Speedway News

Peter Collins is to be awarded an MBE for his services to speedway.

The qualification process for next year's Grand Prix series continues at Poole this Sunday with the staging of the annual Overseas Final.

Tony Rickardsson emerged victorious from a frenetic British Grand Prix in Cardiff, beating off a determined Jason Crump in the final.

Workington Comets suffered further injury troubles on Saturday night as popular Australian heat leader Mick Powell crashed out, possibly for the season, with a broken femur and assorted other injuries in the home victory over Arena Essex.

Elite League basement club Belle Vue Aces have finally moved to bring in three new faces to complete their line-up.

Oxford teenager and fast rising talent Lukas Drymyl showed just how good a rider he is developing into by running away with the World Under-21 Championship quarter final, at Peterborough on Sunday afternoon.

In something of a shock announcement immediately following his third place in the British Final on Saturday night, Martin Dugard made it known that this is to be his last season in speedway and he will hang up his Kevlar's at the end of the current campaign.

Australia's world title fancy Jason Crump slammed in an unbeaten performance of true world class to make the difference between two reasonably evenly matched sides in the opening GB-Australia test at Ipswich's Foxall Stadium.

Sheffield have taken an early lead at the head of the Premier League table with a 63-26 win over Trelawny which, despite the scoreline, produced some fine speedway with Scott Smith and Simon Stead winning points the hard way.

Sixteen of the world's best speedway riders under the age of twenty-one will be on display at Peterborough on Sunday afternoon with the aim of qualification for the semi-finals of the World Under-21 Championship.

Club Cradley Heath has announced that they will be staging an individual meeting next month with riders invited to compete for the Ivor Hughes Memorial Trophy.

Arena Essex are poised to take Australian youngster Lee Herne on loan from Trelawny as cover for the injured Andy Galvin, it has emerged.

The coming week's speedway encounters in full, including a test match between GB and Australia, the British final and an U21 world qualifier.... 21 May Elite League Belle Vue v Poole (7.30pm) Wolverhampton v Ipswich (7.30pm)

This coming Saturday sees the staging of the 2001 British Final of the World Championship at Coventry, and hot competition is in prospect.

Team Roberts speedway rider Billy Hamill admitted he only had himself to blame for his opening GP disappointment in Berlin - but then took a swipe at track conditions.

2001 PREMIER TROPHY NORTH TABLE 1 Sheffield 22 2 Workington 20 3 Edinburgh 14 4 Newcastle 15 5 Glasgow 12 6 Hull 11 7 Stoke 8 8 Berwick 6 2001 PREMIER TROPHY SOUTH TABLE

Sheffield Speedway has approached the Guinness Book of Records following their Conference League victory over Boston in Kings Lynn on Saturday night.

Fans of Club Cradley Heath have been rewarded with the fixture everyone wanted - and it's the shortest trip they will make all season, as the Heathens travel to Monmore Green to face local arch-rivals Wolves in a second-half challenge on Monday 4 June.

Henrik Gustafsson will replace the injured Joe Screen in the FIM German Speedway Grand Prix, on Saturday 5th May.

Eastbourne's Grand Prix star Joe Screen has broken a thigh after crashing in his club's away fixture at Kings Lynn on Wednesday night.

Sheffield's fast rising teenage superstar Simon Stead is the new British Under 21 speedway champion after winning the crown with a stunning unbeaten performance at Wolverhampton on Monday evening.

Results - 17-19 April: 17 April: Isle of Wight 56 Newport 34 (Premier trophy) Trelawny 46 Swindon 44 (Premier Trophy) 18 April: Belle Vue 44 Wolverhampton 46 (Elite League) Poole 51 Kings Lynn 39 (Elite League) Hull 48 Edinburgh 42 (Premier Trophy)

Jeremy Doncaster and Jason Bunyan have pulled out of the British semi-final due to be staged at Newport on April 29.

The unlucky Barry Campbell is in hospital with various broken bones and internal injuries after a high speed crash during Workington's Good Friday home meeting with Stoke.