Around the Premier League Tracks 2007

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Saturday, 1 September

Three tracks ran Premier League matches tonight. At Workington the Comets met King’s Lynn while at Berwick the Bandits took on Stoke. The other match was at Rye House where the Rockets raced against Newcastle.


Premier League:Workington 53, King’s Lynn 40

Workington were without Ulrich Ostergaard who had an elbow injury. They used Rider Replacement at number 5 with Kauko Nieminen moving to number 1. They also had dispensation for Mattia Carpanese so had Daniel Warwick as a guest at number 2. King’s Lynn were at full strength

This was expected to be a very difficult match for Workington especially when they had to take on the league champions without the services of Ulrich Ostergaard. However King’s Lynn were behind from heat 1 and never looked like challenging for the points. This was mainly due to a superb performance from the Comets’ guest, Danny Warwick, guesting for Mattia Carpanese at number 2, who dropped just one point in his four races although he was excluded from heat 10 for failing to beat the two minute time allowance.

Workington started with an opening 5-1 from Warwick and Nieminen and the Stars never recovered. A shared reserves race was followed by another heat advantage to the comets when they scored a 4-2 with Daniel Nermark splitting the James Wright/ Craig Branney pairing. Danny Warwick looked to have heat 4 in the bag but a mistake on the second lap let Trevor Harding through for another share of the points and the score stood at 15-9.

Tomas Topinka relieved the Stars’ gloom by winning heat 5 beating James Wright in the process. Chris Mills was third so the 2-4 cut two points from the home side’s lead but the Comets stormed back with another maximum in heat 7 courtesy of Nieminen and Warwick again. Daniel Nermark won heat 7 to share the points but the Stars were in big trouble when Warwick and John Branney added another 5-1 for the Comets in heat 8 putting them 12 points clear at 30-18.

It looked virtually all over when Craig Branney and James Wright hit home another 5-1 in heat 9 to increase the lead to 16 points but the Stars then gave Daniel Nermark a Tactical Ride in heat 10 which he won from Kauko Nieminen. Danny Warwick had been excluded under the two minute rule so was replaced by Charles Wright. Paul Lee finished third so the Stars took a 2-7 from the heat to cut their arrears to 11 points. They fell a further two points behind however in heat 11 when Nieminen beat Topinka with Charles Wright third for a 4-2 but pulled that back with a 2-4 in heat 12 when Nermark won from James Wright with Brundle third taking the score to 43-32.

Heats were running out for the Stars but they got another two points back in heat 13 with a Topinka win from Nieminen with Trevor Harding third to trail by 9. To have any chance the Stars needed a big result from heat 14 so Tomas Topinka took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back replacing Benji Compton. It didn’t work for them though as Craig Branney and Charles Wright scored a 5-1 to seal the match. James Wright won heat 15 from Nermark and Topinka leaving the Comets with a 13 point lead in the chase for the bonus point in the return match.

Scorers: For Workington – James Wright 12+1 (5), Kauko Nieminen 12+1 (6), Daniel Warwick 10+1 (4), Craig Branney 9 (5), Charles Wright 7+2 (6), John Branney 3+2 (4).

For King’s Lynn – Daniel Nermark 16 (5)(with 6 point TR), Tomas Topinka 11+1 (6), Trevor Harding 6 (4), James Brundle 2+1 (4), Benji Compton 2 (3), Chris Mills 2 (4), Paul Lee 1 (4).



Premier League: Berwick 42, Stoke 48

Berwick were without Andreas Bergstrom, riding in the Swedish National Championships, and Theo Pijper, riding in the World Longtrack Championships in France. They had Chris Kerr riding for Andreas Bergstrom at number 4 with Stanislaw Burza moving to number 1 and used Rider Replacement for Theo Pijper at number 5. Stoke were at full strength for this match.

Berwick started with only five of their regular top five in the side but finished in complete disarray when Michal Makovsky had to withdraw from the meeting with shoulder ligament damage which will probably keep him out for the rest of the season. In heat 6 David Meldrum fell on the last lap and was taken to hospital with a broken ankle and a hand injury ending his season too. Worse was to follow when news came through from Sweden that Andreas Bergstrom had suffered a badly wrenched back. The fact that the Bandits lost again at home paled into insignificance as they pondered how to put together a side for tomorrow night’s return match at Stoke.

There wasn’t much between the teams with nine of the 15 heats finishing as 3-3s. The re-runs started straight away with Cunningham drifting very wide on the 1st bend, spinning himself onto the shale and receiving an exclusion in the 2nd attempt for his efforts. In Heat 1- part 2, Barker shot out of the gate like a rocket to lead on bends 1 and 2. Makovsky tried a pass under Barker on the opening bend of lap 2, but the Potter was on his way to 3 well won points in the 1st of 9 shared heats. Evans looked to have Heat 2 in his bag with a good gate and a solid-looking lead, but following a failed challenge by Meldrum, who hit the dirt on bend 2 of lap 2, Evan’s bike seemed to slow dramatically for an unexplained reason with Martin taking full advantage by passing him expertly to take the win in another 3-all. 3-a-piece number 3 in the 3rd race started with Rempala leading and Kerr in 2nd for the Bandits but Complin is developing into one of the most exciting racers in the UK at the moment as shown by his miraculous chase in Heat 3 1st passing Kerr on lap one, then winding in Rempala over the following 3 in thrilling fashion going high up the 3rd bend banking on the final lap, cutting hard back down the bank to underpass Rempala on the run to the flag. Simply superb. Stoke took the lead in Heat 4 as the Bandits duo made a dreadful gate although Meldrum made a fair bit of ground up behind Smith. The score now stood at 10-14.

The 5th race was re-run following an incident that saw Cunningham fall again when trying to pass Kerr on bend 3 of lap 1 through a gap which reduced in size leaving the Potter with no place to go but the ground. Kerr was excluded from the re run in which Rempala made another superb gate to lead and win. All square again following a Heat 6 home maximum with Burza well ahead from the gate, the battle was on behind between Makovsky and Vissing as they remained neck and neck until Berwick’s skipper pulled away down the back straight. Heat 7 began with another lightening start from Rempala but Complin put up a superb chase behind, wildly weaving inside and out, grabbing drive all over the place failing to make the pass, but again it was great catch-up speedway and another shared heat. Barker again made a great gate as well as the 8th heat his own by far, but Burza couldn’t make in roads this time looking out of sorts in 3rd. The score now stood at 24-24

Heat 9 saw another fall and exclusion for Kerr on the opening bend of lap 2 when Evans laid his bike down rapidly to avoid collision, whilst Rempala won a tremendous battle with Vissing in a tight start to the re run in another split race. The 10th race of the night proved crucial to the end result, not for points scored but by a fall and exclusion for Makovsky on bend 1 of the opening lap which saw him ambulanced off to the medics who diagnosed extremely painful shoulder ligament damage, and the skipper’s night, and season so it seems was over. In the re run Burza made up for his disappointing previous outing by scorching away to win well despite another thrilling 4 laps of great chase and catch up from Complin. Barker took another win in Heat 11 as his Potter partner Cunningham sailed round Kerr on the second bend to form another Stoke maximum. Rempala and Complin took up the challenge again in the 12th race with the Pole out in front and Complin doing what he does best from behind. The chase was excellent again and the Potter took a well deserved win rounding Rempala in the closing stages. Meldrum however over did it on the 1st bend on the last lap careering hard and fast into the fence requiring to be taken by NHS ambulance to hospital with a broken ankle and very painful hand damage ending his night and like Makovsky, probably his season too as Stoke pulled a further 2 points out in front. The score now stood at 33-39 with the Bandits struggling with their limited resources.

Heat 13 saw Martin come in as a reserve ride for the injured Makovsky but found the going tough as Cunningham led and Burza set up a huge effort behind in a mirror image of Complin’s earlier pass up the banking and hard down it again just missing out to Cunningham on the run to the flag. Kerr finally showed the crowd his best Shielfield Park form in the 14th race as he forced his way to the lead in a race he deservedly won despite some close attention from Harrison in 2nd. Martin didn’t let Smith have 3rd too easily by racing well behind the Potters reserve. With the match won Heat 15 was raced with the aggregate point in mind as Rempala ended up behind Barker on bend 1, but leading off bend 2 of that opening lap. Through laps 2 and 3 Burza in 3rd and Barker enjoyed a fine joust only inches apart. It was a great race to end a memorable meeting.

Scorers: For Berwick – Jacek Rempala 16 (6), Stanislaw Burza 11+2 (6), Chris Kerr 5+1 (5), Michal Makovsky 4 (3), David Meldrum 3 (5), Sam Martin 3 (6).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 13 (5), Lee Complin 10 (5), Claus Vissing 7 (4), Glenn Cunningham 6+2 (4), Rusty Harrison 4+2 (4), Barrie Evans 4+1 (4), Jaimie Smith 4+3 (4).


Premier League: Rye House 65, Newcastle 26


Rye House were at full strength for this meeting but Newcastle were missing the injured Christian Henry and had Craig Watson as a guest riding in his place at number 1.

Newcastle became the latest team to fail to hit 30 points at Rye House this season as the Rockets’ steamroller was in action again. The Rockets scored eleven 5-1s and might well have added to that total had Adam Roynon not fallen in heat 8 and Tai Woffinden in heat 15.

The Diamonds actually led after the opening heat when Craig Watson and Jonas Raun made the gate. Chris Neath passed Raun but that was the best the Rockets could do so the visitors took a 2-4. However they flattered to deceive. Rye House hit home six consecutive 5-1s after this to sink their visitors without trace. Not that these heats were uneventful though. Adam Roynon had to pass Sean Stoddart in heat 2 then Tai Woffinden passed both the Diamonds in heat 3. Heat 4 saw Adam Roynon in the thick of the action again after another poor start. He passed Stoddart on the second lap then Wilkinson on the third lap to finish behind his partner, Steve Boxall to take the score to 17-7.

After three more 5-1s in heats 5, 6 and 7 there was some respite for Newcastle when Adam Roynon fell trying to pass Jonas Raun in heat 8 after missing the gate again having already passed Sean Stoddart. Stefan Ekberg was the race winner and the shared heat took the score to 35-13.

Heats 9 and 10 were home 5-1s then in heat 11 Craig Watson took a Tactical Ride. Steve Boxall won the race easily though while Jonas Raun took second ahead of Watson. This gave the Diamonds a 3-4 heat advantage though and they might have had high hopes in heat 12 when both Josef Franc and Sean Stoddart made the gate. It was not to be though. Adam Roynon and Tai Woffinden came from the back brilliantly to turn a potential 1-5 into a 5-1 taking the score to 53-20.

Craig Watson fell in heat 13 and was excluded from the rerun in which Steve Boxall and Chris Neath team rode to keep Carl Wilkinson at the back for another 5-1. No change in heat 14 – another 5-1 but in the last race Tai Woffinden flipped his bike at the gate and took a hard knock. He was excluded from the rerun and Craig Watson took advantage by winning the race from Tommy Allen and Jonas Raun. So the Diamonds finished as they had started – with a 2-4. Pity about the bit in between!

Scorers: For Rye House – Tommy Allen 13+1 (5), Steve Boxall 12 (4)(full maximum), Tai Woffinden 9+3 (5), Chris Neath 9+2 (4), Stefan Ekberg 8+1 (4), Luke Bowen 7+2 (4), Adam Roynon 7+2 (4).

For Newcastle – Craig Watson 9 (5)(with 2 point TR), Jonas Raun 6 (5), Carl Wilkinson 4 (4), Josef Franc 3 (4), Sean Stoddart 2+1 (5), Paul Clews 2 (4), Sam Dore 0 (3).