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...

EASTBOURNE are building up to one of the biggest nights in the club's recent history when they stage the Elite League Pairs on Saturday August 8.

The Eagles briefly looked set to lose out on the meeting due to fixture problems, but a re-arrangement of their league schedule allows the Pairs to go ahead as planned.

The Arlington club are celebrating their 80th Anniversary season, and their staging of this prestigious Super7even event is the high point, and is expected to draw in a big crowd with all nine top-flight clubs competing.

Coventry defend the title they won at Swindon last year, and the recent spate of team changes in the top-flight appear to make this meeting even more competitive.

The home side will be represented by skipper Davey Watt and British Under-21 Champion Lewis Bridger, and marking the anniversary celebrations will be a re-print of the club's first-ever programme inside the meeting programme on the night.

The event is the fifth of the year in British Speedway's Super7even schedule, and follows shortly after Workington's success in the Premier League Fours on home territory at Derwent Park.

And there are two more major events to look forward to after the Pairs, with the Elite and Premier Leagues both staging their individual riders' championships, the Premier at Sheffield and the Elite at Coventry.

ELITE LEAGUE PAIRS DRAW: LAKESIDE (Lee Richardson/Jonas Davidsson), WOLVERHAMPTON (Fredrik Lindgren/Peter Karlsson), COVENTRY (Chris Harris/Edward Kennett), BELLE VUE (Krzysztof Kasprzak/Morten Risager), PETERBOROUGH (Niels-Kristian Iversen/Kenneth Bjerre), POOLE (Hans Andersen/Chris Holder), EASTBOURNE (Lewis Bridger/Davey Watt), IPSWICH (Scott Nicholls/Daniel King), SWINDON (Leigh Adams/Simon Stead) Further details are available at the Super7even section of the website www.speedwaygb.com

SUPER 7EVEN SERIES 2009
BRITISH UNDER 21 FINAL: Lakeside – LEWIS BRIDGER.
BRITISH FINAL: Poole – CHRIS HARRIS.
PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset – BIRMINGHAM.
PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington - WORKINGTON ELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: Eastbourne, Saturday August 8.
PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 27.
ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry, Friday October 2

ELITE LEAGUE LATEST...

BELLE VUE can look forward to the semi-finals of the Knockout Cup despite their difficult season, having put in their best display so far to complete an aggregate win over Poole.

Aces promoter David Gordon said: "This really was one in the eye for the doom and gloom merchants who said we’d no chance before a wheel was turned.

"We had a team talk before the meeting and asked the riders for a mammoth performance. We said they owed it to us and the fans and they gave us what we asked."

COVENTRY'S popular German star Martin Smolinski played his part in two vital home wins over the weekend as he returned to the Bees team as a replacement for the injured Rory Schlein.

Smolinski said: "It's nice to be back, and a good opportunity to come over because I have the Grand Prix Challenge here at the end of the year and I want to be in the GP next year, although I know it's a big step.

"I came here in 2005 and we won the league, and I left after 2007 when we won the Treble. Now that I'm back, I want to help them to do the same again, so we'll see how it goes!"

EASTBOURNE eased their fears of being dragged into the relegation race-off battle with a 50-43 win over Lakeside - their first Elite League points since early June.

Eagles skipper Davey Watt said: "We were really upset with ourselves for letting a few home meetings go and we really had to bounce back.

"We are truly a team, not just a bunch of riders who turn up and pull on the same race suits every week."

IPSWICH boss Pete Simmons said the Witches' display in their home win over Eastbourne saw his side hit the level that will be expected of them in the coming weeks.

Simmons said: "We are looking to get up into mid-table and a team like Eastbourne is a team we want to catch.

"With only four teams in the play-offs of course it is going to be almost impossible to get where we really wanted to be at the start of the season, but until it's mathematically impossible, we'll keep trying."

LAKESIDE manager Jon Cook is now targeting a strong run-in at home to book the Hammers' play-off place after their away programme ended with defeat at Coventry on Monday.

Cook said: "We were beaten by the better team on the night as they adapted to conditions better and showed more determination, so going home pointless was what we deserved.

"But we've got six home matches to come, and if we win five of those six I think we'll be in the play-offs. That's the job in hand, and the boys can do it - and if they can't, I'll find some that can!"

PETERBOROUGH manager Wayne Swales is frustrated with points being dropped by the Panthers which are damaging their play-off bid.

A late Wolverhampton comeback at the Showground last Thursday took a point, and Swales said: "It has to go down as a point dropped rather than two gained. Letting points slip at home is the last thing we need to be doing if we are going to keep ourselves in the play-offs.

"We were flying but then tailed off towards the end of the meeting and it cost us. It is really frustrating because it is the same old things that are wrong and we are beginning to sound like a broken record."

POOLE manager Neil Middleditch accepted that the Pirates had been beaten by the better team as their Knockout Cup hopes ended at Belle Vue on Monday.

Middleditch said: "I have no complaints. Several members of my side didn't come up to scratch, and we were always struggling against a better Belle Vue side.

"It hasn't been the best of seasons for us so far and seems to be continuing unabated. But we will continue to fight on and hopefully start to turn things round by getting our revenge over Belle Vue when they visit us on Wednesday night for Elite League points."

SWINDON have been forced to put back plans to run a four-team tournament on Thursday featuring currently homeless clubs Cradley Heath, Reading and Oxford, due to a series of injuries and clashing commitments.

Robins co-promoter Gary Patchett said: "From the outset it has been our intention to stage the meeting, not only at an Elite League level, but with as much past connection to the respective teams taking part.

"The riders absolutely had to have as much relevance to the teams they were due to represent otherwise the interest would be severely diminished. It is our intention to re-stage this meeting at a later date in the season."

WOLVERHAMPTON star Tai Woffinden raced to a 12-point maximum as the second-placed club maintained their 100 per cent home record despite a stern challenge from revitalised Ipswich.

Woffinden said: "It's great for us to have a home record like this and I don't see any reason why we can't keep it for the rest of the season.

"But we've been doing well away from home as well. We gained a point from the meeting at Peterborough on Thursday when some of us weren't at our best, including me, and that shows what a good team we are."

PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST...

BERWICK achieved a highly creditable fourth-place finish in the Premier League Fours at Workington, coming through a strong qualifying group and then only narrowly missing a place on the rostrum.

Promoter John Anderson said: "We’re a proud club tonight as we’ve achieved what many folk thought we couldn’t possibly in our opening year in charge. We got to a national speedway final and that’s a spectacular thing to see."

BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury has expressed his sympathy for Robert Ksiezak after releasing the Australian in favour of Rusty Harrison after a poor run of scores.

Drury said: "It's tough on Robert because I only have good things to say about the lad. He came into my office after last week's defeat, he'd been desperate to put one over his old club and he felt he'd let us down."

MAX Dilger will become the first German rider ever to represent Edinburgh when he makes his debut for the Monarchs in their Premier League match at Birmingham on Wednesday.

Dilger said: "I know I will need different engines and I have those now. I have four bikes for Birmingham. I will have a look at the track at Birmingham and decide which bike to use. I know of the riders in the Edinburgh team but personally I do not know them. I look forward to meeting them this week."

GLASGOW are set to be without new signing Aleksander Conda for a short period after he was diagnosed with two breaks in his right little finger from a crash on his debut - but the Tigers were pleased with his first performance.

Co-promoter Alan Dick said: "There is no doubt that he will settle in and he can use the rest of this season to get to grips with British speedway. We can be very competitive for the rest of the season and our aim is to make the Young Shield."

KING'S LYNN star Darcy Ward will still be on the sidelines with an ankle injury when the Stars face Somerset this Wednesday - costing him the chance to face fellow countryman and Rebels' top man Steve Johnston.

Ward said: "I am really missing my riding and especially wanted to be out there for this one to take on the legendary Johnno, but I guess there is no better rider to take my place than Kevin (Doolan) so I hope he can get the better of him for me instead!"
NEWCASTLE'S resurgent run of form continued on Sunday with an eye-catching 62-28 win over third-placed Workington - the Diamonds' second successive 60-plus home score.

Manager George English said: "Again we have seen that our side has really gelled together and battle as a solid unit, for to see off the might of the third-placed team in the league you have to be on top form, and we certainly were again today."

NEWPORT'S hopes of improving their league position have been delayed by a series of postponements, including their last two matches at the Hayley Stadium.

The Wasps have seen recent home clashes with Sheffield and Birmingham washed-out, and now face a fascinating-looking home test against title favourites King's Lynn on Sunday.

REDCAR were left to rue a highly controversial disqualification for Carl Stonehewer in the semi-finals of the Premier League Fours which left them just short of a place in the Final.

Stonehewer said: "I was there in second place, someone came underneath me and I was left with no room whatsoever. Whoever it was inside came off and the full brunt of his bike hit me and put me into the fence. I never even thought that it would be me who was disqualified. I was amazed when I found out."

RYE HOUSE reserve Tommy Allen believes the Rockets still have the opportunity of staging a late run for major honours during a busy programme of matches over the coming weeks.

Allen said: "We have done it in the past, and that's what we need to do now. It's getting late on in the season, it creeps up on you and you get to a point when you realise you have to start working as a team, and that's what we do well."

SCUNTHORPE were pleased to take a point away from their Premier League match at Glasgow on Sunday, taking 4-2s from the last two heats to move to within six points on the day.

Scorpions star Carl Wilkinson said: "We did enough to get that away point. A couple of the lads were struggling early on but once the track settled people made the changes they needed to, things started to work better and everyone started to chip in with some better scores."

SHEFFIELD are setting their sights on a title challenge after a run of six wins in eight matches propelled them into the top six in the table, despite a rain-off at Newport on Sunday.

Promoter Neil Machin said: "It’s starting to come right for us and when the riders all click into gear, as they are doing at the moment, then we are a match for anyone. The team is on fire at home, and we have been unlucky not to win more away from Owlerton."

SOMERSET manager David Croucher was satisfied with the Rebels' second-place in the Premier League Fours - the second silver-medal position for the club this season after an identical result in the Pairs.

Croucher said: "There was no disgrace in us finishing second to what was a very powerful Workington quartet. We were worthy runners-up and all the boys that represented the club on Saturday night can feel rightly proud of their achievement."

STOKE have filled their vacancy at reserve by moving to sign former Workington and Newcastle rider Craig Branney.

Potters boss Dave Tattum said: "Craig is a rider who as gone well around Stoke in the past as a visitor and has at times been a thorn in our side, now hopefully he can score some points for us. I’m sure he will fit in well with the lads and do a decent job for us."

WORKINGTON manager Ian Thomas was delighted with his team's performance in retaining the Premier League Fours title at a packed Derwent Park last Saturday.

Thomas said: "It was a magnificent performance from all the riders and I think it is the first time any of them has won a national trophy so it is a special night for all of them. All the riders were up for it, and I thought once we got going there was no doubt about who was going to win."

NATIONAL LEAGUE action continues and all the latest club press releases are now available at the news section on our website www.speedwaygb.com

FIXTURE PICTURE...

TUESDAY JULY 28:
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Buxton 7.30

WEDNESDAY JULY 29:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Belle Vue 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Edinburgh 7.30, King's Lynn v Somerset 7.30

THURSDAY JULY 30:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Poole 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Somerset 7.30, Sheffield v Rye House 7.45
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Scunthorpe 7.30
FOUR TEAM TOURNAMENT: Swindon v Reading v Oxford v Cradley Heath (at Swindon) OFF

FRIDAY JULY 31:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Belle Vue 8pm
PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Birmingham 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP: Scunthorpe v Redcar 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Rye House 7pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: King's Lynn v Scunthorpe 7.30
NATIONAL TROPHY: Weymouth v Mildenhall 7.15
SCOTTISH OPEN: Edinburgh 7.30
BRITISH SIDECAR SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 1:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Redcar 7pm, Rye House v Birmingham 7pm, Stoke v Sheffield 7.30, Workington v Newcastle 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 2:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Stoke 4pm, Newcastle v Scunthorpe 6.30, Newport v King's Lynn 5pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v King's Lynn 3pm, Mildenhall v Plymouth 4pm

MONDAY AUGUST 3:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Swindon 7.30, Poole v Coventry 7.30
MIDLAND OPEN - GARY PETERSON MEMORIAL TROPHY: Wolverhampton 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 4:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Bournemouth 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Newport 7.30, King's Lynn v Berwick 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 6:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Peterborough 7.30, Swindon v Wolverhampton 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Newcastle 7.30, Sheffield v Stoke 7.45
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Bournemouth v Rye House 7.30, Isle of Wight v Plymouth 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 7:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 8pm, Lakeside v Eastbourne 8pm
PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Sheffield 7.30, Scunthorpe v Newcastle 7.30, Somerset v Redcar 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30, Plymouth v Weymouth 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 8:
ELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: Eastbourne 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Rye House v King's Lynn 7pm, Stoke v Redcar 7.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Weymouth v Newport 7.15

SUNDAY AUGUST 9:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Edinburgh 4pm, Newcastle v Sheffield 6.30
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Newport 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 10:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Coventry 7.30, Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 11:
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Weymouth 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Swindon 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Somerset 7.30, King's Lynn v Edinburgh 7.30