BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAY 23, 2026
(SPEEDWAY 1)
LOCALS WIN THE DAY . . . AND THE MATCH!
SKIPPER Josh Pickering and youngster Ryan Ingram were the home heroes as Scunthorpe secured a dramatic 49-41 win over Glasgow at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
Pickering roared to another 15-point maximum with numerous bursts from the back whilst 16-year-old Ingram, in his first season of senior racing, played a vital role in the closing stages.
Ingram was disqualified from his first ride for a fall but he scored 11+2 from his remaining five outings, winning Heats 12 and 14 and then partnering Pickering to a maximum in Heat 15 ahead of Tigers stars Kyle Howarth (13+1) and Leon Flint.
Glasgow boss Cami Brown said: “It’s obviously a very frustrating defeat because we were in the mix and got into good positions to win the meeting.
“They got a 5-1 in the last heat which makes the scoreline look more comfortable for them. But trailing by just two points with three races to go I felt we could get something from the meeting.
“It’s just hard to take because I felt we were so close to getting a vital away win. It was there for the taking. The priority now is to make sure we get the aggregate point in the return fixture at Ashfield.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
NORTHAMPTON skipper Nicolai Klindt expressed pride in the performance as the newest team in British Speedway gained their first-ever victory on Thursday.
The Foxes recovered from an early six-point deficit against Leicester to secure a 48-42 win in front of another big crowd at the International Shaleway to pick up their first points in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
Klindt was involved in a key 5-1 with No.1 Jaimon Lidsey in Heat 13, backing up a similar result one race earlier which enabled the home side to turn things around.
He said: “I’m very proud of the team. It’s a historic night, the first win for the Foxes, and even though we haven’t raced that much it’s still been a long time coming.
“To get it against the local Leicester club is awesome, especially after us getting thrashed at their place, but we showed tonight that we are a much stronger team than that.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
LEICESTER will make a team change ahead of their next ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture with Joe Thompson returning to the Rising Star position in place of Dan Gilkes.
Thompson spent a 28-day stint with the Lions earlier this season when Gilkes required more time to complete his recovery from a long-term knee injury, and subject to BSPL approval he will be back in the side for the home clash with Sheffield next Thursday (May 28).
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “There’s no lack of ability with Dan but I do feel there’s a lack of confidence at the moment, and unfortunately the Premiership season is too short to allow it to run away from us.
“I want to make it clear, though, that he is not being made a scapegoat for (Thursday’s) defeat at Northampton. That was a collective night of falls, errors and mechanical issues across the team, and I am watching one or two other riders where we do have fitness concerns.
“I very much appreciate Joe agreeing to come back in, because he could have taken umbrage after doing very well only for us to bring Dan back, as we honoured the agreements we had previously made.
“I think it speaks volumes of Joe that there were no gripes or ill-will, he agreed straight away as I expected him to, and I do think I’ve been pretty up-front and straight with both riders throughout.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
EDINBURGH opened their WSRA National League campaign with a convincing 57-33 win over Middlesbrough at Armadale.
The Monarchs Academy had five of their six riders on the night in double figures, which included an impressive debut from James Shanes who scored 13+1.
Having replaced the injured Vinnie Foord, Shanes dropped his only point to Ace Pijper in Heat 5, with the Tigers skipper reeling off four wins before losing out to Shanes and Jordy Loftus in Heat 15.
Shanes said: “I was persuaded by Scott (Wilson) to come and I am glad I did, the team and everyone was lovely.
“It’s been a good day really. The last race with Ace was good, I lost my steel shoe but I really enjoyed my riding.”
Loftus (12+1), Dayle Wood (11+1), Ben Whalley (10+3) and Jamie Halder (10+2) were all in the big points for the home side too, with Pijper scoring 13 for the visitors.
The sides meet again at the ECCO Arena today (Saturday) with the Tigers again tracking Seth Norman as a guest for Nathan Ablitt who is ruled out with a speedway injury.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Ace Pijper, Alex Spooner, Jade Mudgway, Stene Pijper, Seth Norman, Harry Sadler, Charlie Southwick.
EDINBURGH: Jordy Loftus, Jamie Halder, Connor Coles R/R, James Shanes, Dayle Wood, Ben Whalley, Anika Loftus.
(SPEEDWAY 5)
GREAT Britain’s young team finished fractionally short of the medal places in Friday’s FIM Speedway of Nations 2 in Prague.
The side made up of Luke Harrison (18) along with 16-year-olds Will Cairns and Cooper Rushen were classified fourth having been involved in a three-way tie with Germany and Australia after each team finished on 33 points.
The countback process saw the teams awarded a ‘bonus point’ for each time their riders had finished either first and second, or second and third, in a race, and that saw Germany secure the bronze.
Cairns scored an impressive 18 points with Harrison picking up 12, whilst Rushen came in for GB’s last race and partnered Cairns to a maximum over Ukraine – who included current Grand Prix rider Nazar Parnitskyi.
Serial winners Poland were crowned champions on 45 points, eight points ahead of Denmark who they defeated in the decisive Heat 28.
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY MAY 23:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Middlesbrough (33) v Edinburgh (57) 7.30
SUNDAY MAY 24:
BRITISH UNDER-21 QUALIFIER: Leicester 3pm
CHALLENGE: Buxton v Stoke Potters Select 3pm
MONDAY MAY 25:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Belle Vue v Sheffield 12pm, Sheffield v Belle Vue 7.30
