Biggest meeting at Eddie Wright Raceway since 2012

FLUIDAIR POWER Scunthorpe Scorpions start their Premier League play-off campaign this week, with two meetings of huge significance, away at Ipswich on Thursday night and then at home to Somerset Rebels at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday evening (7.30pm). The latter is a mouth-watering clash, pitting the 2012 Premier League champions (Scunthorpe) against the 2013 champions (Somerset).

The Scorpions will head into battle without both skipper Ashley Birks and flying young Australian Ryan Douglas, both sidelined with scaphoid (wrist) injuries.

Scunthorpe will use the rider replacement facility for Douglas in both meetings. With the 21-year-old Australian currently second in the Scorpions’ official Green Sheet averages, the foursome of Nicolai Klindt, David Howe, Josh Auty and Thomas Jorgensen can all take one of Ryan’s rides.

Birks, currently at reserve, is replaced by guests Mark Lemon at Ipswich and Ben Wilson at Scunthorpe.

The Scorpions also make an additional change on Friday evening, with Benji Compton – a former Scunthorpe Scorpion and Saint – coming in for the unavailable Tom Perry, who is riding for Cradley Heath at Coventry in National League KO Cup action on that evening. Compton guested in the last meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway, the sensational 62-34 demolition of Berwick, and scored paid five.

FRIDAY’S clash with the Somerset Rebels is the biggest meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway since Monday, October 29, 2012. Ironically, it was also the Rebels in opposition on that night, as the Scorpions won an epic play-off final by 92-91 on aggregate.

Scunthorpe missed out on a play-off spot in 2013, but are back in the mix this year, and determined to make the most of their chance.

Promoter Rob Godfrey said: “We’ve ended up in the play-off group we wanted to be in; the other group looks a shoe-in for Edinburgh, but we’re in an even group where any one of the three teams can qualify and that suits us.

“Ideally, of course, we’d want a fully fit team of our own riders taking to the track. The recent injuries to Ash & Ryan have been a huge blow, to be honest.

“But we’ve been here before. In 2012, Josh Auty and Nick Morris were injured at a critical time in our play-off campaign. We came through it then and still ended up as champions, and we’d love to do that again.

“In terms of the psychology, I think any pressure is off us, because everyone is now thinking of us as the underdogs in this group. But we’re still going to go out there, with the intention of getting through. We can win this group.”

Godfrey believes race points could prove to be important in a group which could end up with all home wins. All of the regular league matches between the Scorpions, Somerset and Ipswich ended up as victories to the homesters.

“We want to beat Somerset by as many points as possible on Friday”, he said.

“That’s certainly no easy task, but that’s what we need to do. Our whole team is going to be up for it, with Ben Wilson and Benji Compton – both former Scunthorpe riders – needing no introduction to our fans.

“It’s going to be a huge night. Play-off speedway is always full of drama, tension and excitement, and we’re proud to have what is widely acknowledged as one of the best racetracks in the country.

“On Friday night, the Eddie Wright Raceway will be the place to be. It’s a night not to be missed”, concluded Godfrey.

Full play-off schedule for Group B:

Thursday, September 25 – Ipswich v Scunthorpe at Foxhall Heath
Friday, September 26 – Scunthorpe v Somerset (7.30pm) at the Eddie Wright Raceway
Wednesday, October 1 – Somerset v Scunthorpe at the Oak Tree Arena
Thursday, October 2 – Ipswich v Somerset at Foxhall Heath
Friday, October 3 – Scunthorpe v Ipswich (7.30pm) at the Eddie Wright Raceway
Friday, October 10 – Somerset v Ipswich at the Oak Tree Arena

HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS WORK:

The two semi-final groups are determined on a mini-league basis (i.e. two home and two away fixtures for each club), with match points being accumulated as in regular fixtures. In the case of a tie on match points, race points difference is the deciding factor.

The winners of the two groups then meet home and away in the Grand Final, with the aggregate winners becoming the 2014 Premier League Champions.

Admission prices for Friday:

Adult: £15.00
Student/OAP: £13.00
Child (10 – 17): £5.00
Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult)
Family Ticket £35 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17)
Match Programme: £1.00

Expected teams for Friday (English unless stated):

FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Nicolai Klindt (Denmark), 2. David Howe, 3. Rider replacement for Ryan Douglas (Australia), 4. Josh Auty, 5. Thomas Jørgensen (Denmark), 6. Benji Compton (guest), 7. Ben Wilson (guest).

Somerset Rebels: 1. Oliver Allen, 2. R/R for Brady Kurtz (Australia), 3. Charles Wright, 4. Pontus Aspgren (Sweden), 5. Nick Morris (Australia), 6. Todd Kurtz (Australia), 7. Paul Starke.

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 2 10 16 2 6.40 7.20 11 + 2 from 6 rides (2014)
Todd Kurtz PL 7 31 33 6 4.26 5.03 12 from 7 rides (2013)
Nick Morris PL 19 95 183 14 7.71 8.29 15 from 6 rides (2012)
Paul Starke PL 2 7 4 2 2.29 3.43 4 + 2 from 4 rides (2014)
Charles Wright PL 6 24 21 3 3.50 4.00 6 from 4 rides (2014)

Other Notes

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.

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.
Captain of 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
13 April 2014 PL L Scunthorpe 46 Somerset 44

* Scunthorpe are holding their annual track collection for the Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund on Friday. Please give generously to this most worthy cause.