Countdown to a huge weekend

There’s a lot on the line this weekend, two days which will go a long way to shaping the rest of the Jewson Bandits, powered by Keenwood Karpets, season.

Perfection would be a victory at Armadale in Friday night’s BSN Series qualifier followed by a double digit victory over holders Scunthorpe at Shielfield Park in the Cab Direct KO Cup quarter-final first leg.

Both results eminently achievable … but far from a gimme.

In the continued absence of Lewis Kerr, boss Stewart Dickson has had his bulging contacts book out as he secures the best guests for our injured number one.

Scunthorpe’s Kyle Howarth wears the number one shirt at Armadale while the extra 5% allowed for home guests allows us to welcome back Richard Lawson for the cup match, two weeks after the canny Cumbrian helped us snatch a dramatic last-heat victory over the Monarchs in the BSN Series home fixture.

Following last week’s defeat at Glasgow, and perhaps more crucially missing out on the aggregate bonus point, anything less than three points for the Bandits would make it almost impossible to reach the knockout stages.

We currently head the section with four points but this is our last fixture. Glasgow now have three points with Edinburgh still to race home and away, the Monarchs yet to register a point in the section.

Even seven points may not be enough to top the group if Glasgow were to take the maximum five points available against their Scottish rivals but it would give us a solid shot at the knockout stage place available to the highest-scoring second placed side.

Howarth slots into a Bandits’ line-up which has a familiar look after Dickson shuffled the riding order at Ashfield. Skipper Rory Schlein returns to the track where he rose from reserve to number one earlier in his career – and scored 12 points when we won the corresponding fixture last season.

Drew Kemp, Bastian Borke and Jye Etheridge – a nine-point man 12 months ago – are all ex-Edinburgh riders while Danyon Hume has been on the winning side with Poole, Glasgow and Redcar in the past three years.

Another nine-point hero that night, nine-point man Connor Coles, lines-up for the Monarchs who will again be led by Josh Pickering, the Aussie who almost single-handedly led Monarchs to the brink of victory at Shielfield.

But Schlein and Lawson halted his march to a six-ride maximum with a stunning match-winning 5-1 in heat 15.

Edinburgh have brought back four of last season’s regular seven and their track knowledge could be vital as this will be Edinburgh’s first home meeting of the season due to rain which also washed out their press and practice session.

Apart from the defeat at Shielfield their only track action so far this season was six heats at Ashfield before the rain washed out the Scottish derby, although they are due at Poole in KO Cup action tonight (Wednesday).

“We might be able to catch Edinburgh cold,” boss Dickson admitted.

“Normally they would have had a practice and a couple of meetings to get dialled into the track but that hasn’t happened while we have five Championship meetings under our belts.

“At the start of the BSN Series we would have taken the position we find ourselves in. We have our destiny in our own hands and plenty of riders who know the best way around Armadale.”

After an overnight Kevlar and bike wash and a Saturday morning in the town’s workshops the Bandits will head for Shielfield and the latest attempt to erase our wretched KO Cup record.

The last of our seven finals was a winning one in 1989 and since then it’s been largely a string of first round departures.

Howarth swaps sides to lead a Scunthorpe side strongly tipped for success pre-season but which found itself on the wrong side of 39-52 scoreline at Plymouth last Saturday. Fortunately their 61-29 first leg victory left something in the locker and booked as date with the Bandits.

Former Shielfield favourite David Howe has taken over as team manager of the Lincolnshire side this season and is steering his charges to life after Ryan Douglas. The Australian was an inspiring number one for the Scorpions for seven years over two spells but opted to ride only the Premiership in Britain this season.

Another Aussie, Jake Allen, is also a club stalwart while Luke Harrison cut his teeth on 125CC machines around Shielfield, riding for our Northern Junior League side and Simon Lambert was last seen here scoring 15 points while guesting for Plymouth at the end of 2023.

Scunthorpe reserve Nathan Ablitt suffered an ankle injury in the first leg against the Gladiators and in his continued absence the Scorpions have called on former Belle Vue Colt Jack Smith.

“I have a figure in mind that would be a good lead to take to the Eddie Wright Raceway,” our canny boss admitted. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First and foremost we have to make sure we win. Only then can we start setting targets for a lead.”

Tickets for Saturday are on sale now, £18 until midnight on Friday, £20 on the day. Buy tickets Cash admission on the day is £20, £18 concessions and students. Accompanied under-16s admitted free.

Monarchs: Josh Pickering, Lasse Fredriksen, Kye Thomson, Paco Castagna, Justin Sedgmen, Max James, Connor Coles

Bandits: Kyle Howarth (Saturday Richard Lawson), Danyon Hume, Jye Etheridge, Drew Kemp, Rory Schlein, Freddy Hodder, Bastian Borke

Scorpions: Kyle Howarth, Connor Mountain, Simon Lambert, Michael Palm Toft, Jake Allen, Jack Smith, Luke Harrison

Referees: Jim McGregor (Friday), Willie Distington (Saturday)