WELCOME to the latest edition of the weekly BSPA bulletins keeping you in touch with news, views and fixtures from the tracks up and down the country.
BIG EVENT LATEST…
SWINDON co-owner Gary Patchett insists the race for the Elite League Pairs title will be wide open - despite home track advantage.
Fans throughout the country are licking their lips with anticipation ahead of two major events in the space of four days - the Elite League Pairs on Sunday, August 17, followed by the Elite League Riders' Championship at Birmingham on Wednesday, August 20.
Leigh Adams will spearhead Swindon's Pairs challenge - but Patchett believes the destiny of the title is wide open.
"This promises to be a great meeting, especially on a track like ours," said Patchett. "It can serve up some spectacular racing and I'm sure that will be the case in a meeting like the Pairs.
"I know we will have plenty of support for the Swindon pair, but there will be plenty of support from around the tracks so there should be a good atmosphere."
Team riding is the key in the Pairs with the unique scoring system of 4-3-2-0.
Meanwhile Birmingham boss Graham Drury has banned all Elite League riders from testing at Perry Barr this season - to ensure a level playing field a the ELRC.
He said: "I've had several calls from riders this season asking if they can practice, but with this meeting in mind I've said no. The meeting will be the first appearance of all 16 riders at Perry Barr."
SUPER 7EVEN DATES AND VENUES: BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Arena-Essex, Friday April 25 - TAI WOFFINDEN BRITISH FINAL: Swindon, Thursday May 29 - SCOTT NICHOLLS PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday June 27 - WORKINGTON PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington, Saturday July 26 - WORKINGTON ELITE LEAGUE BEST PAIRS: Swindon, Sunday August 17 - 6pm ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham, Wednesday August 20 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 21 - 3.30 www.super7even.com or www.speedwaygb.com
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE new boy Patrick Hougaard kept up his remarkable start to life in the Elite League by winning two races at Poole last Wednesday.
Aces manager Chris Morton said: "I don't want to put the mockers on him, but Patrick has been quite stunning since he joined us.
"It has been very impressive to see a new, young rider come along and ride as well as he is doing. He has a lot of talent and is very professional in everything he does, and it is reflected in the way he rides."
COVENTRY are confident that new signing Filip Sitera will be able to make a big impression in the Elite League with the Czech youngster set to make his debut at Peterborough next Thursday.
Manager Peter Oakes said: "Filip is an exciting prospect with a good pedigree and good backing. He's from a speedway family, and his mechanic and mentor is Bo Brhel.
"He's bringing two bikes over here, and he's gone out and bought a new rolling chassis with a new engine so he's all set-up for this. He's really keen to come."
EASTBOURNE star Scott Nicholls underlined the importance of the Eagles' hard-fought home win over rivals Lakeside - as it also prevented the Hammers from adding to their away tally.
Nicholls said: "We know the way the league is structured away wins are vital. We've got see if we can get a couple more.
"When you are down early in a meeting like we were it's not so much of a worry because you know you've got a long way to go. There was more pressure when they pulled that 8-1 out of the bag to be three points down late on. That was when the pressure was on, but we all pulled together."
IPSWICH manager Pete Simmons has confirmed that a new face could shortly be on the way into the Foxhall club.
The Witches have been using the rider replacement facility for some weeks now after skipper Chris Louis suffered a broken arm.
Simmons said: "We are now very much in negotiations to bring in another rider as things seem to be happening around other Elite League clubs as regards rider changes, and if things drop into place we hope to have at least one new face in our line up for August
LAKESIDE star Jonas Davidsson says he is happier than he has ever been whilst racing in the UK and is delighted to now be a fully-fledged Hammers asset.
Davidsson said: "Lakeside bought my contract and I'm very happy about that. Lakeside like me and I like them, so it's better and I hope I'll be there for a few years now.
"It was not my best track in the years before, but now I really like it. The team is good, we're up there in all the cups and the Elite League, and personally I'm happy."
PETERBOROUGH stand-in captain Daniel King says the Panthers riders will be giving their all to move away from the relegation zone despite the off-track problems which could see them lose top man Hans Andersen.
King said: "We have to leave the politics to the promoters and bosses and concentrate on doing well out on the track.
"No-one wants to be in the relegation zone and hopefully we can perform well enough to lift ourselves out of it. Hopefully we can win the many home matches we have in hand and start climbing the table."
POOLE star Chris Holder says the Pirates riders are fully focused on an all-important top two finish in the Elite League - a position they are currently favourites to take.
Holder said: "Getting a home draw in the play-offs would be a huge advantage and that's what we're going for.
"To finish top is the first thing on our minds. But if we can't do that, the job is to make sure we get into the top two. Over two legs I think we are pretty strong, and we're definitely good enough to get in the top two."
SWINDON manager Alun Rossiter says an unblemished home record between now and the end of the season will greatly assist the Robins in their bid for a high play-off place.
Rossiter said: "We’ve had a blip this month. I’ve said to the boys we have got to win all our home meetings otherwise we won’t get that play-off spot.
"I would prefer to have the points on the table now and let the rest play catch up."
WOLVERHAMPTON have had talks with former favourite Jesper B Monberg about a potential return to Monmore.
Monberg, formerly known as Jensen, has welcomed the discussions and would like to ride for the club again if the circumstances allowed.
“It would have to be right for both the club and for me at this stage of the season,” he said. “I’d like to do it, but I guess they have to decide if it’s worth it.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
BERWICK have injury problems to contend with after skipper Adrian Rymel pulled out of Sunday's match at Rye House without completing a ride.
Promoter Peter Waite said: "Our big worries now are our injured riders, and Norbert Magosi wasn’t exactly 100%. But its Tony Atkin and Adrian who are causing most concern, and we’ll have to keep a close eye on both over the coming days before we go to Birmingham on Wednesday night."
BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury has warned Jack Hargreaves and Lee Smart to get it right soon.
He said: “It’s been tough for everyone with the injuries, but we really need both Jack and Lee to sort it out because between them they cost us the chance to win at Scunthorpe.”
EDINBURGH star Andrew Tully said the Monarchs showed plenty of character to gain a comfortable win over Redcar on a night in which they were not at full strength.
Tully said: "Everybody realised we just had to dig deep and get on with the job. We had to step up a gear and we did - it was a big victory for us, and it helped that we managed to prevent Redcar's top two from getting maximums."
GLASGOW co-promoter Stewart Dickson is encouraged by the current form of the Tigers, emphasised by them clocking up 60 points against the powerful Reading side at Ashfield on Sunday.
Dickson said: "Our form over the past couple of weeks has been excellent but over the next few weeks we face a very tough schedule, and I think if we can win all our home fixtures over the next four weeks then we will have done a terrific job."
THE ISLE OF WIGHT have a double-bill of track action this week as Thursday sees the annual staging of the Smallbrook Spectacular Charity evening featuring a wide variety of motorcycle disciplines.
Monies raised are split between the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund and the ACU Benevolent Fund, with a multi-race programme planned.
KING'S LYNN manger Rob Lyon will order no let-up in the Stars' dominant home form as he believes the close battle for Premier League honours could go down to points difference.
Lyon said: "It is making for a thrilling climax to the season with four teams all within three points of each other. I believe we could end up drawn on points with another team or maybe two, so it is important for us to approach every match without any mercy and win every race like the league depends on it."
MILDENHALL have recruited former Berwick and Newport rider Sebastian Truminski to help gain some much-needed heat-leader strength - but countryman Michal Rajkowski has joined the injury list.
Manager Laurence Rogers said: "I will be extremely busy on the phones again this week trying to bring in a new face or two with both Michal and Mark (Baseby) still out. It would be great to track a full seven man side again soon."
NEWCASTLE manager George English was a happier man after seeing his side recover well to defeat Sheffield despite being without two riders due to injury.
English said: "This was always going to be tough being two men down, and for a while it did look as it we were on a losing slide. But George Stancl was much improved this week and Sean Stoddart at reserve really turned on the style again as we know he can with his double figure score."
READING manager Tim Sugar hinted that he had been dis-satisfied with the Racers' results at Workington and Glasgow over the weekend - and he gained a response with a home win over the Tigers.
Sugar said: "We had a team meeting before the start to speak about the weekend’s efforts and thankfully it had the desired effect as they responded with a good performance and result.”
REDCAR skipper Gary Havelock said he was only doing his job when he secured a memorable second place to see the Bears home in a last-heat decider against Workington.
Havelock said: "I enjoyed riding in a race like that because I enjoy pressure situations. At the end of the day I’m the captain of the team and it’s my job to go out and get results in races like that."
RYE HOUSE promoter Len Silver admits he has a certain frustration that his team have not proved to be great travellers on a consistent basis this season.
Silver said: "If only we could reproduce the same form we do at home when we go away, things would be great. But until last week we had been having walking wounded, which certainly doesn't help."
SCUNTHORPE'S future has been handed a major boost as the travellers' site which neighbours their track has been ordered to close.
Promoter Rob Godfrey said: "The last two weeks have been the worst since we started here four years ago and it is really bringing me down. There have been so many incidents, and I really feared for the club’s future."
SHEFFIELD owner Neil Machin insists the riders are racing for their future with the club – after more disappointing away displays.
He said: "The situation is that individual performances will now influence our team selections for next year. It's up to the riders to prove that they still want to be here."
SOMERSET will be without German star Matthias Kroger for their crunch clash at Workington on Saturday.
Kroger had a commitment arranged before joining the Rebels, but it is not for an official FIM meeting so the Rebels are only entitled to a Conference League replacement, and they have booked Buxton's Ben Taylor to take the position at No.2.
STOKE skipper Lee Complin had his first practice session after a serious car crash two months ago when he rode at Loomer Road following the Potters' narrow home defeat to Somerset.
Complin said: "It went as well as I might have expected until the rain came down. It was just good to get out there and I feel I can push on from here."
WORKINGTON owner Keith Denham paid tribute to his injury-hit side as they lifted the Premier League Fours title in a dramatic finale at Derwent Park on Saturday.
Denham said: "We had mechanical problems throughout the meeting but still dug in to get through and the race-off was just heart-stopping stuff. Three years ago I don’t think Kauko would have got past Tomas Topinka but he’s a stronger, more physical rider now and he made his intentions clear by getting through on the inside."
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY JULY 29: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Glasgow 7.30
WEDNESDAY JULY 30: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Coventry 7.45, Poole v Eastbourne 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Berwick 7.45, King's Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 31: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Lakeside 7.30, Swindon v Peterborough 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Newcastle 7.30, Sheffield v Stoke 7.45 SMALLBROOK SPECTACULAR: Isle of Wight 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 1: PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Reading 7.30 SCOTTISH OPEN: Edinburgh 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Boston v Plymouth 7.30, Scunthorpe v Sittingbourne 7.30 BRITISH SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP Round 1: Plymouth 7.30
SATURDAY AUGUST 2: STEVE HEATH MEMORIAL: Eastbourne 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Mildenhall v Birmingham 7.30, Rye House v King's Lynn 7pm, Stoke v Sheffield 7.30, Workington v Somerset 7pm CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Weymouth v Boston 7.15
SUNDAY AUGUST 3: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Somerset 4pm, Newcastle v Redcar 5.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Boston v Weymouth 7pm, Sittingbourne v Plymouth 12pm
MONDAY AUGUST 4: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Lakeside v Eastbourne 7.30, Wolverhampton v Swindon 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Reading v Newcastle 7.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 5: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Newcastle 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 6: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Stoke 7.45, King's Lynn v Sheffield 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 7: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Belle Vue 7.30, Peterborough v Coventry 7.30, Swindon v Poole 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Isle of Wight 7.30, Sheffield v Berwick 7.45
FRIDAY AUGUST 8: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Eastbourne 8pm, Lakeside v Swindon 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Mildenhall 7.30, Scunthorpe v Isle of Wight 7.30, Somerset v Redcar 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Plymouth v Redcar 7.30
SATURDAY AUGUST 9: ELITE LEAGUE KOC: Eastbourne v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Mildenhall 7pm, Workington v Glasgow 7pm, Stoke v Newcastle 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE KOC: Rye House v Somerset 7pm CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Weymouth v Redcar 7.15
SUNDAY AUGUST 10: PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Mildenhall 5.30, Reading v Somerset 6pm CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Scunthorpe 3pm, Sittingbourne v Redcar 12pm ASHFIELD CLASSIC: Glasgow 4pm
MONDAY AUGUST 11: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Lakeside 7.30 ELITE LEAGUE KOC: Coventry v Poole 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Workington 7.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 12: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v King's Lynn 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 13: ELITE LEAGUE KOC: Lakeside v Eastbourne 7.45, Poole v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Stoke 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY FINAL: Birmingham v Edinburgh 7.45
