MAJOR EVENTS LATEST…
LINE-UPS have been declared for the British Semi-Finals to take place later this month at Scunthorpe and Glasgow.Fourteen qualifying places are available for the British Final which will be staged for the first time at the National Speedway Stadium at Belle Vue on June 13.With reigning champion Tai Woffinden not competing in 2016, Belle Vue skipper Scott Nicholls launches his bid for an eighth national title when he races in the Glasgow semi-final on May 15.His Aces team-mate Craig Cook, runner-up in each of the last two seasons, is also included in the line-up at Ashfield.Coventry captain Chris Harris, meanwhile, is a three-time winner, and he will be in action at Scunthorpe on May 13.Home representation at the Eddie Wright Raceway is provided by Josh Auty, Carl Wilkinson and Ashley Morris as well as five riders from nearby Sheffield.Meanwhile, fans at Ashfield will be cheering on Ben Barker, Richard Lawson and Richie Worrall in their bid to reach the Final.Seven qualifying places are available from each meeting, with two Wild Cards to then be selected to complete the line-up for the Final.Rob Godfrey, British Speedway vice-chairman and Scunthorpe promoter, said: “The line-ups have been put together in order to avoid as many fixture clashes as possible.“I'm sure we will see two very competitive meetings at Glasgow and Scunthorpe and I can speak for both tracks when I say it's a massive honour to be hosting these semi-finals.“With the Final at Belle Vue's new stadium on June 13 everyone will want to be there!”SCUNTHORPE – Friday May 13: Chris Harris (Coventry), Josh Auty (Leicester/Scunthorpe), Carl Wilkinson (King’s Lynn/Scunthorpe), Simon Stead (Sheffield), Kyle Howarth (Wolverhampton/Sheffield), Josh Bates (Coventry/Sheffield), Jason Garrity (Coventry/Sheffield), Leigh Lanham (Rye House), Robert Lambert (King’s Lynn/Newcastle), Simon Lambert (Peterborough), Lewis Kerr (Lakeside/Ipswich), Robert Mear (Lakeside), Richard Hall (Sheffield), Stuart Robson (Rye House), Edward Kennett (Lakeside/Rye House), Ashley Morris (Scunthorpe/Cradley).GLASGOW – Sunday May 15: Scott Nicholls (Belle Vue), Ben Barker (Coventry/Glasgow), Richard Lawson (Lakeside/Glasgow), Richie Worrall (Belle Vue/Glasgow), Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Newcastle), James Sarjeant (Coventry/Ipswich), Charles Wright (Swindon/Somerset), Kyle Newman (Poole/Plymouth), Paul Starke (Leicester/Somerset), Craig Cook (Belle Vue), Adam Roynon (Workington), Max Clegg (Wolverhampton/Edinburgh/Cradley), Lewis Rose (King’s Lynn/Newcastle), Danny King (Coventry/Ipswich), Lewis Bridger (Lakeside), Stefan Nielsen (Swindon/Plymouth).Reserves: Joe Jacobs (Belle Vue), Ben Morley (Rye House), Liam Carr (Berwick/Coventry).
BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2016BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: JOSH BATESBRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue, June 13PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, July 8PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS WEEKEND: Peterborough, July 23/24PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, September 11ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry, Date TBC
NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENTS 2016NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Coventry, August 14NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: King’s Lynn, August 27NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester, September 17
BRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENTS 2016:WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: King’s Lynn, May 7WORLD UNDER-21 QUALIFIER: Belle Vue, May 21WORLD UNDER-21 FINAL Round 1: King’s Lynn, June 18
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE reserve Joe Jacobs says a lack of regular racing is hampering him as he looks to re-establish himself in the sport after a year away.Jacobs said: “It’s been frustrating. I’ve spent a year out of he sport earning money so that I have the equipment to do compete in the top flight. I now just want to race. “I’ve had a few opportunities to get on the track but not enough. I’ve felt on the pace in my meetings for Belle Vue but I really want to get regular racing so that I can get to my best.“The new stadium at Belle Vue is phenomenal and it is amazing to be part of the team there. Being a brand new track it will take a few meetings before we get a home advantage but the management and fans are awesome and I want to do my best for them. I’m also really pleased that a lot of the sponsors that I had in 2014 are back with me in 2016, and I’ve been pleased to hook up with some new businesses this year.”COVENTRY boss Mick Horton admits he has plenty to ponder after the Bees suffered a second home defeat of the season when they were beaten by Swindon at Brandon on Monday.Horton said: “We just didn’t perform. I think the reserves did their jobs, but as for the rest of the team I don’t know what the answer is, but it’s not good enough.“The crowd turn-out again was great, and they deserve more. Riders of the calibre we need are not available, they’ve got commitments in other leagues and the Grand Prix, so we’ve got to decide whether we need to have a fresh outlook on this.”KING’S LYNN have been boosted by the news that Danish star Niels-Kristian Iversen has committed himself to the club for the foreseeable future this season.Manager Rob Lyon said: “Niels isn’t able to commit to doing the full season with us and we fully understand that, but we’ve reached agreement that he will be extending his stay.“During that time there will be matches when he is already committed elsewhere and which he will need to fulfil, so we’re aware we will need to cover for him on those occasions. But Niels will be with us for the foreseeable future, and that’s good news for all of us.”LAKESIDE promoter Jon Cook says a new approach for 2016 has paid dividends with the Hammers having enjoyed a successful first quarter of the season.Cook said: “There definitely seems to be a sense that the club is back where it should be this year. We’ve been in the wilderness in the last couple of years and perhaps we lost our way.“We knew we had to freshen things up both on and off the track, we’ve given plenty of riders an opportunity to show they are better than what we saw and we’ve started to get there.”LEICESTER boss Norrie Allan admits he needs to get the whole team firing if the Lions are to produce consistent positive results this season.Allan told Speedway Star: “We have to be more consistent, but moving up to No.2 is ever so hard for Paul (Starke). He’ll be back at reserve for our next meeting but Josh (Auty) will move up. We are lacking an out-and-out No.1, but we had one for the last two years and we still had the same problem because we never had any reserves!“To be fair to Patrick (Hougaard) he’s been fantastic, but I think by his own admission he’s not an out-and-out No.1 and there’s a lot of pressure on him in every race.”POOLE suffered a tough night at Wolverhampton on Monday with Adam Ellis picking up a knock to his wrist – with reserve Kyle Newman already having been re-admitted to hospital due to illness.Promoter Matt Ford said: “We were well and truly beaten tonight by a very good Wolves side. We were not firing on all cylinders and they took full advantage.“We are likely to be three riders down on Wednesday with Bjarne (Pedersen) out due to a clash of dates with the Danish league, Kyle still side-lined with his ongoing illness and now we have major concerns over Adam Ellis who damaged his wrist tonight.”SWINDON collected their first away win of the season with a 50-42 success at Coventry on Monday – with the Robins starting far better than in their previous defeats at Poole and Leicester.Manager Alun Rossiter said: “It was a very good performance. We’ve been showing signs all season but we’ve just been starting meetings slowly. Now we’re starting from the beginning, things are looking quite good.“I’ve always said I know what this team are about. They’re young and hungry, they weren’t happy with the early form but now they’re showing what they can do.”WOLVERHAMPTON’S dream start to the season continued with an emphatic 55-35 win over Poole at Monmore on Monday – meaning Wolves have four wins from four matches so far.Manager Peter Adams said: “Poole just didn't have an answer to us - we had too much strength for them in every department. We've got a solid side this year, they're all enjoying being here at Wolverhampton and we're on a great run right now.“Of course it's all about how you finish the season, not how you start it, but we'll enjoy sitting at the top of the league for the time being and we'll continue to enjoy the fantastic start that we have made.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
BERWICK kicked off their 2016 Premier League campaign with an emphatic 60-33 victory at home to Scunthorpe.However the Bandits’ win over the Scorpions may have come at a potential cost.Team manager Scott Courtney said: “We’re concerned that Anders (Mellgren) will have to get his troublesome knee looked at again and only hope it’s nothing too serious.“To start off a league campaign with such a great win was brilliant and all the lads played their part in a well deserved big win.”EDINBURGH co-promoter John Campbell has revealed his frustration after the Monarchs suffered their third rain-off of the season on Friday.The Scottish outfit were forced to call off their home clash with Redcar as early as 8am on Friday morning after torrential downpours created a waterlogged track once again.Said Campbell: “It is never easy to come up with a date for a restaging. Generally you have to consider Elite League fixtures and now, more often than not, matches in Denmark are on a Friday too!”GLASGOW made it two out of two in the Premier League with a dominant 62-30 victory over Peterborough on Sunday.Richard Lawson top scored for the Tigers and believes the result is further evidence that they are major title contenders in 2016.Said Lawson: “Everyone says we’ve got a strong top four and when we all click, we’re going to get big points.”“It’s a real strong side we’ve got going at the moment; the other teams have got to look at it and take it seriously.” IPSWICH boss Ritchie Hawkins has challenged his side to “find their consistency” after back-to-back defeats against Somerset.The Witches went down 48-42 at home on Thursday before being beaten comfortably at the Rebels 61-31.Said Hawkins: “They (Somerset) are on a crest of a wave and have started the season really well but we haven't performed well enough at all, individually and collectively“The boys need to have a think really; see where they are going and focus. They are all very capable and are showing it in glimpses but it's about getting consistency."NEWCASTLE suffered a 50-40 defeat at Scunthorpe in the first leg of their Premier League Knockout Cup clash on Monday.Diamonds duo Robert Lambert and Steve Worrall played a key role in boosting their side’s chances however, reducing an 18-point deficit to just ten with two 5-1’s in the final three races.The second leg takes place at Brough Park on Sunday, June 5. PETERBOROUGH chief Ged Rathbone slammed his side as they fell to a heavy 62-30 defeat at Glasgow.It meant consecutive hefty losses for the Panthers and Rathbone was honest with his verdict.Said Rathbone: “That sort of performance is not acceptable from professional sportsmen and a lot of riders need to be taking a serious look at themselves.“We built this team as one we felt was capable of challenging for honours and it is still the team we want.“But there is no denying we have got to eliminate a hell of a lot of problems, and that needs to happen quickly. If our form doesn’t turn round, we will have to make changes.”PLYMOUTH boss Lee Trigger says he is optimistic his side can produce another home win against Peterborough this Friday.The Devils opened their Premier League account with a 52-41 victory over Sheffield last week despite being without skipper Kyle Newman.Said Trigger: “We will go with the same racing order as we had against Sheffield with the rider replacement for Kyle at number two and Sam Simota covering for Kyle at number five.”“It worked well for us against Sheffield and I am sure it will do the same against Peterborough.”REDCAR suffered a complete wash-out with prior to the Bank Holiday with three matches in four days rained off. The Bears return to action on May 12 against Plymouth.RYE HOUSE racer Stuart Robson has praised team-mate Edward Kennett after the Rockets drew 45-45 at home to Workington on Monday.The Hoddesdon outfit fought back from eight points down to snatch a point and were inspired by Kennett who scored a full five ride maximumSaid Robson: “He is the anchor man of this team, and we’re all chasing his back wheel really. “He has been fantastic all season, and if he can maintain that consistency then we’ve got a tremendous foundation. We’re are a Team through and through, and his success rubs off on us.”SCUNTHORPE reserve Josh Bailey has praised former Scorpion David Howe for helping him settle into the club.Howe, who is now a coach at the Eddie Wright Raceway, has been telling the teenager what set-up to run around his home circuit and says his tips are paying off already.Said Bailey: “In particular, his advice has helped me get out of the start, and that makes a real difference, because I’ve got enough speed in my bikes and I feel that, if I gate, then I can mix it with anyone.“The Premier League is a tough league, I don’t think I realised how tough it was until I started riding in it, but I’m happy with how it’s going so far.”SHEFFIELD suffered a 52-41 defeat at Plymouth last Friday, despite Kyle Howarth being in sensational form.The Manchester racer bagged 15+2 but couldn’t stop the Tigers slipping to a second successive defeat.Co-promoter Peter Mole said: “We were outgated and outridden in the first half of the meeting and the late rally couldn't save us.“It was disappointing, but now we have to move on and go to the next meeting.”SOMERSET begin their defence of the Knockout Cup when they host Workington on Friday.The Rebels will be without Rohan Tungate for the meeting due to the Grand Prix qualifier in Denmark, but team boss Garry May is looking to build on impressive wins over Peterborough with another victory against the Comets.Said May: “The obvious order of the day is to try and build up as big a first leg lead as possible ahead of our return match at Workington a week Saturday. “I’m not one for setting targets, at the end of the day whether it is a one point or 31 point lead, we’ll take whatever hand we are dealt into the second leg.”WORKINGTON team manager Tony Jackson insists his side are full of confidence ahead of their Knockout Cup tie at Somerset this Friday.The Comets picked up a handy draw at Rye House on Monday and Jackson believes extra track time is beginning to help his side.Said Jackson: “We suffered from a lack of meetings earlier this season but we are getting there now and the important thing is that everyone in the team is contributing points in every match. “Following on from our draw at Rye House on Monday we will be going to the Oak Tree Arena in good spirits and looking to score as many points as we can in order to reduce our workload in the home leg.”
NATIONAL LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE Colts are set to finally get their home campaign underway against Mildenhall on Friday, May 6 (7.30).The Colts saw their National League clash with Stoke postponed due to a waterlogged track last Friday, but they have quickly re-arranged their clash with the Fen Tigers which was originally scheduled for September 23.BIRMINGHAM will host the British Under 19 Final at Perry Barr on Wednesday, September 14.Great Britain youth boss Neil Vatcher commented: “There is sure to be a good percentage of riders on September 14 who not only will be representing the Brummies, but will be hoping to win a British Championship themselves. “As well as Birmingham having at least three riders in the line-up, in the shape of Zach Wajtknecht, Jack Parkinson-Blackburn and Jack Smith, there is sure to be plenty of local interest with representatives from both Cradley and Coventry as well with the likes of Max Clegg, Ben Basford, Callum Walker and Jamie Halder sure to have plenty of support on the terraces. “With so much positivity surrounding the British Youth scene this year, this is another date to look forward to. The Young Lions would like thank Birmingham promoters Graham Drury and Tony Mole for agreeing to host the event and the BSPA for their continued support.”BUXTON boss Jason Pipe was in jubilant mood after the Hitmen edged a thrilling 45-44 away win in their National League opener at Coventry on Friday.Pipe said: “There are times when being a team manager can be a thankless task but tonight I can honestly say I love my job. There were tremendous performance from everyone out there, but particularly from the reserve berths which is where I have often said matches are won and lost. “Ryan (Burton) was excellent this evening and Lee Geary’s 3 points were crucial in the end. I don’t want to leave anyone out of this though and when Shelby (Rutherford) bent his forks in his heat seven the team rallied around to help which showed great team spirit.“As for Ollie (Greenwood) and Ryan’s (Blacklock) heat 15 performance, that was coolness personified. I hope we can carry that form forwards.” COVENTRY Storm manager Laurence Rogers was left furious after his side suffered a 45-44 home defeat in controversial circumstances against Buxton.He was disappointed with the exclusion of Liam Carr prior to heat 15 for exceeding the two minutes time allowance after a protest from Buxton regarding his machinery.Rogers said: “To lose after coming back into it like that is disappointing to say the least, but I can’t knock any of my boys, they gave everything.“I felt the shenanigans before heat 15 were a disgrace, if they want to win by those means, and I’d love to know what the rigmarole was going on on the phone to the referee to get Liam disqualified.“That’s why I took (machine examiner) Jim McMillan out with me to say there was nothing wrong with Liam’s chain-guard, but seemingly then he was disqualified on two-minutes, so I’m dumbfounded.”CRADLEY have unveiled plans for their showpiece Golden Hammer individual event which is set to pack the Monmore terraces on Tuesday, August 9.Co-promoter Gary Patchett explained: “The ethos of this wonderful meeting has always been a mix of Heathens riders past and present as well as previous winners.“We are already looking to extend that theme this year and we are looking into inviting as many former Heathens' favourites back as is possible. We want this year's Hammer to be a sort of celebration of former Heathens' success. “Without blowing our own trumpets, we see the Hammer as one of the biggest, prestigious individual events in British Speedway - it's got an illustrious history and there have been some world class riders competing in it down the years. It's a meeting that our own fans love and it's often one of the bigger crowds of the season.” EASTBOURNE’S trip to Buxton on Sunday was postponed due to the weather and the Eagles are now preparing for their return to action at Arlington as they host the Isle of Wight on Saturday.ISLE OF WIGHT remain on the hunt for their first win since returning to the sport after suffering a 57-33 defeat at Kent in the Knockout Cup on Monday.The Warriors will now aim to bounce back and get their National League campaign off to a winning start as they host Stoke at Smallbrook on Thursday. KENT continued their dream start to the season with a convincing 57-33 win over the Isle of Wight on Monday.The Kings have now stormed to six wins out of six in all competitions to enjoy a remarkable opening to the campaign.They will aim to maintain their winning run when they face their toughest test yet at Birmingham on Wednesday (7.30). KING’S LYNN manager Dale Alitt is looking forward to getting back on home shale as they host Mildenhall at the Adrian Flux Arena on Wednesday (7.30).The Young Stars will look to bounce back after a heavy away defeat at Cradley last week.Alitt said: “So far this season we’ve had the big win against Stoke and then a defeat at Cradley last week, and it will be good to get back on our home circuit. “I don’t really feel you can read anything into the away result last week. A couple of riders in our side had never been to Cradley before, and I think Josh Bailey had only been there once in 2014. “We have riders who are going well at King’s Lynn, and if they can keep on doing that we should be okay to take the points here. But I’m sure Mildenhall will be coming with the same attitude, and it should be a good, lively local derby!” MILDENHALL have quickly arranged away trips this week to King’s Lynn on Wednesday and Belle Vue on Friday as they get their National League campaign underway prior to their home opener against Birmingham on May 15.RYE HOUSE ace Ben Morley was delighted to lead the Raiders to their first National League win of the season with a faultless maximum on Monday.Morley was unbeaten from five rides as he led them to a 48-41 win over Stoke at Hoddesdon, and he said: “To get our first win on the board is awesome. Everybody in the team put points on the board today, and that’s what we needed. If everyone can contribute then we know we can win meetings.“We’re looking forward to getting George (Hunter) back from injury. We’ve been struggling with the Rider-Replacement rides, and George has come on so much in the last year. To get him back will just boost the whole thing up and help us get even more points on the board.”STOKE boss Malcolm Vasey was keen to look at the positives despite a disappointing 48-41 defeat at Rye House on Monday. Vasey said: “We threw away at least four points in the early stages of the meeting and it has cost us dearly in the end. “I’m not to disheartened as there were positives to take from the meeting with all the lads performing today and getting amongst the points and in the end we have fallen short. “We now have to regroup and now look forward to our meeting on the Isle of Wight on Thursday and look to get a win there.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY MAY 4:ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Belle Vue 7.30, Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Kent 7.30, King’s Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 5:ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Lakeside 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Stoke 7pm
FRIDAY MAY 6:PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Peterborough 7.15PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Somerset v Workington 7.30LEAGUE CUP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Mildenhall 7.30, Coventry v Cradley 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 7:WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Newcastle 7pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Isle of Wight 7.30, Stoke v Coventry 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 8:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Scunthorpe 3pm, Newcastle v Berwick 6.30, Peterborough v Sheffield 5pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Belle Vue 6pm
MONDAY MAY 9:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 7.30, Leicester v Poole 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Isle of Wight 7.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Kent v Mildenhall 6.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 11:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Swindon 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Birmingham 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 12:PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Plymouth 7.30, Sheffield v Glasgow 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Ipswich v Rye House 7.30
FRIDAY MAY 13:BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Scunthorpe 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Glasgow 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Edinburgh v Plymouth 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Eastbourne 7.30, Coventry v King’s Lynn 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 14:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Sheffield 7pmPREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 2nd leg: Plymouth v Edinburgh 7.15, Rye House v Ipswich 7pm, Workington v Somerset 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 2nd leg: Stoke v Belle Vue 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 15:BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Glasgow 3pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Rye House 5pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Birmingham 3.30BRITISH 125cc FINAL: Peterborough (follows PL fixture)
MONDAY MAY 16:ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Leicester 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Rye House 6.30
