(SPEEDWAY 1)
DAVID Howe will step into the line-up for the Ben Fund Bonanza at Glasgow a week on Sunday.
Howe, who recently announced his comeback plans, replaces Ty Proctor on March 12 as the Australian will not be back in the UK in time for the meeting.
Howe said: “The Ben Fund have helped me throughout my career, and that’s the reason I contacted Paul (Ackroyd) last week.
“I know what it’s like running a meeting, people think it’s easy to get 16 riders together at one time but it isn’t. So I said, if you need someone at the last minute, I’ll do it.
“If I can go there and have a reasonable meeting, score a couple of points, I’ll be happy. It’s a decent line-up, but it may put me in the shop window and also loosen me up for the other meetings I do have in March.
“I’m doing Simon Lambert’s meeting, that was the one meeting I always planning to do because he asked me, and I’m doing the meeting at Redcar. That gives me the opportunity to prove to myself and others that I can still do it.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
GRAND Prix star Niels-Kristian Iversen will make a rare 2017 appearance on UK shale at Peter Karlsson's Farewell later this month.
The Danish favourite will miss out on British racing this season, due to new rules enforced in Poland, but will be at Monmore Green on Sunday, March 19 (5pm).
Said Iversen: “It will be nice to have a meeting in England at the start of the season and I was really happy to get the call from Peter.
“He's been a great rider and one who I've always looked up to throughout my career. He's a proper role model to all speedway riders and it looks like it's going to be a great line-up.
“I'm really looking forward to going back to Wolverhampton too; I spent a year there in 2008 and while it was a tough season for the team, I really enjoyed my time there and had a good season personally.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
SWINDON’S National Trophy side will have a familiar name in charge this season.
Lee Kilby, son of Robins legend Bob and now the club’s commercial manager, has been handed the role of team boss with the Curson Consulting Sprockets who will race a handful of meetings.
“To be honest, it has been a bit of a dream of mine to manage a team and I’m on cloud nine to be asked to manage the Sprockets, “ he said. “Dad managed the team in the early 2000’s and it is a proud moment for me to follow in his footsteps.
“It is just the four meetings to start with, with home and away round-robin fixtures against the Isle of Wight and Plymouth, but I want to win and I will be taking it very seriously.
“I’m hoping Zach (Wajtknecht) will spearhead the team being a full time Robin in the Premiership this year, and he is eligible to ride for us as Lakeside are not entering the Trophy.
“Alun (Rossiter) and I will sit down and discuss the riders available and we’ll be determined to put a competitive team on track that fits within the points limit.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
RUSSIAN star Emil Sayfutdinov will be one of the headline attractions at Poole’s season-opening Darcy Ward Invitational event on March 24.
Sayfutdinov, who returns to the Grand Prix series this year, has not raced regularly in the UK save for a spell with Coventry in 2011, and he joins fellow GP men Jason Doyle, Chris Holder and Maciej Janowski in the meeting.
Ward said: “It’s really great that Emil is coming over to race in my meeting. He was so keen to come when I first asked him and said yes straight away.
“I first got to know Emil when we raced against each other in the FIM World Under 21 Championships, and later in the Polish Extraliga, and I know that he will show the Poole fans the style of racing that has made him a big star on the Continent. I am so grateful to him and his team for agreeing to come.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
SWINDON have unveiled Carpets 4 Less as their new title sponsors for the 2017 season following an exciting new initiative.
The company were picked out of a hat as a draw between club partners was held to see who would take on the headline sponsorship.
Company representative Alan Alexander said: “I had to pull over and the stop the car for a minute. I had just left work when the call came from Ronnie and Terry (Russell) to tell me we had won the draw. If I’m honest I had forgotten about the draw and it took me completely by surprise!
“I had only spoken to Lee (Kilby) about entering the draw after lunchtime that day so it was all very last minute, but I’m so pleased I did.
“I have been in and around speedway my entire life, and I used to clean Bob (Kilby's) bikes as a 10-year-old in the back streets of Ferndale Road so for this to have happened with Lee being involved is really nice.”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
BERWICK boss Gary Havelock has completed the line-up for the club’s March 18 season-opener to mark their 50th campaign.
The seven Bandits regulars will be joined by Premiership returnee Adam Skornicki and a host of heat-leaders from the Championship.
Aaron Summers, Ricky Wells, Steve and Richie Worrall, Josh Grajczonek and Ulrich Ostergaard are all included, whilst Havelock has also secured his former Coventry pair Jason Garrity and James Sarjeant for the individual event.
Havelock said: “What better way to start the season than with a meeting that is full of riders with ambition and well-known entertainers who we know will go that extra yard to entertain our opening crowd of the season. We aim to make it a night to remember!”
(SPEEDWAY 7)
ISLE of Wight Chairman Barry Bishop has sent his thanks to all who participated in Thursday’s repair work at the Smallbrook Stadium.
The club had been rocked by a series of break-ins at the Ryde complex, but the support of all concerned has actually resulted in an improved venue.
Bishop said: “It's now well documented the heartache the break-ins and damage caused throughout the community and my own personal sense of utter disbelief. However, I cannot contain my joy and appreciation of those who came to the Share and Repair event yesterday.
“I am pleased to say that most the priority repairs were fixed by 2pm, and even after publicly saying the work was all but completed, people still came along because they wanted the stadium to be even better than before the break-in.
“Incredibly, the team continued with further painting and additional nice-to-have work as well as initial planning for more security fencing, improved wheelchair areas and more security lighting and cameras.”
