BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2026/18

Feature photo by: MIA DURKIN…LEICESTER have retained the Premiership KO Cup with a ten-point aggregate win over Ipswich to secure the first item of top-flight silverware this season.
The Lions, who had defeated King’s Lynn in last year’s Final, went back-to-back in the competition with a 50-40 win on Thursday in the second leg against the Witches having drawn 45-45 in the opener at Foxhall.
They led throughout the return fixture at the Hydroscand Arena, with Ryan Douglas top-scoring for the Lions with 12+1 and all six of their riders were paid for at least seven points.

HERE’S the latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

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HOW IT STANDS
BELLE Vue are seven points clear at the top of the table after their big home win over Leicester on Monday. However, just five points cover the next four clubs, with the Lions holding second place, three points clear of Sheffield. King’s Lynn and Ipswich are level on points either side of the play-off line, with the Witches having one match in hand.

LIONS ARE CUP KINGS
LEICESTER have become the first club to retain the top-flight KO Cup since 2012 with their ten-point aggregate win over Ipswich in last week’s Final.
Skipper Sam Masters said: “I’m so proud. Ipswich is always a hard to place to go, and after coming away from there with a draw things were looking good.
“But we knew it was going to be tough here, they pushed us all the way, and to win the Knockout Cup two years in a row is unreal.
“We had rider replacement for Kyle (Howarth), and all the best to him. This is for him as well, he was part of this.
“We’ve got a big finish to the season to look forward to, but for now we can celebrate this one, and we’ll worry about the rest later!”

TWO IN FOR FOXES
NORTHAMPTON have made a double change heading into the final phase of the Premiership campaign with Adam Ellis and Mitch McDiarmid joining the club.
Matej Zagar and Troy Batchelor make way for the Foxes, who say the departure of the Slovenian former Grand Prix star was by mutual consent.
Co-promoter Paul Hunsdon said: “Matej hasn’t scored the points that either he or the club were hoping for since his injury, but we thank him for his efforts and he leaves with our best wishes.
“We’ve been in contact with Adam for some time. He’s a tried and tested rider who has been looking to return to the Premiership, and we’re pleased to be able to make it happen.
“Mitch is very much looking forward to it and from our side there are no expectations being placed on him, because this will be a tough step up, but we know his potential and he’ll be giving it absolutely everything.
“Troy is currently on the sidelines with a knee injury as we know, and we aren’t sure when he’ll be returning to action.”

ACES PULL CLEAR
BELLE Vue strengthened their grip on top spot in the Premiership with yet another emphatic home win, this time 61-29 against Leicester.
The Aces are seven points clear with a 100 per cent record at the National Speedway Stadium, and their next match is also on their own circuit as they welcome King’s Lynn.
Manager Mark Lemon said: “Our form around the National Speedway Stadium has been quite phenomenal from top to tail.
“We lost Dan (Bewley), but bringing in Doyley has been pretty much like for like, which is a pretty big statement to say with how good Dan is, but the whole camp is full of confidence.
“It August, it’s not play-off time yet so we’ve just got to make sure we maintain this going into the play-offs. We have one foot in there now with this win tonight, and Leicester are certainly a rival for that.”

STARS BACK IN THE HUNT
KING’S Lynn gave their play-off hopes a boost with a 50-40 win over Sheffield on Monday to move back into the top four.
The Stars had a scare when the Tigers reduced a ten-point margin to two, but the home side hit back strongly with two 5-1s to secure the victory.
Manager Rob Lyon said: “Sheffield are a good outfit, obviously they are missing Jack Holder, and Richard (Lawson) wasn’t up to his normal King’s Lynn standards – but we can say the same about our No.1 because Max (Fricke) was off it and we still managed to get a ten-point win, which was great.
“I think we would have taken ten at the start of the meeting, so I’m happy with that, and I felt it was Jody’s (Scott) best meeting in a senior King’s Lynn race-jacket. He rode really well.”

TIGERS WILL CHASE TEN
SHEFFIELD manager Simon Stead says the aggregate point is still achievable after seeing his side go down by ten points at King’s Lynn on Monday.
Stead said: “It was a tough night all round; we’ve had some individual brilliance, but one point from seven rides at reserve just makes the job really difficult for the lads in the main body of the team.
“But we’re within ten points and I know King’s Lynn have turned us over at home, but it will be a new date when we face them next time and there’s an aggregate point worth fighting for on top.”

WITCHES: BEST TEAM WON
IPSWICH boss Paul Hurry hopes to put their KO Cup Final disappointment behind them quickly as they return to the business of chasing play-off qualification.
Hurry praised reserve Kevin Juhl Pedersen for his battling performance in the second leg at the Hydroscand Arena where his side went down by ten points.
He said: “Kevin did well. He got his head around the track, and he was really going in the last couple of rides. He got dialled in and it was good to see.
“I think the result is disappointing for everyone, but it is what it is. They all tried their best and it just didn’t quite work on the night. At the end of the day, the better team won.”
 THE WEEK AHEAD…
IPSWICH have the chance to move back into the top four as they host revised Northampton on Thursday… King’s Lynn have a tough trip to leaders Belle Vue on Monday… The other Thursday fixture sees the teams in second and third places meet as Leicester travel to Sheffield.
 
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HOW IT STANDS
JUST one point separates the top four in the table, and all look well-placed for the playoffs at present. Scunthorpe and Edinburgh are both on 17 points with Poole and Glasgow on 16, the Pirates having raced the fewest meetings. Redcar lead the chasing pack whilst Berwick could move themselves back into contention if they win at Edinburgh on August 21.

MONARCHS: A POINT GAINED
EDINBURGH No.1 Dan Thompson says a point for a 45-45 draw at Glasgow was still a positive result despite the Tigers’ late comeback.
Monarchs led by six points heading into the closing stages but had to be content with a share to maintain their unbeaten record at Ashfield this season.
Thompson said: “They did a lot of work on the track and that caught me out a little with changes I should have made.
“Kye (Thomson) and I were confident in the last heat but once Bomber (Chris Harris) gets out he is hard to beat, and we have to look at it at another point gained on the road.”

BEARS SNATCH LATE WIN
REDCAR dug deep to overcome Berwick in a tight Cab Direct Championship encounter last Friday.
Jason Edwards and reserve Jody Scott were the Bandits’ heroes after skipper Charles Wright had been disqualified for touching the tapes in Heat 15.
Manager Gavin Parr said: “Hats off to the boys for all sticking together and getting the job done.
“Berwick were always going to provide a sterner test than they did last time and at times, we had to dig deeper than we have had to do before this season.”

BANDITS BID TO GAIN GROUND 
BERWICK are hoping to use upcoming fixtures against the teams above them to help launch a late bid to make it into the top four.
Bandits manager Stewart Dickson said: “All our remaining opponents fancy their chances of finishing in the top four. Taking points off Poole, Redcar and Edinburgh not only furthers our cause but makes things that little bit more difficult for them.
“I know in my mind what we need to do, a minimum that would get us into the play-offs, but in my head is where it stays for the moment.”

TIGERS TAKE THEIR POINT
GLASGOW boss Cami Brown admitted it was relief to emerge from last Friday’s home clash with Edinburgh with a point for a 45-45 draw.
Tigers had been rocked by the departure of Kyle Howarth earlier in the week, and with guest No.1 Jonas Jeppesen enduring an off-night, they were forced into a late comeback to salvage a share.
Brown said: “We know this is the fixture our fans want to win the most. But this had a lot more riding on it.
“It was such a big blow to lose Kyle. It was always going to be a difficult task to get a result over Edinburgh who have been so good at Ashfield.
“We still have to replace Kyle as soon as possible. That will eliminate the gamble of guests which just hasn’t worked in recent weeks.”

COMETS BREAK WIN DROUGHT
WORKINGTON manager James Denham praised his reserves for their part in a hard-fought home victory over Berwick after the loss of Tate Zischke with concussion.
Denham told the club website: “Niklas (Holm Jakobsen) was fantastic and probably produced his best performance of the season. He really stepped up after Tate’s crash and answered every challenge we threw at him.
“Drew (Kemp) was outstanding again as well and then produced another masterclass in Heat 15 alongside Jonas (Jeppesen) to finish the meeting in style.
“It’s good to get a win because it’s been a little while, and I think everyone at the club needed it. We’ve had more than our fair share of bad luck over the last month so it was nice to see the boys get the reward they deserved.”

RUSHEN TAKES CONSOLATION
POOLE youngster Cooper Rushen said he could still take the positives from a narrow defeat at Plymouth on Saturday as the Pirates saw their unbeaten league record come to an end.
Rushen said: “I’ve struggled a lot here in the youth days. It was one of those tracks that haunted me. But I’ve really enjoyed riding it today.
“I had some great battles on track and it was just a shame to miss out at the end. I think we were riding one of the stronger teams in the league at the minute, so to get 43 points against them isn’t too bad.
“It would have been nice to get the draw or the win . But we are doing well at the minute so we will keep working away at things.”

CHEETAHS FACE ANOTHER HOME TEST
OXFORD promoter Jamie Courtney expects another strong test of the Cheetahs’ mettle when league leaders Scunthorpe visit Cowley on Wednesday.
A 45-45 draw against Poole last week was a remarkable result in many ways as Oxford were reduced to five riders in the early stages of the meeting.
Courtney said: “Scunthorpe were dismissed by many on social media as Josh Pickering and six others, but they’ve found their feet on the road in addition to their usual near-fortress at their Eddie Wright Raceway.
“Cheetahs dug deep against Poole last Friday – after being reduced to five riders for most of the night – and showed their mettle. Scunthorpe are another tough test, but we have every confidence in our riders.”

SCORPIONS HOOK JACOB
SCUNTHORPE have handed Jacob Hook a route back into British Speedway by signing the Australian in place of Dan Gilkes, who has been ruled out with a broken collarbone.
Manager David Howe said: “We have been speaking to Jacob since April, and now we have the opportunity to let him re-build his British career.
“The team and myself were very happy with the spirit in the camp since we brought Dan into the side, but I think Jacob will fit straight into the environment we have created. We wish Dan the best with his recovery.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
TWO of the top four clash at Wimborne Road on Wednesday as Poole host Edinburgh… On the same night, leaders Scunthorpe travel to Oxford…Edinburgh then face rivals Glasgow at Armadale on Friday with the scores level for the aggregate point after last week’s draw… Berwick will look to repeat their MAXiCab KO Cup over Poole when they host the Pirates on Saturday.

*ALSO: WORKINGTON stage a big weekend of FIM youth track racing as the Gold Trophy takes place at the GT Tyes Arena on Saturday, followed by the European Track Racing Cup on Sunday.

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE LATEST

HOW IT STANDS
ALL teams are now off the mark with Buxton moving on to two points by defeating Oxford on Sunday… Edinburgh and Leicester both have 100 per cent records from four and three matches respectively, with the next three clubs separated by just one point.
 
BULLS STRIKE FIRST WIN
BUXTON collected their first victory since returning to the sport this season with a 51-38 win over Oxford.
Bulls No.1 Alfie Bowtell, who scored 14 points, said: “We are delighted to get our first win under our belts.
“We went close the other week at King’s Lynn and just fell short, but this afternoon once we went in front, I felt we continued to push on and not look back, and built on the early lead.
“I do feel that we are capable of now pushing forward and we will be looking to continue this performance next week against King’s Lynn.”

YOUNG STARS SHINE AT BORO
KING’S Lynn continued their revival with a thumping 55-35 win at Middlesbrough to make it two victories on the trot.
Manager Jason Pipe said: “It was a really good performance. I didn’t expect to win by that margin, but it was clearly a massive help having Simon (Lambert) and Jake (Mulford) on their regular home track.
“Everything is positive in the camp at the moment, that’s two wins on the trot, and hopefully we can keep it going on Thursday.”

CHARGERS DOWN ON POWER
OXFORD were reduced to five riders at Buxton on Sunday when, already operating rider replacement for Senna Summers, a crash saw Harry Fletcher withdrawn with a knee injury.
Manager Peter Schroeck said: “Hopefully he hasn’t damaged the ligaments. But he’s going to the hospital for a check-up, so we’ll know more after that.
“Overall, I can’t complain. We got stuck in and did our best and the boys will have certainly learnt from a meeting like this one, which is what this league is all about.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
LEADERS Edinburgh travel to resurgent King’s Lynn on Thursday… Middlesbrough look to bounce back from a big home defeat last weekend when they take on Buxton this Friday… the Bulls then host King’s Lynn on Sunday as the Young Stars look to do the double.
 
FIXTURE PICTURE…
 
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford (38) v Scunthorpe (52) 7.30 Poole v Edinburgh 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 6:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich v Northampton 7.30, Sheffield v Leicester 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: King’s Lynn (35) v Edinburgh (55) 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 7:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh (45) v Glasgow (45) 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 8:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick (30) v Poole (60) 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Middlesbrough v Buxton 7.30
FIM TRACK RACING YOUTH GOLD TROPHY: Workington 3pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 9:
FIM EUROPEAN 125cc YOUTH TRACK RACING CUP: Workington 3pm
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Buxton (41) v King’s Lynn (49) 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 10:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue (50) v King’s Lynn (40) 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford (42) v Workington (48) 7.30, Poole (45) v Scunthorpe (45) 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 13:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Leicester v Sheffield 7.30, Northampton (33) v Belle Vue (57) 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 14:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Poole 7.30, Glasgow v Redcar 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 15:
BRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue 7pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar 12pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 16:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Buxton v Middlesbrough 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester 6pm

MONDAY AUGUST 17:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Northampton v Leicester 7.30, Sheffield (40) v King’s Lynn (50) 7.30