Speedway season ready to roar into top gear

Mar 25 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

THE SCOTWASTE Monarchs are geared up and raring to go as the new speedway season roars into sight.

The West Lothian-based Monarchs’ season kick-starts tomorrow night (Friday) when they meet traditional rivals the Glasgow Tigers in the first-leg of the Spring Trophy.

The Monarchs and the Tigers will do battle on the track at the Armadale Stadium from 7.30pm with the second-leg taking place at Ashfield on Sunday at 4pm.

Glasgow have signed Australian Travis McGowan from Elite League Swindon and though the big Aussie didn’t do all that well in the Scottish Open, he is expected to be one of the major stars of the Premier League this season. Alongside track specialist James Grieves he should form a formidable spearhead for Glasgow, who made a remarkable start to their campaign last Sunday by beating Coventry of the Elite League at Ashfield.

Glasgow’s success or otherwise will probably depend on the progress of other members of their side, and certainly Josh Grajczonek and Robert Ksiezak started well last weekend.

The Tigers’ team is heavily based on Australian riders with four of their seven riders from Down Under.

That is unlike the Monarchs who have a cosmopolitan international lineup of six different nationalities and they won’t be quite sure what to expect of their team until riders like Jozsef Tabaka (Hungary), Max Dilger (Germany) and Kalle Katajisto (Finland) get bedded in.

Dilger was the best of the trio last Friday during the Keyline Scottish Open though he picked up a rib injury.

Monarchs promoter John Campbell though is confident and he reckons the team can follow the exploits of their 2003 and 2008 predecessors and go on and win the Premier League.

Ryan Fisher was runner-up to James Wright in the Keyline Scottish Open, so he goes into the Glasgow battle firmly on-song, and both Matthew Wethers and Andrew Tully scored double figures, finishing fifth and fourth respectively.

German Kevin Wolbert, such a sensation last season, made a disastrous start. He blew his best engine in the pits, rode a bike he considered unsuitable and finished with no points after two spectacular crashes.

Teams for Friday:

Scotwaste Monarchs: Ryan Fisher, Jozsef Tabaka, Kevin Wolbert, Matthew Wethers, Andrew Tully, Max Dilger, Kalle Katajisto.

A-Plant Tigers: Travis McGowan, Robert Ksiezak, James Grieves, Lee Dicken, Josh Grajczonek, Jamie Courtney, Mitchell Davey.

The second leg of the Spring Trophy is at Ashfield on Sunday with a 4pm start. Glasgow are the holders of the Trophy.