WELCOME to the latest news from the BSPA, featuring items on all nine competing teams in the Elite League.
BELLE VUE know that the re-staging of their home match against Coventry, which is still to be arranged, is likely to be crucial to their hopes of avoiding the bottom two.
Manager Chris Morton said: "The match against Wolverhampton last Monday was very important for us and the Coventry fixture looks like being the same.
"I was pleased to get the Wolves match out of the way with a win because they were fired up after a heavy 60-30 defeat on their recent visit to Belle Vue and we had four riders missing."
COVENTRY manager Peter Oakes says the Bees need to rapidly improve on their showing at Peterborough on Monday where they lost by nine points despite having the majority of heat winners.
Oakes said: "You're not going to win matches with twelve last places, especially away from home. It's an impossible task if you're not getting third places.
"You have to take your hat off to Hans Andersen and Chris Harris for their race wins, and I would imagine that they went home fairly depressed that we got nothing out of it despite their efforts."
EASTBOURNE star Edward Kennett says the Arlington side are fully focused on salvaging some silverware from an up-and-down season, having reached the Knockout Cup Final.
Kennett said: "The team seems to have got together and that's what we maybe should have done when we were losing meetings.
"I think we have all realised that we want to win the Knockout Cup and everyone seems to have got a bit closer."
IPSWICH welcomed back Jarek Hampel and Robert Miskowiak for their crucial win at Wolverhampton on Monday which booked their play-off place.
The Witches had been under some pressure after losing at home to Lakeside last week but responded well at Monmore Green.
Promoter John Louis said: "Jarek has been riding under the weather for a while and it got to him. I was rough with a similar bug a few weeks ago and know how bad he is feeling. And there was nothing we could do about the situation with Robert, and could only bring in a six point Premier League rider as he was not injured or ill."
LAKESIDE have bolstered their injury-hit side in time for the Elite League play-offs with the signing of in-form Pole Tomasz Jedrzejak.
Jedrzejak almost qualified for the Grand Prix at the weekend and has been in top form in his home country this season.
Hammers chief Jon Cook said: “Tomasz comes to us highly recommended and he will be in a reserve berth for October.
“He’s a class act these days and he should fit in here at Lakeside quite comfortably.”
PETERBOROUGH skipper Ryan Sullivan reckons the Panthers are in line for a strong finish to the season to avoid a place in the bottom two play-offs.
Sullivan said: "Everyone is pulling together and fighting for one another, which is only going to help us in our current position.
"Everyone is enjoying their racing under a new promotion and we know we have to make sure we get ourselves out of the bottom two."
POOLE star Davey Watt intends to return to action this week, quashing speculation that he could miss the Pirates' play-off campaign with a foot injury.
Watt said: "It's ligament damage between the bones. They've been stretched and shaken about a bit by the impact of being caught in Lukas Dryml's back wheel.
"I'm definitely not out for the season, and I want to do some testing this week to make sure I have my equipment right because we have some trophies to win."
SWINDON manager Alun Rossiter has given his backing to recently axed Robins rider Travis McGowan to come back stronger from a disappointing season.
Rossiter said: "I think in the end it was a weight off Trov's shoulders. Despite his outward cheer it must have got him down, and it wasn't for the lack of spending or trying things with his machinery.
"While he was scoring a few points, even though it was below expectations, there were no better options. We were not going to bring Seb Alden back after just one meeting in Sweden."
WOLVERHAMPTON youngster Ludvig Lindgren made a dream start to his Monmore Green career with a win in his first race.
Lindgren, 17, is the younger brother of skipper Freddie and looked useful in the 52-40 defeat by Ipswich.
He said: “It’s a dream come true for me to be riding for Wolverhampton. My brother speaks very highly of the club and of British Speedway in general.”
