BRITISH SPEEDWAY JUNE 20, 2025

(SPEEDWAY 1)

TIGERS CLAWING UP THE LADDER

SHEFFIELD moved top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership table but only after a huge scare against King’s Lynn in a 47-43 win at Owlerton.
The Tigers held a comfortable eight-point lead after nine races but were stunned by a hat-trick of Stars 5-1s in Heats 10-12 to put the visitors four up with three races remaining.

However, Jack and Chris Holder got the home side over the line with 5-1s in Heats 13 and 15 to neutralise the effect of the Stars’ high-scoring reserve Jan Kvech and grind out a victory.
Kvech racked up 16 points from seven rides for the visitors and Chris Harris added 10+2, whilst the crucial support for the Holders (Chris 12+2, Jack 11+2) came from Rising Star Leon Flint who scored 11.
Tigers boss Simon Stead said: “It might not have been as convincing but we got it over the line, got the points and that’s the most important thing.

“This was always a potential banana skin fixture for us with us not being at home for so long plus Picko (Josh Pickering – shoulder injury) has, statistically, been our best rider around Owlerton so far this season.
“We did miss him a lot but thankfully the rest of the lads did enough collectively to get the job done.”
King’s Lynn manager Rob Lyon said: “We just lost out in the very final race against the two Holder boys who made unbelievable starts off gates two and four which were clearly the worst gates.
“But that’s the way it is and credit to those boys for pulling it off for Sheffield.
“I’m pleased with the effort and four points is more than achievable to get back at home in the return leg in a couple of weeks.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

LEICESTER raced to their biggest win since rejoining the top-flight with an emphatic 60-30 victory over ROWE Motor Oil Premiership champions Belle Vue at the Hydroscand Arena.
The Lions continued a run of impressive home results with their top four in peak form as skipper Max Fricke scored a 15-point maximum whilst Ryan Douglas (14+3), Kyle Howarth (11+2) and Sam Masters (11+1) were also in the major points.
That enabled the hosts to cover for the absence of injured American Luke Becker, whilst the Aces struggled without captain Brady Kurtz and they conceded 5-1s in each of the first three races.

Dan Bewley recovered to post 10+1, including two race wins, but he was fortunate to walk away from a spectacular tumble in Heat 13 when he lifted and fell on the back straight, thankfully being avoided by the other riders.
Leicester manager Stewart Dickson said: “We started very well to go 15-3 up after three races, and my riders are hitting a bit of form.

“We did the same thing last year, maybe a wee bit later than what we have done this year, but Dan Bewley is still a big scalp for my riders to take and two or three of them managed to beat him to the line.
“Belle Vue had a tough night, but we can only beat what’s in front of us, without being boastful, and we’ve now racked up three really big scores, which will be important for us because we’re going to need to get aggregate points as King’s Lynn are chasing us.”

Aces boss Mark Lemon said: “Dan’s back in the pits, he’s a bit battered and bruised. But I don’t think anything more serious. A bit of gravel rash and banged up a bit.
“It was typical we were on a heat advantage for the first time all night. I guess that really sums up our disappointing night.
“But at the end of the day, Leicester are riding really well. In recent weeks they’ve got themselves really dialled in. I don’t want to take too much away from them.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

GLASGOW have declared a full-strength side including new signing Villads Nagel for tonight’s (Friday) home Cab Direct Championship clash with Plymouth.
Danish youngster Nagel is now named in the Tigers’ one-to-seven as a replacement for Ashton Boughen.
They go into the meeting still second in the table despite slipping up at home to Poole a fortnight ago, and Dan Thompson – who has been out since suffering a broken scaphoid last month – is also named in the line-up.

Opponents Plymouth are racing their first away match in the Championship as they begin a Northern tour, and their line-up includes former Tigers rider Ben Barker, with Nicolai Klindt leading the way at No.1.

GLASGOW: Chris Harris, Villads Nagel, Dan Thompson, Leon Flint, Kyle Howarth, Freddy Hodder, Max Perry.

PLYMOUTH: Nicolai Klindt, Alfie Bowtell, Lasse Fredriksen, Joe Thompson, Ben Barker, Mitchell Cluff, Ben Trigger.

(SPEEDWAY 4)

REDCAR take on third-placed Edinburgh in an important Cab Direct Championship clash at the ECCO Arena tonight (Friday).
The Bears have two matches in two nights over the weekend, and they are currently just outside the top four in the early stages of the league campaign.

Meanwhile the Monarchs received a huge boost with their away win at Oxford on Wednesday, and they now go for back-to-back victories on the road.
Redcar bring in Tate Zischke to guest for the injured Jason Edwards, whilst for the Monarchs recent signing Michael Palm Toft is an ex-Bears rider.

REDCAR: Charles Wright, Jake Mulford, Tate Zischke, Danny King, Erik Riss, Jody Scott, Ace Pijper.

EDINBURGH: Victor Palovaara, Kye Thomson, Justin Sedgmen, Paco Castagna, Michael Palm Toft, Jonatan Grahn, Jordy Loftus.

(SPEEDWAY 5)

SCUNTHORPE stage a big double-header with Oxford the visitors in both Cab Direct Championship and WSRA NDL action tonight (Friday).
The senior league action sees the Scorpions start the meeting fourth in the league table, whilst the Cheetahs are down in eighth after two damaging recent home defeats.

Scunthorpe welcome back Steve Worrall after he crashed out of their recent win over Berwick, whilst Oxford have Jonas Knudsen and Francis Gusts back from European commitments, and Cameron Heeps is fit to ride.
But the Cheetahs are still unable to field their full regular septet as Jordan Jenkins is ruled out after a crash on Wednesday, and Antti Vuolas comes in to guest.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey is hoping his side can improve on a recent MAXiCab KO Cup win over Oxford, with an eight-point gap to pull back for tonight’s aggregate point.
He said: “Cheetahs won the cup tie on aggregate quite comfortably in the end, which was a disappointment for us, but we only lost by eight at their place the following week in the Cab Direct Championship.

“So that was 48-42 to us here and 49-41 to them there – which indicates an exciting contest ahead in the battle for the aggregate point!
“Eight points is not an impossibility for us to pull back by any means, but we do need to come out of the traps from the word go and get ahead. I believe we are a lot better on our own track now compared to what we were earlier in the season.”

SCUNTHORPE: Steve Worrall, Zaine Kennedy, Declan Kennedy, Connor Mountain, Jake Allen, Luke Harrison, Simon Lambert.

OXFORD: Sam Masters, Jonas Knudsen, Antti Vuolas, Mitch McDiarmid, Cameron Heeps, Francis Gusts, Luke Killeen.

The senior match is followed by WSRA National Development League action as the Steelers take Oxford Chargers, who currently boast an 100 per cent record with three wins out of three.

The home side operate rider replacement for Vinnie Foord due to work commitments, and the visitors have a couple of changes.
Captain Jody Scott is on Championship duty with Redcar so Max James steps in to guest, whilst Darryl Ritchings is ruled out with concussion after a crash on Wednesday, and the Chargers will operate rider replacement.

STEELERS: Nathan Ablitt, Luke Harris, Vinnie Foord r/r, Mickie Simpson, Luke Harrison, Harrison Rogers, Jamie Etherington, Jack Franklin (no.8).

OXFORD: Max James, Jacob Clouting, Arran Butcher, Ashton Vale, Darryl Ritchings r/r, Max Broadhurst, Senna Summers.

(FIXTURES)

FRIDAY JUNE 20:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow (50) v Plymouth (40) 7.30, Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30, Scunthorpe (41) v Oxford (49) 7pm
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Steelers v Oxford (follows Champ fixture)

SATURDAY JUNE 21:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Redcar 7pm, Workington v Plymouth 3pm

MONDAY JUNE 23:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30, Ipswich v Leicester 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT TROPHY: Birmingham v Plymouth 7.30