BRITISH SPEEDWAY ROUND-UP #5
HERE’S our latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.
PIC OF THE WEEK…
EDINBURGH finally got their 2024 home campaign up-and-running when beating Berwick 53-37 in a BSN series match at Armadale on Friday. The Monarchs will now battle it out with rivals Glasgow for top spot in the group when they meet in re-arranged fixtures against each other.
Photo credit: JACK CUPIDO
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
It’s been a tough start to the season for Birmingham but TOM BRENNAN stepped up when it mattered in Monday’s televised clash with Belle Vue, leading the vital Heat 15 before it was stopped and then winning the re-run for a match-clinching 5-1 with Piotr Pawlicki, twice defeating GP star Dan Bewley on the night. Brennan was named Rider of the Meeting in association with Premiership timing partner Omologato.
FIRST WIN FOR BRUMMIES
BIRMINGHAM finally have a win on the board in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership after a dramatic televised opener on Monday, defeating Belle Vue 47-43.
Tom Brennan and Piotr Pawlicki were the last-heat heroes for the Brummies, and assistant team boss Chris Adams admitted it was very much a result they needed.
Adams said: “We had faith in this team; we know our last few home meetings haven’t gone the way that we wanted but we’ve got our full 1-7 now and we just felt a win was around the corner.
“Tom stepped up to the plate in Heat 15, we knew he had it in him, and he was backed superbly by Piotr.
“But all the boys played their part which was really pleasing and we’ve got something good to build on now so let’s see what King’s Lynn (on Thursday) brings.”
LIONS ARE TOP – WITH MORE TO COME!
LEICESTER boss Stewart Dickson insists his side aren’t firing on all cylinders just yet, despite moving to the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership table.
Sam Masters scored a paid maximum in the Lions’ 53-37 win over Birmingham last Thursday which was their third win in succession.
Dickson said: “We’ve got the three points that were on offer, Max (Fricke) and Sam were really strong at the top, and we thoroughly deserved it.
“We still don’t have all seven clicking yet, and next week I think we will need at least six out of the seven clicking to beat Ipswich, who are a bit of a bogey side for us, so we’re gearing up for them next Thursday.”
SPIRES BAG COOK
OXFORD have rewarded Craig Cook for his impressive start to the season at Cab Direct Championship level with a top-flight team place for the Spires.
Cook comes in as a 28-day replacement for the injured Lewis Kerr and will make his debut at Sheffield on Thursday.
Team manager Peter Schroeck said: “Craig is all class and has a strong track record since making the switch from Motocross 16 years ago.
“His commitment during the winter is clear to see with a number of strong performances in the Championship, so we’re really pleased to have him onboard.”
HOLDER SET FOR WELCOME BACK
SHEFFIELD No.1 Jack Holder will return to Owlerton this Thursday as a Grand Prix winner when the Tigers host Oxford.
Holder took victory in the Croatian GP last weekend underlining his credentials as a possible World Championship challenger in 2024, and he’s sure to receive a big welcome back from Tigers fans.
He said: “I just made history and put the Holder family down as the first brothers to win. It’s a massive monkey off my back; I have been wanting this victory for so long.
“It’s only the first round tonight. I can’t really look at that (the standings) too much. It’s awesome to be the leader. I just need to stay healthy throughout the rounds and be there at the end.”
NORICK – NO PANIC
BELLE Vue star Norick Blodorn admitted it had been a tough night for the Aces as they lost out at Birmingham – but they have the chance to turn the tables in next Monday’s return fixture.
Blodorn, who scored seven at Perry Barr, said: “While it made for good TV, it wasn’t the best night for us in the end but congratulations to the Brummies, they put up a very tough fight.
“It was a tough call in Heat 15 between Brady (Kurtz) and Piotr (Pawlicki) because, had things gone differently, we could either have won or forced a Super Heat.
“I think what people need to understand is that Birmingham, for a quite a few of the Belle Vue boys, was new territory and we did everything we could right up to the last.”
WITCHES SWEAT ON KING INJURY
IPSWICH are waiting for news on how long Danny King faces on the sidelines.
The Witches skipper was involved in a big crash at Workington recently and then came to grief again at Redcar last Friday, with the diagnosis being a fracture to his hand in two places.
Manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “It is a big blow. We have started the season well, so we don’t want to be losing any riders and we await further news on recovery time with him and we hope it is not long-term.
“Danny normally goes well at Leicester, and we are missing him, but R/R (on Thursday) shouldn’t be a disaster looking at the capabilities of the riders that can take those rides.”
KLINDT TO STAR FOR STARS?
NICOLAI Klindt is straight back into the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership having been released by Oxford earlier this month – as he now returns to his former club King’s Lynn, with his debut to come this week.
Klindt said: “King’s Lynn is a place I enjoy riding at, it’s a good club, and the fans there are great -even though we didn’t win many meetings in the last couple of years, they were still supportive!
“We did our best last year, and I really enjoyed it on a personal note. I turned my season around and I think I had only two meetings out of the last ten when I scored below 12 points.
“So I’m looking to kick off on a track that I know, and start off strong when I come in for my first meeting against Birmingham.”
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
TATE ZISCHKE crashed out of Workington’s defeat at Redcar on Friday, but he made a terrific return to Comets colours with a paid maximum (11+4) in the home Cab Direct KO Cup win over Scunthorpe less than 48 hours later. The young Australian has rapidly become a crowd favourite at Northside.
COMETS SOAR IN BSN SERIES
WORKINGTON’S 56-34 win over Scunthorpe on Sunday has put them in control of the Northern section of the BSN Series.
The Comets now only need the aggregate point when the sides meet at the Eddie Wright Raceway to secure top spot and a place in the semi-finals.
Manager James Denham told workingtoncomets.com: “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. After losing Antti (Vuolas), it was a bitter blow early on and we had to use Sam (McGurk) and Celina (Liebmann) to cover his rides. But they pulled it out the bag with a couple of match winning heat wins.
“It was brilliant to see Cookie (Craig Cook) and Tate (Zischke) get maximums, Tate’s first ever in British Speedway. But we also had Troy (Batchelor) and Claus (Vissing) scoring solidly in the middle order as they have been all season.”
KEMP’S TOP COMEBACK
BERWICK star Drew Kemp crashed out of the Bandits’ BSN Series defeat at Edinburgh on Friday – but bounced back with a big home performance 24 hours later.
Kemp was involved in a high-speed tangle with team-mate Jye Etheridge, who was ruled out of the Cab Direct KO Cup clash with Scunthorpe – but Kemp was declared fit and responded with a crucial 12 points from five rides as the Bandits built a decent first leg lead.
Said Kemp: “I felt that I pulled my finger out a little tonight. Despite winning it I was a bit slow in my first race but we made a couple of changes and they seemed to work.
“I enjoyed winning the cup with Scunthorpe but I’m a Berwick rider now and would love to be part of bringing some silverware here.”
BROWN’S HALF TIME WARNING
GLASGOW boss Cami Brown will warn his side their Cab Direct KO Cup tie against Oxford is far from over.
The Tigers head to Cowley this week with a 12-point advantage after a strong performance in the latter stages of the first leg, with guest reserve Jack Smith putting in an outstanding display.
Brown said: “Jack was sensational and all the boys stepped up their game to put Oxford under so much pressure.
“They are a very good side but we have managed to deliver something to defend at their place on Wednesday.
“It’s only half-time. They are seriously good at Cowley. But we’ve given ourselves a chance.”
BEARS’ CUP HOPES HIGH
REDCAR manager Gavin Parr was delighted with a first win of the season against Workington in the Cab Direct KO Cup – and with the 13-point margin of victory.
That result was achieved despite the loss of No.1 Danny King, who crashed out in the first race at the Ecco Arena.
Parr said: “After losing Danny early on we battled really well and took a really important win.
“Jake (Mulford) was superb with the extra time on the bike with the Middlesbrough Tigers helping him and Connor (Bailey) was also fantastic.”
MONARCHS TARGET 50
EDINBURGH are building up to a big Cab Direct KO Cup tie with Poole at Armadale on Friday, where 50 points will take them into the semi-finals.
The Monarchs worked hard to restrict the Pirates to a 49-40 win in the first leg, leaving the tie finely poised for the return.
Edinburgh manager Alex Harkess said: “Nine points is not impossible especially when they have not got the benefit of a tactical sub. If we can get our noses in front and just keep chipping away, I think it will be very close actually.
“I’d like to think we might have 50 points, or 49, before we get to Heat 15. That would be nice, but the fact that it’s Poole does not make me think that we are not in there with a chance, because I think we are!”
PIRATES LOOK TO KICK ON
POOLE promoter Dan Ford has stressed the importance of aggregate points as the Pirates look to make progress in their defence of the BSN Series.
The Pirates have key matches to come against Plymouth and also have to visit Oxford in May with a big lead from a home win over the Cheetahs.
Ford said: “Plymouth ran Oxford very close in their other away fixture in our BSN group, which is always a difficult place to go to and then they were very impressive at home in their KO Cup performance against Scunthorpe.
“So we will have to be doing our utmost on Wednesday to take a good lead to the Coliseum later in the month, with the aggregate points going to be key in getting through the group.”
NICHOLLS – IT’S STLL ON
OXFORD captain Scott Nicholls insists progress in the Cab Direct KO Cup is still possible despite a 12-point defeat in the first leg at Glasgow.
Nicholls said: “We’ve left ourselves with a slightly bigger hill to climb than we’d like for the second leg at Oxford but it’s still very much within our reach.
“Oxford is a pretty fair racetrack, but we need to dig in and work hard and get some momentum going as a team.
“With our fans behind us, we can still do it on Wednesday and progress to the cup semi-finals.”
SCORPIONS SKIPPER DEFIANT
SCUNTHORPE captain Simon Lambert insists his side can overturn an 18-point deficit over Berwick when the sides meet in the second leg of their Cab Direct KO Cup quarter-final tie.
The Scorpions are defending holders and Lambert says they won’t be giving up the trophy without a fight.
He said: “Our reign as cup champions isn’t over yet. We’re a team of fighters and teams have come from further behind in the past.
“There’s no point on dwelling on tonight and we move on. Tomorrow is a new day.”
NEWS IN BRIEF
PLYMOUTH return to BSN Series action this week after their narrow defeat at Oxford earlier this month. The Gladiators travel to Poole on Wednesday and then host the return fixture against the Cheetahs on Saturday.
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
STENE PIJPER’S first appearance in a meeting at 500cc level proved to be a successful one as he scored 6+1 in Sheffield’s 48-42 win over Middlesbrough at Owlerton, including teaming up with Sheldon Davies for a 5-1 in Heat 8.
LAMBERT PRAISE FOR TIGER CUBS
SIMON Lambert’s first meeting as a team manager resulted in a win as the Tiger Cubs defeated Middlesbrough in their NDL opener at Sheffield.
Lambert said: “I thought it was a great performance from all the boys. They all contributed which was really pleasing and I am very proud of them all.
“For Stene Pijper to go and get 6+1 in his first ever competitive meeting on the 500cc’s deserves a special mention from me though – if that boy could gate, he wouldn’t have got beaten because he was carrying some proper speed.
“But as I said, they’ve all impressed me in their own way and to get a win in our first meeting is pretty cool.”
SWALES – NDL ALREADY A GOOD MOVE
REDCAR co-promoter Jamie Swales says the benefits of running the Middlesbrough team in the National Development League are already being seen at a higher level.
Swales said: “One of the things we wanted when bringing the Tigers back was to get more bike time for our riders who are also racing for the Bears.
“Jake (Mulford) looked like a different rider on Sunday, he had so much confidence and then Ben (Trigger) came to the party in Heat 15 by beating Joe Thompson.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY APRIL 30:
BRITISH UNDER-21 QUALIFIER: Plymouth 7pm
WEDNESDAY MAY 1:
CAB DIRECT KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Oxford (39) v Glasgow (51) 7.30
BSN SERIES: Poole v Plymouth 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 2:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn v Birmingham 7.30, Leicester v Ipswich 7.30, Sheffield (43) v Oxford (47) 7.30
FRIDAY MAY 3:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Workington 7.30, Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30
CAB DIRECT KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh (40) v Poole (49) 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 4:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Poole 7pm
CAB DIRECT KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Workington (38) v Redcar (51) 3pm
BSN SERIES: Plymouth (44) v Oxford (46) 7pm
MONDAY MAY 6:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Belle Vue (43) v Birmingham (47) 12pm, Ipswich v King’s Lynn 2.15, Oxford v Leicester 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 8:
BSN SERIES: Oxford v Poole 8pm
THURSDAY MAY 9:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn (42) v Leicester (47) 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Sheffield (41) v Belle Vue (49) 7.30
FRIDAY MAY 10:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar v Berwick 7.30
BSN SERIES: Glasgow v Edinburgh 7.30, Scunthorpe v Workington 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 11:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Redcar 7pm, Workington v Glasgow 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington (follows Champ fixture) (250cc/125A)
SUNDAY MAY 12:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester (49) v Belle Vue (38) 3pm
MONDAY MAY 13:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Belle Vue v Oxford 7.30, Birmingham v King’s Lynn 7.30, Sheffield v Ipswich 7.30
TUESDAY MAY 14:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Workington 7pm
