(SPEEDWAY 1)

FORMER winner Craig Cook is in confident mood ahead of the Premier League Riders’ Championship at Sheffield on Sunday.Cook triumphed at Owlerton in 2012 and believes his form at this stage of the season should see him put in a strong challenge to repeat the feat.He said: “Right now, I’m in a run of form that I’m happy with and it’s at a track I love to race on. Sheffield have called upon me a fair few times this year to guest at No.1 for them and I’ve done a fair amount of meetings at Owlerton this season.“It’s always a great event and one that I always look forward to. I feel better prepared than I ever have done before and hopefully I can come out of it with a positive result.”(SPEEDWAY 2 - WEDNESDAY REVIEW)

COVENTRY and Swindon have both secured their places in the Elite League play-offs after a tense night of racing on Wednesday.The Bees defeated the Robins 47-43 in a last-heat decider at Brandon with the meeting only given the go-ahead half an hour before the scheduled start-time due to heavy rain in the build-up.Danny King and Max Fricke combined for a Heat 15 5-1 over Peter Kildemand and Grzegorz Zengota at the end of a see-saw meeting which saw both teams hold the lead before being pulled back.Swindon’s away point, though, is still enough to confirm a play-off place due to King’s Lynn’s defeat at Poole.Coventry promoter Mick Horton said: “What a meeting - when we went eight up I thought we had them by the scruff of the neck, but when they pulled it back to lead by two I really couldn’t see us winning it.“I knew we’d have gates 2 and 4 in Heat 15 and I thought the only way we’d pull it off would be if they missed the gate or if Danny made a flier from the outside, and it happened! It was a magnificent performance, and Max was absolutely superb coming in as guest.”Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “Fair play to both sets of riders, the meeting could have been off but they got on with it.“I'm disappointed we didn't get the win, but we got a point and that means job done for us now. To qualify for the play-offs is a fantastic achievement with all the knocks we've taken this year.”King’s Lynn’s nightmare week continued with a 30-62 defeat at Poole, and that means Belle Vue could clinch the final play-off place with a positive result at Wolverhampton next Monday.The league leaders dominated at Wimborne Road and provided all but three of the race winners, with Maciej Janowski and Kacper Gomolski both scoring 13+1 whilst Davey Watt collected a four-ride paid maximum.Watt underlined the mood in the Pirates camp with thoughts still very much with seriously-injured club asset Darcy Ward.Watt said: “He might have signed for the enemy (Swindon) but we still love him here. It's been a tough week and a bit, but we knew we had to get on with the business and it was super to see such great support here again.”Meanwhile the clash of the top two in the City Gearboxes National League boiled up to a dramatic finale as leaders Birmingham edged out Eastbourne 46-43 at Perry Barr.The Eagles led by a point going into the last race but Adam Ellis and Zach Wajtknecht pulled off a 5-1 over Bradley Wilson-Dean and Marc Owen, with Wajtknecht completing a paid maximum.The result means the Brummies can clinch the title if they avoid defeat in their final meeting at Mildenhall on Sunday.Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “What a performance from our riders and what a huge result that is. You have to give credit to Eastbourne too; they played their part in what was surely one of the best-ever adverts for National League speedway.“The meeting had it all: thrills, spills, twists, turns and more importantly some fantastic racing. That win means so much to everyone at Birmingham Speedway and means that we can wrap up the title if we go to Mildenhall on Sunday and come away with at least a draw.”Eastbourne chairman Connor Dugard said: “It was an agonising defeat. We came so close. The Eagles will fight until the last and hope for one final twist.”

(SPEEDWAY 3 - THURSDAY PREVIEW)

LEICESTER have renewed hope of avoiding the Elite League wooden spoon - as they prepare to face Elite League leaders Poole in their final home match of the season on Thursday.The sides meet at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium with the Pirates looking to take another step towards finishing top. The Lions have named Nicolai Klindt as a guest for the unavailable Sam Masters, whilst Carl Wilkinson rides at reserve in place of the injured Josh Auty.Leicester boss Norrie Allan said: “With us picking up a win at King’s Lynn it puts an all-new meaning on the match against Poole. “It won’t be easy, we know that, but we have belief in ourselves and the focus is firmly on getting off the bottom of the league table. If we can do that it will be an achievement in itself when you consider what a season we have had with long-term injuries and three retirements.”Meanwhile Swindon and Coventry meet at the Abbey Stadium 24 hours after their clash at Brandon which confirmed both teams as play-off qualifiers.The Bees are forced into changes for the re-arranged fixture as Danny King and Kyle Howarth are absent due to fixtures for their Premier League clubs. Max Fricke continues as a guest and the Bees also bring in Thomas Jorgensen.Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “We've got to keep pushing hard and we need to beat Coventry tonight. I'm hoping we will see a big crowd with fans turning out in force to show their support for Swindon Speedway ahead of the play-offs.“We can still win the league title and although it won't be decided tonight, we can lay a marker down against Coventry.”In the second leg of the League Cup semi-final at Foxhall, Ipswich face a 22-point deficit as they go into action against Edinburgh.Meanwhile Redcar take on Workington in the Bears’ final home fixture of the Premier League season - looking for a win to take them off the bottom of the table.The home side bring in Steve Worrall, Theo Pijper and Nike Lunna as guests whilst the Comets have themselves been hit by injury and availability problems as they go for their first away point of the campaign.Redcar boss Jitendra Duffill said: “As a team we have struggled to find any consistency since losing four riders to injury in the space of a few days. “Before that we looked like we would finish the season strongly but luck was not on our side and we have struggled to cover with guests and rider replacement.”Workington manager Tony Jackson said: “We were already without the injured Rusty Harrison and the unavailable Rene Bach when we got a phone call from Kenneth Hansen telling us that he had picked up a back injury last night while riding for Slangerup in a Danish League fixture. “Although it was very late I was thankfully able to get hold of Morten Risager and he has agreed to help us out at Redcar tonight. “We already have Richard Hall replacing Rusty and will be utilising rider replacement for Rene so it is something of a patched-up side, but on a positive note we are very pleased to have Matt Williamson back this evening after his horrific crash at Berwick last Saturday night.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

NEWCASTLE have been dealt a double blow ahead of their Travel Plus Tours KO Cup semi-final at Edinburgh on Friday. High-flying reserve Tero Aarnio, who has been riding through the pain barrier, has been ordered to rest and misses the match at Armadale - which is a massive blow to the Tyneside club as his performances in recent weeks have been outstanding. Diamonds team boss George English said: “Tero has had to stand down on medical advice as the exertions of two meetings in one day on Sunday seem to have taken their toll on his chest, where his broken ribs are causing him a great deal of pain. He has been superb for us and this is a big blow ahead of such a major meeting.“Then we received the news that our guest for Lewis Kerr, Kenneth Hansen, crashed on Wednesday night and injured his back ruling him out of the fixture meaning we have to try and find another rider at short notice, though his Workington team-mate Matthew Wethers comes in for Tero.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

THE 2015 Mitas British Youth Championship will try for the third time to run Round 4 of this season’s series this Saturday afternoon at Redcar (2pm).The previous two attempts to run round 4, at Rye House in July and at Northside last Sunday, were rained-off and postponed due to vandalism respectively.British Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “Again we have another great attendance of riders across the four classes, and it’s sure to be three hours of entertainment at the North-East venue.“The newly crowned Midland Development League Riders’ Champion Jack Parkinson will be hoping to continue his great form, and having already won the previous three rounds he will be going all out to do a clean sweep.“Coventry rider Jamie Halder, who is also in good form, will have other ideas about that, and the Redcar venue is a particular favourite of the Storm youngster whilst Lewis Whitmore and Macauley Leek will also be hoping to make the 500cc Final to keep in the running for securing a top three finish.“Former Redcar Mascot Kyle Bickley needs another big score to keep the pressure on the winner of the 250cc class from rounds 1 and 2, Kean Dicken and Tom Brennan, after Bickley missed Round 2.“The 150cc class will be a keen contest, and it will be a surprise if the winners of the first three rounds, Joylon West and Jason Edwards, are too far away from the rostrum places come the end of the evening.“The 2015 125cc British Champion Joe Thompson will be one of the favourites to reach the Final of the 125s, along with his twin Dan, and the most unlucky rider from this years 125cc British Final Harry McGurk.“We are all hoping we can eventually get this Round 4 done, as with it now being in September, because of the previous two postponements we have a busy month organised to now get the six-round series completed.“Redcar is a great racing venue, and I know all the Youth Riders are really looking forward to getting back out on track to race for a British title.”Ecco Finishers are very kindly sponsoring this Youth Meeting, and series organisers appreciate their support. They would also like to thank the Series sponsors for their continued support - Mitas Tyres, Wessex Marine, Friends of Speedway, NSSC, PBHS of Barnsley, Duck Smart Cleaning Products and Trend Creative, also the BSPA for their backing of British Youth Speedway

(FIXTURES)

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Coventry 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Workington 7.30LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Leicester 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Redcar 7.30, Plymouth v Berwick 7.15TRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30CHALLENGE: Somerset Select v Exeter Select 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Rye House 7pm, Peterborough v Somerset 7pm, Workington v Glasgow 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: King’s Lynn 7.30BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 4: Redcar 2pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6:PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 5pmCITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Cradley 3pm, Eastbourne v Kent 7.30, Mildenhall v Birmingham 3.30, Rye House v Stoke 3pm