(SPEEDWAY 1)
WOLVERHAMPTON stormed back into the Elite League top four with a 51-41 win over Lakeside at Monmore Green.World Champion Tai Woffinden roared to much-needed wins in the final two races to cap off a memorable return and see them over the line for a crucial win.It was a dream return for Woffinden as he top scored with 13 points following an all-action performance.He was partnered by Jacob Thorssell for a 5-1 and 4-2 in heats 14 and 15 respectively to ensure their play-off rivals also left empty handed. Andreas Jonsson scored 12 for the Hammers as they dropped to fifth place.Wolves boss Peter Adams said: “With the fixtures we’ve got coming up it’s vital to win our home matches and we were pleased to get the job done. “It was important that Lakeside gained no advantage here tonight, and when Swindon come here next Monday we’re going to have to try and do the same again.“It took Tai a race or two just to find his way around the place again, but he looked pretty invincible by the end of the night and he’s going to be an important rider for us over the rest of this season.”Lakeside star Richard Lawson walked away from a major crash in Heat 11, and said: “We were pretty gutted not to get a point. It’s come down to the last heat again and we’ve just fallen short.“A point tonight would have given us a good chance of making the play-offs, and we were really close.“We’ve got more chances at Coventry and King’s Lynn, so we just have to take the positives and look forward to those meetings now.”Lakeside’s defeat was good news for Swindon, who collected a 50-42 win over Poole at the Abbey Stadium as the Pirates were left point-less on the night.The Robins saw a ten-point lead slashed to two with two heats remaining, but a fall from Krzysztof Buczkowski in Heat 14 was punished by Rohan Tungate and Nick Morris for a match-clinching 5-1, and the home side added a 4-2 in the finale with Hans Andersen falling as he tried to regain third place for a league point.Tungate and Jason Doyle both scored 13 for Swindon, with Andersen on nine for the Pirates.Robins boss Alun Rossiter said: “I’m really pleased with the result and the performance of all the boys, we knew it was a big meeting and we had to do the business.“Rohan was brilliant, he said the track was his friend rather than the enemy in this meeting, and his score showed it.“Poole are such a good side they keep coming back at you and you can never relax against them, that’s why they are a top team.“It’s a good night for us because we’ve now added seven-points to our league total from King’s Lynn on Thursday and now this, so we are in with a good chance of a play-off place and I know the boys are up for the challenge.”Meanwhile former Kent star Steve Boxall made a successful return to Central Park with victory in the Laurels individual event. Boxall headed Danny Halsey, James Shanes and Tom Bacon in the Final to take the trophy.(SPEEDWAY 2)
BIRMINGHAM head to the Isle of Wight on Tuesday knowing a single league point will seal their place in the National League play-offs.The Perry Barr outfit will be looking to build on their 11 meeting unbeaten run – but will have to do so without their top heat-leader duo.Zach Wajtknecht remains sidelined with broken fingers, with Danny Halsey deputising, while club captain Tom Perry misses the trip due to work commitments.Birmingham boss Graham Drury said: “To go into any meeting without your top two averaged riders is never ideal, but with the Isle of Wight picking up a couple of good home wins of late it should be an interesting meeting.“Our team is flying though and they’ll relish racing on the big Smallbrook circuit.“Danny Halsey fully deserves another chance to guest for us after displaying another impressive performance against us last week and I’m sure he’ll do a good job for us.”(SPEEDWAY 3)
SCUNTHORPE and King’s Lynn youngster Josh Bailey faces a period on the sidelines with a broken collarbone.Bailey suffered the injury in Heat 4 of the Scorpions’ clash with Workington on Sunday when he tangled with the Comets’ Matt Williamson.Bailey tweeted after a Monday trip to hospital: “Unfortunately, I broke my collarbone in my crash at Scunny last night. I have to go back to the fracture clinic Wednesday to get a time scale.”
(FIXTURES)
TUESDAY AUGUST 23:TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Birmingham 7pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24:ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30, Poole v Leicester 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 25:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Ipswich 7.30, Sheffield v Scunthorpe 7.30
