BRITISH SPEEDWAY JULY 4, 2026
(SPEEDWAY 1)
WELCOME BACK
NORTHAMPTON will welcome back Slovenian star Matej Zagar for their next ROWE Motor Oil Premiership fixture at King’s Lynn on Monday, July 6.
The former World number five has been sidelined for two months having a suffered a broken ankle when he crashed out of just the Foxes’ fourth meeting of the season at Belle Vue on May 4.
Zagar comes back into the team when they race at the Adrian Flux Arena with Jonas Jeppesen, who was signed as his replacement, making way.
Manager Chris Adams said: “It’s good to have Matej back, he is fully fit now and will be riding in Poland on Sunday and he’ll then be back for us on Monday at King’s Lynn.
“The door is still open for Jonas. He did a good job at Leicester on Thursday, and there are no hard feelings.
“He knew what he was coming in for and what it entailed, and it’s just unfortunate for him that we have to let him go to make room for Matej to come back.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
IPSWICH will be making a new signing after announcing Philip Hellstrom-Bangs has left his place with the defending ROWE Motor Oil Premiership champions.
The Swede has struggled for results in his debut UK campaign after a combination of injuries and suspension, and the club are now hoping he can pick up a spot in the second tier.
Witches chairman Richard Coleman said: “I would like to place on record my thanks to Philip for his efforts this season. He really has not enjoyed the best of fortunes in recent weeks and, coupled with the two-week suspension he served, it has been tough for him to really get going in the Premiership.
“For this reason, we would be keen to help him find a spot with a Championship club, where he could get himself back up to speed and show the talent that we all know he has.
“I really think Philip is very talented and essentially, he hasn’t been riding enough. At Premiership level, that’s a tough place to be, if you are not getting enough seat time.
“As far as we are concerned, his journey with the Witches isn’t over, and we already see him as a potential member of our side for next year, if he ends the season well in the Championship and Sweden.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
CAB Direct Championship leaders Glasgow consolidated their position with a 43-23 win over Oxford in a meeting curtailed by heavy rain at Ashfield.
The Tigers were well in control in the drizzle before a halt was called after 11 races, and they took match and aggregate points to stay top of the table.
Double British Under-21 Champion Sam Hagon hit double figures with 10+1 to lead the home side’s scoring, with Chris Harris (8+1) unbeaten from his three outings, whilst Sam Masters scored seven from three for the Cheetahs.
Glasgow manager Cami Brown said: “A special mention for Sam who delivered another terrific performance. He seems to have turned a corner and looks full of confidence.
“Chris was superb and unbeaten while Leon (Flint) is also looking very classy now.
“Tonight was always going to be about getting the job done and picking up all three points.”
Oxford boss Peter Schroeck said: “We started off alright, but got caught out with the set-ups at one point of the meeting and Glasgow pulled ahead. Glasgow are a good team and they are sharp around here.
“It was the right decision to call a halt to the meeting. Glasgow had more-or-less won both the meeting and the aggregate point, and it wasn’t worth carrying on. I didn’t want us to wait until someone crashes and then have a headache for Berwick tomorrow.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
SCUNTHORPE moved back into second place in the Cab Direct Championship with a powerful display to see off Plymouth 57-33.
The Gladiators held an early two-point advantage after five races but the Scorpions re-took the lead with a 5-1 in Heat 6 from skipper Josh Pickering and Connor Mountain, and they ended the meeting with a stunning run of eight successive heat advantages.
That included three 5-1s on the trot between Heats 12 and 14 as the home side piled on the pressure and ensured they comfortably secured the aggregate point.
Pickering scored 13 points with Luke Harrison (11) and Nathan Ablitt (10+1) also in double figures, whilst guest Tate Zishke (10+2) and Joe Thompson (10) accounted for the bulk of the Gladiators’ scoring.
(SPEEDWAY 5)
BSN Series holders Redcar are on the brink of setting up a repeat of last season’s Final against Poole.
The Bears produced their best display of the season to record a massive 58-31 win over Berwick in the first leg of their semi-final at the ECCO Arena on Friday.
The home side were dominant with Nicolai Klindt top-scoring on 14 points whilst Jason Edwards picked up 12+1, and reserves Jody Scott (10+2) and Ace Pijper (8+1) outscored their opposite numbers by 20 points to three.
It means the Bandits face a huge comeback mission to recover a 27-point deficit when the second leg takes place later this month. Peter Kildemand led their scoring on Teesside with ten points.
(SPEEDWAY 6)
BERWICK and Oxford both bid to bounce back from Friday disappointment when they meet in the Cab Direct Championship at Shielfield Park tonight (Saturday).
The Bandits suffered a heavy BSN Series semi-final defeat at Redcar, whilst the Cheetahs went down by 20 points at Glasgow.
The visitors do welcome back Mitch McDiramid, who missed the Ashfield match due to Polish commitments, whilst the home side have Reid Battye back at home for the first time since his early-season injury.
Oxford manager Peter Schroeck said: “I told the boys to forget about the (Glasgow) meeting and now focus on Berwick. We’ve got Mitch back, and we’re back to our usual line-up.
“We’ve travelled a long way north this weekend, and the meeting at Berwick is a chance for us to go home with something to show for our efforts.”
BERWICK: Peter Kildemand, Jye Etheridge, Victor Palovaara, Jordan Jenkins, Nick Morris, Jack Smith, Reid Battye.
OXFORD: Sam Masters, Luke Killeen, Edward Kennett, Mitch McDiarmid, Anders Rowe, Darryl Ritchings, Dayle Wood.
(SPEEDWAY 7)
PLYMOUTH host Redcar in a hastily-arranged Cab Direct Championship clash at the Coliseum tonight (Saturday).
The sides recently contested a dramatic MAXiCab KO Cup semi-final with the Gladiators securing progression in the final race of the tie.
Tate Zischke continues as a guest for the injured Ben Barker for the home side whilst Ryan Ingram steps in at reserve for Anze Grmek who is racing in the European Pairs semi-final.
Meanwhile Chris Harris comes in at No.1 as Danny King is ruled out following a crash at King’s Lynn on Thursday.
The Bears are unchanged from their hugely impressive victory over Berwick in the BSN Series semi-final on Friday.
PLYMOUTH: Chris Harris, Joe Thompson, Daniel Klima, Tate Zischke, Scott Nicholls, Ryan Ingram, Ben Whalley.
REDCAR: Nicolai Klindt, Simon Lambert, Jake Mulford, Jake Allen, Jason Edwards, Ace Pijper, Jody Scott.
(SPEEDWAY 8)
GREAT Britain youngsters Luke Harrison, Will Cairns and Cooper Rushen contest the semi-final of the FIME European Pairs Championship in Macon, France tonight (Saturday).
GB have elected to put their faith in youth for the event, a strategy which has been matched by several of their opponents.
They face competition from the hosts, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands/Hungary, Slovenia and Italy with the top three combinations making it to October’s Final in Poland.
Other UK regulars to compete are Edinburgh captain Paco Castagna for Italy, and Plymouth’s Anze Grmek for Slovenia.
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY JULY 4:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Oxford 7pm, Plymouth v Redcar 7pm
MONDAY JULY 6:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn v Northampton 7.30
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Leicester v Ipswich 7.30
WEDNESDAY JULY 8:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford (39) v Plymouth (50) 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30
