BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2015/27
BIG EVENT LATEST…
BRITISH Under-19 Champion Josh Bates has spoken of his delight after winning the national title in spectacular style.The talented young gun put in a perfect performance at Berwick to climb to the top of the rostrum. He reeled off five straight wins in the qualifying heats before seeing off Max Clegg in the Grand Final to take the title.It was an excellent night for Bates as he added the Under-19 crown to the British Under-21 Championship he won last year - and the 19-year-old was in jubilant mood after adding another major title to his collection.Bates said: “It was a great night, and I was over the moon to end up winning the title.“I said all along it was a meeting I was looking to win, and fortunately everything came together and I managed to get the job done.“It was great to have Simon Stead come along to help me out, and I rode really well winning all of my races. “There were some good riders in there like Liam Carr, Max Clegg and Ellis Perks so it wasn't easy but I managed to find the setup early on and come out with the win which was awesome.”Clegg finished second with Danny Phillips third after Perks had fallen in the first running of the Final, whilst Carr missed out in the race-off along with impressive 15-year-old Jack Parkinson-Blackburn.Berwick chief John Anderson said: “All the lads rode so professionally and despite the early dampness, once the track dried we got some good racing. “Also the staff and referee made sure we got all 22 races done and dusted well within the curfew restriction meaning it was a great success all round, and we’d like to send out our congratulations to the British U19 Champion Josh Bates – a worthy champ if ever there was one.”*TALKS are ongoing to confirm a date and venue for the Premier League Fours Final.The re-staging is expected to be on a Saturday night under lights with Newcastle, Somerset, Ipswich and Edinburgh set to do battle over 16 races for the prestigious title.*THE list of competitors has been announced for the National League Riders’ Champonship at Rye House.The Hoddesdon showpiece takes place on Saturday September 26 with all ten NL clubs represented.LINE-UP (not in riding order): Jon Armstrong (Stoke), Bradley Wilson-Dean (Eastbourne), Max Clegg (Cradley), Liam Carr (Buxton), Adam Ellis (Birmingham), Connor Mountain (Mildenhall), Danny Halsey (Mildenhall), Ben Morley (Kent), Kyle Hughes (Rye House), Rob Branford (Rye House), Lee Payne (Stoke), Zach Wajtknecht (Birmingham), Darryl Ritchings (Coventry), Tom Stokes (King’s Lynn), Danny Ayres (Kent), Marc Owen (Eastbourne). Reserves: Alfie Bowtell & George Hunter.BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2015:ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: JASON DOYLEBRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: KYLE HOWARTHBRITISH FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: IPSWICHPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Abandoned - Further news to followPREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: ULRICH OSTERGAARD
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: BIRMINGHAMNATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: KENTNATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House, Saturday September 26
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: JOSH BATES
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE boss Mark Lemon is urging his side to complete the job when they take a 14-point lead to Swindon in the second leg of their play-off semi-final.Lemon said: “We can't rest easy just yet. We're only half way towards our aim of reaching the final so it's vital we go to Swindon with the same determination and positive mentality we showed at home.“We would never go to the Abbey feeling cocky though because the Robins are a class act, but we've proved before now that we're fully capable of adapting to conditions very efficiently.”COVENTRY skipper Chris Harris is fighting a race against time to be fit for the Bees’ re-arranged play-off first leg tie against Poole after crashing in Poland on Sunday.Harris said: “It was a big crash on the first bend with me, Sebastian Ulamek and Michal Szczepaniak, and we all went straight into the fence together. I carried on in the meeting, it was an important one for the club, but it was afterwards when the adrenaline had eased that I really felt the pain, and I’ve got a swollen wrist and ankle.“I’ve got to get plenty of treatment over the next few days, I really want to be fit for Friday but I’ll have to see what the specialist says.”KING’S LYNN boss Rob Lyon has highlighted disappointing away form as a major contributory factor in the Stars’ failure to reach the play-offs this season.Lyon said: “If you look at the top four teams this year, they have all lost at home. It is the away form that has taken them to the play-offs - for ourselves, our away form has not been good enough all year and that is where we have fallen down.“Yes, injuries have played their part, ironically I think with no major issues to Rory (Schlein) and Lewi (Kerr), we would have been there. The bottom line is, we simply weren't good enough and we ran out of steam towards the end.”POOLE boss Neil Middleditch is expecting a tough encounter for the Pirates against Coventry in the play-offs - after selecting the Bees as their semi-final opponents.Middleditch told Speedway Star: “We have the four best teams in the play-offs, which is what it’s meant to be.“Coventry is a track we’ve done well on in the past, and one my boys like. But in saying that, Coventry can come to our place and do well.”SWINDON manager Alun Rossiter insists his side are not out of contention yet despite their 36-50 defeat at Belle Vue in the first leg of the play-off semi-final.Rossiter said: “It's a big gap for us to overcome going into the second leg, but you can never say never. We had some crashes that were costly, and in a play-off semi-final you can't afford to give your opposition any advantage at all. “We are going to need a big wake-up call for the second leg next week, but I'm sure we can do it. We won't give up, we'll pick ourselves up and keep believing we can overcome the deficit.”WOLVERHAMPTON skipper Peter Karlsson admits the club need a strong 2016 campaign after failing to mount a sustained play-off challenge this year.Karlsson said: “We are in it to win it every year like every team, and after the last two years we really need next season to be much better. We've done it before here, we've bounced back from disappointing seasons to do well and I don't see any reason why we can't do it again. "This season has been tough on everyone, like I say we just haven't been good enough and when you are all trying your best but keep struggling it's not a nice feeling.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
EDINBURGH reached the Premier League Knockout Cup Final after a 53-37 away win at Newcastle saw them beat the Diamonds 93-87 on aggregate.Justin Sedgmen top scored in the second leg to ensure the Monarchs have an opportunity to retain the trophy they won in 2014.The Armadale outfit will go head-to-head with Somerset to determine who will be crowned KO Cup winners of 2015.GLASGOW sealed third place in the Premier League table with a comfortable 42-20 victory against Rye House on Sunday.The result sets up an exciting final few weeks to the season for the Tigers who have the Premier League play-offs and League Cup Final to look forward to.Speaking after the win over Rye House, team boss Stewart Dickson said: “Our boys had a job to do and they did it; No offence to Rye House but they were understrength.“To finish third in our first campaign under the new ownership is pretty decent and we’ve put ourselves right in the mix of where we want to be.”IPSWICH missed out on an end-of-season play-off place after Plymouth’s away win at Rye House saw them leapfrog the Witches to snatch the final spot.The Witches are now preparing for their famous 16 Lap Classic meeting which will take place on Thursday September 24.NEWCASTLE narrowly missed out on a Knockout Cup Final spot after losing by six-points on aggregate to Edinburgh.An impressive second leg saw them overcome the Monarchs 53-37 but went down 93-87 over the 30 heats.Diamonds team manager George English said: “It was a great effort by the whole team to win so comfortably; we continued our excellent home form against a strong side.“We have been riding so well at home recently and wish that our season wasn’t coming to an end.”PETERBOROUGH set up a Premier League play-off encounter with Sheffield after beating Scunthorpe 54-36 in their final regular fixture. Panthers boss Carl Johnson said: “We would have obviously liked to have finished inside the top two and gone straight through to the semi-finals but we came up just short in our attempts to do that.“A result and performance like that is just what we wanted to end the regular season and kick ourselves on into the play-offs.”PLYMOUTH snatched the final Premier League play-off spot after a 53-38 away win at Rye House on Saturday. A spectacular run of 10 wins in thirteen meetings has seen the Devils put on a late charge to deny Ipswich at the very last hurdle.Plymouth will meet Glasgow in the quarter-finals.RYE HOUSE suffered back-to-back Cup and League defeats at the weekend as their miserable run of form continues.The Rockets lost 47-43 at home to Somerset in their Knockout Cup semi-final 2nd leg before going down 42-20 away at Glasgow.The Rockets have won just one of their last ten meetings in all competitions.SHEFFIELD will host their first play-off meeting in five years when they take on Peterborough this Thursday.Tigers co-promoter Damien Bates said: "It's an exciting time for everybody, particularly given it's been so long since we had the play-offs at Owlerton."We've done a great job to get this far, so we'll just take it one meeting at a time from here and see how far we can go."SOMERSET will take on Edinburgh in the Knockout Cup Final after a second leg 47-43 win over Rye House saw them secure a 34-point win on aggregate.Team manager Garry May said: "Once again it was a tremendous all-round team performance over the two legs."The two 5-1's in the opening races certainly did the trick and we knew then that the tie was virtually done as a contest."WORKINGTON have started building for 2016 already by announcing their first two signings as both Ricky Wells and Kenneth Hansen signed contracts to stay with the club.Comets owner Laura Morgan said: “Both Kenneth and Ricky have expressed a strong desire to stay with us for next season for some time."We definitely wanted them to stay, so it was a pretty easy situation for both parties and we are delighted to have them signed up so early; and judging by the reaction, so are the supporters."
CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE LATEST…
BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury is anticipating two blockbuster clashes as they battle with co-tenants Cradley in the Gold Cup semi-finals.The Brummies will host the Heathens at Perry Barr in the first leg on Wednesday before the second leg next week, and Drury is relishing the chance to win more silverware having wrapped up the National League title. "Cradley were always the ones I wanted regardless of who gets that fourth spot," Drury revealed. "We've had some outstanding meetings against them this year and now we've got a chance for two more as well! "It's another chance to get one step closer to yet some more silverware and it's another chance for our riders and supporters to claim some bragging rights."It's going to be one hell of a tie with two bumper crowds and we can't wait to get back on our home track as official League Champions."BUXTON manager Jason Pipe has backed Eastbourne for Gold Cup glory after their impressive 50-40 win over the Hitmen at Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday.After seeing his side condemned to a disappointing home defeat, Pipe was quick to praise the Eagles. "I think we have seen the Gold-Cup winners here today," he commented. "To me they were the best of the qualifiers and we have ridden against all of them recently. "I thought the meeting swung in heat eight. Up until then we were holding our own, but the loss of Liam (Carr) was a blow and they finished well with three maximums in the last four heats. It was almost identical to the way it went in the fixture at their place."COVENTRY Storm boss Laurence Rogers was delighted to see his side battle to a hard-fought 48-44 win over Cradley on Sunday.The win was not enough to see the Brandon outfit earn a top four finish, but Rogers was nonetheless proud of his side.He said: “That was a convincing win and a great all-round team performance. The boys all dug in, and it was more convincing than the final score suggests.“When the side was put together at the start of the year we weren’t given a chance, but I knew it was a side which would grow, and they’ve all improved their averages, they have great spirit and they’re a lovely bunch of lads."CRADLEY boss Will Pottinger was pleased to see them end their National League campaign on a high with a remarkable 40-35 win at Stoke on Sunday. Having battled to a bruising consolation point at Coventry earlier in the day, the Heathens travelled to Loomer Road with just four riders yet somehow pulled off a narrow win.Pottinger said: "Considering we were practically a four-man team for the whole meeting it was an incredible effort to get the win, and all the lads deserve a lot of credit."We had to dig really deep for that win, and it's a fantastic effort given we had to send only one rider out in five races."It was a tough day for us, but it was nice to get a win to end the National League season and give us a bit of confidence before our Gold Cup tie with Birmingham." EASTBOURNE have taken the step of making neck braces compulsory for all their riders following Darcy Ward's recent spinal injury.The Eagles have utilised donations from supporters to purchase the equipment for all of their riders, and director Connor Dugard has been delighted with the support shown. He explained: “All concerned with Eastbourne Speedway think this is the way forward and that riders’ safety must be paramount. Our fans have given us brilliant support over this project and we cannot thank them enough.”KENT manager Chris Hunt declared their recent victory in the National League Pairs was for their loyal supporters. After enduring a tough National League campaign, Kings duo Ben Morley and Danny Ayres pulled off a memorable victory at the Adrian Flux Arena, and Hunt was delighted to reward their fans for their patience throughout the year.He told the Speedway Star: "Danny and Ben were just excellent in the Pairs, and for us it was about winning for our terrific fans who have supported us through thick and thin."KING'S LYNN boss Dale Allitt is hopeful his side could cause an upset as they take on Cradley in the Knockout Cup semi-finals.Allitt said: “When Cradley visited us in the league we beat them by two points, but it should have been more. We need to recreate that form again and take a comfortable lead back to their place, we have a good chance of making the final, but we need two good meetings.”MILDENHALL promoter Kevin Jolly has warned there will be big changes in the Fen Tigers side over the winter.The West Row outfit have endured a disappointing campaign, and Jolly told the Speedway Star there is likely to be a major overhaul as they look to bounce back to winning ways in 2016.He said: "Too many of our riders have been far too inconsistent this year so there are going to be a lot of changes."It could be possible for a rider to make me change my mind about him in our remaining fixtures, but that would take some doing."I already have a line-up in mind, and if we can get the people we want, we'll be back challenging for the title again next year." RYE HOUSE skipper Luke Priest has praised the team spirit within the Raiders camp.Despite the departure of boss Andrew Silver, the Hoddesdon outfit have battled to a Gold Cup spot, and Priest told the Speedway Star he believes their togetherness has played a big part."Things like Andrew's departure can tear you apart or bring you closer together," Priest said. "The way we started the season we became mates as much as anything else, and I'm pleased that those things that have happened haven't affected us." STOKE promoter Dave Tattum has apologised to supporters after their meeting with Cradley on Sunday was cut short due to power failure.Tattum said: “We have been updating the electrics within the stadium and it seems there is a glitch somewhere which we are attempting to identify and then rectify as quickly as possible. "I would like to apologise to supporters for the problem, but it was unexpected and we will endeavour to rectify the problem in time for the next meeting.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16:GOLD CUP S/F 1st leg: Birmingham v Cradley OFF
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF Q/F 1st leg: Sheffield v Peterborough 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18:ELITE LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Coventry v Poole 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19:GOLD CUP S/F 1st leg: Rye House v Eastbourne 7pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20: GOLD CUP S/F 2nd leg: Eastbourne v Rye House 2pmBRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 5: Rye House 5pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21:ELITE LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS S/F 2nd leg: Poole v Coventry 7.30, Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30SILVER SKI HOLIDAYS CHAMPIONSHIP: Kent 6.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23:GOLD CUP S/F 1st leg: Cradley v Birmingham 7.30
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24:16-LAP CLASSIC: Ipswich 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25:LEAGUE CUP FINAL 1st leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26:NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House 7pmBRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 6: Northside 2pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27:LEAGUE CUP FINAL 2nd leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Rye House 6.30
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1st leg: TBC v TBC 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: TBC v TBC 7.30GOLD CUP S/F 2nd leg: Birmingham v Cradley 7.30
