Around the Premier League Tracks - 2007

[Nevs]

Make sure if you are an Exeter fan you mention tonights abandonment at every opportunity you can to any Workington fans you happen to bump into online in a friendly way.


Certain ones of them took extreme delight in taking the mickey for years when Exeter's floodlights failed in the Exeter Worky meeting and berated us big time for years.-and were still doing it last season.


Ah well what goes around comes around eventually ;D ;D

Oh did I enjoy reading that on live updates-better than the GP-already wound a couple up online


Stick another 50p in the meter Liz,Gary,Jill,Auntie

[mary]

I bet mr stonehewer didn't ride round with a torch strapped to his helmet taking the mickey

[Merlin]

Sunday, 29 April

All four Sunday tracks were in action this afternoon and evening with racing in three different tournaments. At Newport it was the second leg of the Knockout Cup tie against Birmingham while at Glasgow the Tigers completed their group matches in the Premier Trophy against Edinburgh . The third match was at Mildenhall this time back to the Knockout Cup with a first leg match against Rye House . The last match to get under way was at Newcastle where the Diamonds had Redcar as their visitors in the final group match in the Premier Trophy.

Knockout Cup (second leg): Newport 51, Birmingham 39 Newport went through on aggregate by 92-88


Newport tracked the same side which put up such stern resistance at Birmingham. This meant that they again used Rider Replacement for Nick Simmons at number 1. Birmingham were without Ulrich Ostergaard and used Rider Replacement instead. As a result of the new averages Ben Powell moved into the team at number 2, Aidan Collins went to number 4 with Emiliano Sanchez at number 5. Brent Werner dropped to reserve at number 7.

Newport shocked Birmingham at Perry Barr in the first leg by leading for a good part of the match but the 5-1 they conceded in the last heat was going to make this a difficult assignment for them. Birmingham must have been confident but would wonder which Brent Werner was going to turn up for them for this match. Well Newport didn’t find the eight point deficit too difficult to handle and it was a disappointing match for Brent Werner who had often excelled on the Newport track.

The opening heat went the visitors’ way. Ben Powell won it from Michal Rajkowski with Emiliano Sanchez third for a 2-4. Rajkowski, in for another busy meeting, won the reserves race but with Karl Mason last this race was shared. Jason Lyons won heat 3 from Phil Morris and Tony Atkin so this race was shared too and Birmingham’s aggregate lead stood at 10 points. However they lost four points of it when they conceded a 5-1 in heat 4. It was Michal Rajkowski again who won the race with his partner, Chris Schramm, following him home ahead of Brent Werner after Emiliano Sanchez had fallen. This took the score to 13-11 with the Brummies now six points up on aggregate.

The crowd then saw three races, none of which featured Rajkowski, and it showed in the scoring! Jason Lyons won heat 5 followed by Ben Powell from the Atkin/Morris pairing for a Birmingham 1-5 and the visitors added a 2-4 in heat 6, won by Emiliano Sanchez from Tom Hedley and Lee Smart. Unfortunately for the Wasps Chris Schramm had fallen on the last lap while leading the race. Birmingham were now four up in the match and twelve ahead on aggregate and Newport looked to be struggling as the tie slipped away from them. Things remained the same in heat 7 when Jason Lyons won again this time from Schramm and Mason after Aidan Collins had fallen. However it was now Rajkowski time again! Out he came again in heat 8 to win the race with his partner, Tom Hedley, in second place ahead of Brent Werner to level the match at 24-24.

In heat 9 Newport moved ahead again with a 4-2. Tony Atkin won the race from Emiliano Sanchez while Phil Morris picked up third place. Then in heat 10 Michal Rajkowski emerged again for another heat win this time beating Jason Lyons and Aidan Collins for a shared heat. Chris Schramm won heat 11 from Ben Powell and Brent Werner for another 3-3, the same score as in heat 12 when Jason Lyons got his revenge by beating Michal Rajkowski with Phil Morris third. The score was now 37-35 with Birmingham still six points to the good on aggregate and races running out for the Wasps.

But what a finish from Newport! They simply blew the Brummies away over the last three heats. Firstly in heat 13 Chris Schramm and Phil Morris took a 5-1 from Ben Powell and Emiliano Sanchez cutting the aggregate lead to only two points. Then the Wasps levelled the tie on aggregate with a 4-2 in heat 14 won by Michal Rajkowski from Aidan Collins with Tony Atkin third. This meant that the tie went down to a last heat decider with the teams level. Birmingham had the satisfaction of knowing that they would not have to face Rajkowski in heat 15 since he had already had seven rides but it was Chris Schramm and Phil Morris who came up with the goods instead by taking a 5-1 from Jason Lyons and Ben Powell for a four point aggregate win and a place in the next round.

Scorers: For Newport – Michal Rajkowski 19 (7), Chris Schramm 13+1 (6), Phil Morris 8+2 (6), Tony Atkin 6+1 (4), Tom Hedley 4 (4), Karl Mason 1 (3).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (6), Ben Powell 8 (6), Emiliano Sanchez 6 (5), Brent Werner 4+2 (5), Aidan Collins 3+1 (4).



Premier Trophy: Glasgow 47, Edinburgh 43 Edinburgh won the aggregate bonus point by 90-89


Glasgow were still without David McAllan and had Gary Beaton at number 7. With the new averages kicking in Lee Smethills dropped to reserve at number 6 and Lee Dicken moved up to number 2. Edinburgh were still without Derek Sneddon and used Rider Replacement at number 2 in his place. With Daniele Tessari making it back from Lonigo in time, he lined up at reserve at number 6.

These derby matches are often a bit unpredictable. Glasgow could guarantee topping the group with all three points and looked likely to do so since they had only a five point deficit to pull back from the match at Armadale. Edinburgh were likely to miss their Ashfield expert, Derek Sneddon, but had often succeeded in defending small first leg leads in the past.

If Edinburgh hadn’t had bad luck in this match they wouldn’t have had any luck at all! While doing practice starts during the parade Andrew Tully’s throttle jammed and he was thrown into the first bend fence demolishing a good part of it. He had to be removed from the track by ambulance and withdrew from the meeting before a race had been run. This meant that Edinburgh had to contest the fixture with only five riders. Even so, a gutsy and determined effort from the Monarchs saw them lead after heat 12 and force a last heat decider with the scores level!

Further misfortune hit the visitors when Ronnie Correy pushed the tapes in the opening heat and had to go from 15 metres back. Henrik Moller made a fast start and led from tapes to flag eventually finishing well in front of George Stancl in the fastest time of the match. Lee Dicken, meanwhile, had to pull out all the stops to hold off the advancing Correy. He did so to take a good third place so the heat was shared. Edinburgh could only field one rider in heat 2 but Daniele Tessari rode an excellent opening two bends to hit the front and win comfortably from Lee Smethills and Gary Beaton for another 3-3. Heat 3 was shared too! Shane Parker was fast away and led William Lawson and Henrik Moller all the way while Robert Ksiezak pulled up at the back of the field. Glasgow then took the lead in heat 4. Trent Leverington and Lee Smethills made good starts but Daniele Tessari got past Smethills and chased Leverington. He chased a bit too hard, though, and slid gracefully into the fence on the third lap leaving Smethills to finish in second place behind his partner for a 5-1 which took the score to 14-10.

Glasgow added another two points to that lead in heat 5 with a 4-2. Shane Parker won the race with a good bit to spare with Ronnie Correy second. Robert Ksiezak took third for a six point lead giving Glasgow a one point aggregate lead. Edinburgh pulled two points back in heat 6 when Daniele Tessari swept round George Stancl on the opening two bends and never looked like being caught. Stancl finished second with Matthew Wethers in third place for a 2-4. This was the start of a purple patch for the Monarchs who scored another 2-4 in heat 7. Henrik Moller made the start and raced away from Trent Leverington. William Lawson finished third and the Glasgow lead was down to two points. A third consecutive 2-4 in heat 8 levelled the scores again. It was Daniele Tessari again who stormed to the front but Lee Dicken finished second ahead of Matthew Wethers with Lee Smethills tailed off at the back taking the score to 24-24.

Glasgow roared back in front in heat 9 when Shane Parker and Robert Ksiezak made the gate together and saw off the two-pronged challenge from Wethers and Tessari for a 5-1 which saw the Tigers four points to the good again. Edinburgh didn’t take that lying down, however, and replied with a 1-5 of their own. William Lawson made a good start and was joined up front by Henrik Moller while George Stancl in third place retired from the race leaving Lee Dicken to pick up the third place point. Incredibly Edinburgh then took the lead in heat 11. Ronnie Correy and Trent Leverington battled for the lead round the opening two bends but it was Correy who prevailed. Daniele Tessari was third so the 2-4 saw the Monarchs two points up in the match. It looked like yet another 2-4 was coming Edinburgh’s way in heat 12. William Lawson made another fine start together with Daniele Tessari. However Shane Parker was soon past Tessari and chased Lawson for all four laps. Lawson denied him the outside run and Parker was never quite able to get on level terms. Coming off the last bend it looked like Lawson had the win in the bag but he lost a chain and Parker got through for the three points. Lawson was able to cruise home for second, and, with Tessari finishing third, the race was shared. This meant that Tessari had now had seven rides in 11 races and could take no more. The score now stood at 35-37 with just three races to go.

Heat 13 saw an excellent scrap between Stancl, Correy and Leverington. Coming off the second bend Stancl moved to the front but Correy was ahead of Leverington. That’s the way the race finished so the 4-2 levelled the match again at 39-39. In heat 14 Edinburgh could only track one rider. Henrik Moller kept the Monarchs flag flying though when he just edged ahead of Robert Ksiezak on the second bend to go on and win by a mile. This resulted in a shared race which meant that Edinburgh had won the bonus point. The scores were still level going into heat 15 in which Henrik Moller made another excellent start to round Stancl and Parker. However the referee pulled the race back because Ronnie Correy (!) was moving at the start. Correy had been left stranded at the tapes when they went up so gained no advantage but in the rerun the Glasgow top two made no mistake the second time and gated for the 5-1 which gave Glasgow a four point win.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Shane Parker 15 (5)(full maximum), George Stancl 9+1 (5), Trent Leverington 8 (4), Robert Ksiezak 5+1 (4), Lee Dicken 4+1 (4), Lee Smethills 4+1 (5), Gary Beaton 2+2 (3).

For Edinburgh – Henrik Moller 13+2 (6), Daniele Tessari 11+1 (7), William Lawson 8 (5), Ronnie Correy 7 (5), Matthew Wethers 4 (5), Andrew Tully DNR.



Knockout Cup (first leg): Mildenhall 25, Rye House 23 The meeting was abandoned after heat 8 due to an injury sustained to Stuart Robson and the uncertainty as to the length of time it was going to take to remove him from the track.


Mildenhall had Chris Johnson as a guest at reserve at number 6 but otherwise were at full strength. Rye House were at full strength welcoming their young reserve, Adam Roynon, back to the side.

Rye House must have been full of confidence going into this match. In the Premier Trophy match at Mildenhall just four weeks ago they lost by a single point but on that occasion they lost the services of Tai Woffinden when he fell in his first race. Mildenhall were hoping to erase the memory of last week’s home defeat to Somerset by beating the Rockets again.

However the result paled into insignificance when the meeting had to be abandoned after a dreadful accident in heat 9. Stuart Robson picked up a lot of grip and shot into the fence at high speed. After a long delay during which the referee had discussions with the riders the meeting was abandoned. This was mainly because the paramedics were unsure how long it would be before they could safely remove Robson from the track. It wasn’t the only injury Rye House suffered. In heat 3 Jason King and Tommy Allen collided and Allen had to be removed from the track by ambulance. As a result he withdrew from the meeting.

As far as the meeting is concerned the Rockets started with a 1-5 from Chris Neath and Steve Boxall with Shaun Tacey in third place but that was neutralised by the home reserve pair in heat 2 as Mark Thompson and Chris Johnson team rode to keep Adam Roynon in third place for a 5-1. Jason King and Tommy Allen collided in the first running of heat 3 and Allen was replaced in the rerun by Luke Bowen. Kyle Legault won the rerun from Tai Woffinden while Jason King’s third place gave the Fen Tigers a two point lead with the 4-2. It didn’t last long though! Adam Roynon and Stuart Robson made good gates to take a 1-5 in heat 4 from Mark Thompson to put the Rockets back in front at 11-13.

Chris Neath won for the second time in heat 5 but Legault and King followed him home to share the points. In heat 6 the Fen Tigers levelled the match again when Tom P Madsen beat Stuart Robson with Shaun Tacey third for a 4-2. They looked like adding a 5-1 in heat 7 when Mario Jirout and Chris Johnson made the gate but Tai Woffinden passed Johnson to restrict the damage for the Rockets to a 4-2. This put Mildenhall two points ahead and it stayed that way when Shaun Tacey won heat 8 from Steve Boxall and Adam Roynon. This took the score to 25-23 then came the accident to Stuart Robson and an end to the proceedings.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Kyle Legault 5 (2), Shaun Tacey 5 (3), Mark Thompson 4 (3), Chris Johnson 3+1 (2), Tom P Madsen 3 (2), Mario Jirout 3 (2), Jason King 2+1 (2).

For Rye House – Chris Neath 6 (2), Adam Roynon 5+1 (3), Stuart Robson 4+1 (2), Steve Boxall 4+1 (3), Tai Woffinden 4 (2), Luke Bowen 0 (4), Tommy Allen – Withdrawn.



Premier Trophy: Newcastle 53, Redcar 38 Newcastle won the aggregate bonus point by 101-80.


Newcastle again used Ashley Johnson at reserve for Adam McKinna while Redcar had James Wright guesting at number 1 for the injured Gary Havelock. Robbie Kessler continued at number 3 under the loan agreement to replace Mathieu Tressarieu. Josh Auty was missing so Jaimie Courtney and Rusty Hodgson filled the reserve berths as usual.

Redcar really needed all three points from this match to have any hope of qualifying outright from the group but it was a tall order since they had lost at home by six points to the Diamonds.

Heat 1 was heading for a home 5-1 until Carl Wilkinson made an error which allowed James Wright through for second and a 4-2. The Diamonds added a 5-1 in heat 2 when Sean Stoddart and Ashley Johnson saw off their two Redcar counterparts for an early six point lead. In heat 3 Ross Brady led but his wide line caused him to baulk his partner, Jonas Raun, resulting in both James Grieves and Robbie Kessler going through for first and second giving the Bears a 1-5 to cut the deficit to two points. Chris Kerr won heat 4 for the visitors from Christian Henry and Sean Stoddart so the race was shared and the score went to 13-11.

James Wright won heat 5 from Raun and Brady so the race was shared then disaster hit the visitors in heat 6. Josef Franc led Chris Kerr but Jaimie Courtney fell at the back causing the race to be rerun with three riders. In the rerun Chris Kerr suffered an engine failure while at the back so Redcar had no finisher and the Diamonds took a 5-0 increasing their lead to seven points. Redcar hit back with another 1-5 though from Robbie Kessler and James Grieves. It was a close race but Christian Henry just failed to get up on the line. This reduced the home side’s lead to three points and it stayed that way in heat 8. Carl Wilkinson won the race but Daniel Giffard and Rusty Hodgson held off Sean Stoddart for a share of the points with the score now standing at 25-22.

Newcastle swept into a seven point lead again after heat 9 which saw Ross Brady and Jonas Raun take a 5-1 at the expense of Chris Kerr. The Diamonds added another 5-1 in heat 10 through Josef Franc and Carl Wilkinson. Wilkinson worked his way from the back but was taken out by James Grieves who was duly excluded as the home side’s lead extended to 11 points. It was Tactical Ride time for the Bears and James Wright was nominated for the black and white helmet cover in heat 10. Christian Henry won the race, however, but with Wright second and Daniel Giffard third the visitors still took a 3-5 heat advantage. Heat 12 was won by James Grieves who passed Jonas Raun in a thrilling race. Ashley Johnson was third so the points were shared and the score moved to 41-32.

Heat 13 was won by Christian Henry but James Wright and Chris Kerr finished ahead of Josef Franc for another 3-3 then Newcastle took a 4-2 from heat 14. Ross Brady was the race winner with Robbie Kessler in second from Sean Stoddart taking the lead to 11 points again. In the final race James Grieves was excluded again, this time after taking out Jonas Raun. The race was awarded to Raun with Josef Franc second and James Wright third, giving Newcastle a 5-1 and a 15 point winning margin.


Scorers: For Newcastle – Josef Franc 11+1 (5), Jonas Raun 10+1 (5), Christian Henry 9 (4), Carl Wilkinson 8+2 (4), Ross Brady 7+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 5+1 (5), Ashley Johnson 3+2 (3).

For Redcar – James Wright 12 (5)(with a 4 point TR), Robbie Kessler 8+1 (4), James Grieves 8+1 (5), Chris Kerr 5+1 (4), Daniel Giffard 3+1 (4), Jaimie Courtney 1 (4), Rusty Hodgson 1 (1).

[Merlin]

Monday, 30 April



The action tonight was at Rye House where the Rockets faced Mildenhall in what was now the first leg of a Knockout Cup tie.



Knockout Cup (first leg): Rye House 50, Mildenhall 41 .


Rye House were without Stuart Robson who reportedly broke his pelvis in an accident at Mildenhall yesterday afternoon. They were also without Tommy Allen who crashed with Jason King in the same match and was advised not to ride tonight. Instead they used Rider Replacement for Robson and had Rusty Harrison as a guest replacing Allen. Barry Burchatt was nominated as the Rockets’ number 8. Mildenhall had Tomas Suchanek as a reserve guest at number 6 .

Yesterday’s match at Mildenhall should have been the first leg of this tie but it was abandoned after the aborted running of heat 9 following Stuart Robson’s unfortunate crash which yet again left the Rye House heat leader with serious injuries. Rye House moved quickly to plug the gap left by Robson’s absence from the team by signing Ray Morton although not in time for tonight’s match. It’s hard to believe just how many injuries Rye House have been left to cope with over the last couple of seasons.

In tonight’s match the Rockets brushed aside their problems to open with a comfortable 5-1 from Chris Neath and Steve Boxall but the next two heats were shared. Heat 2 needed to be rerun after Luke Bowen had been pushed wide on the second bend and fallen. All four riders took part in the rerun won by Adam Roynon after he had passed Tomas Suchanek with Mark Thompson third. Then Kyle Legault
made the gate to win heat 3 from Tai Woffinden and Rusty Harrison. Chris Neath taking the R/R ride won heat 4 after passing early leader, Mario Jirout, on the last lap. With Luke Bowen finishing third, the Rockets scored a 4-2 taking the score to 15-9.

The Rockets’ guest, Rusty Harrison, won heat 5 but, with Tai Woffinden falling at the back of the field, Madsen and Tacey shared the race points. Chris Neath was out for the third time in heat 6 and scored his third win. However Tomas Suchanek and Mario Jirout outgated Steve Boxall for the minor places so this race was shared too leaving the Rockets still six points in front. In heat 7 Rusty Harrison took the R/R ride but it was again Kyle Legault who won the race for the Fen Tigers. Adam Roynon took third place so this was the third drawn race on the trot. Heat 8 was a disaster for Mildenhall. First Suchanek lost a chain when he clashed with Luke Bowen on the back straight then Shaun Tacey packed up too while holding second place leaving Boxall and Bowen to race home unchallenged for a 5-0. The Rockets had now opened up an eleven point lead with the score standing at 29-18.

They added another two points to the lead with a 4-2 in heat 9. Tai Woffinden won the race from Mario Jirout with Rusty Harrison third so the Fen Tigers gave the unbeaten Kyle Legault a tactical Ride in heat 10. Maybe this wasn’t too clever given that he was facing the unbeaten Chris Neath. In the event, Legault made a poor start but came through from last place to finish second behind Chris Neath. Jason King took third place from Steve Boxall so Mildenhall took a 3-5 advantage from the race cutting the Rye House lead to 11 points again. Steve Boxall took the R/R ride in heat 11 but the Fen Tigers shaved another two points off the lead when Tom P Madsen won the race from Boxall who had to pass Shaun Tacey to avoid a 1-5. The visitors took a 2-4 from the race instead and, now on a roll, added a 1-5 in heat 12! Kyle Legault led from the tapes while Tai Woffinden, challenging for the lead, fell and remounted. This allowed Tomas Suchanek through for second place for the visitors’ maximum which cut the gap to only 5 points with the score now reading 39-34.

Chris Neath recorded his fifth win of the meeting in heat 13 beating Tom P Madsen in the process. Adam Roynon, taking the R/R ride, beat Mario Jirout for third so the Rockets took a 4-2, stretching their lead to seven points. Mildenhall hit back in heat 14 though. Tomas Suchanek won the race for the Fen Tigers winning the battle of the guests as Rusty Harrison was second. Jason King was third as Adam Roynon suffered an engine failure at the back. The 2-4 cut the lead to five points again with Rye House needing an advantage in the last race to improve their chances for the second leg. They got it too! Chris Neath completed his full six ride maximum while Rusty Harrison took second place from Tom P Madsen with the otherwise impressive Kyle Legault returning a blob. The Rockets now have a nine point advantage for the second leg.

Scorers: For Rye House – Chris Neath 18 (6), Rusty Harrison 11+2 (6), Steve Boxall 7+1 (5), Adam Roynon 5+1 (5), Tai Woffinden 5 (4), Luke Bowen 4+1 (4).

For Mildenhall – Kyle Legault 13 (5)(with a 4 point TR, Tomas Suchanek 9+1 (5), Tom P Madsen 8 (5), Mario Jirout 5+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 3+1 (4), Jason King 2+1 (4), Mark Thompson 1+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 2 May



It was a clash of the two Wednesday tracks this evening in a Premier Trophy match at King’s Lynn as the Stars faced Birmingham.



Premier Trophy: King’s Lynn 59, Birmingham 33 .


King’s Lynn had Simon Lambert filling the number 7 reserve berth while Birmingham , with Ulrich Ostergaard back in the side, were at full strength. Aidan Collins switched to number 2 in the line up with Ben Powell moving to number 4.

The big question for this match appeared to be not whether King’s Lynn would win but by what margin. Birmingham were seeking to become the first visiting team this season to hit the 30 point mark at the Norfolk Arena, the previous best being by Newcastle who managed 29 points in a 64-29 defeat.

Well they didn’t get too much joy from the opening races. In heat 1 King’s Lynn started proceedings with a 4-2. Tomas Topinka won the race after passing early race leader, Ulrich Ostergaard, but the race was awarded when Aidan Collins fell on the third lap and needed to be checked over by the doctor. The Stars’ reserves took a routine 5-1 when Brundle and Lambert easily saw off Brent Werner and Lee Smart. The Brummies got some respite in the third race when Daniel Nermark suffered an engine failure while challenging Jason Lyons, leaving his partner, Trevor Harding, to win from Lyons and Ben Powell for a share of the points. The home side added two points to their lead with another 4-2 in heat 4. Paul Lee was soon in front with Simon Lambert in second but Emiliano Sanchez passed Lambert on the third lap to rescue an extra point for the visitors. This took the score after the opening four races to 16-8 and the visitors’ cause wasn’t help by the announcement that Aidan Collins had withdrawn from the meeting.

Birmingham struck back in heat 5. Again Daniel Nermark had an engine failure this time while challenging Ulrich Ostergaard for the lead. His retiral from the race left the Brummies holding a 1-5 position but, on the last lap, Trevor Harding passed Lee Smart round the outside to limit the damage to a 2-4 which reduced the Stars’ lead to six points. Emiliano Sanchez was excluded from heat 6 for touching the tapes and Birmingham elected to replace him with Brent Werner. King’s Lynn then recorded their second 5-1 when Chris Mills and Tomas Topinka headed home Lee Smart increasing their lead to 10 points. This was the signal for Jason Lyons to take a Tactical Ride in heat 7 against previous race winners Paul Lee and James Brundle. This wasn’t a success as the Stars scored another 5-1. Paul Lee rode an excellent race to help his partner, James Brundle, take the maximum against Lyons then Birmingham’s night got even worse as Brent Werner, after receiving medical attention, also withdrew from the meeting, leaving the Brummies with only five riders. The home side’s lead now stood at 14 points and, in heat 8, Birmingham filled Aidan Collins’ place with Ulrich Ostergaard who came in as a Tactical Substitute and went off the 15 metre handicap. Lee Smart replaced Brent Werner and these changes provided the visitors with their second heat advantage of the match. Firstly Lee Smart passed Simon Lambert on the first lap then Ostergaard followed him through on the second then went past his partner to challenge Chris Mills for the lead. He failed but only just as Mills clung on to the lead to the flag. However by filling the minor places Birmingham took a 3-5 reducing the gap to 12 points with the score now reading 31-19.

Heat 9 was eventful. Daniel Nermark was leading by a distance when his bike slowed yet again. This allowed Lee Smart, who had passed Trevor Harding early in the race, to move to the front with Harding following him through in second place. However Nermark had just enough power in his bike to take him to the finishing line ahead of Emiliano Sanchez so the race points were shared 3-3.

Tomas Topinka remained unbeaten by an opponent when he won heat 10. Lyons and Powell were behind him but Chris Mills recovered from a poor start to pass Ben Powell for third place which gave the Stars a 4-2. However Ulrich Ostergaard, the sole Birmingham rider, won heat 11 in fine style from Paul Lee and James Brundle for a 3-3 and Birmingham were now almost certain to top the 30 point mark even though they lost a 5-1 in heat 12. James Brundle made the best start in this race and, although he was passed by Jason Lyons he repassed him to go on to win. Meanwhile Daniel Nermark finally got his act together. Coming from the back, he passed Lee Smart on the second lap before passing Lyons too for the maximum heat win which stretched the lead even further to 18 points with the score at 46-28.

Tomas Topinka and Paul Lee added another 5-1 ahead of the battling Ulrich Ostergaard in heat 13 which kept the Stars in with a fighting chance of hitting the 60 point mark yet again and it began to look likely when they added yet another 5-1 in heat 14. This time Ben Powell made the gate but James Brundle soon passed him followed by Trevor Harding a lap later. Powell eventually finished last as his partner, Lee Smart, passed him too! However in heat 15 Birmingham stopped the run of 60+ scores for the Stars by sharing the race 3-3. Tomas Topinka won a close race against Jason Lyons while Ulrich Ostergaard relegated Paul Lee to the back.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14+1 (5), James Brundle 12+2 (5), Paul Lee 10+1 (5), Trevor Harding 9+1 (4), Chris Mills 8 (4), Daniel Nermark 3+2 (4), Simon Lambert 3+1 (3).

For Birmingham – Ulrich Ostergaard 14+1 (6)(with a 4 point TS ride), Lee Smart 8+1 (7), Jason Lyons 7 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 2 (4), Ben Powell 1+1 (4), Brent Werner 1 (3), Aidan Collins 0 (1).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 3 May

There were two matches raced tonight, one a Knockout Cup tie first leg and the other a Premier League match. The Knockout Cup tie was at Sheffield where the Tigers raced Edinburgh while at Redcar the Bears took on King’s Lynn in a Premier League match.


Knockout Cup tie (first leg): Sheffield 57, Edinburgh 36


Sheffield were at full strength but Edinburgh were again without Derek Sneddon who had still not fully recovered from his injuries. The Monarchs used Rider Replacement instead at number 2. Andrew Tully returned to the side having recovered sufficiently from his crash at Ashfield on Sunday.

Sheffield opened with a 5-1 when Ben Wilson and Ricky Ashworth made the gate and headed Ronnie Correy home with Daniele Tessari at the back. Tessari was out again in heat 2 and this time won the race after a good battle for the opening two laps in a time faster than heat 1! Paul Cooper and James Cockle filled the minor places so the points were shared. Heat 3 also resulted in a shared race. Ricky Ashworth was the winner but Henrik Moller, the early race leader, and William Lawson finished behind him as James Birkinshaw retired at the back. Sheffield added two points to their lead when James Cockle won a thrilling race. While Cockle was out in front, Matthew Wethers and Joel Parsons passed and repassed each other until the Edinburgh rider fell. Andrew Tully then made up a lot of ground to catch Parsons on the line for second place while Wethers remounted then suffered an engine failure. This took the score to 15-9.

Sheffield then added another 5-1 and four points to their advantage when Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper won from Ronnie Correy in heat 5. It looked as though it might be another maximum for the home side in heat 6 when Andre Compton and Ben Wilson hit the front but Matthew Wethers passed Ben Wilson for second place on the last bend of the second lap to turn the result into a 4-2. This stretched the Tigers’ lead to twelve points but Edinburgh hit back in heat 7. Henrik Moller won the race under pressure from Joel Parsons while Parsons took second place under pressure from William Lawson with James Cockle in last place. This gave Edinburgh a 2-4 cutting the gap to 10 points. It was then announced that James Birkinshaw had retired from the meeting due to the neck injury he suffered at Berwick last Saturday night. The Tigers responded by adding another 5-1 in heat 8. William Lawson took the R/R ride but a terrible gate from both the Edinburgh riders left the Tigers’ pair of Ben Wilson and Paul Cooper in easy street. This took the score to 31-17.

With James Birkinshaw having had just one ride and, since his withdrawal was not as a result of a racing incident during this meeting, he was forced to ‘complete’ three rides. This meant that, in heat 9, Sheffield could not replace him so had to go with three riders only. Ricky Ashworth gated for the win leaving Matthew Wethers and Daniele Tessari to pick up the minor places for a 3-3. The Compton/Wilson pairing took a 5-1 in heat 10 ahead of Henrik Moller increasing the Tigers’ lead to 18 points so Edinburgh gave Matthew Wethers, who took the R/R ride in heat 11, a Tactical Ride partnering Ronnie Correy. The Monarchs finished first and second OK but, unbelievably and much to the amusement of the Sheffield crowd, Correy seemed totally oblivious to the fact that his partner was on a TR and never once looked for him as he raced off to win the race. Wethers’ second place ahead of Joel Parsons and James Cockle netted the visitors a 1-7 cutting the Sheffield lead to 12 points but that’s as close as it got. Another Sheffield 5-1, this time from Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper from Tessari and Lawson, stretched the gap to 16 points again with the score standing at 45-29.

Heat 13 looked like being shared but, with Andre Compton winning the race, Ronnie Correy had an engine failure while lying second leaving Matthew Wethers to pick up the two points and gifting Joel Parsons a point at the back. The 4-2 stretched the home side’s lead to 18 points with the aggregate win for Edinburgh now looking bleak. In heat 14, Paul Cooper replaced James Cockle and had to go on his own since this was a race in which James Birkinshaw was programmed to ride. Edinburgh took the opportunity to give Daniele Tessari a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back. The race was rerun after Paul Cooper fell as Henrik Moller tried to pass him on the inside on the last bend of the third lap. Moller was excluded so the rerun had only two riders. Daniele Tessari gave it everything he had off the 15 metre handicap but couldn’t catch Cooper. Nonetheless Edinburgh scored a 3-4 for their efforts to trail by 17 points but the inevitable 5-1 from Ashworth and Compton gave the Tigers a 22 point advantage for the second leg tomorrow night. Wethers finished third as Correy had another engine failure on the last bend.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Ricky Ashworth 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Paul Cooper 11+3 (5), Ben Wilson 9+1 (4), Joel Parsons 5 (4), James Cockle 4+1 (4), James Birkinshaw 0 (1).

For Edinburgh – Matthew Wethers 11 (6)(with 4 point TR), Daniele Tessari 9+1 (6)(with 4 point TS), Henrik Moller 6 (5), Ronnie Correy 5 (5), William Lawson 3+1 (5), Andrew Tully 2 (3).



Premier League: Redcar 44, King’s Lynn 49 .


Redcar again had Jason Lyons at number 1 in place of the injured Gary Havelock. Otherwise they were on the usual lines with Robbie Kessler continuing at number 4 in place of Mathieu Tressarieu. King’s Lynn had Jack Hargreaves at reserve in place of John Oliver but otherwise were at full strength.

Redcar got off to the perfect start when Jason Lyons won the race while Daniel Giffard took second by holding off the challenge of Tomas Topinka. The reserves race was shared after Rusty Hodgson made the gate and held off James Brundle and Jack Hargreaves then, in heat 3, the Bears added to their lead with a 4-2. In fact it looked all the way a 5-1 but Daniel Nermark got up on the line to take second place from Robbie Kessler with James Grieves in first place. Heat 4 resulted in another 4-2 for the home side. Chris Kerr was the comfortable winner with Paul Lee in second place but the excitement was at the back where, after a good tussle, Rusty Hodgson took third from Jack Hargreaves. The Bears had now opened an eight point lead with the score standing at 16-8.

Another sparkling gate from the Redcar pair threatened to produce another 5-1. However, although Robbie Kessler won the race, Tomas Topinka passed James Grieves so the result was a home 4-2. Heat 6 was eventful but eventually finished as a shared race. James Brundle, the early race leader, was passed by Jason Lyons but he got past Lyons again on the final bend for the win as Lyons’ engine died on the run in. Meanwhile Paul Lee fell on the last bend trying to pass Daniel Giffard round the outside. With the Bears now leading by ten points, Daniel Nermark took a Tactical Ride in heat 7. He won it too, beating Chris Kerr in the process. Meanwhile Trevor Harding took third place so the Stars chalked up a 2-7 which cut the gap between the sides to five points. The Bears found themselves just one point in front after heat 8 when Chris Mills and James Brundle took a 1-5 from Daniel Giffard after the Bears’ pair missed the gate. The score now stood at 26-25.

Once more the Redcar middle pairing caused the Stars distress in heat 9. James Grieves and Robbie Kessler scored a 5-1 from James Brundle to open the gap to five points again. But back came King’s Lynn in heat 10 with another 1-5 as Daniel Nermark and Trevor Harding relegated Jason Lyons to third place but the Bears responded with a 4-2 in heat 11 in an excellent race. Jaimie Courtney and Chris Kerr hit the front with Chris Mills challenging strongly on their tail. Eventually Tomas Topinka picked up the challenge and passed Chris Kerr for second place as Courtney recorded an excellent heat win. This increased the Bears’ lead from one to three points but after heat 12 it was back to one point again. James Grieves took Daniel Nermark very wide round the opening two bends but the King’s Lynn rider was not to be denied and passed Grieves on the third bend. James Brundle finished third ahead of Rusty Hodgson for a 2-4 which took the score to 38-37.

Disaster struck Redcar in heat 13. Chris Kerr passed Tomas Topinka and was leading the race but fell on the last lap. He suffered facial injuries and had to be taken to hospital. The race was awarded with Topinka winning from Jason Lyons with Paul Lee third. The 2-4 put the Stars ahead for the first time at 40-41. There was no change after a shared heat 14. Robbie Kessler won the race for the home side under pressure from Trevor Harding while Jack Hargreaves took third from Jaimie Courtney so it went to a last heat decider with the visitors a point ahead. In the final heat it all went pear-shaped for the home side as Daniel Nermark won the race with Tomas Topinka second after coming from the back to score a 1-5 for the Stars to win by five points.

Scorers: For Redcar – James Grieves 10 (5), Robbie Kessler 9+1 (5), Jason Lyons 7+1 (4), Chris Kerr 6 (4), Daniel Giffard 5+1 (4), Rusty Hodgson 4 (4), Jaimie Courtney 3 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Daniel Nermark 17 (5)(with a 6 point TR), Tomas Topinka 10+1 (5), James Brundle 8+1 (5), Trevor Harding 5+1 (4), Paul Lee 4 (4), Chris Mills 3 (4), Jack Hargreaves 2+2 (3).

[Merlin]

Monday, 28 May

The Premier League match at Rye House, where the Rockets were due to race against Berwick, fell victim to the weather early in the day while the match at Somerset , where the Rebels were due to race Edinburgh in the second leg of their Knockout Cup clash, actually started. A crash in heat 1 was followed by another downpour to add to those which had occurred earlier and the match was abandoned. This meant that the sole survivor was the meeting at Workington where the Comets raced Stoke in a Premier League match but even that did not survive beyond heat 12.


Premier League: Workington 40, Stoke 32 Workington won the aggregate bonus point by 96-66. Match abandoned after heat 12 as a result of heavy rain. The result stands.


Workington were without Kauko Nieminen who was riding in Finland so used R/R at number 5 while Stoke used R/R for the injured Glenn Cunningham at number 1.

This was a far better performance by Stoke than the one they turned in on Saturday night when they were well beaten at home by 22 points. This time Claus Vissing turned in an excellent score while Workington’s Mattia Carpanese, who scored 11 from 4 rides at Stoke was far less effective.

Carl Stonehewer won the opening heat for the Comets but the Stoke pair of Ben Barker and Rusty Harrison shared the points before the home side took a 5-1 in the reserves race to put them four in front. Claus Vissing held off the challenges of James Wright to win heat three while Craig Branney likewise held off Lee Complin for another shared race. Rusty Harrison then won heat 4 from Charles Wright and John Branney for another 3-3 taking the score to 14-10.

In heat 5 James Wright got his revenge for his heat 3 defeat by Claus Vissing by beating the young Dane while Craig Branney passed Ben Barker at the end of the third lap giving the Comets a 4-2 advantage and a six point lead. Rusty Harrison won for the second time in heat 6 for a share of the spoils when he comfortably beat Carl Stonehewer and Mattia Carpanese then Craig Branney, taking the R/R ride for Kauko Nieminen, won heat 7 from Vissing and Complin for another 3-3. In heat 8 the Comets stretched their lead to eight points. Carpanese won the race while Ben Barker was pipped on the run in for third place behind Jack Hargreaves by John Branney for a 4-2. This took the score to 28-20.

Heat 9 looked promising for Stoke as Rusty Harrison led the field but he fell on the fourth bend resulting in James Wright and Craig Branney racing past for a 5-1 which stretched the home side’s lead to 12 points. Stoke failed to give Claus Vissing a TR in heat 10 and missed a golden opportunity for a 1-8 because Vissing and Complin took a 1-5 ahead of Carpanese and Stonehewer as heavy rain began to fall. The Comets’ lead was now cut to eight points again (it could have been to five) and it stayed that way when James Wright won heat 11 from Lee Complin and Ben Barker for a shared heat. Finally the rain had the last word! James Wright won heat 12 in a slow time as John Branney fell at the back resulting in another 3-3. The track had now become dangerous and, after consulting the riders, the referee abandoned the meeting. Having reached heat 12 the result stands.


Scorers: For Workington – James Wright 14 (5), Craig Branney 7+2 (4), Mattia Carpanese 5+1 (4), Carl Stonehewer 5 (3), Charles Wright 5 (4), John Branney 4+2 (4).

For Stoke – Claus Vissing 12 (5), Rusty Harrison 7+1 (4), Lee Complin 5+2 (4), Ben Barker 3+1 (4), Jack Hargreaves 3 (3), Barrie Evans 2+1 (4).

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 29 May



The sole action tonight was on the Isle of Wight where the Islanders took on Berwick Bandits in a Premier League Match.



Premier League: Isle of Wight 62, Berwick 31 .


Both the Isle of Wight and Berwick were at full strength for this match.

This battle of the ‘big’ track teams should have been the return Premier League fixture for the bonus point but the match on 19 May at Berwick fell victim to the weather.

Despite the continual challenge of Michal Makovsky, Cory Gathercole held on to second place in the opening heat to follow his partner, Chris Holder, home for a 5-1, a score which was repeated in heat 2. In the first running of the race David Meldrum made the gate but was soon passed by both the home men. Benji Compton then fell at the back on the first lap causing the race to be rerun and Chris Johnson and Andrew Bargh banged home another maximum at the second attempt. There was no respite for the Bandits in heat 3 although they found themselves on a 1-5 from the tapes. However, within the space of the opening lap, Jason Bunyan and Krystof Stojanowski had passed both Rempala and Burza for the third consecutive home 5-1. Andreas Bergstrom became the first visiting rider to beat an opponent in heat 4. Glen Phillips won the race though while Chris Johnson took third place behind Bergstrom for another heat advantage to the Islanders, this time by 4-2, which took the score to 19-5.

In heat 5 Michal Makovsky threatened to become Berwick’s first race winner but he was caught and passed by Jason Bunyan on lap 3. Stojanowski took third place so another 4-2 went the home side’s way stretching their lead to 16 points. It soon became 20 when Cory Gathercole and Chris Holder team rode to keep Andreas Bergstrom in third place in heat 6 for another 5-1. But relief was just around the corner for the beleaguered visitors! Jacek Rempala was nominated for a TR in heat 7 and duly delivered. Andrew Bargh finished second but Stanislaw Burza was third ahead of Glen Phillips so Berwick scored a 2-7 cutting the gap to 15 points. Heat 8 looked ominous for the Bandits since neither Jamie Robertson nor David Meldrum had beaten an opponent so far. However Chris Johnson suffered a puncture causing David Meldrum to fall behind him and was duly excluded. Cory Gathercole won the rerun but Jaimie Robertson and David Meldrum followed him home for the 3-3 which took the score to 33-18.

Heat 9 produced another home 5-1, this time from Jason Bunyan and Krystof Stojanowski ahead of Andreas Bergstrom then, in heat 10, Jacek Rempala led until the last bend of the last lap only for Chris Holder to make a breathtaking pass on the inside to win the race. Rempala’s second place ended Cory Gathercole’s maximum hopes as the Islanders added another two points to their lead with the 4-2. Heat 11 looked like producing another home 5-1 but Michal Makovsky had other ideas and picked off Glen Phillips then Andrew Bargh to win the race for a 3-3 as Jaimie Robertson pulled up with bike problems. Jason Bunyan won for the fourth time in the match in heat 12 but Stanislaw Burza finished second ahead of Chris Johnson for a 4-2 which took the score to 49-26 at the interval.

The Isle of Wight took up after the break with a 5-1 from Chris Holder and Glen Phillips leaving Michal Makovsky to pick up the odd point ahead of Andreas Bergstrom. They repeated that with another 5-1 in heat 14. This time it was Krystof Stojanowski and Andrew Bargh who scored the points with Jacek Rempala in third. Finally, in heat 15, Jacek Rempala led Chris Holder for three laps but the Isle of Wight number 1 was not to be denied and got through to win the race. Rempala finished second while Michal Makovsky ruined Jason Bunyan’s full maximum hopes by relegating him to the back for a shared race.


Scorers: For Isle of Wight – Chris Holder 14+1 (5)(paid maximum), Jason Bunyan 12 (5), Cory Gathercole 9+1 (4), Krystof Stojanowski 8+2 (4), Andrew Bargh 8+2 (4), Glen Phillips 6+2 (4), Chris Johnson 5 (4).

For Berwick –Jacek Rempala 12 (5)(with a 6 point TR), Michal Makovsky 8+1 (5), Andreas Bergstrom 4 (4), Stanislaw Burza 3 (4), David Meldrum 2+1 (4), Jaimie Robertson 2 (4), Benji Compton 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 30 May



With the match at King’s Lynn, where the Stars were due to race against Berwick, called off as early as yesterday due to a waterlogged track, the sole action tonight was at Birmingham where the Brummies took on Newport in a Premier League Match.



Premier League: Birmingham 62, Newport 27 .



Birmingham and Newport were both at full strength for this match.

Only five weeks ago the same two teams met in a Premier Trophy match. On that occasion Newport led by four points after eight heats and went on to go down by just eight points which enabled them to win the bonus point when the two teams met at Newport. This time, however, the Wasps were never in it scoring just eight points in the opening six heats and conceding six 5-1s and a 5-0 over the course of the match.

Ulrich Ostergaard equalled the track record (58.1) in the opening race as he and Aidan Collins raced to a 5-1 ahead of Tom Hedley. The Wasps fared no better in heat 2 conceding another 5-1 to Ben Powell and Lee Smart with Michael Rajkowski surprisingly way behind at the back. Jason Lyons won heat 3 but this time Phil Morris and Tony Atkin filled the minor placings for a shared heat before the visitors lost a 5-0 in heat 4. Firstly Chris Schramm fell while challenging Emiliano Sanchez at the end of the opening lap and was excluded from the rerun. Then Ben Powell locked up causing Barry Burchatt behind him to fall. Rather surprisingly the referee excluded Burchatt leaving Sanchez and Powell to contest the second rerun unchallenged. The 5-0 took the score to 18-5.

Jason Lyons then set a new track record (57.4) in winning heat 5. His partner Jon Armstrong followed him home ahead of Tom Hedley for another 5-1 stretching Birmingham’s lead to 17 points. Chris Schramm led heat 6 for almost two laps but was passed by both Ulrich Ostergaard and Aidan Collins before recovering to repass Collins on the line for second place. The result was a 4-2 pulling the Brummies 19 points ahead. Heat 8 saw Aidan Collins and Ben Powell register another maximum to take the score to 35-12.

There was still no sign of any tactical move by Newport when Jason Lyons won again in heat 9 from Chris Schramm. Jon Armstrong took third place from the disappointing Rajkowski so the home side picked up another 4-2 but heat 10 was shared. Ulrich Ostergaard won the race from Tony Atkin and Phil Morris but Birmingham were on the 5-1 trail again in heat 11. Emiliano Sanchez led from start to finish while Tom Hedley held second place until passed by Lee Smart at the start of the third lap. A 4-2 followed in heat 12 won by Jason Lyons again with Rajkowski taking second ahead of Ben Powell as Phil Morris suffered an engine failure. This took the score to 51-20.

There was still no sign of a TR in heat 13 won by Ostergaard from Schramm and Simmons as Sanchez this time suffered mechanical trouble then Newport gave a TR to Tony Atkin in heat 14. It looked as though they had saved this tactical option up wisely when Atkin led the race but Dame Fortune denied them any success when the Wasps’ rider suffered an engine failure while at the front resulting in yet another 5-1 to the home side as Smart and Armstrong sailed through for the 5-1. The unbeaten Ostergaard and Lyons were out for Birmingham in heat 15 but Lyons’ maximum went up in smoke after he was excluded for diving inside Chris Schramm causing Schramm to fall in an attempt to get to the front. Ulrich Ostergaard duly completed his full five ride maximum in the rerun while Chris Schramm and Tony Atkin finished behind him for a share of the points.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Ulrich Ostergaard 15 (5)(full maximum), Jason Lyons 12 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 9 (4), Ben Powell 8+2 (4), Lee Smart 7+2(4), Aidan Collins 6+1 (4), Jon Armstrong 5+2 (4).

For Newport – Chris Schramm 8 (5), Tony Atkin 7+1 (5), Tom Hedley 4 (4), Phil Morris 3+3 (4), Michael Rajkowski 2 (4), Barry Burchatt 2 (4), Nick Simmons 1+1 (4).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 31 May

Two matches took place tonight – one a Premier League match between Sheffield and Rye House the other the first leg of a Knockout Cup match between Redcar and King’s Lynn .


Premier League: Sheffield 56, Rye House 37


Sheffield had Ben Hopwood as a guest at reserve in place of the injured James Cockle while Rye House were at full strength.

There are many 5-1s in the first heat at Sheffield but they rarely go in favour of the visitors. However, after Ricky Ashworth got filled in on the opening bend, he could only follow Chris Neath and Ray Morton home as the Rockets got off to the perfect start with a 1-5. Paul Cooper won heat 2 but Luke Bowen and Adam Roynon followed him home for a shared heat. Sheffield were back on level terms in heat 3 when Andre Compton and Ben Wilson scored a 5-1 over the Woffinden/Allen pairing. Then Steve Boxall made the gate in heat 4 to lead Joel Parsons and Paul Cooper home for a 3-3 which kept the score tied at 12-12.

Andre Compton and Ben Wilson scored another 5-1 in heat 5 over Ray Morton and Chris Neath so the Tigers took the lead for the first time at 17-13. They doubled their lead in heat 6 with another 5-1 this time from Ricky Ashworth and James Birkinshaw with Steve Boxall finishing third. Rye House hit back in heat 7, though. Tai Woffinden executed an excellent pass on Joel Parsons on the last bend of the second lap to win the heat while Tommy Allen finished third for a 2-4 cutting the gap to six points. It rocketed to 10 points when James Birkinshaw and Paul Cooper prevailed from the start of heat 8 for a 5-1 which took the score to 29-19.

Another Sheffield 5-1 in heat 9, the third from the Andre Compton/Ben Wilson pairing, stretched the lead to 14 points so Rye House gave Tai Woffinden a TR in heat 10. Although he made a poor gate, Woffinden passed both James Birkinshaw and Ricky Ashworth, the latter on the last lap, for the six points. However Tommy Allen finished at the back so Rye House’s advantage was limited to a 3-6 with the lead cut to 11 points. The Rockets added another heat advantage in heat 11. Chris Neath and Ray Morton made the gate and, although Joel parsons passed Morton, he couldn’t catch Neath so the visitors registered a 2-4 cutting the lead now to 9 points. Andre Compton continued on his way to another maximum by winning heat 12 from Woffinden who passed Paul Cooper relegating him to third place for a 4-2 which took the score to 43-32.

Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons added another 5-1 in heat 13 ahead of Steve Boxall and Chris Neath but the Rockets shared heat 14 when Paul Cooper shed a chain while on a 5-1 with Ben Wilson allowing Tommy Allen and Adam Roynon to take the three points. Finally, in heat 15, Andre Compton completed his maximum and Ben Wilson his paid maximum by taking a 5-1 ahead of the battling Woffinden.


Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 15 (5)(full maximum), Ben Wilson 11+4 (5)(paid maximum), Ricky Ashworth 9 (4), Paul Cooper 8+1 (5), Joel Parsons 7+2 (4), James Birkinshaw 6+2 (4), Ben Hopwood 0 (3).

For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 13 (5)(with 6 point TR), Chris Neath 6 (4), Steve Boxall 6 (5), Ray Morton 4+1 (4), Adam Roynon 3+2 (4), Tommy Allen 3 (4), Luke Bowen 2 (4).



Knockout Cup (second round, first leg): Redcar 45, King’s Lynn 45 .


Redcar , captained by Gary Havelock following his recovery from the injuries he sustained at Glasgow, had Sheffield’s Benji Compton at number 7 as a guest reserve replacement for Daniel Giffard while Josh Auty was at number 6. King’s Lynn used Newport’s Michael Rajkowski at number 7 as a guest reserve replacement for John Oliver.

With the prospect of the second leg at Saddlebow Road, the Premier League’s strongest fortress, Redcar needed to build up as sizeable a lead as possible to have any chance of overall success but they just couldn’t pull away from the Stars. King’s Lynn’s cause wasn’t helped when Paul Lee had to withdraw from the meeting after Benji Compton crashed into him on the first bend of his first race but the rest of the Stars dug in well to end up with a draw.

The opening heat, won by Gary Havelock, was shared as Tomas Topinka finished second and Chris Mills held off a last bend surge by Mathieu Tressarieu but it was the Stars who drew first blood by winning the reserves race 1-5 after outgating the home men. James Grieves beat Daniel Nermark and Trevor Harding to win heat 3 for another shared heat then, in heat 4, Benji Compton lost control on the first bend and brought down Paul Lee. Compton was excluded but Lee did not get off lightly. He was removed from the track by ambulance for precautionary examination and his place in the rerun was taken by James Brundle. Chris Kerr won the rerun as Michael Rajkowski and James Brundle filled the minor places for a 3-3 which took the score to 10-14.

Heat 5 resulted in another shared race with James Grieves winning from the King’s Lynn pairing of Topinka and Mills. In heat 6 Michael Rajkowski replaced Paul Lee and finished second behind Gary Havelock after he had led from the gate. Mathieu Tressarieu was third ahead of James Brundle so the Bears took their first heat advantage with the 4-2 cutting the gap between the sides to two points. It was all square after heat 7. Daniel Nermark led from the gate but Josh Auty took up the chase to catch and pass Nermark for an excellent win while Chris Kerr finished third ahead of Trevor Harding for a 4-2. Auty was immediately drafted into heat 8 in place of Benji Compton while James Brundle replaced Michael Rajkowski for the Stars. However Auty, with two on the trot, failed to beat the two minute time allowance and was excluded. Since he had already replaced his fellow reserve he had to go from 15 metres back. It only took him until the end of the first lap to pass Brundle but Chris Mills was already away for the heat win ahead of Mathieu Tressarieu which gave King’s Lynn only their second race winner as the score moved to 24-24.

Josh Auty was out again in heat 9 for his third race on the trot replacing Arlo Bugeja as Redcar pulled out all the stops to get in front. Michael Rajkowski replaced Paul Lee as the King’s Lynn reserves came together for the fourth time in nine races to face the Bears. They had done well in their three previous outings outscoring their opponents 8-10 but this time they were up against the formidable pairing of James Grieves and Josh Auty and duly conceded a 5-1 with James Grieves winning and Auty coming from the back to follow him home. This put Redcar in front for the first time in the match by four points. The Stars looked like hitting back when Daniel Nermark and Trevor Harding hit the front in heat 10 but Gary Havelock and Mathieu Tressarieu both passed Harding for a share of the spoils. Heat 11 was shared too. Josh Auty was out for the fourth time in five heats. He won the race too but Tomas Topinka and Chris Mills filled second and third ahead of Chris Kerr for the 3-3. Benji Compton was withdrawn from the meeting with a shoulder injury so in came Auty again for his fifth race in six heats in heat 12! However Daniel Nermark won this one holding off the strong challenges of James Grieves. Josh Auty was third so the heat was shared and the score moved on to 38-34.

In heat 13 Gary Havelock fell while chasing Tomas Topinka and was excluded from the rerun in which Chris Kerr rose to the occasion by just holding on to beat both Topinka and Rajkowski for a 3-3 keeping the Bears four points in front. However it was all square after heat 14 when Josh Auty fell on the third lap causing the race to be awarded to Michael Rajkowski and Trevor Harding with Arlo Bugeja third. The 1-5 levelled the scores again at 42-42. Finally James Grieves won heat 15 but Daniel Nermark and Tomas Topinka filled the minor places ahead of Chris Kerr for a shared heat and drawn match.


Scorers: For Redcar – James Grieves 14 (5), Josh Auty 11+3 (7), Gary Havelock 8 (4), Chris Kerr 7 (5), Mathieu Tressarieu 4+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja (1), Benji Compton 0 (2).

For King’s Lynn – Michael Rajkowski 12+1 (7), Daniel Nermark 12 (5), Tomas Topinka 9+1 (5), Chris Mills 6+3 (4), Trevor Harding 3+2 (4), James Brundle 3+2 (5), Paul Lee – Withdrawn.