BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2016BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: JOSH BATESBRITISH FINAL: DANNY KINGPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: SOMERSETPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS WEEKEND: PLYMOUTHPREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: SIMON STEADELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry, October 8
NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENTS 2016NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: RYE HOUSENATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: King’s Lynn, October 16NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: MAX CLEGG
BRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENTS 2016:WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: FREDRIK LINDGRENWORLD UNDER-21 QUALIFIER: DIMITRI BERGEWORLD UNDER-21 FINAL Round 1: KRYSTIAN PIESZCZEK
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE boss Mark Lemon insists the Elite League Grand Final is still all to race for despite an 18-point defeat in the first leg at Wolverhampton.Lemon said: “Wolves I’m sure will think having such a lead means they can come to our place and smoke us but they’d be foolish to think that, and I do see some role reversal on Wednesday.“You can see in the faces of these Belle Vue Aces that they’re going to throw everything they’ve got at their opponent in Leg 2, and we absolutely can’t wait for them to come to Manchester.”LAKESIDE co-boss Paul Hurry admitted the Hammers’ play-off hopes effectively ended in their home semi-final defeat to Belle Vue, with a heavy defeat in Manchester bringing their campaign to a close.Hurry said: “It was always going to be an uphill task, and Belle Vue are a strong side so we knew it would be tough. We've gone from the smallest track in the country to the biggest track in the country and I suppose in some ways that showed tonight.“All the boys gave it their best, but it is what it is. The damage was done in the first leg in reality and we unfortunately couldn't overcome that.”LEICESTER will complete their season with a home clash against King’s Lynn on Friday, which will be the final Elite League fixture to be staged in 2016.POOLE promoter Matt Ford admitted his disappointment as the club’s bid for a fourth successive league title was ended at Wolverhampton last week – despite sterling displays from reserves Kyle Newman and Adam Ellis.Ford said: “We just didn't have the strength in depth to finish the job off. Both Kyle and Adam rode exceptionally well for us but beyond those two we were very disappointing. “It hurts right now, I can share the same pain that our fantastic supporters must be feeling. We know we do not have a divine right to success but when 31 points of your 35 come from just three riders it tells its’ own story.”WOLVERHAMPTON enjoyed a dream first leg to the Elite League Grand Final by running up a 54-36 win over Belle Vue at Monmore Green.Boss Peter Adams said: “We know how strong they can be around their own circuit but that said, we'd still like to go there and win on the night.“We know what we've got to do and even if things didn't quite go to plan, an 18-point lead could well be a 21-point lead if you take the tactical ride into account.“However, the majority of our team know how to win races at the National Speedway Stadium and we're really looking forward to Wednesday now.”PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
EDINBURGH's hopes of another Premier League title were ended as they crashed out of the second tier play-offs at the quarter-final stage.The Monarchs secured a 53-37 second leg win at home over Ipswich on Friday, but they went down 95-85 on aggregate.Promoter Alex Harkess said: "It was a tall order though and we needed everything to go right, which didn’t happen. "We’ve had a decent season but I wish we’d done better in the first leg!”GLASGOW hope to be at full strength for their prospective League Cup Final first leg against Somerset this weekend.The Tigers still have to officially confirm their place in the Final – they defend a massive 64-25 advantage at Workington on Saturday – and have seen several of their riders involved in heavy crashes in recent weeks.Manager Stewart Dickson said: “Things can change very quickly but we're hopeful they'll be OK."Nike (Lunna) should be back at the weekend and it would be nice to get back to seven riders.”IPSWICH have set-up a play-off semi-final with Somerset after defending their 26 point first leg lead against Edinburgh.The Witches came under some pressure from the Monarchs but eventually came out 95-85 victors on aggregate.Team boss Ritchie Hawkins said: "I think in the past, Ipswich teams I have been involved in have cracked under the pressure, but we seem to have a new-found mental strength and are thriving under the pressure and are stepping up to the task. "I think we are using it as a positive rather than a negative when we need to get a result.”NEWCASTLE boss George English couldn't hide his frustration as his side missed out on a place in the play-off semi-finals after last heat heartache against Sheffield.The Diamonds were beaten 92-88 on aggregate but they will now turn their attentions back to the Knockout Cup.Said English: "Sheffield, who needed three guests naturally chose carefully and brought in three lads who race really well here and effectively strengthened them a fair bit on their usual line-up, but that's what speedway does at time and just gets horribly frustrating. "We still have the Knockout Cup to aim for and if the lads want more meetings in the Cup Final then they need to perform at Rye House on Saturday and back here next Sunday." RYE House boss Peter Schroeck insists his side will revel in the tag of underdogs when they face Newcastle in the KO Cup semi-final this weekend.Schroeck said: “We’ve been proving people wrong for pretty much the whole season, and that includes some really close misses both home and away, so it will pretty much be business as usual in that regard this weekend. “As I’ve said before, don’t read too much into our League position. We all know what we are capable of, and it is all about making sure we click as a unit on Saturday so that we can pick up a bag of points to take up to Newcastle for the second leg.” SHEFFIELD will take on Glasgow in the play-off semi-finals after a dramatic aggregate victory over Newcastle.The Tigers struck a last heat 5-1 at Brough Park to secure a 92-88 win against the Diamonds over the two legs.Team boss Eric Boocock said: "The team spirit was fantastic, the three guest riders gave us 110% and were absolutely tremendous – you couldn’t ask for any more. "We’ve got another two meetings now and the lads can make it or break it. If the lads want it enough then they’re only two meetings away from the final, so it’s all to play for.” SOMERSET go head-to-head with Ipswich on Friday in the first leg of their play-off semi-final at the Oaktree Arena.After crashing out of the Knockout Cup at the hands of Glasgow on Sunday, Rebels boss Garry May says his side are keen to get back to winning ways.Said May: "The boys are doubly keen to make amends for our KO Cup exit, and there will be no better way to do that than to build up a healthy first leg lead against the Witches."Although we have already done the double over the Witches earlier in the season, they are a different proposition to when we met them back in April, and they come into Friday’s match on the back of a decent run of results.”WORKINGTON team manager Tony Jackson says he's desperate for his side to end the season on a high.The Comets host Glasgow in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final tie on Saturday - but face a monumental task of progressing any further as they trail 64-25 on aggregate.Said Jackson: "Being realistic we are obviously just racing for pride in our final match of the season. "However, after the Tigers won at Derwent Park in mid-September to crush our play-off aspirations we have been smarting somewhat. "So, if we can come out on top this Saturday it will go some way towards avenging that defeat and send us into the close season with a victory.”
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE skipper Matt Williamson insists they could have made the National League play-offs if they were able to complete their full programme of fixtures before the cut-off.Williamson said: “We are really disappointed because unfortunately we’ve not done enough to get in the play-offs, and that’s something we’ve been working really hard for all season.“I genuinely believe that if we had managed to fit in our outstanding meetings before the deadline that we would have been the team to go through in fourth, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”BIRMINGHAM are preparing for the home leg of their National League play-off semi-final against Midland rivals Cradley at Perry Barr this Thursday (7.30).Promoter Tony Mole said: “The play-offs are always huge occasions and with two clubs from the same region going head-to-head there should be plenty of interest.“A lot of our meetings this season have been one sided, but the meetings against Cradley this time around won’t be that straightforward I feel.“It should be a great tie over two legs and I’m sure both sets of riders will be desperate to not only reach the Grand Final, but to also claim the local bragging rights for the supporters.”BUXTON suffered a heavy home defeat against Birmingham at the D&P Raceway on Sunday.The Hitmen were unable to build on their first home win of the season a week earlier as they were thrashed 61-29 by the table-topping Brummies.Jason Pipe’s side will be back in action as they host a double header against the Isle of Wight and King’s Lynn this Sunday. COVENTRY Storm will race at Belle Vue on Friday October 21.The City Gearboxes Storm's final away fixture of the National League season will be the second part of a double header, also featuring the Belle Vue Colts against Birmingham.A new date for the home matches against Stoke and Rye House is to be confirmed.CRADLEY lost out in a last heat decider as they were defeated 46-44 by Eastbourne in the first leg of their Knockout Cup semi-final.“It's a bit of a hard one to take and it's very disappointing,” said team manager Will Pottinger.“Naturally, our aim was to win first and foremost and then we always wanted that to be a victory which would see us take a decent lead to Eastbourne for the second leg.“Unfortunately we came up against a very good, solid Eastbourne team and we just weren't good enough on the night. We realise it's going to be very hard to progress now but we can't go there with a negative mindset.”EASTBOURNE boss Connor Dugard insists they will guard against complacency despite taking a 47-43 win at Kent in their National League Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg on Friday.“To win by four points is fabulous,” Dugard said. “It is still all to play for in the second leg. We will not be complacent.“I hope we get a big turn-out of fans next Friday for the second leg, especially from the Kent supporters. It could be their club's last meeting of 2016.”ISLE OF WIGHT young gun Nathan Stoneman has thanked the club for handing him a path back into the sport.Stoneman said: “I’ve always thanked the Isle of Wight, and I keep saying that I can’t thank them enough for giving me a chance.“If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be back doing what I love, so I’ll always be grateful for what they did for me and getting me back into it.”KENT favourite David Mason insists their 2016 season can already be chalked up as a success.Mason told Speedway Star: “The main thing is we’ve made the play-offs, and that’s something Kent didn’t do last year.“We’ve won the majority of our meetings both home and away and you can’t expect too much more.“I’m just pleased to be part of it and the supporters have been fantastic.” KING’S LYNN ace Tom Stokes has made the decision to quit the sport.Young Stars boss Dale Allitt revealed: “Tom feels finding opportunities within the sport has been difficult for him and he feels he’s not getting the breaks.“It’s disappointing that the sport has lost a decent young rider, but that’s how it goes sometimes unfortunately.” MILDENHALL Chairman Kevin Jolly believes things are looking up both on and off the track ahead of the 2017 season.Jolly told Speedway Star: “The standard of the track has stepped up a level. We’ve been striving to get there and have learned as we have gone on this season. There’s new stadium work going on as they want to make this the premier venue in the area. “We’ve got lots to be thinking about with the team. I was very impressed with Taylor (Hampshire), Jordan (Jenkins) and Nathan (Stoneman). “There will be teams who will give out big money but what we pay is what we can afford.” RYE HOUSE young gun George Hunter admits he has been hugely frustrated by his injury-hit 2016 season.He told Speedway Star: “I felt confident coming into the season and I felt my pace had improved from last year, so I was looking forward to it.“Unfortunately it’s not gone my way. I was finishing a few meetings then I was back on the sidelines again. Sitting on the sidelines has made me hungry.“In a way I hope I’ll benefit from it, it’s not good but you learn from your mistakes and I hope I’ve got that out of the way now. I just want to keep improving and enjoying myself.” STOKE boss Malcolm Vasey conceded their 2016 campaign has been a huge disappointment.He told Speedway Star: “There’s no getting away from it, results have not been very good this season despite everyone being happy with the team when we put it together at the beginning of the year.“We thought the reserves we had in place would have improved a lot more, but unfortunately for one reason or another things did not fall into place and we ended up replacing them.“We have done well recently, especially against the top four clubs at Loomer Road with Kent only beating us by three points, so I’m hopeful that we can finish the season well and give our supporters something to shout about.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 6:TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Birmingham v Cradley 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7:ELITE LEAGUE: Leicester v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Somerset v Ipswich 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Eastbourne v Kent 8pm
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8:ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Rye House v Newcastle 7pmLEAGUE CUP S/F 2nd leg: Workington v Glasgow 7pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Isle of Wight 7pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 9:PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Newcastle v Rye House 6.30LEAGUE CUP FINAL 1st leg: Glasgow v Somerset (provisional) 3pmTRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Isle of Wight 3pm, Buxton v King’s Lynn (follows previous fixture)
MONDAY OCTOBER 10:TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Cradley v Birmingham 7.30
TUESDAY OCTOBER 11:RECYCLED AGGREGATE SERVICES OLYMPIQUE: Wolverhampton 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12:TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Eastbourne 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 13:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Ipswich v Somerset 7.30; 1st leg: Sheffield v Glasgow 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 14:LEAGUE CUP FINAL: Somerset v Glasgow/Workington 7.30TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30BLUE RIBAND: Poole 7.30RESERVED: Kent 6.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 15:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Eastbourne v Cradley 7.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Stoke v Buxton 7pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 16:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Glasgow v Sheffield 3pmNATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS, King’s Lynn 3.30
