IPSWICH have agreed terms to sign Justin Sedgmen as a replacement for the injured Nico Covatti.
Sedgmen, who is currently racing for Premiership Belle Vue, will make his Witches debut on Thursday against Glasgow at Foxhall – subject to the usual BSPA approval of their redeclared side.
Boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “These things take a little bit of time with visas but he’s not missed too many meetings and he will fit well into the side.
“We have a great bond in the team and you have to pick someone who is going to fit that.
“Knowing Sedgy, he will fit in well with everyone and he is also mega keen to race at Ipswich. He would have liked to have come in the winter but that was impossible but he is the man for the job now.”
Ipswich have also secured James Shanes as a guest replacement for the injured Danyon Hume who is recovering in hospital after surgery on a badly broken arm sustained in last week’s British Under-21 Final at Poole.
(SPEEDWAY 1)
SGB PREMIERSHIP pace-setters Belle Vue and Poole both went down to shock home defeats on a Bank Holiday Monday packed with top-flight drama.
The leaders were defeated 46-44 by Somerset at the National Speedway Stadium, with the Rebels having arrived in Manchester bottom of the table.
But a stunning return to form from Rohan Tungate (13) inspired the Rebels to their success, with the Australian crucially getting the better of home skipper Craig Cook (11) in the closing stages.
Max Fricke top-scored for the Aces with 12+1 but the Rebels scored further down the order on the day, with reserve Jake Allen carding an important nine-point total.
Somerset boss Garry May said: “I knew we are a much better team than our previous results might suggest, and that it wouldn’t take much for us to turn what had previously been defeats into wins.
“While this was a superb team performance for which all the boys deserve credit, especially after the bitter disappointment of Friday’s home defeat, I must give a special mention to Rohan, who has been going through the mill since the start of the season.
“But I knew he was too good a rider to not turn things around, and he showed great character to prove just what he is capable of. Hopefully this will be the spark which now will see Rohan return to his very best.”
Cook said: “It’s frustrating to lose at home. There’s nothing worse but we've got to look towards the business end of the season and the bigger picture concerning how well our campaign has begun.
“It was a tough meeting and Somerset ran us hard. Personally I feel that had both teams tracked their regular 1-7 things might have been different. But I’m not taking anything away from the Rebels.
“They took full advantage of the chinks in our armour and came away with three points. Our boys were riding their hearts out and it certainly wasn’t through lack of effort that we ended up missing out.”
Meanwhile Poole were stunned 47-45 by Swindon at Wimborne Road, as the Robins’ flying start to the meeting laid the foundations for their victory – their first in Dorset since 2009.
The visitors had by far the better of the early stages in wet conditions and roared into a 12-point lead after four races, which ultimately gave them a large enough margin to defend.
The Pirates hit back to reduce the gap to two points with three heats to go, and although Hans Andersen became the first man to defeat Jason Doyle in the decider, the Swindon skipper collected a crucial shared heat with Nick Morris ahead of Brady Kurtz.
Doyle scored 13+1 for the Robins with Morris winning three races on his way to 12, whilst reserve Nicolai Klindt top-scored for the hosts on 10+1.
Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “I said we would be more than capable of winning. We still need a bit more consistency from some of the boys but a win is a win, especially down here at Poole.
“This has been a bit of a ghost town for us over the years so to get some points off them was pretty good.
“Poole’s secret here is that they normally gate. We knew if we could win that battle they would not pass us and that was what happened.”
Pirates promoter Matt Ford said: “We just weren't good enough to live with them, especially in the early part of the meeting. They gave us a lesson on how to gate and
take control at the first bend.
“We tried to pull things round in the latter stages but quite simply we had given ourselves far too much to do. We shouldn't be putting ourselves into that position. Speedway is about 15 heats and we need to be competitive in all of them.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
WOLVERHAMPTON and Rye House took advantage of Poole’s slip-up to move above the Pirates in the SGB Premiership table on Monday.
Both sides closed to within two points of leaders Belle Vue after maintaining the only two unbeaten home records in the top flight.
Wolves were emphatic 59-30 winners over King’s Lynn at Monmore Green, with captain Fredrik Lindgren notching a 12-point maximum from four rides.
With Jacob Thorssell on 12+2 and recent signing Rory Schlein adding 11+1 the visitors were limited to just one race win courtesy of skipper Robert Lambert, who scored eleven from five rides.
Schlein said: “I've done plenty of laps around that track over the years so I didn't think it would take me too long to settle down.
“I had a decent one against Rye House last week and I was happy with how my night went tonight as well. The atmosphere in the team is great and we certainly mean business!”
Stars boss Dale Allitt said: “It was a hugely disappointing result and performance; we were out-gated and out-ridden all night but I certainly don't think it was through a lack of effort.
“The boys worked overtime in the pits to try and get it right but Wolves are on form around here right now.
“Even when you yourselves are flying high and when they're hit and miss, Monmore Green is always a tough place to visit.”
Meanwhile Rye House were 54-36 winners over a depleted Leicester side at Hoddesdon, to make it four home wins out of four in the league.
Recent signing Ricky Wells showed his worth with four race wins on his way to a 12-point haul, with Edward Kennett returning to form with 11 and Scott Nicholls (9+2) was also paid for double figures.
The Lions went into the meeting without two of their regular septet, Josh Bates being withdrawn at late notice due to illness, but reserve Danny Ayres enjoyed his best-ever top-flight performance with 11+2.
Wells said: “I think last week (against Poole and Wolves) was a bit of a teething period, but I had a good week off and bounced back today. I always liked this place when I came here in the Premier League (now Championship); it was a bit about set-ups and a bit of myself.
“I was really happy today. I was off the worst gate in Heat 14, and got a last for some reason, but overall I felt it was a really good performance.”
Ayres said: “It was great to prove to this team and the management they haven’t made a mistake in calling me. It’s given me a massive confidence boost and I feel like the penny has dropped now.
“I’m frustrated the team couldn’t get anything, but we were missing two key riders today and it was always going to be tough.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
CRADLEY returned to winning ways with a 48-42 success over Lakeside at Monmore Green on Monday.
The Heathens had lost their previous two fixtures but led throughout against a battling Hammers side who collected a deserved league point.
That came courtesy of skipper Ben Morley, who was involved in a series of late battles with Cradley’s Danny Ayres and overtook the Heathens man in Heat 15 to cut the gap on the night to six points.
Ayres scored 11 for Cradley despite a Heat 13 disqualification for clashing with Lakeside guest Nathan Greaves, whilst Morley collected 13 for the Hammers.
Cradley boss Will Pottinger said: “After losing a couple of fixtures recently, before the meeting we'd have taken any sort of win. Thankfully the lads were able to do just that and it's another important result for us.
“I want to focus on the positives; all of the lads except Joe (Lawlor) managed to record at least one race win and Ryan Burton in particular did a really good job at reserve.
“We've got a few away meetings coming up now and hopefully we can build on tonight's result.”
Hammers manager Kelvin Tatum said: “The riders should be very proud of their efforts tonight and it's yet another encouraging sign from the team.
“After keeping them very honest in the first half of the meeting, they began to pull away from us a bit. But we gathered round, got things back on track and I think we really piled the pressure on them towards the end.
“Who knows, if it hadn't been for a few falls or a few little errors, it could have been even more, but we'd have certainly taken a point before the meeting so we've got to be happy."
Meanwhile Kent were clear 61-29 winners over a depleted Buxton side at Central Park.
Luke Bowen reeled off another 15-point maximum to head the Kings’ scorechart, whilst guest James Cockle collected ten for the Hitmen.
(SPEEDWAY 4)
BRITISH youngster Joe Jacobs has stressed he is ready for the call from SGB Premiership and Championship promoters.
Jacobs enjoyed an excellent run of form with Belle Vue in the second half of the 2016 season but was left without a team place this year.
But he remains positive and is determined to take his opportunity when it arrives.
Jacobs said: “The bikes are ready and I’m ready to race. I understand the situation and teams need to build to an average, and I’ve just been unlucky.
“I’ve put about a point on my average and I know I’m improving season on season. I just need a team place to keep the momentum going.
“I know the call will come. Teams are making changes all the time, and there are riders out there with injury. It’s just a waiting game.”
(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY MAY 3:
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Eastbourne 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 4:
BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Sheffield 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Glasgow 7.30, Redcar v Berwick 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight v Swindon 7pm
FRIDAY MAY 5:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Somerset v Wolverhampton 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Workington 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Lakeside v Belle Vue 8pm, Plymouth v Cradley 7.15
Results Monday May 1, 2017
SGB PREMIERSHIP
Poole 45 (Nicolai Klindt 10+1)
Swindon 47 (Jason Doyle 13+1)
SGB Premiership points: Poole 0 Swindon 3
Wolverhampton 59 (Jacob Thorssell 12+2)
King’s Lynn 30 (Robert Lambert 11)
SGB Premiership points: Wolverhampton 3 King’s Lynn 0
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cradley 48 (Danny Ayres 11)
Lakeside 42 (Ben Morley 13)
National League points: Cradley 3 Lakeside 1
Other results from earlier today…
SGB PREMIERSHIP
Belle Vue 44 (Max Fricke 12+1)
Somerset 46 (Rohan Tungate 13)
SGB Premiership points: Belle Vue 0 Somerset 3
Rye House 54 (Ricky Wells 12)
Leicester 36 (Danny Ayres 11+2)
SGB Premiership points: Rye House 3 Leicester 0
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE
Birmingham v Stoke - OFF
Kent 61 (Luke Bowen 15)
Buxton 29 (James Cockle 10)
National League points: Kent 3 Buxton 0
