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'CUDAS SEASON OVER IN A FLASH (30.10.08) The speedway season that promised so much and looked like it could deliver fizzled out in an end of campaign disaster. The ‘Cudas who had already been defeated in the final of the Conference Trophy by Plymouth had achieved a feat in that they also reached the final of the KOC and the League Play Offs but it wasn’t to be as injury and rider unavailability cost the club dear. On Friday night the team travelled to Plymouth for the second leg of the KOC final having etched out an eleven point lead in the first leg at the Norfolk Arena. However, the meeting had to go ahead without both Simon Lambert (broken wrist), Joe Haines (riding for Workington) and Oliver Rayson (unable to make the trip) and this in truth was the telling factor in the overall defeat. Boston lost the match 59-33 (98-83 on aggregate) but did put in a spirited performance although never looked likely on the night to challenge for the trophy. With Plymouth winning the two finals it was left to Boston to travel to Weymouth on Saturday for the first leg of the Play Off final. Captain Simon Lambert had been to sports physio Brian Simpson for some work on his wrist and declared himself available for this match which was a great boost for the team although club legend Rob Hollingworth was standing by in case his services were required. Boston again included fifteen year old Rhys Naylor who made his debut the previous night at Plymouth and although he failed to score on that occasion from his three rides he was far from disgraced racing at the number two position. The meeting didn’t go to plan for the Barracudas as they suffered a heavy forty four point defeat in a night to forget. The visitors recorded only two race wins during the whole meeting with Simon Lambert winning heat three and Adam Allott heat five. At that point the deficit was only ten points but the deluge from Weymouth followed with seven maximum 5-1’s and three 4-2’s in the remaining ten heats, in fact Boston provided the last placed rider in all of the fifteen evening heats. The return leg was due to take place the following evening at the Norfolk Arena but overnight rain put an abrupt halt to that meeting with a restaging date set for Wednesday 29th October with a start time of 7.30pm for the completion of the competition. This will be Boston’s last ever meeting in what is sure to be an emotional night for everyone involved with the club.

PLAY OFF 2ND LEG POSTPONED (26.10.08) Tonight's Play Off 2nd leg against Weymouth has been postponed due to an unfit track. Rain overnight following Saturday's stock car meeting has left the track damaged and no hope of preparation for tonight. A new re-staging date has yet to be arranged although it should be held in the coming week.

OFFICIAL CLUB STATEMENT (20.10.08) The Boston Barracudas team has been left decimated by injury and unavailability for their final three matches of the Conference League season. It has been confirmed today that captain Simon Lambert has indeed broken a bone in his wrist. He is now in plaster and will miss the three biggest matches in Boston's existence; as will Joe Haines through Premier League commitments. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said "I have spoken to Mark Thompson and we have both decided it is not the right time for him to come back into the team as he is unavailable but I would like to thank Mark for his honesty and hope he can come back next season and recapture the form that has showed him to be some force at this level." All the injuries and unavailability have left a team that was once strong contenders for the league title in tatters. Just a few short months ago the club had Simon Lambert, Joe Haines and Darcy Ward in the line up with Jamie Smith on the comeback trail as well; Adam Allott has come into the team but even he cannot fill the shoes left by those riders. Dale continued "It is no secret that Boston have decided that Sunday will probably be their last match ever and every effort has been made to put together a competitive side to face Weymouth in the Play Off Final. To that end the Barracudas are proud to announce that former rider and a man that can only be described as Mr Boston will be coming out of retirement for the final - Rob Hollingworth. I spoke to Rob on Sunday and it was confirmed that if the worst came to the worst he would ride on Sunday at the Norfolk Arena. I explained the situation to him today and the legend that is Rob Hollingworth has kindly agreed to ride in both legs on Saturday and Sunday." No stone has been left unturned in an effort to bring in riders for the final within the agreed regulations. Dale concluded by saying "I hope all the Boston fans come out and support this final meeting. I have had the opportunity to work with these fantastic lads this season and one thing I can guarantee is that they will be riding their hearts out in the final to try and win the tie. Teams for the weekend are as follows: Friday at Plymouth (KOC Final) 1 Adam Allott 2 Rhys Naylor 3 R/R for Simon Lambert 4 Darren Rolph 5 Darren Mallett 6 Chris Widman 7 Adam Lowe Saturday at Weymouth and Sunday at Norfolk Arena (Play Off Final) 1 Adam Allott 2 Rhys Naylor 3 Darren Mallett 4 Rob Hollingworth 5 Darren Rolph 6 Chris Widman 7 Adam Lowe

'CUDAS INTO FINAL (16.10.08) Last Friday saw a superb performance from Boston on their visit to Scunthorpe in the KOC Semi Final where they had a twenty one point lead to defend in order to reach the final. The Saints started the meeting picking up heat advantages and had forged an eight point lead after a 5-1 from reserves Adam Wrathall and Gary Irving in heat eight. Boston team manager Dale Allitt with his finger always on the pulse brought in Simon Lambert for a tactical substitute ride off fifteen metres in heat nine who promptly delivered an 8-1 with recent signing Adam Allott to close the gap to a single point on the night. With Boston heat advantages in the next two races the tie was over as a contest but the big question was could Boston end Scunthorpe’s long standing home record. The home side collected a maximum 5-1 in heat fourteen to go into the final race with a one point lead – although the ‘Cudas would line up with the unbeaten paring of Joe Haines and Simon Lambert. The Boston pair didn’t disappoint and took the match winning 5-1 (48-45) and ended the run of forty eight home victories for Scunthorpe, a run extending back to the beginning of the 2006 campaign. Full credit must go to the whole side but Simon (20+1 max) and Haines (15 max) were a class above and the ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas will now face Plymouth in the final of the cup. The home leg of the KOC final will be held on Sunday 19th October with a 7.00pm start and by the time you read this it will probably be known (weather permitting) whether Boston have negotiated the home leg of the Play Off semi final against the Redcar Cubs which was due to be held at the Norfolk Arena on Tuesday where Boston held a three point advantage from their 48-45 away win at Redcar at the end of September. If the ‘Cudas were successful and progress to the final they will travel to Plymouth for the KOC final on Friday 24th October and will visit Weymouth on Saturday 25th October for the first leg of the League Play Off final after the Wildcats saw off the challenge of the Plymouth Devils with relative ease over the two legs. The final of the League Play Off will then be scheduled for the following evening, Sunday 26th October in what is sure to be a fantastic night for all involved. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said “These are really exciting times for the club. It has been a really busy spell and people don’t often see what goes on behind the scenes but I can honestly say that I have spent little time away from a ‘phone of late whether it be checking availability of riders, trying to sign new riders, booking fixtures and keeping tabs on everything that is going on in the speedway world. All the riders are really busy and with two of our top riders still heavily involved in Premier League commitments it doesn’t make things any easier I can tell you. That said it is great to be busy at this time of year and I’m confident other promoters would love to be in this position instead of me if they had the chance.” In other news Boston will hold their End of Season Presentation Evening on Saturday 1st November with a start time of 7.30pm. This special night to which all of the Boston riders have been invited will take place at Hubberts Bridge Community Hall with a ticket price of £10; this will include a buffet supper. There will be a bar at the event and the music will be provided by Calypso Disco. For tickets and any other information please ring Stephen Lambert during office hours on 01775 750100.

WARD SIGNS OFF IN STYLE (9.10.08) With Sunday’s Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas meeting with Redcar on Sunday being postponed early due to a waterlogged track it confirmed that young star in the making Darcy Ward had ridden his last match for the Conference League club as he heads back to his native Australia. Darcy will of course be back on these shores next season after signing a contract with King’s Lynn but what a way to finish this stint in the UK. Recently he finished third after a run off in the Conference League Riders Championship; a result that could have been even better but for a fall in his fourth ride and he put in a magnificent show in King’s Lynn’s Pride of the East individual where he raced and beat some Elite League racers. Last Thursday he rode at Sheffield in their Top Guns meeting; he won his first four rides in times that blew the opposition away and then fell in his fifth qualifying ride. In the semi final he was pushed out on the first bend but chased hard and collected second place on the line to take his place in the grand final, a race he won by passing the rest of the field at the end of the first lap to take the meeting victory. On Friday evening he travelled to Somerset for the Junior Open; yet again he raced to victory in very quick times on his way to a fifteen point maximum. He then followed this meeting with a short track event at King’s Lynn. With speedway fixtures allowing, Darcy was joined in the meeting by Barracudas team mate Simon Lambert, both riders rode well to qualify for the semi finals before the meeting was abandoned due. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said “Darcy has been a revelation this season and I’m sure he has a very bright future in the sport. It’s a shame he is going home now but I can’t wait to see him in action in the UK next season.” With the Play Off semi final against Redcar falling foul to the weather, Boston riders Simon Lambert, Darren Mallett and Mark Thompson all took part on Sunday in the David Nix Memorial Trophy at Scunthorpe. Thompson suffered a tough afternoon and scored just two points but on the other hand Simon Lambert was seeded to the final after scoring eleven out of twelve from his qualifying heats and Darren Mallett made it to the semi final scoring eight points from his qualifiers but went out at that stage coming third in the race off. In the final Simon briefly held the lead but was passed by the eventual winner Paul Cooper but a good afternoon’s work to collect second place on the rostrum. Simon said after the meeting “I had a good day today, the final was a very good race and I led Paul Cooper for a while but he came on the outside and went past me. This is one meeting I am desperate to win as David was a very good friend of the family and would often come round to see us and talk about his grasstrack and speedway racing.  My dad sponsored his speedway racing and followed his progress till that tragic day at Kings Lynn when he died doing the sport he truly loved.” Boston’s next home fixture will be the second leg of the play off semi final against Redcar however a date is yet to be confirmed for the fixture whilst the next away match is the visit to Scunthorpe for the second leg of the cup match on Friday 10th October. In other news Boston will hold their End of Season Presentation Evening on Saturday 1st November with a start time of 7.30pm. This special night to which all of the Boston riders have been invited will take place at Hubberts Bridge Community Hall with a ticket price of £10; this will include a buffet supper. There will be a bar at the event and the music will be provided by Calypso Disco. For tickets and any other information please ring Stephen Lambert during office hours on 01775 750100.

BOSTON ON THE SUCCESS TRAIL (2.10.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas travelled to Redcar last Thursday for the first leg of the Conference League Play Off semi final with a game plan to keep the meeting as close as possible for the return leg at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday 5th October. Even before a wheel was turned the Boston team could have been labelled the walking wounded from their recent league trip to Rye House. Captain Simon Lambert was still suffering arm and rib injuries whilst Darren Rolph still had a painful wrist and to compound matters further reserve Oliver Rayson had to pull out on the day of the meeting with a flu virus and after trying for several riders to race as a replacement team manager Dale Allitt managed to secure the services of another grade one rider in Gary Irving from Scunthorpe. The meeting started well for the Barracudas with a 5-1 from Joe Haines and rider replacement Darcy Ward in a quick time but the Cubs soon pegged that back with a maximum of their own in the very next heat. Young Australian Ward took the win in his next race (heat four) and managed to set a new CL track record of 54.9 seconds as he raced clear of Lawson and Summers. The meeting remained close until the home side opened up an eight point lead after heat nine; cue Darcy Ward. Darcy was brought into heat ten as a tactical substitute from fifteen metres back and it took him less than two laps to storm to the front and collect the six points for the race win but with Lambert at the back the gap only closed to five points. The Barracudas continued to battle and looked to be heading for a 5-1 maximum in heat thirteen until Darcy’s bike seized on the last corner turning the result into a 3-3. Boston switched their reserves in heat fourteen with Gary Irving, having won heat twelve, coming in for a pointless Adam Lowe and duly won the race with a great pass on Benji Compton. The home side still led by a single point going into the last race but with the on fire pairing of Joe Haines and Darcy Ward representing the ‘Cudas anything could have happened and they collected a 5-1 to take the meeting by three points on the night. Team manager Dale Allitt said “Tonight was a tremendous meeting for the fans and I am delighted to come away with the win considering our injury problems. Joe was magnificent and Darcy was just out of this world and without his bike trouble in heat thirteen would have scored a record paid twenty three points but paid twenty isn’t too bad! We need to stick to the task in hand now and finish the job at home, we know what a powerful side they are and will not be taking the return match lightly.” Rye House was the place to be on Saturday as the stars of the Conference League took part in this years’ Riders Championship. Darcy Ward had a great evening which could have been so much better had it not been for a fall in his fourth ride but with wins in his other four rides he forced a run off for third place overall; he won the run off against Dan Halsey and Jay Herne to claim the podium position and was racing much quicker times than the rest of the field and certainly deserved more. Simon Lambert on the other hand was still suffering the effects of his recent falls and finished the meeting with four points. Sunday saw Boston take on Scunthorpe in the first leg of the KOC semi final where they were looking for a sizeable lead to take to the away leg. The meeting looked to be quite tight up to heat five with the Barracudas holding just a five point lead but the home side pulled away well in the second half of the meeting and had Joe Haines, Simon Lambert and Darcy Ward in fantastic form all night and all three finished the meeting unbeaten by a visiting rider. Boston will take a twenty one point lead to Scunthorpe and co-promoter Mick Smith said after the meeting “The lads battled away well tonight. Some of them are still suffering from knocks but to have three riders unbeaten is special and all the riders chipped in at vital times and I hope we have enough of a lead to take us into another final this season.” With the news that Jamie Smith will not race again this season due to injury, Boston have confirmed the signing of King’s Lynn asset Adam Allott. Adam, 25, has been racing short track this season and has been practising will come into the side on Sunday. Boston’s next home fixture will be the second leg of the play off semi final against Redcar and will be held on Sunday 5th October with a 7.00pm start time whilst the next away match is the visit to Scunthorpe for the second leg of the cup match on Friday 10th October.

BUSY TIME FOR CUDAS (25.9.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas are about to embark on one of their most exciting periods since their involvement in the Conference League set up began. On Thursday evening the ‘Cudas will make the long trip to the South Tees Motorsports Park where they will take on the Redcar Cubs in the first leg of the League Play Off semi final. Boston have had some good results there this year with a draw in the KOC fixture back in June and just a two point defeat in the League when they visited earlier in the month. It will be vital to pick up another good result as Redcar have also been dangerous at the Norfolk Arena where they raced to a draw in the League encounter back in August. Co-promoter Stephen Lambert said “This is an important fixture in the clubs calendar and we will be doing everything we can to win but if not keep the scores very tight for the return leg at home. We are entering the business end of the season and we definitely want to add to the Pairs Trophy that we already hold. It was disappointing to lose to Plymouth in the Conference Trophy final and so we don’t want to feel like that again.” On Saturday club captain Simon Lambert and young hot shot Darcy Ward will represent the club at Rye House in the Conference League Riders Championship before another huge meeting at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday evening with the visit of Scunthorpe for the first leg of the Knock out Cup semi final tie. It is hoped this meeting will attract a big crowd to see Boston race in a semi final of another competition; close rivals Scunthorpe will be looking for a competitive score line to take back to the Eddie Wright Raceway for the second leg. The away leg on Friday 3rd October has now been cancelled with a prospective re-staging date being the following Friday. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said “This isn’t ideal for either club. Whoever gets to the final whether it is us or Scunthorpe it will leave a very limited time to get a two legged final into the schedule with dates running out all the time. For us it could be even harder as we could still be involved in the play offs but it would be a great problem to have as being in finals of competitions is always good for everyone involved with the club from the management, the riders and the fans.” Last Sunday saw the Barracudas travel to Rye House for their final league fixture of the regular season. A win would have seen the Barracudas finish top of the pile but it wasn’t to be as the meeting took its toll and Boston finished the match with just five riders, one of them also carrying an injury. The final score of 40-52 was in no small way down to a superb 18 point haul from young Joe Haines who was extremely impressive; the previous evening he was guesting for Coventry in the Elite League and did himself no harm with a score of paid three. Heat eight did the damage for the visitors, in the first running Darren Rolph fell and hurt his wrist and in the re-run Simon Lambert on a black and white from fifteen metres lost control on the third lap and fell awkwardly causing him to pull out of the meeting with rib and arm injuries. Darren Rolph did complete the meeting but a fall by Darren Mallett in heat ten caused his afternoon to come to an early end also. Dale Allitt said after the match “We tried hard today but we will have to settle for second in the league which is an achievement. The team battled hard today but a special mention must go to Joe, it’s a shame he cannot take part in the CLRC as I’m sure he would have been one of the favourites although I’m confident Simon (injury permitting) and Darcy will put up a great show for the fans.” Boston’s next home fixture will be the first leg of the KOC semi final against Scunthorpe and will be held on Sunday 28th September with a 7.00pm start time whilst the next away match after the visit to Redcar is the yet to be confirmed visit to Scunthorpe for the second leg of the cup match with a likely date of Friday 10th October.

CUDAS TAKE TWO (18.9.08) With Friday’s Conference League match against Weymouth washed out early doors both clubs got together and rescheduled the match for the Monday evening while at the same time praying for some better weather. This was the second ‘Cudas match in a row to be called off and the match that eventually took place on Monday was at the third attempt after rain intervened in early August as well. Boston wanted a win to secure their play off hopes and a win was exactly what they got. The ‘Cudas started the meeting like a whirlwind with five 5-1’s and a 4-2 in the first six heats of action to open up an impressive twenty two point lead. The Wildcats attempted to hit back in heat seven with Lee Smart taking the tactical ride but he couldn’t overhaul the lightning quick Darcy Ward and had to settle for a share of the heat as Adam Lowe kept former Boston rider Matt Wright at the back. Another drawn heat in race eight was followed by another blow from the home side with five heat advantages in the next five heats to extend their lead to thirty six points and totally knock the stuffing out of their opponents. Heat fourteen ironically saw Weymouth’s only heat victory of the night and it came from the previously pointless Matt Wright who just managed to keep a challenging Darren Mallett behind him. The last saw an engine problem on the line stop a sure fire maximum for Joe Haines although Simon Lambert did complete his paid full house with another impressive win. Young Darcy Ward seems to go from strength to strength with a twelve point maximum and the rest of the team weighed in with at least paid seven points. Boston co-promoter Mick Smith commented after the meeting “The boys were fantastic tonight, very focussed on the job and it just shows what they can do when they are hungry for it. This performance should throw out a warning to the other play off teams that we mean business and want the league title this season.” In other news, young Boston reserve Oliver Rayson has received a wonderful boost by being awarded a new bike. The Speedway Star Fantasy League had an added bonus in this year’s competition where whichever manager was top of the pile on September 1st could choose an up and coming British rider from the Conference League to be awarded a new bike courtesy of sponsors Draper Tools. Ipswich fan David Woods was in that position and chose Olli to be the lucky rider. Olli was delighted and said “It’s a fantastic bonus and will help loads. Speedway is a really expensive sport and things like this don’t come around too often. I would like to thank David for selecting me and also Draper Tools for putting up such a great prize.” Boston’s next home fixture will be the first leg of the KOC semi final against Scunthorpe and will be held on Sunday 28th September with a 7.00pm start time whilst the ‘Cudas next away match is scheduled for Sunday 21st September with a trip to Rye House for a league match. The Barracudas have also announced dates for their play off semi finals against Redcar. The first leg will take place at Redcar on Thursday 25th September and the return home fixture will be at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday 5th October.

'CUDAS DEFEATED BY CUBS (11.9.08) Last Thursday the ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas travelled the long distance to the South Tees Motorsports Park with high hopes of an away victory but that was snatched from them in a meeting that went to a last heat decider. The Cubs are currently catching up on some of their meetings and Boston provided their second team of opposition on the night after they had already defeated Rye House 56-37. Boston were operating rider replacement for Mark Thompson at number two and started the meeting well with a 4-2 in heat one but that was short lived as Redcar took a 5-1 in the next. Heat five saw Boston’s big guns Joe Haines (on his 17th birthday) and Simon Lambert collect a 5-1 to put their side back into the lead, a lead they still held going into heat 14 in fact. Drama struck the ‘Cudas in heat eight as captain Simon Lambert came in for his rider replacement ride only to fall and injure his hand; Simon did finish the meeting but had dislocated knuckles and a broken finger which as a result meant he wasn’t able to race in a vital heat 15. Heat fourteen saw Darren Mallett pick up his only point of the night in a Cubs 5-1 that saw the hosts go into the final race with a two point advantage; a shared heat in that final race left Boston with a two point defeat and a long ride home wondering what might have been. Team manager Dale Allitt said after the meeting “It’s disappointing to get so close and to be leading for as much of the match as we did. Our matches against Redcar recently have certainly been exciting and it all looks positive for a cracking end to the season. I’m sure if we end up going back to Redcar in the play offs we are capable of doing better but I am really frustrated that we were a three man team tonight and some riders need to up their game. There are riders in our squad that are back to fitness now and who are keen to be involved and they might just get the chance. I am really pleased with the way Darcy is riding at the moment; I had a word with him before tonight’s meeting reminding him that each race is four laps and that he has the ability to beat anyone on his day. It was good to see him then overtake people on the last lap during the meeting and not try to do it all on the first lap!” Saturday night saw the club hold a successful race night at Hubberts Bridge Community Hall with everyone having a fun evening. The event raised approximately £700 for the club which is always welcome in today’s economic climate. Boston’s scheduled KOC semi final with Scunthorpe on Sunday was postponed in the morning due to heavy rain causing a waterlogged track; no new date has yet been agreed by the two clubs involved. In other news, Boston have announced that Darcy Ward will join captain Simon Lambert as Boston’s representatives in the Conference League Riders Championship to be held at Rye House later in the month. Dale Allitt commented “Darcy has been a revelation since joining the club a few weeks ago and I’m sure he’ll be up for the challenge of such a big meeting and I wish both of our riders the best of luck and hope one of them can bring home some more silverware.” Boston’s next home fixture will be their final home league fixture (excluding play offs) against Weymouth who have been in fine form of late and are also challenging for a play off slot; the meeting will take place at the Norfolk Arena on Friday 12th September with a 7.30pm start time. The second half for this meeting will feature the Men in Black racing the older bikes so should be a full evening of exciting racing The ‘Cudas next away match is scheduled for Sunday 21st September with a trip to Rye House for a league match.

BOSTON MISS OUT ON TROPHY (4.9.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas had a huge task to pull back a thirty five point first leg deficit if they were to lift the Conference Trophy on Sunday but sadly it wasn’t to be. Despite a fantastic effort the ‘Cudas simply ran out of heats in which to pull back the points needed but let’s not forget what a good win it was on the night by sixty points to thirty one. Joe Haines, who celebrates his 17th birthday this week was in inspired form and scorched to a full maximum while Simon Lambert collected a paid maximum after a great tussle with Mark Simmons in heat fifteen to follow Joe home for a 5-1. Boston had gone about their business in a professional way picking up vital points at vital times and had pulled back sixteen points after heat eight with some bad luck affecting each side. Darren Rolph lost points in heat one when he packed up while Seemond Stephens fell in heat four and Tom Brown did the same when taking a tactical substitute ride in heat eight. Two more heat advantages in heats nine and ten, a 4-4 drawn heat eleven with Mark Simmonds on a tactical ride and a 4-2 in heat twelve left Boston needing three 5-1’s in the last three heats to snatch the aggregate victory. The possibility was ended when Darcy Ward fell in the next heat as he chased Mark Simmonds for third place and meant the Devils were the Conference Trophy winners. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said “We gave it our all and it just wasn’t to be. It was a good win tonight but maybe we left ourselves just a little too much to do from the first leg. We are even more determined now to win some more silverware to add to our Pairs title and we have an important KOC semi final coming up against Scunthorpe not to mention that we are still in a good position in the league as we strive for a play off place.” In other news, Boston have announced one of their two riders for the Conference League Riders Championship due to be staged on Saturday 27th September at Rye House. Captain Simon Lambert and one other team member will line up wearing the Barracuda race jacket when hopefully both riders will have a realistic shot of winning the title. Boston also has a fun packed evening with a difference planned for Saturday 6th September; a horse racing event. The event takes place at Hubberts Bridge Community Hall (near Boston) with the first race starting at 7.30pm. During the night there is a fully licensed bar and all the ‘Cudas riders have been invited to attend. Tickets cost £8 (which includes a buffet) and these can be obtained from Stephanie Lambert and Andy Scotney or by ringing Stephen Lambert on 01775 750100 (office hours) or a mobile number 07771 928470. This will be great fun for all the family so supporters are encouraged to get their tickets as soon as possible. Boston’s next home fixture will be the KOC semi final first leg clash with local rivals Scunthorpe on Sunday 7th September whilst their next away match is scheduled for Thursday 4th September with a trip to Redcar.

BOSTON TO FIGHT FOR TROPHY (28.8.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas go into the Conference Trophy Final on Sunday against the Plymouth Devils hoping to make up a thirty five point deficit from the first leg in June to lift the silverware to add to the Pairs Championship won earlier in the campaign. The recent meeting between the two sides at the Norfolk Arena ended in a huge win for Boston and management, riders and fans alike will be hoping for more of the same; co-promoter Mick Smith said “This is another important match for the club and it would be superb to land another trophy. We are hoping for a big crowd with everyone getting behind the riders, things like this can make a difference and can contribute extra points to the cause in spirit.” The ‘Cudas took on Redcar last Friday and after some very big home wins this looked to be a tough match on paper and that is exactly how it turned out. The Cubs travelled to the Norfolk Arena with James Cockle in their side having recently been given permission to talk to other clubs following the arrival of Darcy Ward into the Boston ranks; this of course made the Cubs even stronger and that was evident as Cockle picked up a useful nine points on the night. The meeting itself finished as a 46 all draw and wasn’t without plenty of ups and downs. Boston started the meeting well and took control with 5-1’s in heats five and six to open up an eight point lead although in the next the impressive Darcy Ward found himself excluded by the referee for bringing down former team mate Cockle after picking up some unwanted drive. Boston then managed to extend their lead with another 5-1 in heat ten from Simon Lambert and the impressive Darren Mallett. Redcar soon hit back in the next with Scott James wearing the black and white helmet just taking the win from Darcy Ward to close the gap by five points. The Cubs’ reserves took an unexpected 4-2 in the penultimate race although the balance still looked in Boston’s favour going into the last heat leading by four points and tracking the unbeaten Lambert and Mallett (paid ten from his four rides). Soon into the heat Darren Mallett packed up when a chain snapped as he was challenging for third place but all was not lost as Simon held the lead at the front. That wasn’t the end of the story though as a wire snapped inside Simon’s cut off causing him to grind to a halt and gifting Redcar with the 5-1 they needed for the draw; this of course after Simon pushed home for the point. Simon was understandably disappointed after the race and said “I am gutted; this is a rare failure but what a time for it to happen. We had the points in the bag and for both me and Darren to pack up in the same race is unbelievable. It’s a point dropped for sure but we will have to get on with the job in hand and keep moving forward, we have important meetings coming up and we need to remain focussed for them.” Boston hope to welcome back Oliver Rayson into their team for the clash with Plymouth on Sunday. Ollie was attacked near his home recently and suffered terrible facial injuries but is desperate to be fit for the match and said “I really want to get back into the team. I have missed a few meetings but I am determined to line up against the Devils as the club attempt to lift the trophy.” Following the visit of Plymouth on Sunday, Boston’s next home fixture after that will be the KOC semi final first leg clash with local rivals Scunthorpe on Sunday 7th September whilst their next away match is scheduled for Sunday 21st September with a trip to Rye House.

BOSTON TO FACE CUBS CHALLENGE (21.8.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas face a stiff test from the Redcar Cubs on Friday as they entertain the northern club in a Conference League fixture at 7.30pm. The clubs have already faced each other three times this season, a challenge fixture back in April and the two Knock out Cup fixtures in June. Both of these clashes saw competitive meetings with Boston just having the edge at the Norfolk Arena by eight points and then forcing a draw on the road; this coming fixture should be no different. Boston welcome back Simon Lambert and Joe Haines who both missed the club’s last fixture at Weymouth and also young reserve Oliver Rayson returns after misses the last few matches due to his dad recently moving house. Team manager Dale Allitt said “It’s good to see Olly back in the side but I would like to thank Chris Widman for his effort during the few matches he rode for us. He picked up some pretty impressive scores and I am confident he will race in a Boston race jacket again before the end of this season.” Redcar will bring a new looking side to the Norfolk Arena with very powerful reserves in the shape of Gary Beaton, who rode at number three in the previous encounters and rising star Richard Lawson who recently notched paid seventeen points at Sittingbourne. Co-promoter Stephen Lambert said of Redcar “They have a very useful looking side and we must be on our guard. Yes we have racked up 60 points or more in our last four home meetings but the Cubs look very dangerous and it will be a tough meeting. Their reserves look especially strong but I think Adam (Lowe) and Olly (Rayson) can match them on our track; let’s hope Joe and Simon can also keep up their impressive performances to date. Young Aussie Darcy Ward will line up at number four as he continues his fantastic run of form virtually wherever he races and seems to go from strength to strength. Some of his race times are not far off Elite League standard times which shows what a great future he should have ahead of him. Last Thursday he rode in an U16 3TT at Ipswich for Poole; not only did he race to a fifteen point maximum and help Poole to the victory on the night but most of his race winning times were some two seconds quicker than those of his opponents. Boston were well represented in the meeting with Oliver Rayson scoring twelve points from his five rides and mascot Jack Butler scoring seven points from his seven rides towards a Rye House total of ten points. Towards the end of the evening there was a Champion of the Evening section; Rayson won the Ipswich heat, Ward won the Poole heat and Butler was seeded direct to the final. In that race Ward won with Rayson third and Butler fourth giving Boston three of the top four on the night. One new fixture date has been confirmed and that is for the Conference League trip to Redcar, this will now take place on Thursday 4th September however the club are still waiting for news of when they will travel to Scunthorpe for the away leg of the Knock out Cup semi final. Boston’s next home fixture will be the visit of Redcar on Friday 22nd August with a 7.30pm start. Their next away match is currently scheduled for Sunday 21st September with a trip to Rye House.

COCKLE LEAVES CUDAS (18.8.08) Due to the arrival of Darcy Ward and his recent form within the Conference League (and everywhere else as well) racing opportunities for James Cockle would have been restricted for the remainder of the season. With this in mind and the fact that Redcar have some team worries of their own at present, Boston gave Redcar permission to talk James Cockle who consequently agreed a deal to ride for the Cubs for the remainder of the campaign starting on Friday night at the Norfolk Arena. Boston Speedway would like to publicly place on record their thanks to James for everything he has done for the Barracudas which of course included lifting the Pairs Championship with Simon Lambert and we wish him well for the future.

BARRACUDA UPDATE (14.8.08) Despite the fact Boston have had no meeting this week their squad of riders have been busy racing all over the country at various different levels. Since his arrival Darcy Ward has been getting in as much practice on these shores that is humanly possible and has certainly clocked up the miles since his arrival from Australia. Last week saw him race at Wolverhampton on Monday, the Isle of Wight on Tuesday, Poole on Wednesday and Swindon on Thursday; he looked impressive at all the venues and is certainly a talking point for many fans on the terraces at the moment, not to mention on Internet forums. His performances for Boston have been special in their own right and he averages over nine points a meeting from his three outings to date for the ‘Cudas, two of those being away from the Norfolk Arena. James Cockle has recently re-signed to ride in the Premier League again, this time in the Midlands for Birmingham where Barracuda team mate Adam Lowe lines up in their Academy League team. Joe Haines made a rare Elite League appearance last Friday for Coventry in their match with Eastbourne. The sixteen year old deputised for Andreas Messing and probably scored as much as the Swede would have done at Brandon going on recent performances; heat two saw him last from the start but he soon overhauled Tomas Suchanek and set about chasing James Brundle. He chased hard on the inside and the outside before making a great pass around the Eagle at the start of the final lap to get a paid win behind Ben Barker. Although he didn’t score from his other two rides in the meeting he was in the mix and kept Lewis Bridger very honest in heat eleven for the whole race. The Conference League fixture against Weymouth which was washed out the Sunday before last has now been re-arranged to take place at 7.30pm on Friday 12th September. Another big fixture coming up at the end of the month is the Conference Trophy Final second leg against the Plymouth Devils. The ‘Cudas recently took a 64-30 victory over the Devils in a home League match and the opposition were quick to point out that had that been the Trophy Final match they would have won by a point on aggregate. Boston Team Manager Dale Allitt responded “What Plymouth didn’t take into account is that we didn’t have our top two riders in heat fifteen and if that had been the case with Simon (Lambert) involved it is very likely we would have scored a 5-1 and not a 4-2, thus giving us victory on aggregate by one point!” Boston’s next home fixture will be the visit of Redcar on Friday 22nd August with a 7.30pm start. Their next away match is currently scheduled for Sunday 21st September with a trip to Rye House.

ANOTHER BUSY WEEKEND FOR 'CUDAS (7.8.08) Boston’s weekend could have gone some way to securing their play off hopes for the 2008 season. It was always going to be a tough weekend with three matches in as many days against some of the toughest teams in the division. Friday saw a huge victory (64-30) over a Plymouth side that frankly looked lost on the Norfolk Arena circuit. Boston surged into an early lead with five 5-1’s and two 4-2’s in the first seven races to hit the devils where it hurts. The opposition managed just one heat advantage all evening thanks to a 5-3 in heat eight with Kyle Hughes on a tactical ride. Simon Lambert and Joe Haines remained unbeaten for their fourth consecutive home Conference League fixture as Joe also remains undefeated by an opponent all season around the Norfolk Arena. Team manager Dale Allitt commented “This was another great result and it showed the Devils just what the ‘Cudas are capable of. All seven riders were on their game for this match and with two of the squad making their home debuts it was even more special. Chris Widman has been an excellent replacement for Oliver Rayson and again hit paid six tonight while Darcy Ward was fantastic around the circuit with paid eleven from his four rides; the result augers well for the Conference Trophy final second leg which has now been arranged for the end of the month.” On Saturday the Barracudas rode at Weymouth for another league fixture, this time they travelled without Simon Lambert and Joe Haines in what was always going to be an uphill task. Boston hung in well and were still only six points down after eight heats but a 1-5 in heat nine increased the deficit and it looked difficult from there on in. The final score resulted in a fifteen point defeat although the visitors remained top of the pile. Co-promoter Mick Smith said “The lads battled really hard tonight and I was proud of them all, Darcy was excellent value for his fifteen points. You cannot win them all but we did what we could on the night.” Sunday was due to see the return fixture with Weymouth travelling to the Norfolk Arena. However after a fine day the weather turned sour and torrential rain hit the area late afternoon causing a postponement around 4.30pm with the track in no condition for racing. The weather did clear up late in the afternoon but the damage was too severe to rescue the meeting. Team manager Dale Allitt said “It’s a shame but these things happen in speedway and this is the British summer we are talking about!” In other news everyone at Boston Speedway would like to pass on their best wishes to Jamie Smith and hope he has a speedy recovery from the broken shoulder he sustained in a track crash in the Reading versus Glasgow Premier League match. Boston’s next fixture will be the home visit of Redcar on Friday 22nd August with a 7.30pm start. The club have also arranged the second leg of the Conference Trophy final against Plymouth; this fixture will take place at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday 31st August when the Barracudas will have to pull back a 35 point deficit after the first leg held in June.

BUSY WEEKEND AHEAD (31.7.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas are about to embark on a vital weekend of speedway with three matches in as many days with arguably two of the toughest Conference League sides due to visit the Norfolk Arena circuit. On Friday the ‘Cudas entertain the Plymouth Devils and are in a very determined mood to avenge their twenty eight point mauling at the St. Boniface Arena back in May. A win is a must for this fixture as Boston continually look for that Play Off spot at the end of the season. Sandwiched in between the two home league matches is of course the away trip to Weymouth on the Saturday. The Wildcats currently occupy fourth spot in the table, the last play off berth and so this is going to be a tough trip for Boston. Just twenty four hours later it is the return fixture at the Norfolk Arena to end the busy schedule and it is fair to say that after these three matches the league positioning could be much clearer. Team manager Dale Allitt said “This is a vital weekend for all concerned with Boston Speedway. We must concentrate on the task in hand and look at each match as it comes, Plymouth and Weymouth both have strong line ups and I am sure that all three matches will be very exciting for the fans if not a bit nerve wracking at times. We would like maximum points from the weekend although I know that is a tough ask but we need to go into all the fixtures with confidence and then see what happens.” Last Sunday Darcy Ward made his Conference League debut for the ‘Cudas in their 42-47 win at Buxton. He scored 7 in what can only be described as a pretty good debut after running a last in his first outing on the Buxton circuit after falling. Darcy also had to come from the back in heat ten after touching the tapes at the first attempt; in the re-run he passed Paul Burnett on the third lap to snatch second place. Also making his Boston debut was reserve Chris Widman; he replaced Oliver Rayson who was unavailable for the weekend as he was moving house. Chris battled hard all meeting and came away with a very creditable paid five return including a paid win in heat two. Simon Lambert continued his fine Boston form with another full fifteen point maximum while James Cockle yet again was unbeaten by an opponent in the three races he completed and fell in the other two! Co-promoter Stephen Lambert said of the result “This is a great away win for us. It is important at this stage of the season to pick up victories away, especially as they carry three league points. We got off to a good start in the reserves race and never looked back from then. Both the new lads showed up well and should be good assets for the rest of the campaign as we strive to win the league; it’s a good feeling to be top of the pile at the moment.” After the busy weekend ahead, Boston’s next fixture will be the away trip to Redcar on Thursday 21st August whilst their next action at the Norfolk Arena will be Sunday 31st August, again against the Cubs from Redcar.

BUXTON TAKE ONE (24.7.08) Darren Mallett secured a very creditable third place in the Bronze Helmet meeting held at Weymouth last Saturday. The Boston second string ran a last in his first race after leading the heat for some time but he then bounced back in fine style to win his next outing in heat three. In a strange meeting format Darren then found himself back out in heat four where he finished behind home rider Jay Herne and then in heat nine he again finished in second place which was good enough to see him into the semi final race. Darren lined up in the green helmet and again was leading but failed to take the chequered flag first after tussles with eventual meeting winner Tom Brown but third overall was not a bad night as Darren explained “I was happy with my performance tonight. It was tough to race three heats out of the first four and then not to ride again until heat nine but that’s the formula. It would have been great to win the meeting again but overall it was a good experience.” The ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas meanwhile were again in action at the Norfolk Arena last Sunday taking on a Buxton side missing Jack Roberts. The match resulted in another huge home victory 63-29, the third consecutive home Conference League fixture where they have topped the sixty point barrier. The meeting started well for the Barracudas except for a nasty fall for Darren Mallett in heat three when he hit the safety fence very hard hurting his foot although he was able to continue racing. Reserve Oliver Rayson blew his bike prior to the start of heat four and had to rely on borrowed machinery for the rest of the evening. The home side had built up a considerable twenty four point lead after heat eight at which time John Branney tried to pull some of the deficit back with a black and white tactical ride in heat nine but he was defeated by an impressive looking James Cockle in that one resulting in a 4-4 shared heat. Boston continued to pile up the points and Buxton’s only heat advantage came in heat fourteen when Mallett’s throttle cable snapped at the start of the race giving the away side a 5-1.  Simon Lambert has now had 27 unbeaten races in a row at the Norfolk Arena for Boston and King’s Lynn and he commented “I have a perfect set up for Lynn at the moment. I am really enjoying my racing and everything is coming together well. The Boston side is flying at the moment and I am really proud to be captain of the side, we are looking to reach the play offs and will take one step at a time.” Also unbeaten by an opponent for Boston at the Norfolk Arena is Joe Haines; he added “King’s Lynn is a great racing circuit and I just love racing there, hopefully I can go the whole season without dropping a point there!” Boston team manager Dale Allitt summed up the result “We are looking very strong at the moment and it’s good to see the riders getting on so well in the pits, the team spirit is fantastic. We have an important away fixture on Sunday at Buxton where we need to pick up the three points for an away win.” Boston travel to Buxton on Sunday 27th July for the return Conference League match whilst their next outing at the Norfolk Arena is Friday 1st August at 7.00pm when they entertain Plymouth in the League; this is sure to be a fiery encounter as the Barracudas look to set the record straight against the Devils.

BOSTON DISPATCH SAINTS (17.7.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas took a step closer to the Conference League play offs with a comfortable win over local rivals the Scunthorpe Saints 60-33. The expected debut for new signing Darcy Ward had to be put on hold as some of the formalities had yet to be completed, he did however do two sets of demonstration laps after the official close of the meeting and raced to a time that was only bettered three times in the League fixture. Team manager Dale Allitt explained “Some paperwork problems meant that Darcy couldn’t take part in the official fixture on Sunday but he was able to have a spin around the Norfolk Arena before making his debut in the near future and boy did he look good.” The League fixture again saw Boston in fine form on home shale and knocked up 60 points for the second meeting in a row with very impressive displays again from Simon Lambert, Joe Haines and Darren Rolph as all three collected their second home maximums in as many matches. Darren Rolph said after the match “I am really pleased with the way things are going at the moment. My scores are coming good and I really happy that the work I am putting in is being rewarded.” Captain Simon Lambert added “The team is riding really well at the moment and it’s always nice to score big points although it’s a shame the bonus point is no more. On a personal front I am delighted with my form and hope the great run continues.” The Barracudas were solid throughout the team again as James Cockle was unbeaten when he finished a race and Darren Mallet put in a superb performance to score eleven from his four rides. Reserve Oliver Rayson scored paid seven and just shows how well he is coming on this season with a home average of 6.60. His partner at reserve Adam Lowe however had a night to forget; Adam was on for a 5-1 in heat two until he hit the fence and fell and then in heat fourteen a seized engine caused him to fall and dame his bike. Co-promoter Mick Smith said of the victory “It’s always nice to win by so many; it was good to see Malcolm back although I’m sure he would have hoped for a better result for the Saints. They came up against a team on real form at the moment and with Joe Haines remaining unbeaten this season around the Norfolk Arena it is hoped that will remain the case for quite some time.” The second half event saw a Boston Select lose out by four points to a Southern track Riders select side. Several team changes were made to the programmed riders for various reasons, one of those being Wayne Dunworth who had to go off to hospital with his wife who took ill during the main meeting. She was feeling a whole lot better the following day and all at Boston Speedway send their best wishes and hope she is feeling tip top again soon. Rolling back the years on track for Boston was 52 year old Rob Hollingworth who looked like he had never been away with a faultless nine point maximum including a fantastic effort from the back in heat six including a pass on Darren Rolph who had completed a paid maximum in the Conference League fixture just minutes earlier. Boston has their next match scheduled on Sunday the 20th July at 7.00pm when they take on Buxton in a Conference League fixture.

'CUDAS LEGENDS BACK IN TOWN (10.7.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas will this Sunday take on old rivals the Scunthorpe Saints in Conference League action. At the helm of the Saints is of course Malcolm Vasey to add extra interest to the tie in which the Barracudas are confident of victory, a feat they achieved in the League last season. Team manager Dale Allitt said “We have three matches in as many weeks coming up in the league with Buxton home and away in the next fortnight. These three matches will have a big say in where we finish in the league table and it goes without saying that we are obviously looking to win all three.” The fixture against the Saints will be followed by a one off special attraction that should get all Boston fans excited. There will be a special match between an ex-Boston Select and a Southern Track Select side. Riding for Boston will be Barracuda’s legend Rob Hollingworth; 52 year old Rob still rode a few meetings for the ‘Cudas not so long ago and will really enjoy being back in the Barracuda race jacket. Next in the line up will be a rider still active in the sport today and only the other week was stand in team manager for Boston and that is of course Wayne Dunworth and he will be joined in the team by Michael Holding. Making up the quartet will be a rider that all Boston fans will want to see race again, a rider who held the track record at the New Hammond Beck Road circuit for quite some time Steve Lomas. Steve has been involved with sand racing for the last few years in which he has won most categories and fans will remember his daring exploits around his former home track in the 1980’s. Team manager Allitt added “This really is a must see for all Boston fans. Not only should they be served up a fantastic match against Scunthorpe but they will have the opportunity to see some of the real ‘Cudas legends in a Boston race jacket for probably the last time and I hope lots of supporters will turn up to see the challenge fixture.” In other news one of Boston’s ever presents this season Darren Mallett has been chosen to represent the Barracudas at the Bronze Helmet meeting due to be held on July 19th at Weymouth. Darren has been a previous holder of this title and is raring to have a go and get it back. Mallett, who rode for Birmingham in the Premier League last Friday and joint top scored for the Brummies said “I feel my form is getting better and better and I am looking forward to what is a big meeting for me and I hope to do the club proud. I am still very much looking to get back into the Premier League and hopefully doing well in this meeting will get me some more guest bookings which I am well set up to do.” Following the match this Sunday with Scunthorpe Boston have their next match scheduled for a week on Sunday on the 20th July at 7.00pm when they take on Buxton in a Conference League fixture.

NEWS ROUND UP (9.7.08) Young Australian Darcy Ward will line up in a Boston race jacket on Sunday as the Barracudas take on local rivals Scunthorpe. Darcy, who took part in some impressive practise laps at King's Lynn last night has only recently turned 16 and will make his Conference League debut in what promises to be a fantastic speedway event which also includes the Ex-Boston Select vs Southern Track Riders Select. Darren Mallett has been drawn at number one for the Bronze Helmet meeting due to take place at Weymouth on Saturday 19th July. The Conference 4TT due to be held in August at Plymouth has been postponed. The new date and venue are yet to be confirmed. And finally .... the draw for the Conference KOC semi finals has now been made with Boston going against Scunthorpe in one semi final while Rye House will take on either Plymouth or Weymouth in the other.

'CUDAS WIN AGAIN (3.7.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas returned to Conference League action last Sunday with a home fixture against the Sittingbourne Crusaders with manager Dale Allitt asking for a professional performance against a team yet to win in the league this season. After an accident with his son’s speedway bike on Friday Allitt was unable to attend the fixture and Wayne Dunworth took control of the side. Wayne said “Dale called me up and asked if I would take the reigns and naturally I said that I can’t do no more than help; it’s also good to be a speedway celebrity off the track as well as on it.” The meeting was delayed by thirty minutes due to the position of the sun whilst the track wasn’t in the best of shape due to a heavy downpour at 5.30pm. The weather in the area had been good all day and very warm so the track preparation took plenty of watering and this had just taken place when the weather turned sour. The Barracudas made a great start to the meeting courtesy of a 5-1 from Cockle and Rolph in heat one with the reserves taking a 4-2 in the next; Oliver Rayson with the win after passing Aaron Baseby. Darren Mallett and Nathan Irwin fell in separate incidents in heat three; both riders were fine but at the conclusion of the re-run Buster Chapman made the only decision he could which was to remove the top dressing to try and improve track conditions. After the short delay racing got back underway with Dean Felton and Darren Mallett trying out conditions as some of the riders were unhappy with the state of the track. With this testing completed successfully, Boston took another 5-1 with Lambert and Rayson taking the chequered flag quickly followed by the same again in heat six from Mallett and Joe Haines to give the ‘Cudas a 25-9 lead. Simon Lambert had looked quick in his first ride and in winning heat seven he was just outside the current Conference League track record with a time of 60.1. The ‘Cudas continued to pile on the pressure with a 5-1 in heat eight from Darren Rolph and the very impressive Rayson and a 4-2 from Haines and Mallet in heat nine before Simon did break the track record in heat eleven posting a time of 59.7. Boston finished the meeting on a high with three 5-1’s in the last three races to take the score line to 62-25 in their favour. Lambert, Haines and Rolph all collected paid maximums whilst Cockle and Rayson were unbeaten by an opponent when they were not excluded from their races. Co-promoter Stephen Lambert said “There were lots of falls tonight although the track didn’t ride too badly after the work was carried out. The team again rode well as a unit with everyone picking up at least a paid win and without wanting to single anyone out Oliver Rayson had his best night in a Boston race jacket and Simon did a great job to break the track record at Conference League level.” Boston have no fixture this week, their next match is scheduled for a week on Sunday, the 13th July at 7.00pm when they take on Scunthorpe in what is sure to be an excellent contest by two teams very keen on making the end of season playoffs.

BOSTON BACK AT BASE (26.6.08) Sunday this week sees the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas back in Conference League action at the Norfolk Arena for the return match against Sittingbourne. At the beginning of the month the Cudas won by a convincing twenty point margin at Sittingbourne however team manager Dale Allitt is not taking the match lightly as he explained “We are taking nothing for granted. Yes we won well in the away fixture but speedway can be a funny sport and I will be looking for a completely professional performance from the team on Sunday. I believe we have a side good enough to win the fixture and will be going all out for that result. We haven’t ridden a match for a couple of weeks but the lads have been busy elsewhere.” Three of the Boston riders were riding in the Ashley Jones Memorial Meeting last week when a Young Lions side took on a Young Roos select. Simon Lambert (7+1), Darren Mallet (2+1) and Darren Rolph (2) all rode for the Young Lions at the King’s Lynn circuit. Adam Lowe rode last week at Birmingham and Coventry in the Academy League recording good scores in both meetings while his reserve partner Oliver Rayson has been riding various second half meetings as well as on the grass track circuit. Of the other riders, James Cockle and Joe Haines have both been keeping busy in the Premier League so all the team should be raring to go when Sunday comes around. The meeting gives Boston the opportunity of another two league points in their quest to reach the playoffs at the end of the season, a top four place being the requirement. Boston will have Joe Haines back for this match and he will ride at number three in the side. Sittingbourne will be boosted by the availability of Jerran Hart who was missing from his home leg of this fixture. He has recent knowledge of the King’s Lynn track as he also lined up for the Young Lions and scored six points in the memorial meeting. The match against Boston will give him a chance to renew his Premier League speedway rivalry with the likes of Simon and Joe. The club are also waiting the completion of the Knock out Cup semi final draw before being able to announce more fixture dates; one of Rye House, Scunthorpe or Plymouth/Weymouth (yet to complete their second leg) awaits Boston in the next round of the competition. Boston Barracudas rider Matt Wright has left the Lincolnshire club with immediate effect to join Premier League outfit Mildenhall. It is fair to say that Matt hasn't hit the form he achieved last season in the Conference League and has averaged around five and a half points a meeting in the 2008 campaign. Barracudas team manager Dale Allitt said "We wish Matt all the best for the future at Mildenhall and I hope the change of club does him good." Matt will certainly see the challenge of riding in the Premier League a positive one and could be just what he needs.  Following this Sunday’s match with Sittingbourne, Boston’s next fixture is two weeks later on Sunday 13th July at 7.00pm when they entertain rivals Scunthorpe for a Conference League match, a fixture that will also see the return of a very familiar face in Malcolm Vasey.

BOSTON INTO SEMIS (19.6.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas took an eight point lead to the South Tees Motorsports Park for the second leg of their Conference League KOC match with Redcar. It was always going to be tight for Boston however they came away with a superb draw on the day and an aggregate victory of 96-88 to book their place in the semi final stages. The Lincolnshire club were forced to travel without the injured Matt Wright (out with arm and shoulder ligament damaged sustained at Plymouth) and with James Cockle and Darren Rolph already in the side the rider replacement facility had to be used. The Redcar Cubs took the lead in heat two as they took advantage of a fall from Adam Lowe whilst he sat in second place. Boston hit back immediately in the next race with a 5-1 of their own from Simon Lambert and James Cockle to take the lead in the match by two points; the unfortunate Jade Mudgway blew an engine on the start line of that race ending his racing for the day. Both teams exchanged a heat advantage in the next few races together with some 3-3’s, one of which saw a great pass by Darren Rolph on Steven Jones and Scott James. The Barracudas extended their lead on the day to four points in heat nine with Darren Rolph and Oliver Rayson gaining a 4-2 advantage over Cubs’ Gary Beaton. The next heat advantage went the home sides’ way in heat thirteen as Scott James and the impressive Aaron Summers took a 5-1 to level things on the night meaning that two 5-1’s in the last two races were required to tie the overall score. With Simon Lambert due to come out in heat fourteen this was always going to be a tough ask and so it proved as Simon duly obliged with his fourth win of the meeting and with returning reserve Adam Lowe in third the tie was going to the Barracudas as they went into the nominated race two points in front. James Cockle joined Simon in heat fifteen and although Simon led the race until the last lap (again as in heat seven) he was passed by Summers on the outside and he raced away for another win, a rider on top form and looks near enough unbeatable on his home circuit. The job was done and Boston go into the hat for the semi final draw due to take place this week. It was another solid team display from the ‘Cudas; James Cockle suffered set up problems during the meeting and Adam Lowe was coming back from injury and to force a draw was an exceptional performance as co promoter Mick Smith commented “We are absolutely delighted to get through to the next round today. Many people had written us off after the first leg saying that eight points wasn’t enough but we were never behind after heat two. All the riders knew what job they had to do and it was a great team effort considering we were also missing Matt Wright.” The last word went to team manager Dale Allitt who again couldn’t hide his delight at the team’s progression into the next round “I am really proud of all the lads. They came here today knowing what to do and did it with professionalism. It’s great to progress in any competition and we are now in the Knock out Cup semi final, another bonus in our quest for more silverware to add to the Conference Pairs trophy we won a few weeks ago.” Boston are currently still awaiting dates for the home leg of the Conference Trophy final against Plymouth and Dale concluded “We are more than confident we can pull back the 35 points at home. We have a great bunch of lads and when we are at full strength and ride on a decent race track anything is possible.” Boston’s next fixture is on Sunday 29th June at 7.00pm when they play hosts to Sittingbourne for a Conference League match. The away leg of this fixture saw a twenty point win for the Barracudas.

TORRID TUSSLE (12.6.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas endured a torrid time at Plymouth last Friday as they went down 28-63 in the first leg of the Conference Trophy final. On a track that has been described as dangerous on some Internet forums, the Barracudas just couldn’t get any consistency on the track and came away with five riders nursing injuries after their nights work. Boston found themselves 15-3 down after just three heats although it was heat six when the ‘Cudas suffered their first injury blow. In form reserve Adam Lowe hit a rut, came down heavily and suffered leg injuries that caused him to withdraw from the rest of the meeting. Heat seven saw another injury worry as Darren Mallett hit the deck and suffered an injury to his right leg but battled on through the pain barrier to collect two points from his remaining rides. Guest Sam Martin, who had come in to replace Simon Lambert who was representing Britain in the U21 World Team Cup in Pardubice, and Oliver Rayson picked up Boston’s first and only heat advantage of the night with a 4-2 in heat eight. James Cockle managed a second place in heat eleven while in as a tactical black and white ride. The worst of the incidents happened in heat fifteen when Matt Wright fell causing heavy damage to his wrist. He was in a lot of discomfort but was unable to receive immediate pain relief as it took five minutes to get him access to the gas and air; a fact that will be officially reported to the speedway authorities by Boston Speedway.  Two other Boston riders also left the St Boniface Arena in a painful way; James Cockle had a very sore shoulder and young reserve Oliver Rayson sustained a back injury. Team manager Dale Allitt said “I must say that our lads never got down all night and tried hard at all times. As for the second leg, anything they can do we can do better in the second leg. We know what we must do so keep the faith; it is far from over yet.” For the Conference League KOC fixture on Sunday, new signing Scott Campos replaced the injured Adam Lowe and Jamie Smith replaced Matt Wright as the Boston side had a different feel to it from two nights ago. The meeting was quite significant for a couple of reasons; the Barracudas had to put the memory of Friday night behind them and also it was imperative to build up a substantial lead to take to Redcar for the second leg. As has been the case at home the Barracudas started well and had scorched into a 14 point lead by heat seven when the Redcar team manager Jason Pipe started to look at his tactical options. The flying Aaron Summers came into heat eight from 15 metres and managed a second place but couldn’t catch Darren Rolph for the six points and three races later Scott James again achieved second place while on a tactical ride from the tapes. The fixture ended better for the Cubs as they took heat advantages in heats 13 and 15 to finish the tie just eight points behind. Boston so-promoter Stephen Lambert commented after the match “We would have liked a few more points on the board but we will go up to Redcar with determination to make it through to the next round. The match was good to watch and the lads responded well after what happened on Friday, they put in a lot of effort in what was a solid team performance.” Boston’s next fixture is on Saturday 14th June at 3.00pm when they travel to Redcar for the second leg of the KOC tie. Their next home fixture is a Conference League match against Sittingbourne on Sunday 29th June at 7.00pm.

CAPTAIN INJURED AT PLYMOUTH (6.6.08) Boston captain Matt Wright was tonight taken to hospital after a crash in heat 15 of the Conference Trophy match. He has a suspected broken wrist and this site will be updated when confirmation of the injury is received. Jamie Smith will take Matt's place in the home KOC fixture on Sunday against Redcar which starts at 7.00pm.

MEETING START TIME (6.6.08) The Barracudas take on the Redcar Cubs at home this Sunday in the fist leg of the KOC fixture. Please note that the start time of this meeting is 7.00pm and not 7.45pm as advertised in the Speedway Star.

SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND FOR 'CUDAS (5.6.08) James Cockle replaced Jamie Smith in the ‘Cudas Conference League Pairs line up and teamed up with part of last years winning combination Simon Lambert for the Weymouth held event on Saturday night. The Boston pair was drawn in Group B along with Plymouth, Rye House and Scunthorpe; they started the defence of their title in heat two and things looked good with Simon in first until his bike ground to a halt, James did however salvage something from the heat when he took the chequered flag for four points. Heat eight again saw Cockle take the win and with Simon third Boston took a 6-3 advantage over Scunthorpe; both teams equal on ten points at this stage, one behind group leaders Plymouth. In the previous heat, former Boston rider Jon Armstrong suffered leg injuries in a crash with Jay Herne and Jerran Hart which saw him dispatched off to the local hospital.  The final group race was against Rye House in heat 10; James duly won his third race of the night and with Simon right behind him in second the 7-2 was enough to top the group and see them into the semi final against Sittingbourne. The first running of the semi final saw the Boston pairing in a one two position but then Dean Felton fell causing a re-run with all four riders. The Boston pair were not to be denied in the re-run as they kept their concentration and won through to the final with another 7-2 heat advantage where their opposition would be Redcar. The final also had to be run twice; the first attempt saw Cockle, Lambert and Scott James all fall so a re-start was ordered. The Redcar pair then shot from the tapes but it wasn’t long before Cockle got past Scott James on lap two and then Simon did the same on the next lap. Aaron Summers won the race but it was Boston who were celebrating when the chequered flag waved as second and third was enough to retain their Pairs title. After the meeting Simon Lambert said “What a wicked night; it was an expensive night for me personally blowing my engine in my first race and I feel a bit second hand after the fall in the final but it’s fantastic to retain the title. It was our plan to avoid any last places in the meeting and although we got one thanks to my engine failure the rest of the evening went very much to plan. We had a great team and the final race was something special, it was good to team ride with James and what a result.” Team manager Dale Allitt was over the moon with the result and said “What a night; I am delighted for the boys here tonight and for the Club. It is an honour to be able to keep the trophy and my congratulations go to Simon and James who were excellent tonight.” Sunday saw the Barracudas travel to Sittingbourne for another away Conference League fixture. The match turned out to be an easy twenty point victory for Boston with Simon Lambert again leading the way with an eighteen point maximum and he was well backed by the rest of the side especially Matt Wright who probably had his best night of the season; this win being the first away win for any side in this years Conference League setup. The next scheduled fixture for Boston is a return trip to Plymouth for the first leg of the Conference Trophy Final on Friday. The league encounter ended in a heavy defeat for the ‘Cudas but everyone at the club is confident things will be different this time. Co-promoter Stephen Lambert said “Our boys have seen the track once this season and that should put us in a better position than we were for the League fixture. We will of course be giving it our all and after the weekend we have just had the confidence amongst the team couldn’t be better.”

BOSTON SLAM PLYMOUTH (4.6.08) The Barracudas will travel to Plymouth on Friday night for the first leg of the Conference Trophy Final. The date is not a good one for Boston as they will be without Simon Lambert, racing for Great Britain U21's, Jamie Smith, currently taking time out of Conference League speedway, Joe Haines will be in the middle of a 4 meetings in 5 days spell for his Premier League club Workington and Mark Thompson who is injured. Boston were going to be forced into using Rider Replacement for Simon Lambert however there is a rule that states that if a rider is away representing his country in an FIM event then a guest can be used. Once this had been clarified, Boston team manager Dale Allitt wasted no time in booking Sheffield's Sam Martin. Sam is a former Boston rider and had no hesitation in accepting the booking. He rode very well at Plymouth last season for Oxford and achieved some high scores. The team for Friday will be: 1 James Cockle, 2 Sam Martin, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Darren Mallett, 5 Darren Rolph, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson

BOSTON RETAIN PAIRS TITLE (31.5.08) The Barracudas have tonight defended their Conference League Pairs title. James Cockle replaced Jamie Smith in the line up and along with Simon Lambert the pair came second and third in the final to take the win overall. Scores from the meeting: Heat 02: Cockle, Hughes, Starke, Lambert (Ret). Heat 08: Cockle, Bekker, Lambert, Bethell. Heat 10: Cockle, Lambert, Day, Cottham. Semi-Final: Boston vs Sittingbourne - Cockle, Lambert, Hart, Felton (Fx). Final: Redcar vs Boston - Result: Summers, Cockle, Lambert, James. Well done to the lads, it's great to have the first piece of silverware for the season.

GOOD WEEK FOR 'CUDAS (29.5.08) Boston took advantage of a spare Wednesday at the Norfolk Arena to re-arrange their rained off Conference League match against Rye House. The ‘Cudas were able to track their first choice side as they attempted to pick up their first points of the League campaign, Rye House operated rider replacement for the injured Danny Betson, tracked Richard Franklin at reserve and also had a 2007 Barracuda in their side in the shape of Rob Smith. Boston started the meeting like a train with two 5-1’s to open up an impressive eight point early lead; heat two saw young reserve Oliver Rayson pick up his first chequered flag in the Conference League. Things started to go wrong in heat three; Jamie Smith and Matt Wright both made good traps but Jamie couldn’t turn his bike on the second bend and as he fell he unfortunately collided with both his partner and Andrew Aldridge. All three riders were down for sometime and all were to pull out of the match during the evening. Matt Wright sustained back and hip injuries which ruled him out straight away, Aldridge took part in the re-run but that was to be his last race of the meeting also. Smith continued to race but a broken down pipe and then a broken clutch denied him any points from the match. Boston’s in form reserve Adam Lowe took the win in the re-run of heat three to continue his sides’ good start to the match. With a twelve point lead after heat eight, Rye House collected an 8-1 in heat nine from tactical ride Daniel Halsey and impressive scoring reserve Garry Cottham. This however was a short lived fight back as the ‘Cudas again took control of the match with four heat advantages to take the win 54-39. Team manager Dale Allitt commented “If you had said to me before the match that Matt (Wright) and Jamie (Smith) would fail to score and Boston would still win I wouldn’t have believed you. I have to give full credit to the rest of the team who performed brilliantly. Simon and Joe were just fantastic, Darren was very unlucky not to get a maximum as he suffered carburettor problems in heat six and what can I say about the reserves. Paid twenty one from Adam and Olli was breathtaking to watch and I am really pleased for them both.” Sunday saw Boston travel to Buxton to try and defend a twenty six point lead to reach the final of the Conference Trophy, something they had to do without Simon Lambert and Jamie Smith who were due to be on Premier League duty although both found their meetings cancelled due to the poor weather. The ‘Cudas had plenty in hand on the day and although they lost the fixture by eight points they progress to the final where they will meet Plymouth who saw off the challenge from Weymouth. Darren Rolph top scored for Boston with paid 12, his best return of the season. Dale Allitt concluded “It has been a good week. We came here today to defend a lead and that is exactly what we did. I am proud of all the riders and this now gives us an extra fixture and of course a shot at another piece of silverware.”

EYES ON TROPHY FINAL PLACE (22.5.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas are gearing up for their Conference Trophy semi final second leg tie at Buxton on Sunday. They travel to the Hi-Edge Raceway with a 26 point lead from their home leg in which both teams suffered injury scares on the night. Boston again find themselves travelling with a depleted team, this time missing Simon Lambert (riding for King’s Lynn at Birmingham) and Jamie Smith (riding for Reading at Mildenhall) although with squad riders Darren Rolph and James Cockle the ‘Cudas hope to have enough in the bag to reach the final. Team manager Dale Allitt said “We did a lot of hard work in the first leg to build up a 26 point lead and we are going to Buxton with an open mind but really the job is to defend that lead and reach the final against Plymouth or Weymouth. I think we have an excellent chance to go through and add a couple of extra fixtures to our programme. However, I am not counting any chickens as anything can happen on a given day in speedway so we will take it heat by heat.” The Barracudas will have a slightly different riding order for the away trip with James Cockle racing in the number one race jacket with Simon missing and Joe Haines will take the number five position for this match. The full riding order will be: 1 James Cockle 2 Darren Rolph 3 Matt Wright 4 Darren Mallett 5 Joe Haines 6 Adam Lowe 7 Oliver Rayson. Boston will have had a home match against Rye House yesterday (Wednesday) weather permitting, in a re-arranged Conference League fixture. The Barracudas welcome back young reserve Oliver Rayson who was fit to take his place despite a hospital visit following falls in the Buxton match. He came through a practise session at King’s Lynn unscathed where he looked quick around the Norfolk Arena circuit last Wednesday. Preparations are also in place for the Conference League Pairs meeting due to take place at Weymouth on Saturday 31st May. Simon Lambert and Jamie Smith have been chosen by the Boston management to defend the crown they won in 2007, that time won by Simon and Paul Cooper. Allitt said: “Simon is the current joint holder of the trophy and it would be great for him to win it again this year with Jamie and I think the pairing we have are very strong and have a great chance on the day to defend the title.” The draw for the competition has been made and Boston find themselves in group two along with Plymouth, Rye House and Scunthorpe. Co-promoter Mick Smith commented “It certainly looks like the tougher of the two groups but in Simon and Jamie we have one of the best pairings and I am confident we will be fully committed for this prestigious competition.”

DEVIL OF A NIGHT AT PLYMOUTH (15.5.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas returned from the long trip to Plymouth with very little to show for their efforts. The 60-32 score line didn’t show the efforts put in by the six riders present but that is the score that is recorded in the records for future reference. The Barracudas travelled with a depleted side for the fixture due to other rider commitments on the night and this added to a night of various problems and the story becomes clear. Darren Rolph picked up a second in heat one and was then leading his next race (heat 5) when a chain snapped and left him at the back; the rest of the meeting saw him suffer with other mechanical gremlins severely hampering his scoring power although there was enough on show to demonstrate the ability he has still got in his arsenal. Captain Matt Wright and Darren Mallett both picked up paid six points although neither was happy with their performances and both of them would be looking to put the meeting firmly behind them on their long journeys home. Simon Lambert weighed in with 15 points including a double point second place in heat eleven when he took his rider replacement ride. Other than that ride he picked up three race wins and kept the score a little more respectable on the night. Adam Lowe put in another very creditable performance and his score of paid five could have been higher except for the fact he suffered from arm pump which restricted his number of rides in the meeting. Oliver Rayson suffered out of the start for most of the meeting but again it was pleasing to see him on the pace once he got going so more positive signs on view there. The Barracudas only had a couple of days before they were back on home shale for the Conference Trophy Semi Final match against Buxton, a match they needed to pick up a healthy lead to take to the Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday 25th May for the second leg. Darren Rolph took the place of the scheduled Jamie Smith who still wasn’t feeling 100% from a track crash just over a week ago and the home side started the meeting like the proverbial train and led by fifteen points after just six races. Lambert and Mallett got them off to a good start with a 4-2 in heat one and although Adam Lowe and Oliver Rayson collected a 5-0 in heat two youngster Rayson needed medical treatment after he hit the bike of fallen Gareth Isherwood. Joe Haines, back in the ‘Cudas line up, scorched to wins in heats three and five to help the score along before the Lambert/Mallett partnership fired in another 4-2. The Buxton fight back began in the next race as Ben Taylor on a tactical ride and Adam McKinna flew from the tapes in heat seven to pull back points with an 8-1 advantage. The Buxton management then brought John Branney into heat eight as a tactical substitute to replace Lewis Dallaway and he finished second after passing Rayson on the second lap. Simon Lambert and Joe Haines went on to complete their maximums in a match Boston finally ran out winners by twenty six points and Adam Lowe collected a season’s best 13 in a match full of incidents. Oliver Rayson was withdrawn from the meeting as a result of clipping Danny Hodgson’s bike in heat eight after the Buxton rider had fallen; let’s hope he makes a speedy recovery. Boston’s next meeting is the Conference Trophy second leg a week on Sunday.

RYE HOUSE DATE ANNOUNCED (14.5.08) Boston will take on Rye House in the re-arranged Conference League fixture next Wednesday 21st May at 7.30pm.

RAYSON UPDATE (14.5.08) Oliver Rayson was detained in hospital on Sunday night for observation following his two crashes in the match against Buxton. He is however now feeling much better and hopes to be at King's Lynn tonight to have a practise spin with Darren Mallett and Adam Lowe.

CUDAS BACK IN ACTION (8.5.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas return to track action tomorrow (Friday) when they face the long haul to the St Boniface Arena, Plymouth, for a League fixture due to get underway at 7.30pm. The Barracudas will travel with a depleted side though with Joe Haines riding for parent club Workington at Scunthorpe and also Jamie Smith who rides for Reading at Edinburgh. It is hoped that this year’s fixture will have better luck on the weather front as last year one of the Barracudas, Darren Mallett, didn’t even make the fixture as he was stuck in floods en route and Adam Lowe took 24 hours to get home after the meeting! The Plymouth meeting will see the first appearance of the season for squad rider Darren Rolph who is eager to get on track again after a spell away from the sport. Co-promoter Mick Smith said “Even though we are not at full strength for this match I know the riders will be giving it 100% on track. With three points now available for away wins it is vital that we pick up a couple of victories on the road and hopefully this can be the first after we came close at Scunthorpe.” Boston will line up as follows: 1 R/R Mark Thompson, 2 Darren Rolph, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Simon Lambert, 5 Darren Mallett, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson Sunday sees the Barracudas back on home shale for the first leg of the Premier Trophy semi-final against the Buxton Hitmen. Team manager Dale Allitt has the luxury of a full squad to choose from for this fixture and he commented “With having several riders also racing in the Premier League it was always going to mean that we were missing riders for certain meetings but that is why it is important to have good squad riders like we do have. However I am delighted that we can track our first choice team for this meeting as it will be vital to build up a good lead at home before we visit Buxton in two weeks time for the second leg.” Boston’s line up for this meeting will be: 1 Simon Lambert, 2 Darren Mallett, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Joe Haines, 5 Jamie Smith, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson Fans are reminded that this fixture will begin at the new later start time of 7.00pm which will be the case for all the Boston home meetings for the 2008 season. Also, a date for Boston fans’ diaries as the Plymouth home league fixture has been arranged for Friday 1st August meaning that the team will race three meetings in three days with two fixtures against Weymouth the same weekend.

CUDAS KEEPING BUSY (1.5.08) As we move into May the Boston Barracudas remain very quiet on action as a team, the same cannot be said of their riders individually though. Many of the squad are also racing for Premier League teams to fill their racing calendars which gives them plenty of track time. Captain Matt Wright rode for Mildenhall at Redcar in the Premier League Knock out Cup. Mildenhall unfortunately lost the meeting but Matt won heat two and then picked up another point in heat eight to come away with a very creditable four points. Matt said: “It’s always good to get extra racing in and the Mildenhall ride was exactly that.” That wasn’t the end of his weeks action as on Friday he travelled the long distance to Weymouth to ride for Newport in a challenge fixture, this time being joined by Boston team mate Darren Mallett. The Barracudas pair lined up at numbers three and four but they didn’t have the greatest of success while riding together as they conceded a 4-2 and two 5-1’s. It was a different story when they rode without each other, Matt won heat twelve and Darren won heat fourteen! The British Under 21 Final was also taking place on Friday night in Essex at the Lakeside track, a meeting which involved Joe Haines. He was one of eight riders making their debut in the final, Joe being the youngest competitor on the evening at just sixteen years old. The little youngster from Bolton certainly didn’t let that fact stand in his way as he scored an impressive nine points from his five rides to finish in 7th place overall. He didn’t get off to the greatest of starts as he finished last in heat three although the riders that beat him (Lewis Bridger, Adam Roynon and William Lawson) all finished high up in the final standings. This result didn’t deter him either as he then went on to secure nine points from his last four rides including exceptional wins in heats five and eighteen, not bad for someone making their first appearance in the final. Saturday’s Premier Trophy clash at Mildenhall (vs King’s Lynn) again involved two Boston riders. Matt Wright completed a busy few days, this time guesting for Mildenhall at reserve while Simon Lambert was racing for King’s Lynn at the number two position after his impressive start to the campaign. Matt’s contribution of seven points to the Tigers score was a strong reason for their two point victory and it was also a good night for Simon picking up paid five from his new riding position. He said: “I was really pleased with my score. It is obviously harder riding in the top five but its progress and I want to keep going at that level. It was a great boost to my morale getting a paid win with Tomas in heat one and now I want to stay in that position for the rest of the season.” The Barracudas next fixture is away at Plymouth on Friday 9th May.

TIM STONE (27.4.08) The Barracudas promotion team offer their condolences to the family and friends of Newport promoter Tim Stone who sadly passed away today. RIP Tim.

LEAGUE OPENER OFF (24.4.08) The ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas had to postpone their first home Conference League fixture of the season last Sunday against Rye House due to a waterlogged track. The early decision was made at 12.30pm as the track was already in a poor state and with more rain forecast in the area there was no time to repair the damage done by the weather. Even at this early stage of the season Boston have a fixture backlog with a home tie against Plymouth to restage and now the Rye House match also. Talks are ongoing with the clubs concerned and the Norfolk Arena to find suitable replacement race nights and hopefully a decision can be reached in the next couple of weeks to pencil in some dates. Despite the rain off, several of the Barracudas squad have been keeping themselves busy on track. Simon Lambert hit a Premier League career best score of paid nine at Rye House in King’s Lynn’s recent Premier Trophy visit. Joe Haines has started to hit some form for parent club Workington, he hit paid nine from four rides at home to Glasgow last Saturday and this should give him the confidence he needs for tomorrow (Friday) at Lakeside as he lines up in the Final of the British U21 Championship. Jamie Smith meanwhile has been in action for Reading and tomorrow sees another two of the squad in action; Darren Mallett and Matt Wright face the long trip to Weymouth to ride for Newport in a challenge fixture. Team manager Dale Allitt said: “We were all very disappointed to call off last Sunday’s meeting against Rye House but its good to see that at least five of the squad have been keeping active and match fit. Oliver Rayson has competed in some grass track meetings although his reserve partner Adam Lowe has had cancellations at Birmingham due to weather issues. These activities auger well for our next competitive match, an away trip to Plymouth on Friday 9th May in the League. We don’t currently have a re-staging date for the fixture with Rye House but hopefully we can announce a date shortly. Our next home fixture will now be the Conference Trophy meeting first leg on Sunday 11th May where we face Buxton.” At the request of fans, Boston has been looking at the start times for their home meetings on Sunday’s at the Norfolk Arena. After deliberating over various options, the club have decided to move the start time by 30 minutes and home matches will now commence at 7.00pm. The decision has been made for several reasons as Dale Allitt explains “We hope the new start time is a good compromise; the Norfolk Arena holds several different events at the stadium including training days and Southern Track Riders meetings and by moving the start time a little this gives us more time to work on the track and should also help any fans wishing to travel from Mildenhall to watch the meeting after their own fixture has finished and the meetings wont finish much later than they would have done originally.”

RYE HOUSE MEETING OFF (20.4.08) Tonight's Conference League match against Rye House has been postponed due to a waterlogged track. No restaging date has been agreed yet. Further details will be posted here when available.

BOSTON 55 REDCAR 38 (9.4.08) The ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas, under the new promotional banner of Dale Allitt, Stephen Lambert and Mick Smith, made their early season intentions known, with this emphatic challenge match victory over a lively Redcar outfit. Racing was fast and furious, with neither side giving an inch in sometimes the tightest of situations, which provided superb entertainment for the somewhat sparse crowd. Fans favourite Simon Lambert, set the ball rolling in Heat 1, with his lightening reflexes from the gate, to disappear into the night and three points. Meanwhile, further back the field, team mate Darren Mallett was lucky to avoid creating total carnage as he careered across the path of the ‘Cubs’ pairing of Scott James and Martin Emerson, whilst exiting the 4th bend. Underwear sales would have been brisk after this one! James Cockle, in for the indisposed Jamie Smith, put in a workmanlike performance, and deserved more than just one race win to his name. The opening five races saw the home side very much in control, although Aaron Summers did manage to win Heat 4 for the visitors. In fact the 20-year old Adelaide born speedster, who also doubles with Premier League club Edinburgh, was the unquestionable rider of the night. His 17-point haul, which included a tactical substitute ride in Heat 11, represented 44.74% of his team’s final score, and that is impressive stuff, by anyone’s standards. Heat 7 proved to be the race of the night, with all four riders at some point taking the lead, with visiting skipper Gary Beaton eventually taking the chequered flag, from Cockle on the line. The only real disappointment of the night, was the form shown by winter capture Scott James. Having spent five successful years in the colours of Buxton and Wimbledon at this level of racing, the Grade 6 antipodean, will need to produce better returns than three points, which was all he could muster at the Norfolk Arena, if Redcar are to mount a serious challenge for honours. The two sides have been drawn against each other in the KO Cup, scheduled for early June, and if the quality of racing shown tonight can be repeated, then the real winners will be the paying public.

COCKLE IN (8.4.08) The Barracudas have been forced into a team change for their challenge match against the Redcar Cubs tomorrow. Jamie Smith is unwell and has been replaced at number five in the line up by squad rider James Cockle.

ROLPH RETURNS TO CUDAS (3.4.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas have added another rider to their 2008 line up. Twenty five year old Darren Rolph has joined the club after spending a few seasons away from competitive speedway. Darren hasn’t been idle during this time as he has been racing grass track and has also took part in a few practise sessions at King’s Lynn. He began riding speedway at the end of 2001 at Sittingbourne although prior to this he raced on the grass track scene and won the Eastern Centre Championship in his first year. A King’s Lynn asset, Darren is no stranger to the Boston operation. He rode 11 matches for them in 2003 and achieved over five and a half points a meeting. The following season he again lined up for the club for the full campaign and averaged around eight points per match. Following the 2004 season and despite offers of team places Darren decided to take a break from the sport and hadn’t been tempted back since, until now that is. Boston team manager Dale Allitt said: “I am delighted to have Darren on board at last. I tried really hard to sign him last season but to no avail although it is great to have his signature now, better late than never. He has a great racing style and the fans will get right behind him when he races for us. He has real potential still and at only 25 years old plenty of time to achieve good success.” Next Wednesday sees the Barracudas take to the track at the Norfolk Arena for a challenge fixture against Redcar which is sure to be an exciting meeting for the fans and a good opportunity for the riders to get more track time on their home circuit. Joe Haines will make his Boston debut; the full team in riding order will be: 1 Simon Lambert, 2 Darren Mallett, 3 Matt Wright, 4 Joe Haines, 5 Jamie Smith, 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Oliver Rayson.  The fixture starts at 7.30pm.

BRITISH U21 ROUND (28.3.08) Boston host their round of the British U21 Championship next Wednesday 2nd April at the Norfolk Arena. This should be a great meeting to watch and is a huge achievement for the club based away from their home town. Home riders Joe Haines, Simon Lambert and Adam Lowe will all be in action and they have now been joined by Oliver Rayson who takes his place at number one to replace Richie Dennis. The full line up for the meeting is as follows: 1 Oliver Rayson, 2 Byron Bekker, 3 Scott Whittington, 4 Sam Martin, 5 Joe Haines, 6 Andrew Tully, 7 Guy Kendrew, 8 Jerran Hart, 9 Kieran Morris, 10 Adam Lowe, 11 Sean Stoddart, 12 Scott Richardson, 13 Scott Campos, 14 Charles Wright, 15 Simon Lambert, 16 Ben Hannon Res Richard Franklin. Be there to support the young Brits.

CUDAS UNDERWAY (27.3.08) Monday saw the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas begin their 2008 Conference League campaign at the Eddie Wright Raceway against Scunthorpe in what can only be described as a bitterly cold day. All the Boston riders had been racing in some capacity recently; Captain Matt Wright, Darren Mallet and Oliver Rayson have been practising hard while reserve Adam Lowe took to the track at the Birmingham press and practice day. Simon Lambert and Jamie Smith have also been involved in meetings for their parent clubs which augured well for the away trip despite the fact that the club hasn’t held their official Press and Practise session yet as this is due to take place next Tuesday 1st April. The match was full of incidents and differing weather conditions and in the end the home side sneaked a 46-43 victory. The Barracudas fell behind to a Scunthorpe 5-1 in heat three and then the match swung both ways before Boston got a 5-1 of their own from Matt Wright and Simon Lambert to equal the scores after heat ten. Heat thirteen was the pivotal race as both the visiting riders were trying really hard in tough conditions to get some points back when they both fell and were excluded. The winning race time in the re-run was some ten seconds slower than Jamie Smith’s victory in heat six showing how tricky the conditions were at that point.  Team manager Dale Allitt said: “This was clearly a match that held differing emotions for both teams with Malcolm (Vasey) leading the Saints for the first time against the Barracudas. I thought the team did really well to keep fighting back and we had a really great team spirit in the camp. I am disappointed with result but I saw enough today to say that after our press & practise session next Tuesday we will be a force to be reckoned with and I don’t think many teams will go to Scunthorpe and win this season so the result doesn’t put us at too much of a disadvantage at this stage of the campaign.” Of the riders Dale commented “Simon (Lambert) was outstanding and Jamie (Smith) showed just what a class act he is. His fall in heat thirteen caused by the blizzard conditions ruled him out of racing in heat fifteen as he had a lump on his leg the size of a tennis ball but he will be OK. Matt Wright laid his Scunthorpe ghost to bed as he raced to two wins on the day and Darren Mallett’s points total doesn’t do him justice for the effort he put in. Despite the fact that Mark Thompson hadn’t seen any competitive action for six months due to an injury sustained last season he progressed as the day went on which is another positive to draw from the meeting. Adam Lowe put in a good performance from reserve and teamed up with Simon for an important 5-1 in heat fourteen while Oliver Rayson scored his first points for Boston in heat two.” Next for Boston is their official Press & Practise day on Tuesday before a home challenge fixture against Redcar on Wednesday 9th April with a start time of 7.30pm.

McALLAN RAFFLE (25.3.08) A great opportunity to help David McAllan and possibly win a fantastic prize in a special raffle. See the link below: Raffle

LAMBERT LIMBERS UP (13.3.08) As the 2008 season approaches we caught up with Simon Lambert as he prepares for another season in the blue, white and red of the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas. The 19 year old embarks on another season with Boston and will also be riding full time for King’s Lynn in the Premier League. Simon said: “My preparation for the new 2008 season is going well and I have a new Jawa bike ready to ride. My engines have all been tuned and I have had several practices in the last couple of weeks which have generally gone well.” Simon rode in an Amateur Open meeting at Scunthorpe and finished third overall; he raced to five wins and a second place to get into the final although unfortunately he missed the gate totally in that race to finish third. He has a very busy calendar for 2008 and with that comes lots of opportunity. Simon has set a few goals for the season: “My aim for the 2008 season is to finish as one of the top three riders in the Conference League and to progress as far up the ladder as I can and to get in the British Under 21 team. I hope to score plenty of points for Boston and King’s Lynn all over the country.” It goes without saying that he wants plenty of success and also to remain free from injury. Good preparation is the key to achieving that success and Simon has certainly been working hard in that area and commented: “I have been working hard on my fitness with regular visits to the gym and the swimming pool. I have also purchased some good new equipment this year and have secured the services of good mechanics in Tony Louth and Wayne Dunworth to help me. I have a good strong family backing and cannot forget to mention a good manager (my dad!). My mum and dad are 100% behind me and I really couldn’t do what I do without their help and support.” “I am now a year older, stronger, wiser and have got over my injuries. I am looking forward to a rewarding and enjoyable season. I have attained some new sponsors this year and I can’t thank my sponsors enough for all the support and faith that they have in me; I can’t name them all as there are too many but they are all listed on my website. I really could not have the good equipment that I have without their help.” Simon continued.  With riding full time in the Premier & Conference Leagues, Simon will be a very busy racer in 2008. He said: “We travel thousands of miles each year to different tracks. I tried my best last year to gain a full time place in the PL after guesting for 11 different teams – for and against King’s Lynn! I was very proud at the end of last season to be asked to ride in the Elite League for Belle Vue against Peterborough and I was very pleased with the paid six points I scored in the meeting. I have got the opportunity to ride a full season in the Premier League for King’s Lynn and I hope to have a good season and keep my team place. My aim in the Premier League is to try and get into the main part of the team at some point during the season.  Simon had a good practice with the King’s Lynn team – all went to plan and he tried the different set ups on the bike. Simon concluded by saying: “I realise 2008 is going to be a big year for me but I am well ready for the season to start and hope I can continue where I left off last year – on a roll and on a high. You can all follow my results and fixtures for the forthcoming season on my website at www.simonlambertracing.co.uk

CUDAS TESTING SESSION (6.3.08) Last Thursday saw some of the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas’ put through their paces at King’s Lynn in a closed practise session. Joe Haines, Simon Lambert and Adam Lowe were all trying out equipment in preparation for the new season which is now just 3 weeks away. The day didn’t go according to plan for the riders though with various problems on the track. Joe Haines lost a primary chain which ended his day prematurely while Simon Lambert also had problems with his best engine. Reserve Adam Lowe had a disaster of a day blowing both his engines which just brings home how expensive the sport can be. If anyone would like to help any of the Boston riders before the start of the season, however small, then please contact co-promoter Dale Allitt on 07970 666936 or email him at dale@bostonspeedway.net. Speaking to Adam afterwards he said: “This just reminds you how expensive speedway is. I am preparing hard for the new season and this is a set back. It is an expensive sport for any rider but for a reserve in the Conference League it is doubly hard. The blow ups leave me really struggling to be ready for the start of the season in just three weeks time. It will take over £1,000 to get the engines rebuilt and any help would be greatly appreciated; I can be contacted through the club website at www.bostonspeedway.net or through any of the promoters at the club. This is a really big year for me and it is a huge disappointment so close to the get go.” The day did conclude successfully for the promoters though with a positive fans forum held at the Waggoners Rest where approximately 70 fans turned up. Matt Wright, Simon Lambert and Adam Lowe were in attendance along with the three promoters and all took questions from the floor during an enjoyable evening. The full team line up was announced and this was well received by the attendees. Stephen Lambert said: “I was very happy to be welcomed back to the club as co - chairman.  It was a very pleasing turnout and I would like to thank the owner of the Waggoners Rest, Keith Reams, for his hospitality. It looks like I am going to have a good relationship with Mick and Dale and things are really looking up.” Further track action took place for some of the 2008 Barracudas at the Eddie Wright Raceway at Scunthorpe last Saturday. Matt Wright, Simon Lambert and assistant team manager Wayne Dunworth all took part in the Amateur Open meeting. On a cold day it turned out to be a successful one for the Cudas’ contingent with two riders reaching the ‘A’ Final. Simon Lambert finished third overall with Matt Wright just behind him in fourth place. Wayne Dunworth finished further down the order but had a solid day on track overall. Boston’s first fixture of the Conference League campaign takes place at Scunthorpe on March 24th.

DAVID'S BIG AUCTION (4.3.08) By Colin Mackie We have a number of Auction items for David McAllan this Friday and we think that it’s only fair to give those who can’t make it on Friday 7th an opportunity to take part. So, we are going to take bids from internet users up till Thursday 10pm and work it as follows:- If you send me an e-mail to david_mcallan_auction@hotmail.co.uk or an IM on Easy Tiger to Colin Mackie (real names please) saying you would like to bid £50 on Lot 1and that’s the top bid from the internet then that becomes the opening bid on Friday night. If someone in the hall tops it than so be it, if not the item is yours. However if you thought you were willing to go to a £100 just let me know and I will bid on your behalf up to that figure and who knows it may only reach £90. Hope that makes sense. :- Lot 1 A set of Shane Parker Kevlars Lot 2 A large Buildbase Team Jacket (These jackets won’t be on public sale and are for use of the team and mechanics only) Lot 3 Spend the day as a Track Photographer with Ian Adam Full use of Ian’s Canon digital camera equipment Full instruction on how to use the equipment Ability to take what pictures you want to take during the day Introduction to all of the riders and a pits tour During the meeting you will be able to work from the centre green or the pits area After the meeting all of your photos will be fully edited You will receive a CD with all of your pictures on it One of your best shots will be professionally printed by Loxley Colour Labs, one of the UK’s top printers and framed Also one of your shots from the day will be printed in that weeks Speedway Star Lot 4 A Tigers Racejacket Lot 5 An autographed framed 15”x11” photo of Chris Harris Lot 6 A framed 15”x11” photo of Shane Parker Lot 7 A framed 15”x11” photo of David McAllan Lot 8 Your Chance to be Speedway Star A day at Northside Training Track (Workington) anytime for those with their own equipment or a place on Eazy Oils Training Academy on March 29th for those without Any questions at all don't hesitate to contact me by IM on Easy Tiger (Colin Mackie) or by e-mail at david_mcallan_auction@hotmail.co.uk

CUDAS SEARCH CONTINUES (28.2.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas’ search for their final squad member continued this week. Team manager Dale Allitt said “We are continuing to look for the final grade 2 squad rider. This is an important decision, just as important as all the previous signings and so we won’t be rushed into filling the last spot. There are several possibilities and we will look over all options before deciding on the rider.” Meanwhile, the Cudas can also confirm that they have stepped in to replace Sittingbourne in the Conference Trophy after negotiations with League co-ordinator Peter Morrish. Boston have had confirmation of their semi final ties where they will face the Buxton Hitmen over two legs starting with the first leg at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday May 4th with the return leg at Buxton on Sunday 25th May. Turning to the Conference League KOC, Boston has been drawn against the Redcar Cubs in the competition for the second successive season. The first leg is due to take place at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday 8th June while the second leg is to be raced at Redcar on Saturday 14th June. The club have also announced details of their opening fixture for the coming season. This will be a challenge fixture against the Redcar Cubs on Friday 11th April at 7.30pm. Team manager Allitt said: “I would like to thank promoter Glyn Taylor and team manager Jason Pipe for their help in arranging this fixture. It should give the boys of both teams a great run out and I am pleased with the outcome from the discussions.” The Clubs’ Fans Forum is tonight (Thursday) and the club can confirm that in addition to all three promoters, riders Simon Lambert and captain Matt Wright will also be at the pre season get together; hear all about the plans for the new season and hopefully some details about the 2008 fixture list. Co-promoter Mick Smith said: “I hope to see lots of fans at the forum to get behind the club as we look forward to the coming campaign.” Meanwhile there will be a chance to see some of the 2008 Cudas in action at Sittingbourne on Saturday 1st March. Simon Lambert, Matt Wright, Mark Thompson and Adam Lowe will take part in the amateur meeting, Mick Smith commented: “It is a good opportunity for the riders to have a go round the Eddie Wright Raceway close to the season starting and hopefully it will help us when we go there for competitive fixtures.”

FANS FORUM ANNOUNCED (21.2.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas have announced details of a fans forum to be held in February. The get together will be held at the Wagoners Rest in Algarkirk, Boston (at the Texaco roundabout A17) on Thursday 28th February, starting at 7.30pm. This will be a great opportunity for speedway fans to question the promoters on any subject they wish …… views for the coming season, plans for a possible new site back in Boston etc. Also in attendance will be some of the riders due to line up at the tapes in April for the new campaign; hear what their aspirations are for themselves and the Barracudas in 2008. The forum is also an important time for the club as they look to the public to assist during meetings this season. Anyone wishing to be involved in the track staff side of things should also attend; anything from track rakers to flag marshals are required to run meetings during the Conference League campaign. The Cudas have also announced their Press & Practise day for Tuesday 1st April from 1.00pm to 5.00pm. Members of the public are invited to come along and see this year’s team continue to blow away the winter cobwebs at the official pre season practise; this is free of charge and a great time to see the riders on track. The session is to be held the day before Boston hosts their British U21 Qualifying round and so riders like Joe Haines and Simon Lambert will have plenty of track time to prepare for this important race meeting. Team manager Dale Allitt said “It gives us and the fans an opportunity to put the 2008 Barracudas through their paces. I am also hopeful that we may be able to find another grade 2 for our squad for this season and with that in mind I have invited several riders that fit the bill and also a couple of grade three and four riders who could also fit in at reserve if required. I am very happy with our team and the way we have managed to build it and with the likes of Mark (Thompson) and James (Cockle) who can replace any member of our top five if need be. We have tried to cover every eventuality.” The first match of the new season will take place at the Norfolk Arena on Friday 11th April at 7.30. This will consist of a challenge fixture between the Boston Barracudas and a team yet to be named, further details will be available in the next couple of weeks.

TROPHY ADDITION (20.2.08) The Cudas today stepped in to replace Sittingbourne in the Conference Trophy after negotiations with League co-ordinator Peter Morrish. The Cudas have had confirmation of their Conference Trophy semi final ties where they will face the Buxton Hitmen over two legs starting with the first leg at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday May 4th with the return leg at Buxton on Sunday 25th May. Also, Boston have been drawn against the Redcar Cubs in the KOC for the second successive season. The first leg is due to take place at the Norfolk Arena on Sunday 8th June and the second leg at Redcar Saturday 14th June. Full details of the fixture list will be released at the end of this month.

SMITH COMPLETES CUDAS LINE UP  (14.2.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas have completed their 1-7 with the signing of Jamie Smith as the final piece of the jigsaw. The 24 year old from Peterborough will be the club’s most experienced rider and will also race for Reading in the Premier League this year. He had no hesitation signing for the Barracudas to help fill his racing diary for the 2008 campaign and said:  “I am really looking forward to scoring some big points in the Conference League this season. I had a poor year last season with injuries and the like but I want to be back on top of the charts again in 2008.” Jamie, who suffered bad injuries during 2006 & 2007, first started speedway in 1996 in second half races before making his league debut in the Conference League for Norfolk in 1998. Since then Jamie has actually raced in all three tiers of British Speedway, albeit only three matches in the Elite League. The signing gives Boston a top five of Smith, Wright, Mallett, Lambert and Haines, a top five full of class and one that should be a force in the Conference League. Completing the team are reserves Adam Lowe and Oliver Rayson. Team manager Dale Allitt said “Jamie is a rider who has a fantastic all action style and I know the fans will love him. He should be a real crowd pleaser and along with Simon, Matt, Darren and Joe I think we will have one of the best top fives around”. Boston have also been busy with regards to the squad riders for the new campaign. The first of those squad riders will be James Cockle. James, 21 from Edmonton, will be able to deputise for missing riders from the top five during the Conference League campaign. He could well be a very busy racer in 2008 as he will line up in the Premier League for Mildenhall whilst also being named as Peterborough Panthers number eight in the Elite League. He has of course ridden for Boston before in both 2004 and 2005 when also won the Lincs Individual Trophy hosted by the club. Following quickly on the wheels of that signing was that of Mark Thompson. Again, Mark has ridden for the club in previous seasons and should be a very good rider to have in a back up position. Mark, 28, is a Sheffield asset and is also the current holder of the Lincs Trophy. He was born in Essex and began his speedway life at Sittingbourne training schools and second half races at Arena Essex. He made his debut in 1997 for the Anglian Angels and has ridden in all tiers of British Speedway to date. Of these two signings, team manager Dale Allitt said “I am very pleased to have acquired the signatures of both James and Mark. Both riders give us plenty of options with our top five and will give us the back up and security needed for a demanding Conference League season. I learned last season that there is far more to a winning side than just seven riders which is exactly why we have signed two riders in our squad that can slot in and score big points when our Premier League riders are on duty with their parent clubs. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Lawrence Rogers and Neil Machin as Boston continue their relationship with Mildenhall and Sheffield which has been so fruitful over the years. All that is now required is to find a suitable grade two rider for our squad and we already talking to a couple of riders who may fit the bill.”   More great new for Barracudas fans is that the club will return to its traditional Sunday race night in 2008 with all league and cup fixtures being scheduled for a night that the fans have been asking for. Co-promoter Stephen Lambert said “This is wonderful news for both the club and its supporters and this will hopefully give us those extra fans that couldn’t make Friday night speedway.” Finally, in a week packed with great news, Boston are proud to announce, in conjunction with King’s Lynn, that they will be holding a British U21 Qualifying round on Wednesday 2nd April. Allitt commented “Once again we are indebted to the Chapman’s who have been able to accommodate us on their traditional Wednesday night in what should be a spectacular meeting for Boston and King’s Lynn fans alike.”

FANS FORUM ANNOUNCED (8.2.08) The Boston Barracudas have announced the details of a Fans Forum to be held in February. The evening will commence at 7.30pm on Thursday 28th February at the Wagoners Rest, Algarkirk, Boston (at the Texaco roundabout A17). The event is primarily for fans and 2008 track staff and along with all three promoters some of the 2008 squad will also be in attendance.

LAMBERT RETURNS TO BOSTON (7.2.08) With Simon Lambert already signed to ride for the ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas in 2008, father Stephen has now re-joined the club he has at heart as Co-promoter. Lamberts’ last spell at the club ended in 2006 when he took time out due to family and work commitments. Talking about his return, Stephen Lambert said:  “I am looking forward to coming back and working with Dale (Allitt) and Mick (Smith). I got to know Dale last year as he travelled with my son Simon to many of the Boston matches; he has great enthusiasm for his speedway and I believe the three of us will make this coming season a very enjoyable one.” Lambert was the original founder of the second era Barracudas in 2000 racing at Skegness before moving to King’s Lynn, “I have very good memories and Boston has gone on to produce several good riders who have moved up into the higher leagues and it makes you feel good knowing the club has helped with their development” he continued. The Barracudas are currently looking at a site in the Boston area to move the club back ‘home’. Things are at an early stage but it is hoped to provide a leisure and motorsport arena to include speedway for the people of Boston. Lambert concluded:  “I know that by coming back to the club friends and sponsors will follow me so together with Dale and Mick we can continue to move the club forward and put it on a good standing. We are looking forward to a successful, rewarding and safe season.” On the team front, the Barracudas have added Adam Lowe to their line up. Adam, who celebrates his 19th birthday in a couple of week’s time, rode for the club in 2005 and also again last season. He will line up at reserve after achieving around a four point average in 2007. He said:  “I am really pleased to have signed for Boston again for 2008. I made progress on track last season and I hope to continue with the improvement again this season. I have bought a new engine and a new bike so I feel well set up for the season and can’t wait for it to get going.” The signing of Lowe means the club have just one spot to fill along with their squad riders of course.

CUDAS ADD MALLETT (31.1.08) Following the Conference League get together in Rugby last Thursday the Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas were quick to add to their four previous signings by adding Darren Mallett to the line up for the coming season. Twenty one year old Darren rode in 21 official Boston fixtures last season although he did suffer injury problems throughout the campaign. With these problems now well behind him he will play a pivotal role in the side this year and clearly has the ability to increase his average this term. He said:  “I am looking forward to what is going to be a huge season for me. I have some new gear and really want to be back in the Premier League this season. I know I can do it and want to get to the level where I know I can be as I have been there before. Injuries have played a part in my career but this season I hope is one where the talking is done about my racing not how unlucky I have been. Boston have been good to me and now is the time for me to show them they have made the right decision.” Darren is a King’s Lynn asset and has ridden for his parent club in the Premier League although most of his outings have been for Boston in the Conference League. Of his latest signing team manager Dale Allitt said: “Darren had a good season last year and will look to build on that this year in what we all hope will be an injury free season. Darren is a second generation Barracuda after father Dennis turned out for the Cudas in the 1980's. He is one of the most talented riders around on his day, he can and does beat anyone around the Norfolk Arena.” On the club front, Boston have declared their intentions to run in the Conference League and the Knock out Cup but will not enter the Conference Trophy this year for geographical reasons. Dale continued: ”Things are looking very exciting on the team front and we have made a positive start with five riders already signed. Now that the limit has been confirmed at 40 points we can continue to search for riders who can fill the other two team slots.”

CALLING ALL SPEEDWAY FANS (30.1.08) Fans local to Boston are urged to head down to the Boston Assembly Rooms today where the local council are listening to people in the area in regards to what sports they would like to see back in the area. You have until 7.00pm tonight to put forward your views and thoughts so don't miss this fantastic opportunity to make the council listen to fans of speedway. Let's get speedway a step closer to returning to the local area. Your speedway club needs you ..........

PRACTISE TIME AVAILABLE (28.1.08) After Mildenhall have sadly had to cancel the date this Saturday, I have spoken to Buster Chapman at King's Lynn and he has allowed the track to be used for open practice. The times will be from 10.30am until 2.30 pm and medical cover will be in place. The cost will be £35 pounds and places are limited. If you are interested for Speedway, Grass or Short track, please call Dale Allitt or Wayne Dunworth on: 07970666936 (Dale ) 0778724294 ( Wayne ) We must have all details by Thursday at the latest. Thanks Dale Allitt Boston Speedway

BARRACUDAS SIGN UP TWO MORE (24.1.08) The Boston ‘Staffsmart’ Barracudas have this week added two more riders for their assault on the 2008 Conference League title having already signed Joe Haines and Simon Lambert. Returning from last year is Matt Wright; the 22 year old was the Barracudas top averaged rider away from home last season and was also joint ‘Fans Rider of the Year’ for his on track efforts. Matt has also been handed the captaincy for the 2008 season. He said ”I am really looking forward to the 2008 season and it is a great honour to captain the side. I am determined to build on my achievements from last season and I really want to push for a Premier League berth.” The second new signing is that of Oliver Rayson. Oliver, from Bury St Edmunds, will be 15 years old in February and will line up at reserve for the Barracudas. He has been racing grasstrack for seven and a half years and last year was 4th in the British Final and won the Best Youth for the Eastern Centre. He started speedway aged 9 at a Peter Boast Training School and last season he rode for the 2007 King’s Lynn Academy team whilst also riding some second half races at Lynn, Ipswich and Mildenhall. Oliver commented ”I am really happy to have signed for Boston for the 2008 season. The move was only possible thanks to my great sponsors Brian Randall Race Engines, TJ and WM Cardy Haulage, Culford Waste, Steve Lumley Planing, Steven Green, Terry Travel and John Morrey. Their help is invaluable.” Co-promoter and new team manager Dale Allitt was clearly delighted with these two signings. ”Matt was a pleasure to work with last season, superb at times away from home. It was an easy decision to make him captain and hopefully he will be an ever present and at the grand old age of 22 he will probably be our oldest rider. Olli is a great young talent and we are confident he will be a real star for us at reserve. He has had plenty of racing experience and we hope to be able to help establish him as the next young British star. Work will continue on team building once the regulations are finalised at the conference next week.” he said.

VASEY LEAVES BARRACUDAS Boston and their long serving Team Manager, Malcolm Vasey, have parted company after a week long series of discussions that have led to changes at the top level in the Boston Promotion. The situation has been brought about primarily by a need to increase the Club’s strength within the promotion with personnel based within the Boston/Spalding areas in order to maximise their local knowledge and contacts to improve the levels of local sponsorship so essential in keeping the club afloat. The whole matter has been sorted out very amicably and there is considerable sadness for all parties. “Malcolm has served this Club very well for eight seasons and we will miss him.” said Dale Allitt.   “He has been snapped up by Scunthorpe where he will manage their Conference League team which speaks volumes for how he is seen throughout the sport particularly at Conference level. He is leaving with our very best wishes after eight seasons during which time he has created the proud record of never missing one single fixture and how many people could say that?  When the club seemed to be at the point of closure last winter, Malcolm was instrumental in ensuring that the possibility of continuing was kept open and with a new promotion we had our best year for a long time on track. He will be a hard act to follow and during the next few days we will finalise the arrangements to complete rebuilding the promotion and then make a further announcement when that has happened. All I can say is that Scunthorpe have acquired a very good manager for their Conference side and we wish them and Malcolm Vasey every success in the future.” said Allitt. “It’s always sad when you feel the time is right to move on but eight years is a long time and Boston now need to focus more strongly than ever in getting back into the Borough. That is a job for people with local knowledge and influence and from over a hundred miles away it is not practical for me to provide what I feel is needed now.” said Vasey. “There have been many great times and a million memories and I will still be watching the Barracudas at every opportunity but it is time for a change and I wish all at Boston, sponsors, promoters, riders, supporters, and the tireless staff many of whom are now personal friends, every success in the future.  I am looking forward to my new challenge.” he added.

The management, staff and riders at Boston Speedway would like to send their best wishes to all supporters. Many thanks for your tremendous support in 2007, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2008. Have a good one.

BARRACUDAS NAME TWO HOTSHOTS Boston staged a very well attended Presentation Evening last Friday at the Pinchbeck Social Club near Spalding where a healthy sized audience waited anxiously for news of next season and of the Club’s future.   Almost all of last season’s team were present and that added considerably to the fun and enjoyment with Paul Cooper doing an impression of King Kong complete with full fancy dress suit whilst Kieran Morris bravely cavorted for the whole evening in an outfit that would have had DEFRA announcing a new breed had he ventured out of the building.   The Rider of the Year Award was shared with Simon Lambert and Matthew Wright both achieving an identical score in a vote conducted amongst supporters and both riders were delighted to be regarded so highly.   The Mechanic of the Year Award was won by Paul Wright (Matthew Wright’s Father) who was equally delighted with his recognition.   Local “celebrity” and former grass track rider Jack Bell made his annual award to Simon Lambert and briefly spoke in his inimitable way about the future as he saw it. At this point Boston Co-Club Chairman Dale Allitt thanked everyone for their support during 2007 although noting that he had been disappointed at times with the attendance figures.  He pointed out the very satisfactory performances on track that had led to success in the Conference Pairs event and a place in the Play-Offs and Cup semi final.    He thanked Mr Michael Chinn, the owner of “Staffsmart” the Club’s main sponsor, for his very generous support of the Club in 2007 and for agreeing to continue that into 2008.   He also advised the audience that Mr Chinn would build the Club a track in the Boston area if a suitable site was available.   Such a move could not happen before 2009 but Allitt pledged to give this matter the fullest possible attention during the coming months.   Dale Allitt thanked everyone for their contribution to the Club and paid tribute to his two partners Malcolm Vasey and Mick Smith for their work on behalf of the Barracudas.  “There is so much to be done to stage a speedway match and I can’t thank the staff enough who help us to put the sport on at Kings Lynn.  “On race nights it has to work well and our staff ensure that happens.” he said.    He then announced that he would be receiving help to raise funds for next season from former Co-Chairman Stephen Lambert who would return to the Club in the capacity of Commercial Manager with particular responsibility in the West of the Club’s catchment area.   He thanked everyone for attending and then announced the names of the first two riders to agree to represent the Barracudas in 2008.   Tumultuous applause greeted the news that Simon Lambert and Joe Haines had agreed to ride for the Club and although there were plenty of other ideas for the rest of the team this could not be finalised until the Conference AGM which he hoped would follow shortly after the main BSPA AGM.   “This is a tremendous start to our team building and those two would be the envy of any Club.” he said.   Clearance to announce the pair had been given by Kings Lynn, Workington and Wolverhampton and the Barracudas were grateful for the level of co-operation received from those Clubs.  Without doubt Boston have reached agreement with two of the best young men in the land.   At the end of 2007 Lambert was looking very ready to fulfil the potential he has always had whilst at 16 Haines will probably be the best 16 year old in the sport with a neat but attacking style and a racing ability far beyond his tender years. Malcolm Vasey who was suffering from a sore throat took the microphone and warmly thanked Dale Allitt for his personal contribution in 2007 which had helped keep the Club alive and also that of his Wife Jenni and family during a period of considerable difficulty following Matthew’s road accident.    Following the Presentations the entertainment was provided by the Calypso Disco courtesy of Paul Frieston and Glynis with dancing going on until the midnight hour.

BARRACUDAS ANNOUNCE FIRST TWO The Boston “Staffsmart” Barracudas were delighted to reveal at their Presentation Evening last night that they had reached agreement with teenage hotshots Simon Lambert and Joe Haines who will spearhead their 2008 assault on the Conference League.   “We are absolutely thrilled and so are our supporters that we have captured two of the best young men around to kick start our team building for next season.” said Co-Promoter Dale Allitt. The Club placed on record their thanks to Wolverhampton, Workington and Kings Lynn, who were all very helpful in enabling the smallest club in speedway to make a massive step forward for the new season.