MAJOR EVENTS LATEST
PETERBOROUGH chief Ged Rathbone is thrilled to be backing the Brits - and he has urged fans to do the same.
The Panthers have been selected to stage the semi-final of the British Under-21 Championship, and Rathbone is already planning on offering discounted admission of £10 to the prestigious Tuesday, April 11 event.
He said: “It's a huge honour to be able to stage the event and my thanks go to the BSPA.
“I'm sure the riders involved will be delighted to have the opportunity to race at a great track like the East of England Showground. I don't think too many of them will have been here before.
“I'm expecting the meeting to be an absolute cracker as riders battle for places in a national Final. The guys on show are the future of this sport. You never know, the next Tai Woffinden might just be involved.
“We've always been 100 per cent behind the development of young British talent and it is great to see Neil Vatcher, of the Young Lions, and the BSPA doing all they can.
“I'm hopeful that not just our own supporters, but all speedway fans, will turn out in force.”
The draw for the event has been made, with competitors seeking a top ten place in order to join the six seeds in the Final at Poole on April 26.
Defending Champion Josh Bates, Robert Lambert, Adam Ellis, Liam Carr, Max Clegg and Dan Bewley are the riders awaiting news of their opposition.
GB Youth Boss Neil Vatcher said: "Considering the top six British Under-21 riders have already been seeded directly to the Final, the quality of this semi-final is very strong indeed.
“I would imagine that there will be some disappointed riders out there who have not been included, but the standard of these young British riders has increased over the last few years.
“I for one would not like to pick out the riders in this semi-final who will qualify for the Final.”
SEMI-FINAL DRAW: Jack Smith (Belle Vue/Glasgow/Belle Vue Colts), Kelsey Dugard (Eastbourne), James Shanes (Poole), Zach Wajtknecht (Swindon/Lakeside), Luke Harris (Cradley), Nathan Greaves (Wolverhampton/Isle of Wight), Connor Mountain (Ipswich/Mildenhall), Ellis Perks (Rye House/Redcar/Buxton), Jack Thomas (Kent), Josh Bailey (King’s Lynn, Scunthorpe, King’s Lynn Young Stars), Jack Parkinson-Blackburn (Sheffield/Birmingham), Danny Phillips (Newcastle/King’s Lynn Young Stars), Danno Verge (Mildenhall), Nathan Stoneman (Kent), Alfie Bowtell (Lakeside), Danyon Hume (Ipswich/Birmingham). Reserves: Joe Lawlor (Cradley), Jamie Halder (Unattached).
BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2017
SGBP PAIRS: Somerset, March 31
BRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue, June 19
SGBC PAIRS: Somerset, July 21
SGBC FOURS: Peterborough, August 6
SGBP RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Belle Vue, September 16
SGBC RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow, September 24
OTHER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
BRITISH UNDER-21 SEMI-FINAL: Peterborough, April 11
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Poole, April 26
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Plymouth, July 6
BRITISH SEMI-FINALS: Sheffield, May 4; Newcastle, Date TBC
BRITISH SPEEDWAY STARTING LINE-UPS 2017
NB. Ins and Outs refer to clubs’ last declared line-ups of 2016.
SGB PREMIERSHIP LINE-UPS
*denotes rider also racing in the SGB Championship
Moves between clubs listed in the case of clubs in the same league.
BELLE VUE: Max Fricke 9.92, Craig Cook* 9.83, Steve Worrall* 8.47, Kenneth Bjerre 8.22, Justin Sedgmen 7.60, Dan Bewley* 3.90, Jack Smith* 2.00.
IN: Bjerre, Sedgmen (from Swindon), Bewley, Smith.
OUT: Matej Zagar, Scott Nicholls (to Rye House), Richie Worrall, Joe Jacobs.
KING’S LYNN: Chris Holder 12.53, Robert Lambert* 8.70, Troy Batchelor 7.36, Nicklas Porsing 6.99, Lewis Rose* 5.97, Kai Huckenbeck 5.14, Josh Bailey* 2.00.
IN: Holder (from Poole), Huckenbeck (previously No.8), Bailey.
OUT: Niels-Kristian Iversen, Nicolaj Busk Jakobsen, Carl Wilkinson/Simon Lambert.
LEICESTER: Kim Nilsson 9.63, Danny King* 9.57, Kacper Gomolski 7.71, Josh Auty* 7.01, Erik Riss* 6.85, Josh Bates* 5.02, Danny Ayres 3.61.
IN: King (from Coventry), Nilsson (from Lakeside), Gomolski, Riss, Bates (from Coventry), Ayres.
OUT: Nicolai Klindt (to Poole), Patrick Hougaard (to Somerset), Szymon Wozniak, Paul Starke (to Somerset), Aaron Summers, Ludvig Lindgren.
POOLE: Krzysztof Kasprzak 11.08, Hans Andersen 10.00, Brady Kurtz 7.65, Jack Holder* 7.16, Kyle Newman* 6.31, Nicolai Klindt 5.42, James Shanes 2.00.
IN: Kasprzak (from Coventry), Andersen (returns from injury), Holder, Klindt (from Leicester), Shanes.
OUT: Chris Holder (to King’s Lynn), Antonio Lindback, Bjarne Pedersen, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Adam Ellis (to Swindon).
RYE HOUSE: Edward Kennett 9.27, Scott Nicholls 9.23, Chris Harris 9.21, Davey Watt 7.56, Stuart Robson 7.09, Robert Branford* 4.60, Ellis Perks* 2.32.
Club new to top-flight this season.
IN (compared to club’s final PL line-up): Nicholls (from Belle Vue), Harris (from Coventry), Watt, Perks.
OUT (compared to club’s final PL line-up): Cameron Heeps, Kasper Lykke, Leigh Lanham, Ben Morley.
SOMERSET: Rohan Tungate 9.03, Josh Grajczonek* 8.90, Patrick Hougaard 8.70, Paul Starke* 6.62, Charles Wright* 6.59, Jake Allen 5.96, Jan Graversen 4.00.
Club new to top-flight this season.
IN (compared to club’s final PL line-up): Hougaard (from Leicester), Graversen.
OUT (compared to club’s final PL line-up): Bradley Wilson-Dean (to Swindon), Zach Wajtknecht (to Swindon).
SWINDON: Jason Doyle 13.41, Nick Morris 8.97, Adam Ellis 7.64, David Bellego 7.63, Bradley Wilson-Dean* 5.02, Emil Grondal 4.39, Zach Wajtknecht 2.56.
IN: Ellis (from Poole), Bellego, Wilson-Dean, Grondal, Wajtknecht.
OUT: Rohan Tungate (to Somerset), Josh Grajczonek (to Somerset), Justin Sedgmen (to Belle Vue), Charles Wright (to Somerset), Stefan Nielsen.
WOLVERHAMPTON: Fredrik Lindgren 10.09, Jacob Thorssell 9.89, Sam Masters* 8.97, Adam Skornicki 7.22, Kyle Howarth* 7.18 Max Clegg* 4.23, Nathan Greaves 2.27.
IN: Skornicki, Greaves.
OUT: Tai Woffinden, Peter Karlsson.
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP LINE-UPS
*denotes rider also racing in the SGB Premiership.
Moves between clubs listed in the case of clubs in the same league.
BERWICK: Lewis Bridger 8.53, Kevin Doolan 6.99, Dimitri Berge 6.91, Claus Vissing 6.80, Liam Carr 4.69, Dany Gappmaier 4.00, Ryan Blacklock 2.00.
IN: Bridger, Berge (from Sheffield), Vissing (from Workington), Blacklock.
OUT: Thomas Jorgensen (to Workington), Theo Pijper, Matthew Wethers, Tom Perry (to Glasgow).
EDINBURGH: Sam Masters* 8.97, Ricky Wells 7.92, Erik Riss* 6.85, Josh Pickering 5.00, Max Clegg* 4.23, Mark Riss 4.00, Mitchell Davey 3.00.
IN: Wells (from Workington), Pickering, Davey.
OUT: Kevin Wolbert, Ryan Fisher, Dan Bewley (to Glasgow).
GLASGOW: Aaron Summers 8.57, Richie Worrall 8.49, Richard Lawson 8.22, Nike Lunna 4.90, Dan Bewley* 3.90, Tom Perry 3.76, Jack Smith* 2.00.
IN: Bewley (from Edinburgh), Perry (from Berwick), Smith.
OUT: Rene Bach, Fernando Garcia, Danny Ayres.
IPSWICH: Danny King 9.57, Nico Covatti 7.49, Rory Schlein 7.17, Kyle Newman* 6.31, Cameron Heeps 5.07, Danyon Hume 2.00, Connor Mountain 2.00.
IN: Schlein, Newman (from Plymouth), Heeps (from Rye House), Mountain.
OUT: Ben Barker (to Redcar), Morten Risager, James Sarjeant, Joe Jacobs.
NB. James Sarjeant now named as injury replacement for Kyle Newman.
NEWCASTLE: Robert Lambert* 8.70, Steve Worrall* 8.47, Ludvig Lindgren 7.69, Lewis Rose* 5.97, Ashley Morris 4.98, Connor Coles 2.00, Danny Phillips 2.00
IN: Rose (returns from injury), Coles.
OUT: Matej Kus, Victor Palovaara.
PETERBOROUGH: Jack Holder* 7.16, Ulrich Ostergaard 7.14, Kenneth Hansen 6.74, Paul Starke* 6.62, Simon Lambert 5.25, Bradley Wilson-Dean* 5.02, Tom Bacon 2.00.
IN: Holder (from Plymouth), Hansen (from Workington), Starke (from Somerset), Lambert (returns from injury), Wilson-Dean (from Somerset), Bacon.
OUT: Craig Cook (to Workington), Kenneth Bjerre, Anders Thomsen, Richard Hall (to Redcar), Zdenek Holub, Dan Halsey.
REDCAR: Jason Garrity 8.55, Ben Barker 7.91, Charles Wright* 6.59, Jonas B Andersen 6.30, Tobias Busch 4.66, Richard Hall 3.53, Ellis Perks* 2.38.
IN: Garrity (from Sheffield), Barker (from Ipswich), Wright (from Somerset), Hall (from Peterborough), Perks.
OUT: David Bellego, Lasse Bjerre (to Sheffield), Hugh Skidmore, Jye Etheridge, Lee Payne.
SCUNTHORPE: Ryan Douglas 7.18, Josh Auty* 7.01, Michael Palm Toft 6.98, Carl Wilkinson 6.12, Lewis Kerr 5.98, Fritz Wallner 4.00, Josh Bailey* 2.00.
IN: None.
OUT: None.
SHEFFIELD: Josh Grajczonek* 8.90, Kyle Howarth* 7.18, Lasse Bjerre 6.64, Todd Kurtz 5.76, Josh Bates 4.89, Robert Branford* 4.60, Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 2.00.
IN: Grajczonek (from Somerset), Bjerre (from Redcar), Kurtz (from Plymouth), Branford (from Rye House), Parkinson-Blackburn.
OUT: Simon Stead, Jason Garrity (to Redcar), Dimitri Berge (to Berwick), Arthur Sissis, Nathan Greaves.
WORKINGTON: Craig Cook* 9.83, Thomas Jorgensen 7.45, Ty Proctor 6.68, Adam Roynon 5.12, Mason Campton 4.67, Matt Williamson 3.58, Rob Shuttleworth 2.00.
IN: Cook (from Peterborough), Jorgensen (from Berwick), Proctor, Shuttleworth.
OUT: Ricky Wells (to Edinburgh), Claus Vissing (to Berwick), Kenneth Hansen (to Peterborough), Rasmus Jensen.
NATIONAL LEAGUE LINE-UPS
*denotes rider also racing in higher league(s)
Moves between clubs listed in the case of clubs in the same league.
BELLE VUE: Dan Bewley* 8.65, Lee Payne 8.11, Rob Shuttleworth* 6.60, Jack Smith* 6.32, Andy Mellish 3.21, Kyle Bickley 3.00, Luke Woodhull 3.00. No.8: Ben Woodhull.
IN: Smith (from Birmingham), Bickley, L.Woodhull.
OUT: Matt Williamson (to Buxton), Tom Woolley (to Buxton), David Holt.
BIRMINGHAM: Tom Bacon* 7.65, Danyon Hume* 7.33, Darryl Ritchings 7.04, Jack Parkinson-Blackburn* 6.97, Chris Hay 3.23, Layne Cupitt 3.00, Kean Dicken 3.00
IN: Hay (from Stoke), Cupitt (from Isle of Wight), Dicken.
OUT: Zach Wajtknecht (to Lakeside), Tom Perry (to Cradley), Jack Smith (to Belle Vue).
BUXTON: Matt Williamson* 9.49, Ellis Perks* 8.25, Lee Dicken 5.87, Tom Woolley 4.90, Shelby Rutherford 4.45, Lee Geary 3.00, Carl Basford 3.00.
IN: Williamson (from Belle Vue), Perks (from Eastbourne), Woolley (from Belle Vue), Geary (was No.8), Basford.
OUT: Oliver Greenwood, Ryan Blacklock, Ryan Burton (to Cradley), David Wallinger (to Stoke), David Speight (to Stoke).
CRADLEY: Tom Perry* 8.56, Danny Ayres* 8.56, Dan Greenwood 6.82, Conor Dwyer 4.05, Luke Harris 3.95, Joe Lawlor 3.59, Ryan Burton 3.37.
IN: Perry (from Birmingham), Ayres (from Kent), Greenwood (from Coventry), Dwyer (from Coventry), Harris (from Eastbourne), Burton (from Buxton), Lawlor.
OUT: Max Clegg, Ashley Morris, Luke Chessell, Richard Andrews (to Plymouth), James Purchase, Ben Basford, Bradley Andrews (to Kent).
EASTBOURNE: Mark Baseby 7.73, Georgie Wood 7.62, Connor Coles* 7.11, Adam Extance 4.48, Kelsey Dugard 4.28, Charley Powell 4.05, Tom Brennan 3.00.
IN: Baseby (from Isle of Wight), Coles (from Mildenhall), Extance, Dugard (from Isle of Wight), Brennan.
OUT: Adam Ellis, Jake Knight, Ellis Perks (to Buxton), Gary Cottham, Luke Harris (to Cradley).
ISLE OF WIGHT: Ben Wilson 8.50, Nathan Greaves* 8.36, James Cockle 7.35, Chris Widman 4.45, Tyler Govier 3.30, Rikki Mullins 3.00, TBC.
IN: Wilson (from Stoke), Greaves (from King’s Lynn), Mullins, Govier.
OUT: Mark Baseby (to Eastbourne), Nathan Stoneman (to Kent), Lee Smart (to Plymouth), Kelsey Dugard (to Eastbourne), Layne Cupitt (to Birmingham).
KENT: Luke Bowen 9.42, Nathan Stoneman 6.98, Ben Hopwood 5.83, Jack Thomas 5.83, Luke Clifton 4.22, Bradley Andrews 3.07, Anders Rowe 3.00.
IN: Hopwood (from Stoke), Stoneman (from Isle of Wight), Andrews (from Cradley), Rowe.
OUT: Danny Ayres (to Cradley), James Shanes, David Mason (to Lakeside), Danno Verge (to Mildenhall).
KING’S LYNN: Josh Bailey* 8.48, Scott Campos 6.35, Danny Phillips* 6.25, Ryan Kinsley 5.39, Lewis Whitmore 3.00, Connor Locke 3.00, Taylor Hampshire 3.00.
IN: Danny Phillips (from Stoke), Connor Locke (from Rye House).
OUT: Nathan Greaves (to Isle of Wight), Tom Stokes.
LAKESIDE: Ben Morley 9.22, Zach Wajtknecht* 8.59, David Mason 6.54, Alfie Bowtell 4.21, George Hunter 4.00, Nick Laurence 3.00, TBC.
IN: Morley (from Rye House), Wajtknecht (from Birmingham), Mason (from Kent), Bowtell (from Mildenhall), Hunter (from Rye House), Laurence.
OUT: Club new to NL in 2017.
MILDENHALL: Dan Halsey 8.64, Connor Mountain* 8.43, Jon Armstrong 7.82, Danno Verge 4.43, Luke Ruddick 3.10, Sam Woods 3.00, Jordan Jenkins 3.00.
IN: Mountain (returns from injury), Verge (from Kent), Jenkins, Woods (was Rye House No.8).
OUT: Kyle Hughes, Connor Coles (to Eastbourne), Alfie Bowtell (to Lakeside), Robert Parker.
PLYMOUTH: Steve Boxall 10.30, Benji Compton 8.95, Lee Smart 5.71, Richard Andrews 4.26, Callum Walker 3.45, Henry Atkins 3.00, TBC. No.8: Saul Bulley.
IN: Boxall, Compton, Smart (from Isle of Wight), Andrews (from Cradley), Walker (from Coventry), Atkins.
OUT: Club new to NL in 2017.
STOKE: Mitchell Davey* 8.43, Luke Priest 8.33, Tony Atkin 7.16, Ryan Terry-Daley 4.55, Shaun Tedham 3.93, David Wallinger 3.32, David Speight 3.06.
IN: Davey (from Coventry), Priest (from Rye House), Terry-Daley (from Coventry), Wallinger (from Buxton), Speight (from Buxton).
OUT: Ben Wilson (to Isle of Wight), Danny Phillips (to King’s Lynn), Ben Hopwood (to Kent), Paul Burnett, Chris Hay (to Birmingham).
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY MARCH 29:
ELITE SHIELD 2nd leg: Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v King’s Lynn 7.30 (at Birmingham)
THURSDAY MARCH 30:
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st leg: Ipswich v Berwick 7.30
CHALLENGE: Sheffield v Somerset 7.30
JULIE LEWIS MEMORIAL: Redcar 7.30
FRIDAY MARCH 31:
SGB PREMIERSHIP PAIRS: Somerset 7.30
HARRISON’S SCOTTISH OPEN: Edinburgh 7.15
SATURDAY APRIL 1:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Leicester v Swindon 7.30, Rye House v Wolverhampton 7pm
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Scunthorpe 7pm
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Berwick v Ipswich 7pm, 1st leg: Workington v Newcastle 7pm
PETER CRAVEN MEMORIAL: Belle Vue 7.30
SUNDAY APRIL 2:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe v Peterborough 5.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Newcastle v Workington 6.30
MONDAY APRIL 3:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Wolverhampton v Leicester 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 5:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Somerset 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP 1st leg: Poole v Belle Vue 7.30
WEST MIDLANDS TROPHY: Birmingham v Cradley 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 6:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield v Berwick 7.30
CHALLENGE: Redcar v Ex-Bears 7.30
FRIDAY APRIL 7:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, 1st leg: Somerset v Leicester 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30
SATURDAY APRIL 8:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Leicester v Poole 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP 1st leg: Rye House v Swindon 7pm
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Glasgow v Newcastle 7pm, Workington v Sheffield 7pm
SUNDAY APRIL 9:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Berwick 6.30, Scunthorpe v Glasgow 5.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st leg: Peterborough v Redcar 5pm
FEN FOURS: Mildenhall 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1 (500cc/250cc): Peterborough (follows KOC fixture)
MONDAY APRIL 10:
CHALLENGE: Wolverhampton v Coventry 7.30
TUESDAY APRIL 11:
BRITISH UNDER-21 SEMI-FINAL: Peterborough 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 12:
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Birmingham 7.30
Results: Monday March 27, 2017
ELITE SHIELD, 1st leg
Wolverhampton 50 (Jacob Thorssell 14+1)
Poole 40 (Nicolai Klindt 16)
