BRITISH SPEEDWAY ROUND-UP #5

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

PIC OF THE WEEK…

BELLE Vue made it two home wins out of two in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership as they defeated newcomers Northampton 53-37 on Bank Holiday Monday in Manchester.
The Foxes made a fast start to the meeting and led by four points after Heat 5, but the Aces turned things around with Matej Zagar crashing out for the visitors.
Brady Kurtz scored 13+1 and Dan Bewley 12+2 for the home side, whilst ex-Aces star Jaimon Lidsey made a strong return to the National Speedway Stadium with 11, and Nicolai Klindt picked up 9+1.
Photo credit: IAN CHARLES

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP LATEST

ACES MAKE IT TWO
BELLE Vue have won both of their opening ROWE Motor Oil Premiership matches on their own circuit after seeing off a lively Northampton challenge on Monday.
Aces manager Mark Lemon admitted their opponents had been hampered by the injury withdrawal of Matej Zagar, who crashed out in Heat 7 on his old home track.
Lemon said: “It’s really good to see Northampton Foxes in British Speedway, and they put on a brave fight today.
“I don’t think the scoreline flattered us, I think it was a pretty gritty performance, but we were all disappointed not to see Matej continue because he’s great to watch around here, and we wish him well.”

HELLSTROM-BANGS ON HOLD
IPSWICH newcomer Philip Hellstrom-Bangs has been forced into a brief UK absence due to a two-week suspension in his homeland.
Hellstrom-Bangs is unable to travel whilst he serves the suspension in Sweden, meaning he missed with Witches’ Bank Holiday home wjn over rivals King’s Lynn.
Manager Paul Hurry said: “Philip had it dialled in here at the last home meeting (against Northampton) and now he’s going to have this forced break. It is what it is, and we have to get through this spell.
“It’s gutting for him because he had just started to come into form. He is really enjoying himself and he has fitted in well with everyone.
“To take him out of the equation for a couple of meetings will be a big loss, but hopefully we can cover for that and move on from there.”

LIONS WIN BUT THOMPSON HURT
LEICESTER’S 57-33 home win over Northampton in their opening league fixture was somewhat tempered by an injury to Dan Thompson.
Ryan Douglas scored a 15-point maximum for the Lions but Thompson crashed out in Heat 10 and has sustained a broken collarbone.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “We came into our own in the second half of the meeting, so I’ve got to be pleased and it’s a good start to the league campaign.
“Dougy was excellent, I know there was talk in the winter that he maybe wasn’t a No.1 in this league, but as far as I’m concerned he’s still getting better and I still don’t think he’s reached where he can get to. It was a fantastic 15-point maximum, and I’m pleased for him.”

SLOW STARTING STARS
KING’S Lynn manager Rob Lyon rued a sluggish start to Monday’s local derby at Ipswich where his side found themselves 16 points down before rallying to go down by ten.
Lyon said: “We’d talked at length about how we needed to make sure we stayed with them in the first four or five heats, but it nearly mirrored what was going on in the first meeting (in the KO Cup).
“We had a situation in Heat 3 where we were on a 5-1 and the red lights came on inexplicably, the referee didn’t know why, and then of course in the re-run Richard Lawson won the race, which is always the case.
“We were really struggling at the midpoint of the meeting, but we did get it together towards the end, and it was a case of damage limitation really to make it as respectable as possible to give us a chance for the aggregate point.”

FOXES INJURY CONCERNS
NORTHAMPTON suffered a major blow on Bank Holiday Monday with Matej Zagar breaking an ankle in a crash at Belle Vue, with Niels-Kristian Iversen still also on the UK sidelines.
Manager Chris Adams said: “In the evening at Leicester we knew it was going to be hard having lost Matej, and also with the reduced facility guest for Niels, but we tried our best.
“We made some good gates but we were just making some silly mistakes in the first corner and Leicester punished us for it.
“I was quite pleased with Troy (Batchelor) and Kye (Thomson) tonight, but we carried a bit too much baggage. We’re working on it, and there are still some positives there. It’s very early days and we’ll move on to Thursday now.”

NEXT STEP FOR TIGERS
SHEFFIELD manager Simon Stead admits early results this season have been a frustration.
The Tigers lost out in the KO Cup due mainly to home and away defeats against Leicester, and then went down by eight points at King’s Lynn in the league last week.
Stead said: “I don’t want to over-react too much because as I’ve said, it is still very early days – but we have high ambitions and expectations at this club, and wins and points on the board are what we need.
“At the end of the day, whilst entertainment and good racing is one thing, we’re in a results business at this level and I don’t want to keep saying that we ran them close and that I’m disappointed to have just come up a little short.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
SHEFFIELD race their first home league fixture of the season when they welcome Ipswich to Owlerton on Thursday… Belle Vue’s 100 per cent record in the league will be put to the test at King’s Lynn on Monday… The group stages of the KO Cup will be completed at Northampton on Thursday with the Stars providing the opposition.

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP LATEST

MONARCHS’ DERBY DELIGHT
EDINBURGH stunned local rivals Glasgow with a 49-41 win at Ashfield to win the Scottish group of the BSN Series and confirm a place in the semi-finals.
The result came less than 24 hours after a heavy defeat at Berwick, but manager John Campbell admitted he was always more confident of success at Ashfield.
Campbell said: “I wasn’t confident that we could do well at Berwick, whereas here we obviously had two guys (Dan Thompson and Kye Thomson) who could win lots of races, and others chipped in.
“I think there was a real feeling in the team before the meeting that we had a chance, and they came up with just the right rides at the right time. Obviously a very pleasing situation.”

PIRATES SAIL THROUGH
POOLE confirmed their BSN Series Final place with last Wednesday’s home win over Oxford securing their position at the top of the southern group standings.
Richard Lawson scored yet another 15-point maximum for the Pirates, which included the highlight of the meeting as he forced his way through from the back in Heat 10.
Lawson said: “It was nice for the team to bounce back after our last performance up at Oxford when, like I said before, we didn’t really put up a show.
“But we did what we had to do and we are through to the next stage, and that was the goal. The aggregate point was just that – we knew we had to win, and that aggregate was simply a bonus.”

HOLDERS INTO LAST FOUR
BSN Series holders Redcar clinched top spot in the northern group to book their semi-final place with an away win at Workington.
The Bears were victorious 48-42 at the GT Tyres Arena with Nicolai Klindt scoring 13+1, dropping his only point in Heat 1, whilst reserve Jody Scott impressed with 11 points.

BANDITS ARE BEST RUNNERS-UP
BERWICK are celebrating semi-final qualification in the BSN Series – having also made it through to the last four of the MAXiCab KO Cup.
The Bandits defied the absence of the injured Peter Kildemand to race to a crucial win and aggregate point over Edinburgh, with the 24-point margin enough to give them points difference advantage over Workington who finished second in the northern group.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “I’m proud of the way we did our jobs. Both guests gave us full commitment and backed up the regular Bandits superbly well.
“Losing Peter Kildemand on Friday night meant we were up against it but I am delighted to say we got the job done.”

TIGERS PONDER OPTIONS
GLASGOW manager Cami Brown admits the Tigers’ BSN Series exit gives the club plenty of food for thought.
Brown’s side were beaten at home by Edinburgh on Sunday meaning they have missed out on semi-finals in two cup competitions and now have to focus on the league.
He said: “That defeat leaves us with a lot to think about. We will have to assess where we go from here.
“It was a very disappointing performance. We have Plymouth back at Ashfield on Friday and we simply can’t afford to slip up.”

COMETS’ FINGERS CROSSED
WORKINGTON promoter Andrew Bain says injured duo Niklas Holm Jakobsen and Vinnie Foord are both on course for a return this month.
Both were missing for last weekend’s fixtures but Holm Jakobsen could be back for the trip to Edinburgh on Friday, and the club are also awaiting news on Craig Cook.
Bain said: “Niklas, who has a chipped bone in his arm, tells me he hopes to be back for Edinburgh away and Plymouth at home.
“Vinnie, meanwhile, has said he plans to be back for our meeting at Glasgow on May 15.”

CHEETAHS MISS OUT
OXFORD boss Peter Schroeck had few complaints after seeing his side’s BSN Series hopes ended with defeat at Poole last Wednesday.
The Cowley side now turn their attentions to the Cab Direct Championship having raced recent fixtures without German star Erik Riss due to illness.
Schroeck said: “We battled on all night but it was a difficult evening with one or two things.
“Fair play to Poole, they do what we do at home, and it’s difficult. I think we gave them a good run for their money.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
A BUSY week of league action as defending champions Poole face Redcar home and away, hosting the Bears on Wednesday before travelling to Teesside on Friday… Glasgow bid for revenge against Plymouth after their recent KO Cup exit when the sides meet again at Ashfield on Friday… Edinburgh host Workington at Armadale on Friday before the Comets then take on Plymouth the following afternoon… Saturday evening sees Berwick meet Scunthorpe at Shielfield Park.

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE LATEST

NEGATIVE OUTCOME FOR CHARGERS
OXFORD boss Peter Schroeck felt his side hadn’t got the result their efforts had deserved in a narrow defeat at Middlesbrough last Friday.
Schroeck said: “For me, the WSRA National Development League is not about winning or losing, it’s more about the progression of young riders.
“I don’t mind losing fairly and squarely, for example when Middlesbrough beat us at Oxford on Sunday. But tonight, I felt we deserved more.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
WORKINGTON and Belle Vue stage rounds of the British Youth Championship at 500cc and 250cc levels on Saturday and Sunday respectively, with Academy action also set to take place at the National Speedway Stadium.

FIXTURE PICTURE…

WEDNESDAY MAY 6:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole v Redcar 7.30

THURSDAY MAY 7:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Sheffield v Ipswich 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP (SOUTH): Northampton (40) v King’s Lynn (50) 7.30

FRIDAY MAY 8:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Workington 7.30, Glasgow v Plymouth 7.30, Redcar v Poole 7.30

SATURDAY MAY 9:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm, Workington v Plymouth 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington (500cc/250cc) (follows Champ fixture)

SUNDAY MAY 10:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Belle Vue (500cc/250cc) 1pm

MONDAY MAY 11:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30

WEDNESDAY MAY 13:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford v Edinburgh 7.30

THURSDAY MAY 14:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHP R1: Ipswich (39) v Belle Vue (51) 7.30, Leicester v King’s Lynn 7.30, Sheffield v Northampton 7.30

FRIDAY MAY 15:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Oxford 7.30, Glasgow v Workington 7.30, Scunthorpe v Berwick 7.30

SATURDAY MAY 16:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Redcar 7pm, Plymouth v Scunthorpe 7pm, Workington v Oxford 6pm

MONDAY MAY 18:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn (40) v Ipswich (50) 7.30