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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 26, 2008 22:49:07 GMT
With riders appearing in Exeter race jackets we simply had to be there to cheer them on regardless of the standard or the stakes.
These conference league lads put on a good show for us and I am here to tell you all about it from a very biased Exeter perspective.
We arrived early and examined the various teams representing Weymouth Wildcats, Bristol Bulldogs, Somerset Giants and some team from some place called Exeter riding under the banner of the Falcons.
Weymouth looked good with Luke Priest and Karl Mason both having premier league experience. The Exeter team had an unfamiliar look about it. It would do, as Exeter do not ride, have not ridden and are unlikely to ride again this season.
We had in our squad Kyle Hughes, Tim Webster, Terry Day and Gary Cottham who was replacing Matt Bates who got injured at Coventry. I have heard good reports about Terry Day and picked him out as probably our best rider.
There was a small band of Exeter supporters on the 4th bend and we were asked about the new track, where it was, whether it was happening and all those questions that other speedway supporters ask when they spot a rare breed of supporter on the terracing.
I popped into the bar and obtained a very pleasant bottle of Lech lager and everything I write from now on happened after I had drunk it.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 26, 2008 22:54:57 GMT
The racing started, as it generally does, with heat 1:
Matt Wright got away well for the Bristol Bulldogs and our man Gary Cottham tucked in well behind him. Karl Mason tailed off at the back but Brendan Johnson stayed on the back wheel of Gary forcing him to concentrate on what was behind him and allowing Matt Wright to go further ahead.
The race finished with a first place for Bristol and a second for Exeter.
3 Bristol
2 Exeter
1 Somerset
0 Weymouth
The script was being followed with the home team going down early on.
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Post by Nevs on Jul 26, 2008 22:59:24 GMT
Look forward to reading this when you have finished -Thanks Nigel.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 26, 2008 23:01:05 GMT
In heat 2 I knew we were in for a bad night as Terry Day slammed into the first bend fence and stayed down for a while. He got up when he was ready and made his way back to the pits for a restart which resulted from the "All Four Back" call. First bend bunching.
When the race restarted Kyle Newman assumed the lead and was hotly pursued by Terry Day. Luke Priest fell and remounted at the back giving the home team something to think about as they now had no points from two races.
Kyle Newman held Terry Day at bay all the way to the line.
Somerset 3 Exeter 2 Bristol 1 Weymouth 0
4 Bristol
4 Exeter
4 Somerset
0 Weymouth
All the visiting teams were equal and Weymouth were holding up the table.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 27, 2008 8:36:09 GMT
Kyle Hughes showed some form in heat 3 after gating last. He took two riders on the back straight to be 2nd going into turn 3. He settled there behind Jay Herne who produced the first of his four wins.
Weymouth 3 Exeter 2 Somerset 1 Bristol 0
6 Exeter
5 Somerset
4 Bristol
3 Weymouth
Things were looking good as with three second places we were top of the table.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 27, 2008 8:49:16 GMT
Heat 4: We discussed the start and agreed that a string of second places is good enough. All we need to do is keep producing that same standard.
Tim Webster produced a good solid second place from the gate in heat 4 and we maintained our place at the head of the table. Lee Herne won the race ahead of his return to Australia.
Weymouth 3 Exeter 2 Bristol 1 Somerset 0
8 Exeter
6 Weymouth
5 Bristol
5 Somerset
This was proving to be a good experience for the Exeter following.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 27, 2008 8:57:49 GMT
Heat 5: Everything turned on heat 5 as Kyle Hughes who had produced that marvellous pass in heat 3 took the lead and dominated the race. It seemed that we had two heroes to cheer in Terry Day and Kyle Hughes.
Kyle was so far ahead by the fourth lap that I heard a voice close to me shouting "EASY! EASY! EASY!"
I warned about the danger of counting your chickens before they hatch which is like counting your points before they have been won.
Sure enough Kyle lost it on the final bend of the final lap and went down close to the fence. He was passed by Jade Mudgeway who won the race, Andrew Braithwaite put his machine down to avoid Kyle and as a result failed to score (unfair) and Karl Mason who was cruising at the back passed them both to register 2 points.
We could have had a win but instead we got a blob and on such events confidence is either boosted or destroyed. I think the Falcons morale took a heavy blow at this point as points became scarcer.
Bristol 3 Weymouth 2 Exeter 0 Somerset 0
8 Bristol
8 Exeter
8 Weymouth
5 Somerset
A three horse race was developing with Somerset holding us up.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 27, 2008 9:03:52 GMT
Heat 6: Tim Webster gated first so we had more to cheer about but he lost it on the second bend and was passed by two other riders.
Matt Wright and luke Priest finished ahead of our representative who only earned a single point.
Bristol 3 Weymouth 2 Exeter 1 Somerset 0
11 Bristol
10 Weymouth
9 Exeter
5 Somerset
Somerset were being dropped but we heard over the tannoy an announcement that Jason Doyle had won heat 1 of the Premier Fours and Jordan Frampton had won heat 2, so that kept the Somerset contingent happy.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 27, 2008 9:08:56 GMT
Heat 7: More trouble for Somerset as Kyle Newman touched the tapes and had to go back 15 metres.
In the restart maximum man Jay Herne took the lead ahead of Ryan Sedgeman with our man Gary Cottham in third.
I would like to say Gary challenged for the lead but in fact he had to hold off Kyle Newman who very nearly caught him on the line.
Weymouth 3 Bristol 2 Exeter 1 Somerset 0
13 Bristol
13 Weymouth
10 Exeter
5 Somerset
We were now looking like chasers having to play catch-up.
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Post by Peregrinner on Jul 27, 2008 9:12:31 GMT
Heat 8: Remember the date - EXETER'S FIRST RACE WIN OF THE SEASON
In heat 8 our man Terry Day got out of the gate and stayed in the lead all the way to the line so we had something to cheer about.
EXETER WIN A RACE for the first time in 2008. What a poor season!
The statistics for those who like numbers were:
EXETER 3 POINTS! YES! YES! YES! Bristol 2 Weymouth 1 Somerset 0
15 Bristol
14 Weymouth
13 Exeter
5 Somerset
We were back in the mix albeit just behind the leaders.
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