BRITISH SPEEDWAY JUNE 7, 2025

(SPEEDWAY 1)

PIRATES GO TO THE TOP

TITLE holders Poole moved to the top of the Cab Direct Championship table with a statement 47-43 victory at Glasgow on Friday.
The Pirates put in their best performance of the season to take the spoils over their rivals, who slipped up at home just 48 hours after an away win at Oxford.

Chris Harris scored 17 points from six rides for the Tigers, but he lacked full support in the hosts’ top five, whilst a solid Pirates side scored down the order with Tobias Thomsen (8+1) crucially backing up their heat leaders.
Richard Lawson scored 9+1 after being disqualified from Heat 1 for breaking the tapes, whilst Anders Rowe and Lewis Kerr both also scored nine, with Kerr and Paul Starke collecting the match-clinching 4-2 in Heat 14.

Pirates manager Gary Havelock said: “Overall I’m absolutely over the moon with the way the boys are going.
“It’s true we have been struggling a bit this season, we haven’t started off as well as we normally do. But write us off at your peril because we’ve got a team of fighters there and a team of guys who genuinely want to win things.
“The team sprit was fantastic tonight, it’s definitely going in the right direction.”

Tigers boss Cami Brown said: “With Dan Thompson and Ashton Boughen missing through injury, we needed our top four to be on the top of their game.
“But that wasn’t really the case and Poole are champions for a reason, they take their opportunities. They were consistently better out of the starts.
“It’s a massively disappointing defeat. We’ve had three great away wins and you never want to lose at home.
“All the boys gave it 100 per cent but Poole were just the better side on the night. Their top five were far more solid.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

EDINBURGH collected their first Cab Direct Championship points of the season with a 50-40 win over Oxford despite an unbeaten show from former Monarch Sam Masters.
The Australian raced to an 18-point maximum from six rides for the Cheetahs, but the home side had their own high scorer in the prolific Victor Palovaara.

The Swede signed off from his remarkable spell at reserve with another 20-point haul from seven rides, with Kye Thomson also scoring well for the hosts on 12+2.
The visitors kept things close for the majority of the meeting despite tracking a much-changed line-up, although Jordan Jenkins was withdrawn with a shoulder injury after crashing in Heat 11.

Monarchs debutant Michael Palm Toft (5) said: “It was a bit of a funny day, ups and downs, finding my groove. I said from the start I just needed a couple of meetings and we’ll get back into it.
“I was there or thereabouts. You always know what you are going to get from Sam when he comes back here, and they had loads of other riders who have ridden this track before, so it was a good win.”

Oxford boss Peter Schroeck said: “We came here as total underdogs, and I think we’ve done well to keep the gap to ten points and did the best possible job that we could. Sam Masters is different gravy. He was superb tonight and, once again, led by example.
“We could have been even closer, but a few things went against us. Jordan had an unfortunate off and is feeling a bit second hand after aggravating his shoulder.
“We’ve kept ourselves in with a chance of the aggregate point when Edinburgh come back to our place. By the time, Victor Palaovaara will be at No.1 for Monarchs rather than at reserve and things might turn out a little differently.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 3)
 
SCUNTHORPE overcame the loss of No.1 Steve Worrall to run up a 50-40 win over Berwick at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
Worrall was involved in a heavy Heat 1 pile-up with Bandits racer Peter Kildemand and was unable to continue, but his team-mates covered well with injury rider replacement.

They moved 14 points up after Heat 9 before the visitors reduced the gap in the closing stages, largely thanks to a 5-1 from Kildemand and Craig Cook in Heat 13.
Scorpions reserve Simon Lambert enjoyed his best night of the season with 13 points and Connor Mountain scored 10, whilst Cook (12+1), Drew Kemp (11) and Kildemand (10) dominated the Bandits’ scoring.

Berwick boss Stewart Dickson said: “Overall I would have to say it was a decent effort against a side with a dominant home record, but by the same token three riders not beating an opponent was poor.”
The scheduled return fixture at Shielfield Park today (Saturday) has been postponed due to a poor weather forecast.

(SPEEDWAY 4)

PLYMOUTH host Redcar in tonight’s (Saturday) remaining Cab Direct Championship fixture.
The Gladiators have one win and one defeat so far from their schedule at the Coliseum, whilst the Bears race their second league match following their win over Oxford last week.
The home side are at full strength but the visitors are missing Erik Riss and Jake Mulford due to GP qualifiers, and they bring in Ben Morley to guest whilst operating rider replacement for Riss.
Redcar star Jason Edwards said: “It’s been going nice and steadily so far this season and it’s been a really enjoyable start to the campaign.

“Over the last three years we’ve had a similar side, so we are building on what we have year on year.
“Plymouth have had plenty of laps around the Coliseum now. It’s always a tough place to go as it’s such a unique track.”
PLYMOUTH: Nicolai Klindt, Alfie Bowtell, Lasse Fredriksen, Joe Thompson, Ben Barker, Mitchell Cluff, Ben Trigger.
REDCAR: Charles Wright, Erik Riss r/r, Jason Edwards, Ben Morley, Danny King, Jody Scott, Ace Pijper.

(FIXTURES)
 
SATURDAY JUNE 7:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick (40) v Scunthorpe (50) OFF, Plymouth v Redcar 7pm, Workington v Poole OFF

MONDAY JUNE 9:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn v Birmingham 7.30, Leicester v Sheffield 7.30

WEDNESDAY JUNE 11:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole v Redcar 7.30

THURSDAY JUNE 12:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Ipswich (44) v Sheffield (46) 7.30, Oxford (31) v King’s Lynn (59) 7.30