Around the Premier League Tracks - 2008

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 6 May



Tonight’s match was on the Isle of Wight where the Islanders raced against Reading in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Isle of Wight 58, Reading 34 .


The Isle of Wight were without Krzysztof Stojanowski so used Rider Replacement at number 1. Reading were without both their reserves, Jaimie Smith and Danny Warwick. They had Jay Herne at number 6 in place of Smith and Joe Haines in place of Warwick at number 7.

Watched by a television audience of millions (?), the Isle of Wight were looking for revenge after going down to a two point defeat at Reading on Monday. On that occasion the Islanders had led by two points going into the last heat but a 5-1 from the Racers meant that they left empty handed. Unfortunately tonight’s match could hardly be described as a nail biting thriller. After containing the Islanders for the first few heats the Racers had no answer to the home side’s better gating and riding as they steadily built up a 24 point win.

Reading won the opening race to lead for the one and only time in the match. Mark Lemon was the race winner from Glen Phillips (R/R) and Chris Mills for a 2-4. The Islanders levelled again with a 4-2 in the reserves race won by James Holder from Joe Haines. The home side then took the lead with a 4-2 in heat 3 when Glen Phillips won a tight battle on the first lap for the lead with Ulrich Ostergaard. Paul Fry in third then put Ostergaard under pressure but that’s the way the race finished. It was all square again after heat 4 when Tom P Madsen made the gate to see off Jason Bunyan round the opening two bends to go on and win the race. James Holder’s third place gave the home side a 3-3 taking the score to 13-11.

The Isle of Wight then put their best gating boots on and left the Racers struggling with consecutive 5-1s in heats 5 and 6. Paul Fry leapt from the tapes to lead Glen Phillips home ahead of Mark Lemon in the former then Cory Gathercole and Jason Bunyan scored an easy maximum against Jay Herne and Tom P Madsen in the latter. This put the visitors ten points ahead so Ulrich Ostergaard came out in heat 7 as a TR. However a fine start by Jason Bunyan saw him get to the second bend ahead of Ostergaard then head off for the win. However Tomas Suchanek got the better of David Bargh for third so the visitors took a 3-5 advantage to cut their arrears to eight points. Gathercole and Holder followed this with a 5-1 in heat 8 which took the score to 31-19.

It kept getting worse for Reading as Phillips and Fry gated to beat Madsen in heat 9 for another home 5-1 then Paul Fry out again made the gate to win from Ulrich Ostergaard in heat 10. Cory Gathercole took third for a home 4-2 which increased their lead to 18 points. Heat 11 brought no comfort to the Racers as they conceded another 5-1. This time Jason Bunyan and David Bargh left Chris Mills and Mark Lemon in their wake but in heat 12 Ulrich Ostergaard stopped the rot by winning from Glen Phillips and James Holder for a shared race which took the score to 48-26.

When Jason Bunyan fell on the second bend of heat 13 Mark Lemon was left to win the heat unchallenged from Cory Gathercole. Tom P Madsen’s third place gave the Racers a welcome heat advantage with a 2-4 but their joy was short lived as the home side added a 5-1 in heat 14. David Bargh and Paul Fry reeled in and passed an excellent effort from Joe Haines who led for over two laps until his engine seemed to slow. In the final race Glen Phillips rode a stunning opening two bends to pass Mark Lemon and Ulrich Ostergaard for the race win but Jason Bunyan’s engine failure resulted in the race being shared leading to a 24 point victory.

Scorers: For Isle of Wight – Glenn Phillips 15+1 (6), Paul Fry 11+2 (5), Jason Bunyan 10+1 (6), Cory Gathercole 9 (5), James Holder 7+2 (4), Andrew Bargh 6+1 (4).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 12+1 (5) (with 4 point TR), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tom P Madsen 5 (4), Joe Haines 3 (5), Tomas Suchanek 2+1 (4), Chris Mills 2 (4), Jay Herne 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 7 May

One Premier League match was raced tonight - at Birmingham where Newcastle were the visitors. The other match was at King’s Lynn where the Stars took on Redcar in the second leg of their Knock Out Cup tie..


Premier League: Birmingham 46, Newcastle 44


Birmingham used Rider Replacement for the injured Phil Morris. Jack Hargreaves took ill before the meeting and was replaced at number 7 by Jack Roberts while Paul Starke was nominated as their number 8. Newcastle were without George Stancl and the recently deposed Ben Powell. They had Daniel Giffard as a guest at number 5 for Powell and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Stancl.

What a match and what drama in the last race! With one heat to go the Diamonds led by two points. They then won the vital toss for the inside gates but Christian Henry broke the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. Even worse for Newcastle, the gate positions changed so it was now the Brummies who had the inside gates. They celebrated with a big 5-1 from Jason Lyons and Adam Roynon to win the match by two points.

The warning bells were ringing for the home side when Newcastle took the opening race. Josef Franc won from Lee Smart while Daniel Giffard (R/R) took third place for a 2-4 and two point lead for the visitors. Mattia Carpanese won heat 2 for the home side and, when Jaimie Robertson fell after running into Jack Roberts, the race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Brummies reversing the two point lead. Jason Lyons won heat 3 from Christian Henry and Jason King for a shared heat then Adam Roynon did likewise in heat 4 beating Daniel Giffard and Sean Stoddart to take the score to 13-11.

Jason Lyons then won heat 5 but again it was only for a shared heat as Franc and King finished behind him but Birmingham pulled six points clear with a 5-1 in heat 6. Henning Bager and Lee Smart did the damage beating Stoddart and Giffard but the home side’s joy didn’t last long when Newcastle replied in kind with a 1-5 in heat 7. The home fans were dismayed when Christian Henry and Jason King beat Jack Roberts and Adam Roynon to pull their arrears back to just two points. They were then stunned when Josef Franc and Sean Stoddart beat Lee Smart and Mattia Carpanese for another 1-5 which put the Diamonds in front by two points. The score now stood at 23-25 and it was announced that Jaimie Robertson had withdrawn from the meeting due to concussion.

Birmingham regained the lead again in heat 9 when Jason Lyons and Jack Roberts scored a 5-1 over Daniel Giffard, the only rider Newcastle were able to track. The home side now led by two points but Newcastle squared the match again with a 2-4 in heat 10. Christian Henry beat Henning Bager while Jason King took third from Lee Smart. The Diamonds then went in front again with another 2-4 in heat 11. Josef Franc won the race from Adam Roynon with Stoddart third. Jason Lyons won heat 12 coming from third through to first to head home Henry and Stoddart but it only produced a 3-3 which took the score to 35-37.

Things looked good for the Brummies when Adam Roynon and Henning Bager scored a 5-1 from Giffard and Franc in heat 13 which put the home side two points in front again but the Diamonds replied with a 1-5 in heat 14 as King and Stoddart won from Roberts and Smart which put the Diamonds back in the lead by two points going into the last race. Then came the dramatic heat 15 in which Jason Lyons completed yet another home maximum.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (5) (maximum), Adam Roynon 10+1 (5), Henning Bager 7+1 (4), Jack Roberts 6+2 (7), Lee Smart 5+1 (5), Mattia Carpanese 3 (5).

For Newcastle – Josef Franc 12 (6), Christian Henry 10 (5), Sean Stoddart 9+4 (7), Jason King 8+3 (5), Daniel Giffard 5 (5), Jaimie Robertson 0 (1).



Knock Out Cup (first round, second leg): King’s Lynn 55, Reading 38 Reading win through to the next round on aggregate by 97-89.


King’s Lynn were without Kevin Doolan and had Billy Janniro (Coventry) as a guest in his place. Reading without both reserves had Jay Herne at number 6 and Sam Martin at number 7.

With 25 points to make up from the first leg at Reading just over a week ago, King’s Lynn had a hard task on their hands. It was the first time this season that an Elite League rider had been used as a guest for a Premier League side in an official fixture.

Mark Lemon and Billy Janniro had a coming together in the run to the first bend in heat 1 which resulted in an all-four-back rerun in which Chris Mills took advantage of a mix up between the home riders to win the race for a shared heat. John Oliver and Kozza Smith sat on a 5-1 in the reserves race but Kozza Smith fell on the second lap. He got up and remounted and , since Jay Herne had retired from the race, he took third place for a home 4-2 the same score as in heat 3. Ulrich Ostergaard got the better of Tomas Topinka coming off the second bend but Topinka passed him on the third lap. Suchanek gave up the ghost allowing Simon Lambert an easy third place point. King’s Lynn now had a four point lead and added another two points to it in heat 4 with a third consecutive 4-2. Rusty Harrison made a poor start but passed his partner, Kozza Smith, on the first lap then Tom P Madsen on the second for a fine race win. This took the score to 15-9 and the Racers’ aggregate lead was down 19 points.

The Stars scored a 5-1 in heat 5 to raise their hopes. Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert headed home Chris Mills for the maximum and the home side continued to extend their lead with a 4-2 in heat 6. Billy Janniro beat Tom P Madsen in the rerun of this heat after a melee on the first bend with an all-four-back decision. Ulrich Ostergaard stopped the rot in heat 7 after passing both John Oliver and Rusty Harrison on the third lap. Harrison finished second and the race was shared 3-3. In heat 8 Reading gave Chris Mills a Tactical Ride and he duly gated for the six points. Oliver and Tacey finished behind him so the Racers took a 3-6 advantage taking the score to 30-21.

Tom P Madsen made the gate in heat 9 but Tomas Topinka passed him on the second lap. Simon Lambert took third for a 4-2 which put the Stars 11 points ahead. Another 4-2 in heat 10 increased the home side’s lead to 13 points and reduced their aggregate arrears to 12 points. Billy Janniro won the race as Ulrich Ostergaard took second by passing Shaun Tacey. Rusty Harrison won heat 12 for the Stars but a mistake by John Oliver saw him relegated to the back as Lemon and Mills filled the minor places. This resulted in a shared race but it was all over in heat 14 when Reading took a 2-4 to lead on aggregate by 14 points with just three races remaining. Ulrich Ostergaard passed Tomas Topinka and the King’s Lynn number 1 just couldn’t repass him. With Kozza Smith having fallen on the first bend the score went to 43-32.

Mark Lemon won heat 13 from Billy Janniro and Rusty Harrison for a 3-3 then in heat 14 Ulrich Ostergaard replaced Sam Martin as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back. He passed his partner, Tomas Suchanek, in no time at all then cut back under John Oliver on the second lap before chasing after Simon Lambert. An outside drive round the last bend ended with the Dane sliding off his bike letting Lambert and Oliver through for a 5-1. In the last race Topinka and Harrison made the gate but Ostergaard passed Harrison for second resulting in a 4-2 for the Stars which gave them a 17 point win on the night but an eight point aggregate defeat.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14 (5), Rusty Harrison 10+1 (5), Billy Janniro 10 (4), John Oliver 8+2 (5), Simon Lambert 7+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 4+2 (4), Kozza Smith 2 (3).

For Reading: – Ulrich Ostergaard 12 (6), Chris Mills 11+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Tom P Madsen 6 (4), Mark Lemon 5 (4), Sam Martin 3 (4), Tomas Suchanek 1 (4), Jay Herne 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 8 May

Tonight’s matches were at Redcar where the Bears raced Somerset in a Premier League match and at Sheffield where the Tigers took on Hull in the Yorkshire Cup.


Premier League: Redcar 39, Somerset 54


Redcar were still without Chris Kerr and used Rider Replacement at number 2. Somerset were at full strength.

With Redcar’s new averages kicking in Josh Auty and Daniel Giffard swopped places in the team with Auty moving to number 7 and Giffard to number 4. Somerset, after some very impressive home performances, were hoping for better in this match than on their visit to Scun.thorpe last Monday.

The Rebels made a blistering start to this match. They took a 1-5 in the opening race when Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton shot from the gate leaving Gary Havelock in third place unable to make any impression. Then they added a 2-4 in the reserves race with another fine piece of starting from Brent Werner and Simon Walker. Josh Auty rescued second place for the Bears by passing Walker on the second lap but the Bears trailed by six points already. James Grieves won heat 3 but Emil Kramer and Matthias Kroger finished behind him to square the heat. Ty Proctor then won heat 4 but again the Rebels pair finished behind him for another shared race which took the score to 9-15.

There was an even bigger shock for the home side when Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton scored another 1-5 in heat 5 this time at the expense of James Grieves who had no answer to the lightning gates from the Rebels pair. Somerset now led by ten points so the Bears immediately gave a Tactical Ride to Gary Havelock in heat 6. He beat Stephan Katt and Simon Walker but, with Arlo Bugeja at the back, the Rebels advantage was limited to a 6-3 cutting their arrears to seven points. In heat 7 they pulled another two points back when Josh Auty rose to the occasion by beating Emil Kramer with a stunning gate. Ty Proctor took third since Matthias Kroger suffered an engine failure at the gate for a 4-2. The Rebels made stunning gates again in heat 8 with Werner and Frampton leading the way. Ty Proctor passed Frampton for third to limit the damage to a 2-4 which took the score to 22-29.

The Bears came roaring back into the match with a hard fought 5-1 in heat 9. James Grieves drove round the outside on the opening bends to take the lead off the second bend while Daniel Giffard fought his way into second place to lead Simon Walker and Stephan Katt home. However it all went pear-shaped for the Bears when they conceded back-to-back 1-5s in heats 10 and 11. Again the damage was done at the starting gate. Emil Kramer and Matthias Kroger beat Gary Havelock then Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton beat Ty Proctor with no sign of any passing in either heat. In heat 12 James Grieves made the start to beat Emil Kramer while Josh Auty’s third place gave the Bears a 4-2 which took the score to 33-42 with just three heats to go.

In heat 13 Jason Doyle won from Gary Havelock and Ty Proctor for a 3-3 which all but saw the Rebels home and dry. Ty Proctor took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres in heat 14 replacing the pointless Arlo Bugeja but there was no success for the home side as Brent Werner and Matthias Kroger took another 1-5, the Rebels’ fifth of the match. The visitors rounded the match off with a 2-4 with Jason Doyle completing his maximum by beating Gary Havelock and Jordan Frampton beating James Grieves for third place.

Scorers: For Redcar – Gary Havelock 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), James Grieves 10 (5), Ty Proctor 9+1 (6), Josh Auty 6 (6), Daniel Giffard 2+1 (5), Arlo Bugeja 0 (3).

For Somerset – Jason Doyle 15 (5), Brent Werner 10+1 (4), Emil Kramer 9 (4), Jordan Frampton 8+3 (5), Matthias Kroger 5+3 (4), Stephan Katt 4 (4), Simon Walker 3+1 (4).



Yorkshire Cup: Sheffield 52, Hull 37 .


Sheffield were without Joel Parsons who had swopped sides for the night so had James Birkinshaw at reserve in the side instead. The Hull team featured many of the riders who had previously ridden for the Vikings. Joel Parsons partnered Robbie Kessler at numbers 1 and 2. Tai Woffinden (replacing Magnus Karlsson) and Emiliano Sanchez formed the middle pairing at numbers 3 and 4 while Paul Thorpe making his 2008 debut was at number 5. The reserves were Lee Dicken and Barrie Evans.

With the scheduled meeting between the Tigers and Newport having to be put on ice for the time being, this imaginative match against the Hull Vikings was arranged instead. Hull were evicted from their home at Craven Park in 2005 and have been missing ever since from the Premier League. They were managed by their former rider Garry Stead.

A different format was used for this match. There were no Tactical Substitutes or Tactical Rides. Instead, in the event of either side trailing by six or more points, they were able to choose which gate positions they wanted to use. This was not confined to the usual gates 1 and 3 or gates 2 and 4 but was extended to the trailing team using gates 1 and 2 or 1 and 4 or 2 and 3 etc. It seems that this is one innovation which had never been tried in speedway before.

Hull went ahead with a 2-4 in heat 1 thanks to a win for Robbie Kessler from Ashworth and Parsons then a James Birkinshaw win in the reserves race resulted in a shared heat. Sheffield equalised with a 4-2 from Andre Compton, who beat Tai Woffinden, and Lee Smethills in heat 3. Ben Wilson and James Birkinshaw then put Sheffield in front with a 5-1 in heat 4 taking the score to 14-10.

Kessler was excluded in heat 5 for knocking Andre Compton off. Compton won the rerun from Parson and Smethills for a 4-2 to increase the Tigers’ lead to six points. It increased to eight when Ricky Ashworth won heat 7 from Lee Dicken and Paul Cooper. Tai Woffinden and Emiliano Sanchez pulled two points in heat 7 when Ben Wilson finished second and Sam Martin pulled up with a puncture. James Birkinshaw fell in heat 8 and was excluded from the rerun won by Paul Cooper for a shared heat taking the score to 27-21.

In heat 9 Andre Compton won from Lee Dicken and Lee Smethills as Paul Thorp fell. This gave Sheffield another 4-2 and eight point lead. The track was now causing problems for some of the riders and Emiliano Sanchez fell in heat 10 causing a rerun in which Tai Woffinden also fell. This gave the Tigers a 5-0 and a 13 point lead. Sam Martin was the next faller in heat 11 which also had to be rerun. Joel Parsons beat Wilson and Kessler for a 2-4 then heat 12, won by Andre Compton from Tai Woffinden, was shared as the score went to 41-30.

Sheffield scored two more 4-2s in heats 13 and 14 won by Ashworth and Smethills respectively then Ricky Ashworth touched the tapes in the last heat causing the race to be run with only three riders. Andre Compton completed his maximum by winning from Parsons and Woffinden.

From heat 6 onwards there were gate positional changes for a few heats from those listed in the programme but no information is available as to how successful this experiment was.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 15 (5) (maximum), Ricky Ashworth 11 (5), Ben Wilson 8, Paul Cooper 6+1 (4), Lee Smethills 6 (4), James Birkinshaw 5+1 (4), Sam Martin 1 (4).

For Hull – Joel Parsons 10 (5), Tai Woffinden 8+1 (5), Lee Dicken 7+1 (4), Robbie Kessler 6+1 (4), Barrie Evans 5+2 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 1 (4), Paul Thorp 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Friday, 9 May

Three matches were raced today all for Premier League points. At Edinburgh the Monarchs faced Reading , at Somerset the Rebels took on Rye House while at Scun.thorpe the Scorpions raced against Workington .


Premier League: Edinburgh 49, Reading 43


Edinburgh were missing Thomas Jonasson who was injured in a crash in Sweden during the week. They used Rider Replacement for him at number 4. Reading were missing both reserves, Jaimie Smith and Danny Warwick. They used Gary Beaton (Redcar Cubs) and Ross Brady (Glasgow) at numbers 6 and 7 in their place.

With the forthcoming home and away aggregate Premier Trophy semi-final tie between these two sides both were out to impose themselves. Reading though would be hoping to confine their televised match on the Isle of Wight to the unwanted memory bank with a much improved performance.

This turned out to be another thriller at Armadale with many twists and turns as Reading fought all the way making the Monarchs dig deep for their win. Edinburgh trailed after five heats but with five races to go they had built up a 12 point lead. Tactical Rides made a hole in the Monarchs’ lead as Reading pulled their arrears back but they didn’t quite have the firepower to threaten a shock win.

It was Chris Mills who jetted from the gate in heat 1. He led for a couple of laps until Ryan Fisher passed him for the win while behind this pair Derek Sneddon finished third, almost catching Mills, ahead of Mark Lemon for a 4-2. Ross Brady made the gate in the reserves race but was quickly passed by Andrew Tully. Aaron Summers made a mess of the second bend but then took up the chase on Brady, caught and passed him in fine style to follow Tully home for a 5-1 which put the Monarchs six points ahead. Heat 3 was a disaster for the home side. Although Ulrich Ostergaard made the gate, William Lawson rounded him on bends one and two to head off in front. Andrew Tully then joined the fray to catch Ostergaard but Lawson suffered an engine failure on the fourth bend leaving Tully to take up the challenge on his own. This he did and the crowd were treated to a real thriller with Tully and Ostergaard passing and repassing each other all race until Tully fell on the third bend of the last lap leaving Tomas Suchanek miles at the back to ride past for second and a 0-5 to the Racers which cut the gap to one point. Tom P Madsen gated to win heat 4 but, on the opening bends, Aaron Summers gave Ross Brady a nudge which sent him fencewards. Matthew Wethers had to all but stop to avoid running into him and by the time he got himself sorted out the other three were gone. Aaron Summers finished second ahead of Brady for a 2-4 which put the Racers a point ahead with the score at 11-12.

Mark Lemon gated in heat 5 and held off the determined challenges of William Lawson for the three points and a shared race but the Monarchs were back in front with a 5-0 in heat 6. Gary Beaton fell on the first bend and retired from the race while Ryan Fisher and Derek Sneddon headed off for a 5-1. However Madsen dive bombed Sneddon on the first bend of the second lap to send him sprawling. Madsen was excluded as was Beaton who was not under power. In the rerun the Edinburgh riders made the gate(!) for a comfortable and uncontested maximum. This put the home side 4 points up and they added a 4-2 in heat 7. Ostergaard and Suchanek were fast away but Matthew Wethers passed them both with a white line drive round the opening bends. He then rode a clever race to deny Ostergaard while Andrew Tully passed Suchanek for third. This increased the Monarchs lead to 6 points and it looked like increasing further to ten when Aaron Summers and Ryan Fisher comfortably led Brady after Chris Mills had fallen on the opening bend and remounted. However Fisher, out for two rides on the trot, had forgotten to refill his fuel tank and ran out of gas coming off bend 2 on the last lap. This allowed Ross Brady through for second but Fisher was able to coast and paddle round to the line just in time to pip Mills for third. This resulted in a 4-2 taking the score to 27-19.

William Lawson made the start from Tom P Madsen in heat 9 but Matthew Wethers railed off bend two to relegate Madsen to third for a 5-1 which took the home side’s lead to 12 points. Suchanek and Ostergaard gated to lead heat 10 but an amazing ride by Fisher, who rounded Ostergaard on the third bend and a few feet later cut under the team riding Suchanek, took him through to first. Suchanek took up the challenge and briefly passed Fisher again but the American was not to be denied and won the race for a shared heat. In heat 11 Mark Lemon took a Tactical Ride and led Matthew Wethers from the gate. Wethers kept challenging on the inside line and Chris Mills took full advantage of the situation by driving round the outside to pass Wethers earning the Racers the big 1-8 which cut the gap to 5 points. Although William Lawson made the gate in heat 12, Ulrich Ostergaard cut up the inside to pass him brilliantly and go on to win the race. Aaron Summers took third for a shared race which took the score to 39-34.

Heat 13 looked crucial but Edinburgh were well up for this one. Derek Sneddon gated brilliantly from gate 2 to lead Mark Lemon to the first bend. He pinned Lemon on the inside allowing Matthew Wethers to join him round the outside. A great team ride from the Edinburgh pair earned them a 5-1 extending their lead to 9 points. Reading weren’t finished though and threw Ulrich Ostergaard into heat 14 replacing Ross Brady as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back. This resulted in another fabulous race. Suddenly Tomas Suchanek made the start while Fisher struggled in vain to catch him. Meanwhile Ulrich Ostergaard finally got past Tully late in the race and made inroads on Fisher who was on an extravagantly wide line. He couldn’t catch him though and his third place gave the racers a 2-5 from the heat but it was too little, too late. In the last race the Racers made the gate but William Lawson rode a determined opening two bends to pass them both. Fisher and Ostergaard then had a magnificent battle for third place which ended when Fisher ended up in the first bend fence on the last lap. The heat was shared and the Monarchs were home and dry by six points.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 12 (6), William Lawson 10 (5), Aaron Summers 9+3 (5), Matthew Wethers 7+2 (5), Derek Sneddon 6+1 (4), Andrew Tully 5 (5).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 13+2 (6) (with 2 point TS), Mark Lemon 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), Tomas Suchanek 6+2 (4), Chris Mills 4+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 4 (4), Ross Brady 4 (4), Gary Beaton 0 (3).



Premier League: Somerset 66, Rye House 27


Somerset were at full strength but Rye House were again forced to use Rider Replacement for the injured Tommy Allen at number 4.

Confidence in the Somerset camp must have been sky high after their sensational win at Redcar last night. Rye House could also claim some decent away form having recorded a massive 21 point win at Mildenhall last Sunday.

The Rebels ran up another cricket score at the Oak Tree Arena with Rye House the victims this time. They have certainly set out their stall in the race for the league title and, after their results tonight and last night, they have to be considered serious challengers.

What can be said about this match. The Rebels managed ten 5-1 heat advantages in what was virtually a Somerset v Tai Woffinden match. The Rye House youngster salvaged a little respectability for the Rockets by dropping just one point from his five rides which included a successful Tactical Ride. Beaten only once – in heat 3 by Emil Kramer - he prevented all of the home riders from scoring a maximum. In fact none of the other Rye House riders beat a single opponent all night. Their combined total of ten points all came at the wrong end of the home side’s 5-1 heat wins.

After two opening maximums, Tai Woffinden made a great start in heat 3 only to be passed round the outside by Emil Kramer for his only defeat of the night. The shared race was followed by another 5-1 taking the score to 19-5.

Another two 5-1s followed before Tai Woffinden won heat 7 after a good battle with Simon Walker while on a TR so the Rockets took their only heat advantage of the night with a 3-6. A heat 8 5-1 then took the score to 37-14.

Heat 9 was another easy 5-1 for the Rebels but Tai Woffinden won again in heat 10 after clamping Jason Doyle on the opening bend before jetting off for the win and shared race. After another 5-1 for the home side Woffinden was out again in heat 12 which he again won. At this stage he had scored 15 of the Rockets’ 22 points as the score now stood at 53-22.

Heats 13 and 14 both ended up 5-1s again until Tai Woffinden completed an excellent night by winning the nominated riders’ race from Kramer and Walker.

Scorers: For Somerset – Emil Kramer 13 (5), Simon Walker 11+2 (5), Jason Doyle 10+1 (4), Stephan Katt 10+1 (4), Jordan Frampton 8+3 (4), Brent Werner 7+4 (4), Matthias Kroger 7+3 (4).

For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 17 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 3 (5), Chris Neath 3 (5), Robert Mear 3 (6), Luke Bowen 1 (4), Daniel Halsey 0 (5)..



Premier League: Scun.thorpe 47, Workington 43


Scun.thorpe were at full strength but Workington were without Daniel Nermark so used James Wright (Belle Vue) as a guest at number 1.

Having beaten high-flying Somerset at home last week Scun.thorpe would have felt confident about taking on the much-fancied Workington team. Workington fans had a welcome opportunity to see James Wright in the Comets’ colours again after he elected for the Elite League this year.

This was an excellent win for the Scorpions with only a closing 1-5 to the Comets putting a bit of gloss on the scoresheet for the visitors. The home side began in perfect style with an opening heat 5-1. Carl Wilkinson hit the front off the second bend and was joined by Andrew Moore who passed him after passing James Wright for second place. Joe Haines began a productive evening by winning the reserves race for a shared heat then Magnus Karlsson roared round Kauko Nieminen in heat 3 for another shared race. The Scorpions took another 5-1 in heat 4 to shoot eight points in front. Carl Stonehewer fell while second and Richard Hall and Byron Bekker led home John Branney for the maximum taking the score to 16-8.

Workington pulled two points back in heat 5 when James Wright passed early race leader, Magnus Karlsson, while Benji Compton fell leaving Barry Burchatt to take an easy third place for a 2-4. Carl Stonehewer passed Andrew Moore in heat 6 and challenged Carl Wilkinson only to suffer an engine failure leaving the home side to score another 5-1 which put them ten points ahead. Richard Hall passed Kauko Nieminen in heat 7 while Charles Wright won the battle for third against Viktor Bergstrom for a shared heat but the Comets scored another 2-4 in heat 8. Joe Haines won again this time from Carl Wilkinson while Barry Burchatt took third from Byron Bekker taking the score to 28-20.

Haines and Stonehewer gated to lead heat 9 but Magnus Karlsson rounded them both on the last two bends of the first lap for a fine win and shared race then things looked bright in heat 10 for the Comets too when Kauko Nieminen was quickly away to win the race. However Charles Wright who had also gated well was passed by Andrew Moore and Carl Wilkinson so the heat was shared. James Wright won heat 11 for another shared race but the Comets reduced their arrears to six points when they scored another 2-4 in heat 12. Kauko Nieminen won the race after passing Magnus Karlsson while Joe Haines took third taking the score to 39-33.

It looked as though the Comets were going to storm back into the match when they were heading for a 1-5 in heat 13 as James Wright and Carl Stonehewer led from the tapes. However Andrew Moore passed Stonehewer on the second lap then Stonehewer fell so the race was shared. The Scorpions finally sealed victory with a 4-2 in heat 14. Viktor Bergstrom won the race from Joe Haines but Benji Compton’s third place gave the home side a 4-2 and eight point lead with one race to go. An excellent heat 15 was eventually won by Kauko Nieminen and James Wright from Karlsson and Hall as the Comets finished with a bang.

Scorers: For Scun.thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 11 (5), Andrew Moore 9+1 (4), Richard Hall 9+1 (5), Carl Wilkinson 8+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 6+1 (4), Byron Bekker 3+2 (4), Benji Compton 1 (4).

For Workington – Kauko Nieminen 13 (5), James Wright 12+1 (5), Joe Haines 12 (6), Charles Wright 2+2 (3), Barry Burchatt 2 (4), Carl Stonehewer 1+1 (4), John Branney 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 10 May



Three Premier League matches and one Premier Trophy match were raced today. The three Premier League matches were at Rye House where the Rockets faced Edinburgh , at Workington where the Comets took on Reading and at Berwick [/b] where the Bandits raced against the Isle of Wight . The Premier Trophy match was at Stoke where the Potters had Newcastle as their visitors.



Premier League: Rye House 48, Edinburgh 42


Rye House , still without Tommy Allen, used Rider Replacement at number 4 and nominated Gary Cottham as their number 8. Edinburgh were without the injured Thomas Jonasson and used Rider Replacement at number 2.

This was an excellent match on a warm, balmy evening at Hoddesdon. Edinburgh made the early running but Rye House took control over the second part of the meeting to win by six points.

William Lawson fell on the opening bend of heat 1 but Andrew Tully emerged in front off the second bend and won the heat comfortably for a shared race. The Monarchs then took the lead with a 1-5 in the reserves race. Aaron Summers made the gate and, although Daniel Halsey held second place for a lap, Andrew Tully passed him on the second lap to join his partner for the maximum. Rye House pulled two points back in heat 3 in an excellent race. A close tussle between Robert Mear and Ryan Fisher, who passed and repassed each other, ended with Mear taking the flag. Behind this pair Tai Woffinden took third for a 4-2. Back came the Monarchs with a 2-4 in heat 4. Luke Bowen gated and was away while Aaron Summers moved Stefan Ekberg over on the second bend allowing Matthew Wethers up the inside to pass both of them. Wethers then hunted down and passed Bowen on the third lap to win the race taking the score to 10-14.

Although William Lawson made the start in heat 5, he was passed by Tai Woffinden who went on to win. Aaron Summers passed Luke Bowen for third place for a shared race. Heat 6 was shared too. Chris Neath led from the start while Robert Mear made a stunning inside pass on Matthew Wethers down the back straight but Wethers repassed him at the start of the next lap. Mear got the second bend all wrong allowing Andrew Tully through for third and a 3-3. The Rockets pulled two points back in the rerun of heat 7 after Derek Sneddon had got out of shape causing Daniel Halsey to run into him. Stefan Ekberg gated in the rerun for a comfortable win from Ryan Fisher and a 4-2. The Monarchs looked like scoring a 1-5 in heat 8 when Matthew Wethers led from the gate. Aaron Summers passed Luke Bowen as did Robert Mear but a hard charge into the first bend by Mear forced Summers over the first/second bend camber. By the time he had recovered Bowen was back into third for a 3-3 which took the score to 23-25.

Matthew Wethers and Andrew Tully gated for the Monarchs in heat 9 but a magnificent effort from Woffinden saw him pick off both the Monarchs on successive laps to share the race. The Rockets took the lead for the first time in heat 10. Robert Mear and Chris Neath were fast away and Andrew Tully could only follow them home as Ryan Fisher retired from the race. This resulted in a 5-1 and two point lead for the home side and it stayed than way when Stefan Ekberg gated to win heat 11 for another shared race. The Rockets doubled their lead with another Woffinden win in heat 12. Andrew Tully took second under pressure from Bowen and the 4-2 took the score to 41-37.

Stefan Ekberg took a heavy fall on the first bend of heat 13 but was able to take his place in the rerun in which Chris Neath gated. Although passed by Lawson he repassed the Monarchs’ man to win the race while Matthew Wethers also passed his partner for a shared race. It was all over after heat 14, won by Stefan Ekberg from Andrew Tully and Luke Bowen, for a 4-2 which sealed victory for the Rockets. William Lawson made en excellent gate in the last race and, now on the outside line, was never challenged by Neath and Woffinden for a shared race.

Scorers: For Rye House – Chris Neath 12+1 (5), Tai Woffinden 11+1 (5), Robert Mear 9+1 (5), Stefan Ekberg 9 (5), Luke Bowen 6+1 (7), Danny Halsey 1 (3).

For Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 13+2 (7), Matthew Wethers 11+1 (6), William Lawson 8+1 (5), Aaron Summers 5+1 (4), Ryan Fisher 5+1 (5), Derek Sneddon 0 (3).



Premier League: Workington 54, Reading 36


Workington had James Wright (Belle Vue) as a guest at number 1 for the injured Daniel Nermark. Reading , without both reserves, had Tom Brown as a guest for Jaimie Smith at number 6 and Ross Brady (Glasgow) at number 7 for Daniel Warwick.

Reading took a two point lead from the opening race when Mark Lemon got the better of James Wright to head off for the win. Barry Burchatt went too wide allowing Jaimie Mills through for third and a 2-4. Ross Brady gated to lead the reserves race but was passed by Joe Haines and John Branney. Tom Brown then ran into Brady who was excluded and the race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Comets reversing the two point lead. In heat 3 the Comets added a 4-2 from Nieminen who beat Ostergaard and Charles Wright then Tom P Madsen won heat 4 for a shared race taking the score to 14-10.

Reading pulled two back in heat 5 when Mark Lemon won again passing Kauko Nieminen in the process while Chris Mills took third for a 2-4. Workington replied with a 4-2 won by James Wright from Tom P Madsen. Barry Burchatt took third as Tom Brown fell to regain their four point lead. Ulrich Ostergaard won from Stonehewer and Haines in heat 7 for a shared race but the Comets pulled further away with a 5-1 in heat 8 from John Branney and Barry Burchatt taking the score to 28-20.

Tom P Madsen rocketed from the gate to win heat 9 but Charles Wright and Kauko Nieminen shared the points behind him. Ulrich Ostergaard won heat 10 but this too was only good enough for a 3-3 as Tomas Suchanek recorded his third successive blot. The home side’s lead went to 10 points when Carl Stonehewer ended Mark Lemon’s winning run and Joe Haines beat Chris Mills for third and a 4-2. Kauko Nieminen won heat 12 from Ostergaard while Tom Brown scored a point when John Branney fell. The 3-3 took the score to 41-31.

Mark Lemon took a TR in heat 13 but was on the wrong end of a 5-1 from James Wright and Carl Stonehewer as the Comets sealed victory with the maximum. They added another in heat 14 thanks to Joe Haines and Charles Wright but Ulrich Ostergaard won heat 15 from Nieminen and Stonehewer for a shared race as the Comets recorded an eighteen point victory.

Scorers: For Workington – Kauko Nieminen 11+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 10+1 (5), James Wright 10 (4), Joe Haines 8+1 (4), John Branney 6+2 (4), Charles Wright 5+1 (4), Barry Burchatt 4+2 (4).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 13 (5), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tom P Madsen 8 (4), Tom Brown 3+1 (5), Chris Mills 3 (4), Ross Brady 0 (3), Tomas Suchanek 0 (4).



Premier League: Berwick 17, Isle of Wight 19 Match abandoned after heat 6 – result does not stand.


Berwick were without Benny Johansson so used Rider Replacement at number 4 . The Isle of Wight Were without Krzysztof Stojanowski so used Rider Replacement at number 1.

The details of this match were overshadowed by the events of heat 7. For the sake of accuracy I can do no better than quote the following extract from the Official Berwick Speedway site:
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Berwick’s Premier League match against the Isle of Wight came to shocking end on Saturday night when with a horrific crash injured two riders and two supporters.
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The prize for the winner was the League’s number one slot and as a result racing was keen and tight, with some great speedway, but come Heat Seven events took a shocking turn. As the tapes went up Scott Smith and Paul Fry locked machines going into the opening bend leaving the pair unable to control the outcome.

With both machines at full-bore, they smashed headlong into the first bend fencing, shattering the barrier to smithereens, sending Smith deep into the no-mans- land area, but Fry, and machines kept on going, flying over the remains of the fence and into the supporters’ area. Fry ended up against the stadium’s perimeter wall, some 50 feet from the track, but the flying bikes struck two very unlucky young supporters walking past.

Fry ended up with knee ligament damage and a couple of broken toes, and Smith, like Fry was well shaken up and shocked at the severity of the incident. Both stricken supporters required instant medical attention and two NHS service ambulances were called in, arriving within 5 minutes, and as a result the authorities were effectively in charge of the event.

Treating the scene as a regular accident scene, the local police called in their incident unit as the supporters were taken into the ambulances where medics tended to their injuries. After consultations between the paramedic teams, the police, the promotion and the referee it was agreed that the only sensible decision would be for the event to be abandoned at this stage, and as the announcement was made it received a round of applause from the crowd who were themselves coming to terms with the scenes and the shock and disbelief caused.

The result does not stand and a rescheduled date will be arranged soon. Berwick Promoter Peter Waite said: “Above everything else, we at Berwick Speedway have the two injured fans and their families uppermost in our minds and wish them all the very best for a very swift recovery. “Any referral to results or potential results is immaterial although we will be preparing early for the hard trip to Somerset on Friday.” Berwick had no planned home meeting for next Saturday, the 17th of May, stating several weeks ago that this would be a blank Saturday.

Scorers: For Berwick – Norbert Magosi 7 (3), Scott Smith 3 (2), Adrian Rymel 2+1 (2), Michal Makovsky 2+1 (2), Adam McKinna 2+1 (2), Tero Aarnio 1(1).

For Away – Cory Gathercole 6 (2), Jason Bunyan 5 (3), James Holder 3+1 (2), Glen Phillips 3 (2), Paul Fry 2+1 (1), Andrew Bargh 0 (2).



Premier Trophy: Stoke 54, Newcastle 39


Stoke were at full strength. Newcastle had Daniel Giffard (Redcar) as a guest for Ben Powell at number 2 and Scott Richardson as a guest for Jaimie Robertson at number 6. They also used Rider Replacement for George Stancl at number 3.

After losing two 5-1s in the opening three heats Newcastle never looked like challenging for the points. Eleven last places certainly gave them little chance of success.

The Diamonds started well when their guest, Daniel Giffard, passed Lee Complin to win the opening race. Unfortunately for them, Mark Burrows passed Josef Franc to relegate him to last so the race was shared. Two 5-1s followed from Evans and Kristiansen and Barker and Jakobsen to put the Potters eight points up. Emiliano Sanchez gated to win heat 4 but Jesper Kristiansen trying to pass Stoddart ended up being passed by Christian Henry instead for a shared race which took the score to 16-8.

Josef Franc gated in heat 5 but was passed by Ben Barker while Claus Jakobsen ended up at the back for a 3-3 but the Potters soared twelve points in front with a 5-1 from Lee Complin and Mark Burrows who passed Christian Henry to join him. Newcastle then gave Josef Franc a TR in heat 7 which he duly won from the gate. However Barrie Evans and Emiliano Sanchez both passed Jason King to restrict the heat advantage to the Diamonds to a 3-6. Stoke nullified that by scoring another 5-1 in heat 8 thanks to Mark Burrows and Jesper Kristiansen taking the score to 32-19.

The home side pulled another two points clear with a 4-2 in heat 9 when Ben Barker beat Christian Henry who had his work cut out keeping Claus Jakobsen behind him. Newcastle were sitting on a 1-5 in heat 10 when Mark Burrows fell causing the race to be rerun. In the second running Lee Complin won the race for a 3-3 then another 4-2 from Barrie Evans who beat Josef Franc and Emiliano Sanchez stretched the lead to 17 points. Heat 12 won by Ben Barker also resulted in a 4-2 taking the score to 47-28.

Newcastle again sat on a 1-5 in heat 13 when Josef Franc and Christian Henry led the race but Henry suffered an engine failure so the race was shared. Newcastle finally did score a 1-5 in heat 14. Sean Stoddart and Jason King led Barrie Evans home then, in the last race, Josef Franc completed a lucrative evening by winning from Barker and Complin for a shared race.

Scorers: For Stoke – Ben Barker 14 (5), Lee Complin 11+1 (5), Barrie Evans 9 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 6+2 (4), Mark Burrows 6+2 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 5+2 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 3+1 (4).

For Away – Josef Franc 16 (6) (with 6 point TR), Jason King 7+2 (6), Sean Stoddart 7 (6), Christian Henry 5+1 (4), Daniel Giffard 4+1 (5), Scott Richardson 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 11 May


Two matches were raced this afternoon in the Premier League, both featuring the Scottish clubs. One was at Mildenhall where the Fen Tigers raced Edinburgh ; the other was at Glasgow where the Tigers took on the Isle of Wight .


Premier League: Mildenhall 30, Edinburgh 60


Mildenhall were without Mark Baseby so used Kyle Hughes as a guest at number 6. They also introduced their new signing Michal Rajkowski at number 1. Edinburgh were without Thomas Jonasson and used Rider Replacement at number 2.

Edinburgh recorded their biggest ever away win on a swelteringly hot day at the pleasant, well equipped West Row stadium. For Mildenhall it was another heavy home defeat in a season which so far has seen them record just one win. However, despite the score, this was a very entertaining match with some excellent races.

The Edinburgh riders were fast away and on a 1-5 in the opening heat when Jan Graversen came to grief on the first bend of lap three causing Michal Rajkowski to run into him. Both stricken riders recovered and the race was awarded to the Monarchs with Andrew Tully (R/R) first and William Lawson second. Mildenhall were already struggling when they conceded another 1-5 in heat 2 after Andrew Tully gated again for his second win on the trot. Aaron Summers passed Kyle Hughes off the second bend and the Fen Tigers were eight down. However the Monarchs were shaken out of any complacency when Henning Loof and Kai Laukkanen made perfect gates in heat 3 to score a 5-1 for the Fen Tigers lifting the home side’s heads again. They pulled two more points back in heat 4 when Robbie Kessler jetted from the gate followed by Kyle Hughes. Again Aaron Summers passed Hughes off the second bend but Matthew Wethers just couldn’t repeat the move so a 4-2 went the home side’s way taking the score to 11-13.

The floodgates then opened as Edinburgh ran riot with six 5-1s on the trot to leave their hosts floundering. Kai Laukkanen made the gate in heat 5 but William Lawson cut back off bend two to pass him. On the back straight of the second lap Aaron Summers smoothly passed Laukkanen too with an excellent inside move off bend two again. Jan Graversen and Michal Rajkowski gated for the Fen Tigers in heat 6 but Graversen lifted on the second bend allowing both Tully and Wethers through. The chase was on for the two Monarchs to reel in Rajkowski and they passed the Fen Tigers’ new boy in a joint move on the fourth bend for another 1-5. Now ten points down Mildenhall gave Robbie Kessler a TR in heat 7 but this failed. Derek Sneddon gated with Kessler just behind. Coming off the second bend Ryan Fisher forced his way past Kessler and the American raced past his partner for the win and another 1-5 for the Monarchs. The carnage continued in heat 8 as Aaron Summers and Matthew Wethers gated for a fourth consecutive 1-5 ahead of Jan Graversen taking the score to 15-33.

There was a pile up on the first bend of heat 9 when Andrew Tully and Kai Laukkanen came together. Laukkanen came off worse sliding into the fence and requiring medical attention but he recovered to take his place in the rerun in which Tully and Wethers depressed the home side further by jetting off for another 1-5. The Edinburgh riders made the gate in heat 10 too but had to do it again after Jan Graversen fell and was excluded. It was the same story in the rerun but the Monarchs pair of Sneddon and Fisher had to team ride to keep out the determined challenges of Michal Rajkowski who was on their tails all race. Finally after a stunning gate by Robbie Kessler the maximum heat wins ended in heat 11. Fisher and Lawson gave chase all race long but Kessler held on for a 3-3. Heat 12 had to be rerun. Kai Laukkanen gated to lead from Andrew Tully and Jari Makinen. As Derek Sneddon passed Makinen round the outside of the fourth bend Makinen ran into him causing him to fall. Makinen was excluded from the rerun but Laukkanen gated again but got no respite from Andrew Tully who tried every imaginable line to pass him. Laukkanen held on though to win an excellent race for another shared heat which took the score to 23-49.

William Lawson led heat 13 from the tapes but was passed by Robbie Kessler. Kessler’s lead didn’t last long though as Lawson passed him again on the second lap and, with Matthew Wethers beating Michal Rajkowski, the result was a 2-4 to the Monarchs. Jari Makinen, without a point to his name, came into heat 14 replacing Kyle Hughes and stunned the crowd with a brilliant ride. Ryan Fisher made the gate but Makinen passed him in fine style on the second lap for a fine win. Behind this pair Henning Loof lost his third place when he was passed by Aaron Summers on the third lap resulting in a shared heat. In the last race William Lawson charged to the front from the tapes but was under pressure all race from Robbie Kessler. Andrew Tully was in the thick of the action too and very nearly got up on Kessler on the line. The 2-4 gave the Monarchs a 30 point win.

Gate 4 was a real graveyard gate this afternoon. In the eight races one of the home riders came off that gate they scored only four points in total. Edinburgh didn’t find it a bundle of joy either scoring only nine points from the seven heats they were off it.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Robbie Kessler 11 (5), Kai Laukkanen 6+1 (5), Henning Loof 4 (4), Michal Rajkowski 3 (4), Jari Makinen 3 (4), Kyle Hughes 2 (4), Jan Graversen 1 (4).

For Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 15 (6), William Lawson 12+2 (5), Aaron Summers 10+3 (5), Ryan Fisher 9+1 (5), Matthew Wethers 7+3 (5), Derek Sneddon 7+2 (4).



Premier League: Glasgow 51, Isle of Wight 42.


Glasgow were without Shane Parker, Josh Grajczonek and Mitchell Davey. They had Carl Stonehewer as a guest for Parker at number 3, used Rider Replacement for Grajczonek at number 2 and had Gary Beaton at reserve in place of Davey. They also nominated James McBain as their number 8. The Isle of Wight were without Krzysztof Stojanowski and Paul Fry who was injured in the terrible accident at Berwick last night. They used Rider Replacement for Stojanowski at number 1 and had Tero Aarnio (Berwick) as a guest for Fry at number 4.

After four successive home defeats, Glasgow finally recorded a home win against an Isle of Wight side who were involved in the dreadful events last night at Berwick. The Tigers success was mainly due to the contributions of Ross Brady with paid 17 at reserve and to their guest, Carl Stonehewer, who dropped only one point in his five rides.

Things didn’t look too promising for the Tigers when they lost a 1-5 in the opening heat after Cory Gathercole and Jason Bunyan had made the gate but they reversed that score in the reserves race with a 5-1 from Ross Brady and Gary Beaton. Heat 3 had to be rerun after Glen Phillips fell on the opening bends. In the all-four-back rerun Carl Stonehewer gated for the three points but behind him there was a battle between Tero Aarnio and Lee Dicken for second which the Islanders’ guest won on the run in to the flag. This gave Glasgow a 4-2 and two point lead which remained that way after an excellent heat 4. Ross Brady and Robert Ksiezak gated for the Tigers and were headed for a 5-1 but Jason Bunyan had other ideas. After a poor start he passed his partner, James Holder, then chased down the Glasgow pair passing them both for the race win and a 3-3 which took the score to 13-11.

Heat 5 saw Cory Gathercole fall at the starting gate earning him an exclusion from the rerun in which Lee Dicken led Tero Aarnio from the gate. Carl Stonehewer passed Aarnio on the third lap to join Dicken for a 5-1 stretching Glasgow’s lead to six points which stayed that way after Jason Bunyan scored a tapes-to-flag win for a shared race in heat 6. The visitors pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat 7 when Tero Aarnio passed Robert Ksiezak off the second bend to win the race. Glen Phillips finished third so the Tigers’ lead was cut to four points. However a 5-1 from Brady and Ksiezak in heat 8 doubled it to eight points taking the score to 28-20.

Jason Bunyan made the gate in heat 9 for another win, ending Carl Stonehewer’s winning run but with Lee Dicken third the race was shared as was heat 10 won by Trent Leverington from Aarnio and Phillips. The Isle of Wight cut the gap to six points with a 2-4 in heat 11 as Cory Gathercole won from Ksiezak and Phillips but a home 5-1 in heat 12 from Brady and Stonehewer from the gate had the visitors in trouble as they now trailed by ten points with three heats remaining. They gave Cory Gathercole a TR in heat 13 and he duly obliged with all six points by beating Trent Leverington who minimised the damage by relegating Jason Bunyan to third. However the islanders scored a 2-7 cutting their arrears to five points. It was all over after heat 14 as Glasgow sealed victory with a 4-2 in a race rerun after James Holder had fallen and been excluded. In the rerun Brady won again with Tero Aarnio taking second place putting the Tigers seven points ahead going into the last race. An interesting last race saw Jason Bunyan and Tero Aarnio pass Carl Stonehewer off the second bend to lead the race. However Bunyan suffered machine trouble and retired from the race while Stonehewer passed Aarnio on the third lap to win the race for a shared heat.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Ross Brady 16+1 (7), Carl Stonehewer 12+2 (5), Robert Ksiezak 8+1 (5), Trent Leverington 7+1 (5), Lee Dicken 6+1 (4), Gary Beaton 2+1 (4).

For the Isle of Wight – Cory Gathercole 13 (5) (with 6 point TR), Jason Bunyan 12+1 (6), Tero Aarnio 12 (6), Glen Phillips 3+1 (5), James Holder 2 (5), Andrew Bargh 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Monday, 12 May



Tonight’s only match was at Reading where the Racers raced against Sheffield in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Reading 60, Sheffield 33.


Reading were again without their two reserves and had Joe Haines (Workington) at number 7 in place of Danny Warwick and Nikki Glanz at number 6 in place of Jaimie Smith. Sheffield were at full strength.

Reading, returning from an unproductive two-match northern tour, got back to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over a lack-lustre Sheffield side who managed only three race winners all match.

Yet the Tigers took the lead with a 2-4 in heat 1! Ricky Ashworth was their race winner and, when Joel Parsons passed Chris Mills who fell, the visitors were two points up. Joe Haines, Reading’s guest, won heat 2 while behind him Paul Cooper and Nikki Glanz had a battle royal for second place. Cooper prevailed so the Racers took a 4-2 to level the scores again. Reading then took the lead in heat 3 as Ulrich Ostergaard scored the first of his five race wins by beating Andre Compton. Tomas Suchanek’s third place gave the Racers a 4-2 and the home side added a 5-1 in heat 4. Ben Wilson was the early race leader but looked decidedly uncomfortable and it was no surprise when he was passed by Joe Haines on the second lap then Tom P Madsen on the last bend just before Wilson fell on the run in to the line leaving Paul Cooper to score the third place point. The score now stood at 15-9.

Reading pulled way with two more 5-1s in heats 5 and 6. In the former it was Ulrich Ostergaard and Tomas Suchanek from the Parsons/Ashworth pairing and in the latter Mark Lemon and Chris Mills from Ben Wilson. Sheffield, now trailing by 14 points, gave Andre Compton a TR in heat 7 and he lifted the Tigers’ spirits by winning from Tom P Madsen and Nikki Glanz for a 3-6 cutting their arrears to eleven points. However another home 5-1 in heat 8 this time from Chris Mills and Joe Haines who both rode well to relegate Joel Parsons to third place. This took the score to 33-18.

It looked like yet another 5-1 for the Racers in heat 9 but Tomas Suchanek developed machine problems and lost his second place behind Ostergaard to Paul Cooper who passed him on the line. This gave Reading a 4-2 instead and they added another in an excellent heat 10. Andre Compton passed early race leader, Mark Lemon, coming off the second bend but Lemon returned the compliment with an outside blast on the same bend on the third lap for the win. Chris Mills’ third place edged the Racers two more points ahead. Tom P Madsen passed Joel Parsons to win heat 11 for a shared race then Ulrich Ostergaard executed a brilliant outside/inside pass on Andre Compton in heat 12 while Joe Haines took third for a 4-2 which took the score to 48-27.

Ricky Ashworth gated to lead Madsen and Lemon home for a shared heat 13 then the Racers scored another 5-1 in heat 14 from Tomas Suchanek and Nikki Glanz in heat 14. Ulrich Ostergaard gated to win the last race, completing his five ride maximum, while Ricky Ashworth took second place from Lemon and Compton for a final 4-2 which gave the Racers a 27 point win.

Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 15 (5) (full maximum), Mark Lemon 10+1 (5), Tom P Madsen 9+1 (4), Joe Haines 9+1 (4), Tomas Suchanek 7+1 (4), Chris Mills 6+1 (4), Nikki Glanz 4+2 (4).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), Ricky Ashworth 9+1 (5), Joel Parsons 5 (4), Paul Cooper 5 (4), Ben Wilson 1 (4), Sam Martin 1 (5), Lee Smethills 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Tuesday, 13 May



Tonight’s on the Isle of Wight it was back to aggregate scoring as the Islanders took on Sheffield in the second leg of their first round Knock Out Cup tie.


Knock Out Cup (first round, second leg): Isle of Wight 54, Sheffield 38 The Isle of Wight won through to the next round on aggregate by 92-90.


The Isle of Wight welcomed back Krzysztof Stojanowski after his shoulder injury but were without Paul Fry following his accident at Berwick. They used Rider Replacement instead at number 4. Sheffield were at full strength.

Sheffield won the first leg of this tie by 52-38 so the Islanders had a 14 point deficit to pull back in this match. Both teams came into this match on the back of away defeats. The home side lost at Glasgow by nine points on Sunday while the visitors suffered a twenty seven point defeat at Reading on Monday.

Ricky Ashworth leapt from the gate in the opening heat to win the race comfortably but he got no support from Joel Parsons who followed Krzysztof Stojanowski and Cory Gathercole home for a shared race but the Islanders moved two points clear in the reserves race. David Bargh and Paul Cooper made the best starts but it was Cooper who got his nose in front and kept it there until he was passed by James Holder on the line. This gave the home side a 4-2 and they added a 5-1 in heat 3. Glen Phillips and Cory Gathercole (R/R) gated to win unchallenged by Andre Compton who finished third. Now six points ahead the Islanders consolidated their lead as Jason Bunyan won from Ben Wilson and Paul Cooper for a shared race which took the score to 18-12 which meant that the Isle of Wight now trailed on aggregate by eight points.

Ricky Ashworth made another superb start in heat 5 for the Tigers but Glen Phillips was on his tail until he passed Ashworth on the last bend. Joel Parsons in third place made sure the race points were shared but the home side got two points closer to their objective with a 4-2 in heat 6. Cory Gathercole won the heat from Ben Wilson while Krzysztof Stojanowski took third for a 4-2. The Tigers were really struggling when the Islanders landed a 5-1 in heat 7. Andre Compton reared at the gate and, by the time he recovered, David Bargh and Jason Bunyan were gone increasing the home side’s lead to ten points. It got even worse for Sheffield when another 5-1, this time from Cory Gathercole and James Holder, put the home side 16 points ahead giving them a two point lead on aggregate. The score was now 32-16 (70-68).

Sheffield played their TR card in heat 9 with Ben Wilson wearing the black and white tablecloth but there was no gain for the Tigers who, of course, were now chasing the tie. Wilson did make the gate and led for over two laps until Glen Phillips passed him. With James Holder taking third from Paul Cooper the race points were shared 4-4. It looked all over when the Islanders scored another 5-1 in heat 10. Krzysztof Stojanowski was the race winner while Cory Gathercole headed home Andre Compton for second to put the home side twenty points ahead (six on aggregate). Jason Bunyan came from the back to lead the field in heat 11 while Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons shared the points behind him. At last Sheffield took their second heat advantage of the match when Andre Compton beat Glen Phillips in heat 12 while Sam Martin survived a late challenge by James Holder to hold on to third for a Sheffield 2-4. The score now stood at 46-28 which meant that the home side’s aggregate lead was four points (84-80).

Suddenly the Tigers gave themselves fresh hope when they took a 2-4 from heat 13. Ben Wilson made the gate and held on to win under pressure from Jason Bunyan while Ricky Ashworth beat Krzysztof Stojanowski for the vital third place. This reduced the Tigers’ arrears on the night to 16 points which meant that with two races left the Islanders aggregate lead had been reduced to just two points. In heat 14 Sheffield gave Andre Compton a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back and replaced Sam Martin with Paul Cooper against the two home reserves. James Holder and Andrew Bargh made the gate but Andre Compton brought down Bargh on the first lap of the third bend and was excluded. The race was awarded as tempers became heated so the 5-1 went to the Islanders to see them home and dry into the next round. In heat 15 Jason Bunyan went through the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. Then, in the rerun, Glen Phillips went through the tapes and was excluded so the Islanders went with just Bunyan. Ben Wilson and Andre Compton took advantage by scoring a 1-5 despite the best efforts of Bunyan to catch them.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Cory Gathercole 11+3 (5), Jason Bunyan 11+1 (5), Glen Phillips 11 (5), James Holder 9+1 (6), Andrew Bargh 6+1 (5), Krzysztof Stojanowski 6 (4).

For Sheffield – Ben Wilson 14 (5) (with 4 point TR), Ricky Ashworth 8 (4), Andre Compton 7+1 (6), Paul Cooper 5+1 (5), Joel Parsons 2+2 (4), Lee Smethills 1 (3), Sam Martin 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 14 May

Tonight’s matches were at Birmingham where the Brummies raced Glasgow and at King’s Lynn where the Stars took on Rye House both in Premier League matches.


Premier League: Birmingham 52, Glasgow 40


Birmingham, still without Phil Morris, used Rider Replacement at number 4. Jack Roberts took over at reserve in place of Mattia Carpanese and Paul Starke was nominated as their number 8. Glasgow were without Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek so had Carl Stonehewer as a guest at number 3 in place of Parker and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Grajczonek. They also nominated Ben Hopwood as their number 8.

Three of the opening races were won by Glasgow reserve Ross Brady. He beat Henning Bager and Lee Smart in heat 1 as the R/R thanks to a stunning gate, then the two Birmingham reserves in heat 2, again from the gate, before he had a race off in heat 3. On both occasions he had no support so the heats were shared. Jason Lyons won the third race from Carl Stonehewer while Jack Roberts took third from Lee Dicken for a 4-2 giving Birmingham a two point lead. Adam Roynon suffered an engine failure in heat 4 as Brady won again with another jet-propelled start, this time from Jack Roberts (R/R). Robert Ksiezak’s third place gave the Tigers a 2-4 to level the match with the score at 12-12.

The scores stayed tied when Jason Lyons won heat 5 in a new track record time (57.4) while Trent Leverington and Mitchell Davey (R/R) took third as Jack Hargreaves (R/R) fell on the final bend for a 3-3. Birmingham then struck with a 5-1 in heat 6. Ross Brady (replacing Mitchell Davey) was excluded under the two minute time allowance so went from 15 metres back. He could make no impact as Henning Bager led Robert Ksiezak then, when Lee Smart passed Ksiezak on the last lap, the home side recorded the maximum for a four point lead. They increased their lead to six points when Adam Roynon beat Carl Stonehewer in heat 7 with Jack Hargreaves taking third from Lee Dicken for a 4-2 but the Tigers hit back in heat 8 with a 1-5 when Robert Ksiezak (R/R) and Ross Brady gated to head home Lee Smart and Jack Roberts cutting the gap to two points and taking the score to 25-23.

It stayed that way in heat 9 when Jason Lyons beat Robert Ksiezak while Jack Roberts in third fell and gifted third place to Mitchell Davey for a shared race. There was no change in heat 10 either. The Glasgow riders made the gate but Henning Bager passed them both on the opening lap. Carl Stonehewer got past Bager to win the race while Lee Smart passed Lee Dicken for third and a shared race. Birmingham doubled their lead in heat 11 when Adam Roynon won from Ross Brady who again made the gate. Jack Hargreaves took a valuable point by beating Trent Leverington for third place as Leverington’s bike packed up so the home side scored a 4-2. They followed this by increasing their lead to six points with another 4-2 when Jason Lyons beat Carl Stonehewer by a distance while Jack Roberts chased Stonehewer but had to be content with picking up third place from Mitchell Davey. This took the score to 39-33.

Glasgow looked as though they might get back into the match when they sat on a 1-5 from the gate in heat 13. However Roynon passed Ksiezak as Leverington’s bike ran out of fuel so the Brummies took an eight point lead with the 4-2. This allowed Carl Stonehewer to take a Tactical Substitute ride in heat 14 from 15 metres back. Ross Brady gated again but he was passed by first Lee Smart then Jack Hargreaves. Stonehewer got up to pass Hargreaves but couldn’t catch Smart so the race was shared 4-4. In the last race Jason Lyons completed an immaculate maximum while Adam Roynon joined him for a 5-1 ahead of Stonehewer giving the home side a 12 point win.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (5) (maximum), Adam Roynon 11+1 (5), Lee Smart 8+3 (5), Henning Bager 8 (4), Jack Hargreaves 6 (6), Jack Roberts 4+1 (5).

For Glasgow – Carl Stonehewer 14 (6) (with 4 point TS), Ross Brady 13+1 (7), Robert Ksiezak 9 (6), Mitchell Davey 2+2 (4), Trent Leverington 2 (4), Lee Dicken 0 (3).



Premier League: King’s Lynn 62, Rye House 31 .


King’s Lynn were at full strength while Rye House used Rider Replacement at number 4 for the injured Tommy Allen. They also nominated Adam Lowe as their number 8.

King’s Lynn is not one of Rye House’s happy hunting grounds but when you lose four 5-1s in the opening four heats there’s not much prospect of a result. The Stars started with a win from Kevin Doolan, back in the side after his injury. Robert Mear was in second place until he was passed on the inside by Shaun Tacey on the second lap for the first of the home maximums. Kozza Smith won the reserves race despite whacking the fence while John Oliver followed him home for the second 5-1. Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert beat Tai Woffinden in heat three for the third then Rusty Harrison and Kozza Smith saw off Stefan Ekberg for the fourth and a score of 20-4.

Simon Lambert was excluded under the two minute time allowance in heat 5 so went from 15 metres back. Tomas Topinka won the race from Robert Mear while Lambert caught and passed Chris Neath on lap three only to be repassed by the Rye House number one. This resulted in a shared race but the Rockets lost yet another 5-1 in heat 6 to Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey to trail by 20 points. Heat 7 brought some cheer to the visitors when Tai Woffinden took a TR and won the race from Rusty Harrison. Robert Mear (R/R) took third from John Oliver so the Rockets scored a 2-7 cutting the gap to 15 points. It was back to normality in heat 8 as the Stars scored their sixth 5-1 through Shaun Tacey and Kozza Smith with Luke Bowen in third taking the score to 35-16.

The Stars’ seventh 5-1 came along in the next heat when Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert gated to lead Stefan Ekberg home for a 23 point lead. Kevin Doolan continued his unbeaten run by winning from Tai Woffinden in heat 10. Woffinden was passed by Shaun Tacey off the second bend but he repassed Tacey on the next lap. This gave the Stars a 4-2 and 25 point lead. In heat 11 Chris Neath was excluded under the two minute time allowance and was replaced by Luke Bowen. Then John Oliver fell on the first bend resulting in an all-four-back rerun. In the rerun John Oliver won the race followed by Rusty Harrison from Robert Mear for the Stars’ eighth 5-1. Kozza Smith gated in heat 12 to follow Tomas Topinka but Tai Woffinden passed him to give chase to Topinka. The 4-2 took the score to 53-22.

Kevin Doolan led heat 13 but suffered an engine failure on the final bend allowing Stefan Ekberg to take the race win. Rusty Harrison passed Chris Neath for third place and a 2-4 to the Rockets. Ekberg was out again in heat 14 and he won that too beating Lambert and Oliver for a shared race. Kevin Doolan gated to win the last race but Tomas Topinka found himself at the back but passed Stefan Ekberg on the first lap. He couldn’t pass Tai Woffinden though so the race finished as a 4-2 giving the Stars a 31 point win.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 13 (5), Kevin Doolan 12 (5), Rusty Harrison 9+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 8+2 (4), Kozza Smith 8+2 (4), Simon Lambert 6+2 (4), John Oliver 6+2 (4).

For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 13 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 9 (6), Robert Mear 4 (5), Chris Neath 3+1 (4), Luke Bowen 2 (6), Daniel Halsey 0 (5).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 15 May

Tonight’s matches were at Sheffield where the Tigers raced Glasgow in a Premier League match and at Redcar where the Bears took on Stoke in a Premier Trophy match.


Premier League: Sheffield 63, Glasgow 29


Sheffield were at full strength but Glasgow again were without Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek. They had Tomas Topinka as a guest for Parker and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Grajczonek. Ben Hopwood was again nominated as their number 8.

After losing the opening two races to 5-1s it looked like being a long night for the Scottish Tigers. Ross Brady made an excellent gate to lead the opening race but was passed by Ricky Ashworth on the fourth bend. Joel Parsons soon repeated the doze leaving Brady to finish third after Trent Leverington had fallen on the third lap and remounted. The 5-1 was followed by another when Paul Cooper and Sam Martin beat Ross Brady from the gate. As happened last night at Birmingham all Glasgow’s points after the first two heats were scored by Brady although this time he had two as opposed to last night’s six. Tomas Topinka led heat 3 for the visitors until he was passed by Andre Compton. Lee Smethills finished third for a 4-2 to put Sheffield ten points ahead. Mitchell Davey made the gate in heat 4 but was passed by Ben Wilson and Paul Cooper off the second bend for another 5-1 which took the score to 19-5.

In heat 5 Andre Compton and Lee Smethills gated to head home Trent Leverington for another 5-1 while Ben Hopwood was given the R/R ride. Robert Ksiezak gated in heat 6 but was passed by Ricky Ashworth after he was subject to a strong challenge by Joel Parsons. Parson finished third so the race resulted as a 4-2 for a 20 point lead to the home side. In heat 7 Glasgow gave Tomas Topinka a TR but Ben Wilson led him home from the tapes. However the visitors finally got into double figures when Topinka finished second and was supported by Lee Dicken in third for a 3-5 advantage to the visitors. Joel Parsons and Paul Cooper replied with another 5-1 in heat 8. Robert Ksiezak fell while in third place so Mitchell Davey took the third place point. Then, rather surprisingly, it was announced that Ross Brady had withdrawn from the meeting after aggravating a shoulder injury although it’s not clear what happened. The score was now 36-14.

The rout continued when Andre Compton and Lee Smethills gated for another 5-1 ahead of Ksiezak in heat 9 then Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons repeated the score ahead of Tomas Topinka in heat 10 to put the Yorkshire Tigers 30 points ahead. Heat 11 was shared though after Sam Martin’s bike packed up leaving Leverington and Hopwood (R/R) to follow Ben Wilson home for a 3-3. Andre Compton won heat 12 but the interest was in the action behind him as Paul Cooper tried unsuccessfully to pass Tomas Topinka all race. The 4-2 took the score to 53-21.

After the interval, following heat 12, Glasgow fared better. In heat 13 Ricky Ashworth gated but Robert Ksiezak and Trent Leverington slotted in behind him to keep Ben Wilson at the back and share the race. Then Lee Smethills won heat 14 but Lee Dicken finished second ahead of Sam Martin as Mitchell Davey fell at the back. This ended up as a 4-2. Glasgow then provided their sole race winner when Tomas Topinka gated to beat Joel Parsons and Paul Cooper with Robert Ksiezak at the back for a shared race.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 12 (4) (maximum), Andre Compton 12 (4) (maximum), Joel Parsons 10+2 (5), Paul Cooper 9+3 (5), Ben Wilson 9 (4), Lee Smethills 8+2 (4), Sam Martin 3+1 (4).

For Glasgow – Tomas Topinka 12 (5) (with 4 point TR), Robert Ksiezak 5 (6), Trent Leverington 4+1 (4), Lee Dicken 3+1 (4), Mitchell Davey 3 (7), Ben Hopwood 1+1 (2), Ross Brady 1 (2).




Premier Trophy: Redcar 52, Stoke 38 .


Redcar introduced their new signing, Joni Keskinen (Finland), as a replacement for Chris Kerr. Stoke were at full strength.

It must be track record week. After Jason Lyons broke the track record at Birmingham last night, Gary Havelock then James Grieves both broke the Redcar track record in this nothing at stake meeting to complete the Premier Trophy section matches.

Gary Havelock was first to set the new time (54.7) in the opening heat in which the main interest lay in the performance of Joni Keskinen. He finished behind Mark Burrows and Lee Complin for a shared race but looked promising. Josh Auty won the reserves race but Jesper Kristiansen and Klaus Jacobsen took second and third for another 3-3. The Bears took the lead in heat 3 after James Grieves had lowered the new track record further to 54.5. Ben Barker took second while Daniel Giffard’s third place earned the home side a 4-2 for a two point lead. Heat 4 provided another home race winner when Ty Proctor won from Emiliano Sanchez and Jesper Kristiansen for another 3-3 which took the score to 13-11.

It was the same again in heat 5. James Grieves won the race but the Stoke riders, Complin and Burrows, shared the points behind him. A feeling of Déjà vu must have come over the Bears fans when Gary Havelock won heat 6 and Joni Keskinen never moved from the start for another 3-3. Ty Proctor won heat 7 after making the gate. Josh Auty passed Barrie Evans on the second lap to move into third before challenging Ben Barker unsuccessfully for a 4-2 giving the Bears a four point lead. It didn’t seem much of a lead given that the Bears had provided all seven race winners! In fact it wasn’t as they found out when Jesper Kristiansen and Mark Burrows made the gate to lead Josh Auty home for a 1-5 which levelled the scores at 24-24.

Redcar took a two point lead again in heat 9 when James Grieves won for the third time. Redcar were sitting on a 5-1 from the gate but Daniel Giffard got out of shape on the third bend of the last lap to let Emiliano Sanchez through for second place and a 4-2. Ben Barker and Barrie Evans gated to lead heat 10 but Gary Havelock caught and passed Barrie Evans then Arlo Bugeja did likewise to share the points. The Bears finally put some distance between themselves and the Potters by they scoring a 5-1 in heat 11 when Ty Proctor and Josh Auty gated and fended off the challenges of Lee Complin to open up a six point lead. Another 5-1 from Grieves and Bugeja in heat 12 put the Bears ten points to the good. However Ben Barker had passed both home men to lead the race until the final bend when he made a mess of it allowing both the Bears through. The score went to 41-31.

Now ten points down Stoke gave Lee Complin a TR in heat 13 but it was to no avail as Proctor and Havelock gated to record a third successive 5-1 to seal victory as the home side now led by 14 points. The Potters got some consolation with a 2-4 in heat 14 when Barrie Evans gated to win from Daniel Giffard with Jesper Kristiansen third. In the last race James Grieves gated with Ty Proctor at the back but Proctor passed Lee Complin for third so the result was a 4-2 giving the Bears a 14 point win.

Scorers: For Redcar – James Grieves 15 (5), Ty Proctor 13 (5), Gary Havelock 10+1 (4), Josh Auty 7+1 (5) Daniel Giffard 4 (4), Arlo Bugeja 3+2 (4), Joni Keskinen 0 (3).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 10 (5), Jesper Kristiansen 7+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 6 (4), Buzz Burrows 5+3 (4), Lee Complin 5+1 (5), Barrie Evans 3 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 2+2 (3).