(SPEEDWAY 1 – TUESDAY REVIEW)
CRADLEY moved eleven points clear at the top of the National League table with a 57-35 win over third-placed Coventry at Monmore Green.Skipper Paul Starke scored a 15-point maximum for the Heathens and also lowered his own track record, with Steve Worrall adding 10+2, whilst Stefan Nielsen scored 15 for the Storm – who trailed by ten points with three heats to go, only for the home side to finish with three 5-1s.Cradley boss Will Pottinger said: “We've got to be happy with a victory by a 22 point margin; it was another great result.“We are a little disappointed by the fact it could have easily been more to be honest. We threw away some silly points but fortunately it didn't cost us in the end and hopefully it won't happen again.”Coventry manager Laurence Rogers said: “There just weren't enough heat winners tonight, and there were too many last places as well. The Cradley boys are on song at the moment, and they are all riding in different leagues as well which I think made a bit of a difference as a few of our boys hadn't ridden for a few weeks.“Full credit to them, they put one over on us and got revenge for us beating them earlier in the season.”
(SPEEDWAY 2 – WEDNESDAY PREVIEW)
POOLE promoter Matt Ford is expecting a tight scrap for Elite League play-off places – as runaway leaders King’s Lynn visit Wimborne Road on Wednesday.The Stars snatched a dramatic last heat victory on their previous trip to Dorset this season, and currently head Lakeside by 14-points in the table with the Pirates in third place.Ford said: “We need the points to consolidate our play-off position, especially after both Lakeside and Swindon won away on Monday night, Eastbourne are finding some form and Coventry are hovering around the zone. “Whilst King's Lynn looked nailed on for top spot it's clear it is going to get quite fraught for the other places.”Meanwhile Berwick are hoping to follow on from Peterborough’s example last weekend by taking a win over Edinburgh as the sides meet at Shielfield Park in the first leg of their KO Cup tie.The Monarchs’ amazing unbeaten run finally came to an end at the Showground on Sunday, the day after the planned staging of their visit to the Bandits was postponed.Berwick boss John Anderson said: “We will have one big bonus in that we will hopefully be at full strength for this midweek re-run, with our French star David Bellego available again following his return from the World U-21 Final in Italy.“However, at Newcastle on Sunday, in a fraught Heat 11 Claus Vissing tweaked the knee he had previously twisted at Somerset in the Pairs Championship, but is fighting to get fit and hoping to be racing, and beating, these 'vincible' Monarchs.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
SHEFFIELD have confirmed they will be without skipper Simon Stead throughout the duration of the World Cup – even when meetings don’t clash.The Tigers race four times during the period of the international competition, with Stead selected in manager Alun Rossiter’s starting line-up for the opening event at King’s Lynn on Saturday. Redcar’s Richard Lawson will guest for Sheffield in all four meetings.Sheffield co-promoter Damien Bates said: “This is obviously a massive shame for us, especially as we are without Simon for our meeting live on Sky which is a showcase event for us. But it's good for the club and good for the city of Sheffield in general to have a rider representing GB in the World Cup.“And in Richard we have brought in a terrific rider, our thanks go to him and we look forward to seeing him in Sheffield colours over the four meetings.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
PETERBOROUGH have announced businessman Ged Rathbone is to join the club’s hierarchy as a co-promoter.Middlesbrough-based Rathbone is the main sponsor of Panthers skipper Ulrich Ostergaard and he will team up with fellow promoter Trevor Swales and club chief Mick Horton.Rathbone said: “I’ve never failed at anything I’ve done and I don’t intend to start now. We have a brilliant bunch of lads at Peterborough and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a bit of hard graft with Mick and the rest of the management team.“I’m very keen to start running training schools and try to bring through our own youngsters over time, but in the short-term it is about doing what I can to help out on a day-to-day basis.”(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY JULY 23:ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Berwick v Edinburgh 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 24:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Somerset 7.30, Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30, Sheffield v Peterborough 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 25:PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Redcar 7.30, Somerset v Plymouth 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Coventry v Buxton 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn (follows NLKOC fixture)SELECT CHALLENGE: Arena-Essex v Kent (at Lakeside) 8pm
