(SPEEDWAY 1)

GREAT Britain’s Under-21 team are in Poland for Saturday’s World Team Championship Final in Rybnik.
Their quintet of Robert Lambert, Adam Ellis, Josh Bates, Dan Bewley and reserve Ellis Perks is unchanged from the side which qualified from the semi-final in Pocking earlier in the year - and will now take on host nation Poland, Denmark and Australia.
Team boss Neil Vatcher said: “All the boys have had a fantastic year so far and they all deserve their chance to represent their country in a World Final.
“Everyone, myself included, is proud and excited about being here so we’re looking forward to Saturday.
“We know that the meeting will be very tough and by the time the first heat is ready to go we will be all set to give the other three nations a run for the Gold medal.”
The Young Lions would like to thank the BSPA for their support of the Under 21 team in 2017, and also team sponsors Direct Digital Controls Limited and Wessex Marine.

(SPEEDWAY 2)

POOLE secured the final SGB Premiership play-off place thanks to a dramatic last-gasp win at Somerset on Friday.
The Pirates trailed by ten points in the early stages of the meeting and looked set to require a slip-up from Rye House in order to maintain their top four spot.
But the visitors halved the deficit with a 7-2 in Heat 5 courtesy of a tactical ride win for Brady Kurtz, only for the Rebels to re-build a nine-point lead.
Back-to-back Poole maximums in Heats 9 and 10 slashed the gap to one point, which it remained at prior to the final race, only for Kurtz and Hans Andersen to hit the front in Heat 15 with the Pirates skipper holding off the challenge of Somerset’s Richard Lawson for the crucial second place in a 48-45 win.
Lahti again scored heavily at reserve with 12+1, a score matched by Kurtz, with Edward Kennett on 10+1 whilst Wright (12), Lawson (10) and Josh Grajczonek (10) led the way for the Rebels.
Andersen said: “We are so pleased to have settled things tonight. We have achieved the play-offs in our own right. We are there and will now do our best to go on and make the most of it, the title is still there to be won and we will give it our best shot.
“We need to put some of the performances of the season behind us and go out and ride the way we are capable of.”
Somerset boss Garry May said: “It was a terrific match, but at the end of the day we still lost, despite leading for 14 out of the 15 heats.
“After dominating things in the first half, those two 5-1’s from Poole mid-meeting swung the pendulum their way, and although we managed to hold on to our one-point lead going into the final heat, Poole made the favoured gate positions tell.
“Although Richard tried his best, the Poole boys made sure that there was no way past for him.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

RYE House smashed Swindon’s 17-match winning run at Hoddesdon on Friday – but suffered ultimate disappointment as their play-off hopes were ended.
The Rockets cruised to a 46-29 win in a meeting curtailed by three races due to heavy rain, only for Poole’s win at Somerset to leave them outside the top four regardless of the results in their two remaining fixtures.
Ricky Wells (9+1) and Krzysztof Kasprzak (8+1) led the Rockets’ scoring with Nick Morris collecting nine for the Robins, including a tactical ride win, on a night when Adam Ellis was absent along with their injured reserves.
Rye House captain Scott Nicholls said: “It was a fantastic performance, putting an end to Swindon’s run. They turned us over earlier in the year, which is never nice, but we showed just how much we wanted that play-off spot and did what we needed to do.
“When you go up against a bogey team, it can sometimes play on your mind, but there was no way that was happening tonight. Unfortunately, everything also hinged on the result at Somerset.
“We’ve had some tremendous crowds here at Rye House this season, including Bank Holiday Monday and here tonight, and they’ve made so much noise and built a great atmosphere.”
Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “We’re disappointed, but realistically we only had half a team and it was always going to be tough.
“Full credit to Rye House, they were the better team and deserved their victory so we can’t have any complaints.
“Obviously it’s a bit of a worry that David (Bellego) is struggling with his engines at the moment, and we need to get him going again. But hopefully we’ll pick ourselves back up and step things up a gear again ready for the play-offs.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

BELLE Vue and Wolverhampton both warmed up for the SGB Premiership play-offs with wins over the bottom two on Friday.
The Aces currently hold second place as they completed their regular campaign with a 54-39 win over King’s Lynn at the Adrian Flux Arena.
Captain Craig Cook charged to a 16+2 paid maximum from six rides, with in-form Rohan Tungate piling up 15 and Steve Worrall on 10+2. Michael Palm Toft dominated the Stars’ scorechart with an impressive 16+1.
Cook said: “It was an awesome night for the boys. We know we’ve already made the play-offs but their attitude towards this meeting was spot on; there was a job to do and they did it.
“Some people think that because King’s Lynn have been struggling lately that they were an easy opponent for us. I don't agree with that. They pushed us and certainly made us work hard.
“It’s a real confidence-booster to be performing like this with play offs on the horizon. All the boys have been testing things and making changes to get the best out of the bikes and of ourselves.”
Palm Toft said: “Belle Vue are fast here, that’s for sure. I had a good meeting but their boys were dialled in so it was tough, as you’d expect.
“We don’t want to finish bottom and want to make sure it doesn’t happen by putting in good performances and getting the points for ourselves. It is tough but I’d like to think we are showing the club we want to race and keep us in this league.”
Wolves have two matches in hand on the Aces, and one win from their double-header on Monday will take them into second place.
The Monmore men won 49-41 at Leicester, with the Lions’ injury jinx striking again both before and during the meeting.
Erik Riss was ruled out after a crash in Germany in midweek, whilst Lasse Bjerre was withdrawn with a knee injury after a Heat 3 clash with Jacob Thorssell.
Danny King (13), Kim Nilsson (13) and Kyle Newman (11+2) did their best to keep the Lions in touch, but Wolves wrapped up all four points with Rory Schlein top-scoring on 11 and captain Fredrik Lindgren adding 10+1.
Schlein said: “Even with Leicester down to five riders Kim, Danny and Kyle are all fast racers on their day so we knew we still had a big job to do.
“We were always quietly confident we could come good towards the end and that's what we did to get the win.
“There really is a great vibe when we're all together and we'll be a threat for anyone in those play-offs when they come along.”
Leicester boss Jim Lynch said: “We seem to have had this bad luck all season, but the good thing about it was how well Kim and Danny rode, and also to see Kyle having such a great night.
“It was a good time for him to do it, because obviously we’re looking at what we’re going to do next season, and I think we saw a rider there who we’d love to come back.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

PLYMOUTH underlined their dramatically improved home form with a big 57-32 win over Lakeside on Friday.
The result was a blow to the Hammers’ hopes of play-off place although they still remain in the top four at this stage.
Steve Boxall returned to top form for the Devils with a paid maximum (14+1) whilst Adam Roynon added 13+1 at No.1 with Henry Atkins on 9+2 at reserve. Guests Tom Bacon and Ben Wilson top-scored for the visitors with nine and eight respectively.
Plymouth boss Laurence Rogers said: “We showed tonight that had we had a better start to the season and not lost a few matches we should have won then we could have been up there challenging for a play- off spot.
“All the lads were magnificent and with a better crowd it was a good night, even after the delayed start and track work.
“This sets us up well for the forthcoming league matches and for the KO Cup semi-finals with Eastbourne and National Trophy Final with Mildenhall. We still have something to go for as we aim to bring some silverware back to the SBA.”
Lakeside boss Kelvin Tatum said: “It was a very disappointing night. The track was tricky early on and needed a bit of work, and the track improved but we didn’t.
“We were second best all meeting, Plymouth deserved their victory and we were frustrated we couldn’t do better.
“We were missing a few riders so it was never going to be easy, but our guests did a solid job and we can’t really have too many excuses.”
Meanwhile Max Clegg secured a second Individual meeting win of the week when he took top prize in the Caledonian Rider’s Championship at Edinburgh.
Clegg, victorious in the Belgian Golden Helmet earlier in the week, was joined on the rostrum by Coty Garcia and Jacob Bukhave in the Armadale event.
He said: “I’m chuffed to have won the two trophies. It was a hard line-up tonight and it will be a boost to my confidence with some big matches coming up.
“The track was awesome, I wasn’t making great starts but I did make one in the Final.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

GLASGOW look to turn the tables on Sheffield when the SGB Championship leaders visit Ashfield tonight (Saturday).
The home side are third but lost out 54-36 at Owlerton on Thursday and are now bidding to end their fellow Tigers’ run of twelve successive wins.
Glasgow reserve Jack Smith said: “We always knew it was going to be tough going to Sheffield. They're not on top for no reason, they've been winning home and away and have been really strong.
“I don't see why we can't beat any team over two legs, we're strong at home. We've still got plenty of meetings to go, we just need to start getting wins away from home like we did at the start of the year.”
Sheffield will be without Josh Bates due to the World Under-21 Team Championship Final, with Glasgow’s Dan Bewley also riding for Great Britain.
Lewis Kerr steps in as a guest for Sheffield, who again operate rider replacement for Todd Kurtz, whilst Ryan Douglas lines up at No.2 for the home side.
Visiting boss Simon Stead said: “We know that an away trip to Glasgow is going to be very difficult, but we don’t want our winning run to end.
“We’ve just got to make sure we’re at our best, and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get another win on the board.
“They’re very good at home, but we believe we can go there and get the job done, so we’ll focus on putting in another strong performance.”
Second-placed Ipswich bid to bounce back from defeat at Redcar on Thursday when they host the Bears at Foxhall.
The Witches are still without injured duo Cameron Heeps and Justin Sedgmen, with Mark Riss making a guest appearance – hoping to do his regular club Edinburgh a favour, by preventing Redcar from making further progress in the top four.
The visitors bring in Tero Aarnio to guest for Ellis Perks, who is away with the GB Under-21 team in Poland.
Ipswich boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “Mark will be desperate for us to win because that will help Edinburgh’s cause for the play-offs. We are a very strong side around Foxhall and I would expect us to get back to winning ways.
“If Redcar manage to win at our place on then it will mean they are closing in on us, but they won’t overtake us. It would make those three tough away meetings even tougher if we needed points from them. We need to make sure we win those remaining two home matches.”
Elsewhere in the Championship, Berwick look to continue their recent home run against Newcastle, who have advanced to sixth place after recent improved away results.
Meanwhile eighth hosts seventh as Workington face Peterborough at Derwent Park, with the visitors tracking a patched-up line-up due to lack of available guests.
The Panthers’ top two of Jack Holder (U21) and Chris Harris (World Longtrack) are unavailable in addition to the injured Bradley Wilson-Dean, with Steve Boxall and Adam Roynon stepping in to guest alongside r/r for Holder.
Owner Ged Rathbone said: “Unfortunately there are very few riders available due to the number of meetings taking place tonight – and any that are free simply don’t want to take a guest booking at such a busy stage of the season.
“We’ve had the same answer from pretty much everyone we have contacted – and even the guest we did book was then not able to ride due to Chris's average changing!
“We’re thankful to Adam and Steve for agreeing to step in and I’m sure all the boys will put on the best show they possibly can.”

(SPEEDWAY 7)

EASTBOURNE can close to within four points of National League leaders Belle Vue if they defeat the Isle of Wight at Arlington tonight (Saturday).
The Eagles boast a perfect home record whilst the Warriors are yet to score a league point on the road – but home boss Connor Dugard is warning against any complacency in his side.
The hosts operate rider-replacement for captain Georgie Wood, who is racing for Sheffield in the SGB Championship, but are otherwise at full strength.
Dugard said: “They won’t go down without a fight. Our riders will get a hard lesson if they think the Isle of Wight will make it easy for them. They won’t.”
Meanwhile Stoke face a tough task to pull back a 24-point deficit in the second leg of their National League KO Cup replay against Mildenhall at Loomer Road.
Potters captain Tony Atkin said: “We hope to hit them early on in the meeting and we see where we go from there. Our first target is to win the meeting and then the second target is to hopefully get within touching distance in the final few heats.
“I’m really hoping that the supporters get behind the team and you never know, we might just shock a few people. The pressure is off us and nobody expects us to win, and that is sometimes when Stoke can be dangerous.”
Fen Tigers promoter Kevin Jolly said: “I fully expect us to have enough in our locker to see off the challenge of Stoke. Nothing is straightforward in speedway though, so we need to be at our best and must not let complacency kick in.
“We will be without Connor Mountain on Saturday evening but I feel in Ben Morley have a very good replacement.”

(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm, Glasgow v Sheffield 7pm, Ipswich v Redcar 7.30, Workington v Peterborough 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Isle of Wight 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP REPLAY 2nd leg: Stoke v Mildenhall 7pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Redcar 6.30, Peterborough v Glasgow 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Lakeside v Stoke 3pm, Mildenhall v Buxton 3pm

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 4:
SGB PREMIERSHIP: Rye House v Leicester 7.30, Wolverhampton v Swindon 7.30, Wolverhampton v King’s Lynn (follows previous fixture)
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Belle Vue 6.30

Results Friday September 1, 2017;

SGB PREMIERSHIP

Belle Vue 54 (Craig Cook 16+2)
King’s Lynn 39 (Michael Palm Toft 16+1)
SGB Premiership points: Belle Vue 3 King’s Lynn 0

Leicester 41 (Kim Nilsson 13, Danny King 13)
Wolverhampton 49 (Rory Schlein 11)
SGB Premiership points: Leicester 0 Wolverhampton 4

Rye House 46 (Ricky Wells 9+1)
Swindon 29 (Nick Morris 9)
SGB Premiership points: Rye House 3 Swindon 0
Abandoned after 12 heats – Result STANDS

Somerset 45 (Charles Wright 12)
Poole 48 (Brady Kurtz 12+1, Timo Lahti 12+1)
SGB Premiership points: Somerset 0 Poole 3

TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE

Plymouth 57 (Steve Boxall 14+1)
Lakeside 32 (Tom Bacon 9)
National League points: Plymouth 3 Lakeside 0

CALEDONIAN RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP, at Edinburgh

1. Max Clegg (Edinburgh / Buxton)
2. Fernando Garcia (Unattached)
3. Jacob Buckhave (Unattached)
4. Luke Ruddick (Mildenhall)