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Post by Administrator on Apr 18, 2016 22:32:58 GMT
LAKESIDE suffered their third defeat of the season as they went down 54-38 at Wolverhampton. It proved to be a tough night overall for the Vortex Hammers who managed to register just three heat winners at Monmore Green. However, after a slow start, the Hammers clawed their way back to within just four-points of the hosts before conceding a trio of 5-1's in the final three races. Club coach Kelvin Tatum felt the 16-point defeat didn't reflect his side's efforts and was frustrated to leave Monmore Green empty-handed. "After a really disappointing start we got ourselves right back into the meeting and for me that's what makes losing by as many points as we did that extra bit frustrating," Tatum said. "We gave ourselves a lifeline by staying resilient mid-meeting and the 5-1 in heat 12 really gave us some optimism. "Unfortunately we threw it away thereafter and while I can't fault any of the team's efforts, I am a little bit disappointed with the end result. "I think it was a little bit harsh on us in the end but full credit to Wolverhampton for carrying on their own super start to the season." Piotr Swiderski continued his fine run of form as he top scored for the Hammers while reserves Lewis Kerr and Rob Mear will be relatively pleased with their contribution at reserve despite there being room for improvement. While the rest of the septet showed positive glimpses on occasions, the Hammers will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Swindon at the Arena Essex Raceway this Friday (7.30). WOLVERHAMPTON 54: Sam Masters 13+2, Freddie Lindgren 11+1, Joonas Kylmakorpi 8+1, Kyle Howarth 7+2, Mikkel Bech 7+1, Jacob Thorssell 7, Max Clegg 1. LAKESIDE 38: Piotr Swiderski 7+1, Andreas Jonsson 7+1, Lewis Bridger 6+1, Lewis Kerr 5, Edward Kennett 5, Robert Mear 4+3, Kim Nilsson 4+1.
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Post by Administrator on Apr 21, 2016 14:35:03 GMT
LAKESIDE will look to maintain their perfect home record as they host Swindon at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday (8pm). The Vortex Hammers are back in action at Purfleet for the first time since their spectacular 50-40 win over star-studded Poole a fortnight ago. They suffered a disappointing 54-38 defeat at Wolverhampton in their last outing on Monday, but coach Kelvin Tatum is desperate to see them bounce back. Despite Swindon’s recent poor form, he insists they will need to be at the top of their game – but he is confident they can earn three more valuable Elite League points. “I sense there will be a feeling in the camp that we need to bounce back after Monday,” Tatum said. “We’ve been very strong at home, and we are feeling particularly confident after the victory against Poole so we’ll be looking to get back to winning ways. “We are still in a very good position at this stage in the season, so if we can pick up three more points on Friday and keep our excellent home form going then we’ll be pleased. “Swindon have had a tough time in their last couple of meetings but we certainly can’t afford to take them lightly. I’m sure they’ll be looking for a response after back-to-back defeats, so we’ll need to be at our best once again.” The hosts will be at full strength, with Richard Lawson returning from illness to line-up in the No.4 spot, whilst Swindon feature former Hammers ace Justin Sedgmen and Grand Prix star Jason Doyle. LAKESIDE: Andreas Jonsson, Piotr Swiderski, Lewis Bridger, Richard Lawson, Kim Nilsson, Robert Mear, Lewis Kerr. SWINDON: Jason Doyle, Justin Sedgmen, Charles Wright, Josh Grajczonek, Nick Morris, Rohan Tungate, Stefan Nielsen.
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Post by Administrator on Apr 22, 2016 14:17:06 GMT
LAKESIDE have taken an early decision to postpone Friday’s Elite League clash with Swindon at Purfleet. Poor weather is expected later this afternoon and for the whole evening, so the club have acted to prevent inconvenience for supporters, riders and officials. Hammers co-promoter Jon Cook said: “Myself and track man Gerald Richter have looked at all weather stations and directly talked to the Met Office, and all forecast wet conditions of varying degrees with a biting easterly wind from 4pm through to Saturday morning with no break. “Given that we have to build the track and fence on the day, we've decided to call the meeting off now to cause the least expense and inconvenience to all concerned.” A new date for the visit of the Robins is to be arranged, and the next action at Purfleet is the big televised showdown with Belle Vue on Wednesday May 4.
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Post by Administrator on Apr 23, 2016 10:15:21 GMT
LAKESIDE promoter Jon Cook is convinced his side can keep their focus throughout the coming weeks as they revert to fortnightly racing. Cook made the right call to cancel Friday’s home clash with Swindon on a poor weather forecast which proved correct – and the next action at the Raceway is on Wednesday May 4 against Belle Vue. Said Cook: “Firstly it's always difficult making an early call and we're relieved it was the right one after nearly two years without a rain off we were out of practice! “Now we need to make sure we don't lose the momentum over the first GP break of the year and come back strong for our clash with Belle Vue.” Andreas Jonsson is in Slovenia next weekend for the opening Grand Prix of the campaign and there is no Friday action for the Vortex Hammers. Cook said: “Moving into fortnightly speedway with the start of the GP and the full foreign league season getting underway is always a time when teams can lose focus but I'm convinced that won't be the case with Kelvin Tatum on the team now. “The season now has something of a more traditional look running through to September with Swindon now visiting on Friday September 16, the last day before the Play-off cut-off and the Rico Autumn Classic to then close a season which we also hope will include play-off action of course."
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Post by Administrator on May 3, 2016 13:28:25 GMT
LAKESIDE will look to bounce back to the top of the Elite League table as they host Belle Vue at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Wednesday (7.30). The Vortex Hammers will be back on home shale for the first time since defeating star-studded Poole in a thrilling encounter almost a month ago. The Purfleet outfit suffered a disappointing defeat away at Wolverhampton in their last outing before the West Midlands outfit leapfrogged them to move top of the standings on Monday. However, the Hammers will nonetheless have a chance to reclaim the top spot as they take on the highly-rated Aces in a mouth-watering clash in front of the Sky TV cameras. It promises to be an exciting encounter between two strong sides as the Hammers look to maintain their perfect home record – and promoter Jon Cook knows they will need to be on top form to get back to winning ways. Cook said: “Our last away meeting against the impressive Wolves was a lost opportunity for at least a point. “On Wednesday we can afford no passengers against a well-balanced team who are the league favourites in many people’s eyes. “The Belle Vue team is almost the same as the one that came close to winning the league last year, but we intend to put one over on them and come away with three points.” Both sides will be at full strength, with the Aces featuring Grand Prix star Matej Zagar alongside British stars Scott Nicholls and Craig Cook. LAKESIDE: Andreas Jonsson, Piotr Swiderski, Lewis Bridger, Richard Lawson, Kim Nilsson, Robert Mear, Lewis Kerr. BELLE VUE: Matej Zagar, Max Fricke, Scott Nicholls, Richie Worrall, Craig Cook, Joe Jacobs, Steve Worrall.
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Post by Administrator on May 4, 2016 22:50:07 GMT
LAKESIDE went three-points clear at the top of the Elite League with a hard fought 53-39 win over Belle Vue - and boss Jon Cook insists there's more to come from his team. The Vortex Hammers impressed in front of their own fans and the TV audience with a solid all-round display against a strongly fancied Aces outfit. And Cook said: "We are riding well and we will be entertainers wherever we go this season. "We are working with a group of riders we believe will get better but for now we are happy. "Everyone played their part tonight, Andreas Jonsson was a magnificent No.1 and Lewis Bridger has shown we did the right thing by bringing him back to the sport, even though it was a difficult decision at the time." Jonsson was the top man with 12+2 and started well with a sweet move to pass Max Fricke in the opener for a 5-1 with Piotr Swiderski. Steve Worrall was a one-man band for the Manchester men who suffered exclusions for Scott Nicholls, Craig Cool and Richie Worrall early on. Cook joined Matej Zagar for a 5-1 by going from last to second in Heat 6 - and Zagar won his tactical ride in 10 - but Lakeside were too powerful. The Vortex Hammers will be looking to keep their impressive form going when they head to Swindon on Thursday (7.30). LAKESIDE 53: Andreas Jonsson 12+2, Piotr Swiderski 10+1, Richard Lawson 8, Lewis Bridger 7+2, Kim Nilsson 7, Lewis Kerr 5+2, Robert Mear 4+2. BELLE VUE 39: Steve Worrall 17+1, Matej Zagar 12+1, Scott Nicholls 3, Richie Worrall 3, Craig Cook 2, Max Fricke 2, Joe Jacobs 0.
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Post by Administrator on May 5, 2016 8:04:01 GMT
TABLE-TOPPERS Lakeside look to keep the feel-good factor going in tonight's Elite League trip to Swindon (7.30). The Purfleet side, buoyed by their 53-39 win over Belle Vue last night, are three clear in the early race for the play-offs. And top rider Andreas Jonsson knows the Vortex Hammers will need to break with recent tradition with a good away display. "We haven't gone well away from home but we can change all that this season," said Jonsson. "This club seems to do well at home but not so much away. We have to go to Swindon and put that right although they are starting to look good. "We came through a tough test against Belle Vue last night so hopefully all the boys can keep it going at Swindon." Lakeside are unchanged for the trip to the Abbey Stadium. SWINDON: Jason Doyle, Charles Wright, Josh Grajczonek, Justin Sedgmen, Nick Morris, Rohan Tungate, Stefan Nielsen. LAKESIDE: Andreas Jonsson, Piotr Swiderski, Kim Nilsson, Richard Lawson, Lewis Bridger, Robert Mear, Lewis Kerr.
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Post by Administrator on May 5, 2016 21:47:36 GMT
LAKESIDE put up another brave fight on their travels before eventually slipping to a 50-40 defeat against Swindon at the Abbey. The Vortex Hammers battled valiantly throughout and were always in the mix against the Robins before eventually leaving Wiltshire empty handed. It was a disappointing result for the Purfleet outfit as they gained no reward to show for their determined efforts – but coach Kelvin Tatum was once again encouraged by what he saw from his side. Said Tatum: “We are a little frustrated in truth, because we competed very strongly and we’ve done that on a few occasions without picking up any points. “I’m sure if we continue to do that then we’ll start to get our rewards, but right now it feels a little frustrating because we got within two and then it just slipped away from us. “I’m encouraged by the fact that we have a team that come and race hard wherever they ride, and we’ll be looking to bounce back when we take on Coventry home and away in a couple of weeks.” After a nip-and-tuck start, the Hammers found themselves eight behind and on the back foot after a second consecutive Swindon 5-1 in heat six. They fought back with Richard Lawson and Lewis Kerr bringing them within two with a maximum of their own in heat nine. However, the hosts came on strong in the closing stages, with Grand Prix star Jason Doyle striking a faultless 15-point maximum to see them over the line. Swedish ace Kim Nilsson top scored for the Hammers with a classy display, whilst Richard Lawson bagged paid nine to join him in heat 15. Reserve duo Robert Mear and Lewis Kerr also put in encouraging displays, but No.1 Andreas Jonsson endured a rare off night as he failed to record a race win. With Piotr Swiderski also struggling and Lewis Bridger earning little reward for his battling efforts, they were unable to add to their Elite League points tally. The Arena-Essex Raceway side nonetheless remain top of the Elite League table after an action-packed two days. They will now face a break of just over a fortnight before travelling to Coventry on Friday, May 20 then hosting the Bees the very next night. SWINDON 50: Jason Doyle 15, Rohan Tungate 10, Nick Morris 8+1, Justin Sedgmen 7, Josh Grajczonek 6+2, Charles Wright 3+1, Stefan Nielsen 1. LAKESIDE 40: Kim Nilsson 11+1, Richard Lawson 8+1, Robert Mear 6, Andreas Jonsson 5, Lewis Kerr 4+2, Lewis Bridger 3, Piotr Swiderski 3. Elite League points: Swindon 3 Lakeside 0
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Post by Administrator on May 7, 2016 21:03:40 GMT
LAKESIDE star Kim Nilsson moved one step closer to a place in the 2017 Grand Prix series with a fine performance in his GP Qualifier in Terenzano on Saturday night. The Vortex Hammers ace stormed to a second place finish in Italy, bagging four race wins and 13 points from his five rides. It was a tremendous performance from the popular Swede as he continues his encouraging start to the 2016 campaign. The meeting was won by GP regular Piotr Pawlicki with Danish racer Michael Jepsen Jensen joining them on the rostrum in third place. Former Lakeside star Peter Ljung also advanced to the next stage with 10 points.
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Post by Administrator on May 11, 2016 7:26:57 GMT
SWEDISH star Kim Nilsson believes Lakeside can take plenty of heart from their performances away from home this season. The Vortex Hammers have quickly established themselves as a dominant force around their Arena-Essex Raceway home circuit, although points have proved much harder to come by on their travels. Since storming to an impressive win at Leicester back on April 2 they have failed to add to their away points tally. Nilsson admitted they were disappointed to narrowly miss out as they went down 50-40 in a tight encounter at Swindon last week. But he believes the fighting spirit shown by their side is a major positive as they aim to start converting their encouraging performances into more Elite League points. Nilsson said: “It was a shame we couldn’t get a point at Swindon, I think we were quite close but we had a few guys that were struggling with the setups. “There isn’t much room for error away from home, and when you have a couple of people not quite at their best then it’s hard to get a point. “Overall I think you could see that everyone was fighting, everyone is trying their best and wants to get the points for Lakeside. “Everyone is giving 100% which is the main thing, and I think we’ve shown that we are a team who can compete away from home even if we haven’t always got the points to show for it. “Obviously we had the win up at Leicester, but we’d like to get some more points away that’s for sure because even with our good home record it’s important to do that.” The Hammers will be back in action as they travel to Coventry next Friday, May 20 before hosting the Bees at Purfleet 24 hours later.
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Post by Administrator on May 19, 2016 14:19:41 GMT
LAKESIDE are gearing up for a mouth-watering Saturday night meeting at the Arena-Essex Raceway to cap off a hectic two days this weekend. The Vortex Hammers will host Coventry in a blockbuster encounter at Purfleet this Saturday (7.45pm) - just 24 hours after taking on the Bees at Brandon (7.30)! It promises to be a huge two days for the high-flying Essex outfit as they kick-off a busy spell after over a fortnight away from the track. However, team coach Kelvin Tatum – who won two British League titles with the Bees – is relishing two huge meetings against his former club. Although he is expecting them to face a tough test, he is desperate to add to their Elite League points tally at Brandon before maintaining their perfect home record on Saturday night. Tatum said: “It's good to be back in action after a couple of weeks away but they boys have certainly been spending plenty of time on the bike during that break whether it be in a competitive or practice capacity. “We’ll be making the trip to Brandon looking to hopefully come back with at least a point, then we are keen to maintain our wonderful home run on Saturday night, which really has been brilliant so far. “It's not going to be easy, so we will be looking to get off to a positive start to give ourselves something to build on.” The Hammers will be at full strength for both meetings, with inspirational skipper Andreas Jonsson leading the charge against his former side. Meanwhile, the Bees will be without British Under 21 Champion Josh Bates for both meetings as he travels to Germany for his World Under 21 Championship qualifier. He is replaced by Adam Roynon at Brandon whilst Leigh Lanham steps into the No.4 spot at the Arena-Essex Raceway. FRIDAY TEAMS: COVENTRY: Krzysztof Kasprzak, Jason Garrity, Danny King, Adam Roynon, Chris Harris, Kacper Woryna, James Sarjeant. LAKESIDE: Andreas Jonsson, Piotr Swiderski, Richard Lawson, Lewis Bridger, Kim Nilsson, Robert Mear, Lewis Kerr.
SATURDAY TEAMS: COVENTRY: Krzysztof Kasprzak, Jason Garrity, Danny King, Leigh Lanham, Chris Harris, Kacper Woryna, James Sarjeant. LAKESIDE: Andreas Jonsson, Piotr Swiderski, Richard Lawson, Lewis Bridger, Kim Nilsson, Robert Mear, Lewis Kerr.
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Post by Administrator on May 21, 2016 6:21:19 GMT
LAKESIDE suffered a costly mid-meeting collapse as they were beaten 54-39 at Coventry on Friday. The Vortex Hammers made an encouraging start and led 13-11 after four races, having provided three of the heat winners – but they then conceded a disastrous run of five successive 5-1s to all-but end their hopes. Skipper Andreas Jonsson and reserve Lewis Kerr both won three races, but support from the middle order was lacking as the Bees proved to be the more solid side. The Hammers’ problems began when Jason Garrity and Adam Roynon raced to maximum points over Piotr Swiderski in Heat 5 – but the events of the next race proved a major turning point as Jonsson was disqualified after a third-bend clash with Coventry’s Kacper Woryna, which handed the Bees another 5-1. And by the time the Swede was back on-track to go for double points in Heat 10, the Hammers were 18-points down and looking at damage limitation, with Lewis Bridger having fallen in two of his first three outings. Jonsson’s six-pointer was backed up by an excellent 5-1 from Richard Lawson and Kim Nilsson over Krzysztof Kasprzak in Heat 11, giving them an outside chance of salvaging at least a point from the meeting. But those hopes were dashed by Kasprzak and Chris Harris in Heat 13 as the Bees wrapped things up with a 5-1 over Jonsson and Nilsson. Lakeside boss Kelvin Tatum said: “We started well, but then Coventry really got going and those five 5-1s were fairly damning. “We had some frailties, which is of some concern, and in truth we weren’t at the races and Coventry gained in confidence. The track suited them, it was heavier than we expected, but that’s not an excuse and it’s something we should be able to deal with. “The referee was always going to exclude AJ from Heat 6 with the view from his position. Obviously Woryna was squeezing him down the back straight, so there was an argument, but I think most referees would have made that call. “It was a bad day at the office for us, and now we need a good one in the return match at home on Saturday.”
COVENTRY 54: Danny King 11+2, Krzysztof Kasprzak 11, James Sarjeant 8+1, Kacper Woryna 7+1, Adam Roynon 6+4, Jason Garrity 6, Chris Harris 5+3. LAKESIDE 39: Andreas Jonsson 12, Lewis Kerr 11, Richard Lawson 7+1, Kim Nilsson 5+2, Piotr Swiderski 2, Lewis Bridger 2, Robert Mear 0.
*THE return fixture at Purfleet takes place on Saturday (first race 7.45pm) with the Hammers unchanged from the match at Brandon. Coventry make one alteration, as with Josh Bates absent on World Under-21 duty the Bees bring in former Lakeside stalwart Leigh Lanham to guest. That also has the effect of moving Polish rider Kacper Woryna down to reserve, with Lanham taking the No.4 riding position.
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Post by Administrator on May 21, 2016 22:17:13 GMT
FIRED-UP Lakeside gained revenge over Coventry with a stunning 60-33 Elite League win over Coventry. Lewis Bridger enjoyed his best display of the season with 12+2 to top the score charts - but this was about a team effort The Vortex Hammers had been well beaten 24-hours earlier when the sides met at Brandon but with club supremos Stuart Douglas and Jon Cook watching closely the riders responded in style. It means they are still unbeaten at Purfleet and a play-off push remains a realistic target. Vortex Hammers chief Cook said: "It was a tremendous performance, and we were absolutely delighted to see Lewis Kerr and Lewis Bridger in such fantastic form. "It's good to be busy, and we're already looking forward to our meeting against Leicester on Friday where we'll be looking to build on tonight's great win." LAKESIDE 60: Lewis Bridger 12+2, Andreas Jonsson 11+2, Lewis Kerr 10+2, Kim Nilsson 9+1, Piotr Swiderski 8+2, Robert Mear 7+2, Richard Lawson 3+1. COVENTRY 33: Danny King 13+1, Krzysztof Kasprzak 8, Chris Harris 4+1, Leigh Lanham 4, James Sarjeant 3, Kacper Woryna 1, Jason Garrity r/r.
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Post by Administrator on May 24, 2016 13:24:29 GMT
EDWARD Kennett returns to the Lakeside team for Friday’s home Elite League clash with Leicester. Kennett gets his chance in the Vortex Hammers side at the expense of Piotr Swiderski, who was unavailable due to a clash with a Polish League fixture on TV. Co-promoter Jon Cook says Swiderski will remain part of his plans for now – but Kennett, who has been in blistering form for Premier League Rye House, deserves his chance. Kennett has missed out on the early stages of the season through a combination of fixtures clashes and the form of Richard Lawson – but the duo will now race in the Lakeside team together. Said Cook: “Edward has waited for his chance and driving back from a very disappointing display at Coventry Kelvin Tatum (coach) and I both felt now was the time to shake things up as we have stalled away from home. “Piotr was due to be missing Friday and in truth is unlucky to miss out on his home form but like others in the team his away performances have started to wane. “He remains firmly in our squad and we'll decide after the weekend what's the best 1-7 to take on Wolves next Wednesday at the Raceway, but Edward will be assured of a run in the team from here on. “We hope he'll provide the missing link to make us title challengers rather than Play off possibilities.”
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Post by Administrator on May 26, 2016 14:33:04 GMT
LAKESIDE coach Kelvin Tatum has called on his side to lay down a marker to their Elite League rivals as they host struggling Leicester at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday (8pm). The Vortex Hammers have been in dominant form on home shale and head into their clash with the Lions in a healthy third position in the table. They will face a busy two days with the return fixture at Beaumont Park taking place on Saturday (7.30) – and Tatum admits they are targeting two more valuable victories against the Midlands outfit. The Hammers will enter their home meeting as firm favourites against a Lions side who have yet to pick up any points on their travels this season. And although Tatum knows they must guard against complacency, he is hoping to see them send out a message to their rivals by repeating their two wins over Leicester earlier in the season. Said Tatum: “Without being disrespectful to Leicester, these are two meetings where we are aiming for maximum points. “I, for one, never underestimate anybody but with this year’s push for the play-off spots being so tight at the top end of the Elite League, I think a team in our position has to be looking at big wins home and away against bottom of the league to bolster our own position. “We’ve already beaten them home and away this season and ideally we will manage it second time around as well. “However, in recent weeks Leicester have shown a few glimpses, particularly from the reserve area, so we certainly can’t take anything for granted.” Lakeside hand Eddie Kennett his first Purfleet appearance of the season with Polish racer Piotr Swiderski unavailable. Rider replacement will cover the absence of popular Swede Kim Nilsson due to a Grand Prix qualifier, whilst Leicester include former Hammers’ ace Davey Watt in their side. LAKESIDE: Andreas Jonsson, Edward Kennett, Richard Lawson, Lewis Bridger, Kim Nilsson R/R, Robert Mear, Lewis Kerr. LEICESTER: Patrick Hougaard, Josh Auty, Aaron Summers, Szymon Wozniak, Davey Watt, Nicolai Klindt, Paul Starke.
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