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Speedway Why leaving out Caims and Rushen TEAM £3.80 and Lambert, Charles Wright, Douglas, Michael Jensen Stanislaw Chomski VOLUME 75 NUMBER 27 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.co.uk and click on the subscriptions link. SUBSCRIPTION RATES UK (52 issues): £132 UK (26 issues): £67 UK (13 issues): £34 EUROPE (52 issues): £148 EUROPE (26 issues): £78 USA (52 issues): £168 USA (26 issues): £88 REST OF WORLD (52 issues) £178 REST OF WORLD (26 issues): £93 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 2026 Pinegen Limited NEWS DESK SPEDEWORTH chief Deane Wood has thrown down a challenge to prospective speedway promoters after securing the future of Arlington Stadium, historic home of Eastbourne Eagles. Deane has agreed a longterm lease with the Dugard family, who were forced to shut the stadium on safety grounds at the start of August. Stock car racing could resume by the end of October but the outlook for speedway, last staged at the 97-year-old arena in 2021, is less certain. Wood's successful stock car operations co-exist with speedway at Ipswich, Northampton and Mildenhall but when asked if Arlington would join the stable, he told Speedway Star: "I don't really know. We never say 'no' but they'd have to come up with money and put money up front. "It depends who the speedway promoter is. I've got a good deal with Buster Chapman (King's Lynn owner). If Buster was involved with it was because he was involved with Northampton that I let it happen there. "If it wasn't for Buster I don't think it would have happened. We know each other well and we have a bit of trust." Wood would scrutinise any proposal but warned: "A lot of people in business, they think they can do it on two-and-six." He is not concerned at what level the sport might run, saying: "I wouldn't care as long as they paid their money and paid up front." He added: "I think it would lose money, although if you've got people rich enough and who enjoy it enough. "Stock cars always subsidise the speedway. Bob Dugard (former Eastbourne owner) and I were a lot alike. He'd say: 'your bangers have been messing up my speedway track'. I'd say: 'if it wasn't for my bangers you wouldn't have a speedway track'." The lease deal, agreed at a www.parkcameras.co.uk for EOS+DIGITAL www parkcameras. for Canon (ABBEY) Eastbourne stadium de meeting at the Dugard family business base in Hove last Thursday, is believed to be for between 15-20 years and includes a break clause in the event of the countryside venue gaining planning permission. Eric Dugard has estimated necessary repair work at around £500,000, a figure Wood believes may be lower but still well into six figures. It covers such items as the catch fence, issues with the main stand and home straight cover, and lamp standards. Wood was due to meet council officials at the stadium yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss what needs to be done. In a Spedeworth statement, he called for help from a GoFundme appeal. Wood said: "The lease is being drawn up now and we are meeting the council to see what work we have to do to get the place open. "I wouldn't do as much there as the others because I own Northampton and Mildenhall stadiums but I would like it to be 10 times better than it is now. "There's a lot of things in my head that I'd like to do. I would like to up the capacity. It's now 3,500 but I would like to get it Tai testimonial TAI WOFFINDEN is to host his testimonial at Northampton on Saturday, October 3. The triple individual World Champion announced his retirement from the sport on July 11 after being told he needed further surgery on his shoulder following a succession of big injuries. Now Woffy, 36, will have a proper send off from UK racing before returning to his to 5,500 to 6,000. "We are ready to look at different ideas. We need to get income into the place. Monster truck shows, things like that." Wood confirmed he will be in sole charge. "The Dugards will have no say in it at all. They are the owners, they are welcome to come and visit whenever they want but everything has to go through me. "That's the way I run Ipswich. I pay the bills, I have to be in charge of it," he said. Wood has a strong emotional link with Arlington. His wife's father and grandfather helped build the stadium. He hurtled around Arlington's tight bends as a stock car racer in the 70s. "My gut feeling was that we'd lost it but my heart said to keep on trying. This time I was wrong and I'm over the moon. It's a big relief," he said. David Graveling, promoter of NORA club Kent Eagles, welcomed the news but ruled himself out of running any new promotion at Arlington. He said: "I'm not really at that level. It's a stretch too far for any of us to find that sort of native Australia. He has rapidly announced the first names of riders appearing in the event that will start at 6 pm. Those stars confirmed so far are Josh Pickering, Chris Holder, Scott Nicholls, Danny King, Tom Brennan, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Jaimon Lidsey, Sam Masters, Ryan Douglas, Max Fricke and Cooper Rushen. Tickets are due to go on sale this week. PGE EKSTRALIGA NEWSDE By WOJTEK SZOLTYSEK LAST Sunday's clash of arch-rivals Leszno and Zielona Gora, which ended with a surprise win for the visitors, had a background story that had the attention of the Polish speedway community a few days before a wheel turned at the Alfred Smoczyk stadium. The Grzegorz Zengota saga started when the Leszno racer announced he will no longer be wearing Unia colours in 2027. In a rather emotional and bitter interview given to Canal+ television, the 37-year-old rider said: "In financial matters, you can always come to an 2 speedway star August 29, 2026
page 3
DUGARD SHAW Harley Davidson money. The financial commitment is far too great. We are quite happy with what we are doing at Iwade. After this year's successes, we're already making plans for 2027." Graveling, who along with Michael Gray, ran a fruitless campaign to reopen Arlington to speedway, added: "Deane will do a good job on it but for speedway to be there it will need a monumental effort. "I'm sure discussions will take place but someone with very big pockets would need to come forward. "When you think about Northampton, there were six or seven people who made it work but would those six or seven want to put their hands in their pockets again at Arlington?" The BSPL have clarified issues around debts left by former Eagles promoter lan Jordan. They say any new promotion would not be liable for money owed by a previous regime. Osborne questions Eric Dugard said he didn't at Wimborne Road. want to add to his original There are also huge question statement or subsequent marks over what will happen in interview with the Star. regard to Swindon Motorsports Report: BEN FINDON Limited's planning application to THE future of speedway at Swindon and Poole has been thrown into confusion after the death of Clarke Osborne (below). Swindon's Abbey Stadium is owned by Gaming International who also hold a long-term lease at Poole's home venue on Wimborne Road. In turn, Gaming International is fully owned by another of Osborne's companies, Toklon Limited, which has undergone a string of changes in recent months. In the last confirmation statement lodged with Companies House, there were five people with shares in Toklon - Clarke Osborne, who owns a 51 per cent stake, his son Thomas and daughter Eloise, who had 39 per cent between them, Stephen Hayward (five shares) and Molly Glass (five shares). But on Tuesday, August 18, the PSC (Person with Significant Control) register showed that Clarke Osborne has, with his wife Susan, ceased taking a holding of more than half of the company. She now has 51 per cent of the shares, although this has not yet been confirmed by a confirmation statement which is now legally due to be registered in February next year. The official transactions have left those fighting to prevent the demolition of the Abbey Stadium trying to get to the bottom of exactly where they now stand and they will hope to have talks with Susan Osborne. However, it seems highly unlikely that she will deviate from her late husband's insistence that speedway has no future at Blunsdon. Similarly, Pirates' owners will be waiting anxiously to see how secure or otherwise their future is build a new stadium for speedway and other motorsports at Studley Grange. Of the three directors, exRobins' promoter Terry Russell passed away at the beginning of the year and now Clarke Osborne has also died, aged 74. It leaves Steve Park as the sole director of the company and that casts considerable doubt on whether there will be the backing to continue with the planning application, which has yet to be heard. All Osborne's companies - Gaming International Limited, Stadia UK Limited and Toklon Limited - have been left in the hands of his widow Susan and their children, Eloise and Thomas. The most recent change was on the day that Osborne passed away, Tuesday, August 18, which saw Clarke, who had 51 per cent and a controlling interest in Toklon Ltd, cease to be a person with significant control of the company, handing that control to Susan. Bristol-born Osborne had many links with speedway over the years, initially at his hometown Bristol and subsequently Milton Keynes, Reading, Swindon and Poole, as well at Torquay United Football Club. The Bulldogs raced at Eastville, which was also the home to Football League club Bristol Rovers, but the stadium was sold and the site is now occupied by a supermarket. Milton Keynes closed down and is now a housing estate. The Reading site remains, although the stadium was demolished, while the story of Swindon's demise is a familiar one to any speedway supporter. Osborne's time as owner and chairman of Torquay - he bought the club in 2016 through Gaming International Ltd - was also mired in controversy. His plans to build a new stadium never materialised and the club went into administration in February, 2024. New owners, The Bryn Consortium, resurrected the club ahead of the 2024-25 season and the Gulls are currently playing in National League South, the sixth tier of the English pyramid. Report: PETER OAKES ESK FIXTURES: AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 6 WHAT'S ON EXIT agreement and find a solution but only if both parties are willing. I didn't get any information from Rafal Dobrucki (Unia's sports director), which hurt me a bit. After so many years of riding for Unia, I don't think this is how things should be handled. "I received no information, no counter-offer. I waited one week, two, almost three. In fact, I was completely ignored. I felt that there was another solution for me at the club but they didn't know how to communicate it to me. "Observing the whole THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Ipswich V Sheffield (Premiership 2) 7.30 pm Leicester V Belle Vue (Premiership R2) 7.30 pm Northampton V King's Lynn (Premiership R2) 7.30 pm FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 Redcar V Glasgow (Championship) 7.30 pm Scunthorpe V Edinburgh (Championship) 7.30 pm SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 Berwick V Edinburgh (Championship) 7.00 pm Workington V Redcar (Championship) 3.00 pm SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 Buxton: British Youth Championship 3.00 pm King's Lynn: Sidecar Speedway 1.00 pm MONDAY, AUGUST 31 Belle Vue V Sheffield (Premiership R2) 12.00 pm Leicester V Ipswich (Premiership R2) 7.30 pm Sheffield V Belle Vue (Premiership R2) 7.30 pm TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 Isle of Wight V Kent (NORA Challenge) 7.00 pm WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 Poole: Championship Pairs 7.00 pm THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 Leicester V King's Lynn (Premiership R2) 7.30 pm Northampton V Ipswich (Premiership R2) 7.30 pm FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Glasgow V Scunthorpe (Championship) 7.30 pm Edinburgh V Oxford (NDL) 7.30 pm SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Berwick V Redcar (BSN Series semi-final) 7.00 pm SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 Leicester V King's Lynn (NDL) 3.00 pm Kent V Isle of Wight (NORA Challenge) 12.00 pm situation, I decided I couldn't wait any longer. I decided I needed to take care of myself. With a heavy heart, I made some decisions. I decided to tell the fans about all this, because it was a heavy emotional burden for me." On Sunday night Dobrucki revealed Zengota asked for a pay rise, which the club could not agree to. He said: "Our financial expectations were presented somewhere in the second part of July. We gave ourselves plenty of time to think things over, then the league matches returned after the summer break and the Swedish season had also begun for 'Zengi', so it was quite busy. "I called two weeks later for a meeting and he announced he was close to signing a contract with another club - and that's how the situation resolved." In financial terms, Dobrucki revealed Zengota's current contract is an eye-watering seven-digit deal. "I think he could have counted on the same terms he has had so far. A really decent contract worth over two million zloty (almost £400,000). From a rider's perspective, a contract can always be better. If there was such an offer, it must have been significantly bigger and Grzegorz simply took it. I have a feeling that this had some impact." LIVE BSN SPEEDWAY www.britishspeedwaynetwork.co.uk FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 Scunthorpe V Edinburgh (Championship), 7.00 pm HBO LIVE SPEEDWAY SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 Warsaw: Speedway World Cup Final (5.45 pm) AS Speedway Star went to press on Tuesday afternoon, Saturday's World Cup Final was listed for live coverage on TNT Sports but had not been allocated to a designated channel. It will be shown live on HBO Max. CLUB STREAMINGS BELLE VUE: www.bvtv.live BERWICK: tv.berwickspeedway.com EDINBURGH: www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/live-stream GLASGOW: tv.glasgowtigers.co.uk IPSWICH: witchestv.co.uk LEICESTER: www.leicesterspeedway.com/ Home/LionsTV OXFORD: livestream.oxfordspeedway.club NORTHAMPTON: Northamptonfoxestv.com PLYMOUTH: plymouth-speedway.com/live-streaming POOLE: livestream.poole-speedway.com REDCAR: live.redcar-speedway.com SCUNTHORPE: tv.scunthorpe-speedway.com WORKINGTON: www.workingtoncomets.tv/ August 29, 2026 speedway star 3

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Speedway

VOLUME 75 NUMBER 27

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.co.uk and click on the subscriptions link.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

UK (52 issues): £132 UK (26 issues): £67 UK (13 issues): £34 EUROPE (52 issues): £148 EUROPE (26 issues): £78 USA (52 issues): £168 USA (26 issues): £88 REST OF WORLD (52 issues) £178 REST OF WORLD (26 issues): £93

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 2026 Pinegen Limited

NEWS DESK SPEDEWORTH chief Deane Wood has thrown down a challenge to prospective speedway promoters after securing the future of Arlington Stadium, historic home of Eastbourne Eagles.

Deane has agreed a longterm lease with the Dugard family, who were forced to shut the stadium on safety grounds at the start of August. Stock car racing could resume by the end of October but the outlook for speedway, last staged at the 97-year-old arena in 2021, is less certain. Wood's successful stock car operations co-exist with speedway at Ipswich, Northampton and Mildenhall but when asked if Arlington would join the stable, he told Speedway Star: "I don't really know. We never say 'no' but they'd have to come up with money and put money up front. "It depends who the speedway promoter is. I've got a good deal with Buster Chapman (King's Lynn owner). If Buster was involved with it was because he was involved with Northampton that I let it happen there. "If it wasn't for Buster I don't think it would have happened. We know each other well and we have a bit of trust." Wood would scrutinise any proposal but warned: "A lot of people in business, they think they can do it on two-and-six." He is not concerned at what level the sport might run, saying: "I wouldn't care as long as they paid their money and paid up front." He added: "I think it would lose money, although if you've got people rich enough and who enjoy it enough. "Stock cars always subsidise the speedway. Bob Dugard (former Eastbourne owner) and I were a lot alike. He'd say: 'your bangers have been messing up my speedway track'. I'd say: 'if it wasn't for my bangers you wouldn't have a speedway track'." The lease deal, agreed at a meeting at the Dugard family business base in Hove last Thursday, is believed to be for between 15-20 years and includes a break clause in the event of the countryside venue gaining planning permission. Eric Dugard has estimated necessary repair work at around £500,000, a figure Wood believes may be lower but still well into six figures. It covers such items as the catch fence, issues with the main stand and home straight cover, and lamp standards. Wood was due to meet council officials at the stadium yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss what needs to be done. In a Spedeworth statement, he called for help from a GoFundme appeal. Wood said: "The lease is being drawn up now and we are meeting the council to see what work we have to do to get the place open. "I wouldn't do as much there as the others because I own Northampton and Mildenhall stadiums but I would like it to be 10 times better than it is now. "There's a lot of things in my head that I'd like to do. I would like to up the capacity. It's now 3,500 but I would like to get it

Tai testimonial TAI WOFFINDEN is to host his testimonial at Northampton on Saturday, October 3. The triple individual World Champion announced his retirement from the sport on July 11 after being told he needed further surgery on his shoulder following a succession of big injuries. Now Woffy, 36, will have a proper send off from UK racing before returning to his to 5,500 to 6,000. "We are ready to look at different ideas. We need to get income into the place. Monster truck shows, things like that." Wood confirmed he will be in sole charge. "The Dugards will have no say in it at all. They are the owners, they are welcome to come and visit whenever they want but everything has to go through me. "That's the way I run Ipswich. I pay the bills, I have to be in charge of it," he said. Wood has a strong emotional link with Arlington. His wife's father and grandfather helped build the stadium. He hurtled around Arlington's tight bends as a stock car racer in the 70s. "My gut feeling was that we'd lost it but my heart said to keep on trying. This time I was wrong and I'm over the moon. It's a big relief," he said. David Graveling, promoter of NORA club Kent Eagles, welcomed the news but ruled himself out of running any new promotion at Arlington. He said: "I'm not really at that level. It's a stretch too far for any of us to find that sort of

native Australia. He has rapidly announced the first names of riders appearing in the event that will start at 6 pm. Those stars confirmed so far are Josh Pickering, Chris Holder, Scott Nicholls, Danny King, Tom Brennan, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Jaimon Lidsey, Sam Masters, Ryan Douglas, Max Fricke and Cooper Rushen. Tickets are due to go on sale this week.

PGE EKSTRALIGA NEWSDE By WOJTEK SZOLTYSEK

LAST Sunday's clash of arch-rivals Leszno and Zielona Gora, which ended with a surprise win for the visitors, had a background story that had the attention of the Polish speedway community a few days before a wheel turned at the Alfred Smoczyk stadium. The Grzegorz Zengota saga started when the Leszno racer announced he will no longer be wearing Unia colours in 2027. In a rather emotional and bitter interview given to Canal+ television, the 37-year-old rider said: "In financial matters, you can always come to an

Why leaving out Caims and Rushen TEAM £3.80 and Lambert, Charles Wright, Douglas, Michael Jensen Stanislaw Chomski

www.parkcameras.co.uk for EOS+DIGITAL www parkcameras. for Canon (ABBEY) Eastbourne stadium de

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