delighted with the success we achieved. We finished top of the league, no one will ever take that away from us.”COVENTRY still have two home meetings to come to complete the 2013 season with the prestigious Brandonapolis individual event taking place this Friday.Danish duo Niels-Kristian Iversen and Hans Andersen will be amongst the favourites in a meeting which also includes home regulars Scott Nicholls, Grzegorz Zengota and Aaron Summers, as well as former Bees favourite Chris Harris.The Bees will also stage the second leg of the East Midlands Bowl against local rivals Leicester on October 25 after the planned double-header between the clubs last weekend was postponed due to rain.EASTBOURNE wrapped up their Elite League campaign with a thumping 60-33 win over Belle Vue to complete a strong season at Arlington – where they suffered just one home defeat.Manager Trevor Geer said: “It has been a season of ups and downs, highs and lows, but tonight for us was very much one of those high points. All the lads rode to their abilities, proved what they are capable of and rewarded us with our biggest win of the year, a performance that can draw the line on the season on a wholly positive note.“Clearly, it seems there is a lot to talk about in the coming weeks and months and much planning to be done as the 2014 season comes into being, but for now the lads have performed fabulously for us tonight and we couldn’t be more proud of them and our supporters who cheered them all the way.”PETERBOROUGH reserve Norbert Kosciuch enjoyed his best night of the season with a score of paid-15 as the Panthers rounded off their campaign with a 42-36 win over Belle Vue at the Showground.Panthers co-boss Trevor Swales said: “Fair play to the riders on both sides for putting on some entertaining speedway in tough conditions – they all got stuck in and gave it a go.“Norbi obviously was going great guns which was good to see, but it was important for us as a team to finish off with a win and we’re very pleased to do that.”POOLE will bring down the curtain on an eventful campaign with the Blue Riband individual at Wimborne Road on Wednesday.The Pirates put back the staging of the meeting, which features the likes of Krzysztof Kasprzak, Niels-Kristian Iversen and Rory Schlein up against Pirates stars Darcy Ward and Greg Hancock, until after the Elite League Grand Final after they overcame Swindon in the semi-finals.Promoter Matt Ford said: “I would like to go on record to thank all the riders for their co-operation. The plan very much is to have the after-meeting entertainment in the Champs Bar too, and the evening should be a fitting close to a rollercoaster of a season for us.”WOLVERHAMPTON are building up to a big night of racing next Tuesday when they host the annual Banks’s Olympique handicap event.World Champion Tai Woffinden is unable to ride due to injury but will be guest of honour, and visiting riders include Danny King, Scott Nicholls, Peter Kildemand and Craig Cook.Wolves promoter Chris Van Straaten said: “This event has a fine pedigree and always provides good racing. We have booked riders who like to entertain and I'm sure it will be a great way to end the season. When we contacted the riders to ask if they would like to do the meeting they all jumped at the chance. It's sure to be a great night.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
EDINBURGH have confirmed there will be no action at Armadale on Friday as their opponents for the Premier League Grand Final are only set to be confirmed the previous evening.Chairman Alex Harkess said: “It's just not right that we should be going into our biggest meeting of the season discovering our opposition less than 24 hours earlier so we've abandoned plans to stage our leg of the Final on Friday. It's only fair that we have the opportunity to publicise the event correctly and have a proper build up in keeping with the prestige of the event.”IPSWICH complete their season with the popular 16-Lap Classic individual at Foxhall on Thursday.Witches regulars Leigh Lanham, Adam Ellis, Rohan Tungate and Cameron Heeps are ruled out due to injury but Ben Barker, Morten Risager and Ritchie Hawkins will take on a number of track experts including Richie Worrall, Kevin Doolan and Richard Lawson in a bid to qualify for speedway’s longest race at the end of the night.LEICESTER will make another attempt to host Elite League neighbours Coventry on Sunday evening after rain wrecked last weekend’s planned East Midlands Bowl contest.Co-promoter Alan Jones said: “There are only two riders, one from each side, who have never ridden regularly in the Elite League so you can begin to appreciate the quality of the event. The history behind Leicester and Coventry is immense and dates back to the early days of the sport, and I am sure that we are in for a night to remember.”NEWCASTLE defeated Somerset 50-43 in their final play-off fixture on Sunday but are now left waiting for a favour from neighbours Redcar if they are to reach the Grand Final.Diamonds boss George English said: “Somerset are a superbly solid and powerful side there is no doubt, and for us to get a seven point win was going some in all honesty, but we were down on power in several team positions which didn't help. It’s a shame we now must rely on our neighbours Redcar to do us a favour on Thursday, which they will find a very hard ask indeed. But speedway is unpredictable and you just never know.”REDCAR can still mathematically reach the Premier League Grand Final – if they can gain a thumping win over Somerset in the third attempt to run the fixture on Thursday.The Bears suffered two heavy away defeats in earlier away matches but a 36-point win over the Rebels would take them to the top of the group on race-points difference.SOMERSET remain favourites for a place in the Premier League Grand Final despite their defeat at Newcastle last Sunday – but they need to defend their race-points advantage in their final fixture at Redcar on Thursday.Rebels boss Garry May said: “Obviously we would have loved to have wrapped things up at Newcastle, and although we came agonisingly close to doing so, it just wasn’t to be. Once again Doyley (Jason Doyle) was just superb and played a true captain’s role, but it does now mean that so long as we avoid a heavy defeat at to Redcar on Thursday, we should still qualify for the Grand Final.”WORKINGTON may have completed their track action for 2013 but behind the scenes the Comets promotional team are continuing with their fund-raising efforts towards their new air fence in readiness for next season.Comets owner Laura Morgan said: “Our air fence is ordered but the fund-raising goes on as we still have a long way to go. Our End of Season night, which takes place on Friday 25th October in the Trades Hall, is already a sell out and that will be a very big night towards our target. We will be auctioning several items that evening; with the proceeds going towards the fund, as well as having all the usual end of season presentations and speeches, with appearances by all the 2013 Comets. The Supporters Club have worked tirelessly in helping with the organisation of the event, which promises to be a great evening. “But, with so many items available to auction towards the air fence fund, we are having another night on Saturday 30th November in The Waverley Hotel, where we will be holding a main auction as well as having Comets merchandise for sale and hopefully a few other surprises, which we will publicise nearer the time.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY OCTOBER 15:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Birmingham v Poole 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F REPLAY 2nd leg: Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7pm
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16:NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Dudley 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F REPLAY 2nd leg: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 7.30BLUE RIBAND: Poole 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 17:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Redcar v Somerset 7.3016-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 3pmEAST MIDLANDS BOWL 1st leg: Leicester Select v Coventry Select 6pm
TUESDAY OCTOBER 22:BANKS’S OLYMPIQUE: Wolverhampton 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 25:EAST MIDLANDS BOWL 2nd leg: Coventry Select v Leicester Select 7.30
SUNDAY OCTOBER 27:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Mildenhall 3pmAIR FENCE CHALLENGE: Glasgow 2.30MIDLAND FOURS: Leicester 6pm
TUESDAY OCTOBER 29:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP FINAL: Dudley v TBC 7.30
