The BSPA have announced the seven qualifiers for the Premier League Pairs Finals. This is to be held at Newport on Sunday 25th July.
The qualifiers are Arena Essex (Colin White/Leigh Lanham), Edinburgh (Peter Carr/James Grieves), Glasgow (Les Collins/Emiliano Sanchez), Newcastle (Jesper Olsen/Robert Eriksson), Newport (Craig Watson/Frank Smart), Sheffield (Sean Wilson/Andre Compton), and Workington (Carl Stonehewer/Brent Werner). They were selected on the average of the top two riders in each team.
The qualifiers are biased to the north with only Berwick of the Northern Tracks not qualified. Arena Essex are the only Southern Track represented plus the Welsh hosts Newport.
The Finals are raced over twenty-one heats with each pair having six rides. Four points are awarded for a heat win, three points for second, two points for third and none for fourth. The idea is to reward team riding.
This former National League competition was run from 1975 until 1990 and again from 1997. Since it was revived, Long Eaton (Carl Stonehewer/Martin Dixon) and Peterborough (Glenn Cunningham/Brett Woodifield) have won the event. Of the seven qualifiers, only Newcastle (1975) and Edinburgh (1986) have won the event.
[This news item was added on June 29th 1999]