Speedway: Wilkinson looking to hit his top form

May 26 2007 By The Journal

Carl Wilkinson is hoping three busy days this week in his workshop will pay off in tomorrow's Premier League meeting against his parent club Newport at Newcastle Stadium (6.30pm).

Wilkinson scored only two points in the Warburtons Diamonds' home win over Isle of Wight last Sunday and didn't score at all the following night when his Elite League side Wolverhampton rattled up 60 against struggling Oxford.

It meant any thoughts of a quiet week at home in Boston disappeared and he explained: "Even after a good meeting, I reckon it takes 11 hours to do a proper job of checking the bike and cleaning all the rest of my kit.

"But it all started going wrong in my last ride of last Saturday's defeat at Mildenhall which is where one of our reserves Ashley Johnson also blew his two engines.

"It was great to see Ash get his best ever score for us when he borrowed my second bike on Sunday but that meant even more tidying up for me afterwards.

"I was always wanting to treat this match against Newport as just another meeting but I haven't had time to start thinking about them being the opposition.

"They've kept just Chris Schramm and Tony Atkin from my team-mates last year.

"They've had some good results including knocking Birmingham out of the cup."

Newport's biggest headline during the winter was the breakdown of contract talks with their long-serving rider Craig Watson but his replacement Michal Rajkowski has been scoring spectacularly at reserve.

The Wasps also feature the Diamonds' 2005 captain Phil Morris making his delayed return to Tyneside after he was injured on the eve of a guest appearance for Workington last summer as well as Tom Hedley, probably the highest young Australian on Newcastle's pre-season shopping list.

Tomorrow's action will be rounded off by Newcastle's Academy Cup first leg against Workington which continues on Monday at Derwent Park.

Bewrick Bandits, whose last two home meetings have been called off due to rain, will be at full strength when they take on Somerset Rebels tonight at Shielfield Park. New signings Jamie Robertson and David Meldrum will debut.

ANDREW DALBY