Speedway News

Chris Schramm has been granted his wish with the news that the 19-year-old will be returning to Smallmead to ride for the Reading Racers for the 2004 season on loan from Peterborough Panthers.

With the Weymouth Wildcats successful application to join the 2004 Conference League being accepted by the BSPA yesterday, Club Chairman Brian White has wasted no time in making his first signing.

Speedway result for Sunday 14 December. Brighton Bonanza, Brighton: Team Pairs Championship Bobby Schwartz and Shawn McConnell Bonanza VII Individual Championship

The weekend has seen a surge of transfer and signings activity as both Elite and Premier League promoters jockey for position and compete to complete their teams for the 2004 season.

Weymouth chairman Brian White has been pleased to see octogenarian Lew Coffin attending the reformed club's weekly training schools.

With the usual winter re-shuffling now rife in British Speedway, the behind the scenes structure at Berwick Speedway are also being tweaked and altered for the betterment of the club commercially and in terms of publicity on the world wide web.

Justin Elkins has been crowned Dorset Echo Weymouth Wildcats Rider of the Year 2003. The flying skipper took the prestigious award after roaring to victory in the paper's readers' poll which saw fans voting in their hundreds by post and e-mail.

Reading promoter Pat Bliss has issued the following statement:

Trelawny have stepped up their campaign to win public support for their proposed new speedway track near St Dennis. The latest moves come after the JAG Tigers promotion were falsely accused of misrepresenting discussions at a recent meeting of St Enoder Parish Council.

World champion Nicki Pedersen has been confirmed as Eastbourne's top rider for next season. The Dane has agreed a new deal with the club who are hoping to secure a longer term arrangement with his parent club Wolverhampton.

Benfield Sports International (BSI), rights holders of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series (SGP) and FIM Speedway World Cup (SWC), would like to clear up any confusion surrounding the 2004 calendar.

The Oxford Silver Machine management are working at full steam to put together the team for the 2004 Elite League season following a hugely successful British Speedway PromotersAssociation AGM which was held last week.

The new regulations introuduced for the Elite League next season mean that Wolverhampton will be forced to part with one of the Karlsson brothers meanwhile Chris Harris faces a tough decision of his own regarding where to ride in 2004.

Trelawny are presenting their proposals for a new speedway track at a site near St Dennis to local residents.

Elite League clubs Poole and Eastbourne have wasted little time in making moves to assemble their 2004 starting septets as both have made early signings.

Conference League co-ordinator Peter Morrish believes Weymouth will be accepted into the competition next year. Morrish, who is the administrator of speedway's third tier, has heard nothing but good reports about the Wildcats from referees, visiting riders and promoters.

Trelawny have been granted an extension until the New Year before having to declare their intentions for the 2004 speedway season. The JAG Tigers are still hoping to obtain planning permission for a new site near St Dennis in time to beat the revised deadline.

British Speedway's top flight will have 10 clubs next season - after Swindon and Arena Essex were confirmed as Elite League members at the sport's AGM. The race for the Sky Sports Elite League play-offs will be over two home and two away meetings which means 36 outings per club.

There was confusion over the future of JAG Tigers following the opening day of the British Speedway Promoters' Association AGM in Tenerife on Monday (Nov 17).

Sheffield Tigers have completed the signing of Andre Compton in a new two-year deal. Compton, who ended 2003 on the injured list, will have surgery to repair metalwork in his foot before Christmas and insists he will be fit for the start of next season.

Some of the south's top young speedway riders gathered in Weymouth as winter training schools returned to the Wessex Stadium following a break of almost 20 years.

A deal has been concluded with Terry Russell to take the Swindon Robins into the Elite League in the 2004 season.

Jim Turner and his passenger Darren Fleming made it a back to back win on the weekend securing the Australian Long Track title at Bathurst, NSW Australai for 2003 and in doing so secured their place as Australia's most formidable sidecar team.

Hull Vikings will roar into the 2004 season with a new owner following the successful takeover by businessman Paul Hodder. Hodder, a lifelong Vikings fan, has fulfilled his dream of taking over the club after negotiations with former promoter Nigel Wordsworth.