(SPEEDWAY 1)

KING’S Lynn registered a first away victory of 2017 by edging out Somerset 46-44 at the Oaktree Arena on Friday.
The Stars were well served by guest Craig Cook, who racked up 13 points including a crucial victory in Heat 15 when he moved past Patrick Hougaard on the second lap.
Captain Robert Lambert scored 10+1 with reserve Kai Huckenbeck adding 9+1, whilst a 13-point score from Josh Grajczonek wasn’t enough to prevent the Rebels from suffering a second successive home defeat.
King’s Lynn boss Dale Allitt said: “Craig ripped us apart while riding for Belle Vue last Wednesday and I booked him straight after. He has been riding well all season so it was an easy choice and one that helped us out a lot.
“But we also have to mention James Shanes as well. It was a difficult night for him but his pass for a 4-2 set us up perfectly for heat 15.
“It changed the dynamic of the meeting at a crucial stage. We went into that last race two up and defending what we had rather than having to push to get something out of it.”
Somerset boss Garry May said: “Once again we have lost out in a last heat decider and that makes tonight’s loss all the more disappointing.
“To get so close to the win, but to ultimately lose out for the second week running is hard to take.
“Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, it is just not working out for a couple of the boys, and there are very fine margins between winning and losing, especially in a league as tough as this. It's just not happening for us at the moment, though that is certainly not for the want of trying.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

EDINBURGH were held to a four-point margin over Sheffield at the halfway stage of their Championship KO Cup tie.
The Monarchs won 47-43 on their home circuit on Friday, and that represented an escape as a flying start from the Tigers had seen them race into a ten-point lead after Heat 7.
Visiting skipper Kyle Howarth kept up his impressive form with 14 points, with guest Richard Lawson adding 11 and winning Heat 15 ahead of Sam Masters (11) and Ricky Wells (10+1).
Masters said: “I’d like to think four points might be enough! They’ve given us a hard match so there’s no reason why we can’t go down there and do the same to them. “We’ve won at Sheffield in the past. I didn’t think we were making bad starts but Kyle and Richard were just making better ones!”
Sheffield’s Josh Bates (8+3) said: “Everybody played their part tonight, and it was a really good result for us.
“I know we were winning by ten at one stage, but it was a good night all in all and we’d have definitely taken that result if you offered it us beforehand.
“We’ve got a really good chance to go through when they come to Sheffield for the second leg, so things are looking good.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

BELLE VUE Colts sent out a major statement of intent with a 65-25 demolition of Mildenhall at the National Speedway Stadium on Friday.
Skipper Lee Payne raced to a 15-point maximum for the home side whilst there were also unbeaten displays from Jack Smith (14+1) and Dan Bewley (11+1).
Colts co-boss Steve Williams said: “You always hope you can do enough on your home track to beat the opposition and in fairness to Mildenhall, they had some big hitters who, on paper, made us think it would be a tough night.
“But this Belle Vue team excelled themselves. It was a manager’s dream, not only the result but the performance of all the riders. They just got on with the job and were absolutely flying.
“From top to bottom they all played their part. We talked early doors about avoiding as many last places as we could and we only put in three. If you can do that, you can win meetings like these.”
Connor Mountain scored eight for the Fen Tigers, with co-promoter James Easter pulling no punches in his views on their performance.
Easter said: “It was simply not good enough! We were too slow out of the starts and beaten by the 30 yard mark, it is no good racing from there as they are good and were long gone!
“I can’t see anyone winning here, they are very quick around their home track but that was totally unacceptable and I expect a marked improvement at Eastbourne next Saturday.”
Meanwhile Plymouth completed the job of KO Cup progression with a 51-38 win over the Isle of Wight at the St Boniface Arena.
Steve Boxall scored an 18-point maximum for the Devils, who operated rider replacement for Benji Compton, as they went through by a 17-point aggregate margin to set up a quarter-final tie with Birmingham.

(SPEEDWAY 4)

SCOTTISH rivals Glasgow and Edinburgh clash in a mouth-watering SGB Championship derby at Ashfield tonight (Saturday).
The sides head the early league table with the hosts three points behind the Monarchs, who have won all five of their fixtures so far.
Glasgow chief Stewart Dickson said: “This is our biggest meeting of the season so far. Scottish derbies are big enough, but both teams are challenging at the top of the league, so it's huge already.
“It's our first Saturday night derby too - and it's set to be a fantastic spectacle. It should bring the crowds out.
“We saw last week just how good our track can be when two riders go for it. I'd expect more of the same with plenty of guys in their team who know the fastest way round our place.
“It's going to be a tough meeting - their tails will be up from their recent run of five wins - but we will be right up for the battle too. With the form some of our heat leaders have shown of late, I'd expect this one to go right down to the wire.”
Third placed Ipswich head to Berwick, who are hoping their new-look line-up pays dividends as they look for a first Championship win of the season.
The Bandits’ sole success in 2017 came in the home leg of a KO Cup clash with the Witches, although the Suffolk side went through on aggregate.
Nick Morris, Jye Etheridge and Lee Payne all make their first appearances for the home side, whilst Jack Parkinson-Blackburn replaces injured reserve Danyon Hume for the visitors. Rider-replacement remains in operation for Nico Covatti.
Berwick boss Gary Havelock said: “Everything here has gone so well with our improved infrastructure, excellent public entertainment and much-improved Saturday-night attendances, except for one thing – the team’s results have been pretty woeful!
“On our management we have different people who all have different strengths, but all who pull hard for the Bandits, whatever it takes, and when we sign a rider we expect them to buy into the Bandits' way - and that means whenever they come off track they have given us 100 per cent and no less.”
Ipswich manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “We are going there missing two riders but we have got to start picking up points away from home and we’ll be looking to do that on Saturday.
“Things are not going our way but we will keep on battling and we won’t be giving up or feeling sorry for ourselves.”
Meanwhile Workington could leapfrog Redcar and move into the top four with a win when the sides meet at Derwent Park.
The Comets have been encouraged by recent displays, securing a KO Cup replay with Newcastle and then taking Glasgow to the wire at Ashfield last Sunday.
Club owner Laura Morgan said: “Those performances showed what we can do and we all believe that there is much more still to come from this team once we really get into the season.
“But the riders, management and supporters were all very encouraged by last weekend’s performances and now we need to keep that momentum going.
“Saturday’s visit of Redcar will provide another tough challenge and with their strong heat leader trio we will certainly have to be at our best once again if we are to take the points.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

EASTBOURNE’S Kelsey Dugard has vowed to ride through the pain barrier when the Eagles face Cradley at Arlington tonight (Saturday).
Dugard suffered a broken scaphoid in a crash at Plymouth last Friday but has declared himself fit to take on the Heathens in the club’s opening home Travel Plus National League fixture.
And boss Connor Dugard is confident his side will respond from their heavy defeat in the National Trophy at Mildenhall last weekend, where they suffered four blown engines between them.
He said: “It was a blip and I can guarantee we are all fired up to get back to winning against Cradley on Saturday. We have to improve and we will.”
Cradley have booked Jon Armstrong to take the place of the unavailable Tom Perry (SGBC) commitment.
And their former Eagles rider Luke Harris said: “I dialled myself in at Eastbourne towards the end of last year, and I think I’ll be OK.
“We’ve just got to make sure we all talk to each other and work together as a team to get the best out of each other.
“Eastbourne are a tough team, especially around Arlington, but we’ve just got to be consistent and all do our job.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

BIRMINGHAM will hand a full debut to Kyle Roberts in their Bank Holiday Monday clash with Stoke in the National League.
17-year-old Roberts, who recently appeared as the Brummies’ No.8, will take over the position vacated by Chris Hay who unexpectedly quit the sport earlier this month.
Roberts said: “I've been waiting for an opportunity to come along and especially because it's with Birmingham I just jumped at the chance.
“They've helped so many young riders improve over the last couple of years and hopefully they'll do the same with me as well.
“I was a part of Chris Harris' pit team last year and he told me to go for it and only really had good things to say about the club.
“No.2 is a tough place to race at, but each and every race I'll be going out there, giving it my absolute best and I know what I need to do.”

(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY APRIL 29:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Ipswich 7pm, Glasgow v Edinburgh 7pm, Workington v Redcar 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Cradley 7.30

SUNDAY APRIL 30:
BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Newcastle 6.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe v Berwick 3pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Buxton v Stoke 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 2 (150cc/125cc): Scunthorpe (follows SGBC fixture)

MONDAY MAY 1:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Somerset 12pm, Poole v Swindon 6pm, Rye House v Leicester 2pm, Wolverhampton v King’s Lynn 6pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Stoke 3pm, Cradley v Lakeside (follows Wolves meeting), Kent v Buxton 3pm

WEDNESDAY MAY 3:
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Eastbourne 7.30

Results :Friday April 28, 2017;

SGB PREMIERSHIP

Somerset 44 (Josh Grajczonek 13)
King’s Lynn 46 (Craig Cook 13)
SGB Premiership points: Somerset 0 King’s Lynn 3

CHAMPIONSHIP KOC QUARTER FINAL, 1st leg

Edinburgh 47 (Sam Masters 11)
Sheffield 43 (Kyle Howarth 14)

TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE

Belle Vue 65 (Lee Payne 15)
Mildenhall 25 (Connor Mountain 8)
National League points: Belle Vue 3 Mildenhall 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP, 2nd leg

Plymouth 51 (Steve Boxall 18)
Isle of Wight 38 (James Cockle 11)