BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAY 18, 2026

(SPEEDWAY 1)

A POINT TO PROVE

IPSWICH skipper Danny King believes aggregate points will be crucial to the play-off race in this season’s ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The defending champions have made a promising start to the campaign, reaching the KO Cup Final, but they will face deficits of 12 and 14 points respectively if they want to secure the maximum when they host Belle Vue and Sheffield following defeats on their trips north.

King said: “It’s always tough going to Sheffield and Belle Vue. I thought we started really well at Belle Vue. They had to use a tactical sub, but three heats against Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz was the difference on the night.

“Sheffield was the same; it’s a very tough place to go. But it’s important that we try to keep meetings close, so that we can get the aggregate points. I believe that with the team we’ve got, we can do that.

“We have to go with that mentality everywhere. It’s about who can get the better of each other over two legs. If we can do that, we are going to be there at the end of the year.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

IN-FORM Poole reserve Will Cairns admits he still wasn’t fully satisfied with a stunning 15+1 haul in the Pirates’ big win at Redcar on Friday.

The 16-year-old was without his regular colleague Cooper Rushen due to injury for the trip to Teesside, but he took seven rides on the night to pile up a bumper haul in the 51-39 Cab Direct Championship victory.

Cairns said: “I was kind of happy with the score, but I felt I could and should have got more.

“I had a phone call from Matt (Ford, promoter) and he told me what was expected of me given that Cooper was out.

“I went out there and got stuck in. It’s a good win for the team and I think we are all happy with that.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

RECENT Plymouth signing Anze Grmek is confident he will soon adapt to the demands of his new home track.

The Slovenian racer picked up 3+1 in the Gladiators’ 49-41 win over Scunthorpe in the Cab Direct Championship on Saturday, having scored well in their northern tour the previous weekend which included an away win at Workington.

Grmek said: “I need to get used to the track a little bit. I need to find the right set-up. The speed was good, the speed was there, but I had no start so we need to fix the gating.
“It was a completely new set-up and a new track for me as well, so there was a lot to learn.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

BUXTON will welcome former favourites of local rivals Stoke Potters in a special challenge fixture at the Hi-Edge Raceway this Sunday.

The Bulls’ neighbours closed at the end of the 2019 season when their Loomer Road track was sold for development, and a Select side will take to the track in their name this weekend.

Former Stoke captains Nigel Crabtree and Alan Molyneux along with Gary O’Hare have already confirmed their attendance.

Buxton boss Laurence Rogers said: “We wanted to get the Stoke supporters involved and get the Potters back on track and feel this is a good opportunity to do that.

“I also have some affection for the Potters as I am a former announcer of the club so they’ve always been close to my heart.”

(FIXTURES)

MONDAY MAY 18:

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn (40) v Ipswich (50) OFF

WEDNESDAY MAY 20:
MAXICAB KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Poole (49) v Oxford (39) 7.30 

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30

THURSDAY MAY 21:

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: Northampton (33) v Leicester (57) 7.30

FRIDAY MAY 22:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe v Glasgow 7.30

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Middlesbrough 7.30