(SPEEDWAY 1)
SCUNTHORPE collected their first SGB Championship win of the season by edging a thriller against Glasgow 47-43.
The Scorpions, whose early six point lead had been pegged back, hit the front again when Josh Auty and Ryan Douglas both overhauled Aaron Summers for a 5-1 in Heat 13.
Skipper Michael Palm Toft took the penultimate race before Auty passed Richie Worrall in Heat 15 with Douglas in third place.
Auty scored 14 for the Scorpions with Palm Toft adding ten, whilst Worrall scored 12+1 for the Tigers, whose boss Stewart Dickson was left frustrated despite them securing a league point.
Douglas said: “It was a much-needed win. I feel some of our performances this year have been OK, but we just haven’t been able to get that first win, but now we have.
“For me, I didn’t have the best of nights, but I had a good couple of races at the end which helped the team get the win. There’s a buzz, now that we’ve won a meeting. Hopefully we can build on it and keep pushing on now.”
Dickson said: “The team we've got has got to be looking to do better than that. We win and lose as a team as we always do, but I'm not going to kid on and say it's a good point.
“I said before the meeting that anything we got would be a bonus, but when we got here, we should have done better.
“I don't think they'll have the same team when we go back there later in the season - I think they'll strengthen - so tonight was an ideal opportunity to get them. They were there for the taking and we didn't take advantage.”
Meanwhile Newcastle romped to a convincing 58-33 win over Berwick at Brough Park.
Robert Lambert collected a 12-point maximum for the Diamonds, whose upper order were all in dominant form with Lewis Rose (12+2), Ludvig Lindgren (11+1) and Steve Worrall (10+1) all in the major points.
Lewis Bridger and Claus Vissing both scored seven for the struggling Bandits, each winning one race – which were the only occasions visiting riders took the flag in front.
Newcastle boss George English said: “We're back to our true form as a full team unit as tonight has shown with a good performance over a Berwick side who have obviously improved their gating from the night before if reports are anything to go by.
“Yet our lads proved they have the power to overtake and do it well, hence our deserved victory tonight.”
Bandits co-promoter Scott Courtney said: “It's a very frustrating time for us at Berwick at the moment.
“We know the guys can do it, yet for whatever reason things are not happening for us, and as our team manager (Gary Havelock) said on Saturday - It's not good enough at this level.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
PETERBOROUGH hit their Championship KO Cup target when continuing a successful start to 2017 with a 49-39 first-leg win over Redcar.
Reserve Bradley Wilson-Dean delivered a second successive double-figures score to spearhead another solid Panthers showing.
Wilson-Dean scored 11+1 although the individual honours on the day went to the Bears’ Charles Wright with a 15-point maximum – and he teamed up with Ben Barker for a last-heat 5-1 to reduce the arrears for a visiting side who had lost Tobias Busch with an ankle injury after a Heat 5 crash.
Peterborough boss Carl Johnson said: “I asked the boys to build up a 10-point lead, so I’m pleased we have that cushion to take up to Redcar for the second leg.
“We were further clear with a couple of races to go, but Redcar fought back well at the end to keep themselves in the tie.
“They came here wanting to turn us over, but we showed our strength again to build up a lead.
“Bradley was superb and is doing the job we expected of him at reserve. There was plenty of other positives too with six of our riders managing at least a paid win. But we know the tie is far from over and we have a job to do in the second leg.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
MITCHELL Davey raced to a 15-point maximum to take the Pride of the Potteries title in Stoke’s season-opener at Loomer Road.
The Potters newcomer reeled off five straight wins to top the rostrum ahead of team-mate Luke Priest who scored 13, with Birmingham’s Darryl Ritchings third on 12.
Davey said: “I’m delighted to have won the meeting, especially with a 15-point maximum, and it was good to get some points behind me - it really does give you a boost both at this level and in the Championship with Edinburgh.
“Hopefully there will be more maximums to follow although you can never take anything for granted in any league, like today there were some very good riders out there and you have to work hard in every race.”
Meanwhile Mildenhall star Danny Halsey was also in maximum mood with a 15-point haul to help the Browns Bombers team win the Fen Fours at West Row.
Halsey was backed up by Cameron Heeps and youngster Jordan Jenkins, who both scored 11, whilst Stefan Nielsen piled up 17 points from six rides for the second-placed Assured Aces.
Mildenhall promoter Kevin Jolly said: “The track did get dusty as the meeting drew towards its conclusion and I would like to apologise to everyone for that, but with the baking sun, the winds and it being the first meeting we were up against it.
“But I think the racing remained good right to the end. In particular I felt our three three pointers provided a brilliant race in Heat 17.
“We will work on the track ahead of next Sunday, but we are in a much better position than we were at the start of last year in every aspect of the club and things will only improve.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
WOLVERHAMPTON are backing the efforts of loyal fans to keep Coventry on track – by staging a special challenge match at Monmore on Monday.
The teams had been due to meet in SGB Premiership competition on this date, but with the Bees’ withdrawal from the league on the eve of the season it is an opportunity for visiting fans to see the bulk of the team who would have represented them.
Coventry will include former title-winner Rory Schlein as a replacement for Kenneth Bjerre, and they will be managed by their long-serving ex-boss Colin Pratt, who was with the club from 1998 to 2012.
Wolves owner Chris Van Straaten is offering reduced admission of £15 for adults, £10 concessions, £5 juniors and £1 children, although full rates are available with the difference to be a donation to the Coventry Fund.
Van Straaten said: “We are more than happy to support the efforts of Coventry supporters to keep the Bees on track.
“I’ve stated all along, I hope this is just a temporary situation and that the Bees can be back racing in the top level of the sport again next season.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
THE Isle of Wight have handed their final team berth to Jamie Sealey following successful trials at press and practice.
27-year-old Sealey is the cousin of former rider Lance Sealey, and he will compete in the Vince Mapley Memorial Trophy on Thursday before making his Warriors debut at Plymouth on Good Friday.
Manager Jackie Vatcher said: “We put several riders through their paces at our highly successful press and practice day, and Jamie shone through.
“He has been away from the sport for a long time and will need a settling-in period, but we can see potential and are pleased to offer Jamie the chance to prove himself.”
(FIXTURES)
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
THURSDAY APRIL 13:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Swindon v Rye House 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield v Ipswich 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Redcar v Peterborough 7.30
VINCE MAPLEY MEMORIAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight 7pm
Results Sunday April 9, 2017
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP
Newcastle 58 – Lewis Rose 12+2
Berwick 33 – Lewis Bridger 7/Claus Vissing 7
Championship points: Newcastle 3 Berwick 0
Scunthorpe 47 – Josh Auty 14
Glasgow 43 – Richie Worrall 12+1
Championship points: Scunthorpe 3 Glasgow 1
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st leg
Peterborough 49 – Bradley Wilson-Dean 11+1
Redcar 39 – Charles Wright 15
FEN FOURS, Mildenhall
1 Browns Bombers 40 – Dan Halsey 15
2 Assured Group Aces 37 – Stefan Nielsen 17
3 Mighty Manchetts 25 – Ben Morley 13
4 Palmers Panthers 23 – Danny Ayres 8
PRIDE OF THE POTTERIES, Stoke
1 Mitchell Davey (Edinburgh/Stoke) 15
2 Luke Priest (Stoke) 13
3 Darryl Ritchings (Birmingham) 12
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1, Peterborough
500cc
1 Drew Kemp
2 Daniel Gilkes
3 Carl Basford
4 James Laker
250cc
1 Leon Flint
2 Jason Edwards
3 Dan Thompson
4 Nathan Ablitt
