SPEEDWAY: WEEKLY ROUND-UP
14 September 2004 - British Speedway Promoters Association

ARENA-ESSEX boss Ronnie Russell took encouragement from his team''s narrow defeat at Ipswich, which he says bodes well for a future meeting between the sides.

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Russell said: ''Ipswich have an exceptional pair to sling at you in Heats 13 and 15, and this made the difference. But it was a good meeting and we put on a good show. “We showed the potential that we have, and this performance bodes well when we return to Foxhall for the Knock-Out Cup semi-final.” BELLE VUE star Jason Crump hopes that his recent run of fixtures for the Aces has helped him ride out of a ''flat spot'' in his form. Crump said: ''At the last two Grand Prix meetings in Gothenburg and Krsko I felt things weren''t quite right. ''But I''ve had some regular racing again for Belle Vue after all the postponements and I feel I''ve come through it.'' COVENTRY promoter Colin Pratt hopes that the Bees will be able to use Russian import Sergey Darkin again next season after the 31-year-old has made a huge impression. Pratt said: ''He has done brilliantly for us since coming in, and I just hope he gets the same consideration that Antonio Lindback got last winter if they continue with the gradings. ''Sergey hadn''t seen either Belle Vue or Wolverhampton before, and that makes his performances on both tracks last week even more impressive.'' EASTBOURNE co-promoter Jon Cook has admitted to being ''shell-shocked'' by the injuries which have decimated the Eagles late in the season. Cook said: ''We''re gutted to have lost David Norris. Those that were there and saw the crash happen have all been left shell-shocked by it. ''It''s amazing that his injuries are nowhere near as bad as they could have been. We''ve chased a play-off spot all season and David has been a huge part of that.'' IPSWICH star Kim Jansson is convinced that all-round strength is the key to Ipswich''s success as the Witches head for the play-offs. Jansson said: ''If we all fire together we are the best side in the League. We have brilliant riders in every position and now we look like having a chance to prove it.'' OXFORD boss Nigel Wagstaff insists he has no regrets about going public on doubts over the club''s future. He said: ''It''s hard for me trying to concentrate on team matters, but by blowing it all open we now have the support of the local MP and hopefully the situation can be resolved.'' Doubts remain over the future of Elite League racing at Cowley because of a lack of race night. PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales is frustrated that the Panthers have so far been unable to open their account away from home this season. Swales said: ''We have ridden well away from home at times and been unlucky. We led the likes of Swindon, Arena Essex, Oxford, Poole and Eastbourne away from home, but we just haven''t found any consistency.'' POOLE''S Matej Ferjan took inspiration from defeating Grand Prix leader Jason Crump in the Pirates'' home clash with Belle Vue. Ferjan said: ''I just said to myself that if I make a good gate I will try to do my best against him. I''ll try to go on the best line and it worked. ''He is number one in the world and is a great rider. I am just glad to beat him once and it is great for me in my head.'' SWINDON skipper Leigh Adams wants the Robins to put their inconsistency behind them to ensure qualification for the play-offs. Adams said: ''We''ve been a bit up and down of late and you never really know what the team''s going to do from one meeting to the next. ''We''ve missed out on some points that we should have been capable of winning, but we showed against Oxford last week that we want to make the play-offs.'' WOLVERHAMPTON have been hit by the news that Freddie Lindgren is likely to miss their play-off clash at Monmore Green on Monday. Lindgren had eight stitches to a wound in his face and has a badly swollen thigh after a crash involving Peterborough''s Lukas Dryml on Monday. Boss Chris Van Straaten said: ''It could be two or three weeks before we see him back in action which is a blow.''

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BERWICK manager Tom Graham was pleased with the Bandits'' response to recent disappointing displays when they produced a good home win over Edinburgh. Graham said: ''This is more like what we expect from our Bandits and they all pulled so very well together as a team. They will be going for every point they can grab in a very determined end to the year.'' EDINBURGH youngster Matthew Wethers has spoken of his frustration at the mistake which cost him a chance of winning the Conference League Riders'' Championship. Wethers said: ''I made the start in my first race but the race was called back, and while the track staff were fixing the safety fence my brother turned my fuel off. When I pushed my bike out for the re-run I forgot to turn it back on, which was a very costly mistake.'' EXETER scored maximum points on Monday night in what could well turn out to be the last-ever Premier League fixture at the County Ground. The Falcons did not drop a point in fifteen races against Rye House to run out 75-18 winners. GLASGOW co-promoter Alan Dick says that changes to the Tigers line-up for 2005 are inevitable as the Scottish club''s season looks set to peter out. Dick said: ''It''s dreadfully disappointing that we have gone through an entire League programme without picking up an away win, and that is something we will be addressing for next season.'' HULL star Garry Stead says he was always confident that the Vikings had a team capable of winning the Premier League title. Stead said: ''No-one was really tipping us to do particularly well, but I knew from the beginning of the season that the title was on the cards from the word go. ''It''s been good all year, the title has not been won overnight, it''s been won from the outset.'' ISLE OF WIGHT chairman Martin Newnham said the Islanders'' Knock-Out Cup lead over Workington from the first leg was beyond expectations. Newnham said: ''We were hoping to get a good lead from our home, but I don''t think that any of us dreamed that we would win by 18 clear points. The team were simply magnificent, but we know the Comets will be fired up for the return leg.'' KING''S LYNN boss Keith Chapman believes that by his calculations the Stars should make it into the Young Shield play-offs if results go as expected. Chapman said: ''We should finish our season on 35 points which will place us eighth - and should set us up for a mouth-watering quarter-final against Hull.'' NEWCASTLE manager George English was left frustrated that the Diamonds had left their best until last after recording their best win of the season against King''s Lynn. English said: ''We were excellent and we really deserved the win, but why could we not have been so dominant in March? Had we started with a riding attitude like this then, our season would have been dramatically better.'' NEWPORT team manager Neil Street praised the efforts of the Wasps, who secured two home wins in one afternoon against Reading and Berwick. Street said: ''It was one of the more pleasing efforts this season. Conditions were rather difficult, and to get both meetings on was an achievement, but not one of the riders complained.'' READING skipper Phil Morris says the Racers are all fired up to finish the season with a strong performance in the Young Shield. Morris said: ''We''re having a good run at the moment and we must try to keep it going until the end of the season. We''d really like to have a good end to the season in the play-offs.'' RYE HOUSE are still virtually certain of a place in the play-offs despite conceding a maximum score at Exeter on Monday. Manager John Sampford said: ''I am confident that we can beat Newport at home as they have yet to win away all season.'' SHEFFIELD skipper Andre Compton believes he has what it takes to win the Premier League Riders'' Championship at Owlerton on Sunday. He said: ''I''ve beaten all the riders in that meeting around Sheffield before and I know I can do it again, but it''s all about what happens in the final.'' SOMERSET promoter Peter Toogood reckons there are some encouraging things to build on after his first season with the club. He said: ''it''s been harder than I thought, but we''ve got through the season and there are certainly things to work on in the future.'' STOKE''S German international Robbie Kessler is pleased to have found the right mechanical set-up to record a string of high scores recently. Kessler said: ''I`ve always said that if the bike is working right, I am working right.'' WORKINGTON star Simon Stead is still refusing to make any comment on his future as he continues with a blistering run of form. He said: ''I don''t want to say anything now which might upset anybody and I might regret it at a later date. I love riding for Workington and I also enjoy it in the Elite League.''

FIXTURE PICTURE...

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Belle Vue 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Reading 7.30

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 15:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30 followed by Belle Vue v Poole, Peterborough v Oxford (at Arena Essex) 7.45

INTERNATIONAL BEST PAIRS: Hull 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Newcastle 7.30, King’s Lynn v Exeter 7.30

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

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Arena Essex 7.30, Ipswich v Peterborough 7.30, Coventry v Belle Vue 7.45

PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Isle of Wight 7.45

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v King’s Lynn 7.30, Reading v Workington 7.30

SCOTTISH CUP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Oxford v Mildenhall 7.15 followed by Oxford v Carmarthen

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Weymouth v King’s Lynn 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Newport 6pm, Berwick v King’s Lynn 7pm, Stoke v Newcastle 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP: Workington v Isle of Wight 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Rye House v Newport (follows PL meeting), Armadale v Newcastle 2pm

CONFERENCE TROPHY: King’s Lynn v Wimbledon 7pm, King’s Lynn v Weymouth (follows Wimbledon meeting)

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19:

PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Boston v Newcastle 7pm, Carmarthen v Weymouth 2.30

BRITISH UNDER 15 CHAMPIONSHIP: Carmarthen follows Conference League meeting

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Mildenhall v Buxton 4pm followed by MIldenhall v Coventry

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 20:

PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI-FINAL: Exeter v Hull 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Reading v Stoke 7.30

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Somerset 7.30

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 22:

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Stoke v Rye House 7.30

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Wimbledon v Mildenhall 7.30

PAUL THORP TESTIMONIAL: Hull 7.30

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23:

ELITE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP SEMI-FINAL: Ipswich v Arena Essex 7.30

CHALLENGE: Poole v Eastbourne 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Swindon v Rye House 7pm followed by Swindon v Weymouth

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Sheffield v Buxton 7.45

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24:

SUPER 2’S BEST PAIRS: Peterborough 7.30

GLENN CUNNINGHAM TESTIMONIAL: Somerset 7.30

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Weymouth v Buxton 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP: Boston v Wimbledon 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25:

CHALLENGE: Eastbourne v Poole 7.30

INDIVIDUAL: Cumberland Classic (at Workington) 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Armadale v Oxford 2pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26:

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Newcastle v Oxford

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Buxton v Weymouth 3pm

HEATHERSFIELD GOLDEN HELMET: Glasgow 3pm

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