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VOLUME 73 NUMBER 31 8 COPPERGATE MEWS, BRIGHTON ROAD, SURBITON, SURREY, KT6 5NE EDITORIAL Telephone: (020) 8335 1113 E-mail: star@pinegen.co.uk Editor: Andrew Skeels Assistant editor: Tony McDonald News and feature writers: Paul Burbidge, Peter Oakes and Phil Lanning Art editor: Mick Smith Production editor: Mark Frankham Front cover design: Jeff Davies CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions manager: Dave Fairbrother Telephone: (020) 8335 1113 (9 am-2.30 pm) E-mail: subs@pinegen.co.uk Or visit www.speedwaystar.net and click on the subscriptions link. SUBSCRIPTION RATES UK (52 issues): ......................................£128 UK (26 issues): ........................................£65 UK (13 issues): ........................................£33 EUROPE (52 issues): ............................£144 EUROPE (26 issues): ..............................£74 USA (52 issues):....................................£164 USA (26 issues):......................................£84 REST OF WORLD (52 issues) ................£174 REST OF WORLD (26 issues): ..................£89 DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS www.exacteditions.com/speedwaystar ADVERTISING Advertising manager: Mick Hooker Office: 01279 771125 Mobile: 07957 814639 E-mail: coveadv@gmail.com ACCOUNTS Accounts manager: Marina Abbott Telephone: (020) 8335 1104 E-mail: accounts@pinegen.co.uk Speedway Star is published by the proprietors Pinegen Limited. Printed by: Warners Midlands PLC Printers Distributed by: Seymour Distribution Ltd., 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT. Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper © copyright 2024 Pinegen Limited NEWSDESK ROBERT LAMBERT can lay down a “vital marker” in the final Grand Prix of 2024 in Torun on Saturday. The Norwich-born star picked up his first-ever GP win at Vojens a fortnight ago, a victory overshadowed by Bartosz Zmarzlik claiming his fifth world title in the same race. However, three-time World Champion Jason Crump believes that next year’s series begins right now for ‘Fast Lambo’ on his home Ekstraliga track. Crump said: “I guess the main focus from most people will be on Robert’s bid to secure the silver medal against Freddie (Lindgren). “Fred’s got a 13-point lead over Martin Vaculik for third place and you’d think that Jack Holder will overtake Mikkel Michelsen for sixth place in the championship. “But I firmly believe that next year’s title race starts right now. That should be the case in Robert’s mind. He can lay down a vital marker for next season. “He needs to go to Torun and win again. Even though Bartosz is picking up the trophy again and a gold medal, a win for Rob would really show he means business for 2025. “There was never any doubt in my mind during my career that every GP meant something. Even if I was out of the title race, that last GP was an opportunity to find something, win it and start the mind games for the following year. “I have little doubt that Robert will be just focused on the next round, keep up that momentum and end this season in the best possible way. “He’s only had one blip all season, in Gorzow where he scored three points. That was out of character. The brutal truth is that you cannot afford any blips if you are to be World Champion. “Not when you have Bartosz reeling off final after final. I had a similar scenario chasing down Tony (Rickardsson). “There were only six rounds in 2001. I had a poor opening night in Berlin, finished runnerup in the next two, got a third and then won the last two…and still didn’t win the title! “Rob has to eliminate even the one bad night. To be fair, he’s been pretty damn good since the Speedway of Nations. He was sensational in the final for GB and then redhot in the GPs since then. “If he can win in Torun he will be so revved-up all winter and buzzing to get into next season.” TORUN TAR Jason Crump tells PHIL LANNING why it’s important to finish the SGP series strongly… Crump was also delighted to see Andzejs Lebedevs seal his place in next year’s series after winning the European Championship at the weekend. He added: “Lebedevs has been one of the revelations of the season. While other bigger names have faltered, he’s looked the real deal. He’s only reached one final and is prone to an erratic race or two. But when he’s been in the mood, he’s been impressive.” they look like they need a bit of a morale-boosting big result in Torun. “I don’t really know what the script is with them but they’ve been way off their usual high standards in recent weeks. “The glut of GPs in a month really hurt them because their form dipped at those vital moments. They can definitely salvage a bit of pride in Torun and start to plan for 2025 in a better frame of mind. Crump is also convinced that even though the big medals and key placings are almost sorted, there’s so much to race for in the Marian Rose MotoArena. He added: “In my experience, for the same reasons I believe Robert must finish on a high, it’s equally deflating to end on a low. “For the likes of Jack Holder and Leon Madsen especially, “Jack has to pick up five points to overtake Michelsen and claim the final sixth place in the standings to secure his place for next season. Although he’s found it tough lately, I fully expect him to get that job done. “Of course Dominik Kubera can still really turn up the heat if he made the final in Torun to grab that sixth spot. That would be a huge turnaround.” ONE of the major talking points at last Saturday’s final Speedway European Championship round in Chorzow, Poland was the state of the track that proved to be very demanding for some riders. Oxford’s SGP star Maciej Janowski was forced to withdraw from the meeting – won by Andzejs Lebedevs – after his spectacular crash in Heat 9, although ‘Magic’ miraculously avoided serious injury. There was debate both during and after the meeting about what had gone wrong. Krzysztof Cegielski, the former SGP rider and Polish rider Janusz Kolodziej’s close friend, commented: “I rode here back in 2002 and finished one of the races without a bike, because Ryan Sullivan fell in front of the finishing line in a semi-final and I was tangled between our bikes, which resulted in my broken leg. “Today, the boys have been examining the track not knowing what might happen. “There was much loose material on the inside line and there were suggestions to move it to the outside, which is the opposite direction to what we see on daily basis.” Cegielski also revealed that track safety concerns were behind his protégé’s absence from the Chorzow event. “Janusz really wanted to race her, but after the afternoon practice session all his injuryrelated demons came back – the shoulder and his general lack of strength – forced him to 2 speedway star September 28, 2024
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ARGET After the final race at Torun, attention will turn to the cutthroat GP Challenge and then who picks up the wild card places. Four riders will confirm their 2025 SGP spots at Pardubice on October 4, with four more selected shortly after. Crump continued: “There’s some big races and decisions coming up, that’s for sure. “Lebedevs has avoided all the doubts with his Euro win but the wild card picks will be tough. Obviously attention will turn to the injured riders, Jason Doyle, Tai Woffinden and Mikkel Michelsen. “I guess much depends on who makes it through the Challenge as well. It seems hard to believe a Dane isn’t confirmed yet in the series for 2025, although I’m sure that won’t be the case when the final line-up is announced. “But there’s so much on the line over the next fortnight for every rider.” n Torun SGP preview – pages 34-35. withdraw to save himself and other riders from possible injury. But reserve Robert Chmiel has done pretty well and full credit to him.” One explanation for the state of the track, last used for speedway in 2019, could be the fact that it had undoubtedly been affected by sustained spells of rain during the week before and when it seemed it was about to dry, another midweek downpour even put the prospect of staging the grand finale to the SEC series in doubt. Promoting company One Sport, led by Jacek Gajewski, used much heavy equipment, including the water truck belonging to the nearest speedway club Slask Swietochlowice, while one of the Slask’s sponsors delivered Panthers’ D-day T THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Leicester v Belle Vue (Premiership Grand Final, 2nd leg) 7.30 pm HE future of speedway at Peterborough’s East of England Showground could be decided next month. WHAT’S ON FIXTURES: SEPT 26-OCT 13 The city’s Planning Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 15 to consider the bid to turn the showground site into a housing and leisure development that excludes speedway to end more than half a century of racing at the venue. The consortium that is fighting to save the Panthers, who were turfed out at the end of last season, will be out in force to oppose two fresh planning applications that have been lodged by land promoters Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) Limited. The first is to demolish the grandstand and other buildings and replace them with 850 houses, a 250-bed hotel and some leisure facilities. The second is to build another 650 homes. So far there have been 2,200 formal objections registered with Peterborough City Council and 60 in support of a scheme that would leave the city without a speedway track for the first time since 1969. There is no provision to include speedway within the plans and that is in direct contravention of the local plan LP30, which states categorically that any loss of existing leisure and sports facilities will not be supported. Consortium member Mick Bratley said: “This is an attempt to ignore the relevant policies and kill off speedway at the East of England Showground, where it has enjoyed 53 years of uninterrupted racing until stopped by AEPG. “Our message is clear. Peterborough City Council should refuse any application for planning permission which fails to comply with the relevant national and local policies and take whatever steps are required to ensure compliance with its own policies.” FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Poole v Oxford (Championship Grand Final, 2nd leg) 7.30 pm Redcar: Teesside Silver Helmet 7.30 pm SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Scunthorpe v Poole (BSN Series Final, 1st leg) 5.30 pm MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Birmingham v Cradley v Coventry v Wolverhampton (Alan Grahame Memorial Four Team Tournament) 7.30 pm Belle Vue v Scunthorpe/Sheffield (National Development League) 7.30 pm WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 Poole v Scunthorpe (BSN Series Final, 2nd leg) 5.30 pm SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 Iwade: Eastbourne v Thurrock (NORA Challenge) 12.00 pm TV TIMES TV TIMES Campaigners fighting to save the sport will cite the situation at Coventry, where developers lost their appeal against Rugby Borough Council’s refusal to let them build houses on the site of Brandon Stadium because it didn’t comply with the Local Plan. Compiled BY PHIL LANNING The case went to a Planning Inspector Appeal which the local council won. Brian Connolly, who worked on the successful campaign to oppose the residential development of Coventry Stadium, has been advising the Peterborough consortium. He said: “After nine days of evidence the Planning Inspector rejected the arguments against speedway and the consortium will ask the Planning Committee to follow and adopt the Coventry Stadium Appeal decision and the reasons behind it. “We are preparing a detailed response to address the relevant planning points, in particular those in place to protect sporting facilities at risk from development.” THE season is going out with a broadcasting bang. There are five meetings in seven days… and every one a final. It kicks off on Eurosport with the deciding leg of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final at Leicester against Belle Vue tonight (Thursday). That is swiftly followed on BSN the next night by the second leg of the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final at Poole against Oxford. Bratley, a former co-promoter of the Panthers, added: “As we have seen elsewhere, a number of misleading suggestions are being made about speedway. These are the same suggestions which were rejected by the Planning Inspector in the Coventry Stadium Planning Appeal, as a result of which development of the Coventry Speedway track was refused.” The Peterborough Panthers Speedway Consortium (Forever Panthers Consortium) are keen to ensure that supporters let their views be known through the online petition at: www.ipetitions.com/ petition/register-your-support-to-preserve-speedway-in. Saturday marks the culmination of the SGP season in Torun, where the big medals will be dished out in one of the great stadiums on Eurosport. Then all eyes switch to the BSN Series Final at Scunthorpe on Sunday and the Grand Final decider at Wimborne Road on October 2. Obviously all these fixtures are subject to the weather conditions, so keep an eye on social media for updates. bulldozers that were used in laying the track surface. Two of the busiest men during the build up to the main event were former Slask riders Jacek Folkert and Tomasz Krzykowski who have collaborated with the Torunbased organisers since speedway returned to Slaski Stadion back in 2018. Critics of One Sport argue that Ole Olsen and his colleagues are much better at laying one-off tracks, as they do for SGPs. Yet it must be said that the Great Dane has gained substantial experience in this business over many years, building at least two tracks per season, while Gajewski’s previous attempt to construct a shale surface on the athletics track date back five years. Report: WOJTEK SZOLTYSEK n SEC report – pages 19-21. LIVE SPEEDWAY THIS WEEK EUROSPORT/DISCOVERY+ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26: Leicester v Belle Vue, ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final, 2nd Leg, 7.30 pm. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28: DeWalt FIM Speedway GP of Poland, Torun, 6 pm. BRITISH SPEEDWAY NETWORK FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27: Poole v Oxford, Cab Direct Championship Grand Final, 2nd leg, 7 pm. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29: Scunthorpe v Poole, BSN Series Final, 1st leg, 5 pm. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2: Poole v Scunthorpe, BSN Series Final, 2nd leg, 7 pm. (watch.britishspeedway.co.uk) Check BSN social media for dates. CLUB STREAMINGS BIRMINGHAM: https://www.brummies.tv EDINBURGH: www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/live-stream LEICESTER: www.leicesterspeedway.com/ Home/LionsTV OXFORD: https://livestream.oxfordspeedway.club POOLE: livestream.poole-speedway.com REDCAR: www.redcar-speedway.com SCUNTHORPE: tv.scunthorpe-speedway.com

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ARGET

After the final race at Torun, attention will turn to the cutthroat GP Challenge and then who picks up the wild card places. Four riders will confirm their 2025 SGP spots at Pardubice on October 4, with four more selected shortly after.

Crump continued: “There’s some big races and decisions coming up, that’s for sure.

“Lebedevs has avoided all the doubts with his Euro win but the wild card picks will be tough. Obviously attention will turn to the injured riders, Jason Doyle, Tai Woffinden and Mikkel Michelsen.

“I guess much depends on who makes it through the Challenge as well. It seems hard to believe a Dane isn’t confirmed yet in the series for 2025, although I’m sure that won’t be the case when the final line-up is announced.

“But there’s so much on the line over the next fortnight for every rider.” n Torun SGP preview – pages 34-35.

withdraw to save himself and other riders from possible injury. But reserve Robert Chmiel has done pretty well and full credit to him.”

One explanation for the state of the track, last used for speedway in 2019, could be the fact that it had undoubtedly been affected by sustained spells of rain during the week before and when it seemed it was about to dry, another midweek downpour even put the prospect of staging the grand finale to the SEC series in doubt.

Promoting company One Sport, led by Jacek Gajewski, used much heavy equipment, including the water truck belonging to the nearest speedway club Slask Swietochlowice, while one of the Slask’s sponsors delivered

Panthers’ D-day T THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 Leicester v Belle Vue (Premiership Grand Final, 2nd leg) 7.30 pm

HE future of speedway at Peterborough’s East of England Showground could be decided next month.

WHAT’S ON

FIXTURES: SEPT 26-OCT 13

The city’s Planning Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 15 to consider the bid to turn the showground site into a housing and leisure development that excludes speedway to end more than half a century of racing at the venue.

The consortium that is fighting to save the Panthers, who were turfed out at the end of last season, will be out in force to oppose two fresh planning applications that have been lodged by land promoters Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) Limited.

The first is to demolish the grandstand and other buildings and replace them with 850 houses, a 250-bed hotel and some leisure facilities. The second is to build another 650 homes.

So far there have been 2,200 formal objections registered with Peterborough City Council and 60 in support of a scheme that would leave the city without a speedway track for the first time since 1969.

There is no provision to include speedway within the plans and that is in direct contravention of the local plan LP30, which states categorically that any loss of existing leisure and sports facilities will not be supported.

Consortium member Mick Bratley said: “This is an attempt to ignore the relevant policies and kill off speedway at the East of England Showground, where it has enjoyed 53 years of uninterrupted racing until stopped by AEPG.

“Our message is clear. Peterborough City Council should refuse any application for planning permission which fails to comply with the relevant national and local policies and take whatever steps are required to ensure compliance with its own policies.”

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Poole v Oxford (Championship Grand Final, 2nd leg) 7.30 pm Redcar: Teesside Silver Helmet 7.30 pm SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Scunthorpe v Poole (BSN Series Final, 1st leg) 5.30 pm MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Birmingham v Cradley v Coventry v Wolverhampton (Alan Grahame Memorial Four Team Tournament) 7.30 pm Belle Vue v Scunthorpe/Sheffield (National Development League) 7.30 pm WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 Poole v Scunthorpe (BSN Series Final, 2nd leg) 5.30 pm SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13 Iwade: Eastbourne v Thurrock (NORA Challenge) 12.00 pm

TV TIMES TV TIMES

Campaigners fighting to save the sport will cite the situation at Coventry, where developers lost their appeal against Rugby Borough Council’s refusal to let them build houses on the site of Brandon Stadium because it didn’t comply with the Local Plan.

Compiled BY PHIL LANNING

The case went to a Planning Inspector Appeal which the local council won.

Brian Connolly, who worked on the successful campaign to oppose the residential development of Coventry Stadium, has been advising the Peterborough consortium.

He said: “After nine days of evidence the Planning Inspector rejected the arguments against speedway and the consortium will ask the Planning Committee to follow and adopt the Coventry Stadium Appeal decision and the reasons behind it.

“We are preparing a detailed response to address the relevant planning points, in particular those in place to protect sporting facilities at risk from development.”

THE season is going out with a broadcasting bang. There are five meetings in seven days… and every one a final.

It kicks off on Eurosport with the deciding leg of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final at Leicester against Belle Vue tonight (Thursday). That is swiftly followed on BSN the next night by the second leg of the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final at Poole against Oxford.

Bratley, a former co-promoter of the Panthers, added: “As we have seen elsewhere, a number of misleading suggestions are being made about speedway. These are the same suggestions which were rejected by the Planning Inspector in the Coventry Stadium Planning Appeal, as a result of which development of the Coventry Speedway track was refused.”

The Peterborough Panthers Speedway Consortium (Forever Panthers Consortium) are keen to ensure that supporters let their views be known through the online petition at: www.ipetitions.com/ petition/register-your-support-to-preserve-speedway-in.

Saturday marks the culmination of the SGP season in Torun, where the big medals will be dished out in one of the great stadiums on Eurosport.

Then all eyes switch to the BSN Series Final at Scunthorpe on Sunday and the Grand Final decider at Wimborne Road on October 2.

Obviously all these fixtures are subject to the weather conditions, so keep an eye on social media for updates.

bulldozers that were used in laying the track surface. Two of the busiest men during the build up to the main event were former Slask riders Jacek Folkert and Tomasz Krzykowski who have collaborated with the Torunbased organisers since speedway returned to Slaski Stadion back in 2018.

Critics of One Sport argue that Ole Olsen and his colleagues are much better at laying one-off tracks, as they do for SGPs. Yet it must be said that the Great Dane has gained substantial experience in this business over many years, building at least two tracks per season, while Gajewski’s previous attempt to construct a shale surface on the athletics track date back five years. Report: WOJTEK SZOLTYSEK n SEC report – pages 19-21.

LIVE SPEEDWAY THIS WEEK EUROSPORT/DISCOVERY+ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26: Leicester v Belle Vue, ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final, 2nd Leg, 7.30 pm. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28: DeWalt FIM Speedway GP of Poland, Torun, 6 pm. BRITISH SPEEDWAY NETWORK FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27: Poole v Oxford, Cab Direct Championship Grand Final, 2nd leg, 7 pm. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29: Scunthorpe v Poole, BSN Series Final, 1st leg, 5 pm. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2: Poole v Scunthorpe, BSN Series Final, 2nd leg, 7 pm. (watch.britishspeedway.co.uk) Check BSN social media for dates. CLUB STREAMINGS BIRMINGHAM: https://www.brummies.tv EDINBURGH: www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/live-stream LEICESTER: www.leicesterspeedway.com/ Home/LionsTV OXFORD: https://livestream.oxfordspeedway.club POOLE: livestream.poole-speedway.com REDCAR: www.redcar-speedway.com SCUNTHORPE: tv.scunthorpe-speedway.com

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