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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 ) <