Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Monday, 2 June

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Tonight’s only match was at Reading where the Racers took on Stoke in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Reading 54, Stoke 41.


Reading were at full strength but Stoke were without the injured Lee Complin so had Kauko Nieminen as a guest at number 1.

This was a match which Reading might have expected to win comfortably but they found themselves 8 points down after just two races. Unfortunately for the Potters they didn’t provide another race winner until heat 11 when Kauko Nieminen scored 6 points from a Tactical Ride. The resultant 2-7 got the Potters back to within five points of their hosts but their challenge fizzled out after that.

Kauko Nieminen passed Mark Lemon on the second lap of the opening race while Mark Burrows won a good tussle for third from Chris Mills to give the Potters a 2-4 and early two point lead which they doubled in the reserves race. Jesper Kristiansen won from Glanz and Jakobsen for another 2-4 but then Reading replied with a 4-2 in heat 3 with an Ulrich Ostergaard win from Ben Barker while Tomas Suchanek passed Barrie Evans for third. The score was level again when the home side added another 4-2 in heat 4 after Tom P Madsen won from Emiliano Sanchez and Nicki Glanz passed Kristiansen for third. This took the score to 12-12.

Ostergaard and Suchanek gated for a 5-1 in heat 5 with Nieminen surprisingly trailing in last so the Racers now had a four point lead and they doubled it in heat 6 with another 5-1 from Mills and Lemon. This time it wasn’t plain sailing as Emiliano Sanchez made the gate. He was passed by Mills off the second bend and Lemon on the fourth bend so Stoke now found themselves trailing by eight points. Madsen passed Barrie Evans to win heat 8 for a 3-3 then Ben Barker took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 8 replacing Klaus Jakobsen. Chris Mills won the race but Ben Barker finally passed Glanz at the end of the second lap then his partner, Mark Burrows, so the visitors took a 3-5 advantage from the race taking the score to 28-22.

Ostergaard won heat 9 while Suchanek passed Jakobsen then Sanchez with an inside line burst to join him for a 5-1 which put Reading ten points ahead. Mark Lemon led heat 10 but an excellent pass by Ben Barker ended with the Stoke rider winning the race while Kristiansen fell and was excluded. This resulted in a shared race and Kauko Nieminen was then nominated for a Tactical Ride in heat 11. When Nieminen and Burrows gated the Stoke pair were sitting on a 1-8 but Madsen passed Burrows on the last lap to rescue two points for Reading leading to a 2-7 for the Potters which cut the lead to five points. Ostergaard won again in heat 12 from Barker while Kristiansen was excluded when he fell in third place. The home 4-2 took the score to 42-35.

A 5-1 from Madsen and Lemon in heat 13 with Nieminen retiring from the race all but sealed victory for the Racers stretching their lead to 11 points. Kristiansen and Suchanek came together in heat 14 and the Reading man was excluded from the rerun. Kristiansen won the rerun from Jaimie Smith for a 2-4 then the home side finished with another 5-1 in heat 15 when Ostergaard and Madsen led Nieminen home.

Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 15 (5) (maximum), Tom P Madsen 13+1 (5), Mark Lemon 8+2 (4), Chris Mills 7+1 (4), Tomas Suchanek 5+2 (4), Nicki Glanz 4 (4), Jaimie Smith 2 (4).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 13 (6) (with 4 point TS), Kauko Nieminen 10 (5) (with 6 point TR), Jesper Kristiansen 6 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 5 (4), Mark Burrows 4+1 (4), Barrie Evans 2+1 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 1 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Sunday, 1 June

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Three matches were scheduled for today. One of them was postponed well in advance of the start time – the Premier League match at Newcastle where the Isle of Wight were due to provide the opposition; one started and lasted two heats before being called off - the Premier League match at Glasgow where Sheffield were the visitors; and one was completed – the Premier League match at Mildenhall where the Fen Tigers took on Somerset.


Premier League: Glasgow 6, Sheffield 6 the match was abandoned after heat 2 due to a waterlogged track.


Glasgow were without Shane Parker, Trent Leverington and Josh Grajczonek all on the injury list. They had William Lawson as a guest at number 1 for Parker, used Rider Replacement at number 5 for Leverington and had Adam McKinna at number 7 as a guest for Josh Grajczonek. The Tigers also introduced their new signing, Anders Andersen at number 3. Sheffield were without the injured Sam Martin and had Ben Hopwood at number 6 as a guest.

It is debatable whether this match should ever have started on the already waterlogged track but it did. After two heats with the rain still falling a halt was called to the proceedings to see whether the rain would stop. It didn’t so the inevitable decision to abandon the meeting was made.

In the first race William Lawson powered from the start to win by the proverbial mile and Glasgow looked in good shape for a 5-1 when Lee Dicken saw off Ricky Ashworth to move into second place but he fell under no pressure on the second bend of the last lap which allowed Ashworth through. Joel Parsons had lost interest behind the other three riders long before this but kept going no doubt suspecting a fall by someone and his casual interest in the proceedings was rewarded when he coasted home for third place. In the reserves race Adam McKinna, anxious to get on with the heat, charged into the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. When the race got under way, Lee Smethills made a fast start for a tapes-to-flag win while Mitchell Davey took second. Adam McKinna quickly made up his 15 metre handicap to pass Ben Hopwood so the race was shared. Anders Andersen was quickly on to the track for his debut race for the Tigers in heat 3 but was recalled to the pits as the inevitable long-winded discussions took place between all and sundry before the decision was made to call a halt, a decision which had been quite clear as the only one possible to the crowd even before heat 1.

Scorers: For Glasgow – William Lawson 3 (1), Mitchell Davey 2 (1), Adam McKinna 1+1 (1), Lee Dicken 0 (1), Anders Andersen and Robert Ksiezak did not ride.

For Sheffield – Lee Smethills 3 (1), Ricky Ashworth 2 (1), Joel Parsons 1+1 (1), Ben Hopwood 0 (1), Andre Compton and Ben Wilson did not ride.



Premier League: Mildenhall 37, Somerset 55.


Mildenhall were without Mark Baseby and had Kyle Hughes at number 6 in his place. Somerset were at full strength.

Mildenhall started badly then faded as another of the top Premier League sides came, saw and routed them. They produced only four race winners all match, hardly the recipe for success and Somerset had the points wrapped up by heat 13.

The Fen Tigers got off to a poor start losing the opening two heats to 2-4s, as Jan Gravesen finished behind Jason Doyle in heat 1 and Kyle Hughes finished behind Brent Werner in heat 2, to trail by four points. Heat 3 had to be rerun after Matthias Kroger had fallen while trailing at the back. Kai Laukkanen won the rerun from Emil Kramer while Hughes’ third place gave the home side a 4-2 to cut the gap to two points. Although Robbie Kessler gated to lead heat 4, he was passed by both Jordan Frampton and Simon Walker who took a 1-5 leading to a score of 9-15.

The next three races all produced heat advantages to the visitors. Jason Doyle beat Kai Laukkanen in heat 5 with Katt third for a 2-4 then Jordan Frampton won heat 6 from Graversen, who passed Brent Werner for his two points, and another 2-4. Kramer and Kroger added a 1-5 in heat 7 to increase Somerset’s lead to 14 points then Jan Graversen took a Tactical Ride in heat 8 for the Fen Tigers. His task was made easier when Stephan Katt suffered an engine failure at the gate but he couldn’t take full advantage since Simon Walker won the race for the Rebels. With Graversen finishing second the home side took a 5-3 advantage taking the score to 19-31.

Another 2-4 added two more points to the visitors’ lead in heat 9 won by Frampton from Laukkanen but the home fans had something to cheer about in heat 10 when they witnessed that rarity – a 5-1 for the Fen Tigers! Many though the race should have been pulled back after an unsatisfactory start but the home boys weren’t hanging about for the red light to come on. Michal Rajkowski awoke from the slumbers of his otherwise pointless meeting to win the race while the much improved Jan Graversen took second ahead of the two Ks – Kroger and Kramer. This oasis in the desert pulled the home side’s arrears back to just ten points and they kept it that way after Stephan Katt had fallen and been excluded in heat 11. Jason Doyle won the race for a 3-3 but Somerset pulled away again with another 1-5 in heat 12 from Kramer and Werner taking the score to 30-44.

Robbie Kessler headed Frampton and Doyle home in heat 13 for a shared race, ruining the maximum hopes of both Rebels’ riders in the process, but Somerset added another 1-5 from Kroger and Walker in heat 14. In the last heat Robbie Kessler finished with a flourish by winning again from Doyle and Frampton for another shared race as Somerset ended up with an 18 point win.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Jan Graversen 10+1 (5) (with 4 point TR), Robbie Kessler 9+1 (5), Kai Laukkanen 7 (4), Kyle Hughes 6 (5), Michal Rajkowski 3 (4), Henning Loof 2+1 (4), Jari Makinen 0 (3).

For Somerset – Jason Doyle 12+1 (5), Jordan Frampton 12 +1 (5), Simon Walker 8+2 (4), Emil Kramer 8 (4), Brent Werner 7+1 (4), Matthias Kroger 6+1 (4), Stephan Katt 2 (4).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Saturday, 31 May

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Three matches were raced today. At Berwick the Bandits faced the Isle of Wight and at Workington the Comets took on Sheffield both in Premier League matches while at Rye House the Rockets raced against Birmingham in a first leg Knock Out Cup match.


Premier League: Berwick 46, Isle of Wight 44


Berwick were without Tero Aarnio, Norbert Magosi and Scott Smith. They had Kozza Smith as a guest at number 2, Adam McKinna as a guest at Number 7 and used Rider Replacement for Norbert Magosi, who was riding in the Hungarian Championships, at number 4. The Isle of Wight were missing Paul Fry and used Rider Replacement at number 4.

The opening race, won by Adrian Rymel from Jason Bunyan was shared as was the reserves race won by James Holder after passing Paul Clews coming off the second bend. Clews fought hard but couldn’t re-pass Holder. Behind them Adam McKinna passed Andrew Bargh for third for the 3-3. First blood went to Berwick with a 4-2 in heat 3. Glen Phillips led from the gate but was passed by Michal Makovsky on the third bend while Paul Clews provided third place for the Bandits. The two Islanders led from the gate in heat 4 but, while Krzysztof Stojanowski went on to win the race, Andrew Bargh was passed by firstly Tony Atkin then Adam McKinna for a shared race which took the score to 13-11.

Heat 5, won by Michal Makovsky from Jason Bunyan, was shared too after Kozza Smith fell on the third lap but the Bandits took a 5-1 in heat 6. Kozza Smith came from the back to lead the race in fine style while Adrian Rymel finished second ahead of Stojanowski. This gave the Bandits a six point lead but the Islanders pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat 7. Glen Phillips and Andrew Bargh were sitting on a 1-5 when Tony Atkin fell on the fourth bend causing the race to be stopped and rerun. In the rerun Glen Phillips again led the race but Paul Clews passed Bargh for second salvaging two points from the heat for the Bandits. The visitors then pulled back another two points in heat 8 when Cory Gathercole won the race from Kozza Smith while James Holder took third place taking the score to 25-23.

Krzysztof Stojanowski won heat 9 from Michal Makovsky for a 3-3 and heat 10, won by Adrian Rymel from Glen Phillips after Kozza Smith had fallen and been excluded, produced the same score. However the Islanders took a 1-5 in heat 11 as Jason Bunyan and Cory Gathercole gated to head home Paul Clews to put the visitors two points in front. Berwick countered that with a 5-1 from Paul Clews and Michal Makovsky ahead of Glen Phillips. This put Berwick back in front by two points again with the score now 37-35.

Adrian Rymel won heat 13 but Krzysztof Stojanowski and Jason Bunyan finished behind him for a shared race. Heat 14 provided a 2-4 to the Islanders which levelled the match at 42-42. Krzysztof Stojanowski headed Makovsky round the opening bends to lead the race then, when Makovsky shed a chain on the fourth bend, Paul Clews finished second with Andrew Bargh picking up the gift third place point. So it was a last heat decider in which Adrian Rymel raced round Stojanowski on the first bend with Makovsky trying to follow him through on the inside. Makovsky chased Stojanowski hard but decided that discretion was the better part of valour by turning his attention to keeping Gathercole behind him as the Islander started to threat. He only just managed it! The race finished as a 4-2 to the Bandits who therefore scraped home by two points in a nail biting finish.

Scorers: For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Michal Makovsky 11+1 (6), Paul Clews 11 (6), Kozza Smith 5 (5), Tony Atkin 3+1 (5), Adam McKinna 2+2 (3).

For the Isle of Wight – Krzysztof Stojanowski 14 (6), Jason Bunyan 8+1 (4), Glen Phillips 8 (4), Cory Gathercole 7+3 (5), James Holder 4 (4), Andrew Bargh 3+1 (7).



Premier League: Workington 45, Sheffield 45


Workington were without Carl Stonehewer and used Rider Replacement at number 5. They also introduced their new signing, Tomi Reima, at number 2. Sheffield were without Sam Martin, injured last night, and had Ben Hopwood as a guest at number 6.

Aye, speedway’s a funny old game. Just nine days ago Workington went to Sheffield and comfortably beat the Tigers by ten points. Tonight Sheffield made the trip to Workington in the return fixture and earned a draw. The Comets were of course missing Carl Stonehewer but an uncharacteristic single figure score from Daniel Nermark who only won one race (plus a paid win) didn’t help.

This match see-sawed back and forth all night. In the opening heat Joel Parsons touched the tapes and was replaced by Paul Cooper. Ricky Ashworth then led Daniel Nermark home while Paul Cooper took third from the Comets’ new man, Tomi Reima, for third and a 2-4. The Tigers’ lead was wiped out by a Comets’ 5-1 in the reserves race won by Joe Haines and Workington were now two points ahead. Back came the Tigers in heat 3 with a 1-5 although they were fortunate when Kauko Nieminen suffered an engine failure at the end of the third lap while out in front. Andre Compton and Lee Smethills took full advantage by heading Charles Wright home. This restored Sheffield’s two point lead and it stayed that way when Joe Haines won a titanic struggle with Ben Wilson to win heat 4 for a shared race which took the score to 11-13.

Ricky Ashworth fell in heat 5 and was excluded from the rerun which was won by Kauko Nieminen from Joel Parsons for a 4-2 to the home side levelling the scores again. Ben Wilson gated in heat 6 for the Tigers but Tomi Reima passed him round the opening bends and was followed soon after by Daniel Nermark leading to a home 5-1 which put the Comets four points in front. Back came Sheffield in heat 7 with a win from Andre Compton. The Tigers threatened a 1-5 as Lee Smethills joined him up front but Joe Haines passed him at the end of the second lap to turn the result into a 2-4. The visitors were now just two points down but they levelled the match again in heat 8 with another 2-4. Paul Cooper led from the start and again the Tigers were sitting on a 1-5 when Joel Parsons moved into second place behind him. However once more it was down to Joe Haines to rescue the Comets and this he did by passing Parsons right on the line to restrict the Tigers’ heat advantage to two points taking the score to 24-24.

Kauko Nieminen easily won heat 9 and, with Charles Wright in second, it was Workington’s turn to threaten a 5-1. However Ben Wilson passed Wright down the back straight to take second. Nonetheless the Comets took a 4-2 which put them back in front by two points again. They then stretched their lead to six points with a 5-1 from Daniel Nermark and Joe Haines ahead of Andre Compton but Sheffield hit back again in heat 11 when Ricky Ashworth beat Kauko Nieminen with Joel Parsons this time subduing Joe Haines to keep him at the back for a 2-4 which cut the visitors’ arrears to four points. John Branney fell on the second lap of heat 12 as Sheffield sat on a 1-5. He was excluded but it was scant consolation for the Tigers as Kauko Nieminen charged past both Cooper and Compton in the rerun to win the heat. Cooper fell on the second lap but remounted for third to earn a shared race which took the score to 38-34.

The alarm bells started ringing for Workington when Daniel Nermark fell while leading on the last lap in heat 13. The race was awarded to Ben Wilson with Tomi Reima (R/R) second and Ricky Ashworth third. This gave Sheffield another 2-4 cutting their arrears to just two points then they squared the match in heat 14 with yet another 2-4. Lee Smethills and Paul Cooper led from the gate for the Tigers and once again it was left to Joe Haines to rescue second place for the home side. This he did passing Paul Cooper on the second lap off the second bend and setting up a last heat decider in which Andre Compton scored a tapes-to-flag victory for the visitors from Nieminen and Nermark for a shared race which left the match tied.

Scorers: For Workington – Joe Haines 14+1 (7), Kauko Nieminen 13 (6), Daniel Nermark 8+2 (5), Tomi Reima 5 (4), Charles Wright 3 (5), John Branney 2+1 (3).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 12 (5), Paul Cooper 8+2 (6), Ben Wilson 8 (4), Ricky Ashworth 7 (5), Lee Smethills 6+1 (4), Joel Parsons 4 (4), Ben Hopwood 0 (3).



Knock Out Cup (second round, first leg): Rye House 62, Birmingham 30


Both teams were at full strength (briefly).

At last Birmingham welcomed back their injury victims, Phil Morris and James Birkinshaw, but their injury list wasn’t depleted for long. In the opening heat Phil Morris ploughed through the third bend fence while Adam Roynon followed him. Both withdrew from the meeting, Morris with a dislocated shoulder and Roynon with a broken leg, leaving the Brummies yet again in tatters. It seems barely conceivable that the fates could conspire against them so cruelly. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jason Lyons suffered lacerations to his hand after crashing into his stricken partner in heat 12 ruling him out of the last race.

In the opening heat Robert Mear raced inside Phil Morris on the third bend of the second lap. Although there was no contact, Morris straightened up and crashed through the fence causing Adam Roynon to lay down his bike to avoid hitting Morris but he only succeeded in crashing into the fence too. This left both Birmingham riders to take trips to the hospital leaving the Brummies with only five riders and no opening pairing. In the rerun of heat 1 Chris Neath and Robert Mear easily beat James Birkinshaw for a 5-1. Heat 2 had to be rerun too after Luke Bowen fell attempting an outside pass on race leader, James Birkinshaw, at the end of the second lap. He was excluded from the rerun in which Birkinshaw won from the gate from Danny Betson for a 2-4. Tai Woffinden passed Jason Lyons in heat 3 at the end of the first lap and Tommy Allen did likewise on the next lap but Lyons regained his second place soon after. This gave Rye House a 4-2 and four point lead again and they added a 5-1 in heat 4 in yet another rerun race after Craig Watson had fallen on the second lap. Luke Bowen and Stefan Ekberg took all five points in the rerun which took the score to 16-8.

Woffinden and Allen recorded a 5-1 against the two Brummies’ reserves in heat 5 and Neath and Mear added another beating Craig Watson in heat 6 after Mear had passed Watson on the backstraight. In heat 7 Birmingham gave Jason Lyons a Tactical Ride but Stefan Ekberg won the race to deny him all six points. Birmingham still took a heat advantage though when Lee Smart passed Danny Betson for third resulting in a 3-5 to the visitors. In heat 8 Bowen and Mear beat the two Brummies’ reserves for another 5-1 taking the score to 34-16.

In heat 9 Tai Woffinden passed Craig Watson while Tommy Allen took third for a 4-2 which stretched the home side’s lead to 20 points and it stayed that way when Jason Lyons won heat 10 for a shared race. Stefan Ekberg won heat 11 but the two Brummies’ reserves finished ahead of Danny Betson to share this race too. In heat 12 there was more trouble for the depleted visitors when James Birkinshaw fell on the last bend of the second lap and Jason Lyons ran into him hurting his hand in the process. The race was awarded to Luke Bowen and Tai Woffinden for another 5-1 which took the score to 49-25.

Birmingham’s resources were reaching exhaustion point and they were able to track just one rider in heat 13, Craig Watson. Stefan Ekberg took a tapes-to-flag win but Watson passed Chris Neath for second so the race finished as a 4-2 for the Rockets. Jack Hargreaves then fell in heat 14 while at the back so the race had to be rerun. Tommy Allen won it for the home side but Lee Smart held on under pressure from Bowen for second place and another 4-2. To complete a dismal night for Birmingham Craig Watson fell in heat 15 causing that heat to be rerun too, the sixth rerun of the night. Ekberg and Woffinden completed their maximums beating Smart into third place for a 32 point lead to take into the second leg which surely ends Birmingham’s chances of progression.

Scorers: For Rye House – Stefan Ekberg 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Tai Woffinden 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Luke Bowen 10 (5), Robert Mear 8+3 (4), Chris Neath 8+1 (4), Tommy Allen 7+1 (4), Danny Betson 2 (3).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 10 (4) (with 4 point TR), James Birkinshaw 8+1 (7), Craig Watson 5 (5), Lee Smart 4+1 (5), Jack Hargreaves 3 (7), Phil Morris 0 (1), Adam Roynon 0 (0).