BRITISH SPEEDWAY AUGUST 21, 2025
(SPEEDWAY 1)
PIRATES’ IMPRESSIVE ‘AWAY’ WIN
POOLE completed their regular Cab Direct Championship programme with a 46-43 win at Oxford to end their schedule on 31 points.
The Pirates are four points ahead of Glasgow who still have three matches remaining in the race to finish top ahead of the play-offs.
The meeting at BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium went down to a last heat decider after Oxford fought back from seven points down to go one ahead with a 5-1 from Sam Masters and Cameron Heeps in Heat 13.
But Pirates reserve Paul Starke combined with skipper Zach Cook for a 5-1 in Heat 14 to put the visitors back ahead, and whilst Masters won Heat 15, Heeps was this time kept at the back by Richard Lawson and Cook.
Lawson (12) and Cook (10+2) both reached double figures and Starke contributed a crucial 8+2, whilst Masters racked up 15+2 from six rides for the Cheetahs.
Starke said: “For me it was one of those nights, being on the floor twice, and suffering a breakdown.
“But we knew we needed to try and relieve the pressure for Heat 15, and we gave ourselves a chance and the boys went and did it in the end.
“I knew in 14 that we had to do something, so I just sent it. I had the confidence because Zach was there, so it was just a matter of holding on and we got there in the end, and I’m happy.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
IPSWICH and King’s Lynn clash in the final East Anglian derby of the season at Foxhall tonight (Thursday) with memories still fresh of their previous meeting.
Last time the Stars visited Suffolk in July they pulled off a stunning aggregate triumph in the KO Cup semi-final to end the Witches’ hopes in that competition.
But in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Ipswich remain top and are aiming to stay there ahead of the play-offs.
The hosts are without Adam Ellis, who suffered a knee injury in Sweden on Tuesday and is set for an MRI scan, with rider replacement in operation at No.2.
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “We need to perform a lot better than when we last faced King’s Lynn at home, we owe it to the fans to perform better.
“We want to take three points for our league position, but also for local pride and to make sure we restore than pecking order in the league again.
“I told the boys I was going to run with this riding order for the week, and we will see how it goes. It is all about preparation for the play-offs, it is not necessarily all about now and the boys are all on board and they know the reasons we are doing it. No doubt it will change again.”
Stars manager Rob Lyon said: “We know it will be tough because they are back to full strength as well, and they’re going quite well at the moment, as we are.
“I’m sure it will be a great match, and we will be giving it 100 per cent. I’ve always said if a team gives 100 per cent we can’t ask for any more than that, and if that’s good enough to get us over the line then so be it.
“It would be nice for the fans obviously if we could do the double. The local rivalry is good and healthy for all the fans and everyone involved in the sport, so let’s see what happens!”
IPSWICH: Jason Doyle, Adam Ellis R/R, Emil Sayfutdinov, Danny King, Tom Brennan, Dan Thompson, Jason Edwards.
KING’S LYNN: Jan Kvech, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Chris Harris, Richard Lawson, Nicolai Klindt, Ben Cook, Luke Harrison.
(SPEEDWAY 3)
PLAY-OFF qualifiers Sheffield and Leicester meet at Owlerton tonight (Thursday) with the home side looking to end a losing sequence against their East Midlands opponents.
The Lions have beaten the Tigers on each of the five occasions they have met this season, both in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership and the KO Cup.
Both sides are confirmed in the top four and therefore they could meet again in the play-offs. They are currently tied on 34 points in the standings with the Tigers having one match in hand, whilst the Lions hold a six-point advantage for the aggregate point.
Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “Whilst Leicester had the upper hand on us each time so far this season, I think they’ll come here knowing we’re a different proposition now.
“We’re going to give it everything we’ve got to try and finish top of the regular standings, but whatever happens, we’re going to be involved in the thick of the real action once again.
“The dream is still alive, but it’s one step at a time for now and that starts as we try and get one over Leicester.”
Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “We know they will be gearing up for us, because we’ve beaten them five times out of five this season!
“I wouldn’t like that, and I would be drumming it into my riders on track walk that we’d need to redress the balance somewhat and put down a marker, especially as we could meet again in the play-offs.
“We have three away meetings remaining, and without being over-confident two of those are ones where we should be targeting wins, and if that’s the case then who’s to say where we might end up in the table?”
SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Josh Pickering, Nick Morris, Chris Holder, Jye Etheridge, Leon Flint.
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Kyle Howarth, Sam Masters, Drew Kemp, Joe Thompson
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY AUGUST 21:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich (44) v King’s Lynn (46) 7.30, Sheffield (42) v Leicester (48) 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 22:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Redcar v Scunthorpe 7.30
SATURDAY AUGUST 23:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Berwick 7pm, Workington (42) v Glasgow (48) 3pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 24:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester (56) v Middlesbrough (34) 3pm, Oxford v Steelers 3pm
