Tape’s Up, Your Local Paper, Wednesday, May 28, 2025
It’s been a blank week for both the Stars and Young Stars since we last brought you a column and it's been an opportunity to take stock of the current situation and evaluate what needs to be done in the remaining months of the season.
We were due to be travelling to the second city on Bank Holiday Monday evening, but due to the rain that was predicted throughout the afternoon and evening, it was decided to make an early decision on Sunday and make plans for a new date.
At the time, I would have said this was an ideal situation for us, given that Ben Cook was still absent and the Brummies are still allowed a facility for Michael Jepsen Jensen, and given the result from Monday lunchtime where Birmingham inflicted a one-point home defeat on the Leicester Lions, I stand by these comments.
We are currently experiencing some inconsistencies within the septet at King’s Lynn, and the same can be said of the Premiership itself.
Nobody would have given Birmingham a chance at Leicester on Monday, given that the Lions went to Ipswich last Thursday and inflicted a home defeat on them.
Even without the injured Jason Doyle and Dan Thompson, the title favourites were expected to pick up a victory.
On the same evening, Oxford Spires took Sheffield Tigers to a super heat, only a few days after our home defeat to the Tigers.
It does currently leave the Stars eight points outside the play-off zone, still with a meeting in hand on Leicester in fourth, but the riders need to start showing consistent performances week on week, particularly at home.
We begin the new month of June, with another different riding order, and an early chance to make a final.
We have back-to-back fixtures against the enemy, Ipswich Witches, in the semi-finals of the KO Cup, and given the recent troubles at Foxhall, a new hope.
Jan Kvech will also be making his debut at reserve for the Stars, more to do with the impressive form of riders who have dropped to reserve rather than a dip in his own form.
Having a current SGP rider at reserve could prove to be a real trump card, especially with June being our busiest month with a total of seven fixtures.
We are still missing Ben Cook, and Rob Lyon has already bemoaned the use of rider replacement and the difficulties within his position in the averages.
The first leg of the KO Cup semi-final sees only Oxford Spires not riding, whilst the return leg has exactly the same scenario, so we again will have to navigate this wisely.
Hopefully Ben will return in time for our home fixtures against Ipswich Witches in Premiership action on June 16, where Rider of the Night will be sponsored by the three of us at the Podcast.
It has been a largely successful week for Stars and Young Stars riders on the continent, both individually and as a team.
This weekend will see the third round of the SGP Series taking place in Prague, Czech Republic but on the previous evening will see the SGP3 Final taking place at the same venue.
King’s Lynn will have representation in this meeting as Cooper Rushen successfully qualified from his semi-final in Krsko, Slovenia, taking the top spot en route.
He goes into the final next week full of confidence, and is 1 of the favourites to take the title. Everybody at the club wishes Cooper the best of luck.
The weekend saw Nicolai Klindt, Richard Lawson, Niels Kristian Iversen and Jody Scott all pick up maximums for their respective clubs.
Nicolai took to the track in Poland for his Rzeszow debut, and took 14+1 from his five rides as they took an eight-point home victory.
Niels took a full 15/5 as Gdansk easily saw off Latvian side Daugavpils, whilst Richard also bagged 15/5 as Krakow saw off their German opponents, Landshut.
Back in the UK on Sunday, Jody scored his first-ever maximum, 15/5, as his Oxford Chargers had an emphatic victory over Edinburgh Academy.
The riders are all showing what they are capable of, and in terms of the Stars, this must be replicated on track at the Adrian Flux Arena for the upcoming meetings.
As previously mentioned, this weekend will also see Jan and Robert Lambert in action in the third round of the SGP Series.
Rob currently sits in sixth place, just inside the automatic qualification places for next season, but will be looking to build on what he has already accomplished over the past two years.
He must be looking for a final place in Prague, to avoid losing touch on those just above him.
Jan currently sits in 12th place and has much more to do as he looks to secure an automatic place.
He will be much more at home, the comforts of the Marketa Stadium being so familiar, but he will be looking to build on the victory from the sprint race in Warsaw, Poland.
We wish all the riders who will be in action over the coming days and weeks the best of luck, and hopefully we see it all come to fruition by the end of the season for the Stars and Young Stars.
