Around the Premier League Tracks 2007
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Saturday, 11 August
There were four matches raced tonight, three in the Premier League and the other in the Knockout Cup. At Berwick the Bandits faced Birmingham while at Stoke the Potters took on Edinburgh. The third match was at Workington where the Comets raced against Somerset. Finally at Rye House the Rockets rode a second leg Knockout Cup tie against the Isle of Wight.
Premier League: Berwick 40, Birmingham 52
Berwick, without the two Poles, Sebastian Truminski and Jacek Rempala patched up their side with new signing, Theo Pijper, for Truminski and John McPhail for Rempala who was subject to a one match ban without a facility. Birmingham were on the usual lines.
It was another miserable night for Berwick who went down to their sixth home defeat of the season against a solid Birmingham side without a weakness. The track conditions seemed to confuse the home riders more than their visitors as a lot of new shale had been laid on the bends making the surface grippier than usual.
The Bandits kept in contention in the early part of the meeting with Theo Pijper winning his first race for his new club but two 1-5s from the Brummies middle pairing of Jason Lyons and Henrik Moller had them in trouble as a two point deficit after 6 heats turned into a 10 point arrears after heat 8 when the score stood at 19-29.
Stanislaw Burza took a Tactical Ride in heat 9 but Emiliano Sanchez frustrated Berwick’s efforts to get back into the match by winning the race limiting the Bandits to a 5-3 success. Birmingham were always in control after that and ran out comfortable winners. Michal Makovsky and Stanislaw Burza kept Berwick afloat while Theo Pijper, after his opening win, lost a 1-5 to the Lyons/Moller pairing, followed that with a second place but then, after a fine start to his last race, he was passed by the field and finished at the back.
Sam Martin gave the sparce crowd something to cheer about by pulling a fine ride out of the bag in heat 14 to help Berwick to a rare 5-1 success but the Bandits, having to carry John McPhail in place of Jacek Rempala, simply did not have enough in the bank to trouble the Brummies.
Jason Lyons went through the card unbeaten with the rest of the Brummies team contributing strongly. Their lowest scorer was Henrik Moller with paid six after featuring in two 1-5 heat wins for the visitors which put them on easy street.
Scorers: For Berwick – Michal Makovsky 12 (5), Stanislaw Burza 11+1 (5)(with 4 point TR), Theo Pijper 6 (4), Andreas Bergstrom 4+2 (4), Sam Martin 3 (4), David Meldrum 2 (4), John McPhail 2 (4).
For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11+1 (4)(paid maximum), Ben Powell 8+1 (4), Henning Bager 8+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 8 (5), Manuel Hauzinger 7 (4), Lee Smart 5+2 (4), Henrik Moller 5+1 (4).
Premier League: Stoke 51, Edinburgh 42 Edinburgh won the aggregate bonus point by 100-87
Stoke were missing Claus Vissing who was riding in the Danish Under-21 Championship so used Rider Replacement at number 5. Edinburgh were barely recognisable having to use Rider Replacement for the injured George Stancl at number 1 and guests, Robert Ksiezak at number 2 for the injured Derek Sneddon, Kyle Legault at number 3 for Kai Laukkanen on Grand Prix duty and Scott Richardson as Conference League guest at number 6 for the injured Daniele Tessari.
Few would have given this patched up Monarchs team much of a chance even of taking the bonus point for which they arrived with a 22 point advantage. With only three of their team fit enough to take their places they had to recruit three guests (one from the Conference League) and use Rider Replacement for their number 1, George Stancl. However they recruited the ‘guest of the season’ in Kyle Legault who went through the card in spectacular style for a full 21 point maximum scoring precisely half the Edinburgh total.
With Legault’s help, Edinburgh produced no fewer than nine of the fifteen race winners and it might have been ten if Matthew Wethers had not shed a chain while leading heat 6. Things looked bleak for them when Stoke banged home two 5-1s in the opening two races but when Lee Complin touched the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back Edinburgh scored a 2-4 in heat 3. Legault won the race while Complin came through to second from his handicap. Kalle Katajisto passed Glenn Cunningham for third place to reduce the Monarchs’ arrears to six points. They then took a 1-5 in heat 4 from Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers in a race which was awarded when Jaimie Smith fell at the back. The score at this stage was 13-11.
Legault won heat 5 for a 3-3 then Wethers suffered his shed chain while leading heat 6 resulting in another home 5-1 for the Barker/Harrison pairing. The Monarchs guests won the next two for shared races with Legault the winner of heat 7 and Ksiezak heat 8 after which the score was 27-21.
With Kyle Legault in such dominant form the bonus point was beginning to look a forlorn hope for the Potters but they looked like adding a 5-1 in heat 9 only for Matthew Wethers to round Lee Complin off the last bend for second place behind Glenn Cunningham and a 4-2. Legault continued his winning streak in heat 10 but Stoke went 12 points ahead with a 5-1 from Barrie Evans and Lee Complin in heat 11. The plus for Edinburgh was that it arrived at just the right time for Kyle Legault to take a Tactical Ride in heat 12 which he duly won. Andrew Tully took third place as Jaimie Smith fell so Edinburgh scored a 2-7 cutting the gap to seven points, clinching the bonus point and taking the score to 41-34.
There was still the little matter of the match to be won and Edinburgh got even closer after heat 13 when Matthew Wethers passed Rusty Harrison to win the race. Robert Ksiezak picked up third for a 2-4 after Ben Barker had pulled out with an engine failure so there were now just five points between the teams with two heats to go. However Stoke finally took the two league points when Lee Complin and Barrie Evans scored a 5-1 in heat 14. Kyle Legault wrapped up a virtuoso performance by completing his maximum with a last to first dash in heat 15 for a final shared race.
Scorers: For Stoke – Ben Barker 11+1 (6), Barrie Evans 10+2 (5), Rusty Harrison 9+3 (5), Lee Complin 9+2 (5), Glenn Cunningham 7 (4), Jamie Smith 5+2 (5).
For Edinburgh – Kyle Legault 21 (6), Matthew Wethers 8+1 (6), Andrew Tully 6 (6), Robert Ksiezak 5 (5), Scott Richardson 1 (3), Kalle Katajisto 1 (4).
Premier League: Workington 51, Somerset 44 Somerset won the aggregate bonus point by 96-92
There were four matches raced tonight, three in the Premier League and the other in the Knockout Cup. At Berwick the Bandits faced Birmingham while at Stoke the Potters took on Edinburgh. The third match was at Workington where the Comets raced against Somerset. Finally at Rye House the Rockets rode a second leg Knockout Cup tie against the Isle of Wight.
Premier League: Berwick 40, Birmingham 52
Berwick, without the two Poles, Sebastian Truminski and Jacek Rempala patched up their side with new signing, Theo Pijper, for Truminski and John McPhail for Rempala who was subject to a one match ban without a facility. Birmingham were on the usual lines.
It was another miserable night for Berwick who went down to their sixth home defeat of the season against a solid Birmingham side without a weakness. The track conditions seemed to confuse the home riders more than their visitors as a lot of new shale had been laid on the bends making the surface grippier than usual.
The Bandits kept in contention in the early part of the meeting with Theo Pijper winning his first race for his new club but two 1-5s from the Brummies middle pairing of Jason Lyons and Henrik Moller had them in trouble as a two point deficit after 6 heats turned into a 10 point arrears after heat 8 when the score stood at 19-29.
Stanislaw Burza took a Tactical Ride in heat 9 but Emiliano Sanchez frustrated Berwick’s efforts to get back into the match by winning the race limiting the Bandits to a 5-3 success. Birmingham were always in control after that and ran out comfortable winners. Michal Makovsky and Stanislaw Burza kept Berwick afloat while Theo Pijper, after his opening win, lost a 1-5 to the Lyons/Moller pairing, followed that with a second place but then, after a fine start to his last race, he was passed by the field and finished at the back.
Sam Martin gave the sparce crowd something to cheer about by pulling a fine ride out of the bag in heat 14 to help Berwick to a rare 5-1 success but the Bandits, having to carry John McPhail in place of Jacek Rempala, simply did not have enough in the bank to trouble the Brummies.
Jason Lyons went through the card unbeaten with the rest of the Brummies team contributing strongly. Their lowest scorer was Henrik Moller with paid six after featuring in two 1-5 heat wins for the visitors which put them on easy street.
Scorers: For Berwick – Michal Makovsky 12 (5), Stanislaw Burza 11+1 (5)(with 4 point TR), Theo Pijper 6 (4), Andreas Bergstrom 4+2 (4), Sam Martin 3 (4), David Meldrum 2 (4), John McPhail 2 (4).
For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11+1 (4)(paid maximum), Ben Powell 8+1 (4), Henning Bager 8+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 8 (5), Manuel Hauzinger 7 (4), Lee Smart 5+2 (4), Henrik Moller 5+1 (4).
Premier League: Stoke 51, Edinburgh 42 Edinburgh won the aggregate bonus point by 100-87
Stoke were missing Claus Vissing who was riding in the Danish Under-21 Championship so used Rider Replacement at number 5. Edinburgh were barely recognisable having to use Rider Replacement for the injured George Stancl at number 1 and guests, Robert Ksiezak at number 2 for the injured Derek Sneddon, Kyle Legault at number 3 for Kai Laukkanen on Grand Prix duty and Scott Richardson as Conference League guest at number 6 for the injured Daniele Tessari.
Few would have given this patched up Monarchs team much of a chance even of taking the bonus point for which they arrived with a 22 point advantage. With only three of their team fit enough to take their places they had to recruit three guests (one from the Conference League) and use Rider Replacement for their number 1, George Stancl. However they recruited the ‘guest of the season’ in Kyle Legault who went through the card in spectacular style for a full 21 point maximum scoring precisely half the Edinburgh total.
With Legault’s help, Edinburgh produced no fewer than nine of the fifteen race winners and it might have been ten if Matthew Wethers had not shed a chain while leading heat 6. Things looked bleak for them when Stoke banged home two 5-1s in the opening two races but when Lee Complin touched the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back Edinburgh scored a 2-4 in heat 3. Legault won the race while Complin came through to second from his handicap. Kalle Katajisto passed Glenn Cunningham for third place to reduce the Monarchs’ arrears to six points. They then took a 1-5 in heat 4 from Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers in a race which was awarded when Jaimie Smith fell at the back. The score at this stage was 13-11.
Legault won heat 5 for a 3-3 then Wethers suffered his shed chain while leading heat 6 resulting in another home 5-1 for the Barker/Harrison pairing. The Monarchs guests won the next two for shared races with Legault the winner of heat 7 and Ksiezak heat 8 after which the score was 27-21.
With Kyle Legault in such dominant form the bonus point was beginning to look a forlorn hope for the Potters but they looked like adding a 5-1 in heat 9 only for Matthew Wethers to round Lee Complin off the last bend for second place behind Glenn Cunningham and a 4-2. Legault continued his winning streak in heat 10 but Stoke went 12 points ahead with a 5-1 from Barrie Evans and Lee Complin in heat 11. The plus for Edinburgh was that it arrived at just the right time for Kyle Legault to take a Tactical Ride in heat 12 which he duly won. Andrew Tully took third place as Jaimie Smith fell so Edinburgh scored a 2-7 cutting the gap to seven points, clinching the bonus point and taking the score to 41-34.
There was still the little matter of the match to be won and Edinburgh got even closer after heat 13 when Matthew Wethers passed Rusty Harrison to win the race. Robert Ksiezak picked up third for a 2-4 after Ben Barker had pulled out with an engine failure so there were now just five points between the teams with two heats to go. However Stoke finally took the two league points when Lee Complin and Barrie Evans scored a 5-1 in heat 14. Kyle Legault wrapped up a virtuoso performance by completing his maximum with a last to first dash in heat 15 for a final shared race.
Scorers: For Stoke – Ben Barker 11+1 (6), Barrie Evans 10+2 (5), Rusty Harrison 9+3 (5), Lee Complin 9+2 (5), Glenn Cunningham 7 (4), Jamie Smith 5+2 (5).
For Edinburgh – Kyle Legault 21 (6), Matthew Wethers 8+1 (6), Andrew Tully 6 (6), Robert Ksiezak 5 (5), Scott Richardson 1 (3), Kalle Katajisto 1 (4).
Premier League: Workington 51, Somerset 44 Somerset won the aggregate bonus point by 96-92
Workington were back at full strength with the return to the side of Mattia Carpanese and Craig Branney and the introduction of new signing Ulrich Ostergaard for Carl Stonehewer. Somerset were also at full strength.
The Rebels arrived with an 11 point lead from the corresponding match at the Oak Tree Arena leaving the match finely balance for the bonus point. Once again Magnus Zetterstrom dominated for the visitors taking an extra ride as a Tactical Substitute and his 18 points kept the Comets at bay although they did manage a seven point win.
Two shared races were followed by battalion of 4-2s for the Comets before they added a 5-1 in heat 7 as Kauko Nieminen protected Charles Wright in first place ahead of Stephan Katt and Emil Kramer to rocket the Comets into a 12 point lead, one ahead on aggregate. However with Magnus Zetterstrom out in four of the last eight races the bonus point was anything but a done deal for the home side. So it proved. Zetterstrom took a Tactical Substitute ride replacing Simon Walker in an eventful heat 8 from 15 metres back. Somerset also brought Jordan Frampton into the race in place of Danny Warwick but he clipped John Branney’s back wheel and fell causing the race to be rerun without him. Charles Wright rode an excellent race in the rerun to deny the charging Zetterstrom so the heat was shared 4-4 and the score stood at 31-19.
When James Wright and Craig Branney added another 5-1 in heat 9 increasing the Comets’ lead to 16 points, five on aggregate things looked bleak for the Rebels. However Emil Kramer took a Tactical Ride in heat 10 and he produced his one race win of the night for all six points helped by Ulrich Ostergaard shedding a chain at the tapes. Mattia Carpanese did well on Craig Branney’s machine to hold off Stephan Katt for second place denying Somerset a 1-8 success. The 2-7 cut five points off the home side’s lead though and the Rebels were now 11 points down but level on aggregate. Heats 11 and 12 won by Zetterstrom and then James Wright were shared and the score stood at 44-33 with the aggregate scores still tied.
In heat 13 Somerset gained another two points on their hosts. Magnus Zetterstrom and Ritchie Hawkins made the gate while Ostergaard hunted down Hawkins and, after a passing and repassing bout, took second place restricting the Rebels to a 2-4. They added another crucial 2-4 in heat 14 when Jordan Frampton beat Craig Branney with Stephan Katt third putting the Rebels four points ahead on aggregate. Zetterstrom made sure the bonus point went back to Somerset by winning the final race for a 3-3.
Scorers: For Workington – James Wright 13+1 (5), Ulrich Ostergaard 9 (5), Kauko Nieminen 7+1 (4), Charles Wright 7+1 (6), Craig Branney 6+1 (4), John Branney 5 (3), Mattia Carpanese 4+1 (3).
For Somerset – Magnus Zetterstrom 18 (6)(with 4 point TS), Emil Kramer 10 (5)(with 6 point TR), Jordan Frampton 7+2 (5), Ritchie Hawkins 4 (4), Stephan Katt 3 (4), Daniel Warwick 2 (3), Simon Walker 0 (3).
Knockout Cup (second leg): Rye House 50, Isle of Wight 43. The Isle of Wight won through on aggregate by 95-90.
Rye House were without injury victim Robbie Kessler so used Rider Replacement at number 2 . The Isle of Wight were missing Andrew Bargh through injury and had Tom Brown as a Conference League guest at number 6.
The Isle of Wight went into this second leg tie with a 12 point lead. In view of Rye House’s current home form it was dubious whether this would be enough but with Chris Holder sand Jason Bunyan in sparkling form the Rockets could not pull the arrears back.
There wasn’t a shared heat in the first six races. Rye House got off to a 4-2 start with Luke Bowen rocketing from the gate to hold off Chris Holder with Chris Neath third then added a 5-1 in the reserves race to lead by six points. In heat 3 Jason Bunyan and Krzysztof Stojanowski made the gate but Stojanowski was passed by Tommy Allen on the second lap and Tai Woffinden on the third as the Rockets mounted a rescue operation. However Allen made a mistake to let Stojanowski back through for third place and a 2-4. Steve Boxall and Adam Roynon produced a 5-1 in heat 4 to take the score to 16-8 and cut the aggregate gap to only four points leaving the Islanders looking vulnerable.
In the next four races the visitors dug in. Woffinden could only split the Holder/Gathercole pairing in heat 5 for a 2-4 then heat 6 ended with the same result. This race had to be rerun after Chris Neath had fallen on the second lap with the Rockets holding a 5-1 position so to lose the race 2-4 in the rerun was a blow for the home side who now led by only four points on the night. Luke Bowen fell in heat 7 but Steve Boxall won the race for a 3-3 then Cory Gathercole won heat 8 also for a shared race taking the score 26-22 with the Islanders still eight points ahead on aggregate.
The Rockets came roaring back with a 5-1 in heat 9 from Tai Woffinden and Tommy Allen but heat 10 was shared after Chris Neath had won a great tussle with Jason Bunyan. Rye House got even closer in heat 11. They were on course for a 5-1 when Cory Gathercole fell. The referee stopped the race and ordered a rerun but this time the home side could only manage a 4-2 as Steve Boxall beat Chris Holder. Rye House were now 10 points ahead, two behind on aggregate, but, of course, the Islanders could now play the TR card. Out came Jason Bunyan with the black and white helmet cover in heat 12 to beat Tai Woffinden and Adam Roynon for a 3-6 stretching the visitors’ aggregate lead to five points and taking the score to 41-34.
Chris Holder won a crucial heat 13 for the visitors to edge them nearer success but the whole tie was back in the melting pot when the Rockets took a 5-1 from heat 14. Tommy Allen and Luke Bowen did the damage leading home Krzysztof Stojanowski and the score now stood at 49-38 with the Isle of Wight one point ahead on aggregate going into the last race. What an anti-climax for the home fans when Jason Bunyan and Chris Holder raced off for a comfortable 5-1 to see the Islanders through to the next round.
Scorers: For Rye House – Adam Roynon 10+2 (6), Steve Boxall 10+1 (5), Tai Woffinden 10 (5), Luke Bowen 8+2 (5), Tommy Allen 6+2 (5), Chris Neath 6 (4).
For the Isle of Wight – Jason Bunyan 16 (5)(with 6 point TR), Chris Holder 12+1 (5), Glen Phillips 5 (4), Krzysztof Stojanowski 4+2 (4), Cory Gathercole 4 (4), Chris Johnson 1 (3), Tom Brown 1 (5).
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