Speedway: Monarchs gear up for Rye House

Jun 4 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

REIGNING Premier League Champions the West Lothian-based Scotwaste Monarchs face a visit this weekend from 2005 and 2007 champs Rye House Rockets.

The Rockets are especially adept at racing on small tracks and both Armadale and Rye House are in that category.

They were easily the most effective visitors last season when Monarchs narrowly beat them 47-46.

The familiar figure of Chris Neath leads the southern side also featuring teenage Swede Linus Sundstrom, Tommy Allen, guest rider Mark Lemon and the amazing 42-year-old Andrew Silver.

Silver, son of Rockets promoter Len, has made a comeback this season, some 20 years after he was the individual champion of the league and one of the UK’s best young riders. He retired in the 90s but is now back and scoring points.

Monarchs will have a slightly unusual lineup also because both Ryan Fisher and Thomas H Jonasson will be away to Italy for the Grand Prix qualifier.

Birmingham’s Jason Lyons will guest in place of Fisher with rider replacement operating for Jonasson, his rides being shared amongst the other team members.

Prior to the Rockets’ visit Monarchs head for Somerset for an away fixture against the team who were runners-up last season.

Last Friday Monarchs beat Glasgow 53-40 in a match which was pretty close for much of the evening, until Monarchs’ Polish star Michal Rajkowski won the last three heats, beating Tigers’ top pair of Shane Parker and Travis McGowan in two of these heats.

This was the final qualifying match in the Premier Trophy, in which Monarchs will face Scunthorpe in the semi-finals.

They have also reached the quarter-finals of the Knockout Cup by beating Sheffield, and in that competition Workington will be the next opposition.

Teams for Friday (riding order): Scotwaste Monarchs: Jason Lyons (guest), Matthew Wethers (captain), Andrew Tully, Michal Rajkowski, rider replacement for Thomas H Jonasson, Aaron Summers, Sean Stoddart.

Rye House Rockets: Mark Lemon (guest), Tommy Allen, Chris Neath (captain), rider replacement for Joe Haines, Linus Sundstrom, Luke Bowen, Andrew Silver.