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RAIDERS READY FOR RE-BIRTH
By Rye House Speedway ~ Tuesday 21st February 2012
The Rye House Raiders are setting their targets following the publication of the full National League fixture list today. It will be a re-born side that takes to the track, as 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, and then the “Hackney Hawks” in a shared venture with Lakeside last season.
The Raiders will be competing in an eight strong competition, with the top four teams progressing to the Championship Play-Offs. They will also be involved in the Knock-Out Cup, the Four Team Championship (at Stoke) and the Pairs event (at Mildenhall), while Hoddesdon itself will stage the annual National League Riders Championship on Saturday, September 15th.
The team will begin the campaign with the home leg of a Knock-Out Cup clash against the Isle of Wight on Good Friday, April 6th at 7pm. That match will bring the Raiders head to head with an Islanders side built around the experienced Nick Simmons and “The Dreaded One” Danny Warwick, but which also features two year Cobra Rob Smith, former Rocket Paul Starke and ex-Cobra/Hawk Marc Owen.
The Islanders will be followed into town by the Stoke Potters - who topped the final 2011 League table - on Easter Monday. That match will follow the Premier League Cup fixture between the Silver Ski Rockets and Leicester, which starts at 2pm.
USA Future arrive for an international challenge fixture on Saturday, April 4th, while other notable Hoddesdon opponents include Dudley (May 5th), local rivals King’s Lynn (May 19th) and Mildenhall (June 4th), and defending Champions Scunthorpe (June 14th).
The full fixture list is as follows:
Home Fixtures
Friday, April 6th @ 7pm, Raiders vs Isle of White (Knock-Out Cup)
Monday, April 9th, Raiders vs Stoke (NL, follows Rockets vs Leicester @ 2pm)
Saturday, April 14th @ 7pm, Raiders vs USA Future (International Challenge)
Saturday, May 5th @ 7pm, Raiders vs Dudley (National League)
Monday, May 7th, Raiders vs Buxton (NL, follows Rockets vs Somerset @ 2pm)
Saturday, May 19th @ 7pm, Raiders vs King’s Lynn (National League)
Saturday, June 2nd @ 7pm, Open Date
Monday, June 4th, Raiders vs Mildenhall (NL, follows Rockets vs Ipswich @ 2pm)
Saturday, July 14th, Raiders vs Scunthorpe (NL, follows Rockets vs Scunthorpe @ 7pm)
Monday, August 27th, Open Date (follows Rockets vs Leicester @ 2pm)
Saturday, September 1st @ 7pm, Raiders vs Isle of Wight (National League)
Saturday, September 15th @ 7pm, National League Riders Championship
Away Fixtures
Tuesday, May 1st, Raiders at Isle of Wight (Knock-Out Cup)
Sunday, May 27th, Raiders at Mildenhall (National League)
Sunday, June 10th, National League Four Team Championship (Stoke)
Tuesday, June 19th, Raiders at Isle of Wight (National League)
Sunday, July 15th, Raiders at Buxton (National League)
Sunday, July 22nd, National League Pairs Championship (Mildenhall)
Saturday, August 4th, Raiders at Stoke (National League)
Wednesday, August 22nd, Raiders at King’s Lynn (National League)
Tuesday, August 28th, Raiders at Dudley (National League)
Friday, September 7th, Raiders at Scunthorpe (NL, follows Rockets at Scunthorpe)
2012 RYE HOUSE PRACTICE
By Rye House Speedway ~ Saturday 18th February 2012
The phone has been busy with riders keen to start practising. Getting the track in a suitable condition has not been easy what with all the snow and frost. After two days of tyre-packing the track now looks good for this Sunday. Remember we are looking for positions in the Raiders and Anglia Junior League teams to be filled from our training schools. The best trainees will be invited to the official Rockets and Raiders practice on the 8th, 9th and 10th of March.
Now the season is virtually upon us practice for 2012 will now be on a Sunday. This will run throughout the summer until the season closes in November when we will revert back to Saturdays. After some testing we will also line up to access the track differently. This will hopefully save some time so more riding can potentially get done. Biggest change for practice in 2012 however is the use of the latest regulatory silencers. This is an obligation for racing at all levels now. With some of our attendees on the verge of a team place we feel its important to change and adjust to the new silencers sooner rather than later. Also, its nice to keep our neighbours sweet.
To buy a new silencer I have organised a special price from Kings Silencers for our regulars trainees. There are other 2012 regulation silencers out there on ebay and other dealers which are slightly cheaper. If on the other hand you want a King come and see us.
For more details on practice please visit www.ryehouse.co/practice
UPDATE
Unfortunately this Sunday Feb 19th is cancelled due to rain
THE FUTURE IS CALLING
By Rye House Speedway ~ Wednesday 15th February 2012
The 2012 Rye House season is now exactly a month away, with the Silver Ski Rockets kick-starting their campaign at Ipswich on March 15th before hosting the Witches in their Hoddesdon opener, on Saturday, March 17th (7.00pm). The National League Raiders’ own season follows not far behind, with early home fixtures already announced against the Isle of Wight (KO Cup, Good Friday at 7.00pm) and Stoke (Easter Monday, following the Rockets-Leicester clash that starts at 2.00pm).
The Cobras will also face international opponents on Saturday, April 14th, as the US Future team visit Hertfordshire as part of a four match tour. Five of the American squad will represent the Eagles in the U-21 World Cup round in the Ukraine, with the objective of developing riders that can fly the flag in the senior World Cup event in a few years’ time.
Tour organiser Steve Evans has already named three of the roster that will be landing in Britain. 20 year old New Yorker Mike Buman featured at Rye House when the tourists visited these shores last April, top-scoring for the side with paid 17 at Dudley and going on to represent his country in both the U-21 Championship and World Cup. This will be Buman’s fourth tour, and he has already been confirmed as team captain. His clearly stated aim is be the first New York based rider in the Premier League!
Californian Aaron Fox (23) is one of the fast rising former Moto-Cross riders in the States, making rapid strides since he switched to the shale less than two years ago. He achieved a famous double in July 2011 - winning both Handicap and Scratch Main Events on the same night at San Bernardino. That performance followed an equally remarkable achievement in March when he defeated eventual World Champion Greg Hancock to win the Handicap Main Event at the Gumball Rally at the same track!
Finally, 18 year old Brad Pappalardo is the nephew of World Champion Hancock. He won the National U-16 Championship in 2008 and the Handicap Main Event at Costa Mesa's 40th Anniversary Meeting in 2009. He also co-promotes Speedway at Perris Raceway with his mother Carrie Hancock and – despite his young age - is rapidly gaining recognition for his ultra-professional approach to racing.
Further news on the US Future team will be announced when confirmed.
RYE HOUSE PRESS AND PRACTICE DAY
By Rye House Speedway ~ Sunday 12th February 2012
It’s not just the Silver Ski Rockets’ home opener (vs Ipswich on Saturday, March 17th) or their much anticipated Inter-League challenge against Linus Sundstrom’s Peterborough side (March 31st) that are rapidly coming around. The team has named the three days of Thursday, March 8th through to Saturday the 10th as its pre-season practice days, with the middle date of Friday, March 9th at 11am confirmed as the official Press Day at the Hoddesdon circuit for both the Rockets and the National League Raiders.
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