THE LATEST news from all nine Elite League clubs plus an update on the British Final.
TEENAGE ace Adam Roynon has revealed how he's counting the days to his British Final debut.
Roynon, 19, is one of three riders to automatically book their place in the showpiece event at Swindon on May 29 through his display in the British Under-21 Final last month.
And the Cumbrian kid, currently riding for Premier League Birmingham, admits he'll be a bag of nerves in the hours leading up to the event.
He said: "I never get nervous before a meeting but just the thought of the British Final sets my heart pounding. All I want to do is prove to the speedway world that I am making progress in my efforts to get up there with the top guys.
"I know there's a long way to go in my career but you have to be ambitious and I know a lot of people were surprised I didn't join Coventry in the winter. I just felt the time was right for me to stay in the Premier League and continue my development.
"I'm not making any predictions, but I will go there with a positive attitude and just do my best, as I'm sure everyone will."
Once again the highest placed rider outside of GP regulars Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris will go to Cardiff as wildcard for the British Grand Prix - and that will give riders like Lee Richardson, Simon Stead and David Howe hope of making it to the Welsh capital next month.
Great Britain boss Jim Lynch said: "It promises to be a terrific meeting, I'm very much looking forward to it and I still have an open mind on the squad for the World Cup as well.
"I feel sure we are in for a heck of a meeting and there is a lot to ride for. Chris and Scott have a lot on their plate if they are to win the national title, there's a lot of lads after it!"
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE celebrated the news that Jason Crump is set to become a full-time asset of the club once again with their first win in three home outings against Swindon.
Manager Chris Morton said: "I am extremely proud of the way the lads dealt with a very tough match against the league leaders.
"They showed a lot of guts and team spirit and worked for each other in a fixture that was always going to be tough for a team hit by injuries so badly."
COVENTRY manager Peter Oakes felt his side were caught out by track conditions as they went down to a second home defeat of the season against Lakeside.
Oakes said: "We had a lot of grip on the track for our last home meeting, and you only had to see the lack of actual passing tonight to know that there wasn't enough grip to encourage passing.
"We're convinced that the changes in track conditions are reflected in the inconsistent performances we're seeing, as we've ranged from displays reminiscent of last year's grand slam to those from back in 2004 when we were bottom of the table."
EASTBOURNE are awaiting news on captain Lee Richardson, who sustained a suspected fracture to the already cracked bone in his wrist as the Eagles were beaten at home by South coast rivals Poole.
Eagles boss Trevor Geer said: "You can't cater for an injury like that to Lee. Maybe if we had a strong reserve we could have coped but Simon Gustafsson was struggling and I feel for Brent Werner. He is out of his depth a bit here.
"It was always going to be tough as soon as we lost Lee. He has been struggling with his wrist and he thought he could ride heavily strapped up. The track was very heavy and Lee did not have the strength in his wrist to hang on."
IPSWICH skipper Steve Johnston feels he is now up to speed after a slow start to the season - and he proved it with a paid-eleven score to help the Witches to a comfortable home win over his former club Wolverhampton.
Johnston said: "After fifteen seasons of riding continuously in England, Europe and Australia I decided to take the Australian summer off. It therefore took me a little while to get dialled in this season, but I seem to be getting there now.
"The boys have done well. I have been captain of most of the clubs I have ridden for, and I very much enjoy it."
LAKESIDE may well hold a psychological edge over Coventry when the sides meet in the Craven Shield Final later this season - because the Hammers took their first win at Brandon in nearly four years on Monday.
Former Bees riders did plenty of damage to their former club with Andreas Jonsson dropping just one point in six rides, and a re-vitalised Joonas Kylmakorpi scoring paid 16 at reserve.
Co-promoter Jon Cook said: "I think the team is gelling well, and the things we have done as a business through the winter have paid off. A fortnight's break after the Eastbourne meeting on Friday is a good opportunity to take stock."
PETERBOROUGH boss Trevor Swales has hinted that changes could be imminent at the Showground as the Panthers look to climb up from the foot of the Elite League table.
Swales said: "The management have been working tirelessly behind the scenes and we are very close to being able to start the process of righting the things that are wrong.
"It is vital we make the correct changes rather than doing it for the sake of it - and that's something we feel we are doing."
POOLE manager Neil Middleditch heaped praise on stand-in captain Adam Skornicki who scored a remarkable 18 (paid 19) in the Pirates victory at Eastbourne - their second away win in five days.
Middleditch said: "It was a real captain's performance. The boys are just in awe of him at the moment because he is riding so well.
"But we've said it all along. We have gone with strength in depth this year, and even with all the injuries we have had, we are still there or thereabouts in the league."
SWINDON manager Alun Rossiter defended young Australian Troy Batchelor after his rider was fined by referee Graham Flint for an outburst during the Robins' narrow defeat at Belle Vue.
Rossiter said: "Troy is adamant that Charlie (Gjedde) took him down - then the referee has fined him for gesturing which really is over the top.
"From my point of view, it was tight going in, but I can only go on what my rider says and Troy is positive he was touched. A few things didn't go for us, but we'll keep our heads up."
WOLVERHAMPTON star David Howe believes the team need a morale boosting win when they face Ipswich at Monmore Green on Monday.
"A good win on Monday would lift us all and hopefully every member of the team can score some points," said Howe.
"That has to be our aim although Ipswich have riders who can do well at our track so we'll need to work hard for sure."
Howe scored 11-points in Monday’s World Championship qualifier in Germany to go through to the semi-finals.
