Scunthorpe Scorpions vs Redcar Bears preview
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!
THE end of the 2016 speedway season is rapidly approaching, with the penultimate home fixture of the season for the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Sunday (6.30pm), as they entertain the Redcar Bears in a match which will go a long way in determining who finishes in last place in the 2016 Premier League.
It’s a busy and crucial weekend for Scorpions, as they also travel to Rye House tomorrow (Saturday) to take on another team at the wrong end of the table.
With Josh Bailey ruled out for the season with his collarbone injury, Scorpions will again call on the services of 17-year-old Birmingham star Jack Smith for both matches this weekend. Smith impressed with a battling 3+1 in a 54-38 victory against Newcastle on Bank Holiday Monday.
“We’ve got some massive meetings ahead of us this weekend”, says Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey.
“The place where no-one wants to finish is last place in the league. It was looking a bit bleak a couple of weeks ago, when we were seven points adrift. But the wins over Workington and Newcastle have allowed us to close right in on Rye House, Redcar and Plymouth above us.
“Four of our remaining six meetings are against those teams, and that gives us a real chance to climb the table before the end of the season, especially as we now seem to be riding better than at any point in the year.”
Several Scorpions have hit terrific form at the moment – and two top-scored at Elite League level on Thursday evening. Lewis Kerr scored 11 for Lakeside at King’s Lynn; while Michael Palm Toft contributed a mammoth 13+2 in a guest appearance for Leicester at Swindon.
Godfrey is looking for another victory against Redcar on Sunday.
He insists: “We certainly won’t under-estimate the Bears; they recently took an excellent draw at Peterborough.
“They’ve got a number or riders who enjoy riding our place, and I think it’s going to be another cracker of a meeting.
“But we really seem to have clicked as a unit around the Eddie Wright Raceway, and there’s no reason why we can’t finish the meeting with another three points in the bank.
“We’ve seen some absolutely brilliant action around Scunthorpe this season, but the season is rapidly drawing to a close.
“My message to the supporters is a clear one; to come along and enjoy some terrific racing before we take a six-month break for the winter, because, in terms of home meetings, we’ve only got Sunday’s meeting against Redcar and next Friday’s meeting against Rye House to go.”
There are 24 heats of action in total on Sunday, with a nine-race second half consisting of a six-heat Northern Junior League match between Halifax and Redcar, and the vintage bikes of yesteryear in three ‘Blast From The Past’ races.
Admission prices for Sunday:
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 Sunday:
Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Josh Auty, 2. Michael Palm Toft, 3. Lewis Kerr, 4. Fritz Wallner (pictured), 5. Ryan Douglas, 6. Carl Wilkinson, 7. Jack Smith (guest).
Redcar Bears: 1. David Bellego, 2. Tobias Busch, 3. Hugh Skidmore, 4. Jonas B. Andersen, 5. Lasse Bjerre, 6. Jye Etheridge, 7. Lee Payne.
Northern Junior League teams:
Halifax Dukes: 1. Kean Dicken, 2. Sheldon Davies, 3. Jordan Palin, 4. Harry McGurk.
Redcar Cubs: 1. Carl Basford, 2. William O’Keefe, 3. Elliot Kelly, 4. Alex Goldsborough.
* SCORPIONS will utilise rider replacement for Lewis Kerr at Rye House on Saturday evening – it is his brother’s wedding. Lewis will return to the side at Scunthorpe on Sunday.
