Last updated 12:18, Friday, 25 July 2008

Workington Comets number one Daniel Nermark is in hospital after a horror crash in last night’s Premier League meeting at Redcar.

The Swedish Woprld Cup rider was on the track for 20 minutes while paramedics attended to him after a high speed collision with the solid safety fence.

Team manager Ian Thomas said: “We are waiting for X-ray results on Daniel.

“He was conscious when taken to hospital and there was movement in his arms and legs but he was very badly shaken.

“It was one of the worst crashes I have seen because both Daniel and his bike hit the fence at high speed.

The meeting was delayed for 30 minutes and without their star rider the Comets did remarkably well to take it to a last race decider before going under 47-43.

Thomas said: “I don’t think there’s much doubt that with a fully-fit Daniel, able to complete the rest of his rides, we would have won the meeting quite comfortably.

Under the circumstances the rest of the lads did brilliantly.”

Nermark has been involved in a serious crash before and defied the doctors prognosis to return to racing with Kings Lynn two years ago.

Top of the Premier League averages he has been an outstanding rider for the Comets this season and was looking forward to spear-heading the team’s challenge for the Premier League Fours at Derwent Park on Saturday.

A month ago he and Kauko Nieminen won the Best Pairs title for the Comets at Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena.

Workington’s Derwent Park will have it’s biggest crowd for a sporting event his year at Saturday’s Fours meeting, but it’s starting to be disrupted by injuries.

Berwick Bandits have had to pull-out after their side was decimated by injuries and international call-ups.

In-form Adrian Rymel is riding in the Czech final and Tero Aarnio is also involved in an international meeting, while the Bandits have injury problems over Tony Atkin and Norbert Magosi.

Atkin, who has a damaged ankle and Magosi, who hurt his shoulder, would have had to face late fitness tests after missing Tuesday’s match on the Isle of Wight.

“It was getting to be an impossible situation so reluctantly we have withdrawn from the competition,” said promoter Peter Waite. “There was nothing we could about riders taking part in their national championships or the injuries.”

Scunthorpe Scorpions have been drafted in to take their place in the meeting and they will be in the same group as King’s Lynn, Reading and Newcastle.

Either King’s Lynn and Reading will be fancied to win that group, especially as Newcastle now have an injury doubt over Christian Henry. Scunthorpe will track Magnus Karlsson, Richard Hall, Carl Wilkinson and Viktor Bergstrom.