BRITISH SPEEDWAY ROUND-UP

HERE’S our latest soundbytes and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN

PIC OF THE WEEK…

BIRMINGHAM defeated a Coventry Select 48-42 in a successful West Midlands Challenge event at Perry Barr last week.
The Bees were backed by a strong contingent of travelling support nearly six years after their stadium was closed by property developers Brandon Estates.
Since then they have raced just a handful of Challenge fixtures and a season in the NDL at Leicester, but this was the first time for several years that the famous Bees race-jacket had been seen in track action.
Photo credit: PAUL ROSE

PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“We are comfortable in the top four right now, but we can’t afford to approach any meeting half-heartedly. The minute you do that, bad things happen, people start struggling and our night could unravel.”
Aces star Tom Brennan says there will be no let-up in focus as they close in on the play-offs with a trip to Sheffield next up on Thursday and then a big double-header against Wolves.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Mon Aug 29
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur Aug 25

IPSWICH
“Doyley coming back this year has shown his commitment to this team, and he is 100% committed to racing each week. It is great to see and to be working with such a top rider who puts everything into every race for every club he is riding for. We have certainly got the right rider with Doyley and obviously everyone at the club would love to make sure he is here next year as well.”
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins has highlighted the positive influence of Australian star Jason Doyle who has enjoyed a brilliant first season with the Foxhall side.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur Aug 25
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Mon Sept 5

KING’S LYNN
“It seems to be the story of our season where we put ourselves in a good position and then fail to capitalise at the crucial moment. We’re working hard behind the scenes to rectify this, and in particular the curse of Heat 14.”
Stars boss Alex Brady says they are still working to find the right combinations, as even with play-off qualification looking unlikely they still have plenty to race for with the League Cup Final to come later this season.
NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur Sept 1
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Thur Aug 25

PETERBOROUGH
“I’m having a good season on a personal note, but it’s just a shame both of my teams (Panthers and Berwick) have had a struggle this year. But these things happen, and we’ve got to keep re-grouping and move on to the next one.”
Panthers No.1 Chris Harris has enjoyed a brilliant campaign with high scores and thrilling racing, although problems elsewhere have meant the reigning champions have been unable to mount as strong of a defence as they had hoped.
NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn, Thur Aug 25
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur Sept 1

SHEFFIELD
“Especially being without Adam (Ellis – injured) I thought it was a really strong team performance against a Wolverhampton team who notoriously don’t give too much away around their home track. For me I saw plenty to be encouraged by, so we’ll take the point as a plus.”
Tigers boss Simon Stead took plenty of positives from a terrific contest at Monmore Green on Monday where his side were edged out 46-44 in a last-heat decider.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Thur Aug 25
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Mon Aug 29

WOLVERHAMPTON
“It’s not ideal coming down to last-heat deciders but I’m happy it ended the way we needed it to. All in all that was a good team win; Sheffield are a good solid team, especially around here so we’re happy with that.”
American ace Luke Becker was the Wolves hero in a 46-44 win over Sheffield on Monday which kept the Monmore men firmly on course for play-off qualification this season.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 29
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur Aug 25

CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BERWICK
“That was a tough night against a Scunthorpe side which was fully focussed on the job in hand. It’s a unique track and a number of our riders struggled to find the right set-up. Even though Bomber and Jye were mixing it up front – and to a lesser degree Leon and Jonas – we never really recovered from our poor start.”
Stand-in Bandits boss Jamie Courtney was left to reflect on a disastrous opening to last Friday’s trip to the Eddie Wright Raceway where they went 20-points down inside eight races.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Sat Aug 27
NEXT AWAY: TBC

BIRMINGHAM
“I thought that was a really terrific night of speedway all round. There was hardly anything between the two sides all meeting, we saw some cracking racing and it was a really enjoyable meeting to be a part of. I thought the effort and commitment of the guests to say it was only a Challenge fixture with nothing riding in it was superb and a big thank you to them all.”
The Brummies staged a successful challenge match against a Coventry Select at Perry Barr last week, with the home side coming out on top 48-42 in front of a good attendance with plenty of travelling support.
NEXT HOME: British Under-21 Final, Wed Aug 31

EDINBURGH
“As soon as we didn’t get the 5-1 in Heat 11, I then knew we could put Josh (Pickering) in Heat 12, and I thought we had a chance. Jacob Hook’s point in Heat 14 was very good and Kye (Thomson) was outstanding in Heat 15, very unlucky to lose second place. Josh apologised for asking Kye to take the graveyard gate 4 because he needed to be sure of the race win, but Kye made a start off it!”
Monarchs boss John Campbell was delighted to see a plan come together with a dramatic comeback win at Oxford to secure their place in the play-offs.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Redcar (KOC), Fri Sept 2

GLASGOW
“We have four riders carrying injuries. We need a week or two where we can recover, and that extra break might help us. Once again I’m so pleased for the fans, they were amazing tonight as they always are.”
Tigers boss Cami Brown said his side had gone above and beyond during their dramatic win at Redcar on Sunday which secured a top two finish in the league table and ensured a break before play-off action gets underway at Ashfield.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues Aug 23

LEICESTER
“We’ve been a really solid team all season. It’s been a great season up to now – but it will only be remembered as one if we go out and win those trophies at the end of it all.”
The Lions are still fighting for honours on three fronts, but skipper Kyle Howarth is warning there’s still plenty of work to be done in order to translate strong results so far into major silverware.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe (KOC), Fri Sept 2

OXFORD
“We have to look at the overall picture and realise what’s been achieved. We’ve already got one of the best stadiums in the country, after all the work that was done over the winter. We can still see the stadium getting better each week, as the stadium gets ready for the return of greyhound racing in a couple of weeks. You can see all the investment. We’ve got some great foundations to build success.”
The Cheetahs haven’t achieved their targets on track during their comeback season, but boss Peter Schroeck is keen to reflect on the overall positives of their return to the sport.

PLYMOUTH
“Lee, who returned to the track this season after a decade out of the sport and who lost his team place at Newcastle when they closed in mid-summer, has been increasingly impressive in guest appearances for several Championship teams and in NDL matches with his increasing race fitness being matched by some heavy scoring. Connor is no stranger to the Coliseum and brings with him more experience than (Harry) McGurk and the probability of chipping in with some vital points.”
The Gladiators have made two late-season changes with Lee Complin and Connor Coles joining the side as they look to secure a play-off place.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Tues Aug 23
NEXT AWAY: TBC

POOLE
“We now know our fate is to contest the quarter-finals but on one hand that could be advantageous as the extra meetings could keep us sharper. We have been putting in some good performances and just need to continue doing that.”
Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford doesn’t think finishing third in the league table is necessarily a disadvantage as they will keep racing through the early stags of the play-offs.
NEXT HOME: Championship Riders’ Individual Championship, Wed Aug 24
NEXT AWAY: TBC

REDCAR
“The result is hard to take, the boys gave it their all, but I’m gutted with the outcome. I still think we are in the ascendency in the race for sixth, but tonight makes things a little harder for us.”
Bears co-promoter Jamie Swales tells redcar-speedway.com he was disappointed with Sunday’s narrow defeat to Glasgow in a thriller at the Ecco Arena.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Fri Aug 26
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues Aug 30

SCUNTHORPE
“We had the whole team firing today and that’s important. We need everyone going, because we need to win our away matches next weekend and we’re not going to do that with just one or two of us scoring points.”
No.1 Ryan Douglas led the way in a 60-30 thrashing of Berwick last Friday which takes the Scorpions into their final two league matches still in with a fighting chance of reaching the play-offs.
NEXT HOME: Leicester (KOC), Fri Sept 2
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Fri Aug 26

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…

ARMADALE
“The track was a little bit tricky to start with and we had a bit of a discussion at the start and decided we needed to keep our heads. We did that, we picked up some points when others made mistakes. We also had some very good rides, Elliot rode very well, and we looked after each other.”
Devils skipper Tom Woolley and colleague Elliot Kelly gave Armadale some consolation for a tough season with an excellent runners-up finish in the NDL Pairs at Leicester last Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Fri Aug 26
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Sun Sept 4

BELLE VUE
“Hopefully this will prove valuable in our chase for the play-offs. We’ve still got a couple of meetings left and we’ve still got a job to do. But we’ve shown our capabilities, and we are quietly confident about our visits to Armadale and Kent but for now we can all be proud of the job we did at home.”
The Colts completed their home campaign with a 100 per cent record, and Nathan Ablitt knows they now need points on the road to secure a play-off place.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Fri Aug 26

BERWICK
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun Sept 4

KENT
“Another fantastic afternoon of speedway at The Old Gun Site as two great clubs played out a fascinating draw in front of a good-sized crowd in the late summer sunshine.”
Royals bosses were delighted with the entertainment on show in a 45-45 draw with Mildenhall last Sunday, with new signing Max Clegg and Ben Morley both unbeaten as they combined for crucial 5-1s in Heats 13 and 15.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Sun Aug 28
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat Sept 3

LEICESTER
“I really enjoyed it, and it’s nice to get so many races with Dan during the evening. It’s the most enjoyable racing I’ve had really, so I’m glad it was a good finish in the end.”
Lion Cubs skipper Joe Thompson was delighted to team up with twin brother Dan to secure silverware for the club as they clinched the National Development League Pairs title with victory at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena last Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Kent, Sat Sept 3
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Fri Sept 23

MILDENHALL
“It’s great that everything has clicked into place and all my hard work is paying dividends. I guess I like the track at Iwade as I got my first ever double figures score here earlier in the season and now this paid 19 is my career best ever total. To only drop two points out of seven rides is obviously very satisfying.”
Fen Tigers reserve Josh Warren piled up a remarkable score of 18+1 in the dramatic 45-45 draw at Kent on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Oxford, Sun Aug 28
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed Aug 24

OXFORD
“We’ve asked a lot of the boys this season and more often than not they’ve been able to deliver the goods. Now we need another big push to help solidify our position inside the play-off frame.”
Chargers boss Peter Schroeck calls for a final effort to secure a top four finish with silverware still a possibility for the club in their regeneration season.
NEXT HOME: Mildenhall, Wed Aug 24
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun Aug 28

PLYMOUTH
NEXT HOME: Armadale, TBC
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Sun Aug 28

FIXTURE PICTURE…

TUESDAY AUGUST 23:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Glasgow 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP RIDERS’ INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Mildenhall 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 25:
PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Wolverhampton 7.30, Peterborough v King’s Lynn 7.30, Sheffield v Belle Vue 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 26:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Armadale v Belle Vue 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 27:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 28:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent v Plymouth 12pm, Mildenhall v Oxford 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 29:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 12pm, Peterborough v Sheffield 5pm Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 8pm

TUESDAY AUGUST 30:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Redcar 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 31:
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Birmingham 7.30
NEIL MIDDLEDITCH TESTIMONIAL: Poole 7.30

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Peterborough 7.30, Sheffield v Wolverhampton 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 2:
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Scunthorpe v Leicester 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester v Kent 7pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent v Armadale 12pm, Mildenhall v Berwick 3pm, Mildenhall v Plymouth (follows previous fixture)

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Sheffield 7.30, Peterborough v Ipswich 7.30

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 7:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Kent 7.30
ALAN GRAHAME MEMORIAL: Birmingham v Cradley Select 7.30