HOMECOMING SCOTTISH OPEN - SPONSORED BY KEYLINE

NEWS Tuesday 28th July 2009, 12:41pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

This is always one of our biggest meetings of the season as 16 riders contest the longest running individual championship in British Speedway.

There are three former winners ? Shane Parker, Andre Compton and Stan Burza ? in a field featuring six nationalities. The event has been branded as part of the current Homecoming celebrations, and both Ryan Fisher and Matthew Wethers spent Monday afternoon in the company of Sports Minister Shona Robison publicising the Open. Supporters are reminded that start time is earlier than usual at 7:15 to accommodate the 22 heats.

LINEUP FOR THE HOMECOMING SCOTTISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSORED BY KEYLINE AT ARMADALE ON FRIDAY 31st JULY (start time 7.15, doors open 6.30) is:

Derek Sneddon (Newcastle & Scotland), Stan Burza (Berwick & Poland), Thomas H Jonasson (Edinburgh & Sweden), Matthew Wethers (Edinburgh & Australia), Michal Rajkowski (Edinburgh & Poland), Andrew Tully (Edinburgh & Scotland), Kevin Doolan (Workington & Australia), Aaron Summers (Edinburgh & Australia), Andre Compton (Workington & England), James Grieves (Glasgow & Scotland), William Lawson (Glasgow & Scotland), Shane Parker (Glasgow & Australia), Paul Clews (Berwick & England), Kevin Wolbert (Germany), Ryan Fisher (Edinburgh & USA), Max Dilger (Edinburgh & Germany).

RULE CHANGE: This year the top three scorers in the qualifying heats will go direct to the final, with the semi contested by the 4th to 7th scorers and the winner of that heat going to the final.

COMMENTS FROM KEYLINE: Keyline Broxburn sponsor the Open for the fifth successive season. Their manager Fraser McDowell said :

?We enjoy this night and this year I am particularly looking forward to the event because any one out of about ten riders could win it.

?It was good to see Rory Schlein last year but there was no-one there to give him a fight for it. I don't know who is going to win this year but I have a sneaky feeling that Mr Parker will be well up for it.

?Mind you Ryan could do it too ? if he really goes for it he could end up in the boards but he could win it if he gets it right. Doolan won't be far away either, and I hope Andrew Tully will be fit for it too. ?

MAX DILGER: 20 year old German rider Max Dilger joins Monarchs at Birmingham on Wednesday and makes his home debut in the Open.

He speaks good English and told us ?I know I will need different engines and I have those now. I have four bikes for Birmingham which I am bringing. They are GMs. I will have a look at the track at Birmingham and decide which bike to use.

?I know of the riders in the Edinburgh team but personally I do not know them. I look forward to meeting them this week.?

EVEN FIELD: It is very difficult to predict a winner from this year's lineup. In the home camp, Fisher, Wethers and Tully will all feel they have the capability to come out on top, and the Glasgow trio are sure to pose a big threat.

Stan Burza, champion of 2006, has been generally very successful since his return to Bandits, and Workington's Doolan and Compton know al about winning races at Armadale.

Much interest will centre on the performance of the two Germans as well as Sweden's no. 3 rider Thomas H Jonasson, making what will probably be his last appearance of the season in the UK.

LAST MEETING: Last Friday Monarchs qualified for the final of the Premier Trophy by beating Scunthorpe 52-43 at Armadale, and winning 98-87 on aggregate. They did this in spite of an injury to Andrew Tully in his first heat. Top scorer was Aaron Summers with 14.

With Tully missing they took a creditable third place in the Fours at Workington on Saturday.

NEXT MEETING: Monarchs face Sheffield Tigers in the Premier League at Armadale on Friday 7th August.