JULY NEWS 2009

CATS & TIGERS DRAW CLAWS
By Weymouth Speedway ~ Friday 31st July 2009
Tonight’s action at the Wessex Bus Race Way is the opening meeting of the National League Trophy competition where along with Weymouth, Buxton, Isle of Wight, Plymouth and Mildenhall will all be battling for the honours which saw the Devils land the honours in 2008. Jem Dicken Wildcats team manager said, “I am looking for a good performance from my boys tonight so we can take a good lead up to Mildenhall for the second leg. Mildenhall recently visited and were on the end of a 62-32 drubbing at the hands of the Wildcats and will be wanting to make amends and I am sure it will be an interesting meeting.”

Dicken added, “I want the lads to get a good result as next week we travel down to Devon where we take on the Devils in the League. Confidence will need to be high if we are to get a result down there at a track has proved to be somewhat of a nemesis over the last couple of years. We also have Newport at home to following night and although we beat them earlier in the season their squad has significantly strengthened I expect them to push us all the way.”

Line Ups

Friday 31st July 2009 Start time 7.15pm

Weymouth Wildcats
1 Jon Armstrong r/r, 2 Tim Webster, 3 Matt Wright, 4 James Cockle, 5 Mark Burrows, 6 Terry Day, 7 James White-Williams

Mildenhall Fen Tigers
1 Barrie Evans, 2 Oliver Rayson, 3 Luke Priest, 4 Dean Felton, 5 David Mason, 6 Nick Laurence, 7 Joe Jacobs

 

COCKLE HOPES TO TAME THE TIGERS
By Adam Summers, Dorset Echo ~ Friday 31st July 2009
JAMES Cockle is expected to return from injury tonight in the National Trophy clash between the Weymouth Wildcats and the Mildenhall Fen Tigers at the Wessex Bus Raceway (7.30pm). The Wildcat missed last Friday’s NatWest Bronze Helmet event due to a knee ligament problem but team manager Jem Dicken is confident he will be back this evening firing on all cylinders.

He said: “James is fit to ride, which is good news, and I am sure he will be looking to make a positive comeback in what we hope will be a repeat performance of the 63-32 win we had over Mildenhall in the league earlier this month.”

Instead of using Jay Herne as a guest rider the Wildcats will utilise the rider-replacement facility at number one tonight as they continue to look to fill the void left by Jon Armstrong’s injury problems and Lee Smart’s recent departure. Lee Smethills is the hot favourite to land the role but Dicken is confident his side can continue to pick up results in the meantime. He added: “We have put Jon Armstrong back on the declared list with the league’s approval and that allows us to still get a guest in or use rider-replacement. The rider we want to bring in is currently on a 28-day ban, which he received from his previous club, and when that is finished he will sign for us. In the meantime we will either use rider-replacement, Jay Herne or Barrie Evans as guest riders.”

Evans, who finished runner-up in the Bronze Helmet behind Herne, will be racing for Mildenhall tonight, along with ex-Wildcats Luke Priest and David Mason. Dicken said: “I cannot see anyone beating us at home. Bournemouth won at Plymouth and look strong at the moment but I think we are even too good for them on our own patch.”

Wildcats
1 R/R Jon Armstrong, 2 Matt Wright, 3 Tim Webster, 4 James Cockle, 5 Mark Burrows, 6 Terry Day, 7 James White-Williams, 8 Alex McLeod.

Fen Tigers
1 Barrie Evans, 2 Oliver Rayson, 3 David Mason, 4 Dean Felton, 5 Luke Priest, 6 Nick Laurence, 7 Joe Jacobs.
 

BURROWS SOLVES HIS GREMLINS
By Adam Summers, Dorset Echo ~ Thursday 30th July 2009
MARK ‘Buzz’ Burrows is ready to show the Wildcats’ faithful his true colours after finally uncovering a mechanical failing which has been hindering his progress in recent weeks. The ex-Stoke rider made the discovery during last Friday’s Natio-nal League Bronze Helmet event where he finished third behind winner Jay Herne and runner-up Barrie Evans of Mildenhall, who visit Weymouth tomorrow evening in the National League Trophy (7.15pm).

Burrows said: “I have had a few mechanical errors recently and last Friday I finally found out what has been causing the problems. You see, there is a chain guard and a chain guide, and one of them has been knocking the other one out of line. Hopefully now I have located the problem and sorted it. It will enable me to go faster and pick up more points as when everything is right I feel confident of scoring well, particularly at home where everyone in the side has performed superbly so far.“ James Cockle has been going really well, Tim Webster is flying, Terry Day and James White-Williams have been consistently picking up points and if Matt Wright gets a start he has looked pretty much impossible to catch, so the signs are encouraging for a good second half of the season.”

The Wildcats are still looking to secure the services of a new number one after Lee Smart controversially walked out of the 62-30 defeat at the Bournemouth Buccaneers in the Knockout Cup on July 2.

Burrows added: “As I understand it we have someone in the pipeline and in the meantime we could not have a better guest to step in than Jay Herne, who knows our track well and has been absolutely flying. We were all pretty devastated after that meeting at Bournemouth. We have gone there twice now and got beaten heavily both times. However, we have recovered well since that defeat in the Knockout Cup and hopefully if we have to go there again when the business end of the season comes around we will be a lot better prepared to put in a good performance. Barring stupid things happening there is no reason why we should not pick up more away points over the next couple of months and be among the silverware once again.”

Lee Smethills is being widely tipped to fill the void left by Smart but once again it is expected that Herne will ride at number one tomorrow as Mildenhall try and gain revenge for the 63-32 thrashing they suffered at the Wessex Bus Raceway on July 3.
 

HERNE WINS HELMET
By Paul Burbidge, Dorset Echo ~ Saturday 25th July 2009
FORMER Weymouth hero Jay Herne won Bournemouth their first ever National League honour, after romping to victory in the Bronze Helmet at Radipole Lane last night. The Aussie spent the back end of 2007 and the whole of 2008 plying his trade in West Dorset. Despite his switch to Wildcats’ local rivals during the winter, he proved he remembers his way around the Wessex Bus Raceway after reeling off a 15-point maximum to reach the final. He was joined in the two-man decider by Mildenhall number one Barrie Evans, who scored 14 from his five rides.

Herne’s gating had made him a cut above the competition all night but he made a pig’s ear of the start in the final, rolling just before the tapes lifted. This allowed Evans to get the drop from the outside and take charge. But Herne, who is not renowned for his passing prowess, dashed after the Fen Tiger with a vengeance. The Buccaneers skipper dived hard over Evans on lap two, turn one and rocketed around the outside and into the lead. Herne then pulled clear fast for a well-deserved victory. While the rider made it look easy, the 24-year-old admits he found a grippy Wessex Bus Raceway circuit quite a handful in the opening stages.

He said: “No-one really looked comfortable on the track and I didn’t feel comfortable. It caught quite a lot of us out – almost the whole field. No races were easy but I made some good starts and managed to get around the outside of Barrie in the final. I spun a bit at the line and I didn’t make the first corner. I almost got there. But then he cut back to the inside going into turn three and I managed to go around the outside. I thought he was fast enough to hold it but I managed to find a way through.”

Weymouth’s chances of having one of their riders claim the prize were not helped by James Cockle’s withdrawal prior to the meeting. The Londoner pulled out on his doctor’s advice, as he was still suffering with the knee he twisted against Plymouth last Saturday. On the plus side for Wildcats, Mark Burrows has resolved the chain problems which have dogged his displays over the last few weeks. While his mechanical maladies prevented him reaching the start line in time for his opening race, he notched 11 points from his last four rides. He scorched around ex-Wildcat Luke Priest to win heat five, before storming to three points in race 11. Burrows then pulled off one of the moves of the night, when he screamed under Plymouth’s Paul Starke to win heat 16. But he succumbed to a superb start from Herne in race 18 and was forced to make do with second place.

Matthew Wright also put in a tidy performance for Wildcats with 10 points, while Terry Day bagged five. James White-Williams had a busy night as the meeting reserve, scoring four points from five outings.
 

BATTLE FOR BRONZE
By Adam Summers, Dorset Echo ~ Friday 24th July 2009
EX-WILDCAT Jay Herne will be looking for glory at his old stomping ground tonight when the National League’s elite riders converge at the Wessex Bus Raceway to battle for the NatWest Bronze Helmet (7.15pm). The Aussie ace has been in fantastic form for the Bournemouth Buccaneers this summer and he will be hard to stop this evening although Weymouth promoter Phil Bartlett is expecting a close competition.

He said: “The line-up for tonight is absolutely fantastic and I am sure people will turn out in full force to support the riders, who will no doubt be looking to emulate the likes of former Wildcat Lewis Bridger, who won this meeting back in 2005. Jay will be one of those, and with the experience he has gained at the Wessex over the past two-and-a-half years, many will expect him to be one of the frontrunners to win it. However, there are a lot of other good riders in the field as well, who are also capable of mounting a serious challenge.”

Mark ‘Buzz’ Burrows, Matt Wright and James Cockle will be the leading contenders for the Wildcats although there are question marks over the fitness of the latter, following last Saturday’s fall in heat 14 of the 51-42 victory over the Plymouth Devils where Herne was a guest rider for Weymouth. Cockle hit the fence and twisted his knee after his partner Terry Day had made contact with his back wheel on turn four. The Londoner bravely dragged himself back to his feet to win the re-run but was left out of the final race despite having scored a 12-point maximum.

Another rider being tipped to do well this evening is Newport’s Grant Tregoning. Bartlett added: “Grant is one of those riders in the field that is capable of causing a surprise. He knows the track quite well and on his day can be very tough to beat.”

TONIGHT’S LINE-UP
1 Luke Priest, 2 Daniel Halsey, 3 Chris Johnson, 4 Paul Starke, 5 Ben Hopwood, 6 Danny Warwick, 7 Jay Herne, 8 Grant Tregoning, 9 Mark Burrows, 10 Barrie Evans, 11 Matt Wright, 12 Rob Smith, 13 Matt Bates, 14 James Cockle, 15 Karl Mason, 16 Brendan Johnson. Res: 17 TBC, 18 Terry Day.
 

BRONZE HELMET UP FOR GRABS AT THE RACEWAY
By Weymouth Speedway ~ Wednesday 22nd July 2009
The Weymouth Doonan Wildcats still remain unbeaten at home this season after an emphatic 51-42 victory over south coast rivals the Plymouth Devils. The inclement weather caused some tricky racing conditions early in the meeting but there were plenty of thrills and spills to keep the good sized crowd entertained.

Jem Dicken Wildcats team manager said, “The boys rode really well and I am delighted with the performances from Tim Webster and James Cockle who are both flying at the moment. James has stepped up to the job of captain with enthusiasm and is proving to be a great team man and leads by example.” 
 
Dicken added, “Jay Herne was a fantastic guest and we were very grateful for his efforts in heat fifteen which ironically sent us above his parent club Bournemouth in the league table!”

The home action this week switches to Friday 24th July (start time 7.15pm) for the coveted National League Bronze Helmet. It’s a meeting which always provides exciting racing and, given the quality of the line up, this year promises to be no exception.

The pre-meeting favourites are likely to be Wildcats James Cockle and Bournemouth’s Jay Herne who are both in top form and familiar with the Wessex Bus Race Way. However, there are several riders in the line up that will be confident of spoiling their party with Mark Burrows, Luke Priest, Matt Wright and Karl Mason all knowing the way round the tight circuit. 

Revised Line-Up
 
1 Luke Priest
2 Daniel Halsey
3 Chris Johnson
4 Paul Starke
5 Ben Hopwood
6 Danny Warwick
7 Jay Herne
8 Grant Tregoning
9 Mark Burrows
10 Barrie Evans
11 Matt Wright
12 Rob Smith
13 Matt Bates
14 James Cockle
15 Karl Mason
16 Brendan Johnson
 
Reserves
17 to be confirmed
18 Terry Day

The National League Bronze Helmet meeting at the Wessex Bus Raceway this Friday will now be sponsored by the NatWest Bank.
 

BRAVE COCKLE DENIES DEVILS
By Paul Burbidge, Dorset Echo ~ Sunday 19th July 2009
WEYMOUTH DOONAN WILDCATS 51 PLYMOUTH DEVILS 42
LION-HEARTED Weymouth captain James Cockle dusted himself down after a heavy crash to produce a heroic ride and help secure three National League points against Plymouth. Cockle has been handed the skipper’s job following Lee Smart’s acrimonious departure from the Wessex Bus Raceway. His fall-out with the club has left a vacancy for a new number one rider, but it seems Weymouth have found a new leader from within their own ranks.

The 23-year-old was sublime in his opening three outings and won them all with ease. But it looked like his evening had come to a crushing end in race 14, when his falling partner Terry Day caught Cockle’s back wheel on turn four. The Londoner hit the wooden fence hard and was clearly in great discomfort on the track. It looked as if the next ride he would be taking was in the back of an ambulance, but Cockle was not finished. He dragged himself to his feet using the fence and limped back to the pits, before remounting his machine. Cockle returned to the track to huge applause and made a stunning gate to beat Paul Starke and David Gough in the re-run.

With Weymouth just 45-36 ahead at the time, a 5-1 against them could have put Plymouth into contention for a consolation league point. But Cockle’s 3-3 maintained Wildcats’ advantage and the rider had no intention of letting his side leave with anything less than three points.

The 12-point maximum man said: “I wanted to max it out because I had won the rest of my rides. I feel I have a point to prove in every meeting – I’ve started the season well and I want to finish it well. I don’t want to give up easy. I just twisted my knee and it was a case of trying not to put my foot down going into the turns. I put it down a couple of times and I thought ‘Oh God’. But we have to score all the points we can and if I had pulled out of that, it would have been three points we lost and possibly the extra league point. I don’t want to give anything to Plymouth – no way.”

Cockle was joined in the maximum stakes by the outstanding Tim Webster, who bagged 10 paid 12 from four outings. Meanwhile, Jay Herne produced a superb guest performance to notch 11, including a victory in heat 15 which made certain of three league points.
 

CLOSING IN ON No.1
By Adam Summers, Dorset Echo ~ Saturday 18th July 2009
WEYMOUTH Doonan Wildcats are closing in on a new number one. Team manager Jem Dicken confirmed there is one man at the forefront of his mind but is keeping tight-lipped on the identity of the rider in question. Former Wildcat Jay Herne will guest ride in tonight’s National League clash with the Plymouth Devils (7.15pm) but it is Buxton’s Lee Smethills who has been strongly linked with a move to the Wessex Bus Raceway to fill the void left by ex-skipper Lee Smart.

Dicken said: “We have got someone in mind but the team he is currently with won’t release him until they can find a replacement. “We’ve got 28 days to use the guest rider facility and with no team meeting next weekend, and then a Trophy meeting at home to Mildenhall the week after, I’m not too concerned about having to wait.”

Meanwhile, Dicken is confident his side can secure a fourth straight win over the Devils tonight. Previously Weymouth’s bogey side, Plymouth have been knocked down the pecking order by Dicken’s men in recent meetings. Last October, the Devils edged out the Wildcats 46-44 in the first leg of the play-off semi-final but Weymouth turned the tables in the return meeting 56-38 before going on to clinch the Conference League title. The Wildcats then won home and away against their rivals in April to secure a 96-86 Devon & Dorset Trophy triumph and a third successive victory.

Tonight’s National League meeting at the Wessex Bus Raceway was originally postponed at the start of June after rain halted the fixture with just three heats completed. The Wildcats were 11-6 in front at the time and Dicken believes it will be a similar outcome once more. He added: “Our lads are currently in a rich vein of form and the team spirit has been excellent over the last couple of weeks. Therefore I am positive that we will be taking all three points tonight.”

Plymouth enter the clash on the back of a 62-33 hammering at the hands of Bournemouth while Weymouth’s last competitive action was a 63-32 thrashing of Mildenhall two weeks ago.

TONIGHT’S LINE-UPS

Wildcats
1 Jay Herne (guest), 2 Tim Webster, 3 Matt Wright, 4 James Cockle, 5 Buzz Burrows, 6 Terry Day, 7 James White-Williams.

Devils
1 Mark Simmonds, 2 Matt Bates, 3 Kyle Hughes, 4 Paul Starke, 5 Seemond Stevens, 6 Blank, 7 David Gough.
 

CATS AIM TO OUT DEVIL THE DEVIL'S
By Weymouth Speedway ~ Thursday 16th July 2009
Weymouth speedway hosted the first round of the Young Great Britain v Young Australia series last Friday which saw the home country romp to a 56-36 victory. Weymouth’s own James Cockle was unbeaten throughout the meeting and Tim Webster only dropped one point to flying Aussie Dakota North. 

This week’s home meeting changes to Saturday when the Plymouth Devils will hope to avenge the defeat at the hands of the Wildcats in the Devon and Dorset Trophy earlier in the season.  Clashes between the two clubs always produced memorable meetings in the past and with both clubs eager to secure the all important league points. It’s a not to be missed encounter!

Jem Dicken Wildcats Team Manager is confident of the home sides chances, ‘The lads are currently in a rich vein of form and the team spirit has been excellent over the last couple of weeks and I am positive that we will be taking all three points’ 

Line Up
Weymouth Doonan Wildcats v Plymouth Devils
Saturday 18th July 2009 Start Time 7.15pm

Weymouth
1 Jay Herne (Guest)
2 Tim Webster
3 Matt Wright
4 James Cockle
5 Buzz Burrows
6 Terry Day
7 James White-Williams

Plymouth
1 Mark Simmonds
2 Matt Bates
3 Kyle Hughes
4 Paul Starke
5 Seemond Stevens
6 Blank
7 David Gough

The following week the club host the prestigious National League Bronze Helmet which boasts the most competitive line up in recent years.  Each club will send their top two riders in the averages with the top two point scorers in the event going into the final match race. If any riders finish on equal points, the winner in the heat that they met will take precedence. 

Phil Bartlett Wildcats Promoter said ‘The club is delighted with the line up for this meeting which is renowned for being an incredibly entertaining and this year will be no exception. I am hoping that people turn out in force and support their riders who will be hoping to emulate riders such as former Wildcat Lewis Bridger who won the meeting in 2005 in his first year of riding’.

National League Bronze Helmet
Weymouth Speedway ~ The Wessex Bus Raceway Friday 24th July 2009 Start time 7.15pm

Line Up

1 Luke Priest
2 Daniel Halsey
3 Scott James
4 Seemond Stevens
5 Ben Hopwood
6 Danny Warwick
7 Jay Herne
8 Tony Atkin
9 Mark Burrows
10 Barrie Evans
11 Jade Mudgway
12 Jamie Courtney
13 Mark Simmonds
14 James Cockle
15 Karl Mason
16 Brendan Johnson

Reserves
Chris Johnson
Matt Wright
 

SMART NOT DWELLING ON EXIT
By Ky Capel, Dorset Echo ~ Wednesday 15th July 2009
FORMER Wildcat skipper Lee Smart is disappointed with the manner in which he departed the Wessex Bus Raceway but insists he bears no grudge. The Swindon-based rider appeared to storm out during the Wildcats’ 62-30 Knockout Cup defeat at Bournemouth almost a fortnight ago. Smart insisted that a wrist injury had forced him out of the meeting, but the Wildcats’ management team were far from happy with the incident and their number one rider left the club last week as a result.

Smart, who also rides for Premier League outfit the Stoke Potters, said: “There’s been a lot of bad press about what went on but I’ve got no hard feelings. At the end of the day it’s up to the management to decide what they do about things. I’ll just concentrate on my Premier League riding. I seem to be finding my form again which is good so it’s not like I’ve got nothing to do “I am disappointed with what’s happened but I don’t really want to comment on it too much. There’s no point dwelling on it, I just want to enjoy my racing now. Things happen, it wasn’t just the one incident it was a build up things to be honest. If someone gets injured, has to pull out of the meeting, and gets signed out by the doctor there should be no problem but it’s up to the management what they do.”

Smart returned to the Wessex Bus Raceway last Friday night to help the Great Britain Lions to a 56-36 victory over Australasia in an Under-21 Test Match. Following his paid maximum display, Smart added: “It was nice to be back at the Wessex and scoring some points. It was enjoyable, nice to ride with the team and good to start the series off with a win.”

The Weymouth Doonan Wildcats are next in action this Saturday night, when they host the Plymouth Devils.
 

WILDCATS RYE HOUSE TRIP OFF
By Tim Helm ~ Saturday 11th July 2009
WILDCATS trip to take on Rye House Cobras tonight has been called off due to weather conditions and will be re-staged on a date to be confirmed.
 

GB DELIGHT FOR COCKLE
By Ky Capel, Dorset Echo ~ Saturday 11th July 2009
Under-21 Test Match - GREAT BRITAIN LIONS 56 AUSTRALASIA 36
WILDCAT James Cockle led Great Britain Under-21s to an Ashes-style victory over Australasia at the Wessex Bus Raceway last night. All eyes were on ex-Weymouth skipper Lee Smart as he made his first appearance at the Radipole Lane track since leaving the club this week. But Cockle outshone his former team-mate by pipping Smart to the post in the final race to earn a 15-point maximum. Fellow Cat Tim Webster (10+1) was also on fine form ahead of tonight’s National League trip to the Rye House Cobras (7pm).

Wildcats’ team manager Jem Dicken said: “James and Tim were excellent. After a disappointing ride last week Tim is back on form while James was brilliant and went the whole night unbeaten. It was a good competitive night’s racing and I thought Australasia were a bit unlucky. The Aussies tend to think they’re the best at everything but this time we proved they aren’t.”

Smart was intent on showing the Wildcats what they would be missing and he got off to a flying start, taking the chequered flag in race one in a time of 51.89secs, just 0.59 shy of the track record. A thrilling battle in heat three saw Cockle overtake Grant Tregoning on the final bend to earn a 3-3 for the Lions. By the end of heat six, which Smart won in another quick time (52.03secs), the Lions were ahead by 10 points.

New Zealander Tregoning was then excluded whilst on a tactical ride, but luckily for him team-mate Ryan Sedgman saved face in the re-run by becoming the first of the Australasian riders to claim first place. A nasty looking fall from birthday boy Shelby Rutherford, which saw fellow Aussie Jake Anderson fly into the fence, handed the Lions a third 5-1 in heat eight. Fortunately though, both riders escaped unscathed. The visitors picked up their first overall heat victory in race nine as Jade Mudgway, on a tactical ride, finished second behind Cockle with Dakota North third. Back-to-back 4-2s from the Australasians reduced the deficit to eight with three rides left but a Lions maximum immediately after effectively secured the first test of the five-match series.

Cockle and Smart entered the final heat with perfect scores from their previous four outings, but it was the former who kept his 100 per cent record intact with the latter being forced to fight his way past Mudgway and then Sedgman for second place and a paid maximum.
 

WILDCATS EYE NEW NO. 1
By Ky Capel, Dorset Echo ~ Friday 10th July 2009
WEYMOUTH Doonan Wildcats are on the hunt for a new number one following Lee Smart’s departure from the Wessex Bus Raceway. The skipper’s future was hanging in the balance after he stormed out of Wimborne Road during the 62-30 defeat to Bournemouth last week. But team manager Jem Dicken, whose side visit the Rye House Cobras tomorrow night (7pm), has now confirmed Smart’s exit.

He said: “Lee Smart’s left the club. He wouldn’t have been able to ride against Rye House anyway because he’s on Premier League duty with Stoke but he won’t be riding for us anymore and we are now actively searching for a replacement. It’s a shame because on the track Lee is one of the best riders in the National League. But one man doesn’t make the team and the rest of the boys are a lot happier now.”

Former Wildcat Jay Herne, who now races for the Bournemouth Buccaneers, will take Smart’s place as a guest rider tomorrow but Weymouth can only use the facility for a limited amount of time. Dicken added: “I think it’s only for 28 days that you can keep using a guest rider. We’ve been in contact with a couple of riders who could come in on a more permanent basis and we’re waiting for confirmation.”

Smart though is set to line-up at the Wessex Bus Raceway this evening (7.15pm), as he is scheduled to ride for Great Britain Under-21s against their Australasia counterparts in speedway’s version of the Ashes. Wildcats’ chairman Phil Bartlett is expecting a thrill-ing spectacle. He said: “This could be one of our most entertaining meetings of the season at Weymouth. There are some hugely exciting riders lining up at Weymouth with several of the National League’s hottest prospects competing.”

Of tomorrow’s National League clash at Rye House, Dicken said: “I am looking forward to collecting maximum points at Rye House, although we will need a much improved performance than the display against Bournemouth last week. We are incredibly strong at home and I can see us being unbeaten at the Wessex Bus Raceway this season, but we do need to improve on our travels as we have some very stiff away meetings to come. All the boys rode well against Mildenhall last Friday and I would like to congratulate James White-Williams and Terry Day who both scored their first paid maximums. If we can continue this form then I don’t see why we can’t stay at the top of the table for the remainder of the season.”

Weymouth’s academy side, the Wizards, will also take to the shale tomorrow evening, as they challenge the Rye House Pocket Rockets following the meeting between the Wildcats and the Cobras.

Tonight

Great Britain
1 Lee Smart, 2 Mark Baseby, 3 Daniel Halsey, 4 James Cockle, 5 Gareth Isherwood, 6 Aaron Baseby, 7 Tim Webster.

Australasia
1 Andrew Aldridge, 2 Jake Anderson, 3 Grant Tregoning, 4 Ryan Sedgman, 5 Jade Mudgeway, 6 Dakota North, 7 Shelby Rutherford.

Tomorrow

Cobras
1 Daniel Halsey, 2 Michael Bovis, 3 Jamie Courtney, 4 Rob Smith, 5 Lee Strudwick, 6 Daniel Blake, 7 Ben Morley.

Wildcats
1 Jay Herne (Guest), 2 Tim Webster, 3 Matt Wright, 4 James Cockle, 5 Mark Burrows, 6 Terry Day, 7 James White-Williams.
 

AUSSIE INVASION AT THE WESSEX RACEWAY
By Weymouth Speedway ~ Tuesday 7th July 2009
This week’s home action at the Wessex Bus Race Way marks the start of the summer test series and showcases some of the most promising young British and Australasian riders.  Five meetings have been arranged. The Test Series – speedway’s version of the Ashes this summer - starts this Friday 10th July at Weymouth (start 7.15pm) with further meetings at Kings Lynn on the 11th July, Isle of Wight 14th July, Plymouth 17th July and Buxton 19th July.

Phil Bartlett Wildcats Promoter said “This could be one of our most entertaining meetings of the season at Weymouth.  There are some hugely exciting riders lining up at Weymouth with several of the National Leagues hottest prospects competing.”

The teams are as follows;

Great Britain
1. Lee Smart (c)
2. Mark Baseby
3. Daniel Halsey
4. Jamie Courtney
5. Gareth Isherwood
6. Jerran Hart
7. Tim Webster

Australasia
1. Andrew Aldridge (c)
2. Jake Anderson
3. Grant Tregoning
4. Ryan Sedgman
5. Jade Mudgeway
6. Dakota North
7. Shelby Rutherford

This Saturday the Wildcats are in league action when they travel to Rye House where they will be hoping to cement their place at the top of the National League table. Jem Dicken Wildcats Team Manager said, “I am looking forward to collecting maximum points at Rye House although we will need a much improved performance than the display against Bournemouth last week. We are incredibly strong at home and I can see us being unbeaten at the Wessex Bus Race Way this season but we do need to improve on our travels as we have some very stiff away meetings to come. All the boys rode well against Mildenhall and I would like to congratulate James White-Williams and Terry Day who both scored their first paid maximums. If we can continue this form then I don’t see why we can’t stay at the top of the table for the remainder of the season”. Jay Herne comes in to replace Lee Smart who is absent on Premier League duty for Stoke. 

The Weymouth Wizards will also be in action on Saturday when they take on the Rye House Pocket Rockets in the Academy League after the National League meeting.

Line ups for Saturday 11th July;

Rye House Cobras
1. Daniel Halsey
2. Michael Bovis
3. Jamie Courtney
4. Rob Smith
5. Lee Strudwick
6. Daniel Blake
7. Ben Morley

Weymouth Doonan Wildcats
1. Jay Herne (Guest)
2. Tim Webster
3. Matt Wright
4. James Cockle
5. Buzz Burrows
6. Terry Day
7. James White-Williams
 

IN THE BALANCE
By Ky Capel, Dorset Echo ~ Saturday 4th July 2009
WEYMOUTH DOONAN WILDCATS 63 MILDENHALL FEN TIGERS 32
WILDCATS’ team manager Jem Dicken has revealed that Lee Smart’s future “hangs in the balance”. The Weymouth skipper stormed out during Thursday night’s 62-30 Knockout Cup defeat to Bournemouth and was absent from the Wildcats’ line-up last night as they returned to form with a crushing home win over the Mildenhall Fen Tigers. A wrist injury, which he sustained at Wimborne Road, kept Smart sidelined for the visit of Mildenhall but it appears that he could now be on his way out of the Wessex Bus Raceway.

And his team-mates showed now signs of missing their captain as they overcame the Fen Tigers with ease to maintain their position at the league’s summit and immediately bounce back from the heavy loss to the Buccaneers. Four of the Weymouth riders had extra reason to celebrate as Matt Wright (10+2), Mark Burrows (13+2), Terry Day (11+1) and James White-Williams (11+1) all captured paid maximums. Needless to say, Dicken was delighted with their performances. He said: “They needed a kick up the backside and they got it. They responded, which we expected, and they all rode really well.

“It was James and Terry’s first ever paid maximums so they’ll be very happy with that. The opposition wasn’t as strong as that at Bournemouth but you can only beat what’s in front of you. The lads were all disappointed with Thursday night, and Lee’s reaction, and they were embarrassed for the supporters, so they wanted to go out and prove a point.” On the subject of the absent Smart, Dicken added: “He does have an injury and that’s why he didn’t race. But his future does hang in the balance and we should know more next week.”

The Cats got off to a flyer last night and maintained their dominance throughout, winning nine of the 15 heats and losing just one. Their only defeat was courtesy of Barrie Evans taking the chequered flag while on a tactical ride for the visitors.
 

WILDCATS KO'D BY BUCCS
By Paul Burbidge, Dorset Echo ~ Friday 3rd July 2009
WEYMOUTH skipper Lee Smart stormed out of Wimborne Road as his side’s Knockout Cup hopes were brought crashing down in another horror show against the Bournemouth Buccaneers last night. The Wildcats, who host Mildenhall this evening (7.15pm), suffered a catalogue of bad luck as they were defeated 102-86 on aggregate, despite holding a 16-point lead from the first leg.

But the moment their cup hopes were firmly brought to an end came in race 11, when tactical rider Smart was controversially excluded by referee Christina Turnbull. The Swindon-based man lifted and drifted wide on turn two, prompting flying Buccaneer Jerran Hart to lay his bike down. With both men neck-and-neck, Turnbull could have ordered a re-run with all four riders, or excluded Hart as Smart was the race leader.

However, the Wildcat was given the elbow and Smart stomped straight out of the stadium fuming and in pain, after tweaking his wrist. His presence in heat 13 could have helped the visitors get back into the tie, as they were just six points down on aggregate at that point. But team manager Jem Dicken said: “When Lee got excluded, he lifted and hurt his wrist, so he couldn’t ride anyway.” He added: “There was plenty of room and Jerran blatantly did one – he put it down and conned the referee. The same thing happened in race five when Jay Herne put Lee out around the boards and he had to shut off. Normally she (Turnbull) is fine but I think she made a big mistake.”

The Wildcats could be forgiven for thinking Wimborne Road is jinxed after a troubled National League meeting here on May 28. And last night got off to a terrible start when Terry Day hit the deck in heat two after trying to round Aaron Baseby on lap three, bend one. Day took third place in the re-run but an elbow injury then forced him to withdraw. Wildcats’ fortunes did not get any better as Burrows suffered two engine failures and claimed just two points. With Weymouth a man down, and desperately short of luck, this quarter-final soon became a bridge too far.

The Wildcats though, have the chance to bounce straight back as they take on the Mildenhall Fen Tigers in National League action at the Wessex Bus Raceway tonight. Ex-Cats David Mason and Luke Priest are both set to return to their old stomping ground.
 

CATS OUT TO TAME BUCCANEERS & FEN TIGERS
By Weymouth Speedway ~ Thursday 2nd July 2009
The Weymouth Doonan Wildcats secured a sixteen point lead in the first leg of the National League Knock-Out Cup second round against local rivals the Bournemouth Buccaneers setting up a thrilling second leg. As expected, former Wildcat Jay Herne was on top form but was unable to remain unbeaten after a terrific ride from Wildcats Lee Smart put paid to the flying Aussies chances of a maximum. The victory was a huge improvement from the 20 point defeat that the Wildcats suffered at Wimborne Road and the Wildcats will be looking to put on a much improved performance in the second leg this Thursday (2nd July). 

Jem Dicken Wildcats Team Manager said “I am looking forward to the Knock Out Cup meeting at Bournemouth, I think the sixteen point advantage is just about enough.”

This Friday’s home meeting (7.15pm start) sees some former Wildcats return to the Wessex Bus Raceway in the form of ex-skipper David Mason and Luke Priest, who now ply their trade for the Mildenhall Fen Tigers. Dicken added “I am confident that we can take full points from the Tigers but don’t anticipate it to be a walk in the park, Barrie Evans is a very talented rider and always goes well here and Mason and Priest will no doubt be going all out to show us what we are missing!.”

The Southern Classic Speedway Bike Club in conjunction with Weymouth Wildcats, following  the success of the their previous exhibition, are returning with even more bikes this coming Sunday 5th July between 11am and 4pm on Weymouth seafront next to the Jubilee Clock.  Phil Bartlett, Wildcats Promoter said “The club greatly appreciate the work that Malcolm Ayre and other members of the club put into promoting the Wildcats. They will be distributing “Buy One Get One Free” vouchers on adult entry at the display which really is a magnificent sight.”  

The bikes on show will consist of models past and present from the legendary names in speedway, from classic Jap, Weslake and Godden machines through to modern Jawa and  GM bikes. The exhibition will even contain a number of machines owned by former Speedway World Champions. 

Line ups for Friday
 
Weymouth Wildcats
1. Lee Smart (c)
2. Matt Wright
3. Tim Webster
4. James Cockle
5. Mark Burrows
6. Terry Day
7. James White-Williams

Mildenhall Fen Tigers
1. Barrie Evans
2. Oliver Rayson
3. David Mason (c)
4. Dean Felton
5. Luke Priest
6. Darren Smith
7. Joe Jacobs
 

STEP ON IT
By Adam Summers, Dorset Echo ~ Thursday 2nd July 2009
TERRY Day is under no illusions about the enormity of tonight’s task when the Wildcats will attempt to stop the Bournemouth Buccaneers from clawing back a 16-point first-leg deficit in the Knockout Cup. Weymouth hammered the Buccaneers 56-40 at the Wessex Bus Raceway on June 19 but they face a very different proposition in Poole this evening where they were on the wrong end of a 56-36 drubbing earlier in the season.

Day said: “Everyone, including myself, had an up and down meeting in Poole that night. It is such a difficult place to go and a combination of unlucky rides and a few disappointing refereeing decisions saw us suffer a heavy defeat. You need power at Poole and if we can ensure that our set ups are right and we make our starts then we should be a lot more competitive but it will be a tough task despite going their with a 16-point lead. At Weymouth a couple of weeks ago we really stamped our authority on them and showed them that we are not going to let them run away with the league or the cup. We are still very much in both competitions and have a great chance of repeating last year’s success but it is a tougher league this year and Bournemouth will no doubt be looking to make a point of their own this evening. What we have to make sure we do is go there and do the business. We need to forget the team we are racing against and just concentrate on picking up points. If we can all ride to our average then we will progress to the next round and that has got to be the aim.”

Day lives with Bournemouth ace Jay Herne, who rode for the Wildcats last year. When asked whether there has been any banter between the two this week, Day added: “There has and there hasn’t. We just joke amongst ourselves really, especially when we race against each other, but there is no doubt that we both want to do all we can for our respective teams. Jay has been unstoppable in the National League so far this year and if it had not been for his 17 points in the first leg we would have smashed them and had no problems about going through. Somehow we are going to have to try and get the edge over him tonight and I am sure it is going to prove a very intriguing meeting.”