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KING’S Lynn favourite Robert Lambert is relishing his opportunity in the World Championship qualifying round at the Adrian Flux Arena on Saturday.Lambert has Grand Prix aspirations and is one of three British riders to be taking part in the meeting, from which the top seven will proceed into the semi-finals.He said: “Obviously I’m still young, but my main objective is to be in the Grand Prix’s one day and I’m glad to take that next step by entering the qualifiers.“I’m not putting any pressure on myself this year, I just want to find my feet and see where I’m at right now.“It’s going to be a tough meeting, but I’ll be giving it my best shot to try and finish in the top seven. If I can make it through that would be great, but if not I’ve got plenty of years ahead of me.”
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PETERBOROUGH have pulled off a sensational swoop for Great Britain star Craig Cook as part of a major team revamp.The Panthers have turned to the Cumbrian charger to spearhead their challenge for Premier League honours, with No.8 Tom Stokes also promoted to the reserve berth on an initial four-match basis.Nicklas Porsing and Michael Palm Toft make way, although the latter is still set to line up on Friday at Plymouth with the changes coming into effect for the home match against Sheffield on Sunday.Promoter Ged Rathbone said: “It is a huge boost for our season and also for the entire league to have him back at this level – and it also a huge statement of intent from ourselves.“I want to track a winning team and our paying supporters expect to see one. “I felt it was the right time to act due to the fact we have been carrying too many riders in too many meetings so far this season.”
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HENNING Bager is on his way back to British Speedway after agreeing a deal to rejoin Berwick.The experienced Dane last rode for the Bandits in 2008 and comes in at Shielfield Park to replace the injured Anders Mellgren.Berwick boss Scott Courtney said: "Anders is sidelined by a knee injury, and is currently being assessed at a sports rehabilitation clinic, and might also require surgery. So rather than just go with rider-replacement to cover his races I'm excited to welcome Henning back to Berwick. “Henning is an experienced and capable performer and I'm confident he will adapt and enjoy his position in the side."
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KYLE Newman has been released from Bournemouth Hospital after scans revealed no further symptoms has been found in his blood stream.Newman has been taken into hospital twice in recent weeks but is now planning for his racing comeback with Poole and Plymouth, although he insists he will not rush matters and cause a further setback.He said: “When I first injured myself I caused a small internal haemorrhage and from that a 'sepsis infection' developed. Once that gets in your blood stream it can make you very ill, very quickly and can become serious.“I've now been flushed through with anti-biotics and fluids to start clearing this out. After the scans came back with nothing else or new we knew we are already on the road to recovery.“I need to say a big thank you to my girlfriend Sarah, my Dad and sister Jade for how quickly they realised I should be in hospital. They have been great support along with the doctors who have been a huge help in keeping things in perspective.”
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LAKESIDE went three-points clear at the top of the Elite League with a hard fought 53-39 win over Belle Vue - and boss Jon Cook insists there's more to come from his team.The Hammers impressed in front of their own fans and the TV audience with a solid all-round display against a strongly fancied Aces outfit, skipper Andreas Jonsson top-scoring with 12+2. Reserve Steve Worrall piled up 17+1 for the Aces but lacked support from the upper-order and Craig Cook was withdrawn due to the effects of a heavy Heat 3 spill.Jon Cook said: “We are riding well and we will be entertainers wherever we go this season.“We are working with a group of riders we believe will get better but for now we are happy.“Everyone played their part tonight, Andreas Jonsson was a magnificent No.1 and Lewis Bridger has shown we did the right thing by bringing him back to the sport, even though it was a difficult decision at the time.”Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon said: “It was a brutal night for us. Four exclusions in five heats was less than ideal but I have to give credit to the boys because they never once let their heads drop and they fought to the very end.“Having that kind of resilience is a valuable commodity but unfortunately it came too late for us on this occasion. Lakeside are a quality outfit though and losing to them is not the end of the world.”Meanwhile Poole ended Wolverhampton’s unbeaten start to the season with a 51-39 at Wimborne Road despite being without three of their regulars.Skipper Hans Andersen led the way for the Pirates with 13+1, including a dramatic surge to pass the team-riding pairing of Freddie Lindgren and Sam Masters in Heat 10, whilst Brady Kurtz took seven rides on his way to 12+1. Joonas Kylmakorpi picked up 10+1 for the visitors.Andersen said: “I knew I had the speed under me I just needed to find the right time to make the move and when I did it came off perfectly. “They gave us another very tough meeting and so we are happy to have got the win, it could easily have slipped away from us tonight.”Masters said: “Our winning run came to an end, but it was always going to be hard at Poole. It would have been good to get a point from there, and we ran them close but it just wasn’t quite good enough in the end.“The track was quite rough and hard to ride, even the Poole boys weren’t really enjoying it, but we have to take the positives from it and move on.”In the Travel Plus National League, Birmingham and Kent fought out a thrilling 45-45 draw at Perry Barr as both sides maintained their unbeaten records this season.There were never more than two points between the sides with Darryl Ritchings and Jack Parkinson-Blackburn putting the Brummies ahead with a 5-1 in Heat 14 – but Kings skipper Luke Bowen won the finale with Danny Ayres third to square the scores.Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “A draw was totally the fair result tonight, there's no doubt about that whatsoever. Two evenly matched teams with some top quality riders and what a meeting they put on for the supporters on the terraces."That was an outstanding advert for National League speedway and the tension throughout created a great atmosphere.”Meanwhile King’s Lynn defeated Mildenhall 54-35 in a meeting marred by several withdrawals.The Young Stars’ Layne Cupitt plus Fen Tigers duo Sam Bebee and Robert Parker all had to pull out after crashes, but the other home reserve Ryan Kinsley piled up 13+1, backed by Tom Stokes on 13. Jon Armstrong scored 11 for the visitors with Connor Mountain on 10+1.King’s Lynn co-promoter Rob Lyon said: “It was another great home performance from the team and it was another very encouraging performance.“The whole team chipped in with some important contributions but Ryan Kinsley deserves extra credit.“Seven rides can be tough for man and machine but he did a great job as did the rest of the boys.”
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SWINDON will search for a third successive Elite League victory as they welcome Lakeside to the Abbey on Thursday.The Robins have bounced back from a tough start to the season to hit top form in recent weeks, having claimed a convincing home win over Belle Vue a fortnight ago before racing to a stunning away victory at Coventry on Monday.Swindon star Charles Wright said: “We had some tough meetings early on, but we’ve all started to get more meetings under our belt now and we are getting up to speed.“We are all gelling together and everyone is starting to show what they can do. Justin Sedgmen is finding his feet, and it helps having Rohan (Tungate) banging in the points at reserve as well.“We need to keep working hard, but we are aiming to get another win at home against Lakeside on Thursday and get three more points on the board.”Lakeside skipper Andreas Jonsson said: “We haven't gone well away from home but we can change all that this season.“This club seems to do well at home but not so much away. We have to go to Swindon and put that right although they are starting to look good.“We came through a tough test against Belle Vue last night so hopefully all the boys can keep it going at Swindon.”Meanwhile the Isle of Wight host Stoke in the Travel Plus National League, with both clubs chasing their first win of the season.Potters boss Malcolm Vasey said: “It was a very much improved performance on Monday (at Rye House) and we are going to the Isle of Wight in a very optimistic frame of mind looking to win the meeting on Thursday. “We will not by any means be taking anything for granted - they have riders who are more than capable of scoring big points, and it’s a very big track and very different to Rye House, but we were so close to opening our league account with a point on Monday and I feel we can sneak a win out of the meeting.”
(FIXTURES)
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
