HERE'S the latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

PIC OF THE WEEK...

SHEFFIELD closed the gap at the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership with maximum points from a 50-40 win over Oxford on Thursday at Owlerton. But the Tigers six match unbeaten run came to an end on Monday with a 51-39 defeat at King’s Lynn, although they did collect the aggregate point against the Stars.
Photo credit: CHARLOTTE FLANIGAN

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP…

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Belle Vue skipper BRADY KURTZ delivered a true captain’s performance at Birmingham on Monday to inspire the Aces to a crucial away win despite the absence of Dan Bewley due to concussion. Kurtz scored 15+1 from six rides and took the all-important second place in Heat 15 to deny the Brummies a Super Heat decider.

VUOLAS KEEN TO SHINE
BELLE Vue newcomer Antti Vuolas is determined to take his chance in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership having already become a favourite at the National Speedway Stadium.
Vuolas said: “It feels like I’ve been here for longer than just one home meeting. It was really good to hear the fans cheering me on and it really did boost my confidence.
“Being a part of the Belle Vue team is a great ending to my season. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and I want to my best every time I race in the top league.
“At the beginning of the season, it was my goal to see if I could get a Premiership place and I’m really happy I have managed to achieve that, and I think it will only get better from here.”

SLOW START COSTS BRUMMIES
BIRMINGHAM boss Sam Ermolenko admitted a disastrous start to their home clash with Belle Vue proved costly in a 46-44 defeat.
Ermolenko said: “It’s just bizarre sometimes the way it works.
“At the start of the season we were banging in the points early doors and struggling later on in the meetings, now we seem to have got somewhere towards the end and we’re playing catch up quite a lot of the time.
“The riders were so hungry last week and for whatever reason this week our guys were just a little bit anxious at the tapes.”

TIGERS NEED TO MOVE ON
SHEFFIELD manager Simon Stead says his team must quickly put a below-par performance at King’s Lynn behind them as a busy August schedule continues.
Stead said: “We have to accept that we weren’t good enough and that performance collectively was way below what we expect at Sheffield.
“But it’s important we don’t dwell on it too much and that we now focus on what is a very important upcoming August where we need to strive for further improvement.”

JANOWSKI DIALLED IN
OXFORD boss Peter Schroeck believes Maciej Janowski will be a key man as they look to retain a play-off place over the next month, after a strong performance at Sheffield last Thursday.
Schroeck said: “Sheffield are strong around here, but even when they got three 5-1s on the bounce we didn’t give in.
“I left the tactical sub to Heat 14, because that was the race where it would have maximum effect and Maciej and Charles (Wright) took the 5-1 that kept us in with a chance of the bonus point entering Heat 15.
“Maciej was on it today, despite it only being the second time he’s been to this track. He’s really got dialled in on the British tracks as this season has progressed and this meeting was further proof of that.”

LIONS LOOK STRONG
LEICESTER manager Stewart Dickson says he’s happy with the Lions’ current run – but has stressed there is more work to be done as they look to chase down Oxford in the top four.
Speaking after a 55-35 win over Belle Vue, Dickson said: “We have now got a bit of momentum. I think we’ve had it for the last couple of weeks in fairness, but you can feel it, and folk are beginning to buy into what we’re doing.
“It was a bit slick tonight so I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with the track, but there was still some good racing and the boys are pleased.
“We did what we needed, which was to get three points, but we’re still behind Oxford – they have the points on the board, and so we need to keep on going.”

STARS SHINE AGAINST TIGERS
KING’S Lynn boss Rob Lyon stressed Monday’s impressive win over Sheffield was another demonstration of just what is possible for his team under the right circumstances.
He said: “It was nice to get a win tonight. We were able to get some good boys in, and both did a really good job for us.
“It shows that when we’ve got a full team, or nearly a full team, we’re a match for anyone around here, and that’s the frustrating part.
“They rode well as a team and we didn’t have any major weak links, we were solid all the way through. It’s a great result, and we push on to the next one.”

WITCHES LOOK TO GREATER GOOD
IPSWICH manager Ritchie Hawkins explained his decision to track reserve Jordan Jenkins in Heat 15 of the Witches’ win at King’s Lynn last Thursday.
Hawkins said: “Emil (Sayfutdinov) is busy and does it often when we need him, and that is the same with Jason (Doyle), if we can rest them and protect them, that is just looking after your riders a little bit. He had done five heats and that is fine.
“Keynan (Rew) had two amazing wins and did six heats so why keep putting him out, Dan (Thompson) is carrying an injury although it didn’t affect him too much at all, it is just about looking after the riders.
“We need to keep Jordan on track, and he was all over the back of them in Heat 15 off gate four which was terrible. It was great to see him ride like that and is hopefully a confidence boost for him.
“I felt Danny (King) was still capable of winning the race and he showed that to end on a good note, everyone is ending on good races and is happy, so it is just about working as a team.”

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP…

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Poole’s TOM BRENNAN enjoyed a sensational week for the Pirates, with 14+1 paid maximums at home to Scunthorpe in the Cab Direct KO Cup and then at Workington in the league; and he also contributed nine points in a 46-44 win at former club Glasgow on Friday!

HAVVY: CATCH US IF YOU CAN
POOLE co-boss Gary Havelock has labelled the 2024 Pirates as the club’s best side since they took their place in the Cab Direct Championship three years ago.
Havelock oversaw two away wins in less than 24 hours for the league leaders as they triumphed at both Glasgow and Workington.
He said: “I think, since we dropped into this league, I know we have always had good sides, but right at this moment I don't think we have ever been better. So, touch wood and keep everybody fit then all I can say is that it will take an absolutely fabulous team to beat us.
“It's down to us now. Down to the boys. How badly they want it, and looking in each of their eyes then I can tell you, they want it. They really want it.”

TIGERS RESPECT FOR RIVALS
GLASGOW boss Cami Brown paid tribute to rivals Poole after a narrow home defeat to the league leaders in another epic Ashfield contest last Friday.
Brown said: “They are a fantastic side and favourites to reclaim the league title we took off them last season.
“We’ve got to pick ourselves up quickly from this setback. It’s going to be very tight now to try and get into the top four and the play-offs.
“But we will give it everything we’ve got to hang on to our league title.”

SCORPIONS BOUNCE BACK
SCUNTHORPE kept their Cab Direct Championship play-off push very much on track with maximum points from a home win over Workington.
It was a good comeback from the Scorpions after a heavy Cup defeat at Poole left them up against it in terms of defending that item of silverware.
Manager David Howe said: “Those extra points always help – it just makes our job of reaching the play-offs that little bit easier. Tonight not only did we win a bonus point, but Workington missed out on one, and they are one of the teams we are battling against in the top half of the table.
“After the result at Poole on Wednesday, it was important we bounced straight back and restored our team morale and we’ve done that.”

BANDITS: NOT JUST THE INJURIES
BERWICK boss Stewart Dickson says their injury crisis cannot be held fully attributable to the Bandits’ drop down the Championship table this summer.
Dickson said: “I would like to think that our supporters are able to look beyond the bare bones of the results and agree that in spells we have looked a decent team in 2024.
“Not often enough and not consistently enough and, while injuries have played a big part in that, we cannot continue to blame them.
“Good sides find a way of digging deep and conjuring a win out of nothing – it’s been done to us more than once this season.”

ONE POINT NOT ENOUGH
EDINBURGH boss Alex Harkess admitted he drove away from Berwick disappointed despite the Monarchs adding to their league points total.
A four-point defeat at Shielfield Park gave the visitors the aggregate point after a 12-point win at home 24 hours earlier, but Harkess was looking for more.
He said: “We didn't put ourselves in the major scoring positions enough. The reserves when they did get into scoring positions, they then let it slip unfortunately.
“Even in Heat 15 I was confident we might get a 5-1 but it just takes someone to make a gate and that's that, it's very disappointing.”

COMETS CALL FOR STARKE
WORKINGTON are hoping new signing Paul Starke can kickstart their fortunes by giving them extra points scoring at reserve as they look to hold on to a place in the play-offs.
Promoter Andrew Bain said: “Bringing Paul in will definitely add an element of stability to our team which we haven’t had so far. He is an experienced campaigner with a wealth of knowledge of British tracks.
“He was released from Glasgow earlier in the season, but was riding in a tough position in their middle order, whereas as for us he will be at reserve which we think is a massive coup where he will potentially be one of the strongest reserves in the league.”

KING TARGETS STRONG FINISH
REDCAR star Danny King expects to get stronger as the Cab Direct Championship run-in intensifies, having played catch-up due to an early season injury absence.
King said: “I don’t think ‘ease back’ is quite the right phrase as we have had some tense meetings since my return.
“I’ve been relatively pleased with how it’s gone and though I’m not 100 per cent yet the important thing is to get meetings under my belt as you can do all the training you want away from the track, but the only way to get really race fi t is to ride competitive heats.”

JENKINS PLAN COMES GOOD
OXFORD star Jordan Jenkins said he was delighted with his 11-point haul in the Cheetahs’ win over Berwick, which included an excellent effort from the back in Heat 14.
Jenkins said: “I’ve been working hard on a few things, such as getting out of the start better. I made a couple of starts tonight. I felt happy and was pleased with my evening.
“It’s nice to have a race like Heat 14 when I passed both the Berwick riders to win it, although I would prefer to win it from the start.
“But the outside gate in Heat 14 can quite often be tricky, so I had a plan and made a couple of changes to the bike and they worked. I had plenty of speed, while It was a real racer’s track tonight. It was just how we like it.”

NEWS IN BRIEF
PLYMOUTH are back in action this weekend after a two-week break when they face Scunthorpe home and away in the space of 24 hours. The Gladiators visit the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday before hosting the Scorpions at the Coliseum on Saturday.

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE…

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
A second appearance in the WSRA NDL and a second outstanding performance from 15-year-old WILLIAM CAIRNS who scored 14 points in a guest appearance for Oxford at Middlesbrough last Friday. Cairns will make his debut for Belle Vue when the Colts host the Chargers at the National Speedway Stadium this Friday.

CHARGERS WIN AT BORO
OXFORD reserve Senna Summers praised the spirit of progression within the Chargers camp after their victory at Middlesbrough last Friday.
Summers said: “I had a good night. I felt comfortable on the bike. I plugged away tonight and made it work. It was a good for my confidence.
“We’re not put any under pressure. It’s just laps and we’re progressing. It will come to how I want it, while it is enjoyable riding for the Chargers.
“The whole speedway game is new to me but I’m enjoying it. I live with Jamie (Courtney, Oxford promoter) – that’s good too. They’re like family to me now.”

NEWS IN BRIEF
BELLE Vue host Oxford in the WSRA NDL this Friday, with the meeting preceded by the latest round of the British Youth Championship at 500cc and 125cc support levels… LEICESTER stage the second meeting in the NDL individual series this Sunday, with Sam Hagon looking to repeat his victory from the equivalent event at Poole earlier in the season.

FIXTURE PICTURE…

WEDNESDAY JULY 31:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole (46) v Glasgow (44) 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 1:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich (49) v King’s Lynn (41) 7.30, Oxford (37) v Birmingham (23) 7.30, Sheffield (37) v Leicester (53) 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 2:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Workington 7.30, Scunthorpe v Plymouth 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue (40) v Oxford (49) 7.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Belle Vue (prior to NDL fixture) (500cc/125cc support)

SATURDAY AUGUST 3:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick (37) v Oxford (53) 7pm, Plymouth v Scunthorpe 7pm, Workington v Redcar 3pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 4:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE INDIVIDUAL SERIES: Leicester 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 5:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v Birmingham 7.30
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn (42) v Leicester (47) 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 7:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford v Plymouth 7.30, Poole v Scunthorpe 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 8:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Leicester v Birmingham 7.30, Sheffield v Ipswich 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 9:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Scunthorpe v Poole 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Middlesbrough (35) v Leicester (55) 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 10:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Workington 7pm, Plymouth (32) v Glasgow (58) 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 11:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington v Berwick 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 12:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30, Birmingham v Leicester 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 13:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth (250cc/125cc) 7pm