HAWKS' SET TO FLY AGAIN IN 2011
By Hackney Speedway ~ Thursday 27th January 2011
It has been nearly fifteen years since the bikes last roared at Waterden Road in Hackney, but the Hackney Hawks will return to the track in 2011 as a National League side after being accepted into the sports third tier at this weeks AGM. The team will be a joint project funded by and racing at both Rye House and Lakeside Speedways, which will allow both clubs the opportunity to develop young British talent in tandem. Home meetings will be shared equally between the two venues. The team will replace the previous Cobras - and before that Raiders – outfits in National League competition to maintain a third tier involvement for Rye House that now extends back to the 1999 re-launch of the Rockets.

The team title of Hackney has been chosen as both tracks enjoy considerable support from former Hawks supporters, and also brings into focus the current lack of a London team in British Speedway, a situation which both clubs would like to see changed. Lakeside co-promoter Jon Cook explained that "This is a new exciting venture for us and will give our fans a chance to see the development of our young riders at the Raceway. We expect to stage at least a meeting a month during the season and we feel the need to develop young British talent is a duty all clubs should undertake in future seasons. We hope this joint partnership with Rye House will point the way ahead. I am sure London fans will be drawn to see the iconic Hawks race jacket in action and help us to continue pressure for Speedway to play some part in the Olympic legacy, which of course is on the site of the old Waterden Road Stadium."

Rye House promoter Len Silver shares Cook’s enthusiasm. "I am very excited to be linking with our friends at Lakeside, and I sure this move will be a great success and big factor in producing future stars for both our teams. Because of my own long connection with Hackney it is nostalgic for me to be going back in that direction and I am sure the fans are in for a real treat once this exciting brand of Hawks takes to the track in April".

The team is set to include highly rated prospects Marc Owen, Shane Hazelden and Ben Morley, with the full team scheduled to be announced within the next week or so. In separate news from the AGM, it was confirmed that the National League Riders' Championship will once again take place at Rye House, with the staging date scheduled for Saturday, September 3rd (7.00pm start).
 

HACKNEY FIXTURES
By Hackney Speedway ~ Monday 21st February 2011
Planned home National League dates for the Hackney Hawks, split across Rye House and Lakeside, have also been allocated, although at this stage the only confirmed opponents for those dates are the American Touring Team, who will visit Hoddesdon on Saturday, April 9th. The Hawks’ away schedule is yet to be confirmed. Rye House will once again stage the National League Riders’ Championship on Saturday, September 3rd.
 

PRESS AND PRACTICE DAY
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 19th February 2011
Friday, March 11th, has been named as the official press and practice day ahead of the 2011 campaign. All the Silver Ski Rockets will be there, with Nelson now already in the country and Ritchie Hawkins due back from New Zealand ahead of time. Elsewhere, Luke Bowen is currently riding motocross as part of his fitness preparations and reports all is well with the arm he broke at Birmingham last June.

The newly formed Hackney Hawks will also be practicing, with their full proposed 2011 line-up already named earlier this week. The start time is 11.00am, with members of the public welcome to attend. The Rockets and Hawks will also have practice sessions the previous day (Thursday the 10th) and also the next (Saturday the 12th), with both sessions again starting at 11.00am.

The Rockets’ opening fixture is at Ipswich on Thursday, March 17th, with the quickfire return scheduled for Hoddesdon on Saturday, March 19th (7.00pm start). The Hawks will compete for the first time against the American Touring Team at Rye House on Saturday, April 9th (7.00pm start).
 

HAWKS vs FEN TIGERS IN CUP
By Hackney Speedway ~ Wednesday 16th February 2011
The newly formed Hackney Hawks will face Mildenhall in the first round of this season's Knock-Out Cup, drawn today. Dates for the two legged tie, and confirmation of the venue for the Hawks' home leg will be announced in due course. Eight of this season's ten National League teams will take part in the competition, with the other three ties being:

Buxton vs Stoke
Dudley vs Belle Vue
Newport vs Isle of Wight
 

HAWKS COMPLETE TEAM
By Hackney Speedway ~ Monday 14th February 2011
The newly formed Hackney Hawks, who will race in the National League this year with home meetings jointly staged at both Lakeside and Rye House, have submitted their proposed seven man line-up to the BSPA for final ratification. As previously announced, 2003 League Riders Champion Barrie Evans will head the team as the Hawks’ newly installed No.1. The 26 year old remains desperate for new sponsors, however. Anyone willing to help should please contact Lisa Eldridge at Rye House Speedway (via either 07725 039775 or -email-).

There is further experience in the shape of fellow former League Riders Champion David Mason. The 2001 titlist is one of three 2010 Cobras in the Hawks’ squad, the others being 16 year old Marc Owen and Ben Morley, who will turn 17 in March and is also a Silver Ski Rocket this term. He will start the campaign with a very handy 4.89 average.

Ben Hopwood arrives on a full transfer from the Isle of Wight after spending the last two seasons across the Solent with the Islanders. Now 20, he previously finished second in the 2006 British U-15 Championship despite riding with a dislocated ankle, and also reached the 2009 British U-21 Final. Completing the Hackney roster is Brandon Freemantle, who was crowned the 500cc British U-15 Champion last year after winning the 250cc event the season before.

The full Hawks team, which is scheduled to open its season at Rye House in a match against the American Touring Team on Saturday April 9th (7.00pm start) is: Barrie Evans (starting average: 7.68), Marc Owen (6.92), Ben Hopwood (6.83), David Mason (5.50), Ben Morley (4.89), Shane Hazelden (4.37), Brandon Freemantle (3.00)

Total team average = 39.19
 

HAWKS' HOPES FOR EVANS
By Hackney Speedway ~ Wednesday 9th February 2011
The newly formed Hackney Hawks who will race in the National League this year with home meetings jointly staged at both Lakeside and Rye House, is now almost complete. However, a late fly has appeared in the ointment! It had been agreed with all parties that Barrie Evans would come into the side as No.1 and the rider himself is keen to be re-joining the management at Rye House after spending the last few seasons at Stoke. The East Anglian native, however, has enjoyed some generous sponsorship from local businessmen in his neighbourhood and which is critical to his racing career. Initially they agreed to continue the arrangement in a Hackney role but have now changed that offer to being dependent on him signing for the new Mildenhall venture.

The 2003 League Riders Champion himself has been devastated by the news, and it now becomes essential for him to find sponsors around Rye House and Lakeside to enable him to fulfil his original promise to become the Hawks’ leading rider. Anyone willing to help should please contact Lisa Eldridge at Rye House Speedway (via either 07725 039775 or lisaeldridge27@hotmail.co.uk).

Elsewhere, it can be confirmed that Ben Hopwood is joining the team from the Isle of Wight on a permanent basis to Rye House. The Manchester born 20 year old – previously the silver medallist in the 2006 British U-15 Championship - views the move as a major step forward in his career and there is no doubt that he has the potential to take his 6.83 average to much higher levels. The Hawks are scheduled to open their season at Rye House in a match against the American Touring Team on Saturday April 9th (7.00pm start).
 

HAWKS ENJOY PRACTICE FLIGHTS
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 12th March 2011
It has been nearly fifteen years since the bikes last roared at Waterden Road in Hackney, but the Hackney Hawks are returning to the track in 2011 as a National League side, in a joint project funded by and racing at both Rye House and Lakeside Speedways. The newly formed Hawks took to the track as a full team at Rye House’s Press and Practice Day on Friday, March 11th, and we used the occasion to catch up with joint team managers Neil Vatcher and John Sampford.

Vatcher sums up both managers’ views with his anticipation toward the coming campaign. “It’s an exciting time to be part of this new venture, and we’ve got a really good team on paper. We’ve got two experienced boys at the top end in Barrie Evans and David Mason – both former League Riders Champions – and five really good youngsters who are all under 21. We’re convinced that Ben Morley and Marc Owen will be pushing Barrie for the No.1 race jacket, while Ben Hopwood could well be our trump card away from home on the bigger circuits where perhaps previous Rye House teams have lacked. Finally, Shane Hazelden and Brandon Freemantle give us possibly the best reserve pairing in the country. So, yes, it’s definitely an exciting time for us.”

Sampford concurs. “The team-building concept is very similar to what we attempted with the Cobras last year. You need the older heads at the top end to show the way, while Ben Hopwood in the middle has valuable experience already, and the rest are youngsters with National League experience of two years or less. We believe that that is the way to do it.”

Neither manager sees the sharing of home fixtures between two circuits as inhibiting the side’s potential - in fact, quite the opposite. Sampford argues that “It should work well across the two home circuits, because it gives the lads another track to race and learn. They are both technical tracks, I appreciate, but they are different circuits.”

Equally, as Vatcher explains, “They are also tracks that visiting teams probably won’t be looking forward to coming to. We’re having a couple of days’ practice at Rye House, followed by another session at Lakeside in about ten days’ time. If we can get the lads tuned into both circuits, and turn them into fortresses, it will be the ideal launch-pad to get us into the play-offs. With these boys also getting stronger as the season goes on, the end of the year could be a prime time for us.”

The first chance the public will have to see the team in action will be against the American Touring Team at Rye House on Saturday, April 9th. It’s the ideal prelude for the main National League programme that will commence with a home fixture at Lakeside against Stoke on Good Friday. Vatcher: “It’s going to be a very tough start for us, because the American boys will like a really tight circuit. It will be important for us to get a win under our belts, though, to get our confidence up - and a winning feeling that will hopefully roll on through the National League season.”
 

WEBSITE MAGIC!
By David Mason Racing ~ Saturday 12th March 2011
A website revamp has been carried out by long time webmaster for David to kick start the 2011 season which we hope meets your approval. With David signed up to ride for the Hackney ‘Hawks’ Mad Web and David now move into their eighth year of partnership with Mad Web’s sister companies logo being displayed on his new kevlars and bike covers for the new season. www.madracing.co.uk is where you can find details of how Tim at Mad Web can help with anything from website to printing, logos to photography and much much more.

 

HAWKS 53 STOKE 41 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 23rd April 2011
The newly re-launched Hawks opened their home programme at Lakeside on Good Friday, collecting a maximum three match points to add to the point already gained from their first fixture at King’s Lynn. Three 5-1 advantages in the first four races put the Hawks in early control at 17-7, while a third in Heat 12 finally wrapped things up at 45-29.

British U-21 Finalist Shane Hazelden featured in all three of those maximum results, and finished the day with a tremendous 12+1 tally that made him joint-top scorer alongside fellow U-21 Finalist Marc Owen and captain David Mason, who produced the pass of the match in getting past both Tony Atkin and Gareth Isherwood on the very last bend of Heat 3. There was back-up from the rest of the team too, with all the remaining Hackney riders paid for at least one race win.

Joint-team manager John Sampford was delighted with the result. “This was potentially a tricky meeting in the sense that we followed on from the earlier Lakeside-Eastbourne match on a sundrenched circuit. As things materialised, we quickly grabbed a ten point lead and never let go. We could even have won by a few more had Ben Hopwood not snapped a throttle cable on the start line in Heat 14. It was great to see Shane (Hazelden) rack up his big score, and Marc (Owen) too. We were also delighted to see David Mason back to his best around one of his former stamping grounds. All in all, this was just the result we needed to take us into another tough-looking match against Belle Vue.”

That fixture against the highly rated Colts is the next Hawks’ home meeting, but will be staged at their other home circuit of Rye House on Saturday, April 30th (7.00pm start).

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 5 (4 rides)
Ben Morley 6+3 (4)
David Mason 11+2 (5)
Ben Hopwood 6 (4)
Marc Owen 11+2 (5)
Brandon Freemantle 2+1 (3)
Shane Hazelden 12+1 (5)

Stoke scorers:
Luke Priest (guest) 5+1 (4 rides)
Jamie Pickard 11 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Gareth Isherwood 2 (4)
Tony Atkin 6+1 (4)
Tim Webster 14 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Dan Berwick 1 (3)
James Sarjeant 2 (6)

Match points: Hackney 3 Stoke 0
 

KING'S LYNN 47 HAWKS 45 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Wednesday 13th April 2011
The Hackney Hawks followed up Saturday’s landslide victory over the US Touring Team by nabbing an unlikely match point in their National League opener at the Norfolk Arena. The Hawks trailed by 11 points with just three races remaining yet battled back to force a last heat decider.

After the home side had taken an early lead with a 4-2 in the second heat, Ben Hopwood became the first Hawk to win a National League race when he headed home partner David Mason in a Heat 3 marred by a back injury sustained by Young Star Adam Lowe. With Lewis Kerr also failing to complete the race due to a bike stoppage, the resultant 5-0 gave Hackney a 9-8 advantage. A 5-1 from James Cockle and Jake Knight swiftly put King’s Lynn back in front before another maximum, this time from Barrie Evans and Ben Morley, popped the Hawks ahead again, at 15-14. The lead changed hands for a fourth time in the very next race, and from there the Young Stars built their advantage to 41-30 after Heat 12. Game, set and match? Not quite, as the Tactically nominated Barrie Evans delivered a No.1 ride to cinch Heat 13 and Marc Owen produced an incredible last-to-second display to follow him home for an 8-1.

With Heat 14 producing a shared result, the Hawks needed a 5-1 in the finale to snatch a draw. But although Evans came from the back against Darren Mallett to take the win, Marc Owen had to settle for third place leaving Hackney just shy of that target. The Hawks were ultimately caught out by a lack of heat wins – just four in total, with three claimed by Evans – while the Young Stars were grateful for key points from established hands Darren Mallett and James Cockle, plus a decisive haul from superb reserve Jake Knight, who dropped his only points when excluded for bringing down Ben Morley in Heat 11, to edge them home.

Joint Hackney Team Manager John Sampford was pleased with his team’s achievement afterwards. “We came away with something from the match when at one stage that didn’t look likely. In fact, it looked less than remote; some will no doubt have thought we didn’t have a prayer. Overall, though, it was a good team performance, and one that we’re determined to build on going forward.”

Next up for Marc Owen and Shane Hazelden is the British U-21 Final at Lakeside this Friday at 7.45pm. The Hawks’ next action as a team is also at the Arena-Essex Raceway, in this case one week later (Good Friday) as they make their home League debut against Stoke in what will be the second half of a double header that also features the Lakeside-Eastbourne Elite League match (1pm start).

The Hawks’ next match at Rye House is set for Saturday, April 30th, when they entertain Belle Vue (7pm start).

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 15+1 (5 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Ben Morley 7+2 (4)
David Mason 6+1 (4)
Ben Hopwood 5+2 (4)
Marc Owen 7+1 (5)
Brandon Freemantle 0 (3)
Shane Hazelden 5+1 (5)

King’s Lynn scorers:
Darren Mallett 11 (5 rides)
Oliver Rayson 1 (4)
Lewis Kerr 3+1 (4)
Adam Lowe 0 (1)
James Cockle 10 (5)
Tom Stokes 5+2 (4)
Jake Knight 17+1 (7)

Match points: King’s Lynn 2 Hackney 1
 

HAWKS 66 USA TOURING TEAM 25 (CH)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 10th April 2011
The Hawks’ new era began with a totally dominant performance against the American Touring team, with three Hackney riders going through the card and the rest of the side also contributing freely. Ben Hopwood reeled off five effortless victories for his maximum, and any preconceptions that he has been brought into the side purely for his abilities on the larger away tracks being dismissed by his instant prowess on the Rye House circuit. There were maximums also for doubling-up Silver Ski Rocket Ben Morley and new Hawks No.1 Barrie Evans.

Elsewhere, Marc Owen was undefeated following a surprise last place in his opening ride, and Shane Hazelden’s record was also unblemished following a Heat 2 fall. Captain David Mason picked up steam as the night wore on, while it proved an excellent team debut for 15 year old Brandon Freemantle. The British U-15 Champion won his first ride at this level, followed home team-mate Owen in his next and finished with paid 7. His only down-point came when he had to be treated by medical staff after pulling up abruptly on the second bend of Heat 14 when he appeared to have been struck by his chain which had come loose.

The Hawks essentially did as they pleased, providing the race winner in all fifteen heats and blasting no less than nine maximum score-lines in the process. It was a performance that will have brought a smile to Saturday’s special guest Barrie Thomas. The original 20 year Hackney legend raised the biggest cheer of the night when completing a couple of laps during the pre-meeting parade.

The Tourists looked a very pale version of the Dream Team that unleashed the likes of Kenny Ingalls and Tyson Burmeister on an unsuspecting public at Rye House a year ago. Their mixture of veterans and up-and-coming youngsters was simply no match for a rampant Hawks side, and even mainstays Eddie Castro and Shawn McConnell struggled to get going. “Fast Eddie”, who had impressed in last year’s match and top-scored with 16 in the first meeting on this tour at Birmingham on Thursday, hit problems with a machine failure at the start line in Heat 1, and although producing a successful from-the-back charge against Brandon Freemantle when handicapped by a 15 metre penalty for tapes touching in Heat 11, managed just 6 points overall. The “Mad Dog”, meanwhile, suffered two early falls which restricted his tally to just 4. There were flashes of potential from 16 year old Joey Holt, who kept Marc Owen behind him in Heat 4 and finished with a top-scoring paid 7, but that was about it for the Eagles.

The Hawks will face far stiffer opposition in the National League campaign on which they are now embarking, but in fairness could only beat the opposition that was laid out in front of them. As such, this match will have provided a good confidence booster for their League opener at King’s Lynn on Wednesday (April 13th). The Hawks’ first home League match will be at Lakeside on Good Friday (April 22nd) when they face Stoke in the second part of a double header that opens with the Elite League clash between the Hammers and Eastbourne.

Their next home fixture at Rye House will be on Saturday, April 30th, when they come up against a Belle Vue Colts side that includes 2008 NLRC runner-up Byron Bekker, 2009 British U-21 and U-15 Silver medallist Kyle Howarth and 2008 U-15 Champion Jason Garrity.

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 9+3 (4 rides, maximum)
Ben Morley 13+2 (5 rides, maximum)
David Mason 6+2 (4)
Ben Hopwood 15 (5 rides, maximum)
Marc Owen 9 (4)
Brandon Freemantle 6+1 (4)
Shane Hazelden 8+1 (4)

USA “Travel Plus” Touring Team scorers:
Eddie Castro 6 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Marvin Sonnier 1 (3)
Mike Buman 1 (4)
Doug Nicol 5 (4)
Shawn McConnell 4 (5 rides, inc 1 as a TR)
Dylan Black 3 (3)
Joey Holt 4+3 (4)
Jim Terchila (No.Cool 2 (2)

Owen and Hazelden Target Success in U-21 Final
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 10th April 2011
The Hackney Hawks will field two representatives at this Friday’s (April 15th @ 8pm) British U-21 Final at Lakeside. 16 year old Marc Owen will be appearing in his second national final, after previously placing 5th in the 2009 British U-18 Championship. He also finished in the same position in the 2008 U-15 series. It will also be a second “Big Night” experience for 17 year old Shane Hazelden, who was part of the field for last season’s U-18 Final. Like Owen, he also has further national competition experience, having finished 6th in the 2007 U-15 series. He will also be buoyed by memories of his last meeting at Lakeside, in October, when he roared to paid 10 on his Young Great Britain debut. Owen and Hazelden will meet head-to-head in their opening rides in Heat 4, which will also feature Sheffield’s Ashley Birks and defending British U-21 Champion Joe Haines.

The full draw, in riding order, is:
1. Jerran Hart, 2. Tai Woffinden, 3. Steve Worrall, 4. Kyle Howarth, 5. Jaimie Pickard, 6. Paul Starke, 7. Josh Auty, 8. Joe Jacobs, 9. Jason Garrity, 10. Ashley Morris, 11. Brendan Johnson, 12. Kyle Newman, 13, Ashley Birks, 14. Marc Owen, 15, Shane Hazelden, 16, Joe Haines
Reserves: Tom Perry and Ben Reade

At stake at this Super 7evens event will be the British U-21 Championship itself, plus a spot in the World Qualifying rounds, with Joe Haines, Jerran Hart, Josh Auty and Kyle Newman having already been allocated four of Britain’s five international places.
 

HAWKS COUNTDOWN CONTINUES
By Hackney Speedway ~ Thursday 7th April 2011
We are down to two days and counting before the Hackney Hawks make an emotional – and exciting - return to the track. Nearly fifteen years after the bikes last roared at Waterden Road, the famed chequered race jacket, replete with its yellow hawk symbol, will be seen in action as the re-launched side collide with the American Touring Team at Rye House (Saturday, April 9th @ 7.00pm).

Twenty year Hawk – the original team’s longest servant and captain – Barry Thomas will be the special guest of honour for the occasion.

Ronnie Correy is unfortunately a withdrawal after originally being earmarked for Saturday’s fixture, but the Hawks will still have their hands full as the Tourists can call on stalwarts “Fast” Eddie Castro, the 52 year old sensation who impressed at Hoddesdon last April and is the current Victorville Track Champion, and “Mad Dog” Shawn McConnell, who belied his age of 51 years to place third in last season’s USA National Championship behind Billy Janniro and Tyson Burmeister. Younger prospects Mikey Buman (19) and Dylan Black (18), meanwhile view the tour as providing a springboard for permanent racing spots in Europe.

Saturday’s teams are:
Hackney: Barrie Evans, Ben Morley, David Mason (captain), Ben Hopwood, Marc Owen, Brandon Freemantle, Shane Hazelden

US Touring: Eddie Castro (captain, Marvin Sonnier, Mikey Buman, Doug Nicol, Shawn McConnell, Dylan Black, Joey Holt.
 

TODAY'S HAWKS, TOMORROW'S GP STARS
By Hackney Speedway ~ Tuesday 5th April 2011
As the Hackney Hawks count down the days until their return to the track, The Lakeside Hammers Speedway Club are offering all of their supporters an opportunity to get behind their young rising stars, Marc Owen and Shane Hazelden. The Club is only as big as its fans and its future stars, and their fans can all show that they are committed to their youngsters by way of a user friendly and very affordable sponsorship option.

Whenever Lakeside Hammers assets Shane and Marc turn out for the Hackney Hawks at the Arena-Essex Raceway the fans will have a chance to sponsor them per point scored. Sponsorship can be as little as 10p per point up to £1 per point. The Lakeside Hammers Promotional duo of Jon Cook and Stuart Douglas are starting the scheme off with individual offers of £1 per rider per point scored.

"This is a brilliant way for everyone at the Club to participate in the future of British Speedway by putting our lads first." said Stuart Douglas. "We are completely committed to Marc and Shane, who are undoubtedly very talented, and we want to do all we can to help them climb the ladder of success. Every penny really does count to these lads, and I applaud everyone who feels they are able to help."

The Lakeside hammers elite league Speedway Club are hoping that this initiative will not only help Shane and Marc, but will also help attract promising youngsters to the Club in the future. They believe strongly in developing British talent, and want to be the club of choice for the stars of the future.
 

HAWKS V AMERICAN TOURING TEAM (CH) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 3rd April 2011
This coming Saturday (April 9th) brings a very special fixture to Rye House, marking as it does the track return of the Hackney Hawks nearly fifteen years after the bikes last roared at Waterden Road.

The 2011 breed of Hawks is a mixture of experience and potential, with 2003 Conference (now National) League Riders Champion Barrie Evans and 2011 titlist David Mason providing the foundations. Mason is one of four 2010 Rye House Cobras in the new side, the others being British U-21 Finalists Marc Owen and Shane Hazelden, and doubling-up Rocket Ben Morley. Completing the team are Ben Hopwood, who has arrived from the Isle of Wight, and 15 year old Brandon Freemantle, who won the 500cc British U-15 Championship last season, twelve months on from capturing the 250cc version.

Saturday’s opposition is provided by the American Touring Team, who as the “Dream Team” took the Cobras to an enthralling 47-46 result at Rye House last April. Kindly sponsored by Travel Plus Tours, the Eagles will be led by Ronnie Correy, who is coming out of retirement for two matches of the tour. “The Rocket” is a four-time former World Finalist, and a 1992 World Team Cup and Pairs Champion.

There are eight other riders making the tour, so perm seven of these eight for Saturday’s fixture. “The Mad Dog” Shaun McConnell is known to British supporters for his runs with Birmingham and Swindon, plus his starring roles in the Brighton Indoor events, while “Fast” Eddie Castro is celebrating 31 years of racing, and at the age of 52 is, according to both his own website and neutrals alike “still going strong, still going fast”.

Doug “The Destroyer” Nicol is a year “Fast” Eddie’s junior and was once a Middlesborough Bear in 1992, while 19 year old Mike Buman is making his second trip to the UK and Joey “The Bolt” Holt is also a member of this year’s national U-21 team.

Indianapolis’ Jim Terchila was previously third in the 2006 Central Series Championship, while the American squad is rounded out by 2007 Industry Hills Youth Second Division Champion Dylan Black and “Marvellous” Marvin Sonnier.

To mark the occasion, Saturday’s meeting will host a very special guest in the form of legendary Hawks captain Barry Thomas, who appeared at Hackey at Waterden Road as a Hawk from 1970 to 1983, and then as a Kestral from 1984 to 1986, as well as in 1988 and 1989. That twenty year run brought in not one but two testimonial!

By the way, Thomas’ one missing year – 1987 – saw him ride for Rye House, so the link is fully completed on Saturday.

The action gets underway at 7.00pm.
 

DUDLEY 49 HAWKS 41 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Tuesday 31st May 2011
Last Friday, the Hawks slipped to their first home defeat of the season when edged out by a strong Dudley side in a tense last race decider at Lakeside. Just four nights later, they looked to have exacted their revenge by handing the highly rated Heathens their own first home loss of the year, only to capitulate in the final third of the meeting.

Spurred on by another tremendous performance from reserve Shane Hazelden, the Hawks made light of Marc Owen’s morning withdrawal due to illness and looked home and dry with a 34-26 advantage after Heat 10, only for the Heathens to sucker-punch them in the closing stages. An unexpected fall from Barrie Evans – his second of the fixture – helped Dudley to a 5-1 in Heat 11, while a second maximum quickly followed when Hazelden was controversially excluded after falling under pressure from Tom Perry in Heat 12.

With the scores now level, Kyle Newman – a real thorn in the Hawks’ side on Friday – then inflicted yet more damage by holding off Evans for second place behind partner Jon Armstrong, as the Heathens took the lead for the first time in the match, at 41-37.

Hackney enjoyed brief respite when Ashley Morris ground to a halt on the last bend of Heat 14 as a fourth consecutive 5-1 loomed large, but the match still had one final sting in the tail, as Newman won the finale from the back and Armstrong sneaked past Evans for second place right on the line. That last race result left the Hawks just a bike length adrift of leaving town with a consolation match point.

A disconsolate co-team manager John Sampford said afterwards, “I’m absolutely gutted for the lads, who rode their hearts out and yet came away with nothing to show for their efforts. It didn’t help that Barrie (Evans) suffered two uncharacteristic falls, although the real blow was when Shane (Hazelden) was excluded in Heat 12. There was definitely contact, and I’ve seen similar decisions given the other way. Instead of possibly getting a heat advantage from that race, we conceded a 5-1…. and that proved crucial at the end of the night.”

From here, the Hawks will aim for a fresh start in a fresh competition, as they head to Mildenhall on Sunday (June 5th) for the first leg of their Knock-Out Cup first round tie. The Fen Tigers will return the favour when they are the visitors for Hackney’s next home fixture at Rye House, on Saturday, June 11th, in what will be the second and deciding leg of the tie.

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 7+1 (6 rides)
Ben Morley 8+1 (6)
David Mason 5 (4)
Ben Hopwood 5+2 (5)
Marc Owen R/R
Brandon Freemantle 0 (3)
Shane Hazelden 16 (7)

Dudley scorers:
Jon Armstrong 9+1 (5 rides)
Richard Franklin 4 (4)
Tom Perry 6+2 (4)
Ashley Morris 5+1 (4)
Kyle Newman 13+1 (5)
Darryl Ritchings 11+1 (5)
Danny Stoneman 1+1 (3)

Match points: Hackney 3 Dudley 0
 

HAWKS 42 DUDLEY 48 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Friday 27th May 2011
The Hawks suffered their first home defeat of the season when edged out by Dudley in a tense last race decider at Lakeside. Strong performances from both Hackney captain David Mason (13+2) and reserve Shane Hazelden (14+1) were unfortunately outweighed by disappointment for Ben Hopwood, who struggled with machinery problems throughout and also had the misfortune to fall when challenging for third place in Heat 5 after clipping the inside kerb on the very last bend. Hazelden also had his problems, his Heat 6 quickly ending when his cut-out came adrift.

The match ebbed and flowed, with neither side able to command more than a two point advantage until the final heat. Following a share of the spoils in each of the first six races, Dudley took advantage of Hazelden’s Heat 6 gremlins to take the lead with a 4-2. The Hawks, in turn, replied with a 5-1 two races later to move in front at 25-23, as Hazelden stormed from the gate and Mason cut back from the outside to join him at the front.

Successive Dudley 4-2s nudged the visitors into a 34-32 lead, before another Hawks maximum from the same pairing lifted Hackney to another narrow advantage. That situation did not last long, however, as former League Riders Champion Jon Armstrong and the unbeaten Kyle Newman produced 5-1s from their pairings in Heats 13 and 15 to clinch the win for the Heathens.

The Hawks will be aiming to re-group - and plot their revenge – as venture to Monmore Green in Wolverhampton for next Tuesday’s (May 31st) quick return match. Following that fixture, it will be a case of eyes on a different prize, as the Hawks head to Mildenhall on Sunday, June 5th, for the first leg of their Knock-Out Cup first round tie.

The Fen Tigers will return the favour when they are the visitors for Hackney’s next home fixture at Rye House, on Saturday, June 11th, in what will be the second and deciding leg of the tie.

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 6 (5 rides)
Ben Morley R/R
David Mason 13+2 (5)
Ben Hopwood 2 (4)
Marc Owen 6+1 (4)
Brandon Freemantle 1+1 (4)
Shane Hazelden 14+1 (7)
Rhys Naylor (No.8) dnr

Dudley scorers:
Jon Armstrong 12+1 (5 rides)
Richard Franklin 5+1 (4)
Tom Perry 4+2 (4)
Ashley Morris 9 (4)
Kyle Newman 13+2 (5 rides, maximum)
Darryl Ritchings 5+1 (5)
Danny Stoneman 0 (3)

Match points: Hackney 0 Dudley 3
 

THE HAWKS TAKE TO THE TRACK AT THE ARENA-ESSEX RACEWAY
By Hackney Speedway ~ Thursday 26th May 2011
This Friday, 27th May, will see two of the most famous old names in British Speedway in action at the Arena-Essex Raceway as the Hackney Hawks take on the Dudley Heathens in a National League match. Hackney raced at the Hackney Wick Greyhound Stadium in Waterden Road between 1935 and 1996 at a venue that has been demolished to be replaced by the Olympic Stadium. The Hackney Hawks name was brought back this season. The Heathens raced as the Cradley Heath Heathens at the Dudley Wood Sports Stadium on and off between 1947 and 1995. The name of the Heathens was resurrected in 2010 when the Dudley Heathens were formed.

Both clubs are still without permanent home venues with the Hawks sharing their home matches between the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers, and Rye House Stadium Hoddesdon, where Premier League side the Rye House Rockets are based. In 2010 the Heathens raced their home matches at either Monmore Green Wolverhampton , where the Wolverhampton Wolves race, or at the Perry Bar Stadium Birmingham the home of the Birmingham Brummies. This year, however, the Heathens will stage all their home meetings at Monmore Green.

Both clubs are steeped in history with many of the World’s top riders having competed in their famous colours. The two clubs now compete in the National League where in a 10 team League the Hawks are currently in third place with the Heathens in seventh place. However, the Heathens have competed in only two League matches compared to the Hawks five matches. A win for the Hawks on Friday will see them move up into top position in the table but the Dudley Heathens are expected to give the Hawks a stern test as the Heathens finished top of the League last season and have already won the National League Shield this year.

The Heathens are led by 36 year old veteran Jon Armstrong who is in his twentieth year of racing. Alongside him he has a youthful team comprising of Richard Franklin (aged 18), Ashley Morris (17), Kyle Newman (19), Tom Perry (18), Darryl Ritchings (16) and Danny Stoneman (19).

The Hawks have two former Hammers riders in their side in Barrie Evans and David Mason along with two riders who are Lakeside Hammers assets in Shane Hazelden and Mark Owen. Completing their team will be Brandon Freemantle and Ben Hopwood with the ‘Rider Replacement’ facility being used to cover the rides of Ben Morley , who misses the match as he will be on Premier League duties with Rye House in Edinburgh.

This National League match between these two famous named clubs in Speedway will start at 8pm on Friday (27th May) at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers. The Grand Parade of riders will be at 7.45pm. Admission price to this meeting are:-   Adults - £12, Concessions - £10, Children 6 to 16 inclusive - £2 with Children under 6 admitted free when accompanied by an adult. A special matchday programme will also be available at £1. Lakeside Hammers Season Ticket holders should note that they will admitted for half price on production of their current Season Ticket.

An EFlyer advertising this meeting may be downloaded free of charge at http://tinyurl.com/3n2y5h3
 

HAWKS PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 22nd May 2011
The Hackney Hawks are next in action on Friday (May 27th) when they take flight against pre-season title favourites Dudley at Lakeside. They will be facing a Heathens side that includes World U-21 competitor Kyle Newman, former League Riders Champion Jon Armstrong and 2010 British U-21 Grasstrack titlist Tom Perry, who was also voted Dudley’s Rider of the Year last term.

The meeting at the Arena-Essex Raceway starts at 8.00pm.

The Hawks’ next home action at Rye House is set for Saturday, June 11th, when they clash with arch-rivals Mildenhall in the Knock-Out Cup.
 

HAWKS 49 KING'S LYNN 41 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 8th May 2011
The Hawks rebounded from Bank Holiday Monday’s nightmare at Scunthorpe to bag all three match points in a tense, tight affair that was a credit to both teams. Both have adhered to the original National League ethos of assembling sides based around young prospects plus the added stability of one or two experienced “old hands”, and there both elements were very much on show here.

Ultimately, the Young Stars proved too over-reliant points-wise on James Cockle and Darren Mallett – although Lewis Kerr also showed strong hints of his potential – against a Hackney side that was firing on far more cylinders. Exciting reserve Shane Hazelden continued his rich vein of form to head the Hawks’ score-charts with paid 16, with David Mason in close contention for the man of the match award with paid 12. There was excellent support, also, from Barry Evans (Cool and Ben Hopwood, who recovered from an early fall to rack up a matching paid total.

It proved a mixed night for Ben Morley, who was originally scheduled to be with Rye House at Berwick. That Premier League action was postponed very early in the morning, allowing the 17 year old to take his place in the Hawks’ team. Morley rattled off two race wins, one on Ben Hopwood’s machinery, but also suffered two falls in what turned out to be a mixed night.

All in all, the Hawks fielded six different race winners, with Marc Owen gaining mention for his important victory in Heat 7. Even the odd man out, 15 year old Brandon Freemantle, contributed a hard fought point from his battle with Oliver Rayson in Heat 7.

There was nothing to separate the two teams over the first seven races, before the Hawks finally pushed clear to 31-23 with successive 5-1s. Ben Morley and Shane Hazelden secured the first over Jake Knight in Heat 8, then David Mason and Ben Hopwood repeated that outcome over the previously unbeaten James Cockle in Heat 9.

The two sides exchanged 5-1s in Heats 11 and 12 before a final maximum blast, from Hopwood and Hazelden ensured all three match points for Hackney with a race to spare. That last heat saw Cockle and Mallett win out in a close finish over Mason and Evans to give the Young Stars a final uplift for their efforts.

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 8 (5 rides)
Ben Morley 6 (4)
David Mason 10+2 (5)
Ben Hopwood 7+1 (4)
Marc Owen 4 (3)
Brandon Freemantle 1 (4)
Shane Hazelden 13+3 (6)

King’s Lynn scorers:
Darren Mallett 9+2 (5 rides)
Adam Lowe R/R
Oliver Rayson 2+2 (5)
Lewis Kerr 6 (5)
James Cockle 16 (6)
Tom Stokes 2+1 (4)
Jake Knight 6 (5)

Match Points: Hackney 3 King’s Lynn 0


Hawks No Go on Friday the 13th
Hackney’s originally scheduled next fixture at Lakeside on Friday, May 13th, against front-runners Dudley has been moved back a fortnight and will now be staged at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday the 27th. The Hawks’ next home action at Rye House is set for Saturday, June 11th, when they clash with arch-rivals Mildenhall.
 

SCUNTHORPE 66 HAWKS 24 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Tuesday 3rd May 2011
The Hawks experienced a real night to forget as they were taken apart by a very strong combined Scunthorpe-Sheffield team in Lincolnshire on Bank Holiday Monday. The home side provided the race winner in fourteen of the fifteen heats, racking up no less than eight 5-1s in the process, and would have won by an even bigger margin had not Ashley Birks stopped and fallen in separate races – each time while leading – and Greg Blair fallen in the final race when holding second. Barrie Evans provided the Hawks’ one moment to smile with a race win in Heat 13.

Team manager Neil Vatcher was the first to admit that “We are all extremely disappointed with this result. We were simply beaten by a much better side that knew the best way around its own track. There are four or five riders with Premier League experience in their side, and it showed tonight. We really missed Ben Morley (who was committed to Rye House’s matches against Ipswich), although there were pluses from Marc Owen’s 100% effort and the fact that Brandon Freemantle, although scoreless, was on the pace against very good riders. We’ll treat tonight as a learning experience on a bigger track, and one that will hopefully provide the re-focus for Saturday’s match against King’s Lynn.”

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 7 (5 rides, inc 1 as a TR)
Ben Morley R/R
David Mason 4 (5)
Ben Hopwood 3 (4)
Marc Owen 5+1 (5 rides, inc 1 as a TR)
Brandon Freemantle 0 (5)
Shane Hazelden 6 (6)

Scunthorpe-Sheffield scorers:
Greg Blair 11 (5 rides)
Adam Wrathall 5+2 (4)
Steve Worrall 12+3 (5 rides, max)
Gary Irving 11+1 (4 rides, max)
Ashley Birks 5+1 (4)
Stefan Nielsen 8+2 (4)
Richie Worrall 12 (4 rides, max)

Match points: Scunthorpe-Sheffield 3 Hackney 0
 

HAWKS 48 BELLE VUE 39 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 1st May 2011
The Hackney Hawks continued their positive start to the season by claiming all three match points against a previously unbeaten Belle Vue side in an enthralling, back-and-forth meeting.

An otherwise powerful Colts side was left to rue the absence of Jason Garrity. The fast-rising 16 year old had previously posted a 15 point maximum against Scunthorpe-Sheffield and paid 18 against the Isle of Wight, but no less than two van breakdowns en route left him stranded miles away from the action here.

Garrity’s non-arrival was balanced out by a night of misfortune for the Hawks’ Marc Owen. The British U-21 Finalist – whose form had warranted Heat 15 appearances in both of Hackney’s previous League matches - struggled all night with set-up issues and managed just 2 points.

Fortunately for the Hawks, Barrie Evans and Shane Hazelden provided plenty of fire-power from either ends of the team spectrum. No.1 Evans reeled off four straight victories after tasting defeat in his opening ride, while reserve Hazelden romped to four outright wins and was paid for a win in a fifth ride. His only disappointment came when falling in his two other rides.

An exciting, increasingly tense affair saw the lead change hands on no less than four occasions, with both sets of team managers playing a tactical game of cat and mouse with their reserve deployments. With the score level at 38-38, a change of machinery for Ben Hopwood proved critical for the Hawks. The Hackney No.4 had struggled in two earlier rides but swept to victory on-board alternative machinery in Heat 14, with Hazelden’s second place - ensured after Karl Mason had fallen - pushing the Hawks 4 points clear.

That left Hackney needing a 5-1 from the finale to clinch all three match points, with a second place finish from Belle Vue meaning the Colts would leave town with a match point, while a 5-1 in their favour would result in a drawn match. As things materialised, Kyle Howarth was excluded after bringing down Ben Morley on the third bend and Byron Bekker’s machine never left the start line in the re-run, to gift Morley and Evans the 5-0 that produced a final winning margin of 9.

The Hawks are next in action on Bank Holiday Monday at Scunthorpe, when their National League fixture follows the earlier Scorpions-Edinburgh Premier League match. They will be operating Rider-Replacement for Ben Morley, who is committed to the Silver Ski Rockets’ home and away Premier League meetings against Ipswich the same day, with the match at Hoddesdon starting at 7.45pm.

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 14 (5 rides)
Ben Morley 7+3 (5)
David Mason 7 (4)
Ben Hopwood 4+1 (3)
Marc Owen 2 (3)
Brandon Freemantle 0 (3)
Shane Hazelden 14+1 (7)

Belle Vue scorers:
Byron Bekker 9+1 (5 rides)
Scott Richardson 3+1 (4)
Kyle Howarth 11 (5)
Karl Mason 4+2 (4)
Adam McKinna 7 (4)
Chris Widman 5 (5)
Jason Garrity did not arrive

Match points: Hackney 3 Belle Vue 0

Caught in Conversation: Shane Hazelden
We caught up with the 17 year old Hackney prospect directly after the Hawks’ home squeeker against Belle Vue. Hazelden had just completed a full quota of seven rides, riding undefeated in his five completed outings.

Fair to say that neither side left anything in the jar in this one? “Yes, it was a real good old-fashioned fight to get the win. Every heat advantage was so important, and everyone had to ride out of their skins. The Colts made the early start (leading 11-6 after three races), but then we began coming together as a team. Overall, there was a great team spirit and we gave a good team performance.

“I really enjoyed my rides, although I felt I let the side down with mistakes in a couple of my heats. In my fourth ride, I was in second place behind Adam McKinna and tried to go around the outside, and the door got shut. It was either “take him out” or “fall off”, and unfortunately it had to be the second option. I was a bit unlucky with my second exclusion, though. As we hit the corner, I straightened up and lifted, which took me into the adverse camber, and I had to bale off the bike. But I got three straight wins to start off with, popped in another in my fifth and ended the meeting with a paid win with a bent bike – my handlebar was a bit lopsided and didn’t feel too good on the track, but you have to make do with what you’ve got.

“I really want to step up another level this year. We’ve focused on what I did wrong in 2010. Last year, my gating was a big problem, so I’ve invested in two brand new clutches, which have cost about a grand, so at the moment it’s ridiculous money that I owe my dad, although I’ll pay him off eventually. Any additional sponsorship would be very gratefully received. It’s so important, no matter what the value. As things stand, I’d be happy to break even this year, but to do that I’ve got to ride out of my skin.

“I’m also focusing on the larger tracks. I’m normally quite good on the smaller circuits, but I had a guest spot at the Isle of Wight this last week, which is such a big track, and scored paid 6 from four starts on what was only my second visit there. The last time I was there, I scored 5 from seven starts, but I really learned so much from this experience. If I’m quick on small tracks and can gate well, and can get good on big tracks, there’s nothing to stop me carry on pushing forward. Hopefully, I can get a Premier League spot as soon as possible. That’s what I’m really after.”
 

HAWKS V NEWPORT (NL) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 26th June 2011
The Silver Ski Rockets face a quick return fixture against Berwick as they head to the Borders this Saturday (July 2nd), but there will still be action at Rye House that night as the Hackney Hawks take centre stage to face Newport in the National League.

The Hornets – Championship Play-Off Finalists last year – include the duo that finished as runners-up in the recent League Best Pairs Championship. Former Somerset, Birmingham and Edinburgh man Jay Herne was nearly a 2010 Rocket until being over-ruled as a late season replacement for Robbie Kessler. The 2009 Bronze Helmet meeting winner, he also finished third in that season’s NLRC. Best Pairs colleague Todd Kurtz, meanwhile, is also a five point Wasp in the Premier League.

There are no less than four Newport-born riders in the Hornets’ line-up – Tom Young, Jamie White-Williams, David Gough and Richard Andrews. The latter is enjoying a major jump on last season’s 3 point average with Weymouth, already posting high scores of paid 11 against both Buxton and the Isle of Wight, and will feature in the forthcoming British U-19 Championship at Rye House on July 23rd. The Welsh side is rounded off by Matt Bates, who was previously a National Trophy winner with Plymouth.
 

FRIDAY'S MATCH RESCHEDULED
By Hackney Speedway ~ Thursday 16th June 2011
The Hackney Hawks fixture with the Isle of Wight at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers, has been moved back to the 8th July from tomorrow in view of the current wet track conditions and with a very poor weather forecast for Friday.

The Lakeside Promotion are mindful of the fact that many of the riders involved in the meeting have to take time off of work, college or school as do their parents and by making an early call we hope to have caused the least inconvenience to them and to our fans.
It now means a full calendar of weekly events in July and August for Speedway fans at the Arena Essex Raceway.

The next home Speedway meeting at the Arena-Essex Raceway will now be on Friday 1st July when the Lakeside Hammers face the Belle Vue Aces in the Elite League.
 

ISLE OF WIGHT 47 HAWKS 43 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Tuesday 14th June 2011
It’s been a tough few weeks for the Hackney Hawks, who have already suffered two narrow defeats against Dudley, and also sunk without trace both home and away against Mildenhall in the Cup.

The Hawks slipped to a fifth straight defeat here, but only after pushing their hosts all the way to a last race decider.

Positively speaking, and after Saturday’s poor showing against Mildenhall, there was a far more even look to the spread of the Hawks’ workload this time around, with no less than five Hackney riders paid for at least one race win.

Equally important, Hackney showed great character and resolve in rebounding from an early 6 point deficit to take the lead at Heat 9. Former Islander Ben Hopwood and Shane Hazelden sparked the recovery with a maximum result in Heat 5, and a further surge from Hopwood against Rob Smith in Heat 8 - with Ben Morley picking up a point - brought the Hawks level at 24-24. Another 4-2 quickly followed as Barrie Evans outpaced Brendan Johnson and 15 year old Brandon Freemantle finished third ahead of the vastly experienced Lee Smethills, to put the visitors in front by two points.

The home side immediately replied with a 5-1, with Paul Starke fending off David Mason to join Smith at the front, only for the Hawks to draw level once again with just three races remaining. The two teams then traded maximums, with Ben Morley coming through against Gary Cottham to finish behind Marc Owen for the 5-1 in Heat 14 that took the score to 42-42.

Ultimately, the Hawks were edged out by the greater consistency of the Islanders’ top two, Nick Simmons and Paul Starke, who combined for a total of 29 points out of a possible 30 and clinched the match with a 5-1 over Evans and Hopwood in the last race.

Hackney at least had the consolation of returning home with a well earned match point for restricting their hosts to a margin of less than six points.

The two teams face a quick-fire return as they meet again at Lakeside this Friday (June 17th @ 8pm).

Hackney scorers:
Shane Hazelden 4+2 (4 rides)
Ben Hopwood 8 (5)
David Mason 5+1 (4)
Marc Owen 5 (4)
Barrie Evans 10 (5)
Brandon Freemantle 2 (3)
Ben Morley 9+1 (5)

Isle of Wight scorers:
Paul Starke 13+1 (5 rides)
Rob Smith 8+2 (4)
Lee Smethills 6 (4)
Brendan Johnson 3 (4)
Nick Simmons 13+2 (5 rides, maximum)
Ross Walter 0 (3)
Gray Cottham 4 (5)

Match points: Isle of Wight 2 Hackney 1
 

HAWKS 42 MILDENHALL 50 (KOC)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 12th June 2011
Hackney’s involvement in this season’s National League Knock-Out Cup ended at the first stage, as a dominant Fen Tigers outfit completed a home and away double to qualify for the next round by a hefty 36 point margin.

The Hawks needed a strong opening surge to give themselves any hope of pulling back a 28 point first leg deficit, but it was Mildenhall who shot into the lead with a 5-1 from James Brundle and Aaron Baseby to quickly kill the tie. The Fen Tigers rapidly pushed their advantage up to eight points and had the aggregate victory mathematically assured as early as Heat 8.

Former League Riders Champions David Mason and Barrie Evans did their best to stem the tide, with five wins and 28 paid points between them. The two Bens - Hopwood and Morley - offered fairly solid support, although Morley’s evening brought to a premature end with a swollen knee suffered when falling outside Jack Hargreaves in Heat 9, while it proved a troubled night for the rest of the team as the Hawks finished with a long tail.

Five race wins out of fifteen at home - and just one on-track heat advantage - does not make for pretty reading. Mildenhall, in contrast, looked solid throughout, and fielded the individual stars of the match in James Brundle and Joe Jacobs, who shone at either end of the visitor’s spectrum. No.1 Brundle lived up to his reputation for lightning starts and was beaten only by Barrie Evans in Heat 13, with the Hackney No.5 striking again to inflict Jacobs’ only loss of the night when surging past the 17 year old in the final race. The Fen Tigers’ reserve then fell on the last bend to gift Evans and partner Mason a consolation 5-1.

Mildenhall will now meet the Isle of Wight in the Semi-Finals. The other tie will be between Dudley and Stoke.

Hackney scorers:
Shane Hazelden 2+1 (4 rides)
Ben Hopwood 6 (4)
David Mason 14+1 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Marc Owen 1 (3)
Barrie Evans 12+1 (5)
Brandon Freemantle 2+2 (5)
Ben Morley 5+1 (4)

Mildenhall scorers:
James Brundle 11 (4 rides)
Aaron Baseby 4+1 (4)
Daniel Halsey 10+1 (5)
Lewis Blackbird 5+2 (4)
Jack Hargreaves 6+1 (4)
Adam Portwood 2+1 (4)
Joe Jacobs 12 (5)

Hawks on the Road
The Hackney Hawks will re-focus their attention on the race for the National League play-offs when they head south on Tuesday (June 14th)…. and keep going. Their destination is Ryde and a clash against the Isle of Wight.

The Islanders will return the favour on Friday (June 17th) in the return clash at the Hawks’ Lakeside nest, which will bring into play the likes of 2010 Rocket and 2011 British U-21 British Finalist Paul Starke, 7th year Islander and former Exeter Falcon Nick Simmons, two year Cobra Rob Smith and British U-18 Champion Brendan Johnson.

The action at the Arena-Essex Raceway gets underway at 8pm.

New Date for Hackney vs Buxton
A revised date for the Hackney Hawks’ home match at Lakeside against Buxton has now been agreed. The Hitmen will visit the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday, July 15th (8pm start).
 

MILDENHALL 60 HAWKS (32 (KOC)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 5th June 2011
The Hackney Hawks have the proverbial mountain to climb in order to retain an interest in this season’s National League Knock-Out Cup after suffering a 28 point mauling at West Row. The Fen Tigers, who had levelled the Isle of Wight 61-33 in their last track outing, ran riot again here, although the pivotal factor was on very clear view.

Reserve Shane Hazelden has been hugely influential for the Hawks this season – the 17 year old is due to soar to the team’s No.1 spot when the new averages take effect this Saturday – but was quickly ruled out of the match with slight concussion when partner Brandon Freemantle locked up directly in front of him in Heat 2, leaving the British U-21 Finalist with nowhere to go other than straight into his colleague.

It took a long time for the Hawks to settle from that disaster. They trailed 19-4 at Heat 4 and 44-16 at Heat 10, before Ben Morley finally stemmed the flow with a six point Tactical ride in Heat 11, with Barrie Evans’ third place finish forging a 7-2. Evans followed up by winning Heat 13 for Hackney’s second race victory, as the Hawks matched their hosts 16-16 across the final five races.

Hackney co-promoter Len Silver stressed afterwards that “Losing Shane (Hazelden) made a huge difference. He has been going so well this season, and with a full run of rides I believe we could have held the deficit to ten or twelve points. He is about to go to our No.1 position, so what effectively happened here is that we lost our No.1 in his first race – and you know what usually happens to most away teams in that situation, don’t you? Ben (Morley) rode consistently well throughout, but I think the rest of the side let their heads drop when we lost Shane. It wasn’t until well into the second half of the match that we really got our act together again.”

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 6 (5 rides)
Ben Morley 12 (5 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
David Mason 4+1 (4 rides, inc 2 as a TR)
Ben Hopwood 5 (4)
Marc Owen 4 (4)
Brandon Freemantle 1+1 (7)
Shane Hazelden 0 (0)

Mildenhall scorers:
James Brundle R/R
Aaron Baseby 15+2 (6 rides)
Danny Halsey 8+2 (5)
Lewis Blackbird 13 (5)
Jack Hargreaves 7+2 (5)
Nick Laurence 2+1 (3)
Joe Jacobs 15 (6)


Bring ‘Em On: Mildenhall
The Hackney Hawks will have it all to do when they attempt to overturn a mammoth 28 point deficit in the second leg of their Knock-Out Cup tie against Mildenhall at Rye House on Saturday (June 11th @ 7pm). The Fen Tigers are a club re-born this season under the promotion of former stars Kevin Jolly, Chris Louis and Michael Lee, and their results have so far matched their owners’ optimism, with five straight home victories – including Sunday’s charge over the Hawks – already added to with a hard-fought draw at King’s Lynn.

Long-time King’s Lynn Star James Brundle missed the first match between the sides having experienced a heavy crash at Ipswich three days earlier, but will hopefully be fit to return for Saturday’s second leg. Also heading into town are former Stoke, Redcar and Birmingham man Jack Hargreaves, who has returned to the sport after a near three year absence, and Lewis Blackbird, who has been gone for a similar period to successfully concentrate on British Mini-Bikes.

2010 Cobra and British U-18 runner-up Joe Jacobs and former British U-21 international and 2008 Raiders’ Rider of the Year recipient Danny Halsey will add an extra spice to the line-up. There may also be a spot for highly rated Aussie Cameron Heeps. The 15 year old, who is already a five times Western Australia U-16 Champion, has now arrived in this country and is ready to ride in what would be his British debut subject to final BSPA ratification of his patriality.
 

MILDENHALL 57 HAWKS 35 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 24th July 2011
Missing the services of Barrie Evans due to a foot injury, this was always going to be a big ask of the Hawks. The Rider-Replacement facility yielded a scant 2 points (plus two bonus) as coverage for the former Mildenhall man, leaving a huge hole in the Hackney offence. Ben Morley – following on from his third placed finish the night before in the British U-19 Championship – did his best to fill the gap with two wins in an excellent paid 14 point haul. That tally would have been even higher but for a last lap fall while leading Heat 15. Marc Owen added a further race win, but that was about it in terms of major positives. Hackney’s lack of top-end firepower contrasted heavily with a rock solid Fen Tigers outfit that fielded five different race winners, with all seven riders paid for at least one success.

The biggest talking point of the meeting, though, derived from a bizarre Heat 9 which saw first Joe Jacobs and Cameron Heeps excluded for separate falls. With Morley on a Tactical Ride nomination, an 8-0 in Hackney’s favour clearly beckoned in the second re-run. Unfortunately, Morley’s cut-out came adrift on the final lap, with partner Brandon Freemantle then slowing in an attempt to keep his partner in front for the additional double points. Morley duly got his bike running again and both riders completed the race, only for the referee to disqualify Freemantle for not making a bona fide attempt to race!

The consequent 6-0 (rather than 8-0) left the Hawks behind 32-22 at that stage, instead of within 8 points of their hosts, and had the Hawks’ management absolutely spitting feathers over the decision. As promoter Len Silver stressed afterwards, “The slowing of a rider to allow his partner through when on a Tactical nomination is an established situation within the sport, and one that is witnessed around the country every week. Why, in Heat 11 today we had an identical situation, where Ben Hopwood allowed Shane Hazelden through for second place without any questioning of the finish. It makes a mockery of an established rule, and we plan to make an official complaint.”

All of which will add heat to the forthcoming return match between the two sides. The Hawks will have their chance of revenge when the Fen Tigers arrive at Rye House on Saturday, August 27th. Between now and then, the Hawks are travellers themselves as they visit Newport on Sunday, August 14th.

Hackney scorers:
Shane Hazelden 7 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Barrie Evans R/R
David Mason 5 (5)
Marc Owen 5+1 (5)
Ben Morley 13+1 (6 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Brandon Freemantle 0 (4)
Ben Hopwood 5+1 (5)

Mildenhall scorers:
Lewis Blackbird 15 (5 rides, maximum)
Mark Baseby 5+2 (4)
Danny Halsey 2+1 (3)
Joe Jacobs 6 (4)
Jack Hargreaves 7+2 (4)
Aaron Baseby 9+2 (5)
Cameron Heeps 13+1 (6)

Match Points: Mildenhall 3 Hackney 0
 

MILDENHALL V HAWKS (NL) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 17th July 2011
The Hackney Hawks have enjoyed a renewed drive toward the National League play-offs, with home and away wins over Buxton and earlier comfortable victories over the Isle of Wight and Newport hoisting them to top spot in the table.

That momentum will next be put to the test when they head to Mildenhall next Sunday (July 24th). The Hawks will need little reminding of the 60-32 mauling they received - after losing Shane Hazelden early on to injury - when they were last at West Row on June 5th in the Knock-Out Cup. They will also have noticed, however, that the Fen Tigers were made to struggle by Buxton in their next home match (47-43) and then became the first team to lose to the Hitmen in the League when upended at Hi Edge.

Beyond their trip to West Row, the Hawks have outstanding away fixtures at Newport (August 14th), Belle Vue (August 31st) and Stoke (September 10th) still to come.

Their final home regular season fixture at Rye House will be against the Fen Tigers on Saturday, August 27th, while a date has yet to be agreed for their one remaining match at “alternative nest” Lakeside, against the combined Scunthorpe/Sheffield team.
 

HAWKS 54 BUXTON 41 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Friday 15th July 2011
The Hackney Hawks completed a quick double over last season’s champions to extend their lead at the top of the National League table back to four points. They were, however, made to fight in the closing stages for the final available match point.

The Hawks provided the first man past the post in nine of the first twelve heats, with four of those races – all involving reignited reserve Ben Hopwood – producing 5-1s, to help boost the progressive score to a comfortable 45-29. Buxton gave their hosts a scare, though, when Tactical Rider Robert Branford combined with Adam Allott to blast an 8-1 in Heat 13, reducing the margin to just 9. With Ben Taylor then heading home Hopwood and Marc Owen in the next race, Hackney took a 49-40 advantage into the final heat, needing to avoid a 5-1 to claim the third match point.

That objective was achieved in emphatic fashion when David Mason and Barrie Evans led Allott and Branford from the tapes to the chequered flag. Mason finished the night with a monster 16, with both Evans and Hopwood close behind on paid 15.

Hackney operated Rider-Replacement for injured No.1 Shane Hazelden, who is out with a fractured and dislocated finger but aiming to return to action for next Saturday’s British U-19 Championship at Rye House. The Hawks had hoped to book Paul Starke – who had been instrumental in Sunday’s first victory over the Hitmen in Derbyshire - as a guest, but the 2010 Rocket was injured himself at King’s Lynn on Wednesday.

Joint Team Manager John Sampford was happy overall with the way things went. “We got the result we wanted tonight. We were cruising at Heat 12, but the 8-1 in Heat 13 changed matters a bit. In the end, David (Mason) and Barrie (Evans) trapped in the final race to make absolutely sure there was never a chance of Buxton getting a repeat result there.

“You can’t underestimate the contribution of our top three – David Mason, Barrie Evans and Ben Hopwood – tonight, but we needed the other riders to also score, and they did. Ben (Morley), in particular, was doing well until he hit mechanical problems in his fourth ride, and he eventually had to borrow a bike when he came out for Heat 13.”

Hackney scorers:
Shane Hazelden R/R
Ben Morley 7+1 (5 rides)
David Mason 16 (6)
Marc Owen 3+2 (4)
Barrie Evans 12+3 (6)
Brandon Freemantle 2+1 (3)
Ben Hopwood 14+1 6)

Buxton scorers:
Adam Allott 9+1 (5 rides)
Dean Felton 2+1 (4)
Luke Priest 4+2 (4)
Ben Taylor 12 (4 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Robert Branford 13 (5 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Paul Burnett 0 (4)
Ryan Blacklock 1 (4)

Match points: Hackney 3 Buxton 0
 

HAWKS GO TOP OF THE LEAGUE
By Hackney Speedway ~ Monday 11th July 2011
The Hackney Hawks take centre stage again at the Arena-Essex Raceway this coming Friday, 15th July, when they face the Buxton Hitmen in National League action.  The Hitmen are the current League Champions having won the Trophy in 2010, a year that also saw them win the Knockout Cup.  The Hawks are currently top of the National League having beaten the Isle of Wight Islanders at the Raceway last Friday and followed that up with a fantastic win at Buxton on Sunday. The seven vital League points gained from these two victories currently place the Hawks four points clear at the top of the table.

Second placed side, the Dudley Heathens, do have two matches this week, one at their Wolverhampton home on Tuesday and then away at Belle Vue on Wednesday, so by Friday the Hawks could find themselves back in second place but a win at the Arena-Essex Raceway against the Hitmen would ensure that they would move back up to at least joint top of the table. Ultimately a top four position at the conclusion of the League campaign will be required for a place in the end of season Play Offs.

A successful weekend started on Friday with the Hawks beating the Isle of Wight 58-35 at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers. This win was gained despite them losing their No.1 Shane Hazelden, following a fall in the opening heat. This resulted in the young Hawks rider dislocating and breaking a finger. The remainder of the team covered for the loss of Hazelden by roaring to the 23 point victory. All the remaining six riders performed well and were led by their captain, David Mason, who amassed a total of 13 points from his five rides. Barrie Evans failed to score in his opening ride due to machine problems with his own bike and eventually came out on Ben Morley’s machine. After that Evans won his remaining three races. With Hazelden out of the match his remaining three rides had to be taken by the reserves with both Ben Hopwood and Brandon Freemantle responding magnificently with Hopwood scoring paid 16 points from his six rides and Freemantle claiming paid 10 points from his five rides. The Isle of Wight Islanders top scorer was Paul Starke who scored 12 points from his five rides, which included six points for a race win whilst on a ‘Tactical Ride’.

Up at Buxton on Sunday the Hawks brought in Paul Starke to cover for the injured Shane Hazelden. The Islanders rider continued his good form from Friday by scoring paid 11 points for the Hawks. However, Barrie Evans top scored with 17 points, dropping just one point in his six rides. These two riders combined in heats 13 and 15 to ensure the win for the Hawks. The final score of 50-40 ensured the Hawks claimed all four of the available League points. Once again the Hawks reserves performed well with Ben Hopwood having to take additional rides as David Mason missed the match. Hopwood amassed paid 12 points from his 6 rides whilst Brandon Freemantle scored paid six points from his four rides. The Hawks remaining two riders, Ben Morley and Mark Owen, also got amongst the points with Morley totalling a paid 17 points and Owen paid 11 in the two matches over the weekend.

The Lakeside Hammers Co Promoter Jon Cook commented on the Hawks performances over the weekend saying: "The effort of our fans to beat a horrendous day and beat the traffic was rewarded with the best Hawks display to date at our Raceway and it’s great they took that on to Buxton. This Friday’s match at our Arena-Essex Raceway that sees the Hawks take on Buxton will probably be our last home meeting for the youngsters ahead of the Play Offs so we are hoping those fans yet to sample this exciting level of racing will take this opportunity and get behind the boys to keep them top of the League and firmly in sight of the Play Offs."

The match between the Hawks and Buxton, the reigning League Champions, takes place at the Arena-Essex Raceway this Friday, 15th July, and will see the opening race start at 8pm. The admission prices are: - Adults £12, Concessions £10 and children aged 6 to 16 inclusive £2 with children under 6 free.
 

BUXTON 40 HAWKS 50 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 10th July 2011
The Hackney Hawks celebrated their first away win of the new season in stunning style, with their ten point victory taking them to the top of the National League table for the first time, some four match points clear of previous leaders Dudley.

Despite the late withdrawal of captain David Mason, who was forced out on the morning of the match for family reasons, the Hawks were in control from the very first race. A 4-2 from guest Paul Starke and Ben Morley set them on their way, and further successes built the advantage to 16-8 by Heat 4. Buxton briefly threatened with a 5-1 in Heat 10 that pulled the progressive score back to 32-28, but a maximum from Barrie Evans and guest Paul Starke over Adam Allott and Robert Branford in Heat 13 effectively clinched the win, and the same pair secured a 4-2 in the last race to make sure of the final match point. Evans dropped just a single point all afternoon in finishing with a magnificent 17.

A delighted Joint Team Manager John Sampford reviewed the Hawks success shortly after Heat 15. “The team really took the match by the scruff of the neck from the word go. That early 8 point advantage could have been even bigger, but for Ben Morley suffering a broken chain when holding third place on the last lap of Heat 5 and Brandon Freemantle falling on the last bend of the next race when in a similar position. There were a few tense nerves, at 38-34, when Barrie (Evans) and Paul (Starke) – who was a great guest – were off the unfavoured outside gates in Heat 13. But they totally controlled the start of the race and led all the way. As we said at the start of the season, this is a team that will improve as the campaign progresses. We’ve turned the corner in the last week or so. Now it’s a question of building for the run-in to the play-offs.”

Hackney scorers:
Paul Starke (guest) 10+1 (5 rides)
Ben Morley 5+1 (5)
David Mason R/R
Marc Owen 3+1 (4)
Barrie Evans 17 (6)
Brandon Freemantle 5+1 (4)
Ben Hopwood 10+2 (6)

Buxton scorers:
Adam Allott 6 (4 rides)
Dean Felton 7+2 (4)
Luke Priest 8 (4)
Ben Taylor 9+1 (5)
Robert Branford 8 (5)
Paul Burnett 2+1 (3)
Ryan Blacklock 0 (5)

Match points: Buxton 0 Hackney 4
 

HAZELDEN INJURY UPDATE
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 9th July 2011
Following his fall during last night's victory over the Isle of Wight - one that took the Hawks level on points with leaders Dudley at the top of the National League table - Shane Hazelden has visited his local hospital for further examination this morning. This has unfortunately revealed that he has suffered a dislocated and fractured finger.

The injury will rule him out of tomorrow's (Sunday's) trip to Buxton, with Hackney quickly naming 2010 Rocket Paul Starke as a guest replacement at No.1.
 

HAWKS 58 ISLE OF WIGHT 35 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Friday 8th July 2011
A delayed start due to the late arrival of the match referee following major traffic delays in the area served only to temporarily postpone what proved to be a comfortable victory for the Hawks – and what proved a personal night to remember for 15 year old Brandon Freemantle.

Once racing finally got underway half an hour late, the home side edged into a 17-13 lead before 5-1s from the pairing of Bens Morley and Hopwood in both Heat 6 and Heat 8 quickly bumped the score to 30-18. Paul Starke’s 6 point Tactical ride in the next race raised brief concerns, but any minor nerves were rapidly quelled when Barrie Evans and Brandon Freemantle combined for a 4-2 in Heat 10, and David Mason and Hopwood maxed out in the following race to push Hackney to a 45-30 cushion.

A further 5-1 from Evans and Freemantle – riding a superb race against the Islanders’ big guns of Nick Simmons and Starke – wrapped things up with a couple of races to spare, although there was still room for the youngster to add another victory in what was the best night of his fledgling National League career.

Freemantle aside, the match provided another sparkling display from Ben Hopwood, who has definitely rediscovered his form at reserve, while David Mason and Ben Morley also blasted into double figures, and Barrie Evans and Marc Owen were not far off that mark.

The one negative from the evening unfortunately came at the expense of Shane Hazelden. The British U-19 Finalist had soldiered through relentless misfortune against Newport the previous week, and exited this match after suffering a hand injury in the very first race. With the six other Hawks all gaining full or paid race wins as early as Heat 7, however, there was never a problem in terms of sharing the workload.

Joint Team Manager John Sampford was delighted with the Hawks’ display. “Everyone rode well and gave 100% effort, and that effort showed in the final score. If there was a man of the match, though, it had to be Brandon (Freemantle). He rode so well to win Heat 2 and Heat 14, but to see him out-gate the Islanders’ top two in Heat 13 was something else. It has taken time for him to find his feet in the National League: it’s fair to say that it’s been a baptism of fire. But we have persevered; he has persevered and the last two or three meetings have seen that effort pay off”.

Regarding Shane Hazelden’s injury: “He’s had two fingers taped up, and he’s likely to go for hospital tomorrow morning for an x-ray. We’ll have to wait to see how things go from there.”

Hackney scorers:
Shane Hazelden 0 (1 ride)
Ben Morley 10+1 (5)
David Mason 13 (5)
Marc Owen 5+3 (4)
Barrie Evans 9 (4)
Brandon Freemantle 9+1 (5)
Ben Hopwood 12+4 (6)

Isle of Wight scorers:
Nick Simmons 7 (5 rides, inc 1 as a TR)
Gary Cottham R/R
Danny Warwick 1+1 (4)
Rob Smith 9 (5)
Paul Starke 12 (5 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Rhys Naylor (guest) 1 (5)
Luke Chessell 5 (7)

Match points: Hackney 3 Isle of Wight 0


Next Up For Hackney: Buxton (Home and Away)
The Hackney Hawks are rapidly re-building momentum, with tonight’s victory over the Isle of Wight joining a last week’s prior success against Newport to erase memories of that troubled run of five defeats. The next week sees the Hawks continue their chase of the end-of-year play-offs with home and away matches against Buxton. The Hawks travel to Hi Edge tomorrow (Sunday), before hosting the Derbyshire side at Lakeside’s Arena-Essex Speedway next Friday (July 15th @ 8pm) in the return.

The Hitmen are currently re-building following last season’s treble of the National League, Cup and Trophy crowns, although that broad-brush summary may be lost on highly rated Mildenhall after Buxton stunned the Fen Tigers by bagging a match point at West Row two weeks ago and then shocked them even more with a follow-up victory at Hi Edge.

Heading up the Hitmen’s firepower is former Sheffield and King’s Lynn star Adam Allott, who can expect backing from doubling-up Redcar Bear Robert Branford, Luke Priest, former Birmingham Brummie Ben Taylor and veteran Dean Felton, whose lengthy career has taken in Premier League runs with Berwick, Stoke and Long Eaton.
 

HAWKS 59 NEWPORT 35 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 3rd July 2011
The Hawks powered to their biggest National League win of the season against an outmatched Hornets side, with all seven of their riders securing at least one race win. Barrie Evans managed much more than that, going through the card with a full 15 point maximum, and was nearly matched by David Mason, who was beaten only by Jay Herne in a hard-fought Heat 5. Elsewhere, Ben Morley enjoyed a strong night marred only by a mechanically troubled Heat 8, while Marc Owen bounced back to form with a win in Heat 3 and a later last bend storm past Tom Young for second place in Heat 14.

The biggest plus, however, was probably at reserve, where Ben Hopwood looked white hot in scorching to paid 13 and Brandon Freemantle delivered a highly encouraging paid 7 that included paid and full wins in Heats 2 and 14 respectively, and would have been even higher but for a last lap fall when holding third place in Heat 7. Poor Shane Hazelden had to endure a string of misfortune, being excluded for touching the tapes in Heat 1 and later suffering two falls when on for 5-1s in Heats 6 and 13. He still managed a race win alongside Ben Morley in his other outing of Heat 10.

The Hornets, in contrast, were effectively a two man side. The Premier League experienced Jay Herne looked stylish, and received solid support from Matt Bates, but the Welsh side certainly missed Todd Kurtz, who was on doubling-up duty with the senior Wasps. The rest of the side managed just 10 points between them.

Hackney scorers:
Shane Hazelden 3 (4 rides)
Ben Morley 7+1 (4)
David Mason 11+3 (5)
Marc Owen 6+1 (4)
Barrie Evans 15 (5 rides, maximum)
Brandon Freemantle 6+1 (4)
Ben Hopwood 11+2 (5)

Newport scorers:
Jay Herne 16+1 (6 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Todd Kurtz R/R
Jamie White-Williams 2+1 (4)
Tom Young 5 (5)
Matt Bates 9 (6 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Richard Andrews 1 (5)
David Gough 2+1 (4)

Match points: Hackney 3 Newport 0
 

NLRC UPDATE
By Rye House Speedway ~ Tuesday 30th August 2011
Two rider changes have been advised for Saturday’s National League Riders’ Championship at Rye House, which is being sponsored by nearby Paradise Wildlife Park – the home of the Speedway Museum.

Kyle Hughes’ sidelining with a broken collarbone means that David Mason will have a shot at a second League Riders’ crown a full ten years after he originally tasted success. The much-travelled veteran has enjoyed a real resurgence of form in 2011 following an illness-afflicted 2010 campaign, and becomes the second Hackney Hawk in the field, alongside 2003 event winner Barrie Evans.

Scunthorpe/Sheffield star Gary Irving, meanwhile, has decided to take a fortnight’s break from racing to allow his troublesome shoulder and knee injuries to heal. His place will now go to team-mate Richie Worrall, who enjoyed a productive visit to Hoddesdon earlier this week when he was paid for 7 as a Premier League Newcastle Diamond on Bank Holiday Monday.

Worrall joins brother Steve – the British U-21 Championship runner-up – in the field, which also includes 1997 League Riders’ titlist Jon Armstrong, recently crowned British U-19 Champion Jason Garrity and Kyle Howarth, whose efforts for the Belle Vue Colts are augmented by an impressive all-inclusive average of 5 ½ with Premier League Edinburgh.

Elsewhere, Simon Lambert will be aiming to eradicate a frustrating memory. The Stoke Potter looked set to take the Championship a year ago, only to suffer a last race fall after winning his four previous rides. Lambert, who has become a three-time National League Pairs Champion this year, will be joined on Saturday by “tag team partner” Tim Webster, while there are also places for the beaten finalists from that Pairs event, Todd Kurtz and Jay Herne of Newport.

The revised line-up, not in riding order, is:
Kyle Howarth, Jason Garrity (Belle Vue), Adam Allott, Rob Branford (Buxton), Jon Armstrong (Dudley), Barrie Evans, David Mason (Hackney), Nick Simmons (Isle of Wight), James Cockle (King's Lynn), Cameron Heeps (Mildenhall), Todd Kurtz, Jay Herne (Newport), Richie Worrall, Steve Worrall (Scunthorpe / Sheffield), Simon Lambert, Tim Webster (Stoke).

Reserves: Ben Morley and Marc Owen (both Hackney)

Admission is £16 adults, £14 concessions, Over 12s £5, Under 12s Free. Programme £2.
 

BELLE VUE V HAWKS (NL) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Monday 29th August 2011
The Hackney Hawks head out on the highway this Wednesday (August 31st) as they travel up to Manchester to face fellow play-off rivals the Belle Vue Colts. The Hawks triumphed 48-39 when the two sides met at Rye House at the end of April, although the visitors were left to rue the absence of British U-19 Champion Jason Garrity, who suffered no less than two van breakdowns en route to leave him stranded miles away from the action.

Despite Saturday’s home reverse against Mildenhall, the Hawks remain 4th in the table while the Colts are currently 7th in the table, but with matches in hand of most of the teams above them.

At the risk of over-using several well-worn clichés, it’s an absolute must-win situation for the Hawks, for whom every match from here on in is like a Cup Final. Hackney have the toughest possible run-in to the regular season, with Wednesday’s match followed on Saturday, September 10th, by the unenviable task of a trip to the top-of-the-table Stoke Potters – who obliterated highly ranked Dudley 64-27 on the road last Tuesday! The season is then climaxed by the following afternoon’s League finale, at home to the combined Scunthorpe-Sheffield team who are currently 3rd in the standings.

That final match will form part of a double header, beginning at 2pm with the Silver Ski Rockets’ Premier League clash against Plymouth. There will be no additional admission charge for the National League match; standard Premier League prices apply.
 

HAWKS 42 MILDENHALL 48 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 27th August 2011
The Hawks’ National League Play-Off hopes suffered a major body blow as they lost for a fourth consecutive time this season to arch-rivals Mildenhall. They now face the unenviable task of securing positive results against fellow play-off contenders Belle Vue, Stoke (both away) and Scunthorpe-Sheffield (home) in their three remaining fixtures in order to have a chance of finishing in the top four.

Ben Morley led a virtually one man crusade for Hackney, with five race wins and 16 (paid 17) points. The 17 year old received his best support from David Mason – who added a couple of victories – and reserve Marc Owen, who tigered across seven rides for his 8 points. The Hawks were forced to operate Rider-Replacement for Ben Hopwood, whose season is over following a second half tumble at Sheffield on Thursday which has left him with a broken shoulder or upper arm.

Successive maximums from the pairings of David Mason/Shane Hazelden and Ben Morley/Barrie Evans briefly gave Hackney a 6 point advantage at Heat 10, only for the pendulum to swing firmly the other way thanks to three straight 5-1s in the Fen Tigers’ own favour. A further 4-2 in Heat 14 clinched the visitors’ overall victory, at 46-38, although Morley denied them a maximum four match points by outpacing the Robert Branford in the final race, with David Mason taking third place for a 4-2.

It was Branford’s only defeat of the night, as the Australian proved a fine guest for the injured Cameron Heeps. He received excellent back-up from the rest of visiting troops as well; in all, six different Fen Tigers won races, with all seven paid for at least a race win. They have certainly achieved bragging rights over the Hawks this season, with home and away Cup victories now followed up by victories in both League matches.

Hackney Joint-Team Manager John Sampford admitted afterwards that “The better team won at the end of the day; they were far more consistent than we were and a better unit. Ben (Morley) was superb, but generally we weren’t up to doing the job tonight and we fell short of the mark. Getting into the Play-Offs now is a big ask, but we’ll carry on until we are definitely out of the top four and can’t qualify. That’s all we can do. We’ve got three matches left, and we will go into all of them to win, as well as to restore our pride.”

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 6+1 (4 rides)
Ben Morley 16+1 (6)
David Mason 8 (5)
Shane Hazelden 4+1 (5)
Ben Hopwood R/R
Brandon Freemantle 0 (3)
Marc Owen 8 (7)

Mildenhall scorers:
Rob Branford (guest) 12+2 (5 rides)
Mark Baseby 7+1 (5)
Joe Jacobs 5 (4)
Lewis Blackbird 8 (4)
Jack Hargreaves 6 (4)
Daniel Halsey 4+2 (4)
Aaron Baseby 6 (5)

Match Points: Hackney 0 Mildenhall 3
 

HAWKS V MILDENHALL (NL) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 20th August 2011
It’s win-or-bust time for the Hackney Hawks here at Rye House next Saturday (August 27th). Last Sunday’s disappointing result at Newport - coupled with successes elsewhere for rivals Stoke and Mildenhall - has pushed the Hawks down to third spot in the National League table. With the joint Scunthorpe-Sheffield side, Dudley and Belle Vue all chasing hard – and even King’s Lynn entering the mix following their win at Buxton – there is no margin for error if the Hawks are to progress to post-season play-off action.

Next Saturday’s match brings them head-to-head against one of those key rivals - and also a team that has proven a real bugbear so far. The Mildenhall Fen Tigers have won all three matches between the sides this season, ousting the Hawks from the Knock-Out Cup by a 36 point aggregate margin and also biting them 57-35 in the first League match at West Row.

Hackney will need to forget the past and focus only on the present and future when they face a Fen Tigers squad fronted by former Birmingham, Redcar and Stoke Premier Leaguer Jack Hargreaves, the fast-emerging Lewis Blackbird and 2010 National League Riders Finalist Mark Baseby, who will hopefully be back in action from last weekend’s grasstrack injury. They also can’t ignore five season Cobra/Raider Danny Halsey, 2010 British U-18 runner-up Joe Jacobs or 2010 British U-21 Finalist Aaron Baseby, who guested for Glasgow at Rye House only a week ago.

One rider who will unfortunately be missing is Cameron Heeps who is being tipped by many as one of Speedway’s Next Big Things. The 15 year old from Perth - already a 5-time Western Australia U-16 Champion – suffered a broken wrist on the Isle of Wight on Tuesday. With the teenager rapidly rising from a reserve to the No.1 position with a remarkable 8.74 average, though, the Fen Tigers will have access to a guest replacement.
 

NEWPORT 54 HAWKS 39 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 14th August 2011
It has been a frustrating weekend for the Hackney Hawks. On Saturday night, they were knocked off the top of the National League table by Stoke’s win over Dudley, while this afternoon has brought a further disappointing result at Newport.

The Hornets led throughout, with the Hawks only briefly challenging for a match point. Ben Morley’s 6 point Tactical win in Heat 8 closed the deficit to 29-22, while a 5-1 from David Mason and Marc Owen in Heat 12 reduced the points spread to 7 for a second time, at 41-34. The hosts dominated the close-out however, driving home two maximums from the remaining three races to put a final stamp on the fixture.

Joint Team Manager John Sampford was quick to identify the main factor in the result. “We weren’t helped when Barrie Evans had an engine blow up when he was leading Heat 5 (which led to a suspected back injury for Newport’s Brendan Johnson in the resulting pile-up), but on a warm and breezy day, the track was very dry and slick. It was all about getting to the first two corners, and the Hornets were simply much better gaters than we were. That’s where the match was won and lost; it’s as simple as that.”

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 1+1 (4 rides)
Ben Morley 13 (5 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
David Mason 9 (5)
Shane Hazelden 7 (4)
Ben Hopwood 5 (4)
Brandon Freemantle 0 (3)
Marc Owen 4+1 (5)

Newport scorers:
Todd Kurtz 12+1 (5 rides)
Tom Young 6+2 (4)
Brendan Johnson 3 (2)
Matt Bates 6+1 (4)
Jay Herne 13+1 (5)
Richard Andrews 6+2 (5)
Jamie White-Williams 8+1 (5)

Match Points: Newport 3 Hackney 0
 

HAWKS PROPER SEND OFF
By Hackney Speedway ~ Wednesday 14th September 2011
Whilst all eyes are currently on the build up to the Elite League Play Offs the Lakeside Hammers management have also confirmed that the last match involving their joint shared National League team with Rye House, the Hackney Hawks, fixture against Scunthorpe will revert to the Arena-Essex Raceway and will be staged on Friday October 7th. This follows the postponement of the meeting, which was being kindly staged by Len Silver at Rye House last weekend.

Jon Cook, the Hammers Co Promoter explained: "We had asked Len (Silver) to take the meeting as the support for National League racing has been poor at Lakeside and we also had a situation where the team had, at the time, a great chance to qualify for their Play Offs and were more likely to do that at Rye, with us paying for all the meeting costs. However, following the postponement last week the team has now gone past the cut off date and lost their chance of Play Off qualification due to defeat at Stoke the night before. At the same time over the summer the Training Schools at Arena, run by Linda and George Barclay, have gone from strength to strength and not only represent a great step forward for the Club in producing our own riders of the future but also an income that covers the cost of our stadium rental and means we can offer reduced admission for this meeting and can consider our very own third tier Young Hammers team if interest is there from the fans."

Cook continued: "As a result, and with the considerable help of Rob Godfrey at Scunthorpe, we are able to stage the meeting on the 7th October with admission prices of just £8 for Adults and £1 for Kids. In addition both Rob and ourselves will be replacing any absent riders with the best trainees at our respective Training Schools giving the meeting a real academy feel. We also want to see the great name of Hackney Hawks out in some style as it deserves that so all ex Hawks and Kestrels will be welcome to attend and we will be giving one of the team’s body colours away at the end of the action to the person who is lucky enough to pick up a signed programme. I hope those Hammers fans that have stayed away because they didn't like the Hawks moniker will come out and show there is a level of support for us to consider our own team and that Hackney fans can take one, perhaps last chance, to ‘make it a date, Friday at eight’."

Any riders wishing to take part in the afternoon Training School on Friday 7th October can book by calling Linda Barclay on 020 8592 3361. With one place to fill in the Hawks team this could be a chance to impress and start a career with the Young Hammers.
 

SUNDAY'S DOUBLE-HEADER POSTPONED
By Rye House Speedway ~ Saturday 10th September 2011
With heavy rain forecast both this afternoon (Saturday the 10th) and intermittently tomorrow, the early decision has been made to postpone Sunday's fixture at Rye House. The meeting - Hackney Hawks vs Scunthorpe/Sheffield - will now be staged a week later, on Sunday the 18th at 2.00pm, replacing the Raiders-King's Lynn Challenge fixture.
 

STOKE 59 HAWKS 33 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 10th September 2011
Hackney’s outside chance of a Play-Off spot finally came to a resounding halt at Loomer Road. With David Mason a non-starter due to a family illness, the Hawks were forced to operate Rider-Replacement for their missing captain and draft in junior David Holt as a guest for the sidelined Ben Hopwood.

Those changes to their team plans made a stiff task against the National League leaders even tougher. It didn’t take long for the Potters to take advantage, as four Stoke 5-1s within the first six races swiftly settled the destination of the match points at 28-8. By Heat 10, Hackney trailed 44-16, but at least stemmed the flow in the closing stages, holding their hosts to a 15-14 score over the remaining races.
Shane Hazelden finished the night as the Hawks’ top scorer, with two race wins and 15 points, with his main support coming from Ben Morley, who claimed Hackney’s other two race wins in his paid 9 tally.

Joint-Team Manager John Sampford said afterwards, “We really struggled to get to grips with the match until into the second half. Shane (Hazelden) rode really well, though, and Ben (Morley) deserved more than he got, what with a chain snapping in one ride and a fall in another when we had him out as a Tactical. Brandon (Freemantle) was also a little unlucky, with his bike slowing in one of his races. But it was always going to be a big ask against such a strong side.”

The result leaves Stoke, Mildenhall, the joint Scunthorpe-Sheffield team and Belle Vue as the four Play-Off qualifiers. The Hawks remain three points adrift of the fourth placed Manchester team, with a much inferior race points difference and the cut-off date for the final four passing tomorrow.

The Hawks still have one match remaining, which will be against the Scunthorpe-Sheffield combination as part of a double header at Rye House next Sunday, September 18th). The Hackney match will be preceded by the Premier League fixture between the Silver Ski Rockets and Ben Barker’s Plymouth outfit, which starts at 2pm.

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 5+1 (5)
David Holt (guest) 0 (3)
David Mason R/R
Shane Hazelden 15 (6 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Ben Morley 8+1 (6 rides, inc 0 as a TR)
Brandon Freemantle 5 (7)
Marc Owen 0 (3)

Stoke scorers:
Richie Worrall (guest) 9 (4 rides)
Jaimie Pickard 9+3 (5)
James Sarjeant 5+3 (4)
Tony Atkin 10 (4)
Tim Webster 13+1 (5)
Ben Read 4+2 (4)
Gareth Isherwood 9+1 (4)

Match Points: Stoke 3 Hackney 0
 

ADMISSION SPECIAL OFFER!
By Hackney Speedway ~ Wednesday 7th September 2011
While the Hackney Hawks are still targeting the outside chance of a top four National League finish – their final position will ultimately be determined by their results at Stoke (Saturday) and at home to the combined Scunthorpe-Sheffield team (Sunday) - promoter Len Silver has announced a fall-back fixture for Sunday the 18th in the event that the Hawks are not involved in the home leg of the Play-Offs on this date.

The opposition, instead, will be provided by the King’s Lynn Young Stars in a challenge fixture, and as a special thank you to supporters a flat rate admission charge will apply for adults, seniors and children of just £5. (Children under 7 will be admitted free.)

Additionally, Silver has declared his intention to the National League of competing in next season’s competition as the Rye House Raiders, rather than the Hackney Hawks, given the much stronger relevance of the former name to the majority of Hoddesdon supporters. The team to take to the track against the Young Stars will indeed be billed under this title. Further comments on the 2012 direction will appear in the “Lens’ Lines” section of this Sunday’s programme. The meeting on the 18th will start at 2pm.

On a separate subject, Rye House will play host to the 6th and final round of the 2011 Pozzani Grand National UK Flat-track Championship on Saturday, September 17th. Practice is at 5pm, with the first race scheduled for 7pm. Admission is: Adults £10, Concessions £8, Juniors (12-15) £3, Kids Free. For further details, please log on to www.shorttrackuk.com
 

STOKE V HAWKS (NL) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 4th September 2011
It’s down to two matches and counting for the Hackney Hawks in their bid for a top four finish, and with it participation in the National League Championship Play-Offs. Next Saturday (September 10th) takes them to top of the table Stoke for what looks a daunting – yet achievable – mission.

While the Hawks’ Play-Off hopes have dipped badly with recent defeats both at Newport and at home to Mildenhall, they were lifted again by a fabulous mid-week performance at Belle Vue. Hackney came within an ace of handing the Colts their first home defeat of the season, only to suffer the heartbreak of a final race 5-1 that left the score at 46-44. The Hawks at least had the satisfaction of heading home with only the second match point taken by any visiting side to Manchester this year.
 

GARRITY ON TOP
By Hackney Speedway ~ Sunday 4th September 2011

National League Riders’ Championship (Sponsored by Paradise Wildlife Park)
(Rye House, Saturday September 3rd 2011)

1st Jason Garrity (Belle Vue)
2nd Kyle Howarth (Belle Vue)
3rd Jay Herne (Newport)

The 2011 NLRC proved to be every bit as competitive as any of its predecessors, and almost certainly the tightest ever in the history of the event. No less than six riders entered the final series of programmed races with a real chance of overall victory, after a further cast list of earlier serious contenders had been whittled away. Ultimately, 17 year old Jason Garrity claimed his second national title of the season after July’s earlier success in the British U-19 Championship to demonstrate that Britain DOES have young talent coming through. The teenager has enjoyed a real roller-coaster ride since winning the national U-15 title in 2008. He was part of Buxton’s treble winning success story last year, and has recently been given a Premier League opportunity with Leicester.

The latest chapter in Garrity’s success story was achieved in thrilling, against-the-odds, fashion, as the Belle Vue Colt recovered from a last place finish in his opening ride to go through the rest of the card undefeated and edge home by a point. Fellow Colt Kyle Howarth finished second on 11, just ahead of Newport’s Jay Herne, who won a run-off for third spot against Robert Branford. Branford himself could potentially have won the meeting if his bike had lasted beyond the first bend of Heat 16.

There were several additional contenders for “Mr Unlucky”. Todd Kurtz reeled off victories in three of his races, but was also excluded in Heat 9 after locking up on the second bend and bringing down regular team mate Herne and himself, and finished last in his final race when offered a chance to tie Garrity’s 12 points. Richie Worrall – who also finished on 9 points – had his route to success derailed by a Heat 14 exclusion after collecting Ashley Morris in a third bend tumble, while Morris’ own challenge fizzled out when the Dudley Heathen was able to add just 1 point from his final two rides to the 8 he had earlier collected.

Finally, Steve Worrall opened like a freight train by winning Heat 1 only to suffer mechanical problems when set for a clear-cut victory in his second outing. A first bend fall in his third race did little to ease his frustration, although he was at least able to sign off on a high with a victory in his last outing. Neither of the two Hackney riders on show was ever really in contention for a major placing, although David Mason’s win in Heat 16 helped to propel the 2011 meeting winner to a respectable 7 points. The night was a long one for colleague Barrie Evans, however. The 2003 titlist suffered mechanically throughout, and withdrew after four rides had yielded just a single point.

Rider scorers (all from 5 races, unless stated):
Jason Garrity 12, Kyle Howarth 11, Jay Herne 10 (after a run-off), Robert Branford 10, Todd Kurtz 9, Ashley Morris 9, Richie Worrall 9, Simon Lambert 8, Steve Worrall 7, David Mason 7, Jack Hargreaves 6, James Cockle 6, Adam Allott 5, Tim Webster 5, Nick Simmons 4, Barrie Evans 1 (4 rides)

Reserves: Ben Morley 1 (1 ride), Marc Owen dnr
 

NLRC UPDATE
By Rye House Speedway ~ Thursday 1st September 2011
Jon Armstrong’s unfortunate injury last night (Tuesday) while riding for Dudley had led to a further change in Saturday’s National League Riders Championship field. Fellow Heathen Ashley Morris has been named as Armstrong’s replacement. The 2009 British U-15 Champion will be facing his third national Final of 2011, having already finished 7th in the British U-21 Championship and 5th in the U-19 event. A 7 point Heathen so far in 2011, he was also part of Edinburgh’s Premier League winning squad last term and has ridden at that level with both the Monarchs and Leicester this year.

Revised line-up:
Kyle Howarth, Jason Garrity (Belle Vue), Adam Allott, Rob Branford (Buxton), Ashley Morris (Dudley), Barrie Evans, David Mason (Hackney), Nick Simmons (Isle of Wight), James Cockle (King's Lynn), Cameron Heeps (Mildenhall), Todd Kurtz, Jay Herne (Newport), Richie Worrall, Steve Worrall (Scunthorpe / Sheffield), Simon Lambert, Tim Webster (Stoke).

Reserves: Ben Morley and Marc Owen (both Hackney)

Admission is £16 adults, £14 concessions
 

BELLE VUE 46 HAWKS 44 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Thursday 1st September 2011
The Hackney Hawks came within four laps of becoming the first National League side to win in Manchester this season only to suffer the heartbreak of a last ditch 5-1.

In contention throughout, the Hawks took the lead for the first time at 34-32 thanks to a Heat 11 maximum from Ben Morley and Barrie Evans after Jason Garrity had fallen in the first staging of the race. Belle Vue hit back with a 5-1 of their own in Heat 13, only for Hackney to re-take the lead, at 43-41, with a second maximum – this time from Shane Hazelden and Marc Owen - in the penultimate race. Then, unfortunately, came the Hawks’ final race heartbreak, as Garrity surged around Ben Morley on the third bend to join Kyle Howarth for the decisive result. Hackney at least had the satisfaction of leaving town with a match point for keeping the overall differential to less than 7.

Regardless of that last race disappointment, Joint-Team Manager John Sampford was incredibly proud of the team. “To come up here and run them so close was a tremendous achievement. Everyone gave everything they had in every race, and whether it was in a big or small way they all chipped in with points. It’s also important to look behind Barrie’s (Evans) score of paid 4. He has been running with two engines, and at the moment is waiting for one of them to be returned after it went at Newport. His other engine is not going well, but he’s simply got to get on with what he’s got at the moment. His score wasn’t a reflection of his ability, just his bike."

“We’ve not given up on finishing in the top four. We’ve still got two matches to go, at Stoke on the 10th and then at home to Scunthorpe-Sheffield the next day, and we’ll just keep trying to win every race and every match. We don’t know how the other results will go either. I mean, who would have thought that (bottom of the table) Buxton would go to Dudley last night and win by 15 points?”

Hackney scorers:
Barrie Evans 3+1 (4 rides)
Ben Morley 10 (6)
David Mason 7+2 (4)
Shane Hazelden 10 (6)
Ben Hopwood R/R
Brandon Freemantle 1 (3)
Marc Owen 13+1 (7)

Belle Vue scorers:
Kyle Howarth 12+3 (5 rides, maximum)
Adam McKinna 6 (4)
Karl Mason 9 (4)
Byron Bekker 1 (4)
Jason Garrity 12 (5)
Chris Widman 3+1 (6)
Scott Richardson 3 (2)

Match Points: Belle Vue 2 Hackney 1
 

HAWKS 52 SCUNTHORPE 39 (NL)
By Hackney Speedway ~ Saturday 8th October 2011
The joint Rye House-Lakeside experiment of the Hackney Hawks came to its conclusion with a positive result at a wet and wild Arena-Essex Raceway. Showers during the afternoon and early evening left the circuit greasy and heavy in places, and it was a credit to both sides that the meeting was completed, albeit with no less than 15 falls along the way.

It was a rather different looking Hackney team that took to the track for the last time. Barrie Evans was forced to withdraw beforehand due to work commitments, while both the injured Ben Hopwood’s spot and the No.8 position were filled by two riders from a pre-meeting Vultures race. Or rather from two races, as Jack Kingston was the sole survivor of a first heat, necessitating a second race that was won by Mark Baldock.

When the match itself got underway, the Hawks jumped into a 7 point lead against a visiting side equally hit by absences. A 5-1 from Kingston and Shane Hazelden in Heat 5 was key here, and although Scunthorpe/Sheffield replied with an identical result in Heat 7, the Hawks restored their points cushion when Marc Owen and Mark Baldock were the only finishers four laps later. The home side then pushed ahead to 38-26, and after a brief scare when Richie Worrall triggered a visiting 7-2 by winning as a Tactical Rider, made sure of the three available match points thanks to victories from Owen, David Mason and Ben Morley in the close-out.

Mason and Morley each dropped points in just a single race, while Owen and Hazelden had equally strong nights, in the latter’s case despite blowing an engine and having to push home for a point in Heat 14. The result means that the Hawks have finished fifth of ten teams in the final National League table. While it is the end of the road for the Hackney name, Rye House promoter Len Silver has already announced his intention to run a team at Hoddesdon in 2012 under the previously established Raiders banner, and there is the possibility of a separate Lakeside operation.

Joint-Team Manager John Sampford summed up the season as “a bit of a curate’s egg; good in places. Unfortunately, we weren’t good enough long enough. we were just too inconsistent. The two home defeats cost us dearly, and there were several away matches where we could and should have got a positive result, but didn’t. Our defeat at Newport was a particular blow, but even then we nearly grabbed a win at Belle Vue only to lose out to a last race 5-1.”

Hackney scorers:
David Mason 12 (5 rides)
Barrie Evans R/R
Jack Kingston 3 (4)
Shane Hazelden 8+1 (4)
Ben Morley 11+1 (5)
Brandon Freemantle 2 (3)
Marc Owen 13 (6)
Mark Baldock 3+1 (3)

Scunthorpe/Sheffield scorers:
Steve Worrall R/R
Lee Smethills 3 (4 rides)
Richie Worrall 15+1 (6 rides, inc 6 as a TR)
Adam Wrathall 7+1 (5)
Stefan Nielsen 6+1 (5)
Connor Dwyer 6+1 (5)
Ben Holloway 2 (4)

Match Points: Hackney 3 Scunthorpe/Sheffield 0
 

FORMER HAWKS RETURN FOR FINALE
By Hackney Speedway ~ Thursday 6th October 2011
A trip down memory lane awaits Speedway fans at the Arena Essex Raceway tomorrow evening, Friday 7th October, as a host of former Hackney stars will be at the track to see off the final meeting for the Hackney Hawks. Already confirmed as attending the meeting are: Paul Bosley, Laurie Etheridge, Alan Jackson, Les (Red) Ott, Alan Sage and Barry Thomas.

The match, between the Hackney Hawks and the Scunthorpe Saints, will be the final National League match for the Hawks. The SCB appointed Referee for this match is Chris Gay, who, by coincidence, refereed the last meeting to take place at Hackney’s Waterden Road Stadium, which took place on 30th October 1996 and was between the London Lions and Oxford.

Tomorrow is also an important night to for Lakeside Hammers fans as the Club’s Management will be monitoring interest in this National League match with a view to entering a full Young Hammers side into next year’s National League. With that in mind entrance fees have been slashed to just £8 with Children aged 6 to 16 inclusive paying only £1. Children under the age of 6 will be admitted free of charge provided they are accompanied by a paying adult.

This final National League match of the season for the hackney Hawks will get underway at the Arena-Essex Raceway tomorrow evening with the first race at 8pm with the Grand Parade of the participating riders and former Hackney stars at 7.45pm.
 

FINAL HAWKS MEETING AT ARENA-ESSEX RACEWAY
By Hackney Speedway ~ Wednesday 5th October 2011
This Friday, 7th October, will see the final appearance of the Hackney Hawks as they face the Scunthorpe Saints in their last National League match at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of Elite League club, the Lakeside Hammers. The hawks were brought back into existence at the beginning of this season and shared their home matches between the Arena-Essex Raceway and Rye House Stadium, the home of Premier League side, the Rye House Rockets. It falls on the Arena-Essex Raceway to stage this final match against Scunthorpe, who are in second place in the National League table and three places above the Hawks.

Scunthorpe will use their No.8 Stefan Nielson plus they will introduce a couple of junior riders, Conor Dwyer and Ben Holloway, into their side due to injuries and unavailability. They will also utilise the ‘Rider Replacement’ facility for Steve Worrall, who will be riding for Scunthorpe’s Premier League side the same evening.

As far as the Hackney Hawks are concerned they will also be bringing in a junior rider into their side for this meeting. That rider will be chosen from a ‘Vultures Race’ that will take place prior to the start of the meeting and will include the best riders from a Training School that will take place at the Raceway during the day.

The two expected line-up are (in alphabetical order):-

Hackney Hawks: Barrie Evans, Brandon Freemantle, Shane Hazelden, David Mason, Ben Morley, Marc Owen and the winner of the ‘Vultures Race’.

Scunthorpe Saints: Conor Dwyer, Ben Holloway, Stefan Nielsen, Lee Smethills, Richie Worrall, Rider Replacement for Steve Worrall and Adam Wrathall.

This National League match will get underway at the Arena-Essex Raceway with the first race at 8pm with the Grand Parade of the participating riders at 7.45pm. Special admission prices will apply for this match match. The Standard admission price will be just £8 with no concessions apart from Children aged 6 to 16 inclusive who will pay £1. Children under the age of 6 will be admitted free of charge provided they are accompanied by a paying adult.
 

HAWKS V SCUNTHORPE (NL) - PREVIEW
By Hackney Speedway ~ Tuesday 4th October 2011
The Hackney Hawks face their final match in that guise this Friday (October 7th @ 8pm) when they host the combined Scunthorpe-Sheffield team in National League action at Lakeside. The fixture was originally allocated to the Essex venue, subsequently switched over to Rye House and has now – after its September postponement – been allocated back to the Arena-Essex Raceway.

The six regular Hawks will feature, which means a final opportunity to salute the efforts of Shane Hazelden, Ben Morley, Barrie Evans and the rest of the team. In addition, with Rider-Replacement operating as cover for the injured Ben Hopwood, a No.8 slot will be up for grabs to the winner of an earlier “Vultures Race”.

As a special send-off to the Hawks, admission prices will be just £8 for adults and £1 for children, with one of the team’s body colours being given away at the end of the night to the lucky purchaser of a specially signed programme.

Although the Hackney name will be no more in 2012, there will be National League speedway at Rye House. Promoter Len Silver has already declared his intention to compete in next season’s competition as the Rye House Raiders, rather than the Hawks, given the much stronger relevance of the former name to the majority of Hoddesdon supporters. (The Raiders were originally Rye House’s National League team from 2002 to 2007, before the side took on the moniker “Cobras” for the period 2008-2010.)
 

SARJEANT LANDS IN RAIDER COUNTRY
By Rye House Speedway ~ Wednesday 30th November 2011
2011 Stoke Potter Jamie Sarjeant has agreed a spot with the Rye House Raiders as the Hoddesdon outfit has named three of its planned team for next season’s National League – with the top five places close to completion.

Sarjeant – 18 earlier this month - averaged out at 7.72 (all-inclusive) for Stoke this year – a massive 3 point jump on his 2010 campaign - although his CMA (excluding bonus points) heading into Hertfordshire will be a handy 6.47. He raised plenty of additional eyebrows by placing 4th in the British U-19 Championship behind meeting winner and new Rockets recruit Jason Garrity, a result that helped leverage his Raiders opportunity.

The teenager was previously 2nd in both the 2007 (to Daniel Greenwood in a run-off) and 2008 (to Garrity) British U-15 series. He was born and still lives in Sheffield, and is on a full contract to Coventry. The Bees have been prime movers in ensuring that he has become a Raider with a possible view to moving upward into the Silver Ski Rockets team should he maintain his current rate of progress.

The Raiders have also confirmed returns for David Mason and Ben Morley. 2001 League Riders Champion Mason will captain the side having just skippered Hoddesdon tenants Hackney, putting two points on his average in the process in his battle back from illness and also playing an important all-round role in the pits. He will start the new campaign in the Raiders’ No.1 race jacket.

17 year old Morley, meanwhile, finished 2011 with an all-inclusive 7.56 record has set him up as second heat leader. He placed third in the British U-19 Championship and was also given a senior run with the Rockets.

Elsewhere, the Raiders have offered contracts to two further riders who would complete their top five, subject to final ratification by the BSPA, and plan to fill their two reserve positions with the best of Rye’s Training School pupils.
 

RAIDERS COMPLETE TOP FIVE
By Rye House Speedway ~ Wednesday 7th December 2011
The newly re-born Rye House Raiders have agreed terms with Shane Hazelden and Lee Strudwick to their side to round out their top five starters for the 2012 National League campaign. 18 year old Hazelden enjoyed a tremendous surge from reserve to the No.1 position this year as a Hackney Hawk, before eventually settling on an all-inclusive 6.79 average that gives him plenty of scope for further development next season. Equally positively, he also reached the British U-21 Final and finished second in the British U-19 Championship behind newly signed Silver Ski Rocket Jason Garrity.

23 year old Strudwick, meanwhile, sat out the 2011 programme but is now set to return for what will be his fourth season at Hoddesdon. He was a British U-21 Finalist in 2008 and an U-21 international in 2009. His inclusion in the Raiders team is dependent on him shaking off the cobwebs during winter practice sessions, but all the evidence is that he is determined to make up for lost time.

Hazelden and Strudwick join captain David Mason, Ben Morley and new signing James Sarjeant in the Raiders team. The remaining – reserve – slots will be taken up by two successful graduates from the Rye House Saturday Training School. 18 year old Nick Lee is currently favourite for one of those spots. Although currently sidelined with a broken wrist, he is expected to be fully fit by January, comfortably ahead of the new season.