(SPEEDWAY 1)
MAX Clegg was crowned British Under-19 Champion with a 15-point maximum at Birmingham on Wednesday.The Wolverhampton, Edinburgh and Cradley rider looked set to be taken into a run-off as he trailed James Shanes until the final bend of Heat 20, which would have left him level with Ellis Perks.But Clegg hit the front on the run to the line to secure the trophy without the need for an additional race.Perks was second with 14 points whilst Jack Smith delighted the home crowd with 12 to finish third.Clegg said: “It's such an awesome feeling and I'm just over the moon To win it how I did with that last ride as well makes it even more special and I'm glad to have won the Under-19's tonight because it's my last year in it.“This just carries on my good form of late and hopefully I can keep this up between now and the end of the season.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
THE race for the final Elite League play-off place will go down to the wire after Swindon failed to secure fourth position at Belle Vue on Wednesday.The Robins lost 40-52 at the National Speedway Stadium meaning they still need a point to prolong their season – with their final fixture at Lakeside on Friday, where a Hammers win by more than six points will see them take the crucial fourth spot.Rohan Tungate piled up 15 points for Swindon in Manchester but a more solid Aces team pulled further clear at the top of the table with Max Fricke top-scoring on 9+1.Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “I'm disappointed with the result at Belle Vue, but the boys know it. Their reserve duo scored 15 and ours scored five so we need to correct that at Lakeside. "But I'm backing my boys to do the business. We'll be up for the challenge, we know Lakeside are tough but I genuinely feel we can go there and do something.”Belle Vue manager Mark Lemon said: “The boys approached this match as though it were a play-off semi-final - which raised the intensity of proceedings quite considerably - and put in a professional performance to that end“They beat us good here at the beginning of the season but at that time the track was new to us all and they just got off on the hop and were flying that night. Things have changed here since then.”In the Premier League, Sheffield dug deep to keep their play-off chances alive with a 54-35 win over Scunthorpe at Owlerton.The Tigers put in a battling display to end their regular campaign with a win and move back up to fifth in the table, and now have to wait for developments elsewhere before the cut-off.Guest Richard Lawson starred with 15+1 for the home side and Kyle Howarth added 13+1, whilst Ryan Douglas scored 11 for a Scorpions team who were without Josh Auty and Michael Palm Toft due to illness.Sheffield boss Eric Boocock said: “Richard Lawson did a great job for us as a guest and Kyle Howarth was superb after a nasty crash. “All the riders gave it their all and played their part, so it was a good performance and we just have to wait and see what happens.”Scunthorpe manager Dave Peet said: “We just ran out of steam. There were one or two things early on, such as Lewis Kerr uncharacteristically touching the tapes in Heat 3, that messed up for our plans for later in the meeting, because we had always planned to give Wilko (Carl Wilkinson) seven rides, and we couldn’t necessarily track him in the races that we wanted.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
IPSWICH face a vital home clash with Newcastle on Thursday as they bid to move back into the play-off places.The Witches complete their home campaign against the third-placed Diamonds, and a win will take them above Peterborough and into the top six with both sides having one away match to come.Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “The plan is to get the win on Thursday and carry on our good home form and then I would hope that will be enough to get us into the play-offs now.“I think if we win on Thursday we will finish fifth and face Edinburgh in the play-offs, that would be my prediction but you never know what is going to happen." “We're in brilliant form and we've hit a good run where it could turn out that we've found our form at the perfect time with another win on Thursday.”Meanwhile in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon, bottom club Redcar race their final home fixture against Rye House, with just three points separating the sides.Bears manager Jitendra Duffill said: “Rye House are another team that have struggled this year and we must look to send them home empty handed. They have some good riders in their squad with plenty of experience of the Media Prima Arena and should not be under-estimated. “Rob Branford is having a great season and I'm sure he is relishing the prospect of coming here and showing what he can do. It's great to see a Bears asset making good progress but he could be a real danger.”Rye House star Stuart Robson said: “We were so close at Peterborough. We lost it in Heat 15 when I picked up when I hit a really grippy spot. It shot me straight up in the air and I had to lay the bike down, and thank-you so much to the guys behind me for missing me, although Cam (Heeps) ended up in a worse situation.“We were so close to having the away win there, but it’s onwards and upwards to Redcar on Thursday. We have to do it this time, because it’s our last chance. It’s another must-win.”Swindon host a British Speedway Select side in what could be their final home meeting of the season – depending on the outcome of their play-off deciding trip to Lakeside on Friday.Chris Harris, Sam Masters and Aaron Summers are amongst the visiting riders to compete in a 13-heat match with a second half for the Bob Kilby Memorial Trophy.Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “Obviously we don’t want tonight to be the end of the season and, as such, the last ever meeting on this track.“Despite the setback last night at Belle Vue we will go to Lakeside in a positive frame of mind and we will be going for the win, not just the point.“Tonight is a good way for the boys to get any gremlins out of the system and get themselves ready for the biggest meeting of the season.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
BIRMINGHAM star Danyon Hume suffered a broken collarbone at the Isle of Wight on Tuesday – but he is adamant his season isn’t over.The 20-year-old, who also races for Ipswich in the Premier League, was representing a British Young Lions select side when he shed a chain and was launched off his bike.Said Hume: “With it being a clean break it should make it easier to recover from, as silly as that may sound.“I’ve got to go for a follow up appointment at the hospital next week and we’ll know more then.“But as it stands, I’m determined to do everything I can to make sure I’m ready for the play-offs and the final of the Knockout Cup and apart from having a two week rest, nothing changes from my point of view.”
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Newcastle 7.30, Redcar v Rye House 7.30CHALLENGE: Swindon Select v British Speedway Select 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn 7.30, Lakeside v Swindon 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Somerset 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v Belle Vue (follows EL fixture)
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 17:PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Scunthorpe 7.15, Workington v Somerset 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester 7.30
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18:PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Ipswich 6.30LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Glasgow v Workington 3pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Coventry 2pm, Eastbourne v Belle Vue (follows previous fixture), Mildenhall v King’s Lynn 3.30, Rye House v Isle of Wight 6pm, Stoke v Kent (Start time TBC)
