Birmingham’s maximum man Liam Carr leading Eastbourne’s Jake Knight in last week’s 45-45 Travel Plus National League draw at Perry Barr.
SGB PREMIERSHIP
BELLE VUE – “Their riders just seemed to find something we didn’t.” Boss Mark Lemon was relieved with a draw after Aces had led by 10 then trailed against Poole.
NEXT HOME: British Final, Mon June 19 (7.30), then Rye House, Premiership, Fri June 23 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Rye House, Premiership, Weds June 14 (7.30)
KING’S LYNN – “We know Wolves are good but so are we.” Boss Dale Allitt believes in his Stars ahead of welcoming all-conquering Wolverhampton in the Knockout Cup tomorrow. For Allitt’s thoughts in full, pick up a copy of King’s Lynn’s programme.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Knockout Cup, Weds June 14 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Somerset, Premiership, Fri June 16 (7.30)
LEICESTER - “I am not unhappy about this one and am really confident about the match on Saturday night against Belle Vue.” Team boss Jim Lynch is targeting home comforts for the Lions after Monday’s 54-39 defeat at Wolverhampton.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Premiership, Sat June 17 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Premiership, Weds June 21 (7.30)
POOLE – "He will shortly be on a figure that would offer us very little cover if he were to be unavailable for any reason.” Promoter Matt Ford explains how imminent alterations to Premiership averages prompted his decision to move aside Pirates favourite Kyle Newman in favour of Paul Starke.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Premiership, Weds June 21 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: King's Lynn, Premiership, Thurs July 13 (7.30)
RYE HOUSE – “He’s the British champion so you can’t get much better. I’m sure he will do well for us.” Rockets boss Peter Schroeck welcomes Danny King as a guest for Chris Harris for Wednesday’s showdown with Belle Vue.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Premiership, Weds June 14 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Premiership, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
SOMERSET - “Overall, it has been steady but with room for improvement and I am determined to show what I am capable of.” Lewis Kerr talks about his start at Somerset. For the full interview, pick up this week’s Speedway Star.
NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn, Premiership, Fri June 16 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Premiership, Weds July 26 (7.30)
SWINDON - “We’ve got out of jail again.” Embattled but jubilant, Robins number one Jason Doyle celebrates victory at the Czech Grand Prix on Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Rye House, Premiership, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Premiership, Fri July 14 (7.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON – “I will be going for my full schedule now.” Music to the ears of Wolves fans as Freddie Lindgren declares himself fit enough to ride following knee ligament damage.
NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn, Knockout Cup, Mon June 26 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Knockout Cup, Weds June 14 (7.30)
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
BERWICK – “This was how we were supposed to start the season back in March. At least we're now getting what we want from the guys.” Berwick’s upturn in fortunes is better late than never for boss Gary Havelock.
NEXT HOME: Kevin Doolan testimonial, Sat June 17 (6.30), then Redcar, Championship, Sat June 24 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Championship, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
EDINBURGH - “The three 5-1s in the middle of the meeting killed us and it gave them the momentum to go on and win.” Reserve Mitchell Davey rues the mid-meeting collapse which saw the Monarchs lose 50-39 at Ipswich.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Championship, Fri June 16 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Championship, Thurs June 22 (7.30)
GLASGOW – "I don't mind the tough races. It's not as fun when you make the gate and sail away out in front by yourself all the time.” Tigers captain Aaron Summers relishes closer battles.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Championship, Sat June 24 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Newcastle, Championship, Sun June 18 (6.30)
IPSWICH - “When they’re firing on all cylinders it will be pretty scary.” Rory Schlein backs Justin Sedgmen and Kyle Newman to rack up the points after some tenacious displays in recent weeks. For the full interview, pick up this week’s Speedway Star
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Championship, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Championship, Fri June 16 (7.30)
NEWCASTLE – "It's a situation we have to rectify as soon as possible." Boss George English bemoans a lack of sparkle from the Diamonds on the road this season.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Championship, Sun June 18 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Championship, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
PETERBOROUGH – "He jumped at the chance to help us out in our hour of need – even though he could have taken a permanent deal at another club.” Promoter Ged Rathbone hails the arrival of Richard Hall on a short-term deal following an injury for Simon Lambert.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Knockout Cup, Fri June 16 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Championship, Thurs June 22 (7.30)
REDCAR - “I’m not happy that we were ordered to bodge the air fence, compromising rider safety just to get the last heat out of the way.” Boss Jitendra Duffill on the controversy surrounding the Bears’ home match with Glasgow. The result after nine heats was subsequently upheld by the Speedway Control Bureau.
NEXT HOME: Newcastle, Championship, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Championship, Sat June 24 (7pm)
SCUNTHORPE – “We’ve gone and beaten a good side who do very well here.” Promoter Rob Godfrey was delighted to see the Scorpions sting in-form Sheffield 49-41 on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Championship, Sun June 25 (5.30)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Championship, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
SHEFFIELD – “We’ve been riding with a four or five man team, everyone needs to pull their socks up.” Promoter Damien Bates was not so pleased to see his Tigers tamed at Scunthorpe.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Championship, Thurs June 15 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Championship. Sun June 18 (5pm)
WORKINGTON – “This season I’ve noticed I roll up to the start line, look across and think ‘I can mix it with you now’.” Matt Williamson feels ready to take on all comers in the Championship
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Championship, Sat July 8 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Championship, Thurs June 22 (7.30)
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE COLTS - “To be in the position we’re in, seven points clear, going into our break is much better than being miles outside of those top four places." Team boss Graham Goodwin is delighted with their position in the table ahead of this weekend's fixtures.
NEXT HOME: Isle of Wight, National League, Fri June 16 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Eastbourne, National League, Sat June 17 (7.30)
BIRMINGHAM – “I felt we went in and put in a very good performance, especially considering the circumstances, although we were beaten by the better side." Team boss Graham Drury was proud of the effort shown by his wounded side at Kent on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Lakeside, National League, Wed June 21 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, National League, Tues June 13 (7pm)
BUXTON - "Fair play to Mildenhall. They came and took advantage of our weaknesses." Hitmen boss Jason Pipe was philosophical after they went down 50-40 at home to Mildenhall.
NEXT HOME: Eastbourne, National League, Sun June 25 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Stoke, National League, Sat June 17 (7pm)
CRADLEY – "It's been an up and down start to the season but I'll hopefully be able to kick-on over the rest of the year." Heathens ace Dan Greenwood told Speedway Star he is looking for improvement when they get back in action after a lengthy break.
NEXT HOME: Kent, National League, Mon June 19 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Stoke, National League, Sun July 2 (7pm)
EASTBOURNE – "I'm very relieved. I don't think I'll be out too long." Eagles star Georgie Wood told the Speedway Star he was a lucky man after a big grasstrack crash.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, National League, Sat June 17 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Stoke, National League, Sat June 24 (7pm)
ISLE OF WIGHT – "Now we’ve had to wait a week, the guys are even more determined to put up a great show." Warriors' skipper James Cockle says recent rain-offs have made them even more eager to impress.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, National League, Tue June 13 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, National League, Fri June 16 (7.30)
KENT – Kent put in a strong all-around team display to claim a 50-40 win over Birmingham in an incident-packed meeting at Central Park on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Four Team Tournament, Kent v American Dream Team v Mildenhall v Young Lions, Mon June 26 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Cradley, National League, Mon June 19 (7.30)
LAKESIDE - "It was a derby that could compare to any other in speedway with a lot of feeling on both sides and plenty of incident." Hammers' co-promoter Jon Cook praised the on-track action in their recent home win over Kent.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, National League, Sat June 17 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, National League, Wed June 21 (7.30)
MILDENHALL – "It was a fine team effort today with all the lads scoring good points." Stand-in team boss Phil Kirk was thrilled with a hard-fought away win at Buxton.
NEXT HOME: Isle of Wight, National League, Sun June 18 (3.30)
NEXT AWAY: Stoke, Knockout Cup, Sat June 17 (7pm)
PLYMOUTH – "At the moment my job is to win races for Plymouth and I'm concentrating fully on that." New Devils big hitter Adam Roynon is fully focused on the National League. Read more in this week's Speedway Star.
NEXT HOME: Devon Best Pairs, Fri June 16 (7.15)
NEXT AWAY: Lakeside, National League, Sat June 17 (7.30)
STOKE – "It was a battling display but in the end we just could not cope in the final few heats." Potters boss Malcolm Vasey after they left Plymouth empty handed last week.
NEXT HOME: Buxton, National League, Sat June 17. (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Knockout Cup, Sun July 9 (3.30)
MAJOR EVENTS LATEST…
GREAT Britain boss Alun Rossiter says the British Final could be a key opportunity for riders to impress ahead of the Speedway World Cup.
The showpiece event takes place at the National Speedway Stadium, Belle Vue on Monday June 19 – just under a fortnight before the start of the international competition.
And with a Wild Card place for the British Grand Prix available as well as the prestige of taking the national title, Rossiter expects a fierce battle for honours as Danny King defends his crown.
He said: “It’s the reason why we get so much action and such hard racing every year. There’s so much on the line that everyone wants to do well.
“Belle Vue is a great track and superb venue which gives everyone the chance to race hard and I’m expecting some superb racing.
“I think it’s pretty wide open this year to be honest. Quite a few riders could potentially win it, but we’ll have to see how things develop on the night.”
Rossiter recently named his ten-man squad for the World Cup, which gets underway at King’s Lynn on Saturday July 1.
Great Britain face perennial rivals Australia along with the USA and Czech Republic teams at the Adrian Flux Arena, before heading out to Polish venue Leszno for the closing stages of the tournament.
And Rossiter admits the British Final is a good opportunity for riders to impress him before he takes the big decisions over who will represent the country.
He said: “It’s the sort of meeting we look at before the World Cup. It’s a big meeting on a fast track which is probably as similar as we have to a continental track over here.
“It’s horses for courses in some ways, so it will have a bearing. I know I’m never going to please everybody when it comes to my selection, but I’ll pick what I think is best as I always do.
“As the late Bob Radford always said to me, ‘go with your gut instinct.’ That tends to be my approach and hopefully it turns out to be right this year.”
BRITISH FINAL DRAW: 1. Carl Wilkinson (Scunthorpe), 2. Danny King (Leicester/Ipswich), 3. Lewis Bridger (Berwick), 4. Jason Garrity (Leicester/Redcar), 5. Lewis Rose (King’s Lynn/Newcastle), 6. Kyle Howarth (Wolverhampton/Sheffield), 7. Lewis Kerr (Somerset/Scunthorpe), 8. Chris Harris (Rye House/Peterborough), 9. Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Newcastle), 10. Richard Lawson (Somerset/Glasgow), 11. Paul Starke (Peterborough), 12. Stuart Robson (Rye House), 13. Richie Worrall (Glasgow), 14. Craig Cook (Belle Vue/Workington), 15. Scott Nicholls (Rye House), 16. Rory Schlein (Wolverhampton/Ipswich).
BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2017
SGBP PAIRS: KING’S LYNN
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: JAMES SHANES
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: ROBERT LAMBERT
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Plymouth, July 6
BRITISH SEMI-FINALS: RORY SCHLEIN; KYLE HOWARTH
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Swindon, July 9
NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester, September 24
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY JUNE 13:
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Birmingham 7pm
WEDNESDAY JUNE 14:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Rye House v Belle Vue 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 15:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Swindon v Rye House 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Berwick 7.30, Redcar v Newcastle 7.30, Sheffield v Scunthorpe 7.30
FRIDAY JUNE 16:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Somerset v King’s Lynn 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 1st leg: Peterborough v Scunthorpe 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Isle of Wight 7.30
DEVON BEST PAIRS: Plymouth 7.15
SATURDAY JUNE 17:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Leicester v Belle Vue 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Belle Vue 7.30, Lakeside v Plymouth 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Stoke v Mildenhall 7pm
KEVIN DOOLAN TESTIMONIAL: Berwick 6.30
SUNDAY JUNE 18:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Glasgow 6.30, Peterborough v Sheffield 5pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 3pm
MONDAY JUNE 19:
BRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Kent 7.30
WEDNESDAY JUNE 21:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Poole v Leicester 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Lakeside 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 22:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Workington 7.30, Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Peterborough 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Kent 7pm
NATIONAL TROPHY: Swindon v Plymouth 7.30
FRIDAY JUNE 23:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Rye House 7.30, Somerset v Leicester 7.30
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30, Peterborough v Berwick 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Isle of Wight 7.15
SATURDAY JUNE 24:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Redcar 7pm, Glasgow v Ipswich 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Eastbourne 7pm
SUNDAY JUNE 25:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Workington 6.30, Peterborough v Glasgow 5pm, Scunthorpe v Berwick 5.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Eastbourne 3pm, Lakeside v Isle of Wight 3pm
CHALLENGE: Mildenhall v American Dream Team 3pm, Rye House v Coventry 3pm
MONDAY JUNE 26:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Poole v Belle Vue 7.30,
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Wolverhampton v King’s Lynn 7.30
FOUR TEAM TOURNAMENT: Kent v American Dream Team v Mildenhall v Young Lions 6.30
TUESDAY JUNE 27:
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Cradley 7pm
