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GLASGOW star Richard Lawson expects the Tigers to be strongly in contention for the Premier League Pairs title.Lawson teams up with Aaron Summers in Friday’s showpiece event at Somerset and believes the two riders will work well as a combination for the Ashfield club.He said: “Me and Aaron ride together really well every week and we’ve been riding together with a lot of success for a couple of years now.“I think we suit each other well and we enjoy riding together, so if we make some good starts and find the setup I think we have a good chance.“It’s always a tough meeting, this year isn’t going to be any different, but we’ll try and work together to bring out the best in each other.”
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KING’S Lynn have announced club captain Rory Schlein is set to return from injury next week.The Stars have re-declared their team, and subject to BSPA approval Schlein will make his comeback in Monday’s televised Elite League fixture at Coventry, replacing stand-in skipper Mads Korneliussen.Schlein has been sidelined for nearly three months with a serious shoulder injury, sustained ironically in a crash when the Stars met the Bees at the Adrian Flux Arena on April 13, but he has proved his fitness in recent practice sessions.A club statement said: “Mads is a victim of speedway’s ‘numbers game’ with the Stars feeling the recall of their club captain and asset is very much a necessity, and this was the only realistic way of making the move. We would like to wish Mads all the best for the future.”
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BELLE Vue edged out Wolverhampton 46-44 in a tense top-of-the-table televised Elite League clash in Manchester.The Aces clawed back the visitors’ early six-point advantage before securing victory in a last-heat decider.Wolves still took a league point with skipper Fredrik Lindgren scoring an outstanding 14 points, whilst Max Fricke top-scored for the Aces on 12.Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon said: “I feel lucky that we won tonight, in the sense that we had such a fantastic yet tough meeting. The boys dug deep and showed why we’re a force to be reckoned with.“Max Fricke was the man who stood out for me tonight. He scored a solid 12 points, and Joe Jacobs also impressed immensely with his performance.”Lindgren said: “In the end I think we can be happy with a point. Belle Vue are a strong side and are probably one of the favourites in the Elite League, so to get a point against them away from home is a good result.“It was a tight meeting, but I was very happy with my own performance. I was making good starts all night and I was pleased with the way I rode.”In the Travel Plus National League, Kent’s unbeaten run is over after King’s Lynn snatched a dramatic 46-44 win at the Adrian Flux Arena.The visitors led by two points going into Heat 15 and their pairing of Danny Ayres and James Shanes shot out in front - but in one of the races of the season, King's Lynn pairing Nathan Greaves and Josh Bailey plugged away before coming through for the all important first and second places to seal a memorable win.Bailey scored 13+1 for the Young Stars with Greaves adding 11, whilst Shanes scored 12+1 and Ayres 12 for the visitors.King’s Lynn boss Dale Allitt said: “Danny Ayres and James Shanes are two of the fastest riders in the league and to get past both of them deserves a lot of credit which Nathan (Greaves) and Josh (Bailey) will get for sure.“This is a huge win for us; it's a massive three league points and we've shown again that we're capable of beating anybody in this league.”Meanwhile Birmingham boosted their hopes of progression in the Knockout Cup with a 54-36 first leg victory over Belle Vue.The Brummies’ reserves were to the fore with Jack Smith piling up 14 points as they outscored their counterparts 23-1, whilst Tom Bacon marked his first home match since injury with 12. Skipper Matt Williamson top-scored for the Colts on 12+1 with Lee Payne adding 10.Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “Everyone's points were important but when your two reserves and your No.2 perform how they did it just shows our strength in depth this year.“I made some pretty bold reserve substitutions in the latter stages but they paid off overall and it was only done to benefit the team's advantage at the time.”Belle Vue manager Graham Goodwin said: “We were only twelve points down after ten heats, which is a fairly manageable margin, but that unfortunately grew into an 18-point loss by Heat 15, so we’ve got our work cut out for us in the second leg.“The Brummies are tough on home turf, after all they’re not the league leaders for nothing. But if they can beat us by eighteen points at their track there’s no reason we can’t do the same at ours.”
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SWINDON will look for their second home win in the space of four days when they host Wolverhampton at the Abbey on Thursday.The Robins roared to a convincing 55-36 win over Coventry on Monday to send a clear message to their play-off rivals, and now take on the league leaders with the visitors forced into changes.The visitors will be without Peter Karlsson and Jacob Thorssell due to Swedish League fixtures, whilst Joonas Kylmakorpi remains sidelined through a knee injury. Club asset Nicolai Klindt and Belle Vue’s Scott Nicholls come in as guests.Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “Obviously we’re after another win on Thursday, and the good thing is the boys were so pumped after Monday that they’ll be raring to go for this one. The team talk will be ‘boys, same again as on Monday’, it will be as simple as that. “We know it’s going to be a tough meeting even though Wolves have made changes tonight, but I believe we’re good enough to beat them.”Wolves skipper Fredrik Lindgren said: “We are missing a few riders, but the guys who will be riding are all looking to get another good result to end this busy spell we’ve had. “We have got in some good guests and although it’s not going to be an easy meeting I think we are capable of getting something, so that’s what we’ll be trying to do.”In the Premier League, Redcar and Scunthorpe clash in a basement battle at the Media Prime Arena.The two sides are level on six points, three behind Ipswich, and the Bears have brought in Fernando Garcia to guest for Simon Nielsen who is ruled out with ankle ligament damage.Manager Jitendra Duffill said: “I am confident that we should be able to win this fixture and it is much needed. We must produce this time and I will be looking for contributions from everybody. “We must aim to make this the turning point in our season and restore some faith from our loyal supporters.”Scunthorpe manager Dave Peet said: “The win over Ipswich was a big boost for us, no doubt. One victory can make such a different to the confidence and self-belief of a team. The lads believe in themselves again and that's so important going into this busy spell.“We'll go into the meetings this week believing that we can win them or get something out of them. All our riders can ride Redcar, and we'll go into that meeting with the mentality of knowing we can come from there with a victory.”Meanwhile Ipswich return to home action after a break of nearly a month when they host Rye House.The Witches are without reserve Oliver Greenwood as he takes time out of the sport, whilst the Rockets bring in Robert Branford as Peter Karger has aggravated a wrist injury.Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “We have got a string of home matches coming up now, one a week, and we need to win all of them.“It will be good to be racing back at Ipswich as the meetings have been so few and far between it doesn't feel like your home track really. We've not been there enough. Every meeting is tough and Rye House have got people who go well at Ipswich.”Rockets manager Peter Schroeck said: “We all know what Edward (Kennett) can do around Ipswich – he’s been unbeaten against the Witches in three matches home and away this season – and the rest of the boys are really psyched up too.“We haven’t forgotten that we ultimately came within a whisker of getting a draw there in the Cup, and although the Witches have made a few team changes since then, we really believe we have the potential to go one better there this time.”
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JOE Jacobs has left the Isle of Wight after completing a short-term spell with the Warriors.Jacobs has now secured a Premier League place with Ipswich and will concentrate on his duties with the Witches and Belle Vue whilst the rider he replaced at Smallbrook, Benji Compton, is set to return for the Warriors after injury.Co-promoter Barry Bishop said: “Joe was a great No.1 for the Warriors who fitted in with the team perfectly, and was an instant hit with the fans. “However we always knew that his stay with us was temporary and that Joe's ambition was to gain a Premier League berth that he's now got with Ipswich.“He's also riding for Belle Vue in the Elite League, and riding in all three leagues was something he felt was too much. All here at the club wish Joe well and we thank him for all he did for us.”
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CRADLEY have been dealt a blow with the news James Purchase will miss the rest of the 2016 season.The 28-year-old suffered a shoulder injury in a crash against Buxton on June 13 and has now been advised to undergo surgery.Purchase said: “Obviously I'm devastated, and after working so hard to come back it's a huge disappointment that my season is over already.“I was hoping to be able to come back after a few weeks, but I've seen the surgeon and he says if I don't get it operated on it'll just be the same in six months’ time.“It's the best thing for me to do in the long term, and it means that I'll hopefully be able to come back next year and get back riding.”(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY JULY 7:ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Wolverhampton 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Rye House 7.30, Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 8:PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset 7pm
SATURDAY JULY 9:BRITISH GRAND PRIX: Cardiff 5pm
SUNDAY JULY 10:PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Glasgow 4pm
