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...
SEVEN of the current Grand Prix superstars will do battle at the Elite League Riders’ Championship at Coventry on Friday, October 2 (8pm).
And they’re joined by a newly-qualified member of the 2010 series after Chris Holder booked his place through the Grand Prix Challenge, which was also at Coventry recently.
Belle Vue’s Jason Crump has been named in the line-up and will be hoping to be fully fit after his recent arm injury.
Home club Coventry are represented by Chris Harris and Eddie Kennett who will both be looking for at least a rostrum spot in front of their own fans.
British Speedway chairman Peter Toogood said: "What an amazing line-up this is. It's great to see so many of the top stars in the world and I'm sure we will see another big crowd for this one.
"It's very hard to predict a winner, although I'm sure Jason will be up there despite his recent injury sustained at Belle Vue.
"Leigh Adams has been a model of consistency once again for Swindon and as one of the top riders in the league he will be in the shake-up.
"And Freddie Lindgren has been excellent in league racing this season and must be in with a chance of winning the event.
"I'm sure we will see some fine racing and it's a great event for us to round off what has been a very successful Super 7even series this year."
Admission details for the event are as follows: Adults £20, OAPs and concessions £15, Under 16s £5, Under 11s Free.
ELRC DRAW: Jonas Davidsson (Lakeside), Davey Watt (Eastbourne), Scott Nicholls (Ipswich), Niels-Kristian Iversen (Peterborough), Chris Holder (Poole), Kenneth Bjerre (Peterborough), Lee Richardson (Lakeside), Matej Zagar (Swindon), Edward Kennett (Coventry), Freddie Lindgren (Wolverhampton), Krsyzstof Kasprzak (Belle Vue), Robert Miskowiak (Ipswich), Hans Andersen (Poole), Jason Crump (Belle Vue), Chris Harris (Coventry), Leigh Adams (Swindon).
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST...
BELLE VUE are waiting to discover whether key reserve Ulrich Ostergaard will be fit for their crucial final Elite League fixture against Ipswich next Monday.
Aces boss Chris Morton said: "I will be having a discussion with Ulrich to make sure he is 100 per cent fit after getting back on a bike.
“We cannot afford to take a chance on his fitness in such an important match as this. We need everyone to be right on the night."
COVENTRY co-boss Peter Oakes took a positive outlook from a 45-45 play-off draw with Swindon in which several riders showed a welcome improvement in form.
Oakes said: "It was a good, fighting comeback and the greatest thing for us is to see Rory (Schlein) going out and beating two class riders in his last two rides. Those two races could do wonders for our Knockout Cup chances in particular.
"Now we just have to go to Swindon and win by nine points - it isn't totally beyond the realms of possibility if we can make starts, and that's what has let us down match-in, match-out all season."
EASTBOURNE manager Trevor Geer remains hopeful that a solution can be found for the Eagles to stay in the Elite League next season, despite promoter Bob Dugard's plans to step aside.
Geer said: "There is a possibility the team will not run next season but I certainly hope that won’t be the case. I don’t even want to talk about the chances of that.
"We need someone to come in with a bit of money. Bob hasn’t found anyone else yet but hopefully there will be a few changes to the league set-up to make it more viable and that might encourage people to come forward."
IPSWICH star Scott Nicholls admits the pressure is now off the Witches after they secured a sixth-placed finish by drawing at rivals Eastbourne on Saturday.
Nicholls said: "It hasn't been the best year for Ipswich, myself included, and we're obviously disappointed to miss the play-offs. The next best thing was to secure sixth place.
"We now go to Belle Vue with no pressure on us. It seems strange to be saying pressure for sixth place but every place is important for a bit of pride."
LAKESIDE star Jonas Davidsson produced one of the best visiting performances of any rider this season at Wolverhampton - but the Hammers are still up against it in their play-off semi-final.
Davidsson won four of his five rides for a 15-point haul in a 56-40 defeat in which three Lakeside riders failed to score.
It means their overall deficit is 20 points given that Wolves will apply a four-point bonus for finishing ahead of the Hammers in the league standings.
PETERBOROUGH owner Rick Frost has accepted that the Panthers need to iron out inconsistencies if they are to improve upon on their fifth-place finish next season.
Frost said: "We have seen some really good team performances and some equally poor ones. Enough has already been said and written but I can sum it up in one word - inconsistency.
"Our away record is poor to say the least and that has to be put right. Our gating has not been good enough and this must be improved if we are to win away meetings regularly."
POOLE promoter Matt Ford says he still finds the Pirates' season of struggle hard to believe - with the 2008 champions facing the relegation race-off if Belle Vue take a point from their final meeting.
Ford said: "It isn’t where I thought we would be at the start of the season after we had picked our original line up.
"I know many people, including the bookies, who made us second favourites to lift the title, can’t believe we would be struggling to avoid a relegation play-off at this stage. It's unbelievable we find ourselves in this position, but that's speedway."
SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter says his side will need to improve on their 45-45 play-off draw at Coventry if they are to become Elite League Champions.
Rossiter said: "I still think there’s a couple of riders that could be doing a little bit better. As a manager looking at the bigger picture, I’m just a bit concerned that we let things slip.
"I think we could have put that to bed and made it a lot easier. I am a bit disappointed to come away with the draw. If we get to the final and we ride like that, assuming Wolverhampton get there, they will beat us."
WOLVERHAMPTON skipper Peter Karlsson is visiting a specialist in Sweden in a bid to be fit to race in the play-offs at Lakeside next week - despite breaking his collarbone in Monday's first leg.
Wolves boss Peter Adams said: "Ordinarily it would be the end of his season but he wants to be back at Lakeside for the second leg next Monday. He knows we still have a job to do, the tie is far from over.
"He's such an important rider for us and if we are without him it will be a blow to our play-off chances without a doubt."
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST...
BERWICK boss Dave Peet was delighted with reserve Tamas Sike's best display at Premier League level, as the Hungarian collected a paid-eleven score in the win over Glasgow.
Peet said: "Tamas came up through the ranks, and he's right up there now beating the best. That's a real testament to our new structured second-half racing."
BIRMINGHAM owner Tony Mole remains frustrated by the problems the club are encountering in gaining full planning permission - with only a one-year extension likely at this stage.
Mole said: "The Leicester permission at Beaumont Leys, where the nearest houses are less than 200 metres away, received a planning consent with no time constraints and no expensive noise monitoring required by Leicester City Council. I have to ask myself whether the (Birmingham) council actually want Birmingham Speedway and all the success we have brought to the city."
EDINBURGH have raced into the top two of the Premier League with a remarkable run of 14 points in a week - and the Monarchs have also been boosted by Andrew Tully's return from injury.
Director Mike Hunter said: "Our season has come alive again. We achieved everything we set out to do, and who knows what we can do now in terms of winning some silverware."
GLASGOW overcame Birmingham on Sunday despite skipper Shane Parker withdrawing with a knuckle injury - and Tigers co-promoter Stewart Dickson believes there are good signs for the future.
He said: "Shane has been immense over the past six years and has at times taken the fight to the opposition single-handed, but we've seen our younger lads come to the aid of the team when needed. We have no intention of changing our policy of investing in the future."
KING'S LYNN have clinched the 2009 Premier League title - the Stars' eighth major honour since 2005, and their second league crown in that period.
Promoter Keith Chapman said: "This year’s team has gone out and done the business once again. I am so proud of everything we have achieved and a special mention must go to Rob Lyon who successfully motivates and guides riders year and after year, he is the simply the best team manager this club has ever seen!"
NEWCASTLE'S spectacular run of form in the second half of the season culminated in Sunday's win over champions King's Lynn, which could be enough to snatch a top-three finish in the Premier League.
Co-promoter Darryl Illingworth said: "It was a match worthy of the quality of the two teams involved, and we're not far off them in terms of on-track strength. Now let's see just how far we can take this incredible season!"
NEWPORT enjoyed a positive finish to a troubled Premier League season with victory over Sheffield, with Swedish rider Kim Nilsson making an impressive home debut.
Wasps co-promoter Nick Mallett said: "Kim was brilliant up at Redcar, and today he was amazing. He has expressed his desire to come back in 2010, and the best thing of all is if we build our team right, be could start as third heat-leader."
REDCAR are looking at the possibility of making a new signing for their Young Shield challenge, with skipper Gary Havelock likely to be out for the rest of the season.
Manager Brian Havelock said: "The rider I have in mind is a foreign rider I've been in touch with. He'd come in on a seven-point average, but I rate him higher than that and if it goes through I'd look at keeping him in the team next year."
RYE HOUSE saw Linus Sundstrom added to their injury list with a fractured scaphoid last weekend - and manager John Sampford says crashes have had a huge bearing on their season.
Sampford said: "We’ve ridden 44 competitive matches so far this season, but only been able to field our full preferred seven riders in twelve of those. Effectively, we’ve had to ride three-quarters of the campaign with makeshift teams of varying degrees." SCUNTHORPE will enter the Young Shield in strong form, completing their regular League matches with an emphatic 59-31 victory over Stoke.
Promoter Rob Godfrey said: "At the moment we’re pretty much firing on all cylinders, and it is great to have only lost once at home in the league this season.
Sadly we didn’t quite get it right earlier in the season, but whilst that stopped us reaching the playoffs there is still some major silverware up for grabs."
SHEFFIELD are facing an injury crisis ahead of the Young Shield with Richard Hall and Hugh Skidmore definitely out and doubts over Scott Smith too.
Promoter Neil Machin said: "It's hardly the preparation we want, and we may be forced to use facilities to cover for the injuries. But we do want to make progress in the competition."
SOMERSET star Cory Gathercole has played down speculation that he could be set to move into the Elite League next season.
Gathercole said: "I've enjoyed my season at Somerset so much and would like to do at least another season here before possibly considering a full-time move into the Elite League. Obviously if the same rules on doubling-up apply next year that would be an ideal scenario."
STOKE boss John Woolridge admitted his concerns over the Potters' away displays as they completed their league campaign with a heavy defeat at Scunthorpe.
Woolridge said: "We were just not at the races and were beaten by the better side on the night. If we want to progress in the Young Shield then we will have to improve on our away performances, as it’s no good just winning at home - we need to do the job on opponents' tracks also."
WORKINGTON'S home defeat against King's Lynn has left them with a seventh-place finish in the Premier League - but promoter Ian Thomas is optimistic of a good run in the Young Shield.
Thomas said: "This is the third time in four years that we've finished seventh in the league. It's going to be difficult, but it's there to be won."
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...
PLEASE NOTE, THESE FIXTURES CAN CHANGE ON A DAILY BASIS DUE TO CUP AND PLAY-OFF COMPETITIONS. PLEASE CHECK EACH DAILY PRESS RELEASE FOR ALTERATIONS
* = Fixture awaiting confirmation.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22: NATIONAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight v Buxton 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23: PREMIER LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Birmingham 7.30
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24: NATIONAL LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Bournemouth v Weymouth 7.30 TWEED-TWEES TROPHY: Redcar v Berwick 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25: PREMIER TROPHY FINAL: Edinburgh v King's Lynn 7.30 BRITISH U18 CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26: TWEED-TEES TROPHY: Berwick v Redcar 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House 7pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27: PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 5pm NATIONAL LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Buxton v Plymouth 3pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Weymouth 2pm NATIONAL TROPHY: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 4pm CHALLENGE: Newport Hornets v Team Viking 2.30
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28: ELITE LEAGUE SEMI-FINALS 2nd leg: Lakeside v Wolverhampton 7.30, Swindon v Coventry 7.30 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30 CHALLENGE: Glasgow v Team Viking 5pm
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30: PREMIER TROPHY FINAL: King's Lynn v Edinburgh 7.30 JOE THURLEY TROPHY: Birmingham 7.30 TEST MATCH: GB U21 v Austalasia U21, Poole 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1: MIDLAND LEAGUE: Peterborough v Coventry 7.30 YOUNG SHIELD: *Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30, Sheffield v Rye House 7.45
FRIDAY OCTOBER 2: ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry 8pm YOUNG SHIELD: Scunthorpe v Redcar 7.30, Somerset v Stoke 7.30
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3: YOUNG SHIELD: Rye House v Sheffield 7pm, *Berwick v Workington 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Newport 7.30
SUNDAY OCTOBER 4: YOUNG SHIELD: Workington v Berwick 3pm NATIONAL TROPHY: Buxton v Weymouth 3pm, Mildenhall v Plymouth 4pm
MONDAY OCTOBER 5: ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 1st leg
TUESDAY OCTOBER 6: PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP SEMI-FINAL: King's Lynn v Scunthorpe 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7: PROMOTION PLAY-OFF 1st leg: Birmingham v King's Lynn 7.30 CHALLENGE: Poole v Ipswich 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8: CHALLENGE: Bournemouth v USA Dream Team 7.30 TOP GUN INDIVIDUAL HANDICAP: Sheffield 7.45
