BRITISH SPEEDWAY APRIL 9, 2024
(SPEEDWAY 1)
BELLE VUE OFF AND RUNNING!
BELLE Vue raced to their first league points of the season with a 51-33 victory over Leicester in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
The meeting was curtailed one race early as persistent rain moved in from the halfway stage, but the outcome was well beyond doubt by that stage.
Aces captain Brady Kurtz scored a four-ride paid maximum (11+1), and both he and Dan Bewley recorded fast times in the opening heats when conditions were grippy.
Bewley won his first three rides before missing out in Heat 13, whilst Norick Blodorn contributed 9+1. The Lions had just three race wins, whilst Ryan Douglas picked up four second places to top-score with eight.
Belle Vue manager Mark Lemon said: “Conditions were a leveller to begin with, and in fairness to Leicester we won the toss and had the inside gates, and as the rain came down the outside gates became more favourable to getting to the dirt-line.
“I’m really chuffed, it’s points in the bag and that’s what you want when it comes to the league championship.
“I think the morale in this team is upbeat, there’s a long way to go, but we’re feeling quite happy so far.”
Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “Conditions were the same for both teams, and Belle Vue rolled up their sleeves in mid-meeting and got on with it.
“It’s disappointing because I thought it looked a good fixture on paper, but the better team won. We weren’t making starts, and unfortunately we got a heavy defeat. The home team managed to adapt to conditions a bit better than what we did.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
PLYMOUTH have named former Poole racer Anders Rowe as a guest for their first match of the season at Wimborne Road in the BSN Series on Wednesday.
Rowe, who will be standing in for the injured Nico Covatti, will be one of three ex-Pirates riders competing for the Gladiators as Kyle Newman and Joe Thompson also rode for the Dorset side last season.
Poole promoter Dan Ford said: “Our meetings against Plymouth always have the something extra about them, and when we look at the fixture coming up then our old adversary Garry May has just added a bit more spice to it by booking Anders as a guest.
“Although there are no hard feelings between us and the riders we had to release from last season, I am sure that Kyle, Joe and even though he is only guesting. Anders, will be well up for the challenge.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
YOUNGSTERS Sonny Springer and Senna Summers have received call-ups to the British Under-21 Qualifier at Plymouth on April 30.
The two riders, who are making their full-time WSRA NDL debuts this season with Leicester and Oxford respectively, come in to replace Archie Freeman (retired) and Elliot Kelly (business commitments).
Reserves for the event will be the new Middlesborough signing William Hocaniuk and Kai Ward, who is based in Devon.
(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY APRIL 10:
BSN SERIES: Poole v Plymouth 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 11:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Leicester v Sheffield 7.30, Oxford v Ipswich 7.30
FRIDAY APRIL 12:
CAB DIRECT KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Scunthorpe v Plymouth 7.30
BSN SERIES: Glasgow v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Workington 7.30
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