(SPEEDWAY 1 – FRIDAY REVIEW)
LAKESIDE added three more points to their Elite League total with a comfortable 59-31 win over Belle Vue at Purfleet.The third-placed Hammers were led by Lewis Bridger with 13+1 whilst Fast Track reserve Ben Morley scored a four-ride paid maximum. Scott Nicholls top-scored for the Aces with ten points.Edinburgh have returned to the top of the Premier League after turning the tables on Somerset at Armadale.The Monarchs won 55-39 to avenge their 35-57 defeat at the Oaktree Arena earlier in the week with Sam Masters scoring 14 despite blowing an engine in the pits prior to the meeting.Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “That wasn’t a bad show was it? A very good performance by everyone and once we took the lead, I never felt concerned that we were in any difficulty.”Somerset manager Garry May said: “Just as Edinburgh found it tough going at our place on Wednesday, so did we here. Like us, Edinburgh have a superb home record and they showed just why.“It was never going to be an easy take to come here and take any points away with us, but things have worked out pretty even over the two matches between ourselves and Edinburgh, so looking at the bigger picture of the league table, neither side has lost or gained anything on each other.”Meanwhile Plymouth survived a late revival by Rye House to take all three match points with a 54-41 victory in Friday’s Premier League match at the St Boniface Arena.The Devils led by 20-points with five races to go but the Rockets hit back to challenge for a league point before Ben Barker and Kyle Newman wrapped things up for the home side in Heat 15 after Edward Kennett had fallen.Devils boss Lee Trigger said: “We let the Rockets back in with a sniff of getting something from the final heat. Rye House may be towards the bottom of the league, but they have a number of Plymouth track specialists in their team.“It was pleasing that the final score proved to be a comfortable win and it remains our target to take the maximum three points from all of our remaining home meetings.”Rye House promoter Len Silver said: “We scored 41, but we certainly deserved more than that. I’m not saying that we would have won, but we put on a very healthy show.“Edward led the way again, and there were good wins from Steve (Boxall) and Jason (Garrity), as well as another very pleasing performance from young Olly (Greenwood).”Scunthorpe’s home match against Sheffield was abandoned after eight races due to rain with the Scorpions 30-18 up, whilst the weather also interfered with the Elite League action at Brandon, with the match between Coventry and Eastbourne postponed.
(SPEEDWAY 2 – SATURDAY PREVIEW)
EASTBOURNE boss Trevor Geer is calling on his side to maintain their form at home when Coventry visit Arlington on Saturday.The Eagles boast the only remaining unbeaten home record in the Elite League as they host the Bees, after a planned meeting between the two clubs at Brandon on Friday was rained-off.Geer said: “There are no easy matches now. We must take maximum points from our last four home matches and the boys must ride as they did against Swindon in the home fixture on Monday.”Third-placed Lakeside make the trip to Leicester, who are looking for a fourth successive home win to continue their improvement since mid-season team changes – having come out on top in several close matches.Lions boss Norrie Allan said: “We are expecting another tight finish against Lakeside who are challenging for a place in the play-offs and they need the points to maintain their position in the top four, and that goes for us too as we want to build upon our recent good run of form.”In the Premier League, Berwick have moved up to third place after an impressive recent run, and they now host Somerset who lost top spot when they were beaten at Edinburgh on Friday.The Bandits are forced into some changes with David Bellego and Matej Kus on international duty and Matthew Wethers injured, meaning there are guest call-ups for Thomas Jorgensen and Anders Thomsen.Ipswich are two points behind the Bandits, although they have raced four more fixtures, as they head into a local clash at Rye House who are still battling to move clear of the lower reaches of the table.Rockets promoter Len Silver said: “It is going to be a tough match indeed. Ipswich are a good team and they go very well around our place – but we are more than capable of getting the win.”Workington have the most matches in hand of any Premier League club, having completed just ten fixtures so far, and they host a Newcastle side who hold the final play-off place at present but who need points on the road with 21 matches already raced.In the National League fifth-placed Stoke face Devon, who are two places and six points behind, at Loomer Road.
(SPEEDWAY 3)
KENT have confirmed a new date is to be agreed for the British Under-19 Final at Central Park.Fixture clashes for several of the competing riders mean the planned event on September 1 will not take place with Adam Ellis, Josh Bates and Max Clegg all affected.Kent promoter Len Silver said: “With these absentees should the original scheduled date have gone ahead, this would be akin to having a senior British Final without (Tai) Woffinden, (Chris) Harris and (Scott) Nicholls and would have badly damaged the credibility of the meeting. “We waited for confirmation that Elite League fixtures do take precedence in a fixture clash of this kind and now that has been confirmed we have reluctantly acceded to the request to cancel this meeting on September 1.“As soon as an alternative staging date has been confirmed we shall be letting everyone know – I’m hoping to be able to confirm a new date over the next couple of days.”
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY AUGUST 16:ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Coventry 7.30, Leicester v Lakeside 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Somerset 7pm, Rye House v Ipswich 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Devon 7pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 17:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Somerset 3pm, Newcastle v Edinburgh 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Kent 3pm, Mildenhall v Cradley 3.30, Mildenhall v Scunthorpe (follows previous fixture)
MONDAY AUGUST 18:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Lakeside 7.15, Belle Vue v Eastbourne (follows previous fixture), Coventry v Swindon 7.30, Wolverhampton v Leicester 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Buxton 6.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 19:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Ipswich 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 20:ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Leicester 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Plymouth 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30, King’s Lynn v Scunthorpe (follows previous fixture)
