HERE'S our latest soundbytes and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.
THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN
PIC OF THE WEEK...
Sheffield and Kent star Drew Kemp was crowned British Under-19 Champion last week at Redcar. Also finishing on the rostrum were Jason Edwards and Anders Rowe. Picture: COLIN POOLE
PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES"¦
BELLE VUE "The next two meetings against King's Lynn are going to be really important for us. We need to channel our frustration into action and make up for this with some big results against them." Kenneth Bjerre's late arrival at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday due to traffic problems was a contributory factor to a home defeat by Wolves "“ and the Dane is keen for the Aces to bounce back. NEXT HOME: King's Lynn, Mon Aug 26 (12pm) NEXT AWAY: King's Lynn, Thur Aug 22 (7.30)
IPSWICH "This week we need to get three points and a home win otherwise things will start to become difficult for us to make the play-offs. We need to get some wins on the board and get ourselves in a more secure position. A couple of home defeats have dropped us back down into the race for the top four." Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins wants his side to get back on the winning track quickly, to avoid the threat of being reeled in prior to the play-offs. NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur Aug 22 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Mon Aug 26 (7.30)
KING'S LYNN "Erik's crash was a tough one, he hit the ground really hard and I think he's feeling it now, but he'll be fine. He didn't go in Heat 15 because his best bike was totally damaged, but Bomber (Chris Harris) did a great job for us and he deserved to have Heat 15." Stars boss Peter Schroeck was relieved to see German star Erik Riss walk away from a heavy crash in Monday's win over Peterborough as the home side kept up a strong run on their own circuit. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Thur Aug 22 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 26 (12pm)
PETERBOROUGH "Losing Hans (Andersen) was disappointing, plus Ty (Proctor) not scoring after he scored 12 here last time. But we keep fighting away, and the result didn't really reflect how we rode. It's just disappointing and frustrating." Panthers boss Carl Johnson was left to rue another night where his side didn't get thing together as a full unit, as they slipped to an eighth successive defeat at King's Lynn on Monday. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Thur Sept 5 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur Aug 22 (7.30)
POOLE "We knew it was going to be a tough meeting, but we got the three points on the board which was the main thing. Obviously Swindon came back at us a bit at the end of the meeting, but three points is three points." Pirates skipper Josh Grajczonek was pleased that his side did enough to defeat in-form Swindon on Monday, maintaining their place at the top of the table. NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur Sept 5 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Mon Aug 22 (7.30)
SWINDON "We'll stick together and after gaining six points on the road from three away meetings we are in a great position so I'd urge the fans to come along and support us starting on Thursday." Robins boss Alun Rossiter has overseen an excellent run for his side NEXT HOME: Poole, Thur Aug 22 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur Sept 5 (7.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON "We've now got another massive match on Monday against Poole, we have to make sure we don't undo the good work we've done tonight. Every team bar Peterborough are in the mix and there's a lot of matches to be ridden just yet. We've just got to keep up this good form." Wolves boss Peter Adams challenges his team to build on their victory at Belle Vue which brings them right into play-off contention heading for the run-in. NEXT HOME: Poole, Mon Aug 26 (8pm) NEXT AWAY: Poole, Thur Sept 5 (7.30)
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES"¦
BERWICK "It looks like we had a runaway win, but they made us work for it, and it was a very entertaining meeting, with all points coming to us." Bandits boss Gary Flint says the 58-32 win over Eastbourne on Saturday was not as straightforward as the final score appeared. NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Wed Aug 21 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Fri Aug 23 (7.30)
BIRMINGHAM "Just when we thought we'd got a settled 1-7, bad luck strikes us again. And the timing couldn't be much worse because a change in the averages sees Nick (Agertoft) drop to reserve with Shanesie moving back into the main body of the team." Brummies promoter David Mason reacts to the bad news that skipper James Shanes will miss the rest of the season after suffering multiple injuries in a grasstrack smash at the weekend. NEXT HOME: Leicester, Wed Aug 21 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri Aug 23 (7.30)
EASTBOURNE The Eagles gained relief on the road in their final away fixture of the league season when they won 47-43 at Newcastle to pick up their first points on their travels in 2019. NEXT HOME: Redcar, Sat Aug 24 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Redcar (KOC), Fri Sept 6 (7.30)
EDINBURGH "It was a good team win tonight, we need to do some pretty drastic away wins in the matches we have left so I need to get my act together and start scoring away." Monarchs skipper Ricky Wells was unbeaten in a big home win over Eastbourne, but knows the club's destiny for this season will largely be determined on the road in the coming weeks. NEXT HOME: Birmingham, Fri Aug 23 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Somerset, Wed Aug 28 (7.30)
GLASGOW "We're gutted not to get the win but the fact we took a point from their place, something they didn't manage to do at our track last month, is a positive we can take from the match." Tigers co-promoter Peter Facenna took some consolation from a narrow defeat at title rivals Leciester on Saturday, in what could prove to be a dress rehearsal for a play-off clash between the clubs. NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Sat Aug 31 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Sat Sept 7 (8.30)
LEICESTER "This was a big win but it means nothing in terms of the play-offs. That's when we need to all be firing as a team as there will be no easy matches if we are to lift the league title." Lions skipper Scott Nicholls warns that the hard work is still to come after they maintained a 100 per cent home record by edging out title rivals Glasgow 46-44 at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena. NEXT HOME: Somerset, Sat Aug 24 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed Aug 21 (7.30)
NEWCASTLE "We had this meeting in the bag and we were in control, set for the win, but from the tenth race onwards we lost the plot just as Eastbourne had an epiphany which gave them renewed belief, led by our former riders Lewis Kerr and Kyle Newman, and we were sunk in a match we should never have lost." Diamonds boss George English was left in virtual disbelief as his side threw away a 33-21 advantage to lose at home to Eastbourne on Sunday. NEXT HOME: Birmingham, Sun Aug 25 (6.30) NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe, Fri Aug 23 (7.30)
REDCAR The Bears kept their impressive play-off push going by defeating Sheffield at home last Tuesday, and also enjoyed a successful staging of the British Under-19 Final, won by Sheffield's Drew Kemp. NEXT HOME: Berwick, Fri Aug 23 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Eastbourne, Sat Aug 24 (7.30)
SCUNTHORPE "We'll assess our options, and we'll see if there is another rider that we can bring in for the rest of our season." Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey is looking into the possibility of signing a replacement for Danny Ayres, who is ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken leg. NEXT HOME: Newcastle, Fri Aug 23 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Wed Aug 21 (7.30)
SOMERSET "If we can finish with two more home wins then we should accomplish the first goal of making the play- offs. It will then be a case of stepping it up a notch to go beyond and try and win the title. But we have two tricky home matches to deal with before we can begin to give that second goal too much attention." Rebels boss Garry May stresses the importance of keeping a "˜clean sheet' at home so his side can confirm a place in the Championship play-offs this season. NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Wed Aug 21 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat Aug 24 (7.30)
SHEFFIELD "Now we have to kick on. Every match is a Cup Final and we need to keep winning to make the top four and play-offs. The boys have shown what they are capable of. It's actually a bit frustrating because I've known for some time that this side is capable of this sort of performance." Tigers boss Simon Stead says his side must build on last Sunday's home performance, when they inflicted Glasgow's heaviest defeat of the season to remain in the play-off race. NEXT HOME: NL Pairs, Sun Aug 25 (5.30) NEXT AWAY: Somerset, Wed Aug 21 (7.30)
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES"¦
BELLE VUE "You're always hopeful of achieving your minimum goal, and Kent have some very strong riders so this is a major positive for us. It's a great boost of confidence and we hope to carry this forward." Colts co-boss Steve Williams was more than satisfied with the outcome of Monday's trip to Kent, where his side came away with a league point from a narrow 43-47 defeat. NEXT HOME: Cradley, Thur Aug 29 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, Tue Aug 20 (7pm)
CRADLEY "Everyone chipped in with something and we're happy because we needed that win. I thought it was a cracking meeting for the fans with how close it was throughout and there was some good racing as well." Heathens skipper Max Clegg scored a 15-point maximum in a hard-fought 47-43 win over Plymouth at Monmore on Monday. NEXT HOME: Kent, Mon Sept 9 (6.30) NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Thur Aug 29 (7.30)
ISLE OF WIGHT "It is important that we look after our own situation first and foremost, especially as I do believe that we still have a chance of the play-offs. The boys know that they will have to scrap for every point and some great crowd backing will help the riders tremendously." IOW chief Barry Bishop isn't giving up hope of the Warriors making their way back into the top four of the National League with big matches over the coming weeks. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Tue Aug 20 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Stoke, Sat Aug 31 (7pm)
KENT The Kings have confirmed Jake Mulford as a full member of their one-to-seven with Nathan Ablitt dropping out having informed the club he does not intend to race again this season. Mulford comes in alongside Jacob Clouting, who has replaced the injured Alex Spooner. NEXT HOME: Mildenhall, Mon Aug 26 (4pm) NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat Aug 31 (7.30)
LEICESTER The Lion Cubs are looking to deal with a fixture backlog after Saturday's home clash with Cradley was postponed following a Heat 3 crash in which the Heathens' Tom Spencer required medical attention and a trip to hospital. NEXT HOME: Kent, Sat Aug 31 (7.30) NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, Thur Aug 29 (7pm)
MILDENHALL "We now have a breather until Monday when we meet the Kings again in the return League fixture when if we show the passion and character we have in the last two home meetings there is no reason why we cannot get something out of the meeting." Fen Tigers boss Malcolm Vasey has high hopes for his side's Bank Holiday trip to Central Park after defeating Kent at home last weekend. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Sun Sept 1 (3pm) NEXT AWAY: Kent, Mon Aug 26 (4pm)
PLYMOUTH Gladiators star Nathan Stoneman scored 19 points as the Coliseum side gained welcome reward for their efforts on their travels with a league point from a narrow defeat at Cradley on Monday. NEXT HOME: Stoke, Fri Aug 23 (7.15) NEXT AWAY: Stoke, Sat Sept 7 (7pm)
STOKE The Potters are set to return to action this weekend after a series of recent postponements, as they make the trip to Plymouth on Friday before hosting a big home clash with Belle Vue the following evening. NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Sat Aug 24 (7pm) NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Fri Aug 23 (7.15)
FIXTURE PICTURE"¦
TUESDAY AUGUST 20: NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Belle Vue 7pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21: CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7.30, Birmingham v Leicester 7.30, Somerset v Sheffield 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 22: PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Peterborough 7.30, King's Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Swindon v Poole 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 23: CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Birmingham 7.30, Redcar v Berwick 7.30, Scunthorpe v Newcastle 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Stoke 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 24: CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Birmingham 7pm, Eastbourne v Redcar 7.30, Leicester v Somerset 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Belle Vue 7pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 25: CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Birmingham 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: Sheffield 5.30
MONDAY AUGUST 26: PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v King's Lynn 12pm, Swindon v Ipswich 7.30, Wolverhampton v Poole 8pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Mildenhall 4pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28: CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Berwick 7.30, Somerset v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Newcastle 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 29: PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Peterborough 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Cradley 7.30, Isle of Wight v Leicester 7pm
FRIDAY AUGUST 30: CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30, Redcar v Somerset 7.30, Scunthorpe v Leicester 7.30 CHALLENGE: Plymouth v Exeter Select 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 31: CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm, Eastbourne v Sheffield 7.30, Glasgow v Scunthorpe 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Leicester v Kent 7.30, Stoke v Isle of Wight 7pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1: CHAMPIONSHIP RIDERS' INDIVIDUAL: Sheffield 4pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Belle Vue 3pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2: PREMIERSHIP: Wolverhampton v King's Lynn 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Mildenhall 7.30 CHALLENGE: Kent v Young Lions 6.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 4: CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Scunthorpe 7.30
