Bryn shares this latest news from Island Speedway. Ed
Although there’s still plenty of action to come for them, the Wight Warriors end their scheduled 2016 home league matches tonight (Tuesday) at the Andrew Younie Smallbrook stadium, and aim to end it with a win by seeing off the challenge of the King’s Lynn Young Stars.
The Norfolk market town side return to the Island for the re-staging of the match originally scheduled for 28 June that was postponed after persistent rain waterlogged our track.
Seventh in the league table
Today’s visitors currently lie seventh in the league table having amassed 25 points from the 13 matches they’ve raced so far, and with them having seven matches still to race including today’s, are still in with an outside chance of finishing fourth in the final standings to claim the fourth and last spot in the end of season playoffs for the title.
Their quest to do that hasn’t been helped by a combination of injuries and illness of late though and, whilst the Wight Warriors expect to track an unchanged side, the Young Stars will arrive on the Island with three of their regular side missing.
The three missing are firstly Josh Bailey who’s out with an ankle injury with Birmingham’s Darryl Ritchings, who has shown a distinct liking for our track whenever he’s raced on it, drafted in for him whilst Buxton’s David Wallinger replaces teenager Ryan Kingsley.
Tom Stokes is the third Young Star ruled out with the rider replacement regulations being used to cover for his absence, leaving the experienced 27 year old Scott Campos together with up and coming teenager Nathan Greaves, who is also riding for Premier League club Sheffield, to complete our opponents top five.
At reserve they track two fifteen year olds, Lewis Whitmore and Taylor Hampshire, the latter being snapped up to effectively replace Shane Hazelden whose season was brought to a very premature end when he suffered a broken leg when crashing heavily at King’s Lynn’s pre-2016 practice session.
Both sides then will be going flat out for victory which augurs well for what is expected to be a battle royal on another night of action and, as usual, it’ll be a real party atmosphere especially as it’ll include the final round of the mini Warriors One lap race and it is sure to be an absolute cracker.
Mini Warriors
Mini Warriors are invited to bring their scooters and cycles for a one lap race at half time.
As always speedway tracks have wet shale so don’t wear or bring anything that cannot get dirty.
The first two races have been crackers and this will be no different as we will have a staggered starts based on the previous two races, and it’s open to all Mini Warriors.
Gates open at 5.30pm
The gates will open at 5.30pm, adult admission is £11, kids 16 and under are admitted free, William & Wilbur will be up to all sorts of antics, pit access for half an hour commencing at 5.45pm, riders signing autographs, the track shop, the hugely popular sweet stall, great food outlets and bars as well as fifteen edge of your seat speedway races, the first being at 7pm, as both sides give their all on their highly tuned 500cc motorbikes with no brakes!
Warriors hit the road on Friday
The Wight Warriors are off on their travels on Friday intending to claim four league points by defeating the Coventry Storm on their home circuit and, having defeated them at home 52-38 at home back in July, they’ll be confident of success.
The match gets underway at the Midland circuit at 7pm with it being the first part of a double header with our match being followed by another league match that sees the home side clash with the Kent Kings.
We still have away league matches to race at both Buxton and Stoke and will bring you dates for these as soon as they are known, both originally scheduled matches having been rained off.
Another quick reminder
Of the news we brought to you earlier that our home season will draw to a close on Tuesday of next week (September 13) when we will face a British Young Lions U23 team. As we’ve previously related to you, our team Manager Neil Vatcher is doing a terrific job with the British youth system in the guise of the Young Lions, so it is a real honour that the Warriors will line up against an Under 23 team.
In addition to the match there’s bound to be plenty of last night frolics as we bring the curtain down on our home meetings this season in fine style on what has been a tremendous return of the sport to the Isle of Wight.
