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...
2009 GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE Coventry Speedway - Friday September 18 Parade 8pm ; First Race 8.15pm
The Competitors (Riding order TBC) Kenneth Bjerre (Peterborough & Denmark) Grzegorz Walasek (Poland) Chris Harris (Coventry & GB) Chris Holder (Poole & Australia) Lukas Dryml (Eastbourne & Czech Rep) Magnus Zetterstrom (Sweden) Davey Watt (Eastbourne & Australia) Jurica Pavlic (Swindon & Croatia) Jarek Hampel (Poland) Fredrik Lindgren (Wolverhampton & Sweden) Maksims Bogdanovs (Latvia) Adrian Miedzinski (Poland) Piotr Protasiewicz (Poland) Martin Smolinski (Coventry & Germany) Jonas Davidsson (Lakeside & Sweden) Kauko Nieminen (Lakeside & Finland) Reserves: Antonio Lindback (Sweden) and Tobias Kroner (Ipswich & Germany)
The Format 16 riders, 20 heats, five rides for each competitor with 3-2-1-0 scoring Top three riders gain places in 2010 Grand Prix series. Reserves/stand-by riders for 2010 GP determined by finishing order below 3rd place. Run-offs will be staged if required for any of the top four places.
Admission Adults £25, OAP/Concessions £15, Under-15s £5, Under-5s FREE. No pre-sales - all tickets available on the day. Programme £5 Restaurant bookings are available and can be made via the telephone number above.
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST...
BELLE VUE are still chasing a top-end re-enforcement ahead of their Knockout Cup semi-final clashes with Coventry after being beaten at home by Swindon on Monday. The Aces were limited to three heat winners against the Elite League leaders, for whom Travis McGowan scored a stunning maximum at reserve.
Boss Chris Morton said: "Our biggest problem was that McGowan had his best-ever meeting here. We put a lot into the match but they are a very strong team, and we were still in with a chance with three heats to go."
COVENTRY skipper Chris Harris led his side to a vital victory at Poole on Monday with a 14-point haul as the Bees gave their play-off chances a big boost.
Harris said: "It's an important win for us. We know the teams behind us are chasing, and we want to make sure we get that third spot.
"We want to get to the play-offs, and when we get there we think we can match anybody. It looks like Swindon and Wolves are going to be the top favourites, but we'll be the dark horses."
EASTBOURNE have called off their pursuit of Workington asset Daniel Nermark after the Swede decided to limit his league racing due to a shoulder problem.
Eagles boss Trevor Geer said: "Daniel did tell us he is not going to ride in the UK at all, so he will not be racing against us.
"It’s a shame for Daniel. He contacted us for the team place and was really keen to ride at Eastbourne. But it was good of him to let us know about his shoulder now rather than later."
IPSWICH promoter John Louis says his team must continue their recent improvement if they are to stay clear of the relegation race-off.
Louis said: "We are fighting the wrong kind of battle. We would much rather be battling for a top four championship play-off place, and it is not nice.
"We were happy with the 2009 side we selected and so were our fans. But it did not click with Piotr Swiderski's average dropping by one and a half points and Leigh Lanham suffering from a hand injury."
LAKESIDE manager Jon Cook is pleased with the club's decision to sign Lee Richardson last winter, citing the British star's recent display at Eastbourne as especially impressive.
Cook said: "Lee's performance was out of this world and was as good a 15-point maximum as I've ever seen in my time.
"It was unbelievable and right up there in the class of Andreas Jonsson. I believe that Lee is currently riding as well as he's ever done."
PETERBOROUGH promoter Mick Bratley is hoping Danish star Kenneth Bjerre can bring his Grand Prix form - having finished second in Latvia last weekend - to the Panthers' vital Elite League trip to Ipswich on Thursday.
Bratley said: "Every time we face Ipswich there seems to be some sort of controversy. I always enjoy our visits to Foxhall, though I don't always enjoy the results.
"Much depends on our heat-leaders and how they perform. Perhaps we will tell Kenneth that it's really a GP rather than an Elite league fixture!"
POOLE remain desperate for an upturn in form after a home defeat against Coventry on Monday which leaves them still battling to avoid the relegation race-off.
Pirates boss Neil Middleditch said: "The conditions weren't the best but Coventry adapted to them well. We tried our best but I wouldn't say we were unlucky, we just weren't good enough and ran out of steam.
"I still have a bit of disbelief walking up and down the pits when we lose meetings. We rode really hard and the boys are disappointed."
SWINDON warmed up for their top-of-the-table clash with Wolverhampton on Thursday with a 49-41 win at Belle Vue to move five points clear Robins boss Alun Rossiter said: "That was a massive win for us, to take four league points away from home is a big achievement. Travis (McGowan) was a revelation at reserve.
"It gives us a really good platform. Wolves will be a really good one, it's an important week for us and we've started it the right way."
WOLVERHAMPTON star Tai Woffinden won the Gary Peterson Memorial Trophy at Monmore Green on Monday and is now looking ahead to a big week for the club.
Woffinden said: "We want to finish on top of the league if we can but we have to go to places like Swindon and Coventry which will be very hard for us.
"We need to keep picking up points where possible and there's no reason why we can't keep it going, we've got a great team together this year and we're really excited about the rest of the season."
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST...
BERWICK secured all three points from a competitive home clash with Redcar despite only taking the lead for the first time in Heat 11.
Bandits co-owner Lynda Waite said: "This was a great win for us in the way we fought back during the last few races when it looked like Redcar were going to wreck our home record. But the boys rode well to rescue things and Michal (Makovsky) was magnificent with his maximum."
BIRMINGHAM star Richard Sweetman is sure he can continue a successful run to the end of the season having recently moved up from reserve where he enjoyed a points bonanza.
Sweetman said: "I'm pleased to be back in the main body of the team because I don't want to be a Premier League reserve although it was good to score a bundle of points like I did. Now I want to score well in the top five for the rest of the season and establish myself as a solid scorer without being at reserve."
EDINBURGH boss John Campbell is looking forward to Max Dilger's debut for the Monarchs at Armadale this Friday - the German rider's first appearance having been delayed by recent postponements.
Campbell said: "We are looking for him to settle down into a points scorer this season, and if he can show enough potential he is another one of the riders we've got who will have a reasonably low average for next season."
GLASGOW co-promoter Stewart Dickson is hoping that Tigers fans do not have to wait too long to see recent signing Aleksander Conda back in action after he broke a finger on his debut.
Dickson said: "I have to say that he looks a talent and I am delighted we spent a lot of time and effort to bring him to Ashfield. I think he will excite fans up and down the country."
KING'S LYNN youngster Darcy Ward made a successful comeback from injury last weekend, securing the vital second place in Heat 15 to steer the Stars to a narrow win at Newport.
Manager Rob Lyon said: "Darcy is a special talent, and although I was worried he may have been coming back to quickly he showed on Sunday that young bones heal much faster than old ones. His first two rides were a little shaky but after that he was back to his normal self and he made the pass of the season around Leigh Lanham."
NEWCASTLE boss George English is looking forward to a big local derby at Redcar on Thursday after the Diamonds maintained their strong home run against Scunthorpe.
English said: "The lads lifted their game perfectly to overcome the Scorpions, and with us enjoying our positive roll the points thankfully came our way. Now we want to trap the Bears at Redcar on Thursday night."
NEWPORT co-promoter Nick Mallett is pleased with the run of being shown by Australian star James Holder, who has now moved into the main body of the Wasps team.
Mallett said: "James has really come into his own, he is riding with great confidence and that is exactly what we want to see from him. Hopefully he can continue to progress and end the season on a massive high."
REDCAR skipper Gary Havelock described the 52-41 win over Somerset at the South Tees Motorsports Park last Thursday as the club's best result of the season.
Havelock said: "They are a very good team and their track is similar to ours - wide and fast - and they have a good record here so I think they came looking for all the points. We needed to be right on our mettle, and the lads responded brilliantly."
RYE HOUSE will be boosted this weekend by the return of teenage star Joe Haines, who has been out for nearly three months with a serious neck injury.
Haines had his first outings in Monday's individual meeting at parent track Wolverhampton, and will line-up in the Rockets' double-header against King's Lynn and Birmingham.
SCUNTHORPE were left seething by the controversial disqualification of Simon Lambert in the penultimate race of their nine-point defeat at Newcastle on Sunday.
Promoter Rob Godfrey said: "We were robbed of a league point tonight and who knows how Carl (Wilkinson) would have performed in Heat 15 if we had been given the 5-1 in Heat 14. He was absolutely fuming with the decision and in hindsight maybe his head wasn’t right for Heat 15."
SHEFFIELD reserve Paul Cooper has highlighted the involvement of 1993 World Champion Sam Ermolenko as a big reason for his upturn in form in recent weeks.
Cooper said: "I was all set to pack it all in because I didn't know which way to turn and Sam came forward and offered to help me which I thought was great. When someone like Sam speaks you have to listen. He's been working on my engines and has done a terrific job on them."
SOMERSET general manager David Croucher has emphasised the importance of home form as the Rebels battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Croucher said: "If we are to achieve our aim of making the end-of-season play-offs then we must take all three league points from our remaining home matches. If we can do that and continue to pick up points on our travels, we will be in contention."
STOKE completed an encouraging weekend by salvaging a point from their away match at Glasgow - the day after a remarkable fightback to defeat Sheffield at home.
Potters boss John Woolridge said: "This was a vast improvement on previous outings away from home in the league this season and I feel that this weekend has shown that we have a fighting spirit in the team. We have to look for more points on the road to make sure we get into the end-of-season play-offs."
WORKINGTON have signed the experienced Phil Morris on a month-long deal as a replacement for the injured Charles Wright..
Denham said: "We just can’t go on any longer getting one or two points from the rider replacement facility. We’ve had a look at what’s available and Phil has the experience to do us a very good job."
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 AUGUST 4: NATIONAL 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 Swindon 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 6pm, Rye House v Birmingham (follows previous fixture), 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, Newport v Birmingham 5pm 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
THURSDAY AUGUST 13: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Newport 7.45 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: Bournemouth v Plymouth 7.30 BRITISH UNDER-15 CHAMPIONSHIP: Isle of Wight 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 14: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Belle Vue 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Stoke 7.30, Scunthorpe v Rye House 7pm, Somerset v Workington 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Buxton 7pm, Plymouth v Isle of Wight 7.30, Scunthorpe v Rye House (follows PL fixture), Weymouth v King's Lynn 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 15: PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Sheffield 7pm, Rye House v Redcar 7pm, Stoke v King's Lynn 7.30, Workington v Edinburgh 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Bournemouth 7.30
SUNDAY AUGUST 16: PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Stoke 6.30, Newport v Redcar 5pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Bournemouth 3pm ASHFIELD CLASSIC: Glasgow 4pm
MONDAY AUGUST 17: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 7.30, Peterborough v Swindon 7.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 18: NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: Isle of Wight 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Rye House 7.30, King's Lynn v Glasgow 7.30
