(SPEEDWAY 1)
BERWICK will stage the British Under-19 Final for the first time on Saturday September 12. After the successful Under-21 event at Coventry on Tuesday, the Young Lions management are delighted to announce a new venue for another of their major meetings. Local interest in the Under-19 event is sure to include both Liam Carr and Luke Ruddick, who have had plenty of laps around the Shielfield Park circuit previously and have connections with the Berwick club. GB Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “We are delighted to be able to take this event to Tweedmouth, at the home of the Bandits. “Discussions have taken place to hold this event at Berwick previously but it has never come to fruition, so it’s great to be able to stage this meeting at Shielfield Park, which has previously held FIM Events. “We know Berwick and the North of England and Scottish Clubs are all well supported, so we have no doubt that the British Speedway supporters will come out on the evening of September 12 to watch and support the British stars of the future. “We would like to go on record to thank the Berwick promotion for agreeing to host this event.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
POOLE co-promoter Gordon Pairman has stepped forward with a generous offer of tyre sponsorship for British riders competing in forthcoming Under-21 events. Kyle Howarth, Stefan Nielsen, Ashley Morris and Josh Bates have all been selected for the World semi-finals with Adam Ellis taking part in the European event. GB Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “Myself and the five riders concerned are overwhelmed with Mr Pairman’s generosity of the offer to supply all 15 tyres. “Mr Pairman has been a long-time supporter of backing young British riders, being involved in helping riders tour Australia on the Marcus Williams series, and now with this backing. “This again proves that British Speedway promoters are backing the Brits, and surely the success of British riders at World level is not too far away. “We have some great sponsors involved with British Youth Speedway and along with the financial help Mr Pairman has given on this occasion, and the continued support of the BSPA, the future of British Speedway looks very bright indeed.” (SPEEDWAY 3 – FRIDAY REVIEW)
EDWARD Kennett scored a full 18-point maximum at Plymouth to help Rye House to a 48-41 away win – and an increasingly strong position at the top of the Southern League Cup group table. With Somerset and Ipswich fighting out a 45-45 draw at the Oaktree Arena the Rebels cannot now finish top, and it means Rye’s trip to Ipswich next Thursday could well prove to be the decider. Kennett led the way for the Rockets at the St Boniface Arena as they covered well for the absence of Danish star Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen, with Anders Mellgren chipping in on ten points. Jack Holder top-scored for the Devils with 12+2. Rye House boss John Sampford said: “Edward led from the front as captain, but this was a real team effort. We got what we came here for, and you can’t ask for more than that.” Plymouth co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “It was a better performance from the team than last week against Peterborough and young Jack Holder, in particular, put in a courageous performance. “But we are a bit like a football team without a striker and the match was decided by the respective number one riders.” Somerset required a last-gasp Heat 15 5-1 from Brady Kurtz and Josh Grajczonek to protect their long-standing unbeaten home record and salvage their draw against Ipswich. The Rebels fought back from six points down to force the result, but their hopes of League Cup progression now rest on other scores going their way to make them the best runners-up – and at this stage, they are fourth in the group. Manager Garry May said: “We knew it would be a tough match, and for the vast majority of it we were playing catch-up and unable to impose our usual home authority on the match. “When we did finally get a foothold and take the lead in Heat 12, Ipswich came right back at us, but a crucial second place by Charles Wright in Heat 14 gave us a glimmer of at least getting the draw, with Brady and Josh coming up with the goods in the final heat to at least ensure we maintained our unbeaten home record.” Edinburgh raced to a convincing 58-32 home win over Berwick to move back to the top of the Border group, with Justin Sedgmen scoring a five-ride paid maximum. Sedgmen was ably supported by fellow countryman Sam Masters with a four-ride maximum of his own, whilst Kevin Doolan was the only race winner for the Bandits. Monarchs boss Alex Harkess said: “That takes us back to the top of the group table, and apart from one or two engine problems it was very satisfactory. Maximums for Sam Masters and Justin Sedgmen and another two race wins for Erik Riss.” Berwick manager John Anderson said: “Again we leave this place having suffered a good beating, and still we’re at a loss as to why we cannot overcome this problem. “We were of course without Claus Vissing who was away on international duty and even with rider-replacement it wasn’t good enough to cover his points, whilst again generally we were just run out of the park by a pretty decent Edinburgh side.” In the Northern group, Scunthorpe registered their first win over the season as they overcame Newcastle 53-37 at the Eddie Wright Raceway. David Howe returned to form with 12 points for the home side, backed by Josh Auty on 10+2, whilst Anton Rosen collected 12+1 for the Diamonds in a result which also strongly assists group leaders Sheffield. Scunthorpe boss Dave Peet said: “I’m delighted and relieved to get our first win. We knew it was going to come, but we just wanted it sooner rather than later. We’ve said all along the lads only needed to get a few laps under their belts, and that’s proven to be true.” Newcastle manager George English said: “I was disappointed tonight; we had too many weak links in the team. Similar to at Sheffield on Thursday night we couldn’t get out of the gates.” “Steve Worrall has never been comfortable at Scunthorpe but he should have done better than he did tonight and he knows that more than anyone.”
(SPEEDWAY 4 – SATURDAY PREVIEW)
BERWICK star Thomas Jorgensen is relishing the chance to race against his old club Scunthorpe as the clubs get their Premier League campaign underway at Shielfield Park. Jorgensen made the switch to the Bandits over the winter and now wants to help his new club take the points and put a tough League Cup schedule behind them. Jorgensen said: “I had three good seasons there, and I have to thank them for all the help I got, but I had to leave, it was my choice and I wanted this great new challenge here. “Up here, I sometimes stay in a nice house in Tweedmouth and when I walk around town, everybody knows who I am, they all speak, tell me they saw me racing, and wish me good luck. “It makes me feel so welcome, and of course, I want to repay their friendship with some big points on Saturday - especially since I want to show the Scunthorpe guys the best way around Shielfield Park!” There is also Premier League action at Hoddesdon with Rye House hosting Sheffield in a clash between two clubs who have made very encouraging starts to the campaign. The Rockets have named Nico Covatti and Rob Branford as their guest reserves, whilst rider-replacement will be in operation for the unavailable Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen. Boss John Sampford said: “We are expecting another tough match. They have put together a strong-looking side, and their record so far speaks for itself. But we are determined to start our League programme with the right result to set ourselves up for the rest of the campaign.” Sheffield star Andre Compton said: “Historically we’ve always struggled there as a club because it’s just so different to the big, wide track we are used to riding every week. “But we’ve got a really talented team this year with a lot of strength in depth. Everyone is riding well and feeling confident so I definitely think there is a chance of us going there and getting something.” In the League Cup, Workington take on Glasgow in their first home group fixture, the Comets having missed out twice on the road – whilst the Tigers currently trail leaders Edinburgh by a point at the halfway stage of their schedule. Home supporters are sure to give newly-crowned British Under-21 Champion Kyle Howarth a warm welcome back to Derwent Park, whilst former Comets star Richard Lawson now leads the Tigers into a crucial weekend. Lawson said: “This weekend will be one of the tougher weekends. At Workington, it would be nice to get a win there - that would stand us in good stead for the League Cup - and then we've got a tough home match against Edinburgh. Those are never easy. But we're all in form, so I'm sure we can pull it off.” (SPEEDWAY 5)
SWINDON’S move for fans’ favourite Peter Kildemand has been unavoidably delayed. The Danish star was due to return to the Robins for next week’s home and away Elite League matches against King’s Lynn as a short-term replacement for the injured Adrian Miedzinski - but Kildemand has now suffered a knee injury. Boss Alun Rossiter said: “Peter has knee ligament damage, and he’s going to need an operation at the end of the season. “Hopefully it’s only going to mean a week out for him and therefore we’ll be looking to the home match against Wolverhampton on April 30 for him to return for us. In the meantime I’m going through the options of available riders to come in for us against King’s Lynn.”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
BERWICK have signed former Bandit Hynek Stichauer as an injury replacement for Matic Voldrih. After studying a number of possibilities, the Bandits management opted to bring the Czech rider back to Shielfield Park. He is set to make his first appearance on April 25 against Sheffield. Co-promoter Dennis McCleary said: "Losing Matic was a big blow. As soon as we knew he was out of speedway for six months or more, we considered our options. "Each time we talked to Hynek, the deal seemed a no-brainer that he could and would come back to Berwick. He was third in the Slovenian Championship meeting last week in which Matic crashed, he races for Pardubice in the Czech Extraleague – and best of all, doesn’t expect to miss a single Bandits match in 2015.”
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY APRIL 18: PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm, Rye House v Sheffield 7pm LEAGUE CUP: Workington v Glasgow 7pm
SUNDAY APRIL 19: LEAGUE CUP: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm, Newcastle v Scunthorpe 6.30 CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v King’s Lynn 3.30, Mildenhall v Kent 3.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 2nd leg: Stoke v Rye House 3pm CHALLENGE: Coventry v Cradley/Birmingham Select 4pm
MONDAY APRIL 20: ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Coventry 7.30, Wolverhampton v Lakeside 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22: ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Swindon 7.30 CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Eastbourne 7.30
