Track stars’ clash will be Brit special
THE biggest crowd of the year is expected at Newcastle Diamonds’ Byker home track tomorrow (6.30) for one of the most attractive meetings of any season – a British Championship semi-final – featuring reigning champion and former Diamonds’ No 1 Danny King.
To add to the fervour, there is sure to be a fantastic reception for the homecoming of current Newcastle No 1 Robert Lambert following his success in winning the British Under-21 Championship on Wednesday night at Poole.
The 16-strong field is packed with some top-line racers, including Glasgow duo Richard Lawson and Richie Worrall, Redcar’s Jason Garrity and Ben Barker who played a big part in their side’s victory over Newcastle on Thursday, and an Ipswich trio comprising King, former World Cup star Rory Schlein and ex-Diamond Kyle Newman.
Home interest is guaranteed throughout the 20 races as Lambert is joined by Steve Worrall, Lewis Rose and Ashley Morris, with all four Diamonds hoping to be among the top eight point-scorers at the end, thus qualifying for the British Final at Belle Vue, Manchester, on June 19.
Berwick’s Liam Carr, very impressive in the Under-21 final when he scored nine points, is also in tomorrow’s line-up and could spring a surprise or two, while two more men with past Newcastle connections, Steve Boxall (Plymouth) and Paul Starke (Peterborough), might well upset the form book.
The meeting is being sponsored by Cramlington-based Boiler Technical Services, long-standing backers of the Diamonds, but the question of which riders they will be presenting trophies to at the end is anyone’s guess says Newcastle co-promoter George English.
He said: “I can’t even make my mind up as to the eight who will get through to Belle Vue, never mind who is going to win our semi-final, there are so many fascinating races in prospect.”