Around the Premier League Tracks - 2006

[Merlin]

Monday, 5 June



There was one Premier League match raced tonight and that was at Newcastle where the Diamonds were at home to Newport.



Premier League: Newcastle 53, Newport 37 . Newcastle won the bonus point on aggregate by 97-83.


Newcastle had Sean Stoddart at number 6 in place of Adam McKinna and revamped their team with the new averages kicking in. Joseph Franc moved to number one, James Grieves to number 4 and George Stancl to number 5. Newport had Andre Compton at number 1 as a guest for Craig Watson and used Rider Replacement for Neil Collins at number 3.

It took Newport until heat 9 to get a rider across the line in first place by which time the match was almost out of their reach. Joseph Franc and Christian Henry took a 4-2 in the opening heat with Andre Compton in second and Chris Schramm falling then Jaimie Robertson and Sean Stoddart did likewise in heat 2 although it took three laps for Robertson to pass the early heat leader, Joel Parsons. James Grieves won heat 3 for a shared race then George Stancl and Jaimie Robertson added another 4-2 in heat 4 with Carl Wilkinson second to take the score to 15-9.

Another Grieves win in heat 5 resulted in a shared race as Manuel Hauzinger retired at the back but Newcastle pulled away with a 5-1 in heat 6 from Joseph Franc and Christian Henry with Carl Wilkinson third to increase their lead to 10 points. George Stancl won heat 7 for another shared race then Chris Schramm took a TR in heat 8. It was all for nothing though as he finished third to Christian Henry and Jaimie Robertson resulting in the Diamonds scoring another 5-1 which took the score to 31-17.

Carl Wilkinson finally won a race for Newport in heat 9 but James Grieves and Manuel Hauzinger shared the race then Carl Wilkinson came out again in heat 10 as R/R and wearing the black and white helmet cover. It looked good for a 2-7 for Newport when Wilkinson led Christian Henry and Joseph Franc fell but it all changed when Joseph Franc remounted and Carl Wilkinson suffered an engine failure on the third lap resulting in a 4-2 for the Diamonds, a swing of seven points. Nothing daunted Newport came out to win heat 11 2-4. Andre Compton won the race from George Stancl with Chris Schramm third then heat 12 was shared. Jaimie Robertson won the race but Manuel Hauzinger fell to complete a miserable night for him. The score now stood at 43-29.

Not for the first time this season Newcastle lost a 1-5 in heat 13. Andre Compton and Carl Wilkinson did the damage heading home Josef Franc and George Stancl but Newcastle returned the compliment with their own 5-1 in heat 14 when James Grieves and Jaimie Robertson led home Joel Parsons. A final heat 4-2 for Newcastle with James Grieves winning from Carl Wilkinson and Christian Henry gave the home side a 16 point lead to take all three points.

Scorers: For Newcastle – James Grieves 14 (5), Jaimie Robertson 11+2 (5), Christian Henry 10+1 (5), Josef Franc 8 (4), George Stancl 8 (4), Manuel Hauzinger 1+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 1 (3).

For Newport – Carl Wilkinson 10+1 (6), Andre Compton 9+1 (5), Tony Atkin 6+2 (5), Joel Parsons 6+1 (5), Chris Schramm 6 (5), Billy Legg 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 6 June



As usual the one Premier League match raced on a Tuesday night was on the Isle of Wight where the Islanders were at home to Workington.



Premier League: Isle of Wight 52, Workington 40 .


The Isle of Wight , with Krister Marsh returning to the side, were at full strength for this match. Workington were without Paul Thorp who was injured at Rye House on Sunday so they used Rider Replacement at number 2 instead. They were also without Tomasz Piszcz injured riding in Poland so had Rye House wonder reserve, Steve Boxall, at number 4 as a guest. The last time Boxall rode on the Island he scored 20+1 for Rye House! Richie Dennis rode at number 6 for the Comets as a guest reserve for Lee Derbyshire.

Losing two 5-1s and a 4-2 in the opening three heats Workington had the proverbial mountain to climb to get back into this match. They might have thought that they had a potential matchwinner in Steve Boxall but he suffered an engine failure while at the back in the opening heat taking a R/R ride as Chris Holder and Jason Doyle produced their customary opening heat 5-1. Chris Johnson won the reserves race from Aidan Collins for a 4-2 then Krister Marsh celebrated his return by following Krzysztof Stojanowski home for a 5-1 in heat 3 ahead of Ritchie Hawkins to put the home side 10 points up. Workington hit back with a 1-5 in heat 4 as Garry Stead and Aidan Collins got out of the gate ahead of Jason Bunyan and were never challenged. This took the score after four heats to 15-9.

The Isle of Wight recovered from this set back by winning heat 5 when Krzysztof Stojanowski headed home Garry Stead with Krister Marsh third as James Wright suffered an engine failure on the second lap. They added another 4-2 in heat 6 when Garry Stead split the Holder/Doyle partnership in an excellent race so the lead stretched to 10 points again. In heat 7 Jason Bunyan overcame a poor start by passing both Ritchie Hawkins and Steve Boxall to share the race then in heat 8 Garry Stead took the R/R ride and also a TR. He could only finish second to Jason Doyle who passed him on the second bend. With Aidan Collins taking third place Workington scored a 3-5 to pull back two points as the score went to 29-21.

Garry Stead stopped Krzysztof Stojanowski’s winning run in heat 9 when he passed both Isle of Wight riders on the first two bends to share the race. At this stage Stead had scored exactly half of Workington’s total. It was Chris Holder’s turn to do the same to the Workington riders in heat 10 to join his partner, Jason Doyle, up front for a 5-1 to increase the home side’s lead to 12 points. James Wright was entrusted with Workington’s second TR in heat 11 but the result was the same as with Stead’s TR in heat 8. The race was rerun after Chris Johnson had fallen. In the rerun Jason Bunyan won the race but with Wright second and Aidan Collins finishing third it should have been a 3-5 to the Comets but unbelievably the referee, who should be thrown out for his interpretation of the rules, declared that since James Wright had not beaten an opponent he did not score double points!! It must have been clear to him that Wright was deemed to have beaten the excluded rider. By his logic the best way to nullify a TR is to go with only three riders and have your rider win the heat! It beggars belief that a licensed referee could be so ignorant. The net result was that the heat was declared a 3-3 as the Workington team manager justifiably lodged a complaint. In heat 12 Workington did pull two points back when Ritchie Hawkins won the heat when the race leader, Krister Marsh, suffered an engine failure with Nick Simmons second and Aidan Collins third so the score after heat twelve races was 42-32.

In heat 13 Garry Stead split the home pairing of Chris Holder and Jason Bunyan for a 4-2 after a fantastic race between Holder and Stead. In heat 14 Steve Boxall suddenly shrugged off his poor form of earlier by passing Krzysztof Stojanowski who then fell in his efforts to retake the lead. With Aidan Collins promoted to second place the Comets took a 1-5 to narrow the gap to eight points at 47-39. The Islanders wrapped things up with a 5-1 in heat 15 through Holder and Doyle who beat Garry Stead as Ritchie Hawkins suffered an engine failure at the tapes.


Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Chris Holder 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Jason Doyle 11+2 (5), Jason Bunyan 8 (4), Krzysztof Stojanowski 8 (4), Krister Marsh 4+2 (4), Nick Simmons 4 (5), Chris Johnson 3 (3),

For Workington – Garry Stead 15 (6)(including a 4 point TR), Aidan Collins 9+4 (6), Ritchie Hawkins 8+1 (6), Steve Boxall 5 (5), James Wright 3 (4), Richie Dennis 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 7 June



The one Premier League match raced tonight was at King’s Lynn where the Stars were at home to Workington.



Premier League: King’s Lynn 63, Workington 30 .


King’s Lynn were at full strength for this match while Workington were again without Paul Thorp and used Rider Replacement for him at number 2. However Tomasz Piszcz returned to the side following his absence last night on the Isle of Wight. Richie Dennis again deputised for Lee Derbyshire at number 6.

Just as happened last night on the Isle of Wight, Workington found themselves 10 points down after the opening three heats. James Wright rounded Trevor Harding in heat 1 to finish second to Daniel Nermark with Trevor Harding third for a home 4-2 then the Stars hit home two consecutive 5-1s. While Chris Mills won the reserves race comfortably, Aidan Collins and Richie Dennis worked their way into second and third places only for John Oliver to pass them both to join his partner for a maximum heat win. Troy Batchelor and Kevin Doolan added another 5-1 in heat 3 but heat 4 was shared when John Oliver came to a halt leaving Garry Stead to unsuccessfully chase Tomas Topinka with Aidan Collins third to take the score after the opening four races to 17-7.

Heat 5 produced another 5-1 for King’s Lynn’s middle pairing, this time with Kevin Doolan winning from Troy Batchelor as James Wright brought up the rear. 14 points adrift already, Workington gave a TR to Garry Stead in heat 6. In the first running of the race Garry Stead fell heavily in a first bend crash which resulted in an ‘all four back’ rerun and a sore foot for Daniel Nermark. Unfortunately Garry Stead had to pull out of the meeting with concussion and his place in this heat was taken by reserve, Aidan Collins, who also took over the TR role. The result was a comfortable 5-1 for King’s Lynn and another huge home win seemed to be looming with Workington reduced to three main riders and two reserves. Tomasz Piszcz led heat 7 from the gate and it took until the third lap before Tomas Topinka passed him. Meanwhile behind this pair John Oliver passed Ritchie Hawkins on the first lap then eventually caught and passed Tomasz Piszcz on the line as the Stars hit home yet another 5-1, their third on the trot and fifth of the meeting to that point. In heat 8 the fast gating Tomasz Piszcz took the Comets’ second TR. At last the Comets tasted some success. Tomasz Piszcz led from the tapes and Chris Mills trying to pass on the outside fell on the final bend. With Trevor Harding and Aidan Collins following Piszcz home the result was a 2-7 to Workington which took the score to 34-17.

Doolan and Batchelor continued rattling up 5-1s in heat 9 with the two Comets reserves at the back to increase the home side’s lead to 21 points. In heat 10 another fast start from Tomasz Piszcz was enough to see off Daniel Nermark but Trevor Harding was third so the heat was shared. Chris Mills and Tomas Topinka ran up King’s Lynn’s seventh 5-1 in heat 11 with James Wright third then Ritchie Dennis and John Oliver had an exciting battle in heat 12 with Dennis beating Oliver. However it was for second place as Troy Batchelor remained unbeaten at the front while Ritchie Hawkins had yet to beat an opponent at the back. The 4-2 took the score after twelve races to 51-24.

In heat 13 King’s Lynn looked favourites to score another 5-1 but this time James Wright gave chase to Chris Mills, replacing Daniel Nermark, in second place and passed him on the run for the line to take second place behind Tomas Topinka and a 4-2 which meant that Workington needed four points from the last two heats to reach the 30 point mark. They all but guaranteed it though by sharing heat 14. Tomasz Piszcz again made the start and led until two bends from home when Kevin Doolan passed him to win the race. Aidan Collins had already passed Chris Mills at the end of the first lap so the race resulted in a 3-3. The final race saw Kevin Doolan and Tomas Topinka both complete paid maximums as they ran up the Stars’ eighth 5-1 heat win ahead of James Wright and Tomasz Piszcz.


Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Kevin Doolan 13+2 (5)(paid maximum), Troy Batchelor 10+2 (4)(paid maximum), Daniel Nermark 8 (3), Chris Mills 7 (5), Trevor Harding 6+2 (4), John Oliver 5+2(4).

For Workington – Tomasz Piszcz 12 (6)(including a 6 point TR), James Wright 7 (5), Aidan Collins 6+2 (7), Garry Stead 2 (1), Richie Dennis 2 (6), Ritchie Hawkins 1 (5).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 8 June

There were two matches raced tonight. At Redcar the Bears raced Edinburgh in a Premier League match while at Sheffield the Tigers took on Stoke in a Premier Trophy meeting.


Premier League: Redcar 56, Edinburgh 38


Redcar were at full strength for this match but.. Edinburgh were missing William Lawson and used Rider Replacement at number 4. They nominated Adam Roynon as their number 8.

After scraping home by a single point in the Premier Trophy match against Edinburgh, Redcar must have expected a hard match but in truth this was every bit as comfortable for the Bears as the score suggest as Edinburgh were simply woeful producing only three race winners all match.

In the opening race Gary Havelock got the better of Henrik Moller on the first turn then down the back straight Mathieu Tresarrieu cruised past Theo Pijper into third place with the heat ending as a 4-2 for the home side. Edinburgh’s real problems started in heat 2 when Derek Sneddon fell heavily on the third bend landing on the leg he broke three years ago. There was some concern as he was removed from the track by ambulance but, fortunately, no serious damage was done and he was able to take his place in later races. In the rerun Jack Hargreaves and Daniel Giffard saw off the early challenge of Sean Stoddart for the first of four 5-1s the Bears registered in a five heat spell. Kevin Little and Tomas Suchanek gated well in heat 3 to head Matthew Wethers home with R/R Theo Pijper tailed off at the back for another 5-1. Then the impressive Daniel Giffard and Chris Kerr gated from Rusty Harrison for a third successive 5-1 which had the Bears 19-5 ahead after only four races. It was subsequently announced that Daniel Giffard had withdrawn from the meeting suffering from dizziness and nausea. This was a shock since he had looked in sensational form in both of his races.

Henrik Moller took a TR in heat 5 but it was a tall order for him to come from gate 4 to challenge the fast starting Tomas Suchanek so he finished second as Theo Pijper picked up a point by beating Kevin Little. This provided some relief for the beleaguered visitors as they scored a 3-5 to cut the gap to 12 points. It was increased to 16 though after heat 6 when Gary Havelock and Mathieu Tressarieu worked to the front ahead of Rusty Harrison for another 5-1. In heat 7 Matthew Wethers became Edinburgh’s first race winner when he made the start from Chris Kerr and held off the American’s challenge for all four laps. The Monarchs’ number eight Adam Roynon was given the R/R ride and almost joined Wethers up front but had to settle for an excellent third place ahead of Jack Hargreaves. This gave Edinburgh a 2-4 and, in an effort to claw more points back, they gave Theo Pijper a TR in heat 8. Mathieu Tressarieu was never challenged in winning the heat and Theo Pijper scored four points by beating Hargreaves and Sneddon for a 4-4 which took the score after eight races to 33-19.

Rusty Harrison produced an excellent ride in heat 9 to come round both Kevin Little and then Tomas Suchanek to win the race for a share of the points but Redcar scored another 5-1 in heat 10. Mathieu Tresarrieu produced another excellent ride to win the race as Gary Havelock slotted in behind him to head home Adam Roynon increasing the home side’s lead to 18 points. In heat 11 though Edinburgh retaliated with their own 5-1 in what was the race of the match. Theo Pijper made the gate with Henrik Moller behind him. Chris Kerr challenged Moller hard and each time dived under the young Dane on the first bend to move into second. Moller however kept his nerve and rode the wider dirt line to keep retaking the lead on the back straight through the narrowest of gaps. This continued until Moller finally pulled clear on the last lap to clinch the 1-5. In heat 12 there was a nasty accident on the first turn when Matthew Wethers was shunted into the fence as Sneddon and Suchanek fought it out for the lead. He twisted his knee which was trapped under the fence and it took some time to get him clear. After limping and hobbling into the ambulance for the lift back to the pits it was a surprise to see him take his place in the ‘all three back’ rerun. There had been only three starters in the race because of Daniel Giffard’s absence and the need to satisfy the minimum three-ride rule. Suchanek won the rerun for a shared heat and the score after twelve races was 45-31.

Gary Havelock made the gate in heat 13 to head home Henrik Moller and Chris Kerr for a 4-2 then heat 14 was shared. Jack Hargreaves made a blistering start and, try as he did, Matthew Wethers could not catch him. Behind Kevin Little was passed by Sean Stoddart for third place and a 3-3. In the last heat Henrik Moller made the start from Gary Havelock and led the former World Champion for a couple of laps before Havelock swooped round the outside to complete his paid maximum. Moller finished second ahead of Tomas Suchanek with Theo Pijper trailing home last. The 4-2 increased the Bears’ lead to 18 points and they will consider themselves well placed for the bonus point in the return match next month.


Scorers: For Redcar – Gary Havelock 14+1 (5), Tomas Suchanek 11+1 (5), Mathieu Tresarrieu 9+1 (4), Jack Hargreaves 7 (5), Chris Kerr 6+1 (4), Daniel Giffard 5+1 (2), Kevin Little 4+1 (4).

For Edinburgh – Henrik Moller 12+1 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Theo Pijper 8+1 (6)(including a 4 point TR), Matthew Wethers 8, Rusty Harrison 5 (4), Sean Stoddart 2+1 (4), Adam Roynon 2 (2), Derek Sneddon 1+1 (4).



Premier Trophy: Sheffield 57, Stoke 38 . Sheffield won the bonus point on aggregate by 99-86


Sheffield were at full strength for this match but . Stoke were without Paul Clews who was injured in the final heat of the match against Berwick last Sunday. They used Rider Replacement for him at number 3.

Sheffield needed to win this match by more than six points to clinch second spot in the section and qualify for the semi-final of the Premier Trophy where they will race against Rye House. This they did with something to spare as Stoke managed only two heat winners all match.

The match opened with the usual 5-1 from Ashworth and Wilson, although Stoke’s cause wasn’t helped by an engine failure for Mark Lemon, but heat 2 was shared when Benji Compton fell on the second lap. Paul Cooper won for the Tigers and a 3-3 then heat 3 was shared, too. Kyle Legault was the race winner as Robbie Kessler and Trent Leverington finished ahead of Emiliano Sanchez. Alan Mogridge had just taken the lead in heat 4 by passing Benji Compton but locked up causing both Compton brothers to fall. Mogridge was excluded from the rerun which Sheffield took with a 5-1 to take the lead after four races to 16-8.

Mark Lemon raced clear to win heat 5 while Emiliano Sanchez passed Trent Leverington and Kyle Legault for second place and a shared heat. The Wilson/Ashworth combine produced another 5-1 in heat 7 after a hard first bend from Ben Wilson on Alan Mogridge and Andre Compton and Paul Cooper added another in heat 7 but only after second-placed Robbie Kessler had pulled up on the second lap claiming to have seen a red light. Ben Wilson won heat 8 while Trent Leverington came from the back to pass Benji Compton and then Luke Priest for second place and a shared race taking the score after eight races to 32-16.

Heat 9 saw a thrilling race between Kyle Legault and Alan Mogridge with the riders passing and repassing each other before Legault got the better of the Stoke man. Sanchez was third for a 4-2 which put the Tigers 18 ahead. Ricky Ashworth had an engine failure in heat 10 so Ben Wilson’s win was only for a shared heat then in heat 11 Stoke finally gave a TR to Mark Lemon. Andre Compton won the race but Mark Lemon finished second with Paul Cooper third after holding off a strong challenge from Trent Leverington for a 4-4. Emiliano Sanchez won heat 12 from Luke Priest with Benji Compton third for a 4-2 which took the score to 47-27.

Ricky Ashworth had another engine failure in heat 13 won by Andre Compton after a titanic battle with Mark Lemon with Alan Mogridge third for a 3-3. Stoke finally enjoyed a heat advantage in heat 14 when Robbie Kessler won while on a TR from Legault and Cooper for a 3-6 and in the last heat Andre Wilson got up to pass early race leader Mark lemon while at the back Ben Wilson likewise passed Robbie Kessler for a 4-2 heat win.


Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Ben Wilson 12+1 (5), Kyle Legault 9+1 (4), Paul Cooper 7+2 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 6 (4), Ricky Ashworth 5+1 (4), Benji Compton 4 (4).

For Stoke – Mark Lemon 11 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Robbie Kessler 10 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Luke Priest 7+2 (6), Alan Mogridge 4+1 (4), Trent Leverington 4 (5), Barrie Evans 2+1 (5).

[Merlin]

Friday, 9 June

There were two Premier League matches raced tonight. At Edinburgh the Monarchs raced King’s Lynn while at Somerset the Rebels took on the Isle of Wight.


Premier League: Edinburgh 45, King’s Lynn 45


Edinburgh were without William Lawson and used R/R for him at number 4. King’s Lynn were without Daniel Nermark and used Rider Replacement instead at number 1..

This match was nearly fogged off as the mists descended at Armadale. Perhaps that was Edinburgh’s best chance of a win. They led from the opening heat till heat 15 but with only three race winners all night it was a rearguard action all the way. King’s Lynn will be kicking themselves for dropping a point with such domination at the front with all their riders except John Oliver winning races.

The Monarchs got off to a 5-1 start. Henrik Moller made a good start and Theo Pijper joined him up front off the second bend to deny Kevin Doolan who was taking the R/R ride. Chris Mills rocketed out of the gate in heat 2 and his main challenger was Sean Stoddart who pressed him all the way. Derek Sneddon was third for a shared heat. Kevin Doolan shot from the start in heat 3 leaving Theo Pijper (R/R) and Troy Batchelor in his wake. Matthew Wethers passed Batchelor for third place so this heat was shared too. Heat 4 was a disaster for Edinburgh. Chris Mills made another lightning gate chased by Rusty Harrison. However Tomas Topinka passed Harrison who then fell on the second bend, second lap trying too hard. The race was stopped and awarded as a 1-5 to the Stars which levelled the match at 15-15.

In heat 5 Trevor Harding shot from the tapes to win the race from Sneddon and Wethers for a shared heat but in heat 6 Edinburgh moved two points ahead. Henrik Moller made another good start and again Theo Pijper worked his way into second behind chased by Tomas Topinka. It was clear that Topinka’s challenge on Pijper was coming round the boards and, although he was making up ground on the Edinburgh man, Pijper made no move to stop his outside run so was easily passed. However Moller made no such mistake and, as Topinka made a last ditch run round the outside to catch him, he moved out to block the run and won the heat. The result was a 4-2 to the Monarchs. Kevin Doolan raced from the tapes to win heat 7 ‘by a mile’. However Sean Stoddart and Rusty Harrison were unchallenged in second and third places as Troy Batchelor finished at the back for a shared race. Edinburgh increased their lead to six points in heat 8 when Derek Sneddon made a good gate and was joined up front by Theo Pijper. Pijper won the race and the 5-1 gave the home side some breathing space as the score was now 27-21.

Tomas Topinka won heat 9 comfortably but Wethers and Sneddon filled the minor places for a shared race. In heat 10 Kevin Doolan and Henrik Moller made the start but Doolan ran Moller so wide on the second bend that he had to shut off to avoid hitting the fence. This allowed Theo Pijper and Chris Mills to move into second and third places respectively but Moller recovered to pass Mills so this race was shared too. King’s Lynn pulled back two points in heat 11 though when Tomas Topinka won the race from Rusty Harrison who was much more on the pace but Trevor Harding saw off the early challenge of Sean Stoddart for third place. This gave King’s Lynn a 2-4 to cut the gap to 4 points. They cut it again to two points in heat 12 when, all of a sudden, Troy Batchelor without a point to his name suddenly shot from the tapes for an unchallenged win. With Chris Mills also gating well Edinburgh were staring down the barrel of a 1-5 but Matthew Wethers reeled in Mills then passed him in fine style to limit the damage to a 2-4 which took the score to 37-35 with two heats to go.

Tomas Topinka was fast away in heat 13 and, although Rusty Harrison did his best to catch him he had to be content with third place ahead of Henrik Moller whose third place point shared the race. Still two points behind Kevin Doolan rocketed from the start again to win heat 14 from Wethers and Sneddon as Chris Mills fell on the first bend. This shared heat meant that King’s Lynn needed a 1-5 from the last race to win the match. There are few who would have bet against them getting it too as their nominated riders, Kevin Doolan and Tomas Topinka had already taken seven heat wins between them. Tomas Topinka was up and away from the tapes but Theo Pijper rode a good inside line to hit the second bend ahead of Kevin Doolan as Henrik Moller experienced some ignition problems at the back. The race finished that way and the 2-4 completed the Stars comeback to earn them a draw.


Scorers: For Edinburgh – Theo Pijper 12+2 (6), Derek Sneddon 8+4 (7), Henrik Moller 8+2 (5), Matthew Wethers 8+2 (5), Rusty Harrison 5+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 4 (3).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 16+1 (6), Kevin Doolan 14 (6), Chris Mills 8 (7), Trevor Harding 4 (4), Troy Batchelor 3 (4), John Oliver 0 (3).



Premier League: Somerset 54, Isle of Wight 42 .


Somerset were without Paul Fry and used Rider Replacement at number 4. The Isle of Wight were at full strength.

At present no further details are available on this match.


Scorers: For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 14, Glenn Cunningham 13+1, Simon Walker 10, Glen Phillips 7, Stephan Katt 6+2, Ben Barker 4+2

For The Isle of Wight – Chris Holder 16, Jason Doyle 8, Krzysztof Stojanowski 6+1, Jason Bunyan 6, Krister Marsh 3, Chris Johnson 2+1, Nick Simmons 1.

[Merlin]

Saturday, 10 June

There was a full Saturday night programme of three Premier League matches and a Premier Trophy match raced tonight. At Berwick the Bandits faced King’s Lynn while at Mildenhall the Fen Tigers took on Newcastle . The third match was at Stoke where the Potters raced against Glasgow in a Premier Trophy match. Finally at Workington the Comets had Somerset as their visitors.


Premier League: Berwick 46, King’s Lynn 51


Berwick were at full strength but King’s Lynn were without the injured Daniel Nermark and used R/R at number 1 instead..

When you can only manage two race winners all match there isn’t much hope of victory and that was the case at Berwick tonight where King’s Lynn won with ease. A collection of 2-4s and a couple of drawn heats saw the Stars ease into a 10 point lead after 7 races. Berwick then took a 5-3 advantage with the use of a TR for Craig Branney in heat 8 to pull two points back but normal service was resumed until another 5-3 went Berwick’s way in heat 12 this time with Michal Makovsky taking a TS ride from 15 metres back taking the score to 33-43.

There was a mild flutter in the visitors’ ranks when Stanislaw Burza won heat 13 on a TR with Bergstrom third for a 7-2 but two shared races saw the Stars home in style. Tomas Topinka and Kevin Doolan did most of the damage with nine race wins between them aided by Troy Batchelor and Chris Mills who also won a couple of races each.

Scorers: For Berwick – Stanislaw Burza 15 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Michal Makovsky 12+2 (6)(including a 4 point TS), Craig Branney 10+2 (6)(including a 4 point TR), Andreas Bergstrom 7 (4), David Meldrum 1+1 (3), Daniel Warwick 1+1 (3).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 17 (6), Kevin Doolan 13+1 (6), Troy Batchelor 10 (5), Chris Mills 7 (5), Trevor Harding 3 (5), John Oliver 1 (3).




Premier League: Mildenhall 51, Newcastle 41


Mildenhall had to field a patched up side for this match. They were without both the Kings – Daniel and Jason – and had new signing Brent Werner at number 4. They used R/R for Daniel King at number 3 and had Newport reserve, Joel Parsons, as a guest at number 4. Newcastle by contrast were at full strength.

This match looked like it would go down to the wire with only one point between the teams after 8 heats but Newcastle, who actually led 12-17 after heat 5, drifted out of it in the second half and only a 2-7 thanks to a winning TR from Josef Franc in heat 13 (of all heats) put a better gloss on the final score. Once again Jon Armstrong demonstrated how ridiculous the reserve rules are by taking seven races losing only twice, once to James Grieves and once to Christian Henry. The 5-1 James Grieves conceded to Joel Parsons and Jon Armstrong in heat 14 could yet prove expensive when the teams meet tomorrow at Newcastle with the bonus point at stake.


Scorers: For Mildenhall – Jon Armstrong 18+1 (7), Jason Lyons 13 (5), Brent Werner 9+2 (6), James Brundle 4+1 (5), Joel Parsons 4 (4), Barry Burchatt 3 (3).

For Newcastle – Josef Franc 11+1 (5)(including a 6 point TR), George Stancl 10 (5), Christian Henry 7+1 (4), James Grieves 7 (4), Manuel Hauzinger 3+1 (4), Jaimie Robertson 2 (4), Adam McKinna 1+1 (4).



Premier Trophy: Stoke 44, Glasgow 51 . Glasgow won the bonus point on aggregate by 107-80


Stoke were without Paul Clews who was out injured and used R/R at number 3 instead. Glasgow were at full strength.

This was ridiculously easy for Glasgow as they blew Stoke away after sharing the opening three heats. There was nothing at stake in this match as the section qualifiers were already determined but Stoke managed only three race winners all match as the Tigers dominated the meting from heat 4 onwards. Only a 7-2, thanks to a successful TR from Robbie Kessler in heat 14, made the score look closer than it was.

The malaise in the Stoke ranks even seemed to spread to Mark Lemon who was twice beaten by Glasgow reserve, Robert Ksiezak. For Ksiezak it was a personal triumph as he rattled up four race wins in his 14 point tally overshadowing Stoke’s reserve, Barrie Evans, who hit 12+2 from his seven rides.

Stoke must be concerned at the continuing low scores from Alan Mogridge whose only points came at the expense of Lee Dicken and David McAllan. All of the Glasgow riders, except Lee Dicken, had at least one race win or paid race win.

Two 1-5s and a 2-4 in the first eight races resulted in Glasgow storming into a ten point lead following which they were never seriously threatened.


Scorers: For Stoke – Robbie Kessler 14 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Barrie Evans 12+2 (7)(including a 4 point TR), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Trent Leverington 4+2 (5), Alan Mogridge 3+1 (4), Luke Priest 2+1 (4).

For Glasgow – Robert Ksiezak 14 (6), Danny Bird 13+1 (5), Shane Parker 8+1 (4), Kauko Nieminen 7 (4), James Cockle 5+1 (4), David McAllan 3 (4), Lee Dicken 1 (3).



Premier League: Workington 48, Somerset 45 . Somerset won the bonus point on aggregate by 95-84.


Workington were without James Wright, on duty abroad, and Paul Thorp out injured. They used R/R for Thorp and had Rusty Harrison as a guest for James Wright at number 1. Somerset were without broken leg victim Paul Fry and used R/R for him at number 4.

After a storming start by Somerset which saw them take a six point lead after a 2-4 in heat 1 and 1-5 in heat two, it looked like Workington were in for a real struggle. That’s the way that it worked out on a dry and very dusty Derwent Park circuit.

The Comets clawed their way back to build up a ten point lead after heat 9 but a successful 6 point TR in heat 10 for Glenn Cunningham resulted in a 2-7 which brought the Rebels back into contention at 34-29. A 2-4 in heat 11 meant that there were only three points between the teams after heat 11 at 36-33.

Another 2-4 in heat 13 left just one point in it at 41-40 but a 4-2 in heat 14 gave Workington a three point lead leading to a last heat decider with the Rebels needing a 1-5 for victory. Although Magnus Zetterstrom won the race, Glenn Cunningham was relegated to the back by the Ritchie Hawkins and Tomasz Piszcz for a shared race and the home side breathed a sigh of relief.


Scorers: For Workington – Tomas Piszcz 12+3 (6), Ritchie Hawkins 12 (6), Garry Stead 10 (5), Aidan Collins 9 (6), Rusty Harrison 5 (4), John Branney 0 (3).

For Somerset – Glenn Cunningham 15 (6)(including a 6 point TR), Magnus Zetterstrom 12 (5), Stephan Katt 7 (5), Simon Walker 6 (5), Ben Barker 3 (4), Glen Phillips 2 (5).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 11 June

There were three Premier League matches raced today. At Newport the Wasps raced the Isle of Wight while at Glasgow the Tigers took on Somerset . The third match was at Newcastle where the Diamonds raced against Mildenhall



Premier League: Newport 47, Isle of Wight 43


Newport were without Craig Watson, Neil Collins and Carl Wilkinson, their entire heat leader trio. They patched up the side by using Mark Lemon as a guest for Craig Watson at number 1, R/R at number 5 for Carl Wilkinson and Elite League reserve, Phil Morris, at number 3 as a guest for Neil Collins The Isle of Wight were without Chris Holder riding abroad and used R/R at number 5. After heat 4 they were also without Jason Bunyan who broke his collarbone in a crash so had to soldier on with five riders.

This looked like being a close run match but the Islanders lost Jason Bunyan with a broken collarbone in a heat 4 crash to leave them without their top two average men. Even so they only finished four points in arrears helped by a last heat 1-5 from Doyle and Stojanowski.

It was a brave rearguard action by the Isle of Wight and the scores were still tied at 24-24 after eight heats. With their resources stretched to the limit they conceded a 1-5 and two 2-4s in the next three heats from which they never recovered.

The Wasps all contributed to their victory and Billy Legg’s win in heat 12 turned out to be vital in the final analysis. After a couple of third places, Krzysztof Stojanowski kept the visitors’ hopes alive by dropping only one point in his next four rides. Jason Doyle chipped in with three heat wins and their two reserves, Chris Johnson and Nick Simmons added 14+3 between them.

Scorers: For Newport – Tony Atkin 12+1 (5), Mark Lemon 12 (6), Chris Schramm 10 (6), Phil Morris 7+3 (5), Joel Parsons 3+1 (4), Billy Legg 3 (4).

For the Isle of Wight – Krzysztof Stojanowski 12+2 (6), Jason Doyle 11 (6), Nick Simmons 7+2 (6), Chris Johnson 7+1 (6), Krister Marsh 4+1 (5), Jason Bunyan 2 (1).



Premier League: Glasgow 50, Somerset 40


Glasgow were at full strength while Somerset used R/R at number 4 for Paul Fry..

Glasgow got an early shock in this match when Somerset took 1-5s in heats 1 and 4 at the expense of Danny Bird and Shane Parker and led 12-18 after 5 races. However Glasgow had squared the match two races later and led by four points with three races to go.

Successive 5-1s in heat 13 and 14 finished the Rebels’ chances. Magnus Zetterstrom took a Tactical Substitute ride in heat 14 but there was a suspicion that the Rebels’ management had made an error by substituting Stephan Katt rather than Ben Barker. In the race for second place Robert Ksiezak was given a tight verdict on the line turning a potential 4-4 into a 5-1 otherwise the margin of victory would have been smaller.

Glasgow were hampered by machine problems for Shane Parker and an off colour display by James Cockle but, again, Robert Ksiezak made a telling contribution to the victory. David McAllan yet again rescued an indifferent display by winning heat 8 which seems to be his trademark these days both home and away. The Rebels relied heavily on Zetterstrom and Cunningham but all the rest contributed to the team total.


Scorers: For Glasgow – Danny Bird 11+1 (5), Kauko Nieminen 11 (5), Robert Ksiezak 10+2 (5), Shane Parker 9+1 (4), David McAllan 4 (4), Lee Dicken 3+1 (3), James Cockle 2 (4).

For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 13 (6), Glenn Cunningham 10 (6), Stephan Katt 5+1 (4), Glen Phillips 5+1 (5), Ben Barker 5+1 (5), Simon Walker 2+2 (4).



Premier League: Newcastle 48, Mildenhall 42 . Mildenhall won the bonus point on aggregate by 93-89


Newcastle were at full strength but Mildenhall used R/R for Daniel King at number 3 and had Berwick reserve, Craig Branney at number 4 for the missing Jason King..

With nine race winners to their credit a patched up Mildenhall team put up stiff resistance against Newcastle to lose by six points but take the bonus point. They certainly found a useful guest in Craig Branney who had two heat wins and two second places, a performance the rider he replaced, Jason King, would have been hard pushed to equal. With the immaculate Jason Lyons going through the card and Jon Armstrong producing another double point return it was hard work for the home side who weren’t helped by George Stancl’s machine problems.

There was an unfortunate accident when Brent Werner’s bike lifted in heat 4 and crashed into Barry Burchatt. The young Fen Tiger was taken to hospital for X-rays suffering from a sore back. There was also a suggestion that Newcastle would protest about Jon Armstrong being allowed to ride in heat 6 after he had already been withdrawn from the race and replaced by Barry Burchatt. When Burchatt was unable to take his place Armstrong was allowed back in as the reserve replacement (anyone got a rule book?). Jon Armstrong then won the race for a 3-3.

Newcastle’s trump card was Manuel Hauzinger who dropped only one point (to Jason Lyons) in his four races.

Scorers: For Newcastle – James Grieves 10+1 (5), Manuel Hauzinger 9+2 (4), Josef Franc 9+2 (5), Christian Henry 9+1 (4), Jaimie Robertson 5+1 (4), George Stancl 3+1 (4), Adam McKinna 3+1 (4).

For Mildenhall – Jason Lyons 15 (5)(full maximum), Jon Armstrong 10+1 (7), Craig Branney 10+1 (7), Brent Werner 5+1 (5), James Brundle 2+1 (5), Barry Burchatt 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 13 June



Tonight’s sole Premier League match on the Isle of Wight saw the Islanders take on Stoke.



Premier League: Isle of Wight 60, Stoke 32 .


Both sides were under strength using Rider Replacement for injured riders. The Isle of Wight were without Jason Bunyan who broke his collarbone in a crash at Newport on Sunday while Stoke were missing Paul Clews who was still recovering from a horror crash in the last heat of Stoke’s home match against Berwick just over a week ago. The Isle of Wight used R/R at number 5 and Stoke at number 4.

Stoke probably had an inkling that this wasn’t going to be their night when they lost 5-1s in the opening two races and it didn’t help when Robbie Kessler had an engine failure in heat 3 to turn a probable shared race into a 4-2 for the home side. Alan Mogridge’s second place behind Chris Holder (R/R) in heat 4 produced another two points for the visitors once Nick Simmons had passed Luke Priest for third. After four races the score was 18-6 and a hard night was in store for the Potters.

Immediately Stoke gave Mark Lemon a TR in heat 5 but, although he led for two laps, Krzysztof Stojanowski passed him and they could only share the heat 4-4. Another 5-1 from Chris Holder and Jason Doyle in heat 6 was significant because it set a new track record for Holder of 67.6. It didn’t help Stoke’s cause much though and the Potters then missed the opportunity to give Robbie Kessler a TR in heat 7 when Krister Marsh took the TR to partner reserve, Chris Johnson. Kessler won the heat to share the points. Nick Simmons fell in heat 8 causing the race to be rerun without him so Stoke managed another shared race with Jason Doyle the winner taking the score to 33-17.

Heat 9 looked like producing Stoke’s first heat advantage but race leader Alan Mogridge’s engine failure turned a 2-4 into a 4-2. Another Holder/Doyle 5-1 in heat 10, after Robbie Kessler had led for two laps, increased the Islanders’ lead to 22 points but Mark Lemon beat Stojanowski to win heat 11 for a 3-3 before Krister Marsh’s win in heat 12 resulted in a 4-2 and a score of 49-25.

Heat 13 produced a major surprise as new track record holder, Chris Holder, was relegated to last place behind Alan Mogridge and Mark Lemon who did well to keep him there. Jason Doyle, now the only unbeaten rider in the home ranks, won the race though so the points were shared. As usual, Stoke saved Robbie Kessler’s TR until heat 14 but it proved to be a disaster. Krzysztof Stojanowski won the race but the real battle was for second place between Kessler and the Isle of Wight reserve, Chris Johnson. After a titanic struggle, Johnson passed Kessler for second place nullifying the TR by producing a 5-1 for the home side. Finally Mark Lemon ended Jason Doyle’s unbeaten run by winning the race from Doyle and Krzysztof Stojanowski for a last heat 3-3 which gives the Islanders a 28 point lead to take to Stoke later in the season when the bonus point is at stake.


Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Krzysztof Stojanowski 15+1 (6), Jason Doyle 14+3 (6), Chris Holder 12 (5), Chris Johnson 8+3 (5), Krister Marsh 8 (5), Nick Simmons 3+1 (3).

For Stoke – Mark Lemon 11+1 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Alan Mogridge 5 (4), Trent Leverington 5 (5), Robbie Kessler 5 (5), Luke Priest 5 (6), Barrie Evans 1+1 (5).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 14 June



The usual Wednesday night match at King’s Lynn was for three Premier League points as the Stars were at home to Sheffield.



Premier League: King’s Lynn 62, Sheffield 33 . King’s Lynn won the bonus point on aggregate by 107-78.


With Daniel Nermark returning to the side after missing the Stars’ weekend matches at Edinburgh and Berwick with a foot injury he suffered in a clash with Garry Stead last Wednesday night, King’s Lynn were at full strength for this match. Sheffield were without reserve, Benji Compton, who was out injured and they had Mark Thompson as a guest at number 7.

King’s Lynn, in a rich vein of form at present after taking three points on the road with a draw at Edinburgh and victory at Berwick, were looking for all three points up for grabs in this match following their draw at Sheffield two weeks ago. There was never any doubt that they would get them after a blistering start which saw them win all of the first five races for a 16 point advantage. Once again King’s Lynn produced another massive home win. In fact, you have to go back to Aril 26 to find the last time the Stars failed to hit the 60 point mark in a match at Saddlebow Road.

The opening races weren’t without incident though. Ashworth and Wilson were fast away for Sheffield in the opening heat but both were passed by Daniel Nermark and Trevor Harding to give the Stars the perfect start. John Oliver passed Mark Thompson in heat 2 to join Chris Mills for another 5-1 then Doolan and Batchelor added another in the third heat after Kyle Legault had made a good start for the Tigers. Topinka and Compton clashed on the first bend of heat 4 causing Topinka to fall and Oliver to lay his bike down causing a rerun with ‘all four back’. Tomas Topinka won the rerun after a passing and repassing bout with Andre Compton for a 4-2 taking the score to 19-5.

It took three starts before heat 5 was completed. The first attempt was pulled back after an unsatisfactory start which resulted in a warning for Kevin Doolan for moving. Then, in the second attempt, Ricky Ashworth was excluded for unfair riding after diving hard under Troy Batchelor. At the third time of asking, Ben Wilson was fast away but was soon passed by Kevin Doolan. Wilson did keep Troy Batchelor at bay for a 4-2 then Sheffield gave a TR to Andre Compton in heat 6. Compton won comfortably from Nermark and Harding for a 3-6 almost doubling the Tigers’ score in one fell swoop then Sheffield shared heat 7. Topinka won the race but Sanchez and Legault had no difficulty keeping Chris Mills at the back. In heat 8 it was Ben Wilson’s turn to take a TR for the visitors. He led briefly but was passed by Trevor Harding. Since John Oliver dropped out with an engine failure at the start the Tigers took a 3-5 by finishing second and third which took the score to 32-21.

In heat 9 Doolan and Batchelor produced another 5-1 in spite of the efforts of Andre Compton and Nermark and Harding added another in heat 10. Tomas Topinka won heat 11 from Ricky Ashworth but Sheffield’s hopes of a shared race disappeared when Chris Mills passed Ben Wilson for third place and a 4-2. However, a fine win for Kyle Legault from Troy Batchelor added three points to the Sheffield total in heat 12 which made the score 49-28.

Andre Compton was on the wrong end of another 5-1 in heat 13 as Nermark and Topinka headed him home but heat 14 was shared. Kevin Doolan continued his unbeaten run by beating Emiliano Sanchez but Chris Mills fell trying to round Sanchez so Mark Thompson picked up his third point of the match. Kevin Doolan and Tomas Topinka completed their maximums in heat 15 in another 5-1 although Topinka had some work to do to finish second only passing Kyle Legault on the last lap.


Scorers: For King's Lynn – Kevin Doolan 15 (5)(full maximum), Tomas Topinka 13+2 (5)(paid maximum), Daniel Nermark 11 (4), Trevor Harding 8+3 (4), Troy Batchelor 7+2 (4), John Oliver 4+1 (4), Chris Mills 4 (4).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 10 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Kyle Legault 7+1 (5), Ben Wilson 7 (4)(including a 4 point TR), Emiliano Sanchez 4 (4), Mark Thompson 3+2 (4), Ricky Ashworth 2 (4), Paul Cooper 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 15 June



With Sheffield giving up their race night to stage a ‘Top Gun’ Individual for the sports up and coming young stars of tomorrow at Owlerton the only Premier League match raced tonight was at Redcar where the Bears were at home to Glasgow.



Premier League: Redcar 59, Glasgow 36.


With Daniel Giffard back in the side, following his illness in the pits last week as a result of sunstroke, Redcar were at full strength for this match as were Glasgow

With Redcar beginning to gel and now hitting top form round their new track and in-form Glasgow keen to improve on their two point defeat on a rain soaked track in their Premier Trophy match, this meeting had the makings of a close encounter but it didn’t quite work out that way. Redcar made it a double Scotch! After beating Edinburgh by 18 points last week the Bears turned in another impressive display to beat their Glasgow rivals by 23 points tonight.

The teams exchanged 4-2s in the opening two heats. Danny Bird held off the challenge of Gary Havelock in the first heat while Jack Hargreaves won the reserves race from Robert Ksiezak as James C.ockle fell trying an outside line drive. Heat 3 took three attempts to complete. At the first attempt, Kauko Nieminen got no further than the first two bends before falling and being excluded. The second attempt was pulled back for an unsatisfactory start then, at the third attempt, Redcar scored a 5-1. Tomas Suchanek made the start but Lee D.icken looked like taking second place until he drifted on the second bend of lap three allowing Kevin Little through for maximum points. With the inside line dominant it was the two reserves who contested the lead from gates 1 and 2 in heat 4. James C.ockle, off gate 1, led for the opening lap but fell at the start of the second lap under pressure from Daniel Giffard who went on to win the heat from Shane Parker and a 4-2 which made the score 15-9 after the opening four heats.

In heat 5 Danny Bird gated and rode the inside line to win the race from Suchanek and Little for a share of the points but Redcar moved 10 points clear with another 5-1 in heat 6. This time it was Gary Havelock who made the gate and he was joined up front by Mathieu Tressarieu who passed Shane Parker on the third lap for the maximum. It was TR time for Glasgow and Kauko Nieminen wore the black and white helmet cover in heat 7 but, although he gated, he was passed by Chris Kerr on the back straight. Kerr went on to win the race while at the back, Jack Hargreaves fell so Lee D.icken’s third place point gave Glasgow a 3-5 cutting two points from the Bears’ lead. James C.ockle led heat 8 for a lap before failing to turn at the start of the second lap and colliding with the fence. Heat 8 specialist, David McAllan, led from the tapes but was passed by both Giffard and Tressarieu exiting the second bend and the Bears raced off to score another 5-1 to increase their lead to 12 points with the score reading 31-19.

Things got worse for Glasgow as they conceded yet another 5-1 in heat 9. This time it was Tomas Suchanek and Kevin Little who raced off for the maximum leaving Shane Parker looking down at his bike with some sort of machine problem. It was turning into a bit of a rout as heat 10 went the same way. Gary Havelock and Mathieu Tresarrieu scored another 5-1 to increase the Bears’ lead to 20 points before the unbeaten Danny Bird took Glasgow’s second TR in heat 11. He won the heat for a 3-6 pulling three points back while Chris Kerr came from the back to take second place. It was only a temporary respite, however, as Suchanek and Giffard added another maximum in heat 12 after Robert Ksiezak had made a good gate. This took the score after twelve races to 49-28.

Gary Havelock won heat 13 from Shane Parker and Danny Bird as, for once, Danny Bird did not make the gate then, in heat 14, Kauko Nieminen became the second Glasgow rider to win a race beating Kevin Little and Jack Hargreaves for another shared heat. In the last heat, Gary Havelock won again from Danny Bird while Tomas Suchanek passed Kauko Nieminen for third place and a 4-2 which gives Redcar a 23 point advantage for the bonus point up for grabs later in the season at Ashfield.


Scorers: For Redcar – Gary Havelock 14 (5), Tomas Suchanek 12 (5), Daniel Giffard 9+1 (4), Kevin Little 7+3 (4), Mathieu Tressarieu 6+3 (4), Chris Kerr 6 (4), Jack Hargreaves 5+2 (4).

For Glasgow – Danny Bird 15+1 (5)(including a 6 point TR), Kauko Nieminen 8 (5)(including a 4 point TR), Shane Parker 6 (4), Robert Ksiezak 3 (4), Lee D.icken 2+1 (4), David McAllan 2 (4), James C.ockle 0 (4).