Around the Premier League Tracks - 2006

[Merlin]

Sunday, 5 March

After a delayed start due to a road accident, the first meeting of the new season finally got under way with this challenge match between Premier League newcomers, Mildenhall Fen Tigers, and last season’s champions, Rye House Rockets.



Challenge: Mildenhall 43, Rye House 47


Mildenhall were led by Jason Lyons, whose last stint in the Premier League was with Newcastle, supported by Shaun Tacey and Daniel King in the other heat leader positions. Rye House have lost Brent Werner and Daniel King from last year with Jamie Courtney and Luke Bowen coming into the side. The others were retained from last year’s team giving them a top three of Stuart Robson, Edward Kennett and Chris Neath.

Jason Lyons got the home side off to a winning start by beating Stuart Robson with Jason King third for a 4-2 and the Fen Tigers doubled their lead with another 4-2 from the reserves race won by Jon Armstrong. However they got a rude awakening when Rye House hit back with a 1-5 in heat 3 thanks to Tommy Allen, who came through the field from third to first, and Edward Kennett with Shaun Tacey finishing last. Having finished last in heat 2 it was Steve Boxall’s turn to shock the home fans when he won heat 4 from Daniel King. Chris Neath finished third so the 2-4 to the Rockets saw them take a 13-15 lead after four heats.

Shaun Tacey led heat 5 for the best part of the opening lap before he was passed by Stuart Robson and the heat was shared when James Brundle picked up the third place point. Rye House produced their fourth consecutive race winner when Chris Neath beat Jason Lyons in heat 6 and, with Luke Bowen heading home Jason King who seemed to be having bike problems, the Rockets took a 2-4 from the race to extend their lead to 4 points. In heat 7 it was Mildenhall’s turn to score a maximum and level the scores when Edward Kennett’s bike packed up on the last bend leaving Daniel King and Jon Armstrong to take maximum points ahead of Tommy Allen. With all the riders having had two rides each, Jon Armstrong was the only unbeaten rider on display! Heat 8 was won by Steve Boxall, the first rider with two race wins to his credit, who came from third to first but the points were shared when Barry Burchatt and Jason King relegated Jamie Courtney to last place. As a result the score at the interval was all square at 24-24.

It was still all square after heat 9 won by Chris Neath with Shaun Tacey and James Brundle picking up the minor placings and there was also no change after heat 10 won by Jason Lyons from Tommy Allen and Edward Kennett although Tommy Allen led the race until the last lap before drifting wide allowing Jason Lyons through. Not surprisingly Steve Boxall replaced Jamie Courtney in heat 11 which was rerun after an unsatisfactory start. This had looked a dangerous race for the home side but Daniel King rose to the occasion by beating Stuart Robson. Steve Boxall finished third with the previously unbeaten Jon Armstrong bringing up the rear so this heat was also shared. In heat 12 the deadlock was finally broken with a fast start and fine win from Luke Bowen followed home by his partner, Edward Kennett, for a 1-5 ahead of the disappointing Shaun Tacey who briefly held second place before being passed by Kennett. This took the score after 12 races to 34-38 and Mildenhall now looked to be struggling.

The home side were not finished, however, and levelled the scores again with a 5-1 in heat 13 when Daniel King and Jason Lyons left Chris Neath and Stuart Robson in their wake for a maximum heat win. Chris Neath held second place behind Daniel King until lifting on the second lap allowing Jason Lyons through. Back came Rye House with another, rather predictable, 1-5 from Tommy Allen and Steve Boxall ahead of Jon Armstrong and James Brundle leaving the home side needing a repeat of heat 13 to salvage a draw with the same four riders nominated. It wasn’t to be though. Daniel King scored the three points but Chris Neath and Stuart Robson followed him home ahead of Jason Lyons for a shared heat and a four point win for the Rockets.


Scorers: For Mildenhall – Daniel King 14 (5), Jason Lyons 10+1 (5), Jon Armstrong 6+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 5 (4), James Brundle 3+2 (4), Barry Burchatt 3 (4), Jason King 2+1 (4)

For Rye House – Chris Neath 10 (5), Steve Boxall 9+2 (5), Tommy Allen 9 (4), Stuart Robson 8+1 (5), Luke Bowen 6 (4), Edward Kennett 5+3 (4), Jamie Courtney 0 (3)

[Nevs]

Welcome back Merlin--doesnt seem two minutes ago we were wishing you a merry xmas after your last posting from 2005!!!!


Please keep us informed mate.-Hopefully we will be back in your reports in 2007

[Merlin]

nevs said:

Welcome back Merlin--doesnt seem two minutes ago we were wishing you a merry xmas after your last posting from 2005!!!!


Please keep us informed mate.-Hopefully we will be back in your reports in 2007

Thanks Nevs - sorry there's been nothing for a week or so - I've been on a wee holiday. However now that they've let me back in the country I'm back on the old laptop.

[Merlin]

Friday, 17 March

The season really started tonight with the first official match at Premier League level of the year. The honour of kicking the season into life fell to Somerset where the Rebels were at home to last season’s League Champions Rye House in a Premier Trophy tie.



Premier Trophy: Somerset 55, Rye House 40


Somerset were without Paul Fry due to a family bereavement and used Rider Replacement in his absence. Otherwise both teams were at full strength. Somerset’s debutants were Pavel Ondrasik who rode for Exeter last season and Ben Barker at reserve. Rye House tracked the same team which beat Mildenhall.

Somerset must be pleased with the all round performance of the team with every home rider registering at least one heat win or paid heat win in a comfortable win which must give them an excellent chance of the bonus point in the return match. For Rye House no fewer than 11 zeroes in 15 heats made it an uphill struggle with a heavy dependence on the heat leaders to keep them in the match.

Magnus Zetterstrom, who went through the match unbeaten by an opponent, became the season’s first heat winner when he beat Stuart Robson in the opening heat. Pavel Ondrasik took the third place point so the Rebels were off to a 4-2 start. They followed this with a maximum in the reserves race before the Rockets steadied the ship. Ondrasik, taking the R/R ride for Paul Fry won heat 3 for a shared heat then Chris Neath did likewise in heat 4 as the score went to 15-9 after four heats.

Over the next four heats Somerset rattled up a further 8 points’ advantage to stretch their lead to 14 points. Stuart Robson won heat 5 for a 3-3 but wins for Zetterstrom, Cunningham and Ondrasik again over the next three heats led to heat advantages as the lower order provided excellent back-up, particularly Simon Walker’s second place ahead of Edward Kennett in heat 7. This took the score after 8 heats to 31-17.

Rye House gave Chris Neath a TR in heat 9 but it was Jamie Smith who rose to the occasion by winning the race. Neath finished second relegating Cunningham to second place so the teams shared the points 4-4. Zetterstrom continued on his winning ways in heat 10 but Tommy Allen and Edward Kennett kept the impressive Ondrasik at the rear for another shared heat. The Rockets played their second TR card in heat 11 and this time Stuart Robson made no mistake beating Glenn Cunningham and Simon Walker for a 3-6 to narrow the gap. They followed this with a 2-4 in heat 12 from Kennett and Boxall to reduce Somerset’s lead to 43-34 after heat 13.

However, the Rebels scored a killer blow in heat 13 with a 5-1 from Cunningham and Zetterstrom over the Rockets’ big two of Neath and Robson. Although Tommy Allen won heat 14 for Rye for a shared heat, Somerset added a 4-2 in heat 15 with the same line-up as heat 13. This time, however, Chris Neath managed to split the Zetterstrom/Cunningham pairing so the Rebels had to be content with 4-2 and a 15 point win.


Scorers: For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Glenn Cunningham 12 (6), Simon Walker 9+3 (5), Pavel Ondrasik 8 (5), Jamie Smith 7+2 (5), Ben Barker 5+1 (4).

For Rye House – Chris Neath 12 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Stuart Robson 11 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Edward Kennett 6+2 (4), Steve Boxall 6 (7), Tommy Allen 5 (4), Jamie Courtney 0 (3), Luke Bowen 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday 18 March

A veritable galaxy of meetings were raced tonight with three Premier Trophy matches and a Challenge Match. The three Premier League matches were at Berwick where the Bandits raced Glasgow ; at Workington where the Comets took on Sheffield ; and at Rye House where the Rockets raced their return match against Somerset. The other match was an International Challenge Match between Stoke and a Danish Select team.


Premier League: Berwick 44, Glasgow 46

Berwick already had a match under their belts albeit a losing one at home but this was Glasgow ’s first outing. Both teams tracked full strength sides.

It was nip and tuck all the way as both sides seemed to be evenly matched on a bitterly cold night. Berwick made the perfect start as David Meldrum and Adrian Rymel scored an opening heat 5-1 ahead of Danny Bird but the Tigers hit back immediately with a 1-5 of their own in the reserves race from Robert Ksiezak and James Cockle. Back in front went the Bandits in a rerun heat 3 with another 5-1 this time from Lee Smethills and Michal Makovsky over Kauko Nieminen only for Glasgow to hit back with a 2-4 in heat 4 won by Shane Parker from Andreas Bergstrom with Cockle picking up the third place point. This took the score after the opening four heats to 13-11.

Glasgow were back on level terms as Danny Bird won from Bergstrom in heat 5 with David McAllan third for a 2-4 but Berwick went back in front in heat 6 with a 4-2 when Adrian Rymel beat Shane Parker. Heat 7 produced an excellent win from Berwick’s young reserve Daniel Warwick. With Andreas Bergstrom taking second place the Bandits stretched their lead to six points with the 5-1. In what was turning out to be a real see-saw struggle it was Glasgow’s turn again for a heat advantage as David McAllan won heat 8 from David Meldrum with Cockle taking the odd point for a 2-4 which brought the score after eight heats to 26-22.

Shane Parker won heat 9 for a 3-3 then Berwick hit the weak Nieminen/Dicken pairing as Nieminen shed a chain for a third 5-1 this time from David Meldrum and Adrian Rymel. This stretched Berwick’s lead again to 34-26. Then in heat 11 Andreas Bergstrom beat Danny Bird for a shared heat and Glasgow reduced the gap again when Robert Ksziezak won heat 12 from Lee Smethills. James Cockle took the odd point again so Glasgow took a 2-4 to narrow the gap to six points taking the score to 39-33 after 12 heats.

A Parker/Bird 1-5 in heat 13 ahead of Bergstrom and Rymel brought Glasgow right back into contention with just two points separating the sides. All of a sudden Kauko Nieminen burst into life in heat 14 taking first place from Michal Makovsky for a shared heat leaving a last heat decider with Berwick clinging on to their two point advantage. Heat 15 was a rerun of heat 13 and the result was identical with Parker and Bird wrapping up a Glasgow win with another 5-1.

Scorers: For Berwick – Andreas Bergstrom 9+1 (5), David Meldrum 9 (4), Michal Makovsky 8+1 (4), Adrian Rymel 7+2 (5), Lee Smethills 6+1 (4), Daniel Warwick 3 (4), Craig Branney 2+1 (4).

For Glasgow – Shane Parker 14 (5), Danny Bird 10+2 (5), Robert Ksiezak 6 (4), David McAllan 5+1 (4), James Cockle 5+1 (6), Kauko Nieminen 5 (4), Lee Dicken 1 (3).


Premier League: Workington 50, Sheffield 45

Workington tracked a full strength team but Sheffield were without Ben Wilson and used R/R in his absence.

A good fightback by Sheffield left them short of the points but they will feel confident of taking the bonus after holding the Comets to a five point win in this match. Workington started well taking a 5-1 in heat 1 from Paul Thorp and Tomasz Piszcz but Paul Cooper won the reserves race for a 3-3 then James Wright did likewise for Workington in heat 3. The Comets went further ahead with a 4-2 in heat 4 when Garry Stead beat Andre Compton with Lee Derbyshire picking up the third place point after Benji Compton had fallen. This took the score after the first four heats to 16-8.

Things looked bleak for Sheffield when James Wright and Ritchie Hawkins banged home another 5-1 in heat 5 ahead of Ricky Ashworth to stretch the Comets’ lead to 12 points. Tomasz Piszcz was excluded for bringing down Paul Cooper in heat 6 but Paul Thorp won the rerun from Andre Compton to maintain the Comets’ lead. Workington went further ahead in heat 7 with a 4-2 from Stead and Derbyshire split by Emiliano Sanchez so in heat 8 Sanchez was given a TR. Tomasz Piszcz won the race so Sanchez’s second place was only good enough for a 4-4 share of the points. This took the score to 32-18 after the first eight races.

Sheffield cut the deficit in heat 9 when Andre Compton won while on a TR for a 3-6 and then shaved another two points off the home side’s lead with a 2-4 in heat 10 when Emiliano Sanchez won the heat from Tomasz Piszcz with Kyle Legault taking a surprising third place point from Paul Thorp who had won his opening two rides. The Tigers then proceeded to give the Comets a nervous time by scoring another 2-4 in heat 11 As Ricky Ashworth came to the fore beating Garry Stead. This cut the Workington lead to 7 points but the Comets opened it to nine again in heat 12 thanks to a win from Ritchie Hawkins ahead of Emiliano Sanchez. The score after 12 heats was 43-34.

Sheffield came roaring back again in heat 13 with a 1-5 from Andre Compton and Ricky Ashworth ahead of Garry Stead and Paul Thorp. However James Wright and Aiden Collins soothed the Workington nerves by making sure of the points with a 5-1 ahead of Kyle Legault in heat 14. It’s just as well they did, too, because Andre Compton and Ricky Ashworth repeated their success of heat 13 with another 1-5 to cut the lead to 5 points again.

Scorers: For Workington – James Wright 10+1 (5), Ritchie Hawkins 9+1 (5), Garry Stead 9 (4), Tomasz Piszcz 7+1 (4), Aiden Collins 6+1 (4), Paul Thorp 6 (4), Lee Derbyshire 3+1 (4).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 16 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Emiliano Sanchez 13 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Ricky Ashworth 9+2 (5), Paul Cooper 5+1 (7), Kyle Legault 2 (5), Benji Compton 0 (3).


Premier League: Rye House 59, Somerset 34 – Rye House won the bonus point on aggregate by 99-89

Rye House and Somerset fielded the same sides which contested the first leg last night at Somerset. Again Paul Fry was absent from the Rebels’ team and Somerset used R/R to cover his rides.

Somerset started well with an opening 2-4 when Magnus Zetterstrom beat Stuart Robson with Pavel Ondrasik third but their joy was short lived. The Rockets rattled up three consecutive 5-1s over the next three heats to take the score to 17-7 after heat 4. Heat 3 was particularly unfortunate for the Rebels as Pavel Ondrasik and Edward Kennett clashed from the gate resulting in Ondrasik having to retire from the meeting with a wrist injury leaving the Rebels with just 5 riders.

Rye House banged home another 5-1 in heat 5. Magnus Zetterstrom had taken a TR in this race but since he failed to beat an opponent his single point was not doubled. However the Rebels earned some respite with a 2-4 in heat 6 when Glenn Cunningham beat Stuart Robson with Simon Walker third. This cut the Rockets’ lead to 12 points and Somerset made further inroads in heat 7 with Jamie Smith beating Chris Neath and Glenn Cunningham finishing third. Heat 8, won by Steve Boxall, was shared and the score after eight heats was 29-19 with Somerset still five points ahead on aggregate.

However the end of Somerset’s hopes arrived over the next five heats with Rye House chalking up three 5-1s and two 4-2s. After Edward Kennett and Tommy Allen had seen off Glenn Cunningham in heat 9 for a 5-1, Somerset, rather strangely, gave a TS ride from 15 metres back to Ben Barker. Ben failed to trouble the scoresheet as the Rockets took another 5-1 thanks to Jaimie Courtney, scoring his first points of the season, and Stuart Robson. When Kennett and Boxall, split by Jainie Smith, added a 4-2 in heat 12 the score had moved to 48-24 with Somerset trailing by nine points on aggregate.

Magnus Zetterstrom split the Neath/Robson pairing in heat 13 for a home 4-2 then the impressive Jaime Smith took a TR in heat 14. He made full use of the opportunity by winning the race from Luke Bowen so Somerset took a 3-6 which was too little too late. Smith was out again in heat 15 and finished second to Edward Kennet who comnpleted his full maximum. Tommy Allen finished third so the home side finished with a 4-2 for a comfortable win and bonus point.

Scorers: For Rye House – Edward Kennett 15 (5)(full maximum), Chris Neath 10+2 (4)(paid maximum), Steve Boxall 9+1 (4), Tommy Allen 8+4 (5), Stuart Robson 7+1 (4), Luke Bowen 7+1 (4), Jaime Courtney 3 (4).

For Somerset – Jamie Smith 15 (6)(including a 6 point TR), Magnus Zetterstrom 7 (5), Glenn Cunningham 6 (5), Simon Walker 4 (6), Pavel Ondrasik 1 (2), Ben Barker 1+1 (7).


International Challenge: Stoke 51, Danish Select 41

Stoke take on an unusual look this year with former Exeter` riders Mark Lemon and Michael Coles forming their opening partnership. The Danish Select side had an impressive line-up with Elite league stars Charlie Gjedde, Mads Korneliussen and Morten Risager leading the side..

This was an impressive win for the Potters who provided 10 race winners to their opponents’ five. They opened with a 4-2 thanks to a Mark Lemon win over Charlie Gjedde. Barrie Evans came from the back to win the reserves race for a 3-3 but Stoke added another 4-2 in heat 3 when Robbie Kessler beat Mads Korneliussen who only just managed to hold off Paul Clews. Morten Risager won heat 4 for a 3-3 and the score after the opening four heats was 14-10.

In heat 5 Robbie Kessler fell when lying second so the race was awarded with Charlie Gjedde the winner supported by his partner, Tom P Madsen. This gave the Danes a 1-5 and the match was all square again. Not for long though as Lemon and Coles took a 5-1 from Risager to give the Potters a four point lead. Mads Korneliussen won heat 7 for a share of the points and Michael Coles did the same in heat 8 to take the score to 26-22.

Stoke doubled their lead in heat 9 with another 5-1 this time from Robbie Kessler and Paul Clews over Jonas Raun and Morten Risager. Korneliussen could only split the Lemon/Coles pairing in heat 10 and the resultant 4-2 stretched Stoke’s lead to 10 points. In heat 11 Charlie Gjedde took a TR. This race was awarded after Tom P Madsen fell. Since Alan Mogridge led Charlie Gjedde the result was another 4-4 but the Danes hit back with a 2-4 from Korneliussen and Raun in heat 12 to bring the score to 41-33.

A close race between Lemon, Gjedde and Mogridge ended with the riders finishing in that order for a Stoke 4-2 which sealed a victory for the home side. In heat 14 Robbie Kessler beat Henrik Moller with Barrie Evans third for another 4-2 but the Danes took a 2-4 in the final heat with Gjedde ending Mark Lemon’s maximum hopes.

Scorers: For Stoke – Mark Lemon 14 (5), Robbie Kessler 9 (5), Alan Mogridge 7+1 (4), Michael Coles 7+1 (4), Barrie Evans 7 (4), Paul Clews 6+1 (4), Luke Priest 1+1 (4).

For Danish Select – Charlie Gjedde 14 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Mads Korneliussen 11 (5), Tom P Madsen 4+1 (4), Morten Risager 4 (4), Jonas Raun 3+1 (4), Jonathan Bethell 3+1 (5), Henrik Moller 2 (4).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 19 March

There was action at four Premier League tracks today. First up were Newport where the Wasps began their season with a Premier Trophy match against the Isle of Wight . Then Mildenhall hosted the return leg of their Challenge match against Ipswich . The third meeting to get underway was the Sean Cracker at Sheffield . Finally Newcastle raced against Workington in a Premier Trophy match.



Premier Trophy: Newport 47, Isle of Wight 42


It was a new look Newport side which took to the track with only three of last year’s team still present. Chris Schramm and Carl Wilkinson who rode for Berwick last year were included plus a brand new reserve partnership of Joel Parsons and Sam Hurst. Isle of Wight had Chris Holder at number 1 after his problems with the immigration officials with Robert Kasprzak making his debut. They too had a new reserve pairing of Chris Johnson and Nick Simmons.

The opening race was won by Neil Collins for a 3-3 but it was the Islanders who took the lead when Nick Simmons won the reserves race from Joel Parsons for a 2-4. The Wasps soon turned that around with a 5-1 in heat 3 from Tony Atkins and Carl Wilkinson then Craig Watson made a welcome return to track action in heat 4 after his injuries of last year. It was business as usual for Craig who won the race from Johnson and Kasprzak for another 3-3 which brought the score to 13-11 after four heats.

Newport went further in front with a 4-2 in heat 5. It was Carl Wilkinson again to the fore but Jason Doyle took second place from Tony Atkin and Chris Holder then the Wasps took another 4-2 in heat 6 with Neil Collins winning for the second time to stretch the home side’s lead to six points. However things started to go awry for the Wasps when Craig Watson fell in heat 7 resulting in a 1-5 when Krister Marsh and Krzysztof Stojanowski led Joel Parsons home to cut the gap to two points. Bad went to worse for the home side when Jason Doyle and the impressive Chris Johnson scored another 1-5 in heat 8 at the expense of Chris Schramm to move into the lead as the score after eight heats was now 23-25.

Carl Wilkinson made it three unbeaten rides by winning heat 9. Tony Atkin backed him up for a 5-1 ahead of Robert Kasprzak as the Wasps regained the lead by two points. However, Neil Collins was beaten in heat 10 by Stojanowski for a shared race then Craig Watson won a rerun heat 11 from Chris Holder after Joel Parsons and Jason Doyle were excluded. The 3-2 put the Wasps three ahead but they got a real shock in heat 12 when Chris Johnson and Krister Marsh hit a maximum ahead of Parsons and the previously unbeaten Wilkinson. This put the Islanders back in the lead with the score at 35-36 and the alarm bells were ringing in the home camp.

Heat 13 brought relief however as Craig Watson and Neil Collins saw off Nick Simmons and Craig Doyle for a 5-1 which restored Newport’s three point lead. Simmons had come in to the heat to replace Robert Kasprzak who had withdrawn from the meeting with a shoulder injury. Stojanowski won heat 14 for a share of the points which kept the visitors in with a shout but Craig Watson won the last heat from Jason Doyle with Neil Collins taking third place for a 4-2 to give Newport a 5 point win.

Scorers For Newport – Craig Watson 12 (5), Neil Collins 11+1 (5), Tony Atkin 8+1 (4), Carl Wilkinson 8 (4), Joel Parsons 5+1 (5), Chris Schramm 3+2 (4), Sam Hurst 0 (3).

For the Isle of Wight – Chris Johnson 10+1 (6), Jason Doyle 9 (5), Krzysztof Stojanowski 8+1 (5), Krister Marsh 6+1 (4), Nick Simmons 4 (3), Chris Holder 3+1 (4), Robert Kasprzak 2+1 (3).



Challenge: Mildenhall 40, Ipswich 44 – Ipswich won on aggregate by 98-80


Mildenhall faced the might of Ipswich with their own resources. They faced an uphill task considering that the Witches tracked Chris Louis, Piotr Protasiewicz, Mark Loram and all.

The first three heats were shared. Kim Jansson fell in heat 1 and was excluded but Chris Louis won the race from Jason Lyons. Jon Armstrong won the reserves race then Piotr Protasiewicz won heat 3 after Robert Miskowiak paid a visit to the fence. Ipswich finally broke the deadlock when Mark Loram won heat 4 with Steve Boxall following him home ahead of Daniel King for a 1-5 to bring the heat 4 score to 10-14.

Chris Louis won again in heat 5 for a 3-3 after Kim Jansson had been excluded again this time for bringing down Shaun Tacey but Mildenhall pulled two points back in a thrilling heat 6 when Jason King claimed the scalp of Mark Loram with Jason Lyons third. Heat 7 was stopped when Protasiewicz and Miskoviak collided and destroyed the fence and an early interval was taken while repairs were effected. When the race was rerun Protasiewicz was excluded as the primary cause of the stoppage and Daniel King won the rerun after a passing and repassing bout with Robert Miskoviac so the 4-2 levelled the scores again. Mildenhall took the lead in heat 8 as Jason King won again. Steve Boxall eventually passed Barry Burchatt with Kim Jansson last for a 4-2 which took the heat 8 score to 25-23.

Ipswich pulled level again in with a 2-4 in heat 9 by virtue of a Mark Loram win from James Brundle with Jan Jaros relegating Shaun Tacey to the back. The Witches followed this up by taking the lead again with another 4-2 in heat 10. Jason Lyons could only split the Miskoviac/Protasiewicz pairing with no heroics this time from Jason King who finished at the back. Daniel King then beat Jansson and Louis in heat 11 to maintain the status quo but Ipswich struck a crucial blow with a 1-5 in heat 12 when Protasiewicz and Jaros left Shaun Tacey in their wake. This took the score after twelve heats to 33-39 and things looked bleak for Mildenhall with the Ipswich big guns out in two of the last three heats.

Jason Lyons kept hope alive for the Fen Tigers by winning heat 13 from Mark Loram and Chris Louis for a 3-3 then Jon Armstrong came out in heat 14 to beat Robert Miskoviac. With James Brundle beating Steve Boxall for the third place point Mildenhall took a 4-2 which left them trailing by four points going into the last heat. Any chance they had disappeared when Daniel King fell while challenging Protasiewicz and was excluded from the rerun. Jason Lyons came out to win the rerun from Mark Loram and a shared heat giving the Elite League side a four point win.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Jason Lyons 11 (5), Jason King 7+1 (4), Jon Armstrong 7 (4), Daniel King 7 (5), James Brundle 5+2 (4), Shaun Tacey 5 (4), Barry Burchatt 1 (3).

For Ipswich – Mark Loram 12 (5), Chris Louis 8+2 (4), Piotr Protasiewicz 8 (5), Robert Miskoviac 7 (4), Steve Boxall 5+2 (4), Jan Jaros 5+1 (4), Kim Jansson 2 (4).



Sean Cracker: Sean Wilson Testimonial Meeting

Winner: Jason Crump
Runner-up: Nicki Pedersen
Third: Scott Nicholls
Fourth: Leigh Adams

This was a testimonial meeting for long-time Sheffield rider Sean Wilson held at Sheffield . The field consisted of Elite League riders with only Sean Wilson, Andre Compton, Kyle Legault and Gary Havelock representing the Premier League (although Havelock has yet to ride in the Premier League). There must have been grand prixs and world finals with weaker line-ups than this.

The meeting took the format of a full 16 rider 20 heat individual with the top two scorers being seeded directly to the final with the riders finishing in the third to sixth positions taking part in a race-off for the remaining two final places.

After the 20 qualifying heats had been completed the leader was Jason Crump with 14 points, having dropped his only point to Nicki Pedersen in heat 11, and he went straight to the final with Nicki Pedersen who finished in second place with 13 points.

The race-off was contested by Scott Nicholls, Simon Stead, Leigh Adams and Andre Compton. As a result Nicholls and Adams completed the line-up for the final finishing first and second after both of them had passed Simon Stead.

In the final Jason Crump claimed first place with Nicki Pedersen passing Scott Nicholls for the runner-up spot. Nicholls was third with Leigh Adams finishing last.


Scorers from the qualifying heats: Jason Crump 14, Nicki Pedersen 13, Scott Nicholls 12, Simon Stead 11, Leigh Adams 10, Andre Compton 10, Frederik Lindgren 9, Ryan Sullivan 8, Sean Wilson 6, David Norris 6, Gary Havelock 6, Chris Harris 4, Sebastian Ulamek 3, Kyle Legault 3, Morten Risager 3, Steve Johnston 2.



Premier Trophy: Newcastle 47, Workington 46


Both teams were at full strength with George Stancl, Manuel Hauziger and Adam McKinna making their debuts for Newcastle . Workington tracked the same team which beat Sheffield last night.

It was the visitors who made by far the better start. Paul Thorp headed George Stancl home in the opening heat with Tomasz Piszcz taking third place from Christian Henry. Jaimie Robertson won the reserves race but the heat was shared 3-3 so the Comets stayed two points in front. They went further ahead with another 2-4 in heat 3. James Wright won the race from Josef Franc with Ritchie Hawkins third for a four point lead and although James Grieves took heat 4 Garry Stead and Aidan Collins filled the minor places for another shared race and the score after heat 4 was 10-14.

Things then went from bad to worse for the Diamonds. In heat 5 Josef Franc fell and was excluded from the rerun which was won by Paul Thorp. Tomasz Piszcz followed him home so the Workington 1-5 extended their lead to eight points. George Stancl offered some relief by winning heat 6 from Garry Stead. With Christian Henry third a home 4-2 reduced their deficit to six points but worse was to come for the home side. In heat 7 James Wright beat the normally invincible James Grieves round Brough Park and, with Ritchie Hawkins third, the Comets had restored their eight point lead. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Workington then stormed into a 12 point lead when Tomas Piszcz and, reserve, Aidan Collins relegated George Stancl to third in heat 8 to take the heat 8 score to 18-30! Stancl had come into the heat as a TS off 15 metres but he could make no impression on the Comets’ pair. Since he failed to beat an opponent his one point was not doubled.

In heat 9 Newcastle played a TR card giving the ride to Josef Franc who duly obliged with a win. However Stead and Collins filled the minor places so the result was a 6-3 reducing the gap to 9 points. George Stancl made no mistake winning heat 10 from Aidan Collins who replaced Ritchie Hawkins excluded for a tapes offence, but Christian Henry pegged James Wright to the back so Newcastle had pulled back another two points to trail by 7 points. Heat 11 saw James Grieves beating Tomasz Piszcz but, incredibly, young Adam McKinna opened his account by taking third place from the previously unbeaten Paul Thorp! This 4-2 pulled Newcastle back to within 5 points of the Comets. In heat 12 Ritchie Hawkins fell and was excluded from the rerun but Aidan Collins pulled the win out of the fire to make sure the heat was shared. This took the score after heat 12 to 35-40.

Newcastle were almost back to level pegging after James Grieves and George Stancl took a 5-1 from Garry Stead and Paul Thorp in heat 13 with there now being only one point between the sides. Josef Franc won heat 14 from James Wright and, with Jaimie Robertson taking the third place point from Lee Derbyshire, the resultant 4-2 saw Newcastle in front for the first time in the match at 44-43. James Wright won the last heat decider but James Grieves and Josef Franc filled the minor places for a shared heat to see Newcastle home. Workington must be devastated at taking nothing from the match but it’s not the first time Newcastle have won at home by virtue of the TR rule.


Scorers: For Newcastle – James Grieves 13 (5), Josef Franc 12+1 (5)(including a 6 point TR), George Stancl 11+1 (5), Jaimie Robertson 5+1 (5), Manuel Hauzinger 3 (3), Christian Henry 2 (4), Adam McKinna 1 (3).

For Workington – Aidan Collins 11+3 (6), James Wright 11 (5), Tomasz Piszcz 8+1 (5), Garry Stead 7 (4), Paul Thorp 6 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 2 (3), Lee Derbyshire 1+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 21 March


Well the season really cranked into action last Friday with no less than 6 Premier Trophy matches over the weekend and other meetings at Stoke, Mildenhall and Sheffield. With Reading and Exeter no longer gracing the Premier League there will be no regular track action on Monday nights and none on Tuesday nights either until the Isle of Wight begin their home matches.

There has been one serious injury already unfortunately with Pavel Ondrasik of Somerset breaking his wrist at Rye House last Sunday.

In the Premier Trophy, there were some interesting matches particularly in the Northern Section where Glasgow registered the first away win of the season with their two point win over Berwick. Sheffield produced a fighting recovery at Workington before losing by three points but the closest match turned out to be at Newcastle where the Diamonds pulled back a 12 point deficit with the help of a TR to register a one point win over Workington. The single point scored by young reserve Adam McKinna relegating Paul Thorp to last proved highly significant to the final result.

In the Southern Section, Rye House pulled round a 15 point defeat at Somerset in their return home match to bag the first bonus point of the season. Edward Kennett notched up the first full 5 ride maximum of the season in that match. Newport wiped out the memory of last year’s awful season by getting off to a winning start against the Isle of Wight although they made heavy weather of it. It was good to see Craig Watson back in action having recovered from his horrific injuries of last year.

In the week ahead King’s Lynn are at home to Newport then travel to Somerset for Premier Trophy matches in the Southern Section. They then face their third match in five days when they race the return match at Newport on Sunday. Meanwhile Mildenhall open their PT campaign with a home match against the Isle of Wight. In the Northern Section Sheffield take on Berwick, On Saturday night Edinburgh crank into action with a match at Berwick.and Stoke are at home to Glasgow before travelling to Newcastle on Sunday.

But the most incredible fixture of the lot must be at Rye House where the Rockets face Sheffield in the Premier League on Sunday still a week before we enter April. Wasn’t the Premier Trophy supposed to be a tournament to be raced before the Premier League started?

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 22 March

With Hull’s demise, King’s Lynn have Wednesday nights to themselves in the Premier League this season. Tonight they began their Premier Trophy campaign against Newport who triumphed against the Isle of Wight last Sunday.



Premier League: King’s Lynn 52, Newport 44


One of the pre-season favourites to win honours this season King’s Lynn paraded a full strength side. Newport were also at full strength, tracking the same side which beat the Isle of Wight.

It didn’t take long for the home side to build up what looked like a match winning lead. However Newport refused to lie down and launched an excellent fight back with the aid of TRs which left them only four points adrift after 12 heats. Eventually the Stars prevailed but it took them to heat 14 to wrap up the points.

The Stars dropped only two points in the opening four heats. In heat one it looked as though they would start with a 5-1 but Neil Collins slipped past Daniel Nermark to follow Trevor Harding home for an opening 4-2. In heat 2 Chris Mills touched the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. He made short work of that handicap passing Sam Hurst on the first lap and Joel Parsons on the second to follow Simon Lambert home for a 5-1. Another 5-1, this time from Kevin Doolan and Troy Batchelor, suggested it was going to be a long night for the Wasps. However things looked brighter for them as Craig Watson hit the front in heat 4. Tomas Topinka had other ideas though passing him on the second lap and, with Sam Hurst falling, King’s Lynn added another 4-2 to their total bringing the score after the opening four heats to 18-6.

An engine failure for Troy Batchelor resulted in a share of the points in heat 5 won by Kevin Doolan then the Wasps gave a TR to Craig Watson in the next race. He duly obliged by winning the race from Daniel Nermark and Trevor Harding for a 3-6 cutting the Stars’ lead to 9 points. Newport’s resistance continued when they shared heat 7. Tomas Topinka recorded his second win of the match but Carl Wilkinson and Tony Atkin finished in the minor places so the gap remained at 9 points. Joel Parsons replaced Sam Hurst for Newport in heat 8. When Trevor Harding suffered an engine failure at the tapes the Wasps took full advantage by scoring a comfortable 1-5 through Chris Schramm and Joel Parsons and suddenly there were only 5 points between the teams with the score after heat 8 reading 28-23.

In heat 9 King’s Lynn stretched their lead to 9 points again. Craig Watson made the start but he was passed by both Kevin Doolan then Troy Batchelor for a 5-1 to the home side. Carl Wilkinson then became Newport’s third race winner when he won heat 10 from Trevor Harding and Daniel Nermark who passed Tony Atkin for the third place point for a 3-3. In heat 11 Tomas Topinka won again but Chris Schramm and Neil Collins shared the heat to keep the gap at 9 points. In heat 12 Carl Wilkinson took a TR for Newport and like Craig Watson in heat 6 he duly obliged by winning the race from Troy Batchelor. With Joel Parsons taking the third place point from Simon Lambert Newport took a 2-7 which brought them back within touching distance as the score after 12 heats was 41-37 leaving the home side with little room for errors.

Craig Watson piled on the pressure by winning heat 13, ending Tomas Topinka’s winning streak, with Daniel Nermark taking third place from Neil Collins and there were still only four points between the teams. However it was all over after a home 5-1 in heat 14 from the unbeaten Kevin Doolan and Chris Mills. Heat 15 was rerun with all four riders after Carl Wilkinson had fallen in the first bend scrimmage. In the rerun Craig Watson ended Kevin Doolan’s maximum hopes by winning the race. However Tomas Topinka and Kevin Doolan finished ahead of Carl Wilkinson for a shared race and an 8 point win.


Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 13+1 (5), Tomas Topinka 13 (5), Troy Batchelor 6+2 (4), Trevor Harding 6+1 (4), Daniel Nermark 5+2 (4), Simon Lambert 5 (4), Chris Mills 4+2 (4).

For Newport – Craig Watson 15 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Carl Wilkinson 12 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Chris Schramm 7 (4), Joel Parsons 5+1 (5), Neil Collins 4+2 (4), Tony Atkin 1+1 (4), Sam Hurst 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 23 March

There was just the one match raced tonight and that was in the Premier Trophy at Sheffield where the Tigers were at home to Berwick Bandits.



Premier League: Sheffield 58, Berwick 37


Sheffield who lost so narrowly at Workington were at full strength for this, their opening home match of the season, as were Berwick who were, however, under some pressure after opening with two home defeats to Newcastle and Glasgow.

It always helps a team when they get off to a whirlwind start before their opponents get the measure of the track and Sheffield did just that building up a 10 point lead after just 4 heats. Adrian Rymel led from the gate in the opening heat but Ricky Ashworth was soon past and away. Ben Wilson’s third place meant that the Tigers opened with a 4-2. The Bandits reserve pairing who lost a heat 2 maximum at home last Saturday did no better tonight as Benji Compton and Paul Cooper led them from the start for a 5-1. Kyle Legault won heat 3 but behind him Michal Makovsky passed Emiliano Sanchez on the last lap to split the home pairing for a 4-2 before Andre Compton beat Andreas Bergstrom in heat 4 for another 4-2 to bring the score after the opening four heats to 17-7.

In heat 5 Emiliano Sanchez hit the front but fell forcing David Meldrum to lay down. Sanchez was excluded from the rerun and, although Adrian Rymel led the rerun from the start, he was passed by Kyle Legault on the last lap for a shared heat. Heat 6 was decided from the tapes as Ricky Ashworth hit the front. Andreas Bergstrom took second place ahead of Ben Wilson as Sheffield extended their lead to 12 points with the 4-2. Berwick were still looking for their first race winner. They were still looking after heat 7 as Andre Compton recorded his second race win of the night. Michal Makovsky took second place but Paul Cooper, who had passed Lee Smethills, suffered an engine failure on the last bend allowing Berwick to share the points in a 3-3. Heat 8 resulted in another Sheffield 5-2 which all but put them out of sight. Ben Wilson led from the start and Benji Compton passed David Meldrum before the end of the first lap to join him for the heat maximum. This took the score after 8 heats to 32-16.

In heat 9 Andreas Bergstrom was given a TR facing Sanchez and Legault but it was Kyle Legault who showed him the way home. It took Emiliano Sanchez until the last lap to pass Daniel Warwick but he did so to ensure a 4-4 shared heat. After heat 10 Berwick were still no nearer producing a race winner. Ricky Ashworth made a poor start and was in last place leaving the second bend. However a lap later he had passed the rest of the field to lead the race. With Ben Wilson in second place it looked like another maximum for Sheffield but Michal Makovsky passed Wilson on the last bend to limit the damage to a 4-2. Heat 11 produced another 4-2 as Adrian Rymel could only split the home pairing of Andre Compton and Paul Cooper as the Tigers eased into a 20 point lead. Paul Cooper had passed both Bandits on the back straight of the opening lap and it took Rymel until the last bend to slip past him for second place. The Bandits managed another shared heat in heat 12. They couldn’t supply the race winner though as Emiliano Sanchez the sixth Sheffield rider to win a race. However young Daniel Warwick held off Benji Compton for third place as Lee Smethills finished second. The score after 12 heats was 47-27.

In heat 13 Adrian Rymel hit the deck on the first bend but all four riders were invited back for the rerun. In the rerun Ricky Ashworth and Andre Compton were fast away and continued their unbeaten runs with a 5-1 ahead of Adrian Rymel. The other unbeaten Sheffield man, Kyle Legault, was next up in heat 14. He faced Michal Makovsky who was on a TR and Daniel Warwick who replaced Craig Branney. After a great race between Legault and Makovsky, it was the Berwick man who prevailed to provide the Bandits with their one and only race winner all night and spoil Legault’s maximum in the process. His win gave Berwick a 3-6 advantage from the race cutting the Tigers lead to 21 points. In the last race Ricky Ashworth’s maximum hopes came to end too. Although Andre Compton won the heat, Ashworth suffered an engine failure while in second place allowing Adrian Rymel and Michal Makovsky through for the minor placings.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Ricky Ashworth 12 (5), Kyle Legault 11 (4), Benji Compton 6+1 (4), Ben Wilson 6 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 5 (4), Paul Cooper 4+1 (4).

For Berwick – Michal Makovsky 13+1 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Adrian Rymel 9 (5), Andreas Bergstrom 8 (4)(including a 4 point TR), Lee Smethills 3+1 (4), Craig Branney 2 (3), David Meldrum 1+1 (4), Daniel Warwick 1 (5).

[Merlin]

Friday, 24 March

Action was scheduled at two tracks tonight but Edinburgh’s opener against Glasgow in the first leg of the Spring Trophy was washed out by the miserable weather at Armadale. However the Premier Trophy match at Somerset , where the Rebels were at home to King’s Lynn, survived the rain until heat 11 that is. Heat 12 was run after which the meeting was abandoned so the result stands.



Premier League: Somerset 38, King’s Lynn 34


Somerset were without broken wrist victim, Pavel Ondrasdik, and used R/R at number 2 instead.. King’s Lynn had Shane Waldron making his Premier Trophy debut at number 7.

The Rebels got off to a lively start with a 5-1 from Magnus Zetterstrom and R/R Paul Fry ahead of Daniel Nermark. Chris Mills won the reserves race for the Stars `and a shared heat but it was all square again after heat 3. Paul Fry fell and Kevin Doolan and Troy Batchelor cashed in with a 1-5 ahead of Jamie Smith. However ther Rebels took the lead again in heat 4 when Glenn Cunningham beat Tomas Topinka with Ben Barker third. This took the score to 13-11 after the opening four heats.

Daniel Nermark won heat 5 from Smith and Fry for a 3-3 then Magnus Zetterstrom did likewise for the Rebels ahead of Topinka and Mills. In heat 7 Kevin Doolan then produced his second race win to produce the third shared heat on the trot as Cunningham and Simon Walker kept Troy Batchelor at the back. In heat 8 Somerset doubled their lead with a 4-2 when Jamie Smith, taking the R/R ride, headed Chris Mills and Ben Barker home. This took the score after 8 heats to 26-22.

Somerset doubled their lead again in heat 9 when Paul Fry and Jamie Smith beat Tomas Topinka into third place for a 5-1 which put them 8 points ahead. Then in heat 10 Kevin Doolan made it three wins out of three by beating Magnus Zetterstrom. Zetterstrom had come from the back to lead the race but Doolan pipped him on the line for the race win. Troy Batchelor picked up the third place point so the Stars registered a 2-4 to cut the gap to 6 points but it was back to 8 points again in heat 11 when Glenn Cunningham beat Daniel Nermark with Simon Walker third for a 4-2. Then the heavens really opened and heat 12 was won in a time over 4 seconds slower than heat 11! It was almost a triumph for young Ben Barker who led Troy Batchelor and Chris Mills until the last bend when he fell. He was still able to remount and finish in third place ahead of Jamie Smith but the 1-5 to the Stars halved the lead to four points with the score after heat 12 standing at 38-34.

Racing was abandoned for 10 minutes to see if the rain would ease but the meeting was eventually abandoned with the score standing as a four point win to the home side.

Scorers: For Somerset – Jamie Smith 8+1 (5), Magnus Zetterstrom 8 (3), Glenn Cunningham 8 (3), Paul Fry 6+2 (4), Ben Barker 5 (5), Simon Walker 3+2 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 9 (3), Chris Mills 8+2 (5), Troy Batchelor 6+1 (4), Daniel Nermark 6 (3), Tomas Topinka 5 (3), Trevor Harding 0 (3), Shane Waldron 0 (3).