BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY ROUND-UP
03 August 2004 - British Speedway Promoters Association

ARENA-ESSEX''S play-off hopes were hit by their third home defeat of the season when former Hammer Leigh Adams led Swindon to victory at Purfleet.

Arena boss Ronnie Russell said: ''It was a terrific speedway meeting for the fans to watch but the majority probably feel like I do, gutted that we lost.'' BELLE VUE boss Jim Lynch was pleased with the Aces'' team effort at Coventry where they recorded their first away win for three months.

Lynch said: ''I was thrilled with Rory Schlein and he rode so well that the lads wanted me to put him in the last race for, but I decided to go with experience and it paid off. ''Kenneth Bjerre rode a lot better than four points suggest, and there was not too much wrong with Jan Jaros for a youngster making his debut, he was never off the pace.''

COVENTRY''S new signing Sergey Darkin hopes to impress the Bees management enough to earn a contract for 2005 with the Brandon club. Darkin said: ''I was pleased to win my first race at Coventry but I was disappointed not to score more points. ''I like the Brandon track and the people are very nice. I hope I can do well enough to stay with Coventry for next season as well.''

EASTBOURNE and Team GB star David Norris says his dramatic rise into the Elite League''s top five riders is down to improved fitness and mental approach. Norris said: ''I''m the same rider but I''m sharper and I feel quicker and I''m more confident. ''I did a little bit of mental training, concentration and also my equipment is fantastic now.''

IPSWICH boss Mike Smillie believes the Witches'' dramatic fightback to beat Wolverhampton will have a positive effect on his team for the rest of the season. Smillie said: ''I''m really stoked for the boys. It was a meeting of two halves and, apart from Scott Nicholls and Kim Jansson, everyone was down e arly on. ''But we were a different team in the second half of the meeting and the confidence simply returned. This is a big result for us, with the spirit in the side shining through.''

OXFORD star Sebastian Ulamek is set to have laser treatment in Ipswich after suffering a broken collarbone for the second time this season. Ulamek crashed out of the Polish Pairs meeting last Friday and will miss several meetings.

PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales has indicated that the Panthers are set to persevere with new signing Norbert Magosi despite the Hungarian making a scoreless debut. Swales said: ''He put in 100% effort in his first meeting, it wasn''t easy for him and I felt he was on the pace. ''He realised straight away that his machinery was not good enough, and his manager was straight on the phone during the meeting to get things sorted out for the future.''

POOLE have announced the signings of Ryan Sullivan and Piotr Protasiewicz on full transfers from the former Peterborough promotion. Promoter Matt Ford said: ''I am a proud to be able to include an out and out number one as good as Ryan as one of our own assets. ''As for Pepe there is a rider who figures prominently in our future plans, rules permitting. These contracts are great news for the club.''

SWINDON skipper Leigh Adams feels the Robins are on course for the play-offs after two wins in two nights. Adams said: ''We knew that the match at Arena Essex was a big one because we needed the away win but to be honest, I didn''t really expect to get the win there. ''Maybe we caught Arena at the right time, Alun Rossiter rallied the lads beforehand and it was a big win, but there are still tough away matches coming up.''

WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams insists his side still have a lot of work to do to secure their place in the top two. He said: ''We are not taking anything for granted. We have a big match coming up against Belle Vue who can go well around our place so we will be cautious.''

PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST...

BERWICK''S riders celebrated their first away Premier League win of the season at Newcastle by throwing promoter Peter Waite in the Brough Park centre green fountain. Waite said: ''It was a well earned win and I can''t even get annoyed at them throwing me in the water. They deserve to celebrate, although a drier alternative would have been nicer.''

EDINBURGH star Rory Schlein feels he is in with a chance of World Under-21 glory when he competes in the Final at Wroclaw later this season. Schlein said: ''I will need to pull my finger out to stand a chance as I''ll be up against 15 other guys who all want the same gold medal. It will be twice as tough as it was in Austria, but I feel I am quick enough.''

EXETER are the 2004 Premier Trophy Champions - and skipper Mark Simmonds felt the hard work was done in the first leg at Reading when the Falcons went down by just three points. Simmonds said: ''We were all up for it, there was one hell of a team spirit in our camp. To win a tournament in our last year at the County Ground is the icing on the cake.''

GLASGOW have announced that long-serving team manager Ian Steel has left the club with immediate effect. A meeting of the club''s promotion was held on Sunday evening following the Tigers'' home defeat by Hull, where it was decided that co-promoter Stewart Dickson will take charge.

HULL boss Eric Boocock refuses to accept the Premier League title is in the bag - but says it is the Vikings'' opponents who are now under pressure. Boocock said: ''By my reckoning a number of teams can still catch us, but our 17 wins from 19 meetings is a record the other 14 teams would love to have. ''We shouldn''t be worried about what the opposition is doing, we have the points and it is up to them to start doing something about it.''

THE ISLE OF WIGHT''S injured Frenchman Sebastian Tresarrieu has targeted the Islanders'' away match at Hull on August 11 as the date for his comeback. Tresarrieu is set to have the metal plate removed from his injured wrist this Friday, and he should be able to return to the team the following Wednesday.

KING''S LYNN boss Buster Chapman knows the importance of the Stars'' next home meeting after a heavy defeat at Hull, and has received some good injury news. Chapman said: ''Edinburgh will be a massive match, and Paul Lee will be back for that meeting.''

NEWCASTLE responded to their latest home defeat against Berwick, which left them bottom of the Premier League, by axing both Scott Smith and David Meldrum. Promoter George English said: ''We cannot let this run of awful results continue, Smith and Meldrum will leave our ranks forthwith and replacements will be announced within the next few days.''

NEWPORT skipper Craig Watson continues to chase Simon Stead at the top of the Premier League averages after rattling off another maximum on Sunday. Watson said: ''I feel good myself about how things have been going this year and I''ve just got to keep going. I feel really confident at the moment, I''m happy with my equipment so I''m enjoying it.''

READING manager Ivan Shears paid tribute to his club''s supporters after the Racers were beaten in the Premier Trophy Final by Exeter. Shears said: ''The support we had tonight was awesome. We got a brilliant reception, it was like we were the home side and hopefully we can give the fans something more to cheer later in the season.''

RYE HOUSE second-string Steve Masters should be fit to return to the Rockets line-up in the middle of August after breaking his wrist in early June. Promoter Len Silver said: ''Steve''s wrist is healing slowly but he plans to strap it up and ride through the pain barrier.''

SHEFFIELD are facing up to the biggest meeting of the season when they face Premier League champions-elect Hull at Owlerton on Sunday (6pm). Tigers chief Neil Machin said: ''This has all the makings of a cracking meeting and we''re expecting a big crowd.''

SOMERSET boss Mick Bell has praised the efforts of Steve Bishop after the Rebels favourite made a return to the side. Bell said: ''Steve is very popular here at Somerset and we''re pleased to have him in the side, he has done us no harm at all.''

STOKE remain in the Premier League''s top three after delivering their strongest performance of their season in a big home win over Somerset. Manager Nigel Crabtree said: ''The last time Somerset were here they beat us, so they can get around the place. But we showed a lot of character out there and it really was a very good team effort.''

WORKINGTON boss Ian Thomas believes the forthcoming Premier League Fours will be the biggest event ever staged at Derwent Park. He said: ''It''s a massive line-up and I''m sure there will be plenty of action. It''s the biggest meeting staged here since I started the sport in 1970.''

FIXTURE PICTURE...

TUESDAY AUGUST 3:
WORLD CUP EVENT TWO: Australia v Denmark v Czech Republic v Italy (at
Eastbourne) 7.15

PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Edinburgh 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 4:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Peterborough OFF

PREMIER LEAGUE: Hull v Rye House 7.30, King''s Lynn v Edinburgh 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Wimbledon v Boston 7.30, Stoke v Weymouth 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 5:

WORLD CUP RACE-OFF (at Poole) 7.15

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Swindon v Boston 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 6:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Reading 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Oxford v Armadale 7.30

INDIVIDUAL: Weymouth 7.30

BIKE BROKER SIDECAR SUPERCUP: Somerset 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 7:

WORLD CUP FINAL (at Poole) 7.15

PREMIER LEAGUE: Workington v Edinburgh 7pm, Berwick v Somerset 7pm, Stoke v Sheffield 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Rye House v Mildenhall 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 8:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Rye House 5.30, Sheffield v Hull 6pm, Glasgow v Somerset 6pm, Newport v Reading 2.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Swindon 3pm, Carmarthen v Armadale 3.15

CONFERENCE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP: Mildenhall v King''s Lynn 4pm

MONDAY AUGUST 9:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Oxford 7.30. Eastbourne v Ipswich 7.30, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Exeter v Berwick 7.30, Reading v Workington 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Wimbledon v Armadale 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 10:

BIKE BROKER SIDECAR SUPERCUP: Isle of Wight 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30, Belle Vue v Oxford 7.45, Arena Essex v Eastbourne 7.45, Poole v Ipswich 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Hull v Isle of Wight 7.30, King''s Lynn v Workington 7.30

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Stoke v Newport 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 12:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Oxford 7.45, Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30, Ipswich v Eastbourne 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Newport 7.45, Glasgow v Berwick 7pm, Isle of Wight v Workington 7.30

CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Poole 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 13:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Oxford v Arena Essex 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Somerset v Newcastle 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Weymouth v Mildenhall 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 14:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Arena Essex 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Hull 7pm, Rye House v Newcastle 7pm, Stoke v Reading 7.30, Workington v King''s Lynn 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 15:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Edinburgh 6pm, Newcastle v Sheffield 5.30, Newport v Berwick 2.30

UNDER-21 INTERNATIONAL: Great Britain U-21 v Australia U-21 (at
Mildenhall) 4pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Weymouth 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 16:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Swindon 7.45, Wolverhampton v Arena Essex 7.30, Oxford v Coventry 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Exeter v Newport 7.30, Reading v Berwick 7.30

www.british-speedway.co.uk

More News
  For August 2004
  From British Speedway Promoters Association
  For Speedway
  Biker247.com Home Page