Around the Premier League Tracks 2009

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 17 June



Premier League: Birmingham v. Redcar
Premier League: King's Lynn v. Scun'thorpe




Premier League: Birmingham 47 (3 points), Redcar 43 (0 points .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.


Birmingham were looking to build on their excellent win at Scun'thorpe last Friday while Redcar, remembering, their one point defeat in the Premier Trophy match last April, also went in to the match with high hopes. The result was a cracker with Birmingham coming back from a poor start to the match. The scores were tied at 42-42 after heat 14 but Birmingham rounded off their revival with a 5-1 for a four point win.

The Brummies got off to a dreadful start! Jason Lyons won the opening race from Gary Havelock and Robbie Kessler to share the points but the Bears then hit home three heat advantages on the trot. Arlo Bugeja won the reserves race from James Cockle and Benji Compton after Richard Sweetman's bike packed up for a 2-4 which gave the Bears a two point lead. Manuel Hauzinger was next to suffer an engine failure in heat 3 leaving Carl Stonehewer and Ben Wilson to race clear of Robert Ksiezak for a 1-5 trebling the visitors lead to six points. It got worse in heat 4 when Ty Proctor led Tomasz Piszcz home while Bugeja took advantage of another Sweetman engine failure for a 2-4 which took the score to 8-16.

Richard Sweetman must have solved his machine troubles because he replaced Manuel Hauzinger in heat 5 and came out to win the race from Havelock and Kessler but the shared race didn't improve Birmingham's position. Finally the Brummies produced a heat advantage in heat 6 when Jason Lyons beat Ty Proctor while Ludvig Lindgren took third for a 4-2 cutting the home side's arrears to six points. Back came the Bears in heat 7. Carl Stonehewer produced his second race win by beating Tomasz Piszcz while Ben Wilson took third for a 2-4 which restored the visitors' eight point lead. Birmingham then came roaring back with a 5-1 from Sweetman and Lindgren ahead of Kessler and the Bears' lead was halved to just four points with the score now 22-26.

The home fans' joy was short lived when Hauzinger had another engine failure in heat 9 leaving Proctor and Compton to race home against Ksiezak for a 1-5 putting the visitors eight ahead again. Birmingham responded with another 5-1 of their own from Lyons and Lindgren, once more reducing their arrears to four points then Richard Sweetman, replacing James Cockle, won heat 10
while Tomasz Piszcz followed him home ahead of Kessler and Havelock for another 1-5 so the scores were now level for the first time since heat 1. Birmingham took the lead for the first time in the match with a 4-2 in heat 12. Sweetman again was the race winner this time from Ben Wilson and Compton and the score now stood at 37-35.

Could the Brummies now push on for all three points or did the Bears have a sting in the tale? Well it looked like the latter because in heat 13 Ty Proctor and Gary Havelock romped to a 1-5 ahead of Jason Lyons and Tomasz Piszcz which reversed the two point lead in Redcar's favour. Richard Sweetman replaced the out of touch Ksiezak in heat 14 and produced the race win the Brummies needed by defeating Carl Stonehewer. Better still for the home side James Cockle took third ahead of Arlo Bugeja for a 4-2 which levelled the scores again at 42-42. It was a last heat decider therefore with Redcar knowing that they were at least going to take a point from the match. In heat 15 Piszcz and Lyons represented Birmingham while Havelock and Proctor came out for Redcar. It was the Brummies who triumphed as Lyons and Piszcz took a 5-1 ahead of Proctor for a four point win which gave Birmingham two league points to Redcar's one.


Scorers: Birmingham – Richard Sweetman 15 (7), Jason Lyons 12+1 (5), Tomasz Piszcz 9+1 (5), Ludvig Lindgren 5+2 (4), James Cockle 3+1 (3), Robert Ksiezak 2 (3), Manuel Hauzinger 1 (3),

Redcar – Ty Proctor 11 (5), Carl Stonehewer 8 (4), Gary Havelock 7+1 (5), Ben Wilson 6+1 (4), Robbie Kessler 4+2 (4), Arlo Bugeja 4 (4), Benji Compton 3 (4).




Premier League: King's Lynn 56 (3points), Scun'thorpe 37 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

There was no early match blitz for the Stars this time around and it took them until heat 8 before they registered a 5-1. Scunthorpe were unlucky to lose Viktor Bergstrom in a heat 5 crash with Emiliano Sanchez but simply did not have enough race winners (only four of them) to mount a serious challenge.

Magnus Karlsson and Viktor Bergstrom made the gate for the Scorpions in the opening race but by the end of lap 2 Darcy Ward had hit the front while Linus Eklof had passed Bergstrom for third and a 4-2 to the Stars. Kozza Smith and Jan Graversen looked like adding a 5-1 from the reserves race but Graversen had an engine failure which resulted in a shared race. Carl Wilkinson split the Schramm, Sanchez pairing in heat 3 for another 4-2 then Tomas Topinka passed David Howe in heat 4 for another 4-2 which took the score to 15-9.

Heat 5 saw the crash between Bergstrom and Sanchez and the subsequent withdrawal from the meeting of Bergstrom. In the rerun he was replaced by Nick Simmons but he could not offer any support to Magnus Karlsson who became the Scorpions' first race winner in the shared heat.

There was an excellent race in heat 6 between Darcy Ward, David Howe and Linus Eklof with passing from all three. In the end that's how it finished and another 4-2 went the Stars' way for an eight point lead. Heat 7 had to be rerun after Simon Lambert had been excluded for bringing down Kozza Smith. Tomas Topinka won the rerun from Carl Wilkinson for another home 4-2 then in heat 8 Graversen and Eklof produced the first 5-1 of the match taking the score to 31-17 with the Stars now leading by 14 points.

David Howe took a tactical ride in heat 9 and won it from the gate leading Emiliano Sanchez and Chris Schramm in the process for a 3-6 which cut the gap to 11 points. The Scorpions shaved another two points from it with a 2-4 in heat 10 thanks to Carl Wilkinson who withstood all of Darcy Ward's challenges to beat him with Lambert taking third from Eklof. The gap was now down to nine points but the visitors' come back was ended with a 5-1 from Smith and Topinka in heat 11. Simon Lambert won heat 12 for a shared race and the score then stood at 44-31.

A 5-1 in heat 13 stretched the Stars' lead to 17 points then a 4-2 from Schramm and Smith to 19. However the last heat, won by Ward, was shared after Tomas Topinka fell trying to pass Karlsson.


Scorers: King's Lynn – Darcy Ward 13+1 (5), Tomas Topinka 11+1 (5), Chris Schramm 9+1 (4), Kozza Smith 8 (4), Jan Graversen 6 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 5+2(4), Linus Eklof 4+1 (4).

Scun'thorpe – Carl Wilkinson 10+1 (5), David Howe 10 (4) (incl 6 point TR). Magnus Karlsson 9 (5), Simon Lambert 4 (4), Nick Simmons 3 (6), Jerran |Hart 1+1 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 0 (1).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 18 June



Premier League:

Redcar v. Scun'thorpe
Sheffield v. King's Lynn



Premier League:.... Redcar 50 (3 points), Scun'thorpe 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Redcar were at full strength but Scun'thorpe were without the injured Viktor Bergstrom so had to use Rider Replacement at number 2 instead.

Intermittent rain fell during the course of this match in which Redcar had difficulty shaking off the Scorpions until late in the match. In fact the visitors took the lead in the opening heat which had to be rerun after Gary Havelock had fallen and been excluded. Magnus Karlsson won it from Robbie Kessler for a 2-4 but Arlo Bugeja and Benji Compton levelled with a 4-2 in the reserves race. Ben Wilson and Carl Stonehewer took a 5-1 in heat 3 then Ty Proctor broke the track record in heat 4 as he and Bugeja added a 4-2 with David Howe splitting the pairing. The score was then 15-9.

The Bears looked to be in the comfort zone with another 4-2 in heat 5 thanks to a Stonehewer win from Simon Lambert with Ben Wilson finishing third after holding every position in the race apart from first! David Howe won heat 6 but only for a share of the points but the Bears got a rude awakening when Wilkinson and Lambert led Proctor home for a 1-5 in heat 7 cutting the gap to four points. Robbie Kessler won heat 8 for the home side but he was pressed all the way by Carl Wilkinson and the heat resulted in a 4-2 which meant that the score was now 27-21.

There was then a delay as the rain got heavier. When racing resumed Ben Wilson won a good race in heat 9 with David Howe while Jerran Hart held off Stonehewer at the back for a 3-3 before the Bears increased their lead to eight points with a 4-2 in heat 10 as Wilkinson could only split the Havelock, Kessler pairing. Scun'thorpe replied with back to back 2-4s. Heat 11 was won by Magnus Karlsson from Proctor and Simmons then heat 12 saw Jerran Hart beat Arlo Bugeja and Simon Lambert to cut the gap to just four points again at 38-34.

Havelock gated from Howe and Proctor for a 4-2 and six point lead in heat 13 then Stonehewer won heat 14 from Wilkinson for another 4-2 taking the lead to eight points and leaving the Scorpions needing a 1-5 in heat 15 for a single league point. Gary Havelock saw the Bears home for all three points by winning heat 15 from Howe and Stonehewer for a third consecutive 4-2 and ten point lead.


Scorers: Redcar – Gary Havelock 10+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 10 (5), Robbie Kessler 8 (4), Arlo Bugeja 8 (5), Ty Proctor 7 (4), Ben Wilson 6+1 (4), Benji Compton 1 (3).

Scun'thorpe – David Howe 11 (5), Carl Wilkinson 10 (5), Magnus Karlsson 6 (5), Simon Lambert 5+1 (5), Jerran Hart 4+1 (5), Mark Simmons 4 (5).



Premier League:.... Sheffield 50 (3 points), King's Lynn 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Sheffield were at full strength but King's Lynn were missing Tomas Topinka with a swollen ankle so used Rider Replacement at number 5.

Without Tomas Topinka the Stars looked as though they might have a struggle to win this one and a struggle it turned out to be. Incredibly Sheffield led by two points at 34-32 after heat 11 yet had only had three race winners to King's Lynn's eight!

The first four races were all shared. Darcy Ward won heat 1, Kozza Smith won heats 2 and 4 and Emiliano Sanchez won heat 3 so the score was 12-12 with not a race win from a Tiger in sight. Darcy Ward and Linus Eklof broke the deadlock in heat 5 with a 1-5 after getting the better of Richard Hall on the first bend but Sheffield were back on level terms with a win from Ricky Ashworth in heat 6. The action though came from Hugh Skidmore who worked his way past Kozza Smith on the second bend and then Linus Eklof on the third lap to join his partner for the maximum. King's Lynn didn't take that lying down and struck with another 1-5 in heat 7 from Emiliano Sanchez and Chris Schramm with Josh Auty in third after Joel Parsons bike had packed up when trying to pass Sanchez on the fourth bend. The Stars added a 2-4 in heat 8 from Kozza Smith, winning for the third time, and Linus Eklof which took the score to 21-27.

Darcy Ward won again in heat 9 but only for a shared heat however the Stars conceded a 5-1 to Sheffield's top pairing of Ashworth and Skidmore who combined for their second consecutive maximum ahead of Sanchez and Schramm. If that was a shock for the visitors they got another in heat 11 when Paul Cooper and Josh Auty combined to keep Darcy ward behind them. Ward fell trying to split them and was excluded so the Tigers enjoyed another 5-1 and suddenly found themselves in front by two points. The Stars must have been wondering what was happening when they then fell four points behind to a 4-2 from Chris Mills and Paul Cooper in heat 12 which took the score to 38-34.

Sheffield went six points up with a 4-2 in heat 13 in which Ricky Ashworth beat Darcy Ward while Josh Auty passed Emiliano Sanchez for third. The King's Lynn collapse was complete when they lost a 5-1 in heat 14 to Richard Hall and Joel Parsons which put Sheffield ten points ahead leaving the Stars needing a 1-5 from the last race to leave with even a point. Darcy Ward won the last race but Ashworth and Hall finished behind him in an exciting race which saw passing and repassing between Ashworth and Ward and a last bend pass by Richard Hall on Sanchez before Hall's throttle jammed sending him crashing into the fence after crossing the finishing line. Sheffield became the first team this season to send King's Lynn home pointless.


Scorers: Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 13+1 (5), Richard Hall 9+1 (5), Hugh Skidmore 7+3 (4), Paul Cooper 7+1 (5), Chris Mills 5+2 (4), Josh Auty 5+2 (4), Joel Parsons 4+1 (4).

King's Lynn – Darcy Ward 14 (6), Kozza Smith 9 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 8 (6), Linus Eklof 5+1 (5), Chris Schramm 4+1 (5), Jan Graversen 0 (3).

[Merlin]

Friday, 19 June



Premier League:

Scun'thorpe v. Redcar
Somerset v. Newcastle

Premier League Knockout Cup:

Edinburgh v. Workington



Premier League: ..... Scun'thorpe 49 (2 points), Redcar 44 (1 points).


Team changes: Scun'thorpe were without Viktor Bergstrom so used Rider Replacement at number 2 while Redcar were at full strength.

Scun'thorpe were looking to get back on the victory trail after defeats on each of the last two nights at Birmingham and Redcar which yielded just one point. The return match against last night's victors gave them a good opportunity and win they did. But after soaring into a ten point lead with consecutive 5-1s in heats 5 and 6 they couldn't build on it and had to contend with a dogged display from the Bears who fought back and took the match to a last heat decider to determine where the league points were going.

Never a dull moment in the opening four races which yielded two heat advantages for either side. The Bears started the ball rolling with a 2-4 from a fast start by Robbie Kessler and third place for Gary Havelock behind Magnus Karlsson. The visitors' two point lead was turned around with a 5-1 to the Scorpions in the reserves race but there was another 2-4 in heat 3. Ben Wilson and Carl Wilkinson traded places on the second and third laps but Wilson prevailed to win the race with support from Carl Stonehewer in third to level the scores again. Scun'thorpe were quickly back in front with a 4-2 from David Howe and Mark Simmons and the score stood at 13-11.

The Scorpions then slipped up a gear. A 5-1 from Carl Wilkinson and Simon Lambert followed by another from Lambert and Karlsson rocketed the home side into a ten point lead at 23-13 so the Bears immediately gave a tactical ride to Ben Wilson in heat 7 which he duly won from David Howe and Jerran Hart cutting the gap to seven points with the 3-6. Carl Wilkinson won heat 8 for a 3-3 and the score was now 29-22.

Ty Proctor passed the Scorpions' pair on bends 3 and 4 of heat 9 for a win and shared race then Magnus Karlsson beat Ben Wilson while Carl Stonehewer passed Jerran Hart in heat 10 for another shared race. David Howe led Havelock and Kessler home in heat 11 for yet another share of the points but Redcar pulled two more points back in heat 11 with another win from Ben Wilson and third place for Benji Compton to reduce their deficit to just five points at 40-35.

The distress signals were out for the home side when it took a last lap pass by David Howe on Gary Havelock to prevent a Bears 1-5 in heat 13 which was won by Ty Proctor. Nonetheless the 2-4 for the visitors cut the gap between the sides to just three points. Jerran Hart came to the Scorpions rescue by winning heat 14 with a fast gate to beat Carl Stonehewer. Carl Wilkinson passed Arlo Bugeja at the end of the third lap to register a 4-2 for the home side which increased their lead to five points again which meant that they had at least secured victory on the night. There was the question of the point split however to be decided in heat 15 with the Scorpions needing a 4-2 for all three league points and Redcar needing a shared race or better for the single league point. Although Carl Wilkinson gated to win the race, Ben Wilson completed a fine night's racing by finishing second with Ty Proctor third for the 3-3 the Bears needed to ensure they didn't leave empty handed.


Scorers: Scun'thorpe – Carl Wilkinson 14 (6), David Howe 10 (5), Simon Lambert 8+2 (5), Magnus Karlsson 7+1 (4), Jerran Hart 7+1 (6), Nick Simmons 3+1.

Redcar – Ben Wilson 16 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Ty Proctor 10+1 (5), Robbie Kessler 7+1 (4), Carl Stonehewer 4+1 (4), Gary Havelock 4 (4), Benji Compton 2 (3), Arlo Bugeja 1+1 (5).



Premier League: ..... Somerset 54 (3 points), Newcastle 39 (0 points).


Team changes: Somerset were without Jay Herne and had Brendan Johnson at number 3 in his place. Newcastle introduced their new Danish signing, Rene Bach, at number 5 replacing Steve Boxall.

Somerset were doing quite nicely thank you having built up a 10 point lead by heat 8 against a stuffy Newcastle outfit but a 2-7 for the Diamonds in heat 9, which cut the gap to just five points, acted as a wake up call and they added a further ten points to their advantage over the last six races. Newcastle found it no easier than previous visitors to the Oak Tree Arena to provide race winners and the four that they managed were never going to be enough for any reward. Emil Kramer and Steve Johnston warmed up nicely for the Premier League Pairs meeting next Friday night on the same track by returning paid maximums although the competition might just be a bit harder in that meeting!

Kenni Larsen burst through the tapes in the opening race and had to go from 15 metres back which led to an easy 5-1 for the Rebels but they got an early shock when Newcastle scored a 1-5 in the reserves race which levelled the scores again. Cory Gathercole won heat 3 but with Brendan Johnson falling at the back the race was shared. All eyes were on Newcastle's debutant, Rene Bach, in heat 4 but they soon switched to Justin Sedgmen who gated with Steve Johnston for a 5-1 which restored Somerset's four point lead taking the score to 14-10.

Gathercole won again in heat 5 again for a 3-3 but the Rebels doubled their lead with a 5-1 in heat 6 after Kramer and Walker had both had to pass the fast gating Bach. They then added a 4-2 in heat 7 when Jason King could only split the Johnston, Brown pair and there was no change when Simon Walker passed Trent Leverington and Craig Branney to win heat 8 for a 3-3 taking the score to 26-16.

Newcastle gave a tactical ride to Rene Bach in heat 9 but it looked like Cory Gathercole would win the race until he got out of shape at the end of the second lap which allowed Bach through. The Diamonds newcomer recorded his first win in the black and white of the Diamonds body colours and black and white helmet cover for a monochrome six points. Better still for the visitors Adam McKinna kept Brendan Johnson pointless at the back so the Diamonds scored a 2-7 which cut their arrears to five points at 31-26. Emil Kramer won heat 10 while Derek Sneddon passed Simon Walker for second place for a home 4-2 but the next two races, won by Steve Johnston and Jason King, were shared so the score after twelve races stood at 41-34 with the visitors still in with a shout of taking a point.

That shout was silenced with a 5-1 from Johnston and Kramer in heat 13. Derek Sneddon won heat 14 for a 3-3 then the Kramer and Johnston double act struck again in heat 15 with another 5-1 to round off the proceedings giving the Rebels a 15 point lead.


Scorers: Somerset – Emil Kramer 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Steve Johnston 13+2 (5) paid maximum), Cory Gathercole 10 (4), Simon Walker 8+2 (4), Tom Brown 5+1 (5), Justin Sedgmen 4+1 (4), Brendan Johnson 0 (3).

Newcastle – Rene Bach 9 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Jason King 7 (4), Derek Sneddon 6+1 (4), Craig Branney 5 (4), Kenni Larsen 5 (5), Trent Leverington 4+3 (4), Adam McKinna 3+1 (4).



Premier League Knockout Cup, quarter final, first leg: ..... Edinburgh 56, Workington 34 .


Team changes: Edinburgh used Rider Replacement for Thomas H Jonasson at number 2. Johnny Grey was nominated as their number 8. Workington were missing John Branney and Charles Wright through injury. They had Jan Graversen as a guest at number 7 for Wright and used Rider Replacement for Branney at number 2.

Edinburgh were looking to reverse the result of last season's KO cup tie against Workington which they lost in a last heat decider in the second leg ending their chances of a clean sweep of trophies. This evening, in a match which was rather flat throughout, the Monarchs carved out a 22 point lead for the second leg tomorrow night. Every Edinburgh rider won at least one race and they went through the match without losing a single heat advantage. Workington by contrast only really fired on three cylinders with Kevin Doolan, Andre Compton and Craig Cook (after three zeroes!) scoring 28 of their 34 points. It's a lot to ask of your big guns, however, when the team run 13 last places over the fifteen heats and the Comets have a lot to do to pull this lead back.

Ryan Fisher and Aaron Summers made the gate in heat 1 and looked set for a 5-1 until Kevin Doolan cut back on the second bend of the second lap to pass Summers and move into second place for a 4-2 instead. An Edinburgh 5-1 in the reserves race looked ominous for the Comets as the Monarchs moved into a six point lead then Michal Rajkowski made the gate in heat 3 while Andrew Tully slipped past Adrian Rymel off the second bend to join him for another 5-1 so Edinburgh had rocketed into a ten point lead after just three races. Andre Compton put the brakes on the Monarchs rapid progress by gating to win heat 4 for a shared race and the score stood at 17-7.

Kevin Doolan had a comfortable win in heat 5 but again it was just for a share of the points before the Monarchs increased their lead to twelve points with a 4-2 in heat 6. Ryan Fisher gated and looked set to win the race but got out of shape on the second bend, second lap allowing Andre Compton and Matthew Wethers through. It then looked as though Andre Compton was favourite to win the race but a last bend outside swoop by Wethers took him past Compton for the win. The lead stretched further to 14 points when Adrian Rymel could only split the Wethers, Summers pairing in heat 7. Ryan Fisher won heat 8 by the proverbial mile but behind him Craig Cook and Richard Lawson had no problem sharing the race as Sean Stoddart was all over the place. The score had now progressed to 31-17.

Andre Compton took advantage of the tactical gates rule by moving from gate 1 to 3 in heat 9 then successfully gated to win from Tully and Rajkowski for another shared race but Edinburgh hit another 5-1 in heat 10 from Fisher and Tully ahead of a lacklustre Adrian Rymel taking their lead to 18 points. Kevin Doolan gated in heat 11 showing a clean pair of heels to Summers and Wethers for another 3-3 then a 4-2 from Summers and Rajkowski split by Craig Cook took the Edinburgh lead to 20 points with the score at 46-26.

Workington really needed something from heats 13 and 15 with Kevin Doolan out in both and Doolan was the next to change gates in heat 13 to win from gate 2 rather than gate 1 for another 3-3 ahead of Fisher and Wethers. A disappointing ride from Andre Compton saw him finish at the back depriving the Comets of a race advantage and taking the score to 49-29. Craig Cook made the gate for the Comets in heat 14 but Andrew Tully reeled him in and passed him for a 4-2 with support from Summers in third stretching the lead further to 22 points. Doolan and Compton made good starts to heat 15 and Compton moved out to block the path of Ryan Fisher off gate 4 trying the big outside sweep. It made no difference to the 'Fish' who rode round the pair of them in great style to head off for his fourth race win of the match. Matthew Wethers could make no impact however so the race was shared and the Monarchs had to be content with their 22 point win. Will it be enough? I'm saying nothing!


Scorers: Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 15 (6), Andrew Tully 11+2 (5), Matthew Wethers 10+2 (6), Aaron Summers 10+1 (6), Michal Rajkowski 6+2 (4), Sean Stoddart 4+1 (3).

Workington – Kevin Doolan 12+1 (5), Andre Compton 10 (5), Craig Cook 6 (7), Adrian Rymel 4 (4), Jan Graversen 1 (4), Richard Lawson 1+1 (5).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 20 June



Premier League:

Rye House v. Newcastle
Stoke v. Newport

Premier League Knockout Cup:

Berwick v. King's Lynn
Workington v. Edinburgh



Premier League: .... Rye House 61 (3 points), Newcastle 32 (0 points).


Team changes: Rye House were without Rob Mear and Joe Haines. They had Jason Lyons as a guest for Mear at number 1 and used Rider Replacement for Haines at number 4. Newcastle were at full strength.

Newcastle are another in a long line of clubs who regularly get hammered at Hoddesdon and tonight was no different although it has to be said that after a dismal first seven heats during which the Diamonds fell 22 points behind they made more of a match of it over the remaining eight heats losing only a further seven points.

When Kenni Larsen finished ahead of Tommy Allen but behind Jason Lyons in the opening race it turned out to be the only time a visitor finished ahead of a home rider in the first four heats. The opening 4-2 was followed by three consecutive 5-1s for the Rockets and, as a contest, the match was virtually stone dead at that point with the score at 19-5.

However the dark clouds over the track may not have lifted but the ones over the Diamonds' camp did when Kenni Larsen went one better than his heat 1 effort by winning heat 5 from Chris Neath and Linus Sundstrom to halt the runaway scoring of the Rockets albeit temporarily. They were soon up to speed again with two further 5-1s in heats 6 and 7 the latter of which was particularly disappointing for the visitors because they had given Jason King a tactical ride only to finish behind Luke Bowen and Linus Sundstrom. Another shared race came the Diamonds' way in heat 8 when Trent Leverington and Craig Branney finished behind Andrew Silver but ahead of Tommy Allen. The score now stood at 35-13.

Another 5-1 for the Rockets in heat 9 suggested that normal service had been resumed but Newcastle stiffened their resistance. Lyons continued on his way to a maximum in heat 10 but Jason King and Derek Sneddon finished ahead of a spluttering Tommy Allen to share the points. Newcastle then gave their second tactical ride to their star man, Kenni Larsen, in heat 11 and he came up with the goods by winning for the full six points ahead of Luke Bowen and Linus Sundstrom. Unfortunately there was no support from Trent Leverington so the Diamonds took a 3-6 from the race, their one and only heat advantage all match. Jason King followed this with a win in heat 12 from Chris Neath and Andrew Silver so the score was now 49-26.

Jason Lyons won again in heat 13 but Kenni Larsen and Rene Bach shared the points behind him before the Rockets took a 5-1 in heat 14 after Branney had fallen then Lyons completed a lucrative night's racing by winning heat 15 from Larsen and the 4-2 stretched the final victory margin to 29 points..


Scorers: Rye House – Jason Lyons 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Luke Bowen 12+2 (5), Chris Neath 11+2 (5), Andrew Silver 10+2 (5), Linus Sundstrom 7+3 (5), Tommy Allen 7 (5).

Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 15 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Jason King 7 (4), Adam McKinna 3 (4), Derek Sneddon 2+1 (4), Rene Bach 2+1 (5), Trent Leverington 2 (4), Craig Branney 1+1 (4).



Premier League: .... Stoke 51 (3 points), Newport 39 (0 points).


Team changes: Stoke introduced Lee Smart at number 6 in place of Buzz Burrows while Newport again had Shelby Rutherford at number 6.

Having beaten Newport twice already this season by 37-55 at the Queensway Meadows then at home by 51-42 the Potters must have been looking at this fixture as a guaranteed three points. The Wasps, on the other hand, took on this match more in hope than expectation. Still they were looking for a lot more than the miserable 26 points they scored at Glasgow last Sunday.

As they say Speedway is a funny old game (or is that football?). Anyhow Newport hadn't read the script for this match and probably had to recount the score sheet when they led 3-9 after two races. Mark Lemon and Paul Fry threatened to take a 1-5 from the first race for the Wasps but Jason Bunyan, after taking two laps to pass his own partner, eventually caught and passed Fry to limit the damage to a 2-4. Heat 2 was a nightmare for the Potters. James Holder made the gate but behind him Lee Smart had to lay down his bike to avoid running into his partner, a very slow Tom P Madsen. Shelby Rutherford passed Madsen then Lee Smart having remounted had an engine failure and the Wasps had scored a 1-5 for a six point lead. Stoke hit back immediately with a 5-1 from Lee Complin and Klaus Jakobsen against the Kerr, Werner partnership cutting the gap to two points. Heat 4 had to be rerun when Lee Smart fell at the start of the third lap and was excluded much to the home fans' annoyance as they thought that Jordan Frampton was to blame. Frampton added insult to injury by winning the rerun from Phil Morris while James Holder picked up the gift third place point for a 2-4 which put the Wasps four up at 10-14.

There was no change in heat 5. While Lee Complin won the race, Lemon and Fry shared the points behind him but the Potters scored a 4-2 in heat 6 when Jordan Frampton could only split the Bunyan, Kristiansen pairing but he prevented a 5-1 when he passed Kristiansen at the end of lap 1. The Potters now trailed by just two points and they were still two down after heat 7 when Chris Kerr gated to head Lee Smart and Phil Morris, who relegated Brent Werner to the back, for a 3-3. Heat 8 was shared too. Jesper Kristiansen won the race but Paul Fry and James Holder team rode behind him to keep Lee Smart at the back to take the score to 23-25.

A rerun heat 9 saw another shared race as Jordan Frampton led Complin and Jakobsen home to keep the Wasps two points in front but Stoke finally scored a 5-1 in heat 10 when Jason Bunyan and Jesper Kristiansen took advantage of a fall by Chris Kerr to put the Potters in front for the first time in the match. The two point lead went to four with a 4-2 in heat 11 but Newport initially sat on a 1-5 with Fry and Lemon leading Morris. Morris then passed Lemon and Fry had an engine failure so the heat score turned round in Stoke's favour. Another home 4-2 put the Potters six points ahead in heat 12 when Klaus Jakobsen led Holder home with a dismal Werner continuing his run of failures with a third consecutive zero. The score now stood at 39-33 and the Wasps bubble looked well and truly burst.

Mark Lemon won heat 13 though after a frantic race with Jason Bunyan. Phil Morris took third for a 3-3 then another 4-2 in heat 14 won by Lee Complin from Chris Kerr put the home side eight points ahead with one race to go. Lee Complin and Jason Bunyan wrapped things up with a 5-1 in heat 15 to give the Potters a 12 point win – one that was beginning to look unlikely at one point.



Scorers: Stoke – Lee Complin 14 (5), Jason Bunyan 12+1 (5), Phil Morris 7+2 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 6+2 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 6+1 (4), Lee Smart 5 (7), Tom P Madsen 1 (1).

Newport – Mark Lemon 10 (5), Jordan Frampton 9 (5), James Holder 8+1 (6), Chris Kerr 6 (4), Paul Fry 4+1 (4), Shelby Rutherford 2+1 (3), Brent Werner 0 (3).



Premier League Knockout Cup, quarter final, second leg: .... Berwick 26, King's Lynn 57 Match abandoned after heat 14 due to the curfew having been reached – the result stands and King's Lynn won on aggregate by 115-59.


Team changes: Berwick were without Tero Aarnio (injured). They had Nick Simmons as a guest at number 6 for him. King's Lynn were without Darcy Ward and Linus Eklof, both on World under-21 duty, while Tomas Topinka was also out injured. They had David Howe as a guest at number 1 and Rusty Harrison as a guest at number 2. They also used Rider Replacement for Tomas Topinka at number 5.

Although the Stars' team was in some disarray having been patched up with two guests they had the protection of a massive 26 point lead from the first leg at the Norfolk Arena and expected to win through on aggregate. Having failed to beat Sheffield last week at Shielfield Park the Bandits weren't exactly best prepared for this match either.

Ouch! this was a sore one for the Bandits to bear as they were ripped to shreds by the patched up King's Lynn Stars who put this match to bed as early as heat 4 when they already led by 5-19. There was a lengthy delay after heat 6 due to torrential rain which eventually caused the match to be abandoned after heat 14 as the curfew time limit had been reached. This more than likely prevented the Stars from topping the 60 point mark!

Rarely can Berwick have been so embarrassed as the opposition simply ripped into them from the start. David Howe won the opening race from Michal Makovsky and Rusty Harrison for a 4-2 but Makovsky's second place was all that the Bandits managed over the next three races all of which the Stars won by 1-5 for a 14 point lead (40 on aggregate! Even this early in the match.)

Josef Franc won heat 5 for the Bandits and it looked as though they would take a 4-2 as Paul Clews passed Rusty Harrison to sit behind David Howe but he then had an engine failure so the heat was shared. Kozza Smith was excluded from heat 6 after falling and Michal Makovsky beat Chris Schramm in the rerun while William Lawson picked up the gift third place point for a 4-2 – Berwick's one and only heat advantage of the match! The heavens opened at this point and there was quite a wait for the rain to go off and the track to be put back into some sort of race-able condition. When it did restart Berwick wished that it hadn't. If what had happened so far was bad it got worse in heat 7 when they conceded a 0-5. Sanchez and Schramm were the only finishers as Greg Blair had an engine failure and Gino Franchetti fell. Harrison and Graversen gated to win heat 8 after William Lawson had been excluded for failing to beat the two minute deadline and had had to start from 15 metres back. The score was now 13-34.

Josef Franc won again in heat 9 by passing David Howe but it was only for a 3-3 then Emiliano Sanchez headed home Michal Makovsky in heat 10 for a 2-4. Howe and Harrison added a 1-5 ahead of Nick Simmons in heat 11 while Clews got the better of Kozza Smith in heat 12 to finish second to Emiliano Sanchez for a 2-4 taking the score to 21-50.

David Howe won heat 13 from Makovsky and Franchetti for a shared heat 13 then Schramm beat Franc in heat 14 with Graversen in third for a 2-4 after which the curtain came down on a black night for the Bandits.


Scorers: Berwick – Michal Makovsky 9 (4), Josef Franc 8 (4), Paul Clews 3 (4), Nick Simmons 3 (5), Gino Franchetti 2+1 (4), William Lawson 1 (4), Greg Blair 0 (3).

King's Lynn – Emiliano Sanchez 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), David Howe 13 (5), Chris Schramm 11+1 (5), Jan Graversen 8+2 (4), Rusty Harrison 7+1 (5), Kozza Smith 4+2 (4).



Premier League Knockout Cup, quarter final, second leg: .... Workington 47, Edinburgh 43 Edinburgh won on aggregate by 93-81.


Team changes: Workington were missing John Branney and Charles Wright, both out injured. They used Rider Replacement for Branney at number 2 and had Justin Sedgmen as a guest at number 7. Edinburgh were using Rider Replacement for Thomas H Jonasson at number 2.

Edinburgh were knocked out of this competition on the same track last year and expected to have some work on their hands to prevent a recurrence. However they came protected by a 22 point lead which looked about right to take this match to the wire. Workington, still missing John Branney and Charles Wright, were hoping for a much better performance from Justin Sedgmen as a guest than they got from Jan Graversen last night at Armadale.

The Comets certainly gave themselves a mountain to climb when they lost a 1-5 in the opening heat to trail by 26 point on aggregate. Kevin Doolan and Ryan Fisher were neck and neck for the lead when Doolan's bike packed up and Fisher and Michal Rajkowski raced off for the maximum. The Comets replied with consecutive 4-2s in heats 2 and 3 with Craig Cook beating Aaron Summers in the reserves race then Adrian Rymel heading home Andrew Tully in heat 4. This levelled the scores again and the Comets continued to build some momentum by taking a 5-1 from Andre Compton and Justin Sedgmen who passed both Stoddart and Wethers for his second place to put the home side four points ahead at 14-10.

The Comets train hit the buffers in heat 5 though when Ryan Fisher and Andrew Tully raced off for a 1-5 after Rymel had lifted coming off the first bend and baulked his partner, Richard Lawson. This tied the scores again at 15-15 and Workington now had just 10 heats left to pull back the first leg 22 point deficit. Undaunted they scored a 4-2 in heat 6 when Kevin Doolan beat Matthew Wethers while Craig Cook survived a coming together with the fence to finish third. They added another 4-2 in heat 7. Craig Cook led from the gate and Andre Compton passed Both Rajkowski and Tully for what looked like a 5-1. However Tully then passed Cook to restrict the home side's advantage to two points. Now four points to the good the Comets lost a 2-4 in heat 8 but were unlucky to do so. Justin Sedgmen had passed Ryan Fisher to lead the race but suffered an engine failure so Fisher went on to win the race from Lawson and Summers. The home side's lead was cut to two points at 25-23 but they still trailed by 20 points on aggregate.

However they scored a 5-1 in heat 9 from Rymel and Lawson to lead by six on the night and extended it to eight with a 4-2 in heat 9 as Doolan won from Tully who changed gates under the tactical gate rule. Again just when the home side needed to build up a head of steam they were pegged back by Edinburgh. Ryan Fisher won heat 11 and Andre Compton got the better of Matthew Wethers after trading places with him but the Monarchs took a 2-4 from the race cutting the gap to six on the night. The visitors now led by 16 points on aggregate and there was no change when Rymel gated to beat Rajkowski and Summers in heat 12 for a shared race taking the score to 39-33 (73-89).

Any lingering hopes the Comets fans might have still entertained were dashed when Edinburgh scored a 1-5 in heat 13. Fisher won his fifth consecutive race while Wethers slipped in behind him for second to take the score on the night to 40-38. Rather than worry about pulling back the first leg lead, the Comets were now more concerned about winning on the night. They stretched their lead to four points with a 4-2 in heat 14 when Cook gated and Tully passed Lawson for second then in the last race Andrew Tully beat Rymel and Compton to share the race.


Scorers: Workington – Adrian Rymel 12 (5), Andre Compton 10+1 (5), Craig Cook 8 (5), Richard Lawson 6+1 (5), Kevin Doolan 6 (4), Justin Sedgmen 5+1 (6),

Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 15 (6), Andrew Tully 13+1 (6), Matthew Wethers 7+1 (5), Michal Rajkowski 4+1 (5), Aaron Summers 4+1 (5), Sean Stoddart 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 21 June



Premier League:

Glasgow v. Berwick

Premier League Knockout Cup:

Newport v. Redcar



Premier League:.... Glasgow 42 (0 points), Berwick 48 (3 points).


Team changes: Glasgow were without Ross Brady and Josh Grajczonek. They had Robert Ksiezak as a guest for Grajczonek at number 4 and used Rider Replacement for Brady at number 2. Berwick were missing Tero Aarnio and Gino Franchetti so used Rider Replacement for Franchetti at number 5 and had Nick Simmons as a guest for Aarnio at number 7.

Considering that Berwick lost at home last night to King's Lynn by 41 points, this result must go down as one of the shocks of the season. Not even the most fervent Bandits fan could have seen this coming especially since they were without Gino Franchetti and had to use Rider Replacement with the reserves having to take three of them. However a magnificent performance from William Lawson and guest reserve Nick Simmons was too much for a Glasgow team with too many weaknesses to cover.

It all started so innocently with Shane Parker winning heat 1 and demolishing the track record by 0.6 of a second in the process for a shared heat. The first sign of things to come was probably Nick Simmons winning the reserve race, normally a formality for the Glasgow pairing then, in heat 3, Josef Franc and Paul Clews rattled in a 1-5 ahead of Rusty Harrison to put the Bandits four up. Glasgow levelled in heat 4 with a 5-1 from James Grieves and Lee Dicken against the Berwick reserves so the score stood at 12-12.

Berwick restored their four point lead when Michal Makovsky and William Lawson both passed Robert Ksiezak to lead him and Rusty Harrison home but again Glasgow levelled immediately with a 5-1 from Mitchell Davey and Shane Parker against the Berwick reserves. James Grieves won heat 7 from Clews and Franc for a shared race but Glasgow fell four behind again when William Lawson and Nick Simmons, who passed Robert Ksiezak for second, scored a 1-5 in heat 8, their third of the match, for a score of 22-26.

Lawson was out again as Rider Replacement in heat 9 and won again, this time passing Harrison for a shared race then Shane Parker won heat 10 but Clews and Franc filled second and third for another 3-3. Glasgow were in big trouble after losing yet another 1-5 in heat 11. James Grieves went through the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. By the time he had passed Lee Dicken both Lawson and Makovsky were well away for the maximum which doubled the Bandits' lead to eight points. Rusty Harrison won heat 12 but Paul Clews and Nick Simmons shared the race behind him for a 3-3 which took the score to 32-40.

Grieves and Parker scored the routine 5-1 in heat 13 for the Tigers but they needed an advantage in heat 14 to have any chance of winning. They didn't get it though as Josef Franc passed early race leader Robert Ksiezak while Nick Simmons clinched a Berwick win by taking third ahead of Mitchell Davey for a 2-4 which put them 6 ahead. Finally James Grieves passed Josef Franc in fine style to win heat 15 but with Lawson keeping Parker at the back the race ended as a 3-3 and six point Berwick win. On reflection the Bandits will probably have realised that had Franc held his lead in the last race the visitors would have left with all four points up for grabs.


Scorers: Glasgow – James Grieves 13 (5), Shane Parker 10+2 (5), Rusty Harrison 6 (4), Mitchell Davey 5+2 (6), Lee Dicken 4+1, Robert Ksiezak 4 (4).

Berwick – William Lawson 14+2 (6), Josef Franc 10+2 (5), Nick Simmons 9+2 (7), Paul Clews 8+1 (4), Michal Makovsky 7+2 (4), Greg Blair 0 (4).



Premier League Knockout Cup, first round, second leg:.... Newport 40 Redcar 50 Redcar won on aggregate by 102-78.


Team changes: Newport had Kyle Newman back at number 6. Redcar were without Benji Compton who was believed to have broken down en route (the vehicle not the rider!). The Bears recruited James White-Williams for the day to ride at number 6.

Newport came into this match looking to pull back the 14 points by which they lost at the South Tees Motor Park. They never looked like doing so and the Bears won through comfortably.

Mark Lemon got the Wasps off to a winning start but with Paul Fry suffering an engine failure on the second lap it was only for a 3-3. Arlo Bugeja won heat 2 from James Holder but perhaps Newport made the wrong selection of number 6 because James White-Williams took third from Kyle Newman to give the Bears a two point lead with a 2-4. The visitors scored another 2-4 in heat 3 when Ben Wilson won from Brent Werner with Carl Stonehewer third to open up a four point lead but the Wasps hit back with a 4-2 in heat 4 when Ty Proctor could only split Jordan Frampton and James Holder. The score was now 11-13 with the Bears now leading by 16 points on aggregate.

Gary Havelock won heat 5 from the gate while Chris Kerr took second ahead of Robbie Kessler for another 2-4 and four point lead for the visitors but Paul Fry and Mark Lemon got the Wasps back on level terms with a 5-1 in heat 6 against Ty Proctor. Redcar immediately replied with a 1-5 as Stonehewer and Wilson restored the Bears four point advantage against a hard challenging Jordan Frampton. The visitors' lead stretched to six points when the fast gating Robbie Kessler won heat 8 from Paul Fry and Arlo Bugeja taking the score to 21-27. The Wasps now trailed by 20 points on aggregate and things looked bleak for them.

Newport got two points back in heat 9 with Brent Werner winning from Ty Proctor who had to look lively to hold Chris Kerr off. This gave the Wasps a 4-2 and Mark Lemon won heat 10 for them but
Paul Fry had touched the tapes and had been replaced by James Holder. Wilson and Stonehewer filled the minor places for a shared heat and time was running out fast for the home side. They lost a 2-4 in heat 11 when Gary Havelock gated to lead Frampton and Kessler home which all but saw the Bears through to the next round. Heat 12 resulted in a shared race as Ben Wilson won from Werner and Holder taking the score to 33-39 with the Bears leading 71-91 on aggregate.

The only question left was whether the Wasps could pull back the six points they needed to avoid another home defeat. It looked unlikely when they could only share heat 13 won by Havelock from the gate with Lemon and Frampton following him home. Stonehewer won heat 14 for a shared race
but Newport's afternoon didn't get any better when Havelock and Wilson gated for a last heat 1-5 which gave the Bears a ten point win in the match and 24 point win overall.


Scorers: Newport – Mark Lemon 11+1 (5), Jordan Frampton 7+1 (5), Brent Werner 7 (4), Chris Kerr 5 (4), Paul Fry 5 (4), James Holder 4+1 (5), Kyle Newman 1 (4).

Redcar – Gary Havelock 13+1 (5), Ben Wilson 12+2 (5), Carl Stonehewer 8+1 (4), Robbie Kessler 7 (4), Ty Proctor 5 (4), Arlo Bugeja 4 (4), James White-Williams 1 (4).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 24 June



Premier League:

Birmingham v. Newcastle

Challenge - Ashley Jones Memorial Trophy:

King's Lynn Stars v. King's Lynn Legends



Premier League:.... Birmingham 50 (3 points), Newcastle 39 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

The opening race had to be rerun without Manuel Hauzinger who fell at the first time of asking then, in the rerun, there were only two finishers – Kenni Larsen and Jason Lyons after Trent Leverington had suffered an engine failure . They finished in that order so Newcastle took a 2-3 from the race. Richard Sweetman won the reserves race from Adam McKinna and Craig Branney so the points were shared but the Brummies took a 5-1 from Robert Ksiezak and Ludvig Lindgren ahead of Derek Sneddon in heat 3 which put them three points ahead. The lead went to five with a 4-2 for the home side in heat 4. Richard Sweetman won again but Rene Bach took second ahead of Tomasz Piszcz. This took the score to 14-9.

There was no change in a shared heat 5 won by Lindgren from Larsen and Leverington but the Brummies eased another two points ahead with a 4-2 in heat 6 when Jason Lyons beat Rene Bach. Tomasz Piszcz joined the list of race winners in heat 7 but James Cockle ran another last place behind Sneddon and King so the race points were shared. Heat 8 looked promising for the Brummies but, while Manuel Hauzinger won the race, the unbeaten Richard Sweetman finished at the back behind Leverington and Craig Branney for another 3-3 which took the score to 27-20.

Newcastle pulled two points back in heat 8 when Rene Bach won the race from Ksiezak and McKinna after Lindgren had fallen and been excluded. The gap was down to five points as a result. After the interval Birmingham scored a 5-1 from Jason Lyons and Manuel Hauzinger against Jason King which put them in the comfort zone now nine points ahead and looking good for all three points. The Diamonds replied with a 2-4 in heat 11 though when Kenni Larsen won the race from Tomasz Piszcz. Trent Leverington kept James Cockle pointless by taking third and the gap now stood at seven points. Heat 12 looked ominous for the visitors however since Jason King had been way out of sorts and was partnered by reserve, Adam McKinna, with the pair facing Ksiezak and Sweetman. Their cause wasn't aided by McKinna falling and being excluded. However King won the race for a shared heat so the score with three heats to go was 39-32.

Jason Lyons fell in heat 13 leaving Larsen and Bach to follow Piszcz home for a 3-3. Not surprisingly Cockle was replaced by Sweetman in heat 14. It all went pear shaped for the Diamonds when Derek Sneddon was excluded leaving Lindgren and Sweetman to rack up a 5-1 to put the match to bed as the Brummies now led by 11 points to clinch a three point victory. Tomasz Piszcz retired in heat 15 leaving Jason Lyons to win the race from Larsen and Bach in a reversal of heat 13.


Scorers: Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11 (5), Richard Sweetman 9+2 (5), Tomasz Piszcz 9 (5), Ludvig Lindgren 8+1 (4), Robert Ksiezak 7 (4), Manuel Hauzinger 6+1 (4), James Cockle 0 (3).

Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 12 (5), Rene Bach 9+2 (5), Jason King 5+1 (4), Trent Leverington 4+1 (4), Craig Branney 3+2 (4), Derek Sneddon 3 (4), Adam McKinna 3 (4).



Ashley Jones Memorial Trophy:.... King's Lynn Stars 58, King's Lynn Legends 38.


Team changes: King's Lynn Stars had Todd Kurtz at number 8 but were without Linus Eklof so used Rider Replacement at number 2. King's Lynn Legends featured Oliver Allen, Chris Mills, Rusty Harrison, Adam Allott, Kevin Doolan, Simon Lambert and Darren Mallett. Arlo Bugeja was at number 8.

The two teams raced over a 16 heat formula with eight man teams. The sides looked a bit unbalanced but the scores were close until heat 9 when there were only two points between them at 28-26. After that the current King's Lynn squad pulled away winning the remaining seven races by 30-12.

The home side scored as well as they normally do at home but Todd Kurtz, 16 year old Australian visiting Britain, raised a few eyebrows with paid four from his four rides which included second in a 5-1 in heat 2 for the home side. For the 'Legends' team Adam Allott showed he hadn't lost the knack of how to make fast gates and win at the Norfolk Arena beating Chris Schramm in heat 3 and
Tomas Topinka in heat 7 to win both. Otherwise it was left to Kevin Doolan predictably to provide most of the challenge.

Scorers: King's Lynn Stars – Tomas Topinka 11+2 (5), Chris Schramm 10+2, Darcy Ward 10+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 10 (5), Jan Graversen 9+2 (4), Kozza Smith 5 +1 (4), Todd Kurtz 3+1 (4).

King's Lynn Legends – Kevin Doolan 11 (5), Adam Allott 7 (4), Chris Mills 5 (4), Rusty Harrison 5 (4), Darren Mallett 4+1 (4), Oliver Allen 4 (5), Arlo Bugeja 1+1 (3), Simon Lambert 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 25 June



Premier League:

Redcar v. Birmingham
Sheffield v. Scun'thorpe



Premier League:.... Redcar 49 (2 points), Birmingham 43 (1 point).


Team changes: Both teams were unchanged and at full strength.

The Bears pulled a four point lead out from the opening stanza of four races. Jason Lyons got the Brummies off to a good start by beating Gary Havelock in the opener for a 3-3 but 4-2s in heats 2 and 3 won by Arlo Bugeja and Ben Wilson got the home side's charge under way before the visitors pairing of Tomasz Piszcz and Richard Sweetman followed Ty Proctor home for a share of the points in heat 4 to take the score to 14-10.

The home side's lead remained unchanged over the next two races with Jason Lyons and Tomasz Piszcz winning them for the visitors. Ludvig Lindgren kept the run of Birmingham race winners going by taking heat 7 but with Robert Ksiezak finishing at the back again behind Benji Compton, in his last meeting for the Bears, and Ty Proctor the gap stayed at four points. Birmingham supplied another race winner in heat 8 when Manuel Hauzinger became the Brummies fourth race winner when he beat Robbie Kessler and Arlo Bugeja for another 3-3 which took the score to 26-22.

Finally the Bears broke the stranglehold of Birmingham race winners when Ben Wilson beat Tomasz Piszcz. With Carl Stonehewer third the home side scored a 4-2 and now led by six points. Havelock and Kessler then produced the first 5-1 of the match in heat 10 which stretched the Bears' lead to ten points. This enabled Jason Lyons to take a tactical ride in heat 11 but, in a race which had to be rerun without Benji Compton who fell first time, Ty Proctor made the gate to restrict the visitors to a 3-5 which pulled the lead back to eight points. It was ten again after Ben Wilson had beaten Robert Ksiezak with Arlo Bugeja beating James Cockle in an exciting race at the back. The score was now 42-32.

It wasn't over yet though as Birmingham got back into the match with a 1-5 from Tomasz Piszcz and Jason Lyons leaving them trailing by six points but they lost another 4-2 to Carl Stonehewer and Benji Compton in heat 14 leaving them eight behind going into the last heat. A 2-4 for the Brummies would be enough to rescue a point for them and that's exactly what they got when Tomasz Piszcz headed home Ty Proctor with Jason Lyons third. This meant that Redcar took 2 points for the win with Birmingham taking a single point for the six point defeat.


Scorers: Redcar – Ty Proctor 10+1 (5), Ben Wilson 10+1 (5), Gary Havelock 7 (4), Carl Stonehewer 7 (4), Robbie Kessler 6+3 (4), Arlo Bugeja 5+1 (4), Benji Compton 4 (4).

Birmingham – Jason Lyons 13+1 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Tomasz Piszcz 13 (5), Ludvig Lindgren 6 (4), Richard Sweetman 5+1 (5), Manuel Hauzinger 4+1 (4), Robert Ksiezak 2 (4), James Cockle 0 (4).



Premier League:.... Sheffield 52 (3 points), Scun'thorpe 38 (0 points).


Team changes: Sheffield were unchanged and at full strength. Scun'thorpe introduced their new signing, Adam Allott, at number 3 with Simon Lambert moving to reserve at number 7. Viktor Bergstrom returned to action from injury bringing the Scorpions up to full strength,

An incident packed opening heat was won by Magnus Karlsson but the action was behind both him and Ricky Ashworth in second place when Hugh Skidmore and Viktor Bergstrom collided then traded places during the race with Skidmore eventually taking the third place point for a 3-3. Sheffield were then off and running by winning the reserves race 5-1 for a four point lead and added another two points to their advantage with a 4-2 in heat 3 when Richard Hall won in a fast time from Adam Allott after Carl Wilkinson had fallen and remounted on the first bend. Heat 4 was a shaker for the Tigers though! David Howe and Simon Lambert made lightning starts and took a 1-5 which cut the lead to just two points at 13-11.

Richard Hall passed Magnus Karlsson in heat 5 and, with help from third placed Chris Mills, gave the Tigers a 4-2 which put them four up again. Back came the Scorpions though with another Howe win, this time at Ashworth's expense. Jerran Hart finished third so the visitors took a 2-4 to cut their arrears to two points again. Carl Wilkinson and Adam Allott threatened a 1-5 for the Scorpions in heat 7 but both Joel Parsons and Josh Auty passed Allott so the race was shared. The Tigers were four up again after heat 8. Hugh Skidmore won the race but a thrilling duel developed behind him between Simon Lambert and Paul Cooper with Lambert holding on for second. The result was a 4-2 to Sheffield and the score was now 26-22.

The home side took a giant step towards winning the match with a 5-1 in heat 9 as Richard Hall continuing his winning streak and Chris Mills passed David Howe off the second bend. Scun'thorpe were now eight points behind and, although Carl Wilkinson won heat 10, Ashworth and Skidmore followed him home for a shared race. Magnus Karlsson kept the Scorpions' chances alive by winning heat 11 but Parsons and Auty kept Lambert at the back so again the race was shared. Scun'thorpe did get two back in heat 12 though. Simon Lambert won this one from Chris Mills while Adam Allott picked up third as Paul Cooper suffered an engine failure. The score was now 39-33.

Sheffield got some breathing space with a 4-2 in heat 13. Ashworth won from Karlsson while Auty and Howe had a good race for third behind them. Auty prevailed so the Tigers now led by eight with two races remaining. Richard Hall completed a four ride maximum in heat 14 by beating Carl Wilkinson and Joel Parsons' third place gave the Tigers a 4-2 and ten point lead leaving the Scorpions needing a 1-5 in the last race to take a point. There was a 5-1 all right in heat 15 but it went to Sheffield via Hall and Parsons so the Tigers took all three points with Richard Hall completing a five ride full maximum.


Scorers: Sheffield – Richard Hall 15 (5) (full maximum), Joel Parsons 10+1 (5), Ricky Ashworth 9 (4), Chris Mills 6+1 (4), Hugh Skidmore 5+2 (4), Josh Auty 4+2 (4), Paul Cooper 3+1 (4).

Scun'thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 11 (5), Simon Lambert 8+1 (6), Carl Wilkinson 8 (5), David Howe 7 (4), Adam Allott 3 (4), Jerran Hart 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 11 July



Premier League:

Berwick v. Newcastle
Stoke v. Glasgow


Premier Trophy Semi-Final:
Scun'thorpe v. Edinburgh
Workington v. King's Lynn



Premier League: .... Berwick 51 (3 points), Newcastle 39 (0 points).


Team changes: Berwick were missing Josef Franc and Gino Franchetti so used Rider Replacement at number 4 for Franc and had Paul Cooper as a guest at number 7 for Franchetti. Newcastle were without Rene Bach and used Rider Replacement at number 2.

Newcastle kept this match close in the early stages with only two points separating the teams after heat 8. Berwick were still only six points ahead after heat 13 but a 5-1, 4-2 finish resulted in them comfortably taking all three points. Star of the show was Stanislav Burza who scorched to a full six ride maximum on his return to Shielfield Park.

Kenni Larsen got the Diamonds off to a good start by winning the opening heat. With Derek Sneddon in second it looked briefly as if the visitors might start with a heat advantage but Michal Makovsky and Tero Aarnio both passed him for a 3-3. The teams then traded 5-1s. Paul Cooper and Greg Blair both passed the visiting reserves, Adam McKinna and Trent Leverington, in heat 2 but the Diamonds replied with a 1-5 from Derek Sneddon and Jason King to level again. Stan Burza won heat 4 from Mark Lemon and Paul Cooper for a 4-2 which left the score after four heats at 13-11.

Newcastle provided three of the next four race winners through Kenni Larsen, Mark Lemon and Jason King while Stan Burza won heat 7 for the Bandits. In all four races there was no support for the race winner so heat 9 arrived with the score 25-23. Although Mark Lemon made the gate in heat 9 he was passed by Stan Burza and Paul Clews and the Bandits raced off for a 5-1 taking their lead to six points. The next four races were all shared so the Berwick six point lead was still intact prior to heat 14. Clews and Cooper then ended the visitors' hopes with a 5-1 in heat 14 and Burza wrapped things up by winning the last race from Larsen and Clews for a 12 point home win and all three points.


Scorers: Berwick – Stan Burza 18 (6) (full maximum), Paul Clews 9+2 (6), Paul Cooper 8+3 (5), Tero Aarnio 7+2 (5), Michal Makovsky 7+1 (5), Greg Blair 2+1 (3).

Newcastle – Jason King 12+2 (6), Kenni Larsen 12 (5), Mark Lemon 8+2 (5), Derek Sneddon 5 (5), Adam McKinna 4 (4), Trent Leverington 2 (5).



Premier League: .... Stoke v Glasgow – postponed because it might have rained..



Premier Trophy - Semi Final, first leg : .... Workington 51, King's Lynn 39.


Team changes: Workington without Adrian Rymel and Charles Wright had Jason Lyons as a guest for Rymel at number 3 and used Rider Replacement for Wright at number 2. King's Lynn without Darcy Ward had Ty Proctor as a guest at number 1.

Although they shared the opening three heats and were still only four down after heat 12 King's Lynn left empty handed as the Comets struck with two 5-1s in the last three races. For once the three Workington big guns all hit it off together registering eight of the Comets' nine race winners to leave the Stars scrabbling for the crumbs.

It took until heat 4 for the deadlock to be broken when Andre Compton and Craig Branney scored a 5-1 after Tomas Topinka had fallen chasing Compton. Craig Branney passed Graversen for second and the Comets led by 14-10. After a shared heat won by Jason Lyons, the Stars pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat 6 after Kozza Smith and Tomas Topinka had gated to sit on a 1-5. Kevin Doolan passed Topinka to chase down Smith and although he did pass the visitors' reserve he was repassed by him. The next three races were all shared so the score progressed to 28-26 after heat 9.

When Emiliano Sanchez retired from heat 10 with an engine failure while lying third, the home side added two points to their lead with Doolan beating Chris Schramm. An engine failure for Linus Eklof while third proved expensive for the Stars in heat 11 as a 2-4 turned to a 3-3 with Ty Proctor beating Andre Compton but, after another shared race in heat 12 won by Jason Lyons, Doolan and Compton hit the Stars with a 5-1 ahead of Topinka for an eight point lead. Emiliano Sanchez won heat 14 but as the Stars were only able to track one rider with Jan Graversen pulling out of the meeting it was only for a 3-3 which meant that for a single point the visitors needed a 2-4 from heat 15. Doolan and Compton put paid to that idea however by repeating their 5-1 success of heat 13 against Topinka for a 12 point win.


Scorers: Workington – Kevin Doolan 14 (5), Andre Compton 12+2 (5), Jason Lyons 10 (4), John Branney 9+2 (7), Craig Cook 3+1 (4), Richard Lawson 3+1 (5).

King's Lynn – Kozza Smith 9+1 (5), Chris Schramm 8+1 (5), Ty Proctor 6+1 (4), Tomas Topinka 6 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 5 (4), Linus Eklof 4+2 (4), Jan Graversen 1 (2).



Premier Trophy – Semi-Final, first leg : .... Scun'thorpe 44, Edinburgh 46 .


Team changes: Scun'thorpe were without Magnus Karlsson so had Ben Wilson as a guest at number 1. Edinburghwere at full strength with Byron Bekker making his debut as full team member and Thomas H Jonasson returning to the team.

Edinburgh's two point win puts them in the driving seat for the return match at Armadale with qualification for the Premier Trophy final as the prize. It was a topsy turvy match which swung one way then the other. The Monarchs arrived at the last heat with a two point lead and a fantastic ride round the boards by Ryan Fisher saw him pass both Howe and Lambert to see the visitors home.

Ryan Fisher and Michal Rajkowski got the Monarchs off to a 1-5 start but the Scorpions hit back with a 4-2 in the reserves race won by Simon Lambert from ex-Scorpion Byron Bekker. Thomas H Jonasson gated to win heat 3 from Adam Allott while Matthew Wethers' third place restored Edinburgh's four point lead. Andrew Tully then passed David Howe to win heat 4 for a 3-3 which took the score to 10-14.

Fisher won heat 5 for a 3-3 but the Scorpions pulled two points back again in heat 6 with a 4-2 from Ben Wilson and Viktor Bergstrom who were separated by Andrew Tully. A Howe win for a shared race was followed by another 4-2 for the home side which levelled the scores again at 24-24 with Simon Lambert winning the race from Rajkowski.

Edinburgh hit back immediately with a 1-5 from Aaron Summers and Andrew Tully ahead of Carl Wilkinson to once again restore their four point lead. However the Scorpions didn't take that lying down and replied with a 4-2 in heat 10 when Wethers could only split the Wilkinson, Bergstrom pairing. Then they added a 5-1 from Simon Lambert and David Howe ahead of a hard challenging Ryan Fisher so now the home side led by two points at 34-32.

The lead didn't last long though as the Monarchs replied with a 1-5 in heat 12 from Jonasson and Summers to move two points ahead at 35-37. Fisher swept round the outside of Wilson and Howe to win heat 13 for a shared race then Simon Lambert continued his excellent evening by winning heat 14 for another 3-3 which left the visitors ahead by two points with one heat left. Fisher again swept round the outside of the home pair to win the race for another shared heat and two point win for Edinburgh.


Scorers: Scun'thorpe – Simon Lambert 15+2 (7), David Howe 10+2 (5), Ben Wilson 8 (4), Adam Allott 4 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 4 (4), Carl Wilkinson 2+1 (3), Jerran Hart 1 (3).

Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 13 (5), Thomas H Jonasson 8 (5), Andrew Tully 7+1 (4), Aaron Summers 7+1 (5), Matthew Wethers 5+2 ((4), Michal Rajkowski 4+1 (4), Byron Bekker 2 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 12 July



Premier League:

Glasgow v. Sheffield
Newport v. Edinburgh
Newcastle v. Berwick
Birmingham v. Workington



Premier League: .... Glasgow 40 (0 points), Sheffield 50 (4 points).


Team changes: Glasgow were once again without Shane Parker, Ross Brady and Josh Grajczonek. They used Rider Replacement for Brady at number 4 and had Robbie Kessler as a guest for Grajczonek at number 3 and Jason Bunyan at number 5 for Parker.
Sheffield were at full strength.

Glasgow kicked off with a 4-2 from Grieves and Harrison but Sheffield looked like levelling in heat 2 until Chris Mills fell leaving Paul Cooper to win the race for a 3-3. Robbie Kessler fell in heat 3 and was excluded from the rerun which was won by Richard Hall from Lee Dicken. The 2-4 levelled the scores this time and they stayed level after Jason Bunyan won heat 4 for the home side taking the score to 12-12.

Ricky Ashworth was winning heat 5 for the visitors when Hugh Skidmore fell again on the third lap causing the race to be awarded as a 3-3. Josh Auty passed James Grieves to win heat 6 for yet another shared race but the visitors finally broke the deadlock with a 1-5 in heat 7 when Richard Hall and Joel Parsons gated to leave Jason Bunyan to chase in vain in third place. Skidmore fell in his third outing running and was excluded from heat 8. Things looked bright for Glasgow in the rerun when Dicken and Harrison made the gate but Paul Cooper passed Harrison for second limiting the home pair to a 4-2 and taking the score to 23-25.

Sheffield were four in front again after heat 9. Josh Auty led the race from Dicken and Kessler but Chris Mills passed Kessler on the last lap for a 2-4. They increased their lead to six with another 2-4 in heat 10. Richard Hall beat James Grieves while Joel Parsons passed Harrison for the vital third place. Sheffield were on a roll now and added a 1-5 from Ricky Ashworth and Paul Cooper ahead of Jason Bunyan to rocket ten points ahead leaving Glasgow in dire straits. The home side gave in-form reserve, Lee Dicken, who had scored 11of Glasgow's 28 points, a tactical ride in heat 12. Unfortunately for the Scottish Tigers Lee Dicken and Chris Mills collided on the first bend of lap 3 with Dicken being excluded from the rerun. Chris Mills and Joel Parsons all but wrapped up the match for Sheffield with a 1-5 in the rerun with Robbie Kessler slipping to the back after being passed by Parsons. The score was now 29-43.

As expected James Grieves came out on a tactical ride in heat 13. Glasgow's luck was right out though. Grieves and Bunyan led for a potential 8-1 in the race but Grieves packed up on the third lap allowing Ashworth and Auty to slip past for a shared race. Richard Hall completed his full four ride maximum in heat 14 after passing Robbie Kessler but Kessler and Dicken shared the race behind him. Richard Hall then fell in heat 15 causing the race to be rerun without him. Glasgow had the consolation of finishing with a 5-1 from Bunyan and Grieves but it was Sheffield who left with all four league points.


Scorers: Glasgow – Lee Dicken 12+1 (7), Jason Bunyan 11 (5), James Grieves 9+1 (5), Robbie Kessler 4+1 (5), Rusty Harrison 3+1 (4), Mitchell Davey 1+1 (3).

Sheffield – Richard Hall 12 (5), Ricky Ashworth 10 (4), Josh Auty 9+1 (5), Paul Cooper 9+1 (5), Joel Parsons 6+2 (4), Chris Mills 4 (4), Hugh Skidmore 0 (3).



Premier League: .... Newport 43 (0 points), Edinburgh 47 (3 points).


Team changes: Newport had new signing Marek Mroz at number 6 and were at full strength as were Edinburgh .

Edinburgh were forced to another last heat decider after winning at Scun'thorpe last night but they pulled through for back to back away wins. They were six points down after heat 5 but fought back to lead by six after heat 13.

Ryan Fisher came from the back to win the opening race for a shared heat but the Wasps took the lead with a 4-2 in heat 2 won by James Holder. They trebled their lead to six points when Jonas Andersson and Jordan Frampton gated for a 5-1 in heat 3 but Andrew Tully broke the track record (57.74) to win heat 4 for a 3-3 which took the score to 15-9.

Jordan Frampton won heat 5 from Fisher and Michal Rajkowski and a shared heat but the Monarchs pulled two points back in heat 6 when Aaron Summers stormed from the gate to beat Leigh Lanham with Tully third cutting the gap to four points. Matthew Wethers crashed into the fence on the second bend of heat 7 and was excluded from the rerun. However Thomas H Jonasson won the rerun comfortably to share the points then Edinburgh pulled another two points back in heat 8 when Rajkowski beat James Holder. All eyes were on the race for third however as Summers and Chris Kerr had a great race which ended when Kerr fell. The 2-4 took the score to 25-23.

Andrew Tully won heat 9 from Frampton and Andersson while Summers had an engine failure as the tapes rose. That heat was shared and so was heat 10 as Thomas H Jonasson beat Lanham and Kerr by half a straight. The Edinburgh recovery was complete after heat 11 when Fisher and Rajkowski took a 1-5 after Paul Fry had locked up at the front. Now the Monarchs led by two and they continued to provide the race winners as Jonasson won heat 12 by a country mile for a 3-3 to take the score to 35-37.

Things looked bleak for the Wasps when Tully and Fisher combined for another 1-5 in heat 13 to put the visitors six points ahead with two races remaining. However they were back in the hunt after taking a 5-1 from Frampton and Holder in heat 14 cutting their arrears to two points with one heat remaining. In the last race Frampton, Fisher and Lanham contested the first bend but it was Andrew Tully who roared round the outside to win with ease. Frampton passed Fisher on the second lap but the Monarchs took a 2-4 for the three points.


Scorers: Newport – Jordan Frampton 12+1 (5), James Holder 10+1 (5), Leigh Lanham 7 (5), Jonas Andersson 5+2 (4), Paul Fry 4 (4), Marek Mroz 3+1 (3), Chris Kerr 2+2 (4).

Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 13 (5), Ryan Fisher 11+1 (5), Thomas H Jonasson 10 (4), Aaron Summers 7 (6), Michal Rajkowski 6+2 (4), Matthew Wethers 0 (3), Byron Bekker 0 (3).



Premier League: .... Newcastle 55 (3 points), Berwick 39 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Newcastle were anxious to win this match well against local rivals Berwick after losing by 12 points last night at Shielfield Park. And win it well they did taking all three points. Berwick's euphoria at Stan Burza's 18 point maximum last night disappeared somewhat as their hero returned a quartet of last places.

Kenni Larsen won the opener from Michal Makovsky while Derek Sneddon passed Tero Aarnio for third and a 4-2. Berwick provided the next two race winners with Gino Franchetti taking the reserves race and Josef Franc heat 3. Neither received any support although Rene Bach's third place in front of Paul Clews in the third race was not greeted with unanimous agreement. Franchetti tried hard to sabotage Stan Burza in heat 4 and the race had to be rerun after the fence came off worst. In the rerun Mark Lemon and Trent Leverington produced a 5-1 for a six point lead for the Diamonds with the score at 15-9.

Michal Makovsky fell in heat 5 and was excluded from the rerun which produced another 5-1 for Newcastle with Jason King and Bach leading Aarnio home. A third 5-1 for the home side opened the gap to 14 points as Sneddon and Larsen led Blair and Burza home. Berwick then gave a tactical ride to Josef Franc and together with Paul Clews he obliged with the big 1-8 ahead of McKinna and Lemon halving the Bandits' arrears to seven points. Newcastle stretched it to nine with a 4-2 from Sneddon and Leverington in heat 8 and the score stood at 30-21.

Another 5-1 from King and Bach in heat 9 as Burza finished last for the third time opened up the home side's lead to 13 points and already the league points were looking outside the Bandits' reach. Berwick gave a tactical ride in heat 10 to Paul Clews but Kenni Larsen won the race from Josef Franc. Paul Clews finished ahead of Derek Sneddon for third place so the visitors took an unusual 3-4 from the heat. Michal Makovsky finally won a race in heat 11 from McKinna and Lemon for a 3-3 but King and Leverington added a 4-2 in heat 12 to take the score to 45-31.

Michal Makovsky won again in heat 13 from Larsen and Lemon with Burza at the back again. The race was shared. Adam McKinna and Gino Franchetti crashed in heat 14 with Franchetti excluded. Trent Leverington replaced McKinna in the rerun. Franc won the race for a 3-3 then finished second behind Larsen in heat 15 while King finished third as the Diamonds signed off with a 4-2 for a 16 point win and all three points.


Scorers: Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 13+1 (5), Jason King 12 (5), Trent Leverington 7+2 (5), Derek Sneddon 7 (4), Rene Bach 6+4 (4), Mark Lemon 5+1 (5), Adam McKinna 5 (3).

Berwick – Josef Franc 16 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Michal Makovsky 8 (5), Paul Clews 6+2 (4), Gino Franchetti 6 (5), Greg Blair 2 (4), Tero Aarnio 1 (3), Stan Burza 0 (4).



Premier League: .... Birmingham 53 (3 points), Workington 39 (0 points) .


Team changes: Birmingham used Rider Replacement for the missing Manuel Hauzinger at number 2 while Workington used Rider Replacement for Charles Wright..

Not much information is as yet available for this match but Richard Sweetman and Jason Lyons both went through the meeting unbeaten scoring 38 of the Brummies' points between them. Tomasz Piszcz had a big crash in heat 10 ploughing through the fence. He missed his last ride and with an engine failure in heat 1 only managed an uncharacteristic two points.

The opening two races were shared but Birmingham took the lead in heat 3 with a 5-1 from Robert Ksiezak and Ludvig Lindgren after Adrian Rymel had fallen. They added another in heat 4 from Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman taking the score to 16-8. Robert Ksiezak fell in heat 5 and was excluded. Doolan and Craig Cook scored a 2-4 with Lindgren in second to pull two points back cutting the gap to six points. Another 5-1 for the Brummies in heat 6 from Sweetman and Piszcz put the home side ten points ahead so Adrian Rymel took a tactical ride in heat 7. He finished second behind Jason Lyons but with Richard Lawson in third the Comets took a 3-5 from the heat and now trailed by eight points. Richard Sweetman won heat 8 for a shared race and the score was then 29-21.

The next five races were all shared with wins from Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman (both twice) and Andre Compton so heat 14 arrived with the Brummies still leading by eight points at 44-36. Sweetman and Lindgren took a 4-2 in heat 14 for a 10 point lead again then Lyons and Lindgren finished the match with a 5-1 for a 14 point win and three points.


Scorers: Birmingham – Richard Sweetman 20+1 (7) (paid maximum), Jason Lyons 18 (6) (full maximum), Ludvig Lindgren 8+3 (6), Robert Ksiezak 5 (4), Tomasz Piszcz 2+1 (3), Jay Herne 0 (4).

Workington – Kevin Doolan 10 (5), Richard Lawson 7+2 (5), Andre Compton 6+1 (5), Adrian Rymel 6 (3) (incl 6 point TR), Craig Cook 6 (6), John Branney 4+4 (6).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 15 July



Premier Trophy Semi Final – second leg:..... King's Lynn 58, Workington 35 King's Lynn won through to the final on aggregate by 97-86.


Team changes: King's Lynn had David Howe as a guest for the injured Darcy Ward at number 1. Workington had Jason Lyons as a guest for the injured Adrian Rymel at number 3. Also without Charles Wright they used Rider Replacement at number 2.

Workington arrived with a 12 point advantage from the first leg at home last Saturday but it was never going to be enough. It took King's Lynn until heat 8 to hit the front and, with Rider Replacement hopelessly inadequate for the missing Charles Wright, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

It was the Craig Cook show in the opening stages as he appeared in four of the first six heats. Although the Comets' youngster made good starts the only rider he finished ahead of was his own partner, John Branney in heat 2. Kevin Doolan, returning to his old stomping ground, won the opening heat though for the Comets but the Stars' reserves took a 5-1 from heat 2. Chris Schramm and Emiliano Sanchez gated to head Jason Lyons home in heat 3 for another 5-1 then Tomas Topinka got the better of Andre Compton in heat 4 for a 4-2 which gave the Stars a 10 point lead cutting their first leg arrears to just 2 points with the score at 17-7.

Immediately Workington gave Kevin Doolan a tactical ride in heat 5 and he won the race from Schramm and Sanchez for a 3-6 which increased the aggregate lead to five points. Andre Compton kept the visitors' dwindling hopes alive by winning heat 6 from Howe and Eklof but in heat 7 another home 5-1 from Kozza Smith and Tomas Topinka ahead of Richard Lawson and Jason Lyons cut the gap to just a single point then, finally, in heat 8 the Stars took the overall lead as Smith headed home Lawson with Eklof third for the 4-2 which took the match score to 32-19 and aggregate score to 71-70.

It was really all over for the Comets after that. Sanchez and Schramm scored a 5-1 in heat 9 after Andre Compton's unsuccessful move to thunder underneath Schramm failed and he fell off a lap later. David Howe finally won a race in heat 10 after holding off a strong challenge from Jason Lyons who had passed early race leader, Linus Eklof. This gave the Stars a 4-2 but Kevin Doolan continued his one man virtuoso performance by winning heat 11 after passing Tomas Topinka. Kevin Smith held off a strong challenge from Jason Lyons in heat 12. Emiliano Sanchez finished third ahead of Craig Cook taking his sixth outing for a 4-2 which took the match score to 48-27 and the aggregate score to 87-78.

Workington needed a 1-8 to get themselves back into contention and the perfect opportunity seemed to arise in heat 13 but strangely they didn't use one. As it happened Kevin Doolan won the race beating Topinka again while Andre Compton held off David Howe for third and a 2-4 to the Comets. It was all over when the home side racked up another 5-1 in heat 14 courtesy of Kozza Smith and Chris Schramm stretching their lead on the night to 23 points. In the final race the two unbeaten riders, Kozza Smith and Kevin Doolan, faced each other. Although outgated by Smith, Doolan hunted him down and passed him to complete his maximum. Compton and Schramm had simultaneous engine failures at the end of the third lap. Schramm was the one who pushed home for the point so the race ended a 3-3 with the Stars going through to the final by eleven points where they will meet either Edinburgh or Scun'thorpe. For the Comets, Kevin Doolan scored more than half their points.


Scorers: King's Lynn – Kozza Smith 17 (6), Chris Schramm 10+2 (5), Tomas Topinka 9+1 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 7+2 (4), David Howe 7 (4), Jan Graversen 4+2 (3), Linus Eklof 4+2 (4).

Workington – Kevin Doolan 18 (5) (incl 6 point TR) (full maximum), Andre Compton 6 (5), Jason Lyons 5 (4), Richard Lawson 4 (5), Craig Cook 2 (6), John Branney 0 (5).