The Lakeside Hammers will go into action tonight at the Arena-Essex Raceway without Captain Adam Shields after a horrific crash at Peterborough last night that seems likely to have ruled the Australian out for the rest of the season.
The crash comes just 48 hours after team mate Jonas Davidsson was himself ruled out for possibly the remainder of the season after a crash in Sweden and added to the already absent Joonas Kylmakorpi, who has under gone a shoulder operation, which has meant a premature end to his racing year.
Co Promoter and Team Manager Jon Cook commented this morning saying: "The heart's been ripped from the team and there’s no disguising the fact that this is more than just an injury crisis – it’s a full on drama. We are used to injuries in the Sport but to have three long term one’s occur within weeks of each other is as tough as it gets and when all three riders are great friends and part of a great team spirit it’s even tougher to take. However, we owe it to them to keep our crusade for a home Play-Off place going. Whatever the result tonight the point gained at Peterborough yesterday means Swindon and Ipswich will have to win all their away matches to rob us of a top two finish if we can just hold strong at home in three of our last four matches.
“ We had started talks with a couple of riders to fill the gaps once Jonas Davidsson crashed and those talks can continue when we have a break from League racing of a fortnight and we get slightly higher averages from the 1st September. However, with a 5% increase on old averages and a points limit of 42 when making more than one change it’s unlikely we will come out of a rebuild stronger."
Cook continued: "Tonight’s about trying to do the impossible and take an unlikely win with a team of just one heat leader but the boys will be up for it and I urge all Hammers fans to be there and get behind the boys, The club has had a terrible record of injury, though few have been through accidents at our Raceway, but it’s different this year - the injuries may be extreme but we have a lot of good work and points already in the bag and we won't let this season slide away".
Cook calls upon his former Eastbourne connections by including Lewis Bridger in the team for tonight’s meeting against Wolverhampton.
Hammers Team 1. Andreas Jonsson, 2. Leigh Lanham, 3. Rider Replacement for Adam Shields, 4. Kauko Nieminen, 5. Lewis Bridger (guest), 6. Ricky Kling, 7. Lubos Tomicek.
The latest news on Adam Shields is that the rider was detained at Peterborough District Hospital and has suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs and broken bones in his lower back, the full extent of which will be know after a scan later today.
The action at the Arena-Essex Raceway tonight 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.
