Post by Genghis on Apr 11, 2014 10:36:03 GMT
THE CHAMPIONS ARE COMING!
THERE’S a mouth-watering double-header at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday (3pm), with both the respective Premier League and National League champions in town.
The FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions are involved in their first league match of the season, entertaining the Somerset Rebels; the team who succeeded the Scorpions as Premier League Champions.
Meanwhile, the rookie riders of the Scunthorpe Stags face a very hard task – facing powerhouse Cradley Heath in a National League match.
The Scorpions had suffered a torrid start to the season, losing their opening three League Cup matches and seeing No 1 Anders Mellgren suffer a fracture of the spine that is likely to him out of the rest of the 2014 campaign.
But on Thursday night, the Scorpions took a terrific 53-41 away win at Sheffield, and the team will be hoping to continue that momentum against Somerset.
“We’ve got to beat Somerset”, said Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey. “Up until the brilliant win at Sheffield, we’d had a horrible start to this season. We showed what we are capable at Sheffield, and we need to do that again at home to Somerset.
“It’s vital for us to get our Premier League campaign with a home win – we don’t want to be playing catch up. I’m confident that we can start pick up away league points; but at the same time, we don’t want to losing points from home meetings.
“It is a big meeting for us on Sunday. We’re bringing in Redcar’s Aaron Summers as the guest for Anders – the very best guest we could find.”
Somerset have a very different looking line-up in 2014, but home and away wins against Newcastle to land the first silverware of the season in the Premier Shield, had demonstrated the Rebels again have a very effective team. The key to their team is Brady Kurtz, a highly-rated Australian who is brand new to British Speedway.
Godfrey insists that the Scorpions will wait until the right time to bring in a replacement for the injured Mellgren.
“It would be foolish to rush in”, he said. “We’ll wait until the right time, maybe it will be in a couple of weeks time, when the new averages kick in.
“Whatever we decide, it will have a major bearing on the rest of our season. We need to make the right move, and make it at the right time.”
Meanwhile, Godfrey was delighted with the progress shown by the Scunthorpe Stags last Sunday. Although the Stags lost 37-56 at home to King’s Lynn, it was a much improved performance on the Stags’ opening three matches, all of which resulted in heavy defeats.
“I was very pleased by the performance of the Stags’ lads last week. Unfortunately we have a few of the boys out injured, but those left put in great performances, which were much improved from the previous week.
“Both Ryan MacDonald and Danno Verge were paid for double figures, while Liam Sanderson’s ride to win Heat 14 from behind was just sensational.
“We are on a hiding to nothing for this Sunday’s meeting against Cradley, but beyond that, we will see the riders continue to progress.
“Last Sunday’s meeting convinced me we are doing the right thing with the Stags.”
Danno Verge is away on Sunday – attending a training school held by former World Champion Jan O Pedersen in Denmark.
Sunday’s adult admission price for the double-header is £17. It’s just £2 more than a single Premier League meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, for 15 extra heats of action.
The circuit rightfully has won the award, several times, for being the best racetrack in the Premier League, so a full and exciting day of racing is ahead.
Admission prices for Sunday:
Adult: £17.00
Student/OAP: £15.00
Child (10 – 17): £5.00
Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult)
Family Ticket £39 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-16)
Match Programme: £1.00
Expected teams for Sunday (English unless stated):
FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Aaron Summers (Australia), 2. David Howe, 3. Thomas Jørgensen (Denmark), 4. Ashley Birks, 5. Josh Auty, 6. Matt Williamson, 7. Ryan Douglas (Australia).
Somerset Rebels: 1. Nick Morris (Australia), 2. Todd Kurtz (Australia), 3. Brady Kurtz (Australia), 4. Pontus Aspgren (Sweden), 5. Oliver Allen, 6. Charles Wright, 7. Paul Starke.
Scunthorpe Stags: 1. Steve Jones, 2. Ryan MacDonald (Scotland). 3. Sam Woods, 4. Adam Kirby, 5. R/R for Arron Mogridge, 6. Sam Chapman, 7. Liam Sanderson.
Cradley Heathens: 1. Paul Starke, 2. Nathan Greaves, 3. Tom Perry, 4. Max Clegg, 5. Steve Worrall, 6. Matt Williamson, 7. Danny Phillips.
Somerset Rebels at EWR
Ave Ave Best
Name Lge M R Pts BP (no BP) (w BP) Performance
Oliver Allen DEBUT PL MEETING @ EWR
Pontus Aspgren PL 1 4 5 0 5.00 5.00 5 from 4 rides (2013)
Brady Kurtz DEBUT PL MEETING @ EWR
Todd Kurtz PL 6 26 24 6 3.69 4.62 12 from 7 rides (2013)
Nick Morris PL 18 89 176 13 7.91 8.49 15 from 6 rides (2012)
Paul Starke PL 1 3 0 0 0.00 0.00
Charles Wright PL 5 20 15 3 3.00 3.60 4 + 1 from 5 rides (2012)
Other Notes
Somerset are the current Premier League Champions and won the 2014 Premier Shield.
Oliver Allen
2013 Premier League Riders Champion.
Has represented GB in Speedway World Cup Tournaments.
Has won League Championship titles at National, Premier and Elite League levels.
Member of Swindon's PL KO Cup and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2000.
Member of King's Lynn's PL KO Cup and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2005.
Member of Coventry's EL KO Cup and Elite Shield Winning Teams in 2006.
Pontus Aspgren
Made his British League debut with Wolverhampton in the 2012 Elite League.
Rode at Premier League level with Rye House in 2013.
Has represented Sweden at Under-19 and Under-21 level.
Brady Kurtz
Riding in his debut British League season.
Twice Australian Under-16 Champion (125cc) in 2009/10 and 2011/12.
New South Wales Under-16 Champion in 2011/12.
New South Wales State Champion in 2013/14.
Todd Kurtz
Member of Newport's Premier League KO Cup Winning Team in 2011.
Australian and New South Wales Under-16 Champion in 2007/08.
Nick Morris
Former Scunthorpe Scorpion and a member of the 2012 Premier League Championship Winning Team.
Twice Queensland Under-16 Champion in 2008/09 and 2009/10.
New South Wales Under-16 Champion in 2009/10.
Member of Buxton's National League Championship Winning Team in 2010.
Member of Glasgow's Premier League Championship Winning Team in 2011.
Member of Swindon's Elite League Championship Winning Team in 2012.
Member of Somerset's Premier League Championship and KO Cup Winning Teams in 2013.
Named as a 'doubling-up' rider with Swindon for the 2014 Elite League season.
Paul Starke
Member of Plymouth's Conference Trophy and KO Cup Winning Teams in 2008.
Member of Plymouth's National Trophy Winning Team in 2009.
Member of Newcastle's PL KO Cup Winning Team in 2012.
Member of Dudley's NL Championship, KO Cup and Fours Winning Teams in 2013.
Will captain Cradley in the 2014 National League season.
Charles Wright
Member of Workington's PL Fours and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2008.
Member of Somerset's Premier League Championship and KO Cup Winning Teams in 2013.
Somerset Rebels' Results at EWR
05 May 2008 PL L Scunthorpe 51 Somerset 39
13 April 2009 PT L Scunthorpe 53 Somerset 40
05 June 2009 PL L Scunthorpe 47 Somerset 43
03 May 2010 PL L Scunthorpe 56 Somerset 40
02 October 2010 YS L Scunthorpe 70 Somerset 20
25 April 2011 PL L Scunthorpe 49 Somerset 41
04 September 2011 PL Ph 2 L Scunthorpe 49 Somerset 41
27 August 2012 PL L Scunthorpe 50 Somerset 40
29 October 2012 PL POF L Scunthorpe 48 Somerset 42
27 May 2013 PL W Scunthorpe 37 Somerset 56
Scunthorpe Scorpions Team sponsors:
FluidAir Power Ltd:
www.fluidair-power.co.uk
THERE’S a mouth-watering double-header at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday (3pm), with both the respective Premier League and National League champions in town.
The FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions are involved in their first league match of the season, entertaining the Somerset Rebels; the team who succeeded the Scorpions as Premier League Champions.
Meanwhile, the rookie riders of the Scunthorpe Stags face a very hard task – facing powerhouse Cradley Heath in a National League match.
The Scorpions had suffered a torrid start to the season, losing their opening three League Cup matches and seeing No 1 Anders Mellgren suffer a fracture of the spine that is likely to him out of the rest of the 2014 campaign.
But on Thursday night, the Scorpions took a terrific 53-41 away win at Sheffield, and the team will be hoping to continue that momentum against Somerset.
“We’ve got to beat Somerset”, said Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey. “Up until the brilliant win at Sheffield, we’d had a horrible start to this season. We showed what we are capable at Sheffield, and we need to do that again at home to Somerset.
“It’s vital for us to get our Premier League campaign with a home win – we don’t want to be playing catch up. I’m confident that we can start pick up away league points; but at the same time, we don’t want to losing points from home meetings.
“It is a big meeting for us on Sunday. We’re bringing in Redcar’s Aaron Summers as the guest for Anders – the very best guest we could find.”
Somerset have a very different looking line-up in 2014, but home and away wins against Newcastle to land the first silverware of the season in the Premier Shield, had demonstrated the Rebels again have a very effective team. The key to their team is Brady Kurtz, a highly-rated Australian who is brand new to British Speedway.
Godfrey insists that the Scorpions will wait until the right time to bring in a replacement for the injured Mellgren.
“It would be foolish to rush in”, he said. “We’ll wait until the right time, maybe it will be in a couple of weeks time, when the new averages kick in.
“Whatever we decide, it will have a major bearing on the rest of our season. We need to make the right move, and make it at the right time.”
Meanwhile, Godfrey was delighted with the progress shown by the Scunthorpe Stags last Sunday. Although the Stags lost 37-56 at home to King’s Lynn, it was a much improved performance on the Stags’ opening three matches, all of which resulted in heavy defeats.
“I was very pleased by the performance of the Stags’ lads last week. Unfortunately we have a few of the boys out injured, but those left put in great performances, which were much improved from the previous week.
“Both Ryan MacDonald and Danno Verge were paid for double figures, while Liam Sanderson’s ride to win Heat 14 from behind was just sensational.
“We are on a hiding to nothing for this Sunday’s meeting against Cradley, but beyond that, we will see the riders continue to progress.
“Last Sunday’s meeting convinced me we are doing the right thing with the Stags.”
Danno Verge is away on Sunday – attending a training school held by former World Champion Jan O Pedersen in Denmark.
Sunday’s adult admission price for the double-header is £17. It’s just £2 more than a single Premier League meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, for 15 extra heats of action.
The circuit rightfully has won the award, several times, for being the best racetrack in the Premier League, so a full and exciting day of racing is ahead.
Admission prices for Sunday:
Adult: £17.00
Student/OAP: £15.00
Child (10 – 17): £5.00
Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult)
Family Ticket £39 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-16)
Match Programme: £1.00
Expected teams for Sunday (English unless stated):
FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Aaron Summers (Australia), 2. David Howe, 3. Thomas Jørgensen (Denmark), 4. Ashley Birks, 5. Josh Auty, 6. Matt Williamson, 7. Ryan Douglas (Australia).
Somerset Rebels: 1. Nick Morris (Australia), 2. Todd Kurtz (Australia), 3. Brady Kurtz (Australia), 4. Pontus Aspgren (Sweden), 5. Oliver Allen, 6. Charles Wright, 7. Paul Starke.
Scunthorpe Stags: 1. Steve Jones, 2. Ryan MacDonald (Scotland). 3. Sam Woods, 4. Adam Kirby, 5. R/R for Arron Mogridge, 6. Sam Chapman, 7. Liam Sanderson.
Cradley Heathens: 1. Paul Starke, 2. Nathan Greaves, 3. Tom Perry, 4. Max Clegg, 5. Steve Worrall, 6. Matt Williamson, 7. Danny Phillips.
Somerset Rebels at EWR
Ave Ave Best
Name Lge M R Pts BP (no BP) (w BP) Performance
Oliver Allen DEBUT PL MEETING @ EWR
Pontus Aspgren PL 1 4 5 0 5.00 5.00 5 from 4 rides (2013)
Brady Kurtz DEBUT PL MEETING @ EWR
Todd Kurtz PL 6 26 24 6 3.69 4.62 12 from 7 rides (2013)
Nick Morris PL 18 89 176 13 7.91 8.49 15 from 6 rides (2012)
Paul Starke PL 1 3 0 0 0.00 0.00
Charles Wright PL 5 20 15 3 3.00 3.60 4 + 1 from 5 rides (2012)
Other Notes
Somerset are the current Premier League Champions and won the 2014 Premier Shield.
Oliver Allen
2013 Premier League Riders Champion.
Has represented GB in Speedway World Cup Tournaments.
Has won League Championship titles at National, Premier and Elite League levels.
Member of Swindon's PL KO Cup and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2000.
Member of King's Lynn's PL KO Cup and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2005.
Member of Coventry's EL KO Cup and Elite Shield Winning Teams in 2006.
Pontus Aspgren
Made his British League debut with Wolverhampton in the 2012 Elite League.
Rode at Premier League level with Rye House in 2013.
Has represented Sweden at Under-19 and Under-21 level.
Brady Kurtz
Riding in his debut British League season.
Twice Australian Under-16 Champion (125cc) in 2009/10 and 2011/12.
New South Wales Under-16 Champion in 2011/12.
New South Wales State Champion in 2013/14.
Todd Kurtz
Member of Newport's Premier League KO Cup Winning Team in 2011.
Australian and New South Wales Under-16 Champion in 2007/08.
Nick Morris
Former Scunthorpe Scorpion and a member of the 2012 Premier League Championship Winning Team.
Twice Queensland Under-16 Champion in 2008/09 and 2009/10.
New South Wales Under-16 Champion in 2009/10.
Member of Buxton's National League Championship Winning Team in 2010.
Member of Glasgow's Premier League Championship Winning Team in 2011.
Member of Swindon's Elite League Championship Winning Team in 2012.
Member of Somerset's Premier League Championship and KO Cup Winning Teams in 2013.
Named as a 'doubling-up' rider with Swindon for the 2014 Elite League season.
Paul Starke
Member of Plymouth's Conference Trophy and KO Cup Winning Teams in 2008.
Member of Plymouth's National Trophy Winning Team in 2009.
Member of Newcastle's PL KO Cup Winning Team in 2012.
Member of Dudley's NL Championship, KO Cup and Fours Winning Teams in 2013.
Will captain Cradley in the 2014 National League season.
Charles Wright
Member of Workington's PL Fours and Young Shield Winning Teams in 2008.
Member of Somerset's Premier League Championship and KO Cup Winning Teams in 2013.
Somerset Rebels' Results at EWR
05 May 2008 PL L Scunthorpe 51 Somerset 39
13 April 2009 PT L Scunthorpe 53 Somerset 40
05 June 2009 PL L Scunthorpe 47 Somerset 43
03 May 2010 PL L Scunthorpe 56 Somerset 40
02 October 2010 YS L Scunthorpe 70 Somerset 20
25 April 2011 PL L Scunthorpe 49 Somerset 41
04 September 2011 PL Ph 2 L Scunthorpe 49 Somerset 41
27 August 2012 PL L Scunthorpe 50 Somerset 40
29 October 2012 PL POF L Scunthorpe 48 Somerset 42
27 May 2013 PL W Scunthorpe 37 Somerset 56
Scunthorpe Scorpions Team sponsors:
FluidAir Power Ltd:
www.fluidair-power.co.uk