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BELLE Vue’s opening meeting at the National Speedway Stadium on Saturday was abandoned prior to the first race being run.An Aces website statement said: “It is with great sadness and regret that tonight's Peter Craven Memorial meeting has had to be abandoned.“Although the weather has been dry in the past week, the winter weather has played a significant part in tonight's proceedings and with safety being our number one priority there was no other conclusion but to abandon the meeting. “We fully understand the frustration and disappointment of the many fans who travelled to witness tonights's season opener and must be wondering what happens next.“A full statement with information for ticket holders will be made shortly.”
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STUART Robson made a stunning start to the season with a 15-point maximum as Rye House overcame Plymouth 50-40 in the League Cup.The Rockets veteran began his second spell with the club in fine form with five race wins, backed up by captain Edward Kennett with 12+2 to get the home side off to a victory in their opener. New Devils reserve Stefan Nielsen scored 8+1 with No.1 Charlie Gjedde collecting nine.Robson said: “It was the perfect start for me – and also a good one for the team with a victory over a very strong Plymouth side. They put up a very good fight, and we had to be on our best game..“It’s been a long time since I had a five ride maximum anywhere, so it’s especially nice to come back here that way. “I just want to say thank you to Edward, who eased off the gas and let me through in Heat 13. He also did an extremely good first bend in that race, where he just moved Charlie (Gjedde) up a little bit. I saw what was happening and turned it back, and it worked perfectly.”Meanwhile Leicester were comfortable 59-34 winners over Sheffield in the first leg of the clubs’ Inter-League Challenge at Beaumont Park.Reserve Josh Auty piled up 12 points for the Lions with Patrick Hougaard adding 11 and Szymon Wozniak 10+1, whilst Jason Garrity carded 14 for the Tigers.Leicester boss Norrie Allan said: “The meeting served as good practice for us to explore the new racing lines following alterations to the third and fourth bends and the track held up really well.”Sheffield co-boss Marc Bates said: “There were some positives to take from it. Jason rode extremely well, Dimitri (Berge) improved as the meeting went on, Richard (Hall) scored some good points and everyone kept trying until the end.“Considering it was against an Elite League team in an Elite League format I think we held our own, and I’m sure we’ll give a much better account of ourselves in the return fixture on Thursday.”
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SCUNTHORPE are bidding to complete a quickfire double over Ipswich when the sides clash in the League Cup at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday.The Scorpions raced to a 48-41 win at Foxhall on opening-night, but promoter Rob Godfrey is aware of a possible Witches response in the return fixture.He said: “We won't be complacent. It was an excellent win for us at Ipswich, but we start off all square again this afternoon, and we've got to do the job again. “We caught them a bit cold at their place, and we need to avoid them doing the same to us. We'll approach the meeting in the same positive frame of mind as we did at Ipswich and see what that brings us.”The visitors will operate the rider-replacement facility for Morten Risager, who faces time out of the saddle with a broken metatarsal.Witches star Nico Covatti said: “What happened with Morten is really bad luck. It was the first meeting of the season and now we will be without a team-mate, it's not good for the team or Morten himself, but hopefully he will be back as soon as possible.“Sunday is a different track, I like it because I have always gone well there in previous years and I think the engine will be a bit better on this track, which is a little bigger than Ipswich. We need to win on Sunday, there is no other option. There is a little more pressure for me because I want to give more than I did on Thursday, and we are all thinking the same so let's go and win on Sunday.”
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CHRIS Harris celebrates a decade-plus of service to Coventry and British Speedway with his Testimonial at Brandon on Sunday afternoon.Harris has assembled a strong line-up including Grand Prix regulars Nicki Pedersen, Jason Doyle and Andreas Jonsson for a meeting to be run under the format first used by that series.There are also races for some of the top British Youth riders with the track action getting underway at 1.30pm and the main event at 2pm.Harris said: “I’m looking forward to it, the weather’s going to be kind to us this time and it should be a good afternoon of racing.“We’ve tried to work it so there’s a lot of racing for the paying public to enjoy, and I’m really pleased with the line-up.“I can’t thank the riders who have agreed to do it enough, we wanted to put together a good line-up to get the crowd through the gates and hopefully they’ll enjoy it and see some great racing.”
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BERWICK have announced plans to build and operate their own fully-licensed speedway academy.Land has been identified and planning permission obtained for the venture near Duns in Berwickshire, with a 200-metre training circuit to be laid alongside an existing motocross area. Funds have been allocated by the BSPA to allow construction to proceed, along with an interest-free loan to be repaid by a levy on training school fees. It is hoped the circuit will be operational by mid-summer.Berwick chairman John Anderson also praised the involvement of Bandits manager Scott Courtney, training officer Gary Flint, and the site’s motocross chief Bryan McKenzie.Anderson said: “The on-site meetings have gone well, we know what we’re doing and where we’re doing it and, now the weather is coming around we can get things started in earnest.“We would hope to be ready by the middle of the year, but if this proves too optimistic we should certainly be staging fortnightly training sessions before the end of the current speedway season.“Our permission will allow us to be running bikes up to five days a week, so the circuit would also be available to our own team’s riders for testing bikes, fitness tests and the like.“In time, we will have bikes and riding equipment for hire, and there is an intention to provide training on the circuit for much-younger riders on 50cc machines.”
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SCUNTHORPE were held to a 45-45 draw by Ipswich in a pulsating first meeting of the season at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday.The Scorpions had won the reverse League Cup fixture at Foxhall three nights earlier, but the Witches gained a measure of revenge with a 4-2 in a thrilling final race won by Nico Covatti, with Danny King snatching third place from Ryan Douglas on the line.Covatti was top-scorer in the meeting with 14 whilst team-mate Lewis Kerr added 11. Nicolai Klindt and Ryan Douglas both scored 10 for the Scorpions, who had Carl Wilkinson taken to hospital with collarbone damage – but with only a small break confirmed, he intends to ride on.Scunthorpe boss Dave Peet said: “I'm disappointed that we didn't complete the double over Ipswich, but on reflection a draw was a fair result. “The first home meeting of the season is always a tough one, and we had a couple of riders whose machinery wasn't completely firing, but we'll get that right for next week against Sheffield.“The lads were giving it 100% to win the meeting, right up until the last bend of the last lap, and certain things didn't go our way, but I can't take anything away from Ipswich.”Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “I'm pleased with the draw and am happy with how all the boys went. They got stuck in and showed a lot of determination, we are making progress and that's what we want to do in every meeting.“Nico was brilliant and every single rider rode better than Thursday. It's a tough place to come, Scunthorpe, and I'm really happy with everyone's progress.”
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CHRIS Harris has thanked everyone involved in his Testimonial event which proved a major success at Coventry on Sunday.Australian star Jason Doyle took the individual honours as he held off the challenge of three-times World Champion Nicki Pedersen in the A-Final, with Rory Schlein completing the rostrum finishers ahead of Scott Nicholls.Harris said: “I was really pleased with the turn-out, and I can’t thank everyone enough for coming, and also the riders for giving up their time and putting on a great show.“I was even surprised myself with how hard everyone was going, but at the end of the day they’re all racers, which is what I wanted.“I’m glad it’s over and I can concentrate on my racing now - it’s been stressful for me, but even more for (partner) Emma. She’s worked hard, so a big thanks to her and everyone on the committee, and all the sponsors and the fans.“I wasn’t expecting that size of crowd, it blew me away, so I’m really thankful to them and hopefully they enjoyed it as much as I have.”
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WOLVERHAMPTON are looking to make Monmore Green a fortress – starting with their opening home clash with Belle Vue on Tuesday week (March 29).Club owner Chris Van Straaten wants to see their home form improve to help them in a bid for a top four finish and a place in the play-offs.He said: “This is an important year for Wolverhampton to be in the mix once again. As I’ve already mentioned, we can’t afford to have three bad seasons on the run and with the group of riders we’ve got I can’t see that happening.“I think we’re strong play-off contenders and hopefully we can make Monmore Green something of a fortress again.”
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KENT boss Chris Hunt has given the thumbs up to his 2016 septet after a positive team practice session at the weekend.The Kings completed the build-up to their campaign, which launches on Good Friday, at a local training circuit and Hunt is full of optimism for the coming campaign.He said: “The day was extremely positive; all the lads got plenty of track time and certainly by the end of the day all our lads looked really good. “David Mason, who has rejoined us after a year away, was absolutely brilliant with our new teenager signing Jack Thomas - working on bike set ups and after he made some changes the youngster looked absolutely superb.“I think we have a really good bunch of lads that will all work well together this year. They were all helping each other out and I think also it will take a good man to beat our new skipper and number one, Luke Bowen this year.”(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY MARCH 24:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Lakeside 7.30TWEED/TEES TROPHY 1st leg: Redcar v Berwick 7.30INTER-LEAGUE CHALLENGE 2nd leg: Sheffield v Leicester 7.30
FRIDAY MARCH 25:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 1pm, Coventry v Leicester 7.30, Lakeside v King’s Lynn 1pm, Poole v Swindon 12pmLEAGUE CUP: Somerset v Plymouth 7.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Birmingham v Stoke 7.30GOOD FRIDAY CHASE: Eastbourne v Kent 12pm, Kent v Eastbourne 6.30
SATURDAY MARCH 26:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v Coventry 7.30 TWEED/TEES TROPHY 2nd leg: Berwick v Redcar 7pmLEAGUE CUP: Plymouth v Somerset 7.15IAN THOMAS SHIELD 1st leg: Workington v Newcastle 7pm
