PREVIEW: Busy weekend, as Cheetahs chase place in MAXiCab Knockout Cup Final and Chargers look to clinch the WSRA National League title

A BUSY spell for Oxford Speedway of four meetings in four days – featuring three different Oxford sides – concludes when the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by AW Mobbs host Redcar Bears in the second leg of their MAXiCab Knockout Cup semi-final on Sunday (September 28). Please note the start-time of 5pm. The first leg is up at Redcar on Friday (September 26) and the aggregate winners will progress to the final to face Poole Pirates.

In between the Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers powered by AW Mobbs can clinch the WSRA National League at Redcar on Saturday afternoon (September 27) at 3pm. Victory against the Middlesbrough Tigers would put Chargers on 20 points, one more than either Leicester Lion Cubs or Edinburgh Monarchs Academy can reach. It would be the second NL title in three years for Chargers.

With away meetings on successive days at Redcar for both Cheetahs and Chargers, it enables supporters to stay overnight and take in both meetings, before heading home to Cowley for the early evening meeting on Sunday.

Cheetahs will utilise rider replacement for the injured Jordan Jenkins for the first leg at Redcar, while Kye Thomson will come in as a guest for the second leg at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium on Sunday. Otherwise Cheetahs are due to be at full strength for both meetings. For Bears, Jake Allen and Michael Palm Toft respectively will replace the ill Erik Riss across the two legs.

For Chargers, Harry Fletcher will again guest for the injured Max Broadhurst, who is out for the season with a hand injury. Jacob Clouting returns from paternity leave, while skipper Jody Scott is free to race, since he doesn’t have a Cab Direct Championship commitment on the same day.

Oxford manager Peter Schroeck says: “It’s certainly a busy weekend for the club. Last year Cheetahs reached the Cup Final, while this season we are aiming to go one better in the MAXiCab Knockout Cup. We’d like another shot at Poole in the final, but we’ve got to take it one step at a time – firstly, we must beat Redcar on aggregate.

“We lost our Cab Direct Championship clash at Redcar in May by just six points. We want to keep it tight up there on Friday while, of course, a win would be even better. Whatever happens, we want to be in a position where we can finish the job at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium on Sunday.

“As the Chargers up at Redcar at Saturday, we’ll place no pressure on the boys and we’ll be treating it like a normal meeting. Those lads work so well together as a team, and they always want to win. They just need to get stuck in, help each other out and enjoy their afternoon and we’ll see where we are come the end of the meeting.”

Tickets are already on sale on the Oxford Speedway website for the home match against Redcar on Sunday at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Admission is available at the early bird price of £21 for all adults, which increases to £23 on Race Day. All under-16s go free. A reminder that Oxford Speedway is online ticket sales only – tickets remain on sale on the website until the start-time of the meeting. Spectators are also reminded that they will need to pay £2 if they are planning to park in the Unipart car park. Gates will open on Sunday at 3pm.

The meeting was previously rained off on Wednesday, September 10. Any tickets bought online for the original staging have automatically transferred across to the new date. Supporters will have received an email that also offered a refund if they cannot make the new date.

Season Passes are NOT valid on Sunday. The passes did not include progression in any competition and all 29 meetings (13 Spires, 11 Cheetahs and 5 Chargers) covered by the Ultimate Season Pass have taken place.

Teams for Cheetahs v Redcar on Sunday:

SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies: Sam Masters (C), Kye Thomson (G), Luke Killeen, Mitch McDiarmid, Francis Gusts, Jonas Knudsen, Cameron Heeps.

Redcar Agilia Bears: Charles Wright (C), Jake Mulford, Jason Edwards, Erik Riss R/R, Danny King, Jody Scott, Ace Pijper.

Teams are same on Friday, except Cheetahs will use rider replacement at No 2 for Jordan Jenkins instead of Kye Thomson, and Redcar’s guest at No 4 is Jake Allen.

Teams for Middlesbrough v Chargers on Saturday:

Middlesbrough Tigers: Ace Pijper (C), Elliot Kelly, Stene Pijper, Mason Watson (G), Tom Spencer, Liam Greens, Kieran Douglas (G).

Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers powered by AW Mobbs: Jody Scott, Jacob Clouting, Senna Summers, Ashton Vale, Darryl Ritchings, Arran Butcher, Harry Fletcher (G).

PHOTO by Steve Edmunds