(SPEEDWAY 1)
SHEFFIELD favourite Josh Bates pulled off a sensational victory to take the British Under-21 title for a second time on his home Owlerton track.The 20-year-old, who also races in the Elite League for Coventry, secured the prestigious trophy for the second time in three seasons after winning the Grand Final on home shale.Bates was forced to settle for a semi-final spot after a crash in his final programmed ride saw him fall below Adam Ellis and maximum man Robert Lambert in the overall standings with 11 points.But after coming through the semi alongside 15-year-old sensation Jack Parkinson-Blackburn, Bates headed took the honours in the Final with Lambert runner-up for the second successive season and Ellis third.Bates said: “I felt like crying when I won the final because this means so much to me.“When I won it in 2014, nobody expected anything from me and that was the start of something special for me. This time around, I was on my home track and I always wanted to make the most of that fact.“I'd got a lot of people who'd come to watch me race and a lot of supporters were behind me too. It's another huge moment in my career and it's great to win it for a second time.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
WOLVERHAMPTON continued their dream start to the Elite League season as they made it two wins out of two with a stunning 48-44 victory at Swindon.The Monmore men, who had already won at Coventry, raced into a 14-point lead after eight races at the Abbey Stadium and then withstood a Robins fightback in the second half of the meeting.Skipper Freddie Lindgren led a solid Wolves display with ten points, whilst Swindon reserve Charles Wright enjoyed a sensational meeting with 15+2 but several of his team-mates struggled with track conditions.Wolves promoter Chris Van Straaten said: “We are very pleased with the result. We had a very strong start this evening which I think set the tone and rattled the Robins a little bit.“We were passing quite well throughout the meeting which is very encouraging, and there is a good spirit within the side.“Any rider can hop out and win a race and nobody is surprised. They are all very capable and I think that's the sign of a good team.”Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “It was very disappointing, and unfortunately we were beaten by the track. It always ends up working against the home team when things are like that, and although we fought back strongly it was too little, too late.“Paid-17 from Charles was first-class, he got stuck in and did a fantastic job, but unfortunately it didn’t really suit the rest of the team. We have to knuckle down and turn things around against Belle Vue next week.”In the League Cup, Ipswich notched their first win of the season with a 48-42 success over Peterborough.The Witches led for the majority of the meeting but the Panthers remained within range and secured a point for their efforts with a last-race 4-2 from Ulrich Ostergaard and Nicolaj B Jakobsen, which in the process inflicted the first defeat of the night on home skipper Danny King.Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It was far from perfect but it was a great improvement and I'm happy for the boys to get that one out of the way and it was another good stepping stone.“I didn't have to say a lot to them really before the meeting as they were all determined to put it right after a bad performance last time out. The boys are getting there and improving steadily. We are going to have to keep that up but that's the stage we are at in the season, in a sense it's going to plan.”Panthers caretaker manager Dale Allitt said: “First and foremost, it was a massive improvement on the results we had at Ipswich last season.“We were always trying to hang onto the coat-tails of the Witches throughout the meeting. We weren’t quite good enough to get the win, but we still came out of it with a point.“Ulrich and Nikolaj showed a lot of character and class to get an advantage in the last race which was a tough task against riders of the calibre of Danny King and Lewis Kerr.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
SOMERSET launch their Premier League campaign on Friday with the visit of Scunthorpe to the Oaktree Arena – in a repeat of the dramatic 2012 Final between the clubs.The home side will be at full strength whilst the Scorpions again utilise the rider-replacement facility for the injured Zdenek Holub.Rebels boss Garry May said: “You can ignore anything Scunthorpe have done or not done already this season, as they have riders who are more than capable of scoring decent points at the Oaktree Arena with the likes of Josh Auty, Carl Wilkinson, Ryan Douglas and, of course, Alex Davies in their side.“In addition, Scunthorpe have had far more competitive meetings than ourselves so far this year, with this being only be our third full fixture of the season, but in saying that, I know that my boys are keen to get our League campaign off to the best possible start, so it should be a cracker of a meeting.”Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “I don’t see any reason why we can’t give the Rebels a match and take something from the meeting. Alex Davies used to ride for Somerset and he knows the place well very well, plus we have a number of other riders who go well around the Oak Tree Arena. “Peterborough came to us on Sunday on the back of a home defeat, with a point to prove. Likewise we’ll be heading to Somerset tonight, with our lads out to prove that they are a better side than we saw on Sunday.”Scottish rivals Edinburgh and Glasgow clash at Armadale with the Monarchs needing big results over the weekend if they are to have a chance of defending the League Cup.They visit Berwick on Saturday but first face a Tigers side who have been forced into one change with Ricky Wells deputising for an unwell Richard Lawson.Monarchs boss John Campbell said: “We need to win tonight and ensure the Tigers do not pick up a point and then we must secure all four points at Berwick tomorrow. “We then require Berwick and Glasgow to win their home matches against each other with the visitors failing to pick up a point and we’ll be through. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?”Glasgow boss Stewart Dickson said: “Berwick got a good result at Edinburgh last week and I think Edinburgh admitted it might take their younger riders a few weeks to get used to the track.“I'm expecting it to be tight either way. Teams don't normally lose two home matches on the trot. It's going to be tough but my boys will be up for it big time. We're going there looking for the win, but I think it's too close to call.”Meanwhile Plymouth finally get their season started for real with the visit of Rye House in the League Cup, nearly a month after the future of the Devils was put in serious doubt.The Devils will be looking for a revenge win against the Rockets after going down 50-40 when they visited Rye House last month.Plymouth co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “It promises to be a competitive match with both teams at full strength.“Our boys will be keen to get out on the track but it will be a big test for both teams. Rye House have a couple of riders who go particularly well at Plymouth in Edward Kennett and Stuart Robson.”Rockets boss Peter Schroeck said: “The boys are really up for it, and they are going to Plymouth with the attitude and focus that that we need.“It will be a good test of our potential this year. If we can win there, it will really set us up for the rest of the season.”(SPEEDWAY 4)
FORMER Newcastle star Christian Henry is building up to his Testimonial meeting at Brough Park on Sunday.Henry decided to hang up his race-suit after a nasty crash last year saw him suffer a serious back injury, bringing to an end a 15-year British career with most of that time spent with the Diamonds.Henry has put together a Four Team Tournament with teams representing the four clubs he has ridden for, with junior races and appearances from several riders from the past planned. The meeting starts at the earlier time of 3pm.Newcastle boss George English said: “It will be a really entertaining meeting and it’s fantastic to pay tribute to a rider that has earnt over 2,000 points for the Diamonds and I hope a good crowd is there to support him.”
(FIXTURES)
FRIDAY APRIL 15:PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30LEAGUE CUP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Plymouth v Rye House 7.15TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v Birmingham OFF
SATURDAY APRIL 16:PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Peterborough 7pmLEAGUE CUP: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Coventry OFF, Eastbourne v Kent 7.30
SUNDAY APRIL 17:LEAGUE CUP: Glasgow v Berwick 3pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Buxton v Birmingham 3pm, Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 3.30CHRISTIAN HENRY TESTIMONIAL: Newcastle 3pm
