SPEEDWAY by Alan Goodman

Although play-off hopes have virtually vanished and Bees will now be racing to avoid the Elite League wooden spoon, the good news last week was that Bees will be in action next season and hopefully the two after that.

Bees promoter Mick Horton has stressed future planning is already taking place with the club now able to look forward to at least the 2017 season at Brandon. He said: “We’ve had eighteen months of stressful negotiations, there’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of good people have been involved.

“We’ve got to look beyond next season. We’re very confident that we’ll have an extension for a further two years and seeming our future beyond that is going to involve the council and the community.”

Horton admits results on track this season have not met expectations after Bees reached the Elite League play-offs in 2014 and 2015.

He says putting a strong team on track next year will be a top priority, although full plans for that cannot be made until league structures have been finalised.

Bees’ match at Wolverhampton on Monday became an early casualty of the weather, the match being called off well before lunchtime.

World Team Cup

Bees’ riders past and present were involved in last week’s World Cup which resulted in a thrilling finale at the new Belle Vue stadium on Saturday night.

Poland are the new holders but the big story is the efforts of team GB who thanks to a late flourish finished in the silver medal position.

At the halfway stage it looked between Australia and GB as to who would miss out on a medal but the GB team got it together to support World Champion Tai Woffinden and get amongst the honours.

Woffinden finished up with nineteen points but Danny King, Craig Cook and Robert Lambert upped their game and turned in some good rides in the latter stages to overtake holders Sweden and get on the rostrum. King especially, after breaking the tapes in his first ride and becoming pointless after three rides recovered to take five points from his last two. In his last outing fans were treated to one of his trademark outside line bursts for a good win which brought the team to within two points of Sweden. Krzysztof Kasprzak scored eight for Poland with their skipper former Bee Piotr Pawlicki scoring ten.

Another Bees favourite Andreas Jonsson scored eight for Sweden.

This was a superb meeting with plenty of close and exciting racing and atoned for the previous night’s race off which was very processional.

Preview

It is back to league racing for Bees this weekend and tomorrow (Friday), they face a vital bottom-of-the-league clash with local rivals Leicester with the return the following night at Beaumont Leys. Friday’s match starts at 7.30 p.m.

On Monday they meet Swindon in a match rearranged after the July 1st meeting was cancelled due to rain. Again the start time is 7.30 p.m.

Storm are also due to visit Buxton on Sunday afternoon.

It is proposed to run a coach on Saturday, August 20 to take in Storm’s match at Rye House (2pm) and then Bees match at Lakeside at 7.30pm. Further details can be obtained from the BOSS kiosk in Speed Square or by telephoning (01788) 562132.

Alan Goodman