The Lakeside Hammers League championship challenge has been hit by a further injury blow ahead of an important two days for the Club after Jonas Davidsson, one of the most improved riders in the League this season, was hurt in a crash in his homeland on Tuesday night.

Davidsson suffered a punctured lung, broken rib and internal injuries after a first bend coming together with Bjarne Pedersen and looks set to be on the sidelines for a number of weeks adding to the Hammers problems with Joonas Kylmakorpi already out for the season.

The Hammers Co-Promoter and Team Manager Jon Cook commented: "I spoke with Jonas' father this morning and obviously the main concern is for his son’s well being and not when he will return this year. Jonas has a long career ahead of him as a Hammer so we don't need him rushing back early and giving himself long term problems. We have two meetings in the next two days where we need to take a minimum of two League points to keep us on course for a top two finish and then we have a break from League racing of a fortnight and in that time we can decide whether to change the line up for the run in. We have a Cup Semi Final at Eastbourne during that period but that is far from Jonas' favourite track so that may work in our favour for one night only at least. However his performances over the whole of the season will leave a huge gap particularly away from home."

The Hammers will line up for the next two meetings, which are away at Peterborough tomorrow (Thursday 21st August) and at home to Wolverhampton on Friday 22nd August as below:-
1. Andreas Jonsson, 2. Leigh Lanham, 3. Adam Shields, 4. Kauko Nieminen,  5. Rider Replacement for Jonas Davidsson, 6. Ricky Kling, 7. Lubos Tomicek.

All riders bar Andreas Jonsson can take a Rider Replacement ride.
The action at the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday gets underway at the usual start time of 8pm although there will be a series of junior heats, which will get underway at 6.45pm.