(SPEEDWAY 1)
GREAT Britain’s Robert Lambert continued his individual brilliance by being crowned European Under-21 Champion on Saturday.
Two weeks on from his success at Under-19 European level, the King's Lynn and Newcastle racer pulled off another super performance in Daugavpils, Latvia.
Lambert dropped just one point from his five rides, and clinched another individual honour after taking the chequered flag in his final outing.
The Norfolk born racer finished ahead of Polish sensation Bartosz Smektala, while former Scunthorpe man Andreas Lyager beat Russian World Cup youngster Gleb Chugunov in a run-off for third.
Said Lambert: "It's been a good couple of weeks with two Gold medals; the European Under-19s first and now the Under-21s too.
"I dropped one point, but I finished on top and that's what we came here to do!"
Meanwhile, Belle Vue and Glasgow’s Dan Bewley collected two points, and will have gained invaluable experience from his trip abroad.
(SPEEDWAY 2)
LEICESTER’S late bid to avoid the SGB Premiership wooden spoon gathered momentum with an emphatic 57-33 win over Somerset at Beaumont Park.
No.1 Kim Nilsson returned to top form with a bumper 16-point haul for the Lions, who ensured there were no slip-ups at home 24 hours on from their sensational victory at Belle Vue.
The result moves the Lions to within two points of seventh-placed King’s Lynn, with three matches remaining.
In-form Lasse Bjerre added 11 points whilst Charles Wright and guest Michael Palm Toft both scored eight for the injury-hit Rebels, who have lost the services of Cameron Heeps and Patrick Hougaard after crashes in recent days.
Nilsson said: “It was nice to get a score on the board in the UK, I’ve been alright in Sweden but I’ve struggled over here and didn’t really know what the problem was.
“But we’ve changed a few things over the last couple of days and it seems to have worked.
“The last two nights have been a real boost for the team. We gave it our all and everyone has played a part in the scoring. We really pushed hard and it’s just nice to show what we can actually do.”
Somerset boss Garry May said: “I had hoped we might have made it a bit closer but they were well on their game tonight and made things hard for us.
“The lads found it tough but we need to put that behind us and move on.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
GLASGOW secured three points against Newcastle with a 52-38 win at Ashfield – and boss Stewart Dickson insisted: “We can still do better.”
The Tigers are comfortably placed in the SGB Championship play-off positions but had suffered a run of four successive away defeats.
Newcastle produced a resilient display and only trailed by two points after Heat 8 before the home side pulled away in the closing stages.
Richie Worrall dropped just one point from five rides on his way to 14, whilst Richard Lawson added 11.
Worrall’s battles with twin brother Steve were amongst the highlights of the meeting, with the Diamonds’ heat-leader scoring 13 and Stuart Robson picked up 10+1.
Dickson said: “We got the win which was required, and that was pretty decent - we were happy with that.
“To get the three points, and to bounce back, was very important. Richie Worrall in the No.1 race-jacket was very good, and Richard Lawson was also very good - he made the start in Heat 15 along with Richie but unfortunately got filled in a wee bit in the second turn.
“Overall it was a decent performance and three points, but I know there's more to come from this team and we can do better. I'm not going to kid on and say we're back and firing on all cylinders, but it was nice to get a 14-point win.”
Diamonds boss George English said: “There were notable holes in our scoring tonight which were especially disappointing to watch, especially after last Sunday's excellent display, and we can only hope those holes are well and truly shored-up for Sunday's visit from Scunthorpe!
“Steve and Richie Worrall of course gave the crowd what they wanted with some excellent racing and Steve's 13 points was a good reflection of the effort he put in while Stuart Robson's season is continuing to improve with a good 10 points.”
Meanwhile Berwick’s late-season revival continued with a comfortable 56-37 win over Workington at Shielfield Park.
Dany Gappmaier stormed back to top form on his return to the reserve berth for the Bandits as he piled up 15+2 from six rides, including four race wins – whilst skipper Kevin Doolan (12+3), Nick Morris (11+2) and Jye Etheridge (10) were all in the major points.
Craig Cook scored 13 from five rides for the Comets, whilst Mason Campton was withdrawn after two rides after a crash in Heat 1.
Berwick boss Gary Havelock said: “Dany top-scoring was brilliant tonight, I said to him we needed him to win Heat 2 and he did it so well that really boosted his confidence for the rest of the night.
“Jye was awesome having gone up from reserve to number three and still went out to score 10 points including three top wins! Nothing phases this guy and he has to be one of the most improved riders in this league this year.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
EASTBOURNE’S 50-40 win over Kent has confirmed a place in the National Trophy Final for Mildenhall.
The Kings needed to avoid defeat at Arlington but fell to a ten-point loss, meaning it is the Fen Tigers who proceed to face the Devils for the silverware.
A solid home side left few openings for the visitors with Georgie Wood top-scoring on 13 points and youngster Tom Brennan adding 9+1. Luke Bowen led the Kings’ scorechart on 14.
Wood said: “Everyone has played their part today. If we carry that form on for the rest of the year there is no reason why we cannot take every trophy possible.
“I was really happy with everyone’s performance.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
SCUNTHORPE head to Newcastle in the SGB Championship today (Sunday) with promoter Rob Godfrey chasing an improvement in the Scorpions’ league position.
Godfrey feels his side are capable of overhauling both the Diamonds and Workington – with their two targets both visiting the Eddie Wright Raceway in a double-header on Monday.
Godfrey said: “We’ve made no secret that we’d like to move up the SGB Championship league table a couple of places before the end of the season.
“It’s going to be a tough ask, because Newcastle and Workington have matches in hand on us, rather than the other way around. But our next three meetings are against these two clubs, and if the results go in our favour, it gives us a chance of catching them.
“A double victory - worth six points - at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Monday is a must, while a win at Newcastle is not out of the question, because we only lost by two points up there earlier in the season.
“We used to be on a hiding to nothing when we went up to Newcastle, but we now have a number of riders who can score good points at Brough Park. Lewis Kerr, Michael Palm Toft and Tero Aarnio were all in double figures on that previous visit in May.”
Meanwhile Workington host Berwick at Derwent Park with the Bandits in their best shape of the season after their 56-37 win in Saturday’s reverse fixture.
Berwick boss Gary Havelock said: “We are riding as a confident, capable, solid unit now - which had we been doing since March, then we would have been up there at the top going for play-off glory.
“But speedway had dealt us a pretty rough hand up to now, so we just have to make the best and make sure next year starts as this one is finishing.
“One thing, after (Saturday) it makes the return at Workington on Sunday very, very interesting indeed and as it's for the Border Trophy as well – we’ve got to go for it!”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
MILDENHALL will look to gain ground on the National League play-off places when they host Stoke at West Row today (Sunday).
The Fen Tigers are eleven points behind fourth-placed Birmingham but have six matches in hand on the reigning champions.
They and the Potters have become regular rivals this season with their Knockout Cup replay still to be resolved.
Mildenhall chief Kevin Jolly said: “Sunday is simply a must win, we cannot afford to lose at home in any of our final four home meetings.
“On all form lines that won’t happen against Stoke, but I can assure everyone that we will not be complacent in our preparation for this meeting and afford Stoke our full respect - as I said though, we must win.”
Potters boss Malcolm Vasey said: “We are going to West Row to give it a really good go and if we can produce the form we did in the first twelve heats of the first cup meeting then we could provide a shock.
“We need to get off to a strong start and hopefully catch them cold.”
(FIXTURES)
SUNDAY AUGUST 27:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Scunthorpe 6.30, Workington v Berwick 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Stoke 3pm
MONDAY AUGUST 28:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Poole v Belle Vue 11am, Rye House v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Leicester 4pm, Swindon v Somerset (follows previous fixture), Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 6pm
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe v Newcastle 3pm, Scunthorpe v Workington (follows previous fixture)
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v Belle Vue (follows Wolves fixture), Kent v Eastbourne 3pm
TUESDAY AUGUST 29:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Rye House v King’s Lynn 7.30
Results Saturday August 26, 2017
FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Round 8
GRAND PRIX OF POLAND, Gorzow
1 Tai Woffinden (GB)
2 Patryk Dudek (Pol)
3 Jason Doyle (Aus)
4 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol)
STANDINGS after Round 8 of 12
1 Jason Doyle (Aus) 97
2 Maciej Janowski (Pol) 94
3 Patryk Dudek (Pol) 93
4 Tai Woffinden (GB) 89
SGB PREMIERSHIP
Leicester 57 – Kim Nilsson 16
Somerset 33 – Charles Wright 8/Michael Palm Toft 8
Premiership points: Leicester 3 Somerset 0
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP
Berwick 56 – Dany Gappmaier 15+2
Workington 37 – Craig Cook 13
Championship points: Berwick 3 Workington 0
Glasgow 52 – Richie Worrall 14
Newcastle 38 – Steve Worrall 13
Championship points: Glasgow 3 Newcastle 0
NATIONAL TROPHY
Eastbourne 50 – Georgie Wood 13
Kent 40 – Luke Bowen 14
National Trophy points: Eastbourne 3 Kent 0
