Important days ahead for Scorpions

HENDERSON INSURANCE Scunthorpe Scorpions face two key fixtures against Redcar Bears this week. Scorpions travel to the Media Prima Arena on Thursday evening, requiring a victory and no less, as they look to take a major step to the winning their Championship Shield group. Meanwhile, at the Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday evening (7.30pm), Scorpions open their league fixtures in the Championship, and a winning start is a must for a successful campaign.

Steve Worrall is still sidelined with his broken leg, with Ricky Wells coming in as the replacement at Redcar on Thursday, while Scorpions will utilise the rider replacement facility on Friday to cover for their injured skipper.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey says: “Of course, Friday’s match at the Eddie Wright Raceway is an important one for us.

“I look back to last season, and we got our league fixtures off to a terrible start – I think we only one won of our first seven meetings. After that kind of start, you are always left chasing your tails.

“We’ve already beaten Redcar by 58-32 at the Eddie Wright Raceway this season, but the scores start from 0-0 on Friday, and we still have a job to do.

“We have four league matches this month, three of them at home, so if we can be into double figures in terms of points earned by the beginning of next month, we will have given ourselves a decent platform from which to push on.”

Meanwhile, Sheffield Tigers have finished their Championship Shield fixtures on 13 points, after failing to score a point at Newcastle on Sunday. Scorpions have seven points with two meetings to go. A win at Redcar on Thursday by seven points or more, thus earning four match points, would leave them in the driving seat in the group, prior to their final home fixture in the Shield to Newcastle Diamonds (on Friday, May 11). But even a smaller win, would leave Scorpions in with a decent chance of progression, as a good-sized victory against Diamonds would see them top the group on race points difference!

Godfrey says: “Our away point earned at Newcastle could prove to be crucial. We certainly fared better at Brough Park than Sheffield, who suffered a heavy defeat there.

“We go into the meeting at Redcar knowing that we have to win it. We do have a couple of former Bears in Jason Garrity, who was there just last year, and Josh Auty, and we know the importance of winning the meeting.

“As long as we do pick up a win, we know it will go down to the Newcastle meeting at the EWR, although of course, if we could pick all four points from Redcar, it would be a major bonus.

“We realise that Redcar are not simply going to roll over and let us win, and we’ll have to work hard and get the result that we desire.”

Both Josh Auty and Stefan Nielsen will be buoyed from an open meeting in Germany last weekend. They were both key members of a Great Britain side that triumphed by a point in a four team tournament in Neustadt Donau.

On Friday, there will also be 160cc racing in the second half, a recently introduced class in the Amateur Meetings at Scunthorpe that is rapidly expanding.

Admission prices for Friday:

Adult: £16.00
Student/OAP: £14.00
Child (10 – 17): £5.00
Child (0 – 9) Free (accompanied by paying adult)
Family Ticket £37 (2 adults, 2 Children 10-17)
Match Programme: £1.00

Expected teams for Friday:

Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions: 1. Rider replacement for Steve Worrall, 2. Stefan Nielsen, 3. Josh Auty, 4. Jake Allen, 5. Jason Garrity (captain), 6. Danny Phillips, 7. Gino Manzares.

Redcar Bears: 1. Ben Barker, 2. Tobias Busch, 3. Jonas B. Andersen, 4. Mikkel B. Andersen, 5. Matej Kus, 6. Jordan Stewart, 7. Theo Pijper.