BRITISH SPEEDWAY APRIL 12, 2026
(SPEEDWAY 1)
GLADIATORS’ LANDSLIDE VICTORY
PLYMOUTH roared to their first win of the season with an emphatic display to defeat Oxford 57-32 at the Coliseum on Saturday.
The Gladiators secured their first BSN Series points of the season and limited the Cheetahs to two race wins on the night.
Reserve Daniel Klima piled up 14+3 from seven rides whilst Ben Barker scored a 12-point maximum, Danny King notched 12 from five rides and both Joe Thompson (9+2) and Scott Nicholls (9) were in the major points.
Cheetahs made a disastrous start as Sam Masters and Luke Killeen both crashed out of Heat 1, and whilst Masters recovered to post ten points their deficit extended for much of the meeting.
Oxford boss Peter Schroeck said: “The track was very tough to begin with, following the rain. Sam twisted his knee quite badly in the first race. He continued in the meeting, despite being in pain. When your skipper comes off in Heat 1, it does have a knock-on effect on the rest of the team.
“If we rode like this as a team in the middle of the season, I’d be quite upset. But it was our first away meeting, so we’ll just brush ourselves off and get on with it. It’s the start of the season and we won’t get too carried away.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
IPSWICH manager Paul Hurry has backed Rising Star Jason Edwards to make a big impact in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership this season.
Edwards delivered an impressive display in the Witches’ opening fixture, with three race wins in a home KO Cup victory over King’s Lynn on Thursday.
And Hurry says that performance came after a pre-meeting pep talk where he conveyed the message that he believed there was more to come from his rider.
Hurry said: “I had a chat with him beforehand. I have watched a couple of the meetings he has done already this season, and I told him, ‘You are better than you realise.’
“He was getting in positions a week or so ago, where he made the start, and he was sort of a bit tentative. I told him, ‘You are more than capable of beating these top riders.’ He showed that.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
NORTHAMPTON Foxes team manager Chris Adams is relishing the challenge of the exciting new Premiership speedway project which is now less than a fortnight away.
Former Birmingham boss Adams will take charge of the newly formed side, and he made a site visit to the Brafield venue on Thursday where work continues with the circuit being adapted to accommodate bikes as well as the existing stock car use.
The opening home meeting is at the end of the month on Thursday April 30 when the Foxes host Ipswich – but they will be going into competitive action before then with away KO Cup matches against the Witches and King’s Lynn.
Adams said: “I knew I wanted to be part of this new venture. I do feel Northampton coming in is very exciting, and it could be a game-changer for British speedway.
“We all know it’s a bit last-minute, but I’d encourage everyone to get behind it. So many tracks closing and others already gone, but here we have a new track and a new club. That can’t be bad for speedway, can it?
“I feel the seven riders that we’ve put together can be a competitive team. There’s not one of those seven riders that doesn’t want to win, I can tell you that.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
LEICESTER host Buxton in the first leg of an NDL Challenge fixture at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park today (Sunday, 3pm).
It will be the first full team meeting for the Bulls since they were reformed after an absence of nearly eight years, and they will stage the second leg in a fortnight.
Lion Cubs racer Max Perry and Buxton No.1 Alfie Bowtell are absent on long track duty, with the hosts operating rider replacement and the visitors bringing in Darry Ritchings to guest. Alex Spooner also comes in for the Bulls, who are yet to declare their full NDL line-up.
Leicester boss Jen Crossland said: “I’m very excited. It’s nice to have a new track on board, and it’s good for the lads as well to get some extra laps under their belts.
“We’ll be looking to get a win from our opening match, but we know this Buxton team will present a challenge, and it’s one for us to look forward to.”
Buxton manager Laurence Rogers said: “I’m looking forward to our first fixture as a full team, and it will give the riders chance to get some valuable track time and sort out riding partnerships.
“The Lion Cubs are a very good side and will give us a good test, and we will be able to see how we look as a team, and we look to give Leicester a good run-out and keep the score as close as possible for the return leg.”
LEICESTER: Ben Morley, Tom Spencer, Max Perry R/R, Ryan Ingram, Freddy Hodder, Eli Meadows, Seth Norman.
BUXTON: Darryl Ritchings, Arran Butcher, Alex Spooner, Jamie Etherington, Jack Smith, Luke Harris, Jack Shimelt.
(SPEEDWAY 5)
GLASGOW stage the first round of the 2026 British Youth Championship this afternoon (Sunday) with a 1pm start time.
25 qualifying races will be taking place across the 4 classes of 500cc, 250cc, 125cc and 125cc Support, with each class also having a winner-takes-all Final.
In the 500cc class NDL riders Stene Pijper, Charlie Southwick and Ollie Binns will be hoping to get off to a winning start to the series to put a marker down.
Last year’s 250cc Bronze medallist Archie Rolph will be hot favourite to claim the Championship again in 2026, but he will have stiff opposition from both Demi Blu Harris and Kane Newby this afternoon.
There is plenty of local interest in the 125cc class with Northen Junior League riders Douglas and Ella Marshall racing on their home circuit, as well as the reigning British Champion Lewis Hague and his brother Callum who represent the Edinburgh club West Lothian. Completing this class are 2025 silver and bronze medallists winners Fraser Buckle and Oscar Berwick respectively.
The 125cc Support class includes three new riders to the series in 2026 – Junior Travers, Erza McNair and George Climo.
The Young Lions would like to thank their series sponsors for their continued support in 2026 Allied Mobility, Nuneaton Speedway Supporters Club, Northern Scaffolding Solutions, Ignite Insurance Brokers, Wessex Marine, Friends of Speedway, HG Aerospace Ltd, Royle T Racing, Rentruck and Arnie Gibbons, as well as the Glasgow club and their owners.
(FIXTURES)
SUNDAY APRIL 12:
CHALLENGE 1st leg: Leicester v Buxton 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow 1pm
MONDAY APRIL 13:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP (SOUTH): King’s Lynn (40) v Ipswich (50) 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 15:
BSN SERIES: Oxford v Poole 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 16:
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP (NORTH): Sheffield v Leicester 7.30
