BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2026/23

Feature photo by: TAYLOR LANNING…OXFORD manager Peter Schroeck has admitted the club’s Championship Best Pairs triumph came as a welcome boost after the toughest of seasons.
The Cheetahs were plunged into uncertainty in April following the termination of the stadium’s greyhound streaming contract, before Mike Austin and Spencer Timmo joined the promotion team to ensure their season could continue.
They were unable to challenge for a play-off spot in the Cab Direct Championship, but Sam Masters and Anders Rowe sealed Pairs silverware at Poole on Wednesday.

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 and Leicester have secured their play-off places, and Sheffield will join them barring a dramatic turn of results and race points difference. Ipswich are five points ahead of King’s Lynn in fourth place with both teams having two matches remaining.

ACES PLANNING AHEAD
BELLE Vue boss Mark Lemon said the Aces’ match at Leicester on Monday provided useful experience should the sides meet again this season.
The Lions won 49-41 butt the league leaders did comfortably enough for the aggregate point, and they are now almost certain to top the table heading into the play-offs.
Lemon said: “We didn’t start off the best, Leicester got a bit of a jump, but we forced our way back and we also did a lot of testing to try and get the performance right.
“I think we’re going to be back here at some point in the season when it really matters, and the boys in the pits worked really hard.
“Obviously we like to win and we wanted to get another victory on the road, but being realistic Leicester are a strong outfit and I think the score reflected that.”

SOLID LIONS WIN AGAIN
LEICESTER manager Stewart Dickson was happy with another solid showing at home as an eight-point win over Belle Vue put his side in the box seat for second place in the league table.
Dickson said: “We deserved 49, they had a tactical which they didn’t get a heat advantage from so I was pleased to nullify that, although Heat 14 was disappointing from the position we were in.
“Credit to their riders for that as well, Lemo (Mark Lemon) made a change that worked out there whereas I didn’t make a change because I didn’t feel it was necessary – but Dougy (Ryan Douglas) and Nick (Morris) bailed us out you could say in Heat 15, and sent everyone home happy.”

TIGERS’ TEAM EFFORT
SHEFFIELD boss Simon Stead praised the work ethic both on and off the track as his side added a useful league point to their total at Ipswich.
Operating rider replacement for the injured Jack Holder the Tigers went down 48-42 but they were successful on aggregate, which means only a dramatic points swing could now cost them a play-off place.
Stead said: “The six lads and their mechanics all really worked together as one behind the scenes and it was one big group effort once again.
“We really got into a flow, and yes we may have just come up short in the end on the night, but we did more than enough to win the aggregate point and for me, there were plenty of positives we can take away once again with a little bit more much needed momentum with us.”

WITCHES – STILL WORK TO DO
IPSWICH overcame Sheffield at Foxhall on Monday to move closer to a play-off place – but a  big test on Thursday awaits the defending champions.
They host Belle Vue in the knowledge that a home defeat could yet open the door to local rivals King’s Lynn and take the battle into the final week of the regular campaign.
Skipper Danny King said: “The way the season has gone, we have done really well at home. We just have to believe in ourselves and get the job done.
“They’re a solid outfit, as we know. It’s going to be another tough meeting. We just have to step up and do our jobs.”

LAST CHANCE FOR STARS
KING’S Lynn have to beat Leicester at home on Thursday to have any chance of reaching the play-offs, after a disappointing night in the reverse fixture last week.
The Stars were 18 points down after six races at the Hydroscand Arena meaning any realistic possibility of a much-needed away win went out of the window.
Manager Rob Lyon said: “It was one of our typical slow starts. We’ve had a few of those unfortunately, and we leave ourselves with too much to do to realistically get back in to make an impact.
“We rallied a little bit and given the start we had it was a respectable scoreline I guess – but it’s not play-off form unfortunately.”

FUN FACTOR FOR FOXES
NORTHAMPTON continued their encouraging run at the end of the season with a 47-43 home win over Ipswich.
Niels-Kristian Iversen and Jaimon Lidsey were both in double figures for the newcomers, who have moved into double figures in the league standings after making steady improvements during the second half of the season.
Iversen said: “It’s really good to get another win, and it’s just a shame that we’re coming to the end of the season.
“It’s still fun to come and ride here, and it’s especially more fun when we win! We can’t make the play-offs unfortunately, but it’s still good to come here and get some wins.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
IPSWICH take on leaders Belle Vue on Thursday with a win potentially required to seal their play-off place… Should the Witches slip up, King’s Lynn can remain in the hunt if they defeat Leicester… Sheffield can mathematically confirm their progression if they avoid defeat to Northampton… Monday’s two rearranged fixtures see Belle Vue meet Sheffield in the War of the Roses with the Aces looking to complete a 100 per cent home record, whilst Leicester will look to do likewise against Ipswich.

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP  LATEST

HOW IT STANDS
THE play-off line-up is set with leaders Poole facing fourth placed Edinburgh, whilst second placed Glasgow meet Scunthorpe who finished third. The remaining issue to be resolved in the league table concerns the wooden spoon, with Workington able to move off the bottom and ahead of Oxford if they win their final rearranged fixture against Redcar, on a date to be confirmed.

PAIRS JOY FOR CHEETAHS
OXFORD duo Sam Masters and Anders Rowe brought some joy to the Cowley club after a tough season in the Championship when they won the Best Pairs at Poole last Wednesday.
The Cheetahs duo topped the qualifying scorechart before getting the better of Glasgow in their semi-final and then defeating Berwick in the Final.
Masters said: “Oxford needed this and deserved it as a club. A big thank you to Jamie (Courtney), Pete (Schroeck) and all the crew who kept speedway at Oxford earlier this season. Oxford needs speedway and speedway needs Oxford – it’s as simple as that.
“It was nice to finally get a gold. We’ve had a lot of silver since I’ve joined the club but we’ve finally got a gold and it’s come at the end of the toughest year in the club’s history. A big thank you to all the fans who came to support us today – you could see what it meant to them.”

SCORPIONS EXCEED EXPECTATIONS
SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey wants to see his side extend their successful season by reaching the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final.
The Scorpions finished third in the regular league table and now host Glasgow as the play-offs get underway at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday.
Godfrey said: “Our riders have defied expectations to reach the play-offs this season – many people wrote us off, but we’ve proved them wrong.
“But we don’t want to stop here. We know we’re capable of beating anyone over two legs. It’s going to be an exciting evening against Glasgow at the EWR on Friday and it’s a date no-one can afford to miss.”

NEXT TARGET FOR TIGERS
GLASGOW’S hard-fought home win over Scunthorpe last Friday ensured them the home leg second when they meet the Scorpions again in the play-offs.
Manager Cami Brown declared himself happy with their efforts but knows they need to raise things still further for the decisive encounters.
Brown said: “To finish second in the league is impressive really considering we lost one of our top riders and we’ve had two guests for the last two months.
“We’ve gone through the regular league season undefeated at home and that’s been vital. Now all eyes turn to the play-offs when we face Scunthorpe again. It’s going to be two cracking meetings and we’ll need to find an extra level to reach the Final.”

PIRATES AIMING HIGH
POOLE No.1 Richard Lawson says the Pirates are well set for their title defence as they look ahead to their play-off semi-final against Edinburgh next week.
Lawson said: “I think we are looking good, and I said in a previous interview, when we get all seven going together, I think we are pretty deadly, and that is a good place to be in with the play-offs coming up.
“Middlo (Neil Middleditch) said we had eight last-heat deciders on our away trips, and they might not have come out our way, but that shows in a play-off situation we are right in the mix on the away tracks and we are smashing it at home.”

PK SET TO SIGN OFF
BERWICK owner Jamie Courtney has paid tribute to Danish racer Peter Kildemand as the club prepares for the MAXiCab KO Cup Final later this month.
The Bandits will look to build up a lead when they face Plymouth at Shielfield Park on September 26, which will be Kildemand’s last appearance at home having recently announced his retirement.
Courtney said: “As with everything about Peter, this announcement was sheer class.
“We have been very lucky to enjoy this very special rider at Berwick over the past two seasons and his final few meetings in our colours are some of the biggest in the club’s recent history.”

BEARS SO CLOSE
REDCAR promoter Jamie Swales admits fine margins cost his side a place in the Championship play-offs.
The Teesside outfit do have the consolation of the BSN Series Final to look forward to, as they defended their first leg advantage over Berwick and will now face Poole again in the decider, in a repeat of 2025.
Swales said: “The last two away (league) matches unfortunately hindered that (play-off) target as we came so close to winning the meetings at Glasgow and Berwick only to agonisingly miss out on both occasions despite each time forcing the home team to resort to the use of tactical substitutions.
“So near and yet so far, perhaps that sums up our 2026 campaign?”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
PLAY-OFF action gets underway at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday as Scunthorpe host Glasgow, with the date of the second leg to be confirmed. Meanwhile, the top riders from all second tier clubs will converge on Sheffield on Saturday as the Owlerton club hosts the Championship League Riders’ Championship.

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HOW IT STANDS
WITH six wins out of six so far, Edinburgh are six points clear at the top of the table, with Buxton in second place, whilst Leicester are seven points behind the Monarchs Academy but have two matches in hand.

ACADEMY STILL 100 PER CENT
EDINBURGH overcame a decent challenge from Oxford to maintain their 100 per cent record with a 51-39 win over the Chargers at Armadale.
No.1 Jordy Loftus led the scoring with 12 points and he also admitted he had enjoyed his battles with opposite number Jody Scott.
Loftus said: “It’s always good to get a win. We all had mechanical issues but we got through it, we worked hard and kept pushing.
“I got a good jump on Jody in Heat 1 and got the win, but in Heat 13 I had an uncontrollable wheelie! In Heat 15 I didn’t expect him to cut back under, he surprised me going in to turn three. Fair play to him he’s a good racer, but we’re happy to stay unbeaten.”

CHARGERS BATTLE AT ARMADALE
OXFORD youngster Ashton Vale said the Chargers had put up a creditable performance when they went down by 12 points against league leaders Edinburgh, having gone into the meeting without heat leader Darryl Ritchings.
Vale said: “We did well tonight, because Edinburgh are such a strong team and they are completely dialled into this track.
“I’ve had a wicked time riding for the Chargers this season. We’d had a few injuries and a few problems, but we enjoy racing together and it’s all building up nicely.”

THE WEEK AHEAD…
EDINBURGH can take a big step towards the title when they host likely challengers Leicester and then Buxton in a double header at Armadale on Friday. There is then British Youth action at the Scottish venue on Saturday, before the series concludes at Glasgow on Sunday.

FIXTURE PICTURE…

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich (28) v Belle Vue (62) 7.30, King’s Lynn (38) v Leicester (52) 7.30, Sheffield (45) v Northampton (45) 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Scunthorpe v Glasgow 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Leicester 7pm, Edinburgh (57) v Buxton (33) (follows previous fixture)

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12:
CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 7pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh 1.30

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13:
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow 1pm

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue (43) v Sheffield (47) 7,30, Leicester (40) v Ipswich (50) 7.30

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Poole v Edinburgh 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7pm, King’s Lynn v Middlesbrough (follows previous fixture)

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Northampton (45) v King’s Lynn (45) 7.30

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Poole 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Middlesbrough (37) v Leicester (53) 7.30

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19:
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Plymouth 7pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Buxton (29) v Leicester (61) 3pm

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL: TBC v TBC 7.30