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GREAT Britain World Cup rider Danny King will be hoping to take his impressive domestic form into the British Final on June 15 - and challenge for a spot at Cardiff.The highest-placed rider in the Wolverhampton showpiece, with the exception of SGP regulars Tai Woffinden and Chris Harris, will receive the Wild Card for the British Grand Prix on July 4.King, who is currently scoring heavily for both Coventry and Ipswich in the Elite and Premier Leagues respectively, booked his passage to Monmore Green as one of five riders on the 11-point mark in the second semi-final at King’s Lynn.A fall in his third ride ultimately cost him first place on the night, but it didn’t take him out of overall contention in a hard-fought meeting.King said: “It was very close and there were a lot of people taking points off everyone else, so I was pleased to get through.“It was a shame about my fall, but I still managed to make it through, and I’m happy with the overall performance.”Meanwhile Adam Roynon is looking forward to a return to the senior national event after picking up one of the two Wild Card entries, having scored nine at the Adrian Flux Arena.Roynon said: “After the way the season started I was happy just to be riding in the meeting and to have scored well. This was only my third proper meeting back on the bike and I was happy with the way it went.“It will be my third British Final after making it in 2008 and 2012. I also qualified last year but couldn’t ride as I broke my back.”BRITISH FINAL - June 15: Chris Harris (Coventry), Ben Barker (Berwick), Andre Compton (Sheffield), Edward Kennett (Lakeside/Rye House), Lewis Blackbird (Wolverhampton/Peterborough), Josh Auty (Leicester/Scunthorpe), Richard Lawson (Lakeside/Glasgow), Scott Nicholls (Belle Vue), Danny King (Coventry/Ipswich), Leigh Lanham (Somerset), Craig Cook (Belle Vue/Edinburgh), Kyle Howarth (Swindon/Workington), Tai Woffinden (Unattached), Carl Wilkinson (Scunthorpe), Jason Garrity (Coventry/Sheffield), Adam Roynon (Redcar).
GREAT Britain’s Stefan Nielsen is through to the World Under-21 Final after successfully coming through the semi-final in Italy on May 30.Nielsen overcame local favourite Paco Castagna in a run-off for the final qualifying place to become GB’s first qualified Finalist since 2012.Nielsen and fellow countryman Ashley Morris were accompanied to Terenzano by SCB Prime Officer Graham Reeve, with British Youth boss Neil Vatcher travelling to Slovakia with Josh Bates.Reeve said: “It was touch and go for Stefan, because he knew he needed nothing less than a win in his last race to have a chance of qualifying.“Then he coolly grabbed the opportunity to beat Castagna in the run-off, where despite him leading from the off the heat was re-run due to an unsatisfactory start - but once again he led the race and held off Castagna’s many challenges to book a very well-earned place in the World Final series.”Morris scored five points, whilst Bates was two points off the qualifying mark after scoring seven at Zarnovica.Meanwhile there was frustration for British Under-21 Champion Kyle Howarth in Pardubice, as he scored ten points but missed out in a run-off for the final qualifying place to Somerset’s Australian rider Brady Kurtz.
BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2015:ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: JASON DOYLEBRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: KYLE HOWARTHBRITISH FINAL: Wolverhampton, Monday June 15PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday July 3PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Peterborough, Sunday August 2PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Coventry, Sunday June 14NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: King’s Lynn, Saturday September 5NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House, Saturday September 26
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BELLE VUE recorded their first away win for over a year with a 46-44 triumph at Lakeside on Friday - and boss Mark Lemon hopes it will be the springboard to a play-off challenge.Lemon said: “It was a team effort and a significant boost that will I’m sure change the mentality of the riders, and also the approach of our rivals. As I’ve said before we need to be coming down to these places and winning because it’s vital we pick up as many league points as possible.“That’s exactly what we’ve done and we did it very effectively, and this is something we need to continue from now on if we want to keep the pressure on for a place in the play offs.”COVENTRY promoter Mick Horton described himself as “disillusioned” after Monday’s controversial Elite League match against Poole which ran to Heat 10 before being abandoned.Horton said: “A Coventry/Poole fixture should have been our biggest crowd of the season and a great advert for the sport. But for anybody who was there, and the people who turned up in that bad weather are heroes, that was not speedway at all.“There’s no blame apportioned to Poole whatsoever, but I’m sure Poole would be the first to agree that conditions were not good. Understandably our riders were uncomfortable with the track, there were a couple of decisions that didn’t go our way, but it was clear that the track was not safe, and I don’t blame the riders for not going out in Heat 10.”KING’S LYNN boss Rob Lyon was delighted to see his injury-hit side hold on for victory over Poole last Thursday, taking a vital 3-3 in Heat 15 after the Pirates had clawed back from 12-points down.Lyon said: “We did it for the captain (Rory Schlein) and it was a great performance, I am proud of the whole team. Everybody was important and did what they had to do. That was needed. “When it is a meeting like that and its backs to the wall, our supporters responded in a great way and that is superb to see. Fair play to Poole, they came hard at us after the interval and we felt that would happen at some point. We hung on in the end, but we deserved it.”LAKESIDE co-promoter Jon Cook insists the Hammers team still has the support of the management despite a tough run of results in the first half of the season.Cook said: “While we feel that we will return to our pre AJ (Andreas Jonsson) injury form I reiterate what I said last Friday that if we are still struggling and we can accommodate a better rider’s average, then we would make a change if such rider or riders are available. “I repeat that I believe this team still has potential to go forward together and has our support at this time.”LEICESTER gained some relief after a troubled month of May with a 53-37 home win over Wolverhampton to end a run of five successive defeats.Lions boss Norrie Allan said: “We really needed this result and it was a real team performance from 1 to 7 and the three guests did us proud. At the end of such a difficult month where we have had three riders leave the club it is long overdue for us to have some good fortune. “Our fans have been brilliant throughout this spell and we now have a quiet spell when we can look at the various options that are available to complete the team before our next fixture.”POOLE boss Neil Middleditch steered clear of the controversy which enveloped the Pirates’ win at Coventry on Monday, as the home side were not represented in Heat 10 which turned out to be the final race of the night.Middleditch said: “You can only race what is put in front of you and they chose not to send anyone out in Heat 10. That was their choice, I just kept my boys focussed on the job in hand. “For sure the conditions deteriorated throughout the evening but the decision was made to take it through to Heat 10 and so that's what we did.”SWINDON have confirmed Peter Kildemand’s short-term spell with the club is over with the Dane’s last scheduled appearance of 2015 at Wolverhampton being postponed due to the weather.Manager Alun Rossiter said: “Peter has had a tough time with his knee injury and he doesn't want to overload his schedule.“Our next meeting isn't for a few more weeks so hopefully that will give Adrian (Miedzinski) a bit more time to recover and we hope he'll be back for the Belle Vue meeting on the 18th.”WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten gave his backing to No.1 Freddie Lindgren after the Swede scored an uncharacteristic two points in Saturday’s defeat at Leicester.Van Straaten said: “You only have to look at the programme and see that your No.1 has only picked up two points - the chances are you're going to have struggled."That's no overall criticism of Freddie though because all riders have off nights. He always gives it his best, he always works hard and he just can't put his finger on what went wrong for him. This is a relentless format and if you've already got one or two riders missing and one or two others have off nights then your hands are always going to be tied.”
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BERWICK’S Claus Vissing faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering knee ligament damage during the club’s home fixture against Redcar just over a week ago.Said Vissing: “I will have to wear this (knee brace) for at least six weeks and then they will see me again and decide if it will be strong enough to let me resume racing.“Be assured, I will do my best and fight hard to be back again just as soon as I can.”EDINBURGH maintained their 100 per cent to the Premier League with a 56-36 home win over Workington.Reserve Max Clegg told the Edinburgh Evening News: “Workington struggled round Armadale because it is not an easy track to ride and it was a pretty comfortable win for the whole team.“It was good to get all three points to keep our unbeaten start to the league going.”GLASGOW boss Stewart Dickson believes heat-leaders Nick Morris and Richard Lawson can inspire the Tigers during a crucial spell which will see them compete in nine Premier League meetings in four weeks.Said Dickson: “I still think there’s more to come from Nick and Richard, but I’m pleased that they’re starting to hit a bit of form now.“Hopefully some of the other boys will get a wee bit of a lift from seeing them do that and we can all push on.”IPSWICH secured a Premier League double over Redcar to make it four wins on the spin in all competitions for the Witches.Speaking after their 65-25 home demolition of the Bears on Sunday, Co-promoter Chris Louis said: “It was a much stronger team performance tonight and they all chipped in to achieve this result.“We need to build on this form now and continue to progress upwards in the league table.” NEWCASTLE promoter Alan Hedley had mixed emotions following his side’s 49-44 League Cup home win over Sheffield on Sunday.Said Hedley: “It was an unusual meeting; there was a point we looked like we would get the points we needed but in the space of two heats it looked like we could lose the match.“It’s disappointing that we didn’t progress to the semi-finals but at the same time it’s good to get another win under our belt.”PETERBOROUGH recovered from an early eight-point deficit to earn a hard-fought 51-39 win against Berwick on Friday to extend their unbeaten home streak.Panthers team boss Carl Johnson said: “We always knew it was going to be tough and that is certainly how it proved.“The riders knew they didn’t perform in the first few races and they put it right; they can be proud of the way they fought-back and went on to win the meeting impressively in the end.PLYMOUTH have re-signed Hungarian rider Roland Benko in time to face Glasgow in the Premier League this Friday.Devils co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “He (Benko) has some unfinished business as far as we are concerned; his away form was less than spectacular, but Roland was gating well and getting some good scores at home.“This season he will be back with a great knowledge of away tracks so we are looking forward to improved performances away from home.”REDCAR boss Jitendra Duffill admitted team changes need to made by the Bears management – and that was before Sunday’s 65-25 battering at the hands of Ipswich.Duffill told the Gazette Live: “We have some pretty big decisions to make about going forward; we need to strengthen, there’s no doubt about that.“Hugh (Skidmore) is going to be out for longer than we’d hoped so if there are riders available who want to come to the club, we need to look at redeclaring.”RYE HOUSE picked up their second successive home win with a 52-40 victory over Berwick on Sunday.Swedish star Robin Aspegren said: “Our confidence is really high at the moment; we’ve got a good team spirit and that’s despite us still missing Anders (Mellgren) for a few more weeks.“When we get everyone back, we’ll be going really well but every match is tough.”SCUNTHORPE are looking to build a healthy lead in their Knockout Cup first leg tie against Newcastle on Friday.Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey said: “We’ve not given up on either league or cup this season and just one win could change around the whole fortunes of the team.“The two meetings against Newcastle in the cup could be ones to relish.”SHEFFIELD have booked Owlerton specialist Brady Kurtz to guest at No.1 for their Premier League clash with Glasgow on Thursday.Tigers promoter Damien Bates said: “Brady Kurtz, by his own admission, loves the track as we have discovered to our cost this season when he’s ridden against us! “It promises to be a great meeting on Thursday and we are very much up for revenge.”SOMERSET team manager Garry May has admitted he may change the Rebels’ team riding order for this Friday’s Premier League home clash with Rye House.Said May: “We might give the order a bit of a tweak to see if that will give us a better start to matches than we have seen in recent weeks.“I think we’ve got the better all-round strength to see them off, but it has the makings of another cracking match.WORKINGTON boss Tony Jackson says a thirteen-day fixture gap has come at the right time for his team.Said Jackson: “This will give our injured riders an opportunity to get themselves back to race fitness after a series of niggling injuries have prevented us tracking a full side on most of our matches.“Once we get going again, a steady run of matches should give us the chance to gain some momentum after what has been a very much stop-start early part of the season.”
CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE LATEST…
BIRMINGHAM pulled off a spectacular 53-40 victory in their first away meeting of the season at Kent on Monday.Team Manager Graham Drury said: “It was never going to be easy because Kent have been in good form of late and it can be a tricky track for the away team to get used to.“Each and every single one of our riders contributed at different times and it was a super showing from all of the lads; we will enjoy the win and it could be a massive four league points come the end of the season.”BUXTON travel to Birmingham on Wednesday in what will be one of their toughest challenges of the season so far.However, the Hitmen are on a decent run having won their previous two National League meetings against Mildenhall and Stoke.Team Manager Jason Pipe said: “Wednesday’s meeting should be a great meeting; if we can keep one of their top three quiet on the night then we have a good chance of picking up a result.”COVENTRY boss Laurence Rogers admits his side are exceeding his pre-season expectations in the early stages of the 2015 National League.The Storm currently lie fifth in the table, despite the fact they are still to ride a home league meeting this season.Said Rogers: “I can’t complain; if you’d have told me at the start of the season that we would have nine points from four away matches I would have said ‘yes please!’.” CRADLEY eased their way into the semi-finals of the Knockout Cup with a comprehensive 57-33 second leg win over Stoke last Wednesday.Team Manager Will Pottinger told the Express and Star: “We were more than pleased with the margin of victory and all of our riders scored some important points.“We’re going to face tougher challenges as the rounds go by, but we’ve done what we had to do, we’re through to the next round and we’re another step closer to retaining the cup once again.”EASTBOURNE have made Richard Andrews a full asset of the club.Eagles Chairman Martin Dugard said: “Richie has made fantastic progress this year and shows great form home and away.“As well as his points, he is a real joy to work with and is a huge part of our team.”KENT have signed James Shanes on a full-time basis and he is now an asset of the Kings.Said Shanes: “I am very happy at Kent and so far I think it’s been a good move in my career.“To be fully contracted to such an ambitious club can only be good for me and for the Kings’ fans.”KING’S LYNN host Coventry on Wednesday as they look to maintain their winning run at the Adrian Flux Arena.Young Stars Team Manager Dale Allitt said: “Coventry come to us with a strong side that has some good riders at this level, but we have already shown this year that we are good at home – the guys have confidence.“I am expecting a close meeting with both sides evenly matched, but I want another win to keep our unbeaten home record.” MILDENHALL will be looking to register their first away win of the season when they travel to Stoke on Sunday.The Fen Tigers suffered a disappointing, narrow defeat at Buxton last time out, but will want to build on the consolation league point that they did pick up.A win for the West Row outfit would see them move to the top of the National League table.RYE HOUSE rider Kyle Hughes believes his speedway career is steadily moving in the right direction once again and is ambitious about his future.The 26-year-old told the Speedway Star: “I don’t want to be riding in this league when I’m 30 but I’ve got a few years yet to make my mark and it’s certainly coming back.“I’m enjoying things here at Rye House; I have ups and downs and I had a poor start to the season, but I battled though it and there’s no negativity.”STOKE crashed out of the Knockout Cup after falling to a 100-68 aggregate defeat to reigning holders Cradley last Wednesday.Potters Team Manager Malcolm Vasey said: “It was a disappointing result for us and we have to now move on and start to get some wins under our belt.“A few of the riders need to step up and start doing better as results have been very disappointing so far and we need to turn things around quickly.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY JUNE 3:ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v King’s Lynn 7.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Buxton 7.30, King’s Lynn v Coventry 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 4:PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Glasgow 7.30
FRIDAY JUNE 5:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30, Plymouth v Glasgow 7.15, Somerset v Rye House 7.30TRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP 1st leg: Scunthorpe v Newcastle 7.30
SATURDAY JUNE 6:NATIONAL TROPHY: Rye House v Kent 7pm
SUNDAY JUNE 7:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Scunthorpe 3pm, Newcastle v Somerset 6.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Rye House 3.30, Stoke v Mildenhall 3pmBRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 3: Leicester 3pm
MONDAY JUNE 8:WORLD CUP EVENT 2: King’s Lynn 7.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Stoke 6.30
WEDNESDAY JUNE 10:CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Kent 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: King’s Lynn v Buxton 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 11:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Newcastle 7.30, Redcar v Berwick 7.30
FRIDAY JUNE 12:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Peterborough v Ipswich 7.30, Plymouth v Berwick 7.15, Scunthorpe v Workington 7.30
SATURDAY JUNE 13:PREMIER LEAGUE: Workington v Rye House 7pmCITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Eastbourne 7pm
SUNDAY JUNE 14:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm, Newcastle v Peterborough 6.30NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Coventry 3pm
MONDAY JUNE 15:BRITISH FINAL: Wolverhampton 7.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Rye House 6.30
WEDNESDAY JUNE 17:ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Coventry 7.30, Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 8pmCITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Coventry 7.30, King’s Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30
