(SPEEDWAY 1 - FRIDAY REVIEW)

COVENTRY’S lead at the top of the Elite League is back up to seven points after the Bees raced to an emphatic 60-32 win over local rivals Wolverhampton at Brandon.Joonas Kylmakorpi scored a 15-point maximum for the home side with captain Chris Harris adding paid-14, whilst Jacob Thorssell scored 13 for the visitors including their only three race wins.With five heats to go, the Bees only led by ten but they finished with a 4-2 and four successive 5-1s for their biggest win of the season.Harris said: “Everyone did their job tonight, and it’s good for our confidence especially as we’ve got another big break now before our next match.“Our aim is to finish top so that we can pick where we want to go, and it’s much easier to be out there on top rather than chasing, which can be hard work!”Wolves boss Peter Adams said: “We ran into a bit of an express train today, and Coventry are clearly the best team in the country at the minute.“We were only 10 points down after heat 10, and from those kinds of positions it’s sometimes possible to take something from the meeting. Unfortunately it was the same story as it was at Monmore recently, they steamrollered us at the end of the meeting and it’s becoming too familiar.”Elsewhere, Matej Zagar’s bumper 19-point haul wasn’t enough to rescue a positive result for Belle Vue, who went down 42-51 at Lakeside in a meeting where both sides tracked several guests.Home skipper Andreas Jonsson top-scored for the Hammers with 13, whilst Elite Draft reserve Adam Ellis piled up 12+2.Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon said: “With the situation in the team, as far as absent riders were concerned, it was always going to be a tough evening for us especially when you compare the guests we had to Lakeside’s.“The Hammers chose their substitutes very well. Some of our guys didn't quite touch on the set-ups early enough and that’s when we needed to see our remaining Belle Vue trio lead by example. Sometimes you need lady luck to work in your favour in meetings like this and on this occasion she preferred the home team, but that doesn’t make us any less of  a force to be reckoned with.”Edinburgh have moved to the top of the Premier League after cruising to a 60-31 win over Sheffield at Armadale.Craig Cook scored a 15-point maximum for the Monarchs with Justin Sedgmen also unbeaten from five rides and Max Clegg enjoyed his best-ever PL score with 10+2. Guest Aaron Summers scored nine for the Tigers.Cook said: “It’s nice to be top but it doesn’t mean much, the big prizes come at the end of the season.”Sheffield co-promoter Damien Bates said: “Whilst it’s a disappointing result we have to put it into context, we are badly depleted right now.“I can confirm we are hopeful of finalising arrangements with a new signing, and a newcomer to British racing, over this weekend but not in time for the trip to Newcastle on Sunday.”The Monarchs went top because previous leaders Peterborough were limited to a point thanks to a stunning final three races from bottom club Scunthorpe in a thriller at the Eddie Wright Raceway.The Panthers led 40-32 after Heat 12 but the Scorpions then produced a remarkable run of three successive 5-1s to win 47-43.Ryan Douglas and guest Thomas Jorgensen collected maximum advantages in Heats 13 and 15, whilst a spectacular Heat 14 saw Carl Wilkinson team-ride Ben Wilson to a 5-1.Scorpions boss Dave Peet said: “All season long we haven't given in and have raced until Heat 15, and in this meeting we got the reward for that. I think the difference was that we had seven riders, and didn't have to use rider replacement. It took the pressure off the riders, and gave them more time to analyse where they were at, and get things going.“Despite everything that's been thrown at us, we've maintained a good team spirit this year. The lads knew what they needed to do, stuck at it, and got the result.”Panthers co-promoter Ged Rathbone said: “It is a meeting we should never have lost, but it is another point closer to being in the play-offs.“I must say well done to Scunthorpe on their win. Hopefully they are successful in improving their crowds and being able to continue because it is a track the sport cannot afford to lose.”In the Travel Plus Tours KO Cup, Somerset established a 16-point lead over Plymouth with a 53-37 win over the Devils at the Oaktree Arena.Reserve Paul Starke piled up 14+3 with Josh Grajczonek adding 13 for the Rebels, whilst former Somerset riders Kyle Newman (11) and Todd Kurtz (10+1) kept Plymouth in the tie.Somerset boss Garry May said: “Of course you always feel that you want more of a lead than you one you end up with, but after Plymouth had kept things tight early doors, we finally came good in the latter stages and so you’d have to be happy with a 16-point lead for the second leg. Whether that will be enough though only time will tell.”“Going into the match without Brady [Kurtz] and then Charles [Wright] pulling out earlier in the day, it really needed someone to step up to the plate, and Paul Starke certainly did that tonight, putting in one of his best ever performances for the club, while Josh played the true captain’s role, both on and off the track.”The Challenge match at King’s Lynn saw the touring Team Fritte Cup team defeat the Young Stars 53-40, led by Jason Jorgensen - son of former international rider John - on 13 points.(SPEEDWAY 2 - SATURDAY PREVIEW)

LEICESTER face Swindon for the second time in under a fortnight at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium on Saturday - but a very different Robins team will take to the track.Darcy Ward returns to British racing for the visitors after competing his suspension for a failed alcohol test, and the visitors also give a debut to Eduard Krcmar, although Troy Batchelor is out after his British GP crash and is replaced by Craig Cook.Leicester have elected to operate rider-replacement for the injured Grzegorz Walasek, whilst Carl Wilkinson again guests at reserve for Josh Auty.Lions boss Norrie Allan said: “Swindon will be a very different proposition to the one we beat convincingly last month and we can expect a much closer match this time around. With the inclusion of Darcy Ward his presence will inspire his new teammates and new signing Eduard Krcmar will want to impress on his debut.“Our top four are on form and for that reason I believe that we have enough strength in main body of the team to cope with operating the rider replacement facility instead of bringing in a guest.”Swindon manager Alun Rossiter said: “Our performance the other week at Leicester was poor and we want to go there on Saturday and put the record straight by picking up some more league points.“I believe we can go there and get a positive result to give us some confidence to take into the big meeting against Poole on Monday.”In the Premier League, there is a vital clash in the race for the play-offs as sixth-placed Ipswich visit seventh-placed Berwick.The Bandits were beaten at home by Peterborough in midweek and then lost at Sheffield, whilst the Witches overhauled them with a big home win over Rye House.Elsewhere Workington will look to gain ground in their home match with Newcastle, with both sides level on 12 points and split by one position, although the Comets have matches in hand.Rafal Konopka has been booked to guest for the Diamonds as Lewis Rose is on Elite League duty for Swindon.In the Travel Plus Tours KO Cup, Plymouth face a 16-point deficit as they host Somerset at the St Boniface Arena in their second leg tie.Devils boss Ashley Taylor said: “There is everything to race for on Saturday evening. It has been a difficult time for us with a run of away fixtures, but now it is a case of capitalising on our home fixtures.”The Rebels bring in Edward Kennett to guest for World U21 Final qualifier Brady Kurtz, and boss Garry May said: “We know what we have to do in the second leg, but rather than go to Plymouth to defend the lead, we will be going there to win the match to book our place in the semi-finals.”In the City Gearboxes National League, Buxton return to action for the first time in three weeks when they visit Rye House.The Hitmen will give a debut to Dale Lamb as Paul Bowen is out with a badly broken finger and cracked elbow-joint suffered during their last home meeting, whilst rider replacement covers for Adam Extance.Buxton boss Jason Pipe said: “I'm actually surprised to see Rye at the bottom of the league, as I believe they are a much better team than that. Rye House is one of those tracks you can go to and ride it well or struggle on it, but I'm sure my riders will be going there on Saturday full of confidence. “Anything less than a point and I'll be hugely disappointed. We should be going to places like Rye House and coming away with at least a point.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

BUXTON look set to bring in a replacement for Adam Extance as their 2014 Most Improved Rider faces a knee operation.Extance has three snapped knee ligaments and was forced to withdraw during a guest appearance for Cradley on Wednesday.Buxton boss Jason Pipe said: “In my eyes and many others, Adam is injured and not fit to race Speedway, from what he has told us about his knee injury.  “He's admitted to me that his knee is affecting his riding. I'm currently working on bringing in an experienced rider to replace Adam, who I've worked with before, but due to work commitments and personal reasons he's unable to come in to the side for another couple of weeks.”

(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY JULY 11:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v Swindon 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Ipswich 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pmTRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Plymouth v Somerset 7.15CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Buxton 7pm

SUNDAY JULY 12:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Workington 3pm, Newcastle v Sheffield 6.30TRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Rye House v Berwick 5pm CHALLENGE: Mildenhall v Team Fritte Cup 3.30

MONDAY JULY 13:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Leicester 7.30, Swindon v Poole 7.30CHALLENGE: Kent v Team Fritte Cup 6.30