Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Tuesday, 27 May
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The sole match today’s match was not as expected on the Isle of Wight but instead at Reading where the Racers raced in front of the Sky Television cameras against Rye House in a Premier League match.
Premier League: Reading 47, Rye House 46.
Both teams were at full strength.
Premier League: Reading 47, Rye House 46.
Both teams were at full strength.
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A match that looked like being pretty mundane after Reading opened up an eight point lead after just three heats burst into life as Rye House got the bit between their teeth to play their part in a thriller with a tremendous fightback which had the Racers decidedly worried when they found their lead reduced to a single point after heat 13. The Rockets were left to rue the fall by Luke Bowen in heat 8. Had he just settled for third place the Rockets would have won by a single point the way the match subsequently unfolded.
The opening race confirmed that the track was…err…difficult. Mark Lemon made the gate and didn’t seem to have problems but behind him the other three struggled. Indeed Robert Mear fell twice but remounted both times to at least finish the race. A wobbly Chris Neath took second from a tentative Chris Mills so the Racers took a 4-2. Luke Bowen made a great start to the reserves race and won it with something to spare. Jaimie Smith finished second as Danny Betson pulled up at the back resulting in a 3-3 but the Rockets lost another 5-1 in heat 3. Ulrich Ostergaard made one of the fastest starts you could ever see for a tapes-to-flag win while Tomas Suchanek railed round the opening bends to pass Tai Woffinden for second. Things looked bleak for the Rockets and the Sky viewers at this stage but the Rye House side pulled two points back in heat 4. Both Stefan Ekberg and Luke Bowen made the gate but Tom P Madsen made an inside pass on Bowen to restrict the visitors to a 2-4 taking the score to 15-9.
Chris Neath made the gate in heat 5 but was soon passed on the inside off bend two by the flying Ostergaard while Suchanek passed Robert Mear for third and a 4-2 stretching the Racers lead to eight points again. Stefan Ekberg anticipated the start in heat 6 to lead from the gate but his lead didn’t last long as Mark Lemon passed him off the second bend. Chris Mills took third from a struggling Betson for another 4-2, increasing the lead to ten points just at the right time for Tai Woffinden to take a Tactical Ride in heat 7. The Racers had any complacency knocked out of them when the Rye House pair responded with the big 1-8. Woffinden was fast away and his partner, Tommy Allen, joined him round the outside to team ride brilliantly denying Tom P Madsen anywhere to go. However when Madsen spotted a gap on the inside on the last bend he was through like a flash to pass Allen. The Rye House man wasn’t finished though and drove off the fourth bend timing his effort to maximum effect by finishing ahead of Madsen but still behind his partner for the best possible result. This was quite a race well worthy of the television audience. The Racers lead had now reduced to just three points and they might well have lost another two points of it in heat 8. Robert Mear finally got his act together and shot from the gate for a tapes-to-flag win. Chris Mills was second but under pressure from Luke Bowen who reeled him in and went for an inside pass on the third bend of lap 3. Unfortunately he fell in the process which allowed Nikki Glanz through for third place, a point that was to prove of great significance they way the match then unfolded. The score at this stage was 27-24.
Another fast start from Ostergaard wrapped up the win for Reading in heat 9 but the action was behind him where Ekberg led Suchanek for most of the race until Suchanek finally passed him after several unsuccessful attempts off the last bend for a 5-1 which increased the home side’s lead to seven points. Tai Woffinden won heat 10 for the visitors but Chris Mills got by Tommy Allen to finish behind Mark Lemon so the race was shared but the Rockets weren’t finished yet and recorded a 1-5 in heat 11. Chris Neath made the gate and Robert Mear, now fully into his stride, roared round the outside to join him for the maximum cutting the gap to three points again. Heat 12 was a cracker! Ulrich Ostergaard made the gate but a magnificent ride from Tai Woffinden took him past Nicky Glanz then Ostergaard on the third bend into the lead. Ostergaard had no answer so the young Rocket won the race. At the back Luke Bowen passed Nikki Glanz for third so Rye House took a 2-4 taking the score to 38-37.
Tom P Madsen made the gate in heat 13 but Stefan Ekberg and Chris Neath slotted in behind him for the 3-3 as Mark Lemon could make no impression at the back. Heat 14 was crucial and it was the home riders who made the gate. Tomas Suchanek was soon away for the race win but behind him there was an almighty battle for the minor places. Tommy Allen got past Jaimie Smith while Luke Bowen nibbled away at Smith on the inside for third place. It might have been a 4-2, 3-3 or 2-4 result but, on the last lap, Tommy Allen got out of shape and slipped to the back as Smith took full advantage to slip through for second place behind his partner for the 5-1 which sealed victory for the Racers. It was just as well for them since Rye House finished with a 1-5 from Ekberg and Woffinden. They were fortunate though since Ulrich Ostergaard, with the race in his pocket, suffered an engine failure on the last lap to surrender the maximum to the visitors. An excellent match which was a credit to the Premier League and wiped out the memory of the last televised Premier League match – the humdrum affair on the Isle of Wight when Reading were the visitors.
Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 11 (5), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tomas Suchanek 8+2 (4), Tom P Madsen 7 (4), Chris Mills 6+2 (4), Jaimie Smith 4+1 (4), Nikki Glanz 2+2 (4).
For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 15+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 11 (5), Chris Neath 6+2 (4), Robert Mear 6 (4), Luke Bowen 6 (5), Tommy Allen 2+1 (4), Danny Betson 0 (3).
A match that looked like being pretty mundane after Reading opened up an eight point lead after just three heats burst into life as Rye House got the bit between their teeth to play their part in a thriller with a tremendous fightback which had the Racers decidedly worried when they found their lead reduced to a single point after heat 13. The Rockets were left to rue the fall by Luke Bowen in heat 8. Had he just settled for third place the Rockets would have won by a single point the way the match subsequently unfolded.
The opening race confirmed that the track was…err…difficult. Mark Lemon made the gate and didn’t seem to have problems but behind him the other three struggled. Indeed Robert Mear fell twice but remounted both times to at least finish the race. A wobbly Chris Neath took second from a tentative Chris Mills so the Racers took a 4-2. Luke Bowen made a great start to the reserves race and won it with something to spare. Jaimie Smith finished second as Danny Betson pulled up at the back resulting in a 3-3 but the Rockets lost another 5-1 in heat 3. Ulrich Ostergaard made one of the fastest starts you could ever see for a tapes-to-flag win while Tomas Suchanek railed round the opening bends to pass Tai Woffinden for second. Things looked bleak for the Rockets and the Sky viewers at this stage but the Rye House side pulled two points back in heat 4. Both Stefan Ekberg and Luke Bowen made the gate but Tom P Madsen made an inside pass on Bowen to restrict the visitors to a 2-4 taking the score to 15-9.
Chris Neath made the gate in heat 5 but was soon passed on the inside off bend two by the flying Ostergaard while Suchanek passed Robert Mear for third and a 4-2 stretching the Racers lead to eight points again. Stefan Ekberg anticipated the start in heat 6 to lead from the gate but his lead didn’t last long as Mark Lemon passed him off the second bend. Chris Mills took third from a struggling Betson for another 4-2, increasing the lead to ten points just at the right time for Tai Woffinden to take a Tactical Ride in heat 7. The Racers had any complacency knocked out of them when the Rye House pair responded with the big 1-8. Woffinden was fast away and his partner, Tommy Allen, joined him round the outside to team ride brilliantly denying Tom P Madsen anywhere to go. However when Madsen spotted a gap on the inside on the last bend he was through like a flash to pass Allen. The Rye House man wasn’t finished though and drove off the fourth bend timing his effort to maximum effect by finishing ahead of Madsen but still behind his partner for the best possible result. This was quite a race well worthy of the television audience. The Racers lead had now reduced to just three points and they might well have lost another two points of it in heat 8. Robert Mear finally got his act together and shot from the gate for a tapes-to-flag win. Chris Mills was second but under pressure from Luke Bowen who reeled him in and went for an inside pass on the third bend of lap 3. Unfortunately he fell in the process which allowed Nikki Glanz through for third place, a point that was to prove of great significance they way the match then unfolded. The score at this stage was 27-24.
Another fast start from Ostergaard wrapped up the win for Reading in heat 9 but the action was behind him where Ekberg led Suchanek for most of the race until Suchanek finally passed him after several unsuccessful attempts off the last bend for a 5-1 which increased the home side’s lead to seven points. Tai Woffinden won heat 10 for the visitors but Chris Mills got by Tommy Allen to finish behind Mark Lemon so the race was shared but the Rockets weren’t finished yet and recorded a 1-5 in heat 11. Chris Neath made the gate and Robert Mear, now fully into his stride, roared round the outside to join him for the maximum cutting the gap to three points again. Heat 12 was a cracker! Ulrich Ostergaard made the gate but a magnificent ride from Tai Woffinden took him past Nicky Glanz then Ostergaard on the third bend into the lead. Ostergaard had no answer so the young Rocket won the race. At the back Luke Bowen passed Nikki Glanz for third so Rye House took a 2-4 taking the score to 38-37.
Tom P Madsen made the gate in heat 13 but Stefan Ekberg and Chris Neath slotted in behind him for the 3-3 as Mark Lemon could make no impression at the back. Heat 14 was crucial and it was the home riders who made the gate. Tomas Suchanek was soon away for the race win but behind him there was an almighty battle for the minor places. Tommy Allen got past Jaimie Smith while Luke Bowen nibbled away at Smith on the inside for third place. It might have been a 4-2, 3-3 or 2-4 result but, on the last lap, Tommy Allen got out of shape and slipped to the back as Smith took full advantage to slip through for second place behind his partner for the 5-1 which sealed victory for the Racers. It was just as well for them since Rye House finished with a 1-5 from Ekberg and Woffinden. They were fortunate though since Ulrich Ostergaard, with the race in his pocket, suffered an engine failure on the last lap to surrender the maximum to the visitors. An excellent match which was a credit to the Premier League and wiped out the memory of the last televised Premier League match – the humdrum affair on the Isle of Wight when Reading were the visitors.
Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 11 (5), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tomas Suchanek 8+2 (4), Tom P Madsen 7 (4), Chris Mills 6+2 (4), Jaimie Smith 4+1 (4), Nikki Glanz 2+2 (4).
For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 15+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 11 (5), Chris Neath 6+2 (4), Robert Mear 6 (4), Luke Bowen 6 (5), Tommy Allen 2+1 (4), Danny Betson 0 (3).
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