Speedway News

The Bandits of Berwick move into the new season with new Team sponsors and a new team name - The Elm Bank Berwick Bandits. Elm Bank coastal retreat is situated on the south bank of the Tweed and is a stones throw away from the rugged Northumberland coastline.

Ronni Pedersen, the older brother of the 2003 World Speedway Champion Nicki Pedersen, is the latest name to be added to the Arena-Essex squad for the 2004 season.

Oxford Silver Machine Chief Nigel Wagstaff has finally got his man with the news that Greg Hancock has been named as the third confirmed rider to line up for Oxford in the 2004 Sky Sports Elite League.

Taking to the track for the first time this winter during Friday night's practice session was new Wildcats signing and Taunton based Paul Candy. "That was my first aggressive outing on a bike since the end of October, I now feel very confident with the bikes and with my fitness.

Venturing into unchartered waters is just what new Wildcats team manager Mike Vernam is doing.

Arena-Essex Speedway Promoter, Ronnie Russell, has been in talks with Josh Larsen virtually since the moment he decided to take the Hammers back up into the top League of Speedway in this Country.

Glasgow have completed the signing of former England test star Graham Jones to boost their Premier League title hopes. Jones replaces Trent Leverington who has been freed to allow more room at the bottom end of the team.

With only a month to go before the Carlos Villar Benefit meeting is set to explode upon the Berwick sporting scene, his fund continues to grow at a steady rate, once again through the close season.

Following Rob Finlow's horrific injury at Newport last October whilst riding for Somerset Rebels, a group of the Rebels fans have rallied round with a collection for Rob and presented him with a laptop computer.

The Reading Euphony Racers promotion have named two more riders in their quest for Premier League honours in 2004. Completing the top five sees Andrew Appleton returning for his third season with the Berkshire club.

Wimbledon team captain Chris Hunt is to leave Plough Lane and will be racing for Conference League rivals Carmarthen in 2004, after being squeezed out of the GMB Dons line up by a mere 0.008 of a point.

Arena-Essex Speedway rider Paul Hurry is likely to miss the opening matches for the A F Stocktaking Hammers in the Sky Sports Elite League due to his arm injury requiring further surgery.

Wimbledon have secured the prized signature of promising Matthew Wright, on loan to the GMB Dons from parent club Ipswich. GMB Dons Team Manager Dingle Brown arranged the transfer from his holiday retreat in Tenerife, which leaves only three slots to be filled for the ambitious Londoners.

Two of Australia's best young speedway protagonists will set aside their regular fellowship when they go head-to-head in this Saturday's Australian Under 21 Solo Speedway Championship at Undera Park Speedway, near Shepparton (Vic), on January 31.

Arena-Essex Speedway today followed up on their announcement on Monday of the signing of Grzegorz Walasek with news of another signing for the 2004 season. This time they have named the rider who will represent the Club as their No.8.

Cornish based riders Jason Prynne and Wayne Barrett are among the first riders to join the new Plymouth Conference League speedway side. They have been joined by David Mason, the former skipper of Premier League Rye House, and Australian Corey Blackman, who rode for Exeter last season.

Berwick Bandits side took a huge step to completion with the announcement this week that popular Dane Claus Kristensen is to return to the Border outfit.

International Championship Events/ICE presented round three of the 28th Annual World Championship ICE Racing Series last Thursday night to a packed Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, CO.

Reading have announced their fifth signing of the winter for their 2004 team, as the Euphony Racers have signed up Chris Mills on loan from Oxford to fill one of the reserve berths.

The latest signing for the Weymouth Wildcats Speedway team by his own admission expects to make big strides in the sport by achieving an eight or nine point average in this years Conference League.

Wimbledon GMB Dons have pulled off a stunning coup with the sensational capture of reigning Conference Riders Champion Barrie Evans for the forthcoming season at Plough Lane.

Despite the Christmas break, the money has continued to roll into the Carlos Villar Support Fund for the paralysed Berwick Bandit's speedway rider with the announcement at the latest committee meeting on Wednesday night that the current total is ?15,411.54.

Attempts to bring speedway back to Norwich were dashed earlier this week - an outcome that has left Norwich proposed chairman Steven Ribbons rather annoyed and threatening legal action. He issued the following statement.

The national speedway season continues its relentless charge through January when the 2004 Australian under 16 solo championship is held at Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura (Vic) from this Thursday until Sunday (15 18).