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BRITISH Youth bosses have secured a sponsorship deal enabling the GB side to wear team suits at the World Under-21 semi-final in Denmark next month.Bob Taylor from Direct Digital Controls Limited, Mike Bowden of Downers Racing and Wessex Marine of Poole have all come forward to assist the GB team in their quest to qualify for their first World Team Final for almost ten years.Manager Neil Vatcher said: “All of these sponsors are amazing people and I personally cannot thank them enough. I have already spoken to the boys who will be taking part in the semi-final and all four boys are grateful for their support.“The semi-final will be a difficult event as we are up against the host nation Denmark and a very strong-looking Australian team, along with Norway, but we will go there with the backing of our very kind sponsors and give it our best shot, and we really do believe that our goal of qualifying for a World Final is achievable.“As well as the Team semi-final in June we also have the individual Under-21 semi-finals fast approaching in May, and again we have had some fantastic support for the competing riders regarding tyre sponsorship from Poole co-promoter Gordon Pairman and also Wessex Marine.“The sponsorship that Mr Pairman has come forward with will enable each of the four competing riders to have a new edge for each of their five races, and that might just be the key to helping them qualify for the three-round World Final later in the season. “I would also like to thank Nick Johnson for his contribution, and the BSPA for their support to the Great Britain Under-21 team. The riders for the GB team will be confirmed early next month.”GB UNDER-21 SPONSORS: Direct Digital Controls Limited, Mike Bowden, Wessex Marine, Gordon Pairman, Nick Johnson.(SPEEDWAY 2)
KING'S LYNN promoter Keith Chapman says his side can give reigning Champions Poole a run for their money in the Elite League tonight.The Stars host the Pirates at the Adrian Flux Arena with the home side drafting in Scott Nicholls as a guest for injured captain Rory Schlein, whilst Nikolaj B Jakobsen makes his debut.The visitors, who went down narrowly at Coventry on Friday, bring back Bjarne Pedersen after a near six-year absence, with Davey Watt released from the team, but Kyle Newman is missing as he is in hospital with groin and lower abdominal pain.Chapman said: “We know it's going to be tough because Poole are a big, powerhouse team once again and they've just made themselves even stronger by getting Bjarne Pedersen back.“We've had some really close, battling encounters at home so far and this certainly isn't going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination. “We're improving meeting by meeting though and hopefully we can continue that trend tonight by giving Poole a good run for their money.”Poole promoter Matt Ford said: “Given the form that Kyle was in on Friday then it is a major blow to us to be without him and I wish him all the very best for a speedy recovery.“We will be looking for another good, solid all-round performance. We have had some close shaves and some wins at King's Lynn in recent visits and if all our riders can be on-song then we should be in with a chance of pushing them all the way.”
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BERWICK director George Hepburn is confident of a play-off push at Shielfield Park this season.The Bandits open their Premier League campaign with the visit of Scunthorpe on Saturday and Hepburn is encouraged by the early signs both on and off the track.He said: “We did it two seasons ago with a very solid squad, no big top-end scorer. Now this season's side are built in the same fashion, and I'm pretty confident they can do it all over again.“We can get help at our home meetings from our supporters cheering, waving flags and the likes of that, if the early crowd figures are maintained, and we can carry that buzz, the feel-good factor, on from the opening weeks of the season during the League Cup matches.”
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SHEFFIELD stage their Premier League opener when they take on Rye House at Owlerton on Thursday.The Tigers have already made a bright start to 2016, progressing to the semi-finals of the League Cup after losing just one of their six meetings.The clash with the Rockets sees Sheffield star Jason Garrity go up against his former club, whilst the visitors are keen to repeat a couple of 2013 victories at the Yorkshire venue.Garrity said: “Obviously I always hope to score as many points as I can in every meeting but this is one of the meetings I'd really love to score big in.“I just want to enjoy my speedway more than anything though this year and we just want to make sure we get through our first Premier League match safely.”Rye House boss Peter Schroeck said: “The boys are really up for it. We’ll be going there with an experienced side – Eddie (Kennett), Robbo (Stuart Robson) and Leigh (Lanham) have all ridden there over the years, and the track will hold no surprises for them – and Cam (Cameron Heeps) enjoys his visits there too.“So we’ve got the foundations of a solid display. We’re more than capable of it. It’s just a case of going up there and putting on our best performance, and hopefully we will come away with the reward.”Meanwhile Ipswich race their first home league match as they take on Somerset – who were emphatic winners at Peterborough last weekend.Both sides will be at full strength and the meeting marks a return to Foxhall for Rohan Tungate, who left the Witches for the Rebels over the winter.Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It's been a good settling-in period now with the League Cup. The boys have improved throughout that competition but I feel ready to start the Premier League now and the boys are ready and we'll see how we do on Thursday.“They (Somerset) had a real good win at Peterborough, their tracks are quite similar but it will be a totally different story coming to our place this week. I wouldn't say they look as strong on paper but they are doing well and they'll be a strong team at home.”In the League Cup, Newcastle boss George English has labelled his side’s trip to local rivals Redcar as “must-win.”The Diamonds are three points behind Workington in the group table, with a home match in hand, and both teams still have to visit the Media Prime Arena.Redcar return to full-strength with No.1 Lasse Bjerre back in the side, whilst Newcastle operate rider-replacement for Tero Aarnio who is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines with a knee injury.English said: “It will be an interesting meeting on Thursday because Redcar will be determined to beat us in what is always a hotly contested local derby.“We will go there full of confidence after Sunday’s win and we need to go and do the business there to get the crucial win.”Redcar boss Jitendra Duffill said: “At present we are lacking in strength but we are not a million miles away. I was impressed with our performance at Glasgow on Sunday. We had been written off by everybody beforehand but we did well to push one of the league favourites hard for most of the meeting.“Tonight we start with a clean slate and I need everybody to contribute and to show me what they are capable of. There is more there than we have shown but it means nothing if we can't prove it.”(SPEEDWAY 5)
GLASGOW are set to mark their 70th anniversary when they host Peterborough in the Premier League at Ashfield on Sunday.A host of familiar faces from the club’s past will be in attendance along with some historic machinery – although boss Stewart Dickson admits it has not always been plain sailing.Dickson said: “The club is on a better footing now, but I think a lot of people will know how close we've been to extinction over the years. It's not just been once or twice - it's been quite a few times.“As much as it's nice to be challenging for trophies now, I think the most important thing we've got to remember is that we're still here. “We should have a celebratory day for the occasion. But for me, it's all about the result.”
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PETERBOROUGH promoter Ged Rathbone insists he won’t rush into the appointment of a new team manager.The Panthers are currently without a boss after Carl Johnson stepped down a couple of weeks ago. Dale Allitt has overseen the club’s last four meetings, but he has commitments as a promoter at King’s Lynn.Rathbone said: “We have given the team manager situation a lot of thought and will continue to do so. It is essential we arrive at the correct decision and we are throwing a few names around between ourselves.“I would love Dale to stay on, but we have to appreciate the big commitments he already has at King’s Lynn.“Their promoter, Buster Chapman, kindly agreed to allow Dale to look after our last four meetings. We would have to discuss any sort of possible extension to that with him.”
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THE second round of the British Youth Championship takes on a new format – with the classes split between two Bank Holiday Monday events at Scunthorpe.The 500cc and 150cc classes will race following the Scorpions’ home match against Newcastle on May 2, with the 250cc and 150cc sections taking place on May 30.Nineteen riders compete over the two classes on Monday, meaning a 21-heat event for supporters after the Premier League KO Cup action.And British Youth boss Neil Vatcher is especially excited by the battles currently raging for supremacy at 500cc level.He said: “At Round 1 this particular class had many star performers, none more than Kyle Bickley who went on to win, and the runner-up Tom Brennan.“Bickley and Brennan clashed in Heat 1 at Glasgow, with Brennan getting excluded after clashing with Bickley on the final bend, and then in the Final they passed each other on a number of occasions before Bickley crossed the finish line just a tyre width in front of Brennan.“This class is defiantly not a two-horse race, as there are sure to be some surprises across the eight-round series.“There are a number of star performers already this season, with 15-year-old Sam Bebee making his National League debut only last weekend, and already scoring some valuable points for Mildenhall, which included a couple of race wins.“Also look out for Round 1 finalist Kean Dicken, Lewis Whitmore and 14-year-old Jordan Jenkins to name but a few.“With only five riders in the 150cc class, Nathan Ablitt who was unbeaten in Round 1 will be the one rider in this class to look out for, although local track knowledge of Kieron McCoy will certainly keep Ablitt on his toes.”The Young Lions would like to thank the series sponsors for their support in 2016: Mitas Tyres, Wessex Marine, Nuneaton Speedway Supporters Club, Meridian Lifts, PBHS of Barnsley, Rentruck of Rochdale, Speedway Nut, Friends of Speedway, Association of Referees, Trend Creative, KanDysoft Solutions and Duck Smart Cleaning products, along with the BSPA.
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THURSDAY APRIL 28:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Somerset 7.30, Sheffield v Rye House 7.30LEAGUE CUP: Redcar v Newcastle 7.30
FRIDAY APRIL 29:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Redcar 7.30, Plymouth v Sheffield 7.15, Somerset v Ipswich 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v Buxton 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Belle Vue v Stoke 7.30
SATURDAY APRIL 30:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 1:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Peterborough 3pmLEAGUE CUP: Newcastle v Redcar 6.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Eastbourne 3pm
