The field for the 1999 Scottish Open has been finalized. It comprises two Danish based riders, eight Northern Premier League riders and six Monarchs.
Frede Schott, a former Edinburgh and Belle Vue rider, is coming to defend his 1998 title and making his only UK appearance of the year. Also from Denmark is World Under-21 Final reserve Jack Gunderstrup.
The Premier League riders include the Newcastle trio Robert Eriksson, Jesper Olsen, and David Walsh. There are also ex-Monarchs Les Collins (Glasgow) and Scott Lamb (Berwick). Sean Wilson (Sheffield), Mick Powell (Unattatched?) and that most popular Armadale visitor, Carl Stonehewer (Workington) complete the guests.
They are joined by six home riders: Peter Carr, James Grieves, Kevin Little, Ross Brady, Stewart McDonald, and Blair Scott.
It was hoped that Paul Bentley and Emiliano Sanchez would accept but Sanchez has been ruled out by injury and presumably so has Bentley.
Last year, Frede Schott won a dramatic final from Carl Stonehewer after James Grieves led for three and a half laps before letting it slip from his grasp with only 150 metres to go. Grieves commented:
"I knew that the race wasn't in the bag because I heard Frede and Carl buzzing about me. Frede then blasted round me on the outside of the second bend of the last lap. I left him too much room. This season I've wisened up, I'm giving no-one an inch. It's going to be a cracking event, I won Newcastle's Anniversary Meeting and have as good a chance as anyone of taking the Scottish title."
To do so he will have to beat Peter Carr who has been in awsome form at Armadale all year. He will also have to beat a number of top Armadale specialists. Indeed the whole of the field apart from Jack Gunderstrup and Sean Wilsom could be classified as Armadale specialists.
The strong field contains the current top six from the Premier League averages and eleven out of the current top thirty. Grieves and Carr are joint favourites.
[This news item was added on July 29th 1999]