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…

DAN Bewley delivered a faultless display to win his first Sports Insure British Final Championship at Belle Vue on Sunday.
He was also the winner of the inaugural Nigel Pearson Award in a poll voted by supporters for the most entertaining rider of the afternoon. Bewley received 43% of the vote, edging out Kyle Howarth on 32%.
Photo credit: IAN CHARLES

PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“We perhaps made life a bit harder for ourselves with our top guns, uncharacteristically, not firing but the rest of the boys really stepped up to compensate. Norick’s [Blodorn] overtake in Heat 14 was a pretty decisive moment in this result and had that not happened, this could’ve been a very different story.”
Aces boss Mark Lemon was pleased to notch an away win at Peterborough last Thursday as the build-up continues to play-off action and their bid for a long-awaited league title.
NEXT HOME: TBC, Mon Oct 3 (Play-Off S/F)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur Sept 22

IPSWICH
The Witches are awaiting news of their play-off semi-final opponents as they top the league table ahead of Thursday’s final fixtures before the cut-off, but could be overhauled by Sheffield – but regardless of finishing position, they know their home play-off fixture will take place on September 29.
NEXT HOME: TBC, Thurs Sept 29 (Play-Off S/F)
NEXT AWAY: TBC

KING’S LYNN
“It’s disappointing to come away without anything to show for our efforts – but it was a brilliant effort from the boys really. I felt after Heat 14 with the 5-1 that we had that we could get a league point but it wasn’t to be unfortunately.”
Stars boss Alex Brady felt his side had been unlucky to miss out on any reward at Sheffield last Thursday, but will take encouragement with the teams due to meet again next month in the League Cup Final.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur Sept 22
NEXT AWAY: TBC

PETERBOROUGH
“Credit to Belle Vue, they hung in there and got the result they needed, but we’ve shown a lot of fight in the last few weeks and I think we probably deserved to win tonight. The boys put the effort in, and you can’t fault them for that.”
Panthers boss Rob Lyon saw his side suffer yet another 44-46 defeat in their season finale against Belle Vue, which was preceded by the excellent news that the Panthers will be back at the East of England Arena in 2023.

SHEFFIELD
“Heats 13 and 15, 15 in particular, was one of the best I’ve ever seen here and it was a great way to end the meeting. It was job done in the end and we now look forward to our final regular meeting next week which we know will be another tough test.”
The Tigers came up with a big finish to see off King’s Lynn last week and Simon Stead’s side can now top the league table ahead of the play-offs if they defeat Belle Vue at Owlerton on Thursday.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Thur Sept 22
NEXT AWAY: TBC

WOLVERHAMPTON
Wolves will be first into action in the Premiership play-offs as they stage the opening fixture at Monmore Green on September 26 – with their opposition to be decided based on the league table after this Thursday’s cut-off.
NEXT HOME: TBC, Mon Sept 26 (Play-Off S/F)
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur Sept 22

CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BIRMINGHAM
“It was a really nice way to end the season here at Birmingham.There was a lovely moment after parade where the Grahame family took to various machines on the track with a wide variety of motorsport interest continuing through the generations. And then once the racing got going I thought we saw some excellent heats and it was a good win for the Brummies in front of one of our biggest crowds of the season.”
The Brummies brought down the curtain on the 2022 campaign with a win over a Cradley Select in the Alan Grahame Memorial, ending the first season in charge for co-promoter Nigel Tolley.

EDINBURGH
“It was good we had the lead after the home leg, but they pushed us in the first couple of heats – but we got the job done in the end and finished with a 5-1 so that was nice.”
Monarchs skipper Sam Masters was pleased to get the job done against Redcar in the play-off quarter-finals, and they now prepare for this weekend’s clashes with Leicester.
NEXT HOME: Leicester (PO SF), Fri Sept 23
NEXT AWAY: Leicester (PO SF), Sat Sept 24

GLASGOW
The Tigers are preparing to get back into action after an extensive break as they will face the Championship play-off semi-final against either Poole or Plymouth depending on the outcome of Tuesday’s quarter-final.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, TBC

LEICESTER
“It was a strange meeting, and we started slowly which wasn’t totally unexpected because of the fact that we’ve not raced here for seven weeks. We then came back into it and got the momentum, but then we contributed to our own downfall a wee bit and let Poole back into it.”
Lions boss Stewart Dickson saw his side held to a narrow two-point advantage from the first leg of their KO Cup semi-final against Poole.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh (PO SF), Sat Sept 24
NEXT AWAY: Poole (KOC), Wed Sept 21

PLYMOUTH
“Do we feel that everything has conspired against us this season? Yes we probably do, have we sat and sulked or moaned about it? No we haven’t, and will we try to use all of that pain and anger in a positive way to generate something spectacular? You can bet your last pound that we will!”
Fighting talk from Plymouth promoter Mark Phillips in the build-up to the Gladiators’ attempt to pull off the biggest play-off shock of all time as they face a 30-point deficit to Poole heading into the second leg at the Coliseum.
NEXT HOME: Poole (PO QF), Tues Sept 20
NEXT AWAY: TBC

POOLE
“Our lads are nothing if not resilient and when the chips were down we fought back proudly and might well have had the two-point lead ourselves, had it not been for a tremendous ride by Kyle Howarth in Heat 13, to share the points in the re-run. A two-point deficit is of course far from insurmountable and although Leicester have already won at our place this season and we have yet to beat them, I feel that our lads will raise their game for this one.”
Pirates promoter Danny Ford praised his side’s efforts to pull back from an eight-point deficit at Leicester in the first leg of their KO Cup semi-final, with the return fixture to come on Wednesday.
NEXT HOME: Leicester (KOC), Wed Sept 21
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth (PO QF), Tues Sept 20

REDCAR
“It was definitely a disappointing night for us, we went into the meeting with high hopes but unfortunately it all started to unravel for us in Heat 2 with Kasper’s fall. Things then went from bad to worse with engine problems and Lewi having to withdraw through injury.”
Bears promoter Jamie Swales admits the damage to their play-off hopes was done in the first leg at Edinburgh – with attentions now set to turn to the KO Cup Final against either Poole or Leicester.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: TBC

SCUNTHORPE
Current Scorpions rider Adam Roynon will be in action at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday as he represents his third-tier club Plymouth in the NDLRC, where he is one of three former winners in the line-up along with Kent duo Ben Morley and Max Clegg.
NEXT HOME: NDL Riders’ Championship, Sun Sept 25

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…

ARMADALE
The Devils have re-arranged their next fixture for September 30, which will be the visit of Belle Vue, with Leicester’s NDL side to race at Armadale at a later date as the senior play-off between the clubs takes priority this Friday.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Fri Sept 30
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, TBC

BELLE VUE
“This was a track that most of the boys have never seen before and to see Jake [Mulford], Nathan [Ablitt] and Archie [Freeman] in the big points was very encouraging. But now we know we must win at Armadale if we are to secure our place in the play-offs. Our league title bid depends on our success in Scotland.”
Colts co-boss Steve Williams reflected on a frustrating trip to Kent on Sunday where they collected just one point – meaning their final regular match of the season at Armadale is likely to assume vital significance.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Fri Sept 30

BERWICK
The Bullets have safely qualified for the NDL play-offs but are awaiting their finishing position before dates and opposition can be finalised for the decisive fixtures.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: TBC

KENT
Recent Royals signing Max Clegg kept up his incredible record since joining the club with a paid maximum in the narrow win over Belle Vue – which means he has been unbeaten by an opponent in all five matches so far, as well as a guest appearance for Mildenhall!
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed Sept 21

LEICESTER
The Lion Cubs are definite play-off qualifiers but could still finish top of the table ahead of the play-offs, with dates awaited for their two remaining fixtures at home to Berwick and away at Armadale.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: TBC

MILDENHALL
The Fen Tigers could still clinch the Double this season as they will contest the NDL play-offs and have also qualified for the KO Cup Final where they will face Leicester.
NEXT HOME: TBC
NEXT AWAY: TBC

OXFORD
The Chargers face a must-win clash with Kent at Cowley on Wednesday, where victory would be enough to lift them into the top four and then put the pressure back on Belle Vue to gain a positive result at Armadale next week.
NEXT HOME: Kent, Wed Sept 21
NEXT AWAY: TBC

PLYMOUTH
The Centurions have one more fixture to come this season, a home NDL clash with Armadale on a date to be confirmed which could resolve the matter of the wooden spoon between the two clubs.
NEXT HOME: Armadale, TBC

FIXTURE PICTURE…

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20:
CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF Q/F 2nd leg: Plymouth (30) v Poole (60) 7pm

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21:
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Poole (44) v Leicester (46) 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Kent 7.30

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30, Sheffield v Belle Vue 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23:
CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Edinburgh v Leicester 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Leicester v Edinburgh 7pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe 3pm

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26:
PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Wolverhampton v TBC 7.30

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29:
PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F: Ipswich v TBC 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Armadale v Belle Vue 7.30

MONDAY OCTOBER 3:
PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F: Belle Vue v TBC 7.30

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6:
PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Sheffield v TBC 7.30