Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Wednesday 23 July

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Today’s matches were at Birmingham where the Brummies raced against Redcar and at King’s Lynn where the Stars took on Scunthorpe in Premier League matches.


Premier League: Birmingham 46, Redcar 45


Birmingham had Josh Grajczonek as a guest at number 7 in place of the injured James Birkinshaw. Redcar had Benji Compton at number 7 in place of Daniel Giffard.

Birmingham followed up their two point win at Newcastle on Sunday by beating Redcar at home by an even slimmer margin – 1 point. The match was sealed in heat 14 when the Brummies recorded the two points they needed to win the match. Although Redcar finished with a 2-5 and 1-5 it wasn’t enough to take anything from the match other than frustration!

The Bears opened with a 2-4 when Gary Havelock beat Kyle Legault with Chris Kerr third and held their two point lead until heat 4. Benji Compton won the reserves race for the visitors then Jason Lyons beat James Grieves and Josh Auty for another 3-3 until Craig Watson won from Ty Proctor who passed Josh Grajczonek for third for a 4-2 which tied the scores at 12-12.

Birmingham then went in front with another 4-2 in a rerun heat 5 when Lyons won again this time passing Havelock on the third lap for the win while Grajczonek picked up the gift third place point at the back. This put the Brummies ahead by two points and it stayed that way when Legault won heat 6 from Proctor and Compton for a 3-3. Redcar pulled level again in heat 7 though when James Grieves beat Craig Watson with Auty holding off Jack Roberts for third and a 4-2. Chris Kerr won heat 8 for another shared race so the score went to 24-24.

Birmingham took the lead again in heat 9 when Jason Lyons won again this time from Proctor while Lee Smart took third from Arlo Bugeja for a 4-2 and two point lead. Heat 10, won by Legault from Auty and Grieves, was shared but the lead was doubled in heat 11 as Watson beat Havelock who had to fend off the challenge of Jack Roberts for second for a 4-2. Yet another 4-2 went the Brummies way in heat 12. Jason Lyons won the race after James Grieves suffered an engine failure while Benji Compton took second ahead of Josh Grajczonek taking the home side’s lead to six points at 39-33.

Heat 13 resulted in a third consecutive 4-2. Kyle Legault won from Gary Havelock while Craig Watson passed Ty Proctor on the line stretching the home lead to eight points with just two races to go. James Grieves took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 14 replacing Arlo Bugeja. Josh Auty won the race from Lee Smart while Grieves passed Roberts for third and two points making the race result a 2-5. It left the Bears trailing by five points and Birmingham were home and dry so they rested the unbeaten Jason Lyons from heat 15. Redcar cashed in with a 1-5 from Havelock and Grieves to lose by just one point.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 12 (4) (maximum), Kyle Legault 12 (5), Craig Watson 9 (5), Josh Grajczonek 5+2 (5), Lee Smart 3 (4), Jack Roberts 3 (3), Jack Hargreaves 2.

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 12, James Grieves 10+2 (6) (with 2 point TS), Josh Auty 7+1 (4), Benji Compton 6+1 (4), Ty Proctor 6 (4), Chris Kerr 4 (4), Arlo Bugeja 0 (3).



Premier League: King’s Lynn 63, Scunthorpe 28.


King’s Lynn were at full strength while Scunthorpe had Darren Mallett at number 7 for the injured Byron Bekker.

King’s Lynn rattled up another massive home win beating the Scorpions by 35 points in a one sided match. The visitors managed just two race winners – Magnus Karlsson in heat 3 and Viktor Bergstrom in heat 14. Nonetheless there were some excellent races.

With both Richard Hall and Carl Wilkinson both falling in the opening race the Stars were presented with a 5-0. Two shared races suggested that the Scorpions might make a match of it but seven 5-1 successes over the remaining 12 heats left the Scorpions fighting for scraps.

Magnus Karlsson took a Tactical Ride in heat 7 at which point the visitors trailed by 25-10 but he finished third behind Rusty Harrison and John Oliver as the Stars recorded another 5-1. Richard Hall then took a Tactical Substitute Ride from 15 metres back in heat 8 and was more successful by passing Wilkinson and Smith but just failing to catch race winner Shaun Tacey for a 4-4 which took the score to 34-15.

It wasn’t until heat 13 that the Scorpions managed to avoid losing another heat when Hall and Sanchez both passed Harrison to finish behind Kevin Doolan for a 3-3. Heat 14 provided the visitors’ one and only heat advantage when Viktor Bergstrom beat John Oliver while Ben Powell took third from Simon Lambert for a 2-4 in an excellent and exciting race. Kevin Doolan then completed his maximum in heat 15 when he and Tomas Topinka ended the match with another 5-1.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 15 (5) (maximum), Tomas Topinka 13+1 (5), Shaun Tacey 8+2 (4), Rusty Harrison 8+1 (4), John Oliver 8+1 (4), Kozza Smith 6+1 (4), Simon Lambert 5+3 (4).

For Scunthorpe – Richard Hall 9 (6) (with 4 point TS), Emiliano Sanchez 6+1 (5), Magnus Karlsson 5 (4), Ben Powell 4 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 3 (4), Darren Mallet 1+1 (3), Carl Wilkinson 0 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Tuesday 22 July

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Today’s sole match was on the Isle of Wight where Berwick were the visitors in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Isle of Wight 53, Berwick 40.


The Isle of Wight introduced Richard Sweetman to the team at number 7 with James Holder moving to number 2 replacing the injured Cory Gathercole. Berwick were without Tony Atkin and Norbert Magosi so used Rider Replacement at number 5 and had Kozza Smith (King’s Lynn) as a guest at number 2.

Four 5-1s between heats 6 and 10 ended any hopes Berwick might have had of taking anything from this match even though, for the second night running, they scored a 1-8 in heat 11 as their guest Kozza Smith, who finished their second top scorer, finished behind Adrian Rymel.

Adrian Rymel in a fine spell of form opened proceedings by winning heat 1 for a 3-3 but Richard Sweetman made the perfect debut by winning the reserves race. Paul Clews passed Andrew Bargh to deny the Islanders a maximum by restricting their heat advantage to a 4-2. The home side were heading for a 5-1 in heat 3 when Glen Phillips suffered an engine failure resulting in Paul Fry’s win leaving the race shared. The Islanders doubled their lead with another 4-2 in heat 4 when Krzysztof Stojanowski beat Paul Clews taking the score to 14-10.

Glen Phillips touched the tapes in heat 5 and had to start from 15 metres back. He couldn’t make up the ground so Paul Fry’s heat win again resulted in a 3-3. James Holder and Jason Bunyan made the gate for a 5-1 in heat 6 as Michal Makovsky suffered an engine failure and the home side added another in heat 7 through Stojanowski and Bargh taking the lead to 12 points. Berwick pulled two points back in heat 8 with a 2-4 from Kozza Smith and Scott Smith split by James Holder so the score went to 29-19.

An easy 5-1 from Fry and Phillips in heat 9 and another in heat 10 from Bunyan and Holder increased the home side’s lead to 18 points so Adrian Rymel took a Tactical Ride in heat 11. He made the gate to win the race while Kozza Smith passed Krzysztof Stojanowski to follow him home for the big 1-8 cutting the lead to 11 points. Glen Phillips won heat 12 for a shared race which took the score to 43-32.

Stojanowski won heat 13 for a 3-3 and it was all over after heat 14 when Fry and Bargh added another 5-1 for a 15 point lead although Berwick managed a 2-4 in heat 15 when Adrian Rymel won again beating Stojanowski while Paul Fry had a few scary moments trying to round Rymel and finished at the back.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Krzysztof Stojanowski 12 (5), Paul Fry 12 (5), James Holder 9+1 (4), Jason Bunyan 6+2 (4), Andrew Bargh 6+2 (4), Glenn Phillips 5+1 (4), Richard Sweetman 3 (4).

For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 15+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Kozza Smith 9+2 (6), Paul Clews 7+1 (5), Michal Makovsky 5 (5), Tero Aarnio 3+1 (5), Scott Smith 1 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Monday 21 July

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The sole match today was at Reading where the Racers raced against Berwick in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Reading 47, Berwick 46.


Reading were without Ulrich Ostergaard so had Jason Doyle (Somerset) as a guest at number 3. Berwick were without Tony Atkin so used Rider Replacement at number 2.

Berwick staged a tremendous fightback after trailing by 12 points after heat 10. A big 1-8 in heat 11 followed by a 1-5 in heat 14 pulled 11 of their 12 point deficit back but it fell just a point short to gain any reward for the Bandits for whom Adrian Rymel and Paul Clews scored nearly two thirds of their points.

The opening three heats won by Adrian Rymel, Paul Clews and Jason Doyle were all shared but it was the Racers who drew first blood in heat 4 when Chris Mills and Nicky Glanz took a 5-1 from Scott Smith after Norbert Magosi had fallen and earned an exclusion to take the score to 14-10.

Rymel won again in heat 5 beating Jason Doyle in the process but this time Clews got stuck at the back so the race was shared but Reading doubled their lead in heat 6 when Mark Lemon and Tom P Madsen scored an easy 5-1 from Paul Clews and Norbert Magosi with the Berwick third pairing looking like their Achilles Heel. Chris Mills passed Michal Makovsky to win heat 7 for a shared race then the racers extended their lead to ten points with a 4-2 in heat 8 won by Tom P Madsen from Tero Aarnio who fought an exciting tussle with Nicki Glanz for second place. The score now stood at 29-19.

Jason Doyle won heat 9 from Clews and Suchanek for another 4-2 stretching the home side’s lead to 12 points but Adrian Rymel the took a Tactical Ride in heat 11 for the Bandits. He won it too and was followed home by Paul Clews after the race was rerun after Jaimie Smith had fallen and been excluded. This gave the visitors a 1-8 cutting their arrears to five points. Jason Doyle won again in heat 12 but Clews and Makovsky followed him home for a shared race which took the score to 40-35.

Chris Mills collided with Norbert Magosi in heat 13, as the Bandits sat on a 1-5, and was excluded from the rerun in which Mark Lemon took full advantage of the second chance to win the race for a 3-3. However the Racers lead was whittled down to one point when Clews and Aarnio comfortably headed Jaimie Smith home for a 1-5 with just one race to go. Adrian Rymel raised Berwick’s hopes by taking the lead on the opening bends but Makovsky got stuck at the back as Doyle and Lemon took the three points needed to see Reading home to victory.

Scorers: For Reading – Jason Doyle 13 (5), Mark Lemon 9+3 (5), Tom P Madsen 9+1 (4), Chris Mills 7 (4), Nicki Glanz 4+2 (4), Jaimie Smith 3 (4), Tomas Suchanek 2+1 (4).

For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 17 (5) (with 6 point TR), Paul Clews 13+1 (7), Michal Makovsky 7+2 (5), Tero Aarnio 7+2 (5), Norbert Magosi 1+1 (4), Scott Smith 1 (4).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Sunday 20 July

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Today’s matches were at Glasgow where the Tigers raced against Mildenhall and at Newcastle where the Diamonds took on Birmingham in Premier League matches.


Premier League: Glasgow 55, Mildenhall 37


Glasgow had Carl Stonehewer as a guest at number 1 for the injured Shane Parker. Mildenhall tracked the same team as at Workington last night other than having Adam McKinna at number 6 and John McPhail as their number 8.

Thanks mainly to a run of four unbeaten rides (one as a TR), after scoring one point from his first two rides, as their guest, Ricky Ashworth, Mildenhall limited their defeat to 18 points.

Two 5-1s for the Glasgow Tigers in the first four heats put them in easy street and by heat 9 they had steadily pulled away from the Fen Tigers and opened a 20 point lead. However a win by Michal Rajkowski in heat 10 over Lee Dicken and Carl Stonehewer for a shared race was followed by a big 1-8 in heat 11 when Ricky Ashworth won taking a Tactical Ride and was followed home by Marek Mroz. Rajkowski won again in heat 12 beating Anders Andersen then Ricky Ashworth did likewise in heat 13 beating Robert Ksiezak and Carl Stonehewer. This cameo of success over the four heats reduced the gap to 13 points but a strange decision in heat 14 led to a 5-0 for the home side when Rajkowski fell and was excluded. In the rerun Matt Wright, apparently attempting to nurse a sick motor round for the odd point, was also excluded for not making a bona fide attempt to race!

In the last heat Ricky Ashworth won again ruining Trent Leverington’s maximum for another shared heat but Glasgow cruised home for a comfortable win.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Trent Leverington 14 (5), Anders Andersen 8+3 (5), Josh Grajczonek 8+2 (4), Lee Dicken 8+1 (4), Carl Stonehewer 7+3 (4), Robert Ksiezak 6 (4), Mitchell Davey 4+2 (4).

For Mildenhall – Ricky Ashworth 16 (6) (with 6 point TR), Michal Rajkowski 7 (5), Jan Graversen 7 (6), Marek Mroz 4+1 (5), Adam McKinna 2 (4), Matt Wright 1+1 (4).



Premier League: Newcastle 44, Birmingham 46.


Newcastle were without the injured Jerran Hart and had Johnny Grey as a guest at number 6. Birmingham were missing James Birkinshaw injured on the previous evening at Berwick so had Arlo Bugeja at number 7 as a guest.

At long last Birmingham recorded a win after a long string of defeats. The strange thing about it was that they chose to do it away from home at Newcastle at the end of a gruelling three match northern tour which saw them lose at Edinburgh and Berwick on the previous two evenings. It is not hard to spot the catalyst to their victory. Young reserve, 17 year old Jack Roberts, suddenly burst into the limelight with a match-winning paid 14 on a track he had never ridden before, just enough to see the Brummies home.

The teams traded 4-2s in the opening two heats then shared heats 3 and 4 before the Diamonds opened a four point lead with a 5-1 in heat 5 from Jason King and George Stancl. The Brummies hit back in heat 6 with a 1-5 from Craig Watson and Jack Roberts from Josef Franc and Richard Juul so it was all square again. They followed that with another 1-5 in heat 7 this time from Jason Lyons and Lee Smart from Christian Henry for a four point lead and it stayed that way when Jack Roberts won heat 8 for a 3-3 which took the score to 22-26.

It was all square again after heat 9 when Newcastle scored a 5-1 through George Stancl and Jason King from Craig Watson but Jason Lyons fell in heat 10 leaving Josef Franc to win the race while Lee Smart just held on to win the battle for second from Richard Juul. This gave the Diamonds a 4-2 and two point lead and they increased it to four points with another 4-2 in heat 11 as Christian Henry held off the challenge of Jack Roberts. Birmingham hit back with a 2-4 in heat 12 rerun after Sean Stoddart had fallen and been excluded. Jason Lyons comfortably beat George Stancl so the home side’s lead was cut to two points with the score at 37-35.

Kyle Legault fell in the first running of heat 13 under pressure from Josef Franc but it was Franc who was excluded for his part in the affair. In the rerun an error by Christian Henry allowed Legault through to second place to follow home his partner, Craig Watson who led the race. The 1-5 turned the match round with the Brummies now leading by two points with just two races left. Jason King won heat 14 for the Diamonds but Roberts and Smart passed Stoddart to share the points while, in the last heat, Jason King won a tremendous tussle with Lyons but Craig Watson took third ahead of Stancl for the 3-3 which ensured that the Brummies took all three points.

Scorers: For Newcastle – Jason King 13+1 (5), George Stancl 8+2 (5), Christian Henry 8 (4), Josef Franc 7 (4), Sean Stoddart 5 (5), Richard Juul 3+1 (4), Johnny Grey 0 (3).

For Birmingham – Jack Roberts 12+2 (6), Jason Lyons 11 (5), Craig Watson 10+1 (5), Lee Smart 6+1 (4), Kyle Legault 5+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2+1 (3), Jack Hargreaves 0 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Saturday 19 July

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With all four Saturday tracks staging meetings tonight there were four Premier League matches raced. At Stoke the Potters faced King’s Lynn while at Berwick the Bandits took on Birmingham. The third match was at Rye House where the Rockets raced against Redcar. Finally at Workington the Comets had Mildenhall as their visitors.



Premier League: Stoke 45, King’s Lynn 45


Stoke had Ryan Fisher (Edinburgh) guesting for Lee Complin while [b][color=red] King’s Lynn were at full strength.

King’s Lynn were looking to this match to provide them with three points in their challenge for the league championship and they came oh so close. However they surrendered a 1-5 winning position in the last race which ended as a 3-3 and had to settle for a draw. There were never more than four points between the sides with the scores tied for every heat from heat 9 onwards.

King’s Lynn got off to a good start with a 2-4 from Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey split by Ryan Fisher but the next two heats were shared. Klaus Jakobsen won the reserves race and Ben Barker heat three but the scores were tied again at 12-12 after heat 4 when Andrew Moore won from Rusty Harrison and Klaus Jakobsen finished third.

Things looked good for the Stars when Doolan and Tacey took a 1-5 from Ben Barker in heat 5 for a four point lead but Stoke cut two points from their arrears when Buzz Burrows won heat 6 from Rusty Harrison who passed Ryan Fisher on the last bend for a 4-2. Andrew Moore passed both Topinka and Lambert to share heat 7 then Jakobsen won heat 8, again for a share of the points, taking the score to 23-25.

Stoke finally got back on level terms again in heat 9 when Ben Barker won from Harrison who passed Jakobsen on the third lap for a 4-2. Ryan Fisher then won heat 10, Andrew Moore heat 11 and Tomas Topinka heat 12 to keep the scores tied at 36-36.

It was Doolan again in heat 13 from Fisher and Moore for another 3-3 but the Stars might have fancied a heat advantage from heat 14 which featured Jesper Kristiansen who had failed to score up to that point. Kozza Smith duly won the race for the visitors but Kristiansen took second place and Jakobsen passed Lambert on the last bend to earn the Potters another shared heat leaving the scores tied with one heat to go. The home hopes looked dashed when Topinka and Doolan made the gate for the Stars but Doolan drifted wide under pressure from Moore allowing both Moore and Barker through. In the end it was the visitors who were left hanging on as Moore almost caught Topinka towards the end of the race.

Scorers: For Stoke – Andrew Moore 12+1 (5), Klaus Jakobsen 10+2 (6), Ben Barker 10+1 (5), Ryan Fisher 8 (4), Mark Burrows 3 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 2 (3), Barrie Evans 0 (3).

For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 10+2 (5), Kevin Doolan 10+1 (5), Kozza Smith 9 (6), Rusty Harrison 6 (4), Simon Lambert 5+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 4+2 (4), John Oliver 1+1 (3).



Premier League: Berwick 58, Birmingham 34


Both teams were at full strength.

Birmingham provided the first three race winners in this match through Legault, Birkinshaw and Lyons but it was only good enough to share the points as the Bandits filled the minor places. The break in the scoring came in heat 4 when Scott Smith and Norbert Magosi saw off Craig Watson for a 5-1 taking the score to 14-10.

Another Berwick 5-1 from Makovsky and Aarnio stretched the lead to eight points and it went to ten when Adrian Rymel passed Craig Watson on the last lap to win the race for a 4-2 in heat 6. The Brummies gave Jason Lyons a Tactical Ride in heat 7 and he duly won the race for a 3-6 advantage to the visitors who lost James Birkinshaw when he fell in heat 8. Tony Atkin also fell and both riders were excluded from the rerun won by Smith from Hargreaves for a 3-2 which took the score to 29-21.

Craig Watson won heat 9 for a shared heat but Jason Lyons shed a chain in heat 10 trying to pass Adrian Rymel so Berwick ran up another 5-1 taking their lead to twelve points. Clews and Magosi added another maximum in heat 11 and a 4-2 from Makovsky and Smith, separated by Lyons, produced a 4-2 which took the score to 46-28.

Rymel and Magosi scored a 5-1 in heat 13 and another 5-1 in heat 14 left Birmingham trailing by 26 points. Adrian Rymel fell in the last race and Craig Watson took advantage to win the race from Michal Makovsky while Legault took the third place point for a 2-4.

Scorers: For Berwick [/u][/b] – Michal Makovsky 12 (5), Adrian Rymel 11 (5), Paul Clews 9+1 (4), Norbert Magosi 8+3 (4), Scott Smith 8+1 (4), Tero Aarnio 6+4 (4), Tony Atkin 4+2 (4).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11 (4) (with 6 point TR), Craig Watson 9 (5), Kyle Legault 7 (5), James Birkinshaw 3 (3), Jack Hargreaves 2 (4), Lee Smart 1 (4), Jack Roberts 1 (5).



Premier League: Rye House 65, Redcar 26

Rye House were at full strength while Redcar had Benji Compton guesting for Daniel Giffard at number 6.

This was a runaway win for Rye House over a lack-lustre Bears side which produced just one race winner all match – James Grieves in heat 10 when he beat Robert Mear and Stefan Ekberg. Grieves was also responsible for Redcar’s sole heat advantage in heat 7 when he scored four points from a Tactical Ride after finishing second to Chris Neath with Josh Auty picking up the third place point after Daniel Halsey had fallen on the first bend.

For the Rockets this was a points fest. They scored six consecutive 5-1s to lead 30-6 before Grieves’ TR and 3-5 advantage in heat 7 finally saw the visitors reach double figures. Another two 5-1s followed before Grieves won heat 10 for a 3-3 which took the score to 46-16.

Heat 11 resulted in a 3-3 after Chris Neath had beaten Gary Havelock and Daniel Halsey had fallen then heat 12 finished as a 3-2 when there were only two finishers. Tai Woffinden won from James Grieves while Luke Bowen fell and Benji Compton had an engine failure. Heat 13 also finished as a 3-3 as Neath won with Havelock and Proctor relegating Ekberg to the back. The score moved on to 55-24 but the Rockets signed off with two more 5-1s – giving them no less than ten maximum heat wins on the night. What more can you say?

Scorers: For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Chris Neath 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Tommy Allen 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Robert Mear 10+1 (4), Luke Bowen 6+3 (4), Stefan Ekberg 6+2 (4), Daniel Halsey 5+1 (4).

For Redcar – James Grieves 9 (5) (with 4 point TR), Gary Havelock 5 (4), Chris Kerr 3+1 (4), Josh Auty 3+1 (4), Ty Proctor 3 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2 (4) Benji Compton 1 (4).



Premier League: Workington 64, Mildenhall 28


Workington were without Daniel Nermark, on World Cup duty, and Tomi Reima so had Andre Compton (Sheffield) as a guest at number 1 and used Rider Replacement at number 2. It’s a bit hard keeping track of the declared Mildenhall team these days but they had Ricky Ashworth Sheffield) guesting at number 1 for somebody or other (Laukkanen, Pijper – your guess is as good as mine!), used Rider Replacement at number 3 for Robbie Kessler, had new signing Marek Mroz at number 4 replacing someone (I’m not sure whom), had Luke Priest as a guest for somebody else at number 6 and had Matt Wright at number 7 – don’t ask me if or who he was replacing (all answers on a postcard to ‘Guess the Team’ BSPA Headquarters). Adam McKinna was nominated as their number 8. I expect the track shop at Derwent Park did a roaring trade in pens.

The surprising thing about this match is why Andre Compton only scored 5 points – it surely wasn’t because the competition was too much for him. In the opening heat he was passed by his team mate at Sheffield, Ricky Ashworth, who went from 15 metres back after breaking the tapes. With Michal Rajkowski also beating Compton Mildenhall were able to celebrate a 3-3 from the race won by Charles Wright. Was this the prelude to a shock result? Err…..no! Three 5-1s later the Comets’ fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief as they led 18-6.

But shockerooni!..Back came the Fen Tigers with a 3-5 in heat 5 as Ricky Ashworth took a Tactical Ride and finished second to Kauko Nieminen. With Michal Rajkowski holding off Joe Haines the Fen Tigers score reached the dizzy heights of 11 points as they now trailed by only ten. Jan Graversen kept the visiting fans euphoria going by winning heat 6 from Branney and Compton for a 3-3 then Ricky Ashworth took second place from heat 7 behind Carl Stonehewer for a 4-2 which took the score to 28-16, surely Mildenhall’s best performance for a while.

Workington rather spoiled things by rattling off three more 5-1s before the sides traded 4-2s in heats 11 and 12. Three more 5-1s for the home side resulted in a 36 point win for the Comets leaving the visitors to head off to Glasgow tomorrow hoping against hope for better things. All things considered, however, this wasn’t the biggest hammering of the evening as Redcar will testify. If you take the scores of the Sheffield riders out of the match scores the result would have been – Workington 59, Sheffield 17, Mildenhall 16!

Scorers: For Workington - Kauko Nieminen 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), John Branney 14+1 (6), Carl Stonehewer 12+2 (5), Joe Haines 10+2 (5), Charles Wright 9+1 (5), Andre Compton 5+3 (4).

For Mildenhall – Ricky Ashworth 12 (5) (with 4 point TR), Jan Graversen 5 (5), Michal Rajkowski 4+2 (5), Marek Mroz 2 (4), Luke Priest 2 (4), Matt Wright 2 (4), Adam McKinna 1 (2).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Friday 18 July

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Having returned from a week’s southern tour which took in matches at Stoke (rained off), Reading, Coventry and the Isle of Wight I’ll try and pick this up again as far as time and headaches (!!) allow.

Tonight’s matches were at Edinburgh where the Monarchs raced against Birmingham and at Scunthorpe where the Scorpions took on King’s Lynn in Premier League matches.


Premier League: Edinburgh 52, Birmingham 29. The match was abandoned after heat 13 due to a wet track and deteriorating visibility. The result stands.


Both teams were at full strength.

With thunderstorms around on the Thursday and Friday this match was never looking a certainty to be raced but the track was in reasonable condition until heavy drizzle started late on causing an abandonment after the first running of heat 14. By that time the result was decided as Birmingham turned up with Jason Lyons and Kyle Legault but precious little else. In fact a second place by Craig Watson in his first ride was the best the rest of the team could muster.

The Monarchs got a wake-up call in heat 1 when Kyle Legault hit the front from the tapes and won the race by a mile from Carl Stonehewer and Derek Sneddon to share the points but a 5-1 in heat 2 for Aaron Summers and Thomas Jonasson suggested that the Birmingham reserves were unlikely to figure as much of a threat. Indeed neither Jack Roberts nor James Birkinshaw beat an opponent all match. Jason Lyons gated to win heat 3 with ease after an early challenge from Ryan Fisher but Lee Smart looked way off the pace as this race was shared too. Craig Watson and James Birkinshaw gated to lead heat 4 but Matthew Wethers and Aaron Summers were soon past Birkinshaw and Wethers passed Watson on the second lap for a 4-2 taking the score to 15-9.

The next five heats all went to the Monarchs by 5-1. In heat 5 Fisher did not allow Legault to swoop round him on the opening bends and Legault appeared to lose interest in the race thereafter slipping to the back. Heat 6 saw Sneddon round the fast gating Watson on the second bend and a lap later Stonehewer followed through with Watson then losing interest. In heat 7 Jason Lyons and Thomas Jonasson made the gate then Lyons tried to ease Jonasson wide on the first bend only to find that Jonasson was not going to be moved. He clipped the young Swede’s back wheel and slid into the fence before retiring then, in heat 8, the expected maximum from Sneddon and Summers materialised taking the score to 35-13.

The first running of heat 9 saw Jack Roberts demolish the second bend fence after clipping Craig Watson’s back wheel. In the all-four-back rerun Andrew Tully made the gate while Ryan Fisher pressed Craig Watson for second. Watson fell entering the first bend on the second lap and Fisher did well to get his bike down minimising the contact as the two collided. The second rerun provided an easy 5-1 for the home side but that was the last race from which Edinburgh took an advantage. Jason Lyons took a Tactical Ride in heat 10 and won comfortably for a 3-6 then, in heat 11, Matthew Wethers fell chasing Kyle Legault and Thomas Jonasson crashed into him. The Edinburgh pair emerged relatively unscathed but Wethers was excluded from the rerun in which Thomas Jonasson rode round Kyle Legault on the opening bends to lead down the back straight. Legault gave chase but couldn’t catch Jonasson who rode an excellent race to share the heat 3-3. It was Lyons again in heat 12 for another smooth heat win and shared race taking the score to 49-26.

The Birmingham pair of Legault and Watson made the gate in heat 13. While Legault raced off to win the race, Stonehewer and Wethers both passed Watson for another 3-3 before proceedings were brought to a halt after the first running of heat 14 which saw Fisher and Jonasson heading for a 5-1 until Jonasson entered the third bend too fast in the increasingly greasy conditions and fell.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Derek Sneddon 8+2 (4), Thomas Jonasson 8+1 (3), Carl Stonehewer 8+1 (4), Aaron Summers 8+1 (4), Andrew Tully 7+3 (4), Ryan Fisher 7+1 (3), Matthew Wethers 6+2 (4).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 12 (4) (with 6 point TR), Kyle Legault 8 (4), Jack Hargreaves 3+1 (4), Jack Roberts 3 (4), Craig Watson 2 (4), Lee Smart 1 (3), James Birkinshaw 0 (3).



Premier League: Scunthorpe 46, King’s Lynn 43.


Both teams were at full strength.

This match was expected to be a close run affair and so it proved. There were never more than five points between the teams all match. King’s Lynn had the early advantage but were pegged back by the Scorpions who took the lead for the first time in heat 6. Although they provided 9 of the 15 race winners, mainly through Kevin Doolan and Tomas Topinka who each won four races, the Stars’ back up was just not good enough so they ended up three points short in a match which they had openly declared as a target for an away win.

The Stars could not have got off to a better start scoring a 1-5 from Doolan and Shaun Tacey in the opening race. In a twice rerun heat 2 Byron Bekker won from John Oliver after Kozza Smith had been excluded to shave two points from the lead with a 4-2. The Stars went four up when Tomas Topinka won from Viktor Bergstrom and Simon Lambert for a 2-4 but it was all square again when Emiliano Sanchez and Byron Bekker won heat 4 from Rusty Harrison. Indeed the King’s Lynn third pairing of Harrison + reserve was to prove King’s Lynn’s Achilles Heel as it conceded three 5-1s in its three programmed rides. The score after heat 4 was 12-12.

Doolan won again in heat 5 but this time there was no support from Tacey who lost his third place to Magnus Karlsson on the third lap so the race was shared. Richard Hall and Carl Wilkinson took a 5-1from the Oliver/Harrison pairing in heat 6 then Topinka won heat 7 from Emiliano Sanchez with Simon Lambert’s third place giving the Stars a 2-4. Then Kozza Smith won heat 8 for the Stars from Wilkinson and Bekker with Tacey stuck at the back for a 3-3 taking the score to 25-23.

The weak third King’s Lynn pairing lost another 5-1 in heat 9 as Bergstrom and Karlsson saw off Rusty Harrison to stretch the Scorpions’ lead to six points but the Stars got two points back when Topinka won heat 10 from Hall with Lambert third for a 2-4 cutting the lead to four points. Kevin Doolan was finally beaten by Emiliano Sanchez in heat 11 but this time Tacey got third place for a 3-3 the same score as heat 12 won by Topinka from Karlsson and Bekker which took the score to 38-34.

Doolan resumed his winning run by taking the chequered flag in heat 13 but Hall and Sanchez shared the race behind him to keep the home side four points ahead with just two heats to go. An eventful heat 14 saw Lambert, Bekker and Bergstrom fall on the fourth bend which resulted in Bekker being excluded much to his obvious annoyance and the crowd’s displeasure. With Bergstrom needing attention there were a few anxious moments for the home support but Bergstrom was able to take his place in the rerun which he duly won. Smith fell and retired so the 3-2 was enough to see the home side home and dry. Doolan won heat 15 but Bergstrom finished second ahead of Topinka to take two points in an excellent race.

Scorers: For Scunthorpe – Viktor Bergstrom 12 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 9+1 (5), Byron Bekker 7+3 (5), Richard Hall 7 (3), Magnus Karlsson 5+2 (4), Carl Wilkinson 5+1 (4), Ben Powell 1 (3).

For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 14, Tomas Topinka 13 (5), Simon Lambert 5, Shaun Tacey 3+2 (4), Kozza Smith 3 (6), John Oliver 3 (3), Rusty Harrison 2 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Thursday 10 July

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The two Thursday teams clashed head-on at Sheffield where the Tigers took on Redcar in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Sheffield 45, Redcar 45.


Sheffield were missing Lee Smethills who was injured in the mismatch at Mildenhall last Sunday so used Rider Replacement at number 4. Redcar welcomed back Chris Kerr and Arlo Bugeja to the side so their only guest was Klaus Jakobsen (Stoke) at number 7 in place of Daniel Giffard.

The return of Chris Kerr and Arlo Bugeja to the Bears’ side seemed to act as a catalyst to the Redcar performance. Sheffield is usually a fortress generally impregnable to visiting sides but somebody forgot to tell the rejuvenated visitors.

It looked like business as usual for the Tigers when they opened with a 4-2. Ricky Ashworth gated to head Gary Havelock home with Paul Cooper third as Josh Auty, well at the back, withdrew with a sick engine. However the Bears replied with a 2-4 to level again. Klaus Jakobsen won under strong pressure from Paul Cooper while Arlo Bugeja had a simple task to finish third ahead of a struggling Kyle Hughes. The Tigers got quite a jolt when James Grieves and Chris Kerr celebrated their reformed partnership with a 1-5 from Joel Parsons and Andre Compton to put the Bears four ahead and they stretched that lead to six when Ty Proctor zoomed past Ben Wilson off the second bend of heat 4 with Jakobsen third for a 2-4 which took the score to 9-15.

Gary Havelock gated to beat Andre Compton in heat 5 while Joel Parsons earned the home side a 3-3 by beating Josh Auty for third. Then Sheffield pulled two points back in heat 6 when Ricky Ashworth won again this time beating Ty Proctor. Paul Cooper passed Arlo Bugeja for third and a 4-2 which cut the gap to four points but Redcar went six ahead again with a 2-4 from James Grieves and Chris Kerr with Ben Wilson second just as the heavens opened causing the interval to be taken after completion of the race. When racing resumed in heat 8 the track was very slippery with gating at a premium. Immediately Sheffield pulled two points back with a 4-2 when Paul Cooper beat Josh Auty with Joel Parsons third taking the score to 22-26.

Heats 9, 10 and 11 were all shared and all won from the gate. Ty Proctor comfortably beat Andre Compton to win heat 9, James Grieves remained unbeaten by winning heat 10 then Ben Wilson beat Gary Havelock to win heat 11. In heat 12 though Sheffield squared the match with a 5-1 from Compton and Cooper who combined well after gating to keep James Grieves back in third place. This took the score to 36-36.

The Sheffield joy was short lived as Redcar struck with a 1-5 in heat 13 through Gary Havelock and Ty Proctor for a four point lead again which put them in the cat bird seat. It was Redcar’s turn to suffer in heat 14. Paul Cooper won the race and, when Klaus Jakobsen went wide on the fourth bend he lost his second place as he was passed by Joel Parsons. The 5-1 levelled the match again at 42-42. There was a twist in the tail, however. In heat 15 Andre Compton and Ricky Ashworth, having won the toss for gate positions, led from Gary Havelock and Ty Proctor for what looked like a match-winning 5-1 but Ashworth had an engine failure on the second lap letting the Bears through for a 3-3 and drawn meeting.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Paul Cooper 14+1 (7), Andre Compton 10 (5), Ricky Ashworth 8+1 (5), Ben Wilson 7 (4), Joel Parsons 6+3 (5), Kyle Hughes 0 (3).

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 12 (5), Ty Proctor 11+2 (5), James Grieves 10 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 5 (5), Chris Kerr 3+1 (4), Josh Auty 3+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 1 (3).

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Tuesday 8 July

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Tuesday’ s match on the Isle of Wight saw the Islanders race Scunthorpe in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Isle of Wight 60, Scunthorpe 32.

The Isle of Wight were at full strength but Scunthorpe were without Magnus Karlsson and used Rider Replacement at number 3 to cover his rides.

The Isle of Wight lost Cory Gathercole in the opening heat. He shed a chain and was thrown over the handlebars damaging his wrist and withdrawing from any further part in the meeting. Jason Bunyan made sure the home side shared the points by winning the rerun. Heat 2 was also shared when James Holder got out of shape and slipped to the back leaving Andrew Bargh to score the three points but the home side took a 5-1 in heat 3 when Glen Phillips and Krzysztof Stojanowski both passed early race leader, Carl Wilkinson. They added another in heat 4 when Paul Fry and James Holder gated to leave Emiliano Sanchez to follow them round for the odd point. This took the score to 16-8.

Richard Hall gave the home side something to think about by railing past both Stojanowski and Phillips for a heat 5 race win and 3-3 but Sanchez was 5-1-ed again in heat 6 this time by Holder and Bunyan to leave the Scorpions struggling badly twelve points in arrears. Immediately Richard Hall took a Tactical Ride in heat 7 hoping to repeat his heat 5 win. However Paul Fry outgated him and he had to settle for second. With Viktor Bergstrom third, the visitors at least took a two point advantage from the race with the 3-5 to pull back to ten down. The difference between the teams stretched to twelve again in heat 8 with a 4-2 from the home reserves, Bargh and Holder, separated by Carl Wilkinson taking the score to 31-19.

Emiliano Sanchez had a third 5-1 scored against him in heat 9 as Stojanowski and Phillips comfortably won the race. Sanchez turned out to be a model of consistency by taking a R/R ride in heat 10 and again finishing third behind the home pair of Bunyan and Bargh for yet another 5-1 to the Islanders which increased the lead to twenty points. The Scorpions’ resistance seemed to have crumbled as they conceded another maximum in heat 11, the third on the trot for the home side as Holder and Fry had an easy victory against Wilkinson and Hall. However the haemorrhaging was stopped in heat 12. Glen Phillips won for the Islanders but Bergstrom and Powell shared the heat behind him for a 3-3 which took the score to 49-25.

Paul Fry led heat 13 for a couple of laps but Richard Hall passed him to win the race for a 3-3 then heat 14 was shared too. Stojanowski won the race easily enough but Bergstrom and Powell finished behind him as Bargh ran another last. The final heat resulted in a home 5-1 when Bunyan and Fry held off Hall and Wilkinson.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Jason Bunyan 13+1 (5), Paul Fry 11+3 (5), Krzysztof Stojanowski 10+1 (4), Glen Phillips 9+2 (4), James Holder 9+1 (5), Andrew Bargh 8+1 (6), Cory Gathercole 0 (1).

For Scunthorpe – Richard Hall 12+1 (6) (with 4 point TR), Carl Wilkinson 6 (6), Viktor Bergstrom 5+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 4 (5), Ben Powell 3+3 (5), Byron Bekker 2 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Sunday 6 July
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The sole match today’s match was at Mildenhall where the Fen Tigers raced against Sheffield in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Mildenhall 27, Sheffield 65.


Midsummer Murders….Episode 8:__Tigers slay Tigers.

Police are still investigation the terrible massacre that occurred in the late afternoon in the sleepy hamlet of Mildenhall in deepest Suffolk on Sunday. Inspector Tom Barnaby said “It really was an act of sheer brutality. The local Fen Tigers were attacked by a group of similar but more powerful predators from Yorkshire. Fifteen times the two packs met in mortal combat but the visiting hordes exacted maximum carnage on eleven occasions with four of their number unbeaten.”

The Inspector’s assistant, Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy, added “The poor, unprotected local pack were only able to defend themselves on two occasions. On the sixth attack they managed to gain an advantage over their attackers with the use of a double edged manoeuvre which gained them five strikes to three on their aggressors. Then in the penultimate attack they distinguished themselves with five strikes to one when their speed into the fray was too much for the Yorkshire pack.”

Locals were stunned by the ferocity of the battle but one, Doctor George Bullard, told reporters that they had seen it on seven other occasions this year. The local pack have once again retired to repair their battered spirits and try to regroup but questions are now being asked just how often they can survive such terrible attacks from invading hordes. The Fen Tigers are now one of the most endangered species in the country. They have sought assistance from far and wide but seem unable to stop the carnage from the rapacious gangs which tend to descend on the neighbourhood on Sunday afternoons to plunder the area and return home with the booty.

The local residents are very despondent about the situation but the police are confident that with an injection of fresh resources the area can be better protected and some of these visiting vandals will be repelled to lick their wounds. There are many sympathetic to the plight of the Fen Tigers and hopefully their support and encouragement will see things turned round for a successful conclusion to the season.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Nicki Glanz 9 (7), Chris Schramm 6 (5) (with 4 point TR), Theo Pijper 5+1 (6), Michal Rajkowski 5 (5), Jan Graversen 2 (2), Matt Wright 0 (5).

For Sheffield – Paul Cooper 14+2 (6), Ben Wilson 13+2 (paid maximum), Joel Parsons 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Ricky Ashworth 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Andre Compton 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Lee Smethills 3 (1), Kyle Hughes 2 (5).

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Saturday 5 July

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Three matches were raced tonight all for Premier League points but one of them didn’t reach a conclusion. At Rye House the Rockets faced Glasgow, at Stoke the Potters took on Edinburgh while at Workington the Comets raced against Redcar. The meeting scheduled at Berwick – the Bordernapolis was cancelled due to a shortage of riders.


Premier League: Rye House 65, Glasgow 27


Rye House were without Stefan Ekberg and Tai Woffinden. They used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Ekberg and had Tomas Topinka as a guest at number 3 for Woffinden. Glasgow were missing Shane Parker and had Cory Gathercole as a guest at number 1.

Glasgow were no match for Rye House in this match with only Robert Ksiezak providing much resistance for the Tigers by winning two races - heats 4 and 15.

The Rockets got off to a 4-2 with a win from Robert Mear from Glasgow guest Cory Gathercole with Chris Neath third. The Rockets’ reserves took a 5-1 from heat 2 then Tomas Topinka and Tommy Allen did likewise in heat 3 ahead of Trent Leverington to put the home side ten points in front. Robert Ksiezak put the brakes on their progress by winning heat 4 from Chris Neath and Luke Bowen for a shared race taking the score to 17-7.

Tommy Allen and Tomas Topinka added another 5-1 in heat 5 before Robert Ksiezak took a Tactical Ride in heat 6. His second place gave the Tigers 4 points from the race but the Rockets shared the race 4-4. Neath and Halsey added another 5-1 in heat 7 then Robert Mear and Luke Bowen did likewise in heat 8 taking the score to 36-14.

It was just a question of how many for Rye House and over the closing seven heats Glasgow’s only notable success was Robert Ksiezak’s win in heat 15 which ended the maximum hopes of Tommy Allen and Tomas Topinka as the Rockets ran out 38 point winners.

Scorers: For Rye House – Tommy Allen 16+1 (6), Tomas Topinka 13+4 (6), Chris Neath 12 (5), Robert Mear 11 (5), Luke Bowen 7+(4), Daniel Halsey 6+1 (4).

For Glasgow – Robert Ksiezak 13 (5) (with 4 point TR), Cory Gathercole 5 (5), Anders Andersen 3 (4), Trent Leverington 3 (4), Lee Dicken 1 (4), Mitchell Davey 1 (4), Josh Grajczonek 1 (4).



Premier League: Stoke 26, Edinburgh 28 the match was abandoned after heat 9 due to a waterlogged track – the result does not stand.


Stoke had Magnus Karlsson as a guest at number 1 for Lee Complin while Edinburgh were without William Lawson and Thomas H Jonasson. They had Ricky Ashworth as a guest at number 1 for Lawson and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Jonasson.

The rain started just as the meeting was about to start and although nine heats were raced it was always going to be a matter of time before a halt was called. With bends one and two like an ice rink and the fence indiscernible from the track the inevitable abandonment was announced.

The opening two races were both won by Derek Sneddon. He gated in the opening heat to get the better of Magnus Karlsson round the first and second bends and confidently held off the Stoke guest while Ricky Ashworth got filled in and trailed in last. Sneddon’s win in heat 2 was far more convincing but again the Potters shared the race. The home side broke the deadlock in heat 3 when Ben Barker and Jesper Kristiansen saw off their visitors on the opening bends. Although Andrew Tully chased hard the result was a 5-1 for the Potters to put them four points ahead. Andrew Moore then made a fast start to win heat 3 for a shared heat which took the score to 14-10.

Edinburgh squared the match in heat 5 with 1-5 from Ricky Ashworth and Andrew Tully who both hit the front round the opening bends to head home Ben Barker. Ryan Fisher made an excellent inside pass on Magnus Karlsson on the third bend to win heat 6 for the Monarchs and keep the score tied but Edinburgh struck with another 1-5 in heat 7 as Tully and Wethers hit the front down the back straight after Barrie Evans had fallen. This put the visitors four points ahead but Stoke pulled two points back in a rerun heat 8. Derek Sneddon fell on bend two on the second lap and got trapped under the fence causing the race to be rerun without him. This was a disappointment for the Potters who were on a 5-1 at the time and in the rerun Matthew Wethers passed a hard challenging Mark Burrows for second place to rescue a 4-2 from the heat which took the score to 23-25.

Ben Barker gated to win heat 9 from Fisher and Summers for a shared heat but that was the end of the action for the evening.

Scorers: For Stoke – Ben Barker 7 (3), Klaus Jakobsen 5 (3), Magnus Karlsson 4 (2), Andrew Moore 4 (2), Mark Burrows 3+2 (3), Jesper Kristiansen 2+1 (3), Barrie Evans 1+1 (2).

For Edinburgh – Derek Sneddon 7+1 (4), Ryan Fisher 7 (3), Andrew Tully 6+1 (3), Matthew Wethers 4+1 (3), Ricky Ashworth 3 (2), Aaron Summers 1+1 (3).



Premier League: Workington 49, Redcar 44


Workington were missing Daniel Nermark, Tomi Reima and Joe Haines. They had Kevin Doolan as a guest at number 1 for Nermark, Kozza Smith for Tomi Reima at number 4 and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Joe Haines. Redcar had Scott James and James Cockle for reserves, Arlo Bugeja and Daniel Giffard, and used Rider Replacement for Joni Keskinen.

Despite having to track a patched up team this looked a fairly comfortable win for Workington who led by 12 points with just five races to go but a great fight back by Redcar almost snatched the match out of the fire as they forced a last heat decider.

An opening 2-4 for the Bears courtesy of a Gary Havelock win over Kevin Doolan was countered by the Comets with a 5-1 and two 4-2s which gave them a comfortable six point lead after heat 4.

Two shared heats won by Havelock and Doolan in heats 5 and 6 kept it that way until a Carl Stonehewer win over James Grieves and third place point for Charles Wright, after he sat on a 5-1 with his partner before suffering an engine failure, added two points to the home side’s lead. They scored another 4-2 in heat 8 thanks to another Stonehewer win this time over Ty Proctor with John Branney third which took the score to 29-19.

A third consecutive 4-2 for the Comets when Kauko Nieminen beat Proctor in heat 9 stretched the lead to twelve points and it stayed that way when James Grieves won heat 10 for a shared heat. Out came Gary Havelock in heat 11 to take a Tactical Ride and he beat Carl Stonehewer for the full six points. Josh Auty supported him with the third place point so the Bears took a 2-7 cutting their arrears to seven points but it was stretched to nine when Nieminen beat Grieves for a 4-2 in heat 12 taking the score to 42-33.

Back came the Bears with a 1-5 in heat 13 from Havelock and Proctor over Stonehewer and Doolan cutting the gap to 5 points and the alarm bells were ringing loud and clear for the home fans when the visitors added another maximum in heat 14. Josh Auty and James Cockle did the damage heading home Charles Wright after Kozza Smith had fallen and been excluded to cut the home side’s lead to just a single point going into the last heat. Workington won the toss for gate positions in heat 15 and Nieminen and Stonehewer took advantage to take a 5-1 from Havelock and Proctor for a five point win as the home fans breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Scorers: For Workington – Kauko Nieminen 14 (5), Carl Stonehewer 14 (6), Charles Wright 8 (6), Kevin Doolan 6+1 (4), John Branney 4+1 (4), Kozza Smith 3+1 (5),

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 16 (5) (with 6 point TR), Ty Proctor 10+1 (6), James Grieves 9 (4), Josh Auty 4 (5), James Cockle 3+2 (6), Scott James 2 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Friday, 4 July
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Unusually for a Friday there were four Premier League matches raced todnight. At Edinburgh the Monarchs faced Stoke while at King’s Lynn the Stars took on Birmingham. The third match was at Scunthorpe where the Scorpions raced against Berwick. Finally at Somerset the Rebels had Sheffield as their visitors.



Premier League: Edinburgh 54, Stoke 39


Edinburgh were without Thomas H Jonasson whose scan confirmed that he had bleeding on the brain following a crash in Sweden on Tuesday. They used Rider Replacement at number 2. Stoke had George Stancl guesting at number 1 in place of Lee Complin.

This will not go down as one of Edinburgh’s most memorable matches. Without Thomas Jonasson and with Aaron Summers riding with a broken rib they also had an unwell Andrew Tully who was sick in the pits during the meeting. Then they lost William Lawson with a broken collar bone when he clipped the back of Andrew Moore’s bike in heat 6 and fell heavily. The three remaining fit riders, Derek Sneddon, Matthew Wethers and Ryan Fisher almost carried the Monarchs to victory on their own with 44 points between them.

Stoke got off to a good start with George Stancl winning the opening heat for a shared race but Edinburgh scored a 4-2 in the reserves race for a two point lead. With Andrew Tully falling in heat 3 and Aaron Summers retiring at the back in heat 4 the Monarchs could only share heats 3 and 4 for a 13-11 scoreline.

George Stancl won heat 5 but Andrew Tully got up on the line for third place behind Ryan Fisher for another shared race before the fateful heat 6. Derek Sneddon was quickly away from Andrew Moore but William Lawson clipped Moore’s back wheel entering the third bend causing both to fall. Lawson was taken to hospital to confirm a broken collar bone. In the rerun Derek Sneddon won for another 3-3 but the Monarchs finally opened a six point lead with a 5-1 in heat 7. Ben Barker and Jesper Kristiansen got into a real fankle on the first two bends allowing Matthew Wethers and Aaron Summers to slip through for a maximum race win. Derek Sneddon, having a field day, was away again in heat 8 leading Klaus Jakobsen and Ryan Fisher in his wake. Fisher made a hard inside pass on Jakobsen on the last two bends but Jakobsen fell and Fisher was excluded so the heat was shared and the score stood at 27-21.

Heat 9 was rerun after Barrie Evans had fallen after both Potters had made the gate. Ryan Fisher won the rerun from Andrew Moore and Andrew Tully for a 4-2 stretching the home side’s lead to eight points. Sneddon and Wethers made the gate in heat 10 but a magnificent outside sweep by Ben Barker saw him roar round the Edinburgh men to win comfortably and share the points. Then, in a rerun heat 11, Sneddon and Wethers saw off George Stancl on the first two bends for a 5-1 opening the lead to 12 points. As a consequence Ben Barker took a Tactical Ride in heat 12 which he duly won. Barrie Evans finished behind second-placed Andrew Tully so the visitors took a 2-7 cutting their arrears to seven points with the score now 41-34.

Things looked less than bright for the Monarchs in heat 13 when Derek Sneddon, leading into the first bend, shed a chain, straightened up and collected Matthew Wethers. Wethers was down for a while but recovered to take his place in the rerun. George Stancl looked to have this race in the bag but Wethers had other ideas and produced a stunning inside line drive round bends 1 and 2 on the last lap to deny the Stoke guest sharing the race in the process. Sneddon and Fisher produced the expected 5-1 in heat 14 then Fisher and Wethers rounded things off with another maximum in the last race to give the Monarchs a 15 point victory which had looked highly unlikely at one point.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Derek Sneddon 17 (7), Matthew Wethers 14+3 (6), Ryan Fisher 13+1 (6), Andrew Tully 5+2 (5), Aaron Summers 3+1 (4), William Lawson 2 (2).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 13 (5) (with 6 point TR), George Stancl 9 (5), Klaus Jakobsen 7 (6), Andrew Moore 5+3 (4), Barrie Evans 3 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 1+1 (3), Mark Burrows 1+1 (4).



Premier League: King’s Lynn 66, Birmingham 24


King’s Lynn were at full strength while Birmingham were barely recognisable. James Brundle rode at number 1 in place of Adam Roynon, Kyle Legault returned to the team at number 3 replacing Jason Lyons while Rider Replacement operated at number 4 for Phil Morris. Adam Lowe rode at number 6 in place of Jack Hargreaves while Darren Mallett guested for James Birkinshaw at number 7.

When Craig Watson became the latest Birmingham injury victim when he fell and twisted his knee causing him to withdraw from the meeting in the first running of heat 4 this really was a ‘no contest’ between the Stars and a select team representing the Brummies.

Kevin Doolan locked up in the opening race causing Lee Smart to run into him and the race to be rerun without him. Shaun Tacey won the rerun for a shared race but King’s Lynn then rattled off eight consecutive 5-1s during which the main interest centred on Kyle Legault’s comeback for the Brummies. He retired from heat 3 then fell in heat 7 before managing three second places in his last three rides. The score after the opening nine races was 43-11 but Kyle Legault ended the maximum run by passing Shaun Tacey in heat 10 for second place behind Kevin Doolan and a 4-2. Then the Brummies had their solitary success in heat 11 when James Brundle outgated the rest of the field to win the race from Rusty Harrison. Lee Smart finished third for a 2-4 which was matched by a 4-2 in heat 12 for the Stars as Kyle Legault challenged unsuccessfully for the lead with Tomas Topinka winning for the home side. The score now stood at 53-19.

King’s Lynn scored two more 5-1s in heat 13 and 14 but, in the last heat, Legault and Smart both passed Rusty Harrison to finish behind Tomas Topinka for a shared race giving the Stars a 42 point victory.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Simon Lambert 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Kozza Smith 10 (4), Rusty Harrison 9+2 (5), Kevin Doolan 9 (4), Shaun Tacey 8+2 (4), John Oliver 6+3 (4).

For Birmingham – Lee Smart 6+1 (5), Kyle Legault 6 (5), Darren Mallett 6 (7), James Brundle 5+1 (5), Adam Lowe 1 (7), Craig Watson 0 (1).



Premier League: Scunthorpe 52, Berwick 41


Scunthorpe were at full strength but Berwick had Henning Bager at number 1 in place of Adrian Rymel.

The Scorpions were never behind in this match but there were only three points between the teams after heat 12 before the home side hit home two 5-1s in the last three heats. Berwick were unfortunate to lose Tony Atkin after he fell in heat 1 and injured his hand causing him to withdraw from the meeting.

Henning Bager won the opening heat for a 3-3 but the home side struck a 4-2 in the reserves race won by Ben Powell from Scott Smith. Tero Aarnio won heat 3 for the Bandits and it looked for a while as though they would take a 1-5 until both Magnus Karlsson and Viktor Bergstrom passed Michal Makovsky for a shared race. Emiliano Sanchez won heat 4 for another 3-3 which took the score to 13-11.

The Scorpions doubled their lead to four points with a 4-2 in heat 5 when Bager could only split the Bergstrom/Karlsson pairing but heats 6 and 7 were shared. The lead stretched to six points in heat 8 when Carl Wilkinson won from Paul Clews and Byron Bekker taking the score to 27-21.

Norbert Magosi earned the Bandits a 3-3 by winning heat 9 from the Scorpions’ pairing of Bergstrom and Karlsson but it looked all over for the Bandits when Richard Hall and Carl Wilkinson scored a 5-1 in heat 10 from Makovsky taking the lead to 10 points. Henning Bager immediately took a TR and won it from Sanchez. Scott Smith took third place so the Bandits took a 2-7 cutting the lead to five points. It was down to three when Michal Makovsky won heat 12 from Byron Bekker and Paul Clews kept Magnus Karlsson at the back for a 2-4 taking the score to 39-36.

Henning Bager broke the tapes in heat 13 and had to go from 15 metres back. Hall and Sanchez hit the front for the home side and although Bager made up lost ground he couldn’t quite catch Sanchez so the Scorpions took a 5-1 for a seven point lead. Viktor Bergstrom scored the race win the home side needed to clinch the match in heat 14 and Hall and Bergstrom put a bit of gloss on the final score by adding another 5-1 for an eleven point victory.

Scorers: For Scunthorpe – Richard Hall 13+1 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 11+2 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 9+1 (4), Carl Wilkinson 7+1 (4), Magnus Karlsson 4+1 (4), Ben Powell 4+1 (4), Byron Bekker 4 (4).

For Berwick – Henning Bager 12 (4) (with 6 point TR), Michal Makovsky 8 (5), Norbert Magosi 7 (5), Scott Smith 5+2 (5), Tero Aarnio 5 (4), Paul Clews 4+1 (6), Tony Atkin 0 (1).



Premier League: Somerset 60, Sheffield 30


Somerset were without Simon Walker so used Rider Replacement at number 4. Sheffield were at full strength.

Somerset dropped just two points from the first five races to lead by 23-7. This left the Tigers with too much to do and the Rebels sailed home in some comfort thereafter.

After two opening home maximums Andre Compton took a second place behind Emil Kramer for a 4-2. Paul Cooper did likewise behind Matthias Kroger, who replaced tape touching victim Jordan Frampton, in heat 4 taking the score to 18-6.

Joel Parsons was next to touch the tapes in heat 5 then Sheffield’s woes continued when Ricky Ashworth fell on the first bend of the rerun and was excluded as the heavens opened. Frampton and Kramer won the rerun 5-1 but Jason Doyle fell in heat 6 and was excluded. Stephan Katt won the race for a 3-3 then the Tigers scored their one and only race advantage in heat 7 when Andre Compton won from Kroger while Lee Smethills picked up the third place point after Jordan Frampton had suffered an engine failure. This gave Sheffield a 2-4 and some crumbs of comfort. Katt and Werner replied with a 5-1 in heat 8 and the score now stood at 33-15.

Ben Wilson won heat 9 for a shared heat but two successive home 4-2s put the Rebels 22 points ahead. Heat 11 was particularly disappointing for Sheffield as Ricky Ashworth fell while on a Tactical Ride and was excluded from the rerun. Andre Compton had a comfortable win in heat 12 for another shared race and the score went to 47-25.

Somerset rounded the match off with two 4-2s and a 5-1 for a 30 point win but none of the home riders was able to complete a maximum.

Scorers: For Somerset – Matthias Kroger 14+2 (6), Jason Doyle 12 (5), Stephan Katt 10+1 (5), Brent Werner 9+1 (5), Emil Kramer 8+2 (4), Jordan Frampton 7+1 (6).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 11 (5), Ben Wilson 5 (5), Paul Cooper 5 (5), Ricky Ashworth 3 (4), Lee Smethills 3 (4), Joel Parsons 2 (4), Kyle Hughes 1+1 (4).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Thursday 3 July

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Three matches were due to be raced tonight, all for Premier League points, but Glasgow scheduled to race on their off night against Stoke suffered another rain-off. This left the matches at Redcar where Scunthorpe were the visitors and at Sheffield, where Mildenhall provided the opposition, as the survivors.


Premier League: Redcar 51, Scunthorpe 39


Redcar used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Joni Keskinen and had Scott James and James Cockle as guests at reserve in place of Arlo Bugeja and Daniel Giffard while Scunthorpe were at full strength.

With two Conference League riders at reserve and using R/R Redcar looked to be effectively a five man team but the reserves chipped in well to make victory much easier for the Bears. It was a close fought match with the scores still level after heat 8. However a 5-1 in heat 9 put the home side in the cat bird seat and they were never in danger after that.

Gary Havelock set a new track record (53.4) in the opening race but it was only enough for a shared heat. The Bears got a boost however when their two reserve guests shared heat 2 behind Ben Powell again for a 3-3 the same result as heat 3 won by James Grieves. Ty Proctor equalled the new track record in heat 4 but again the points were shared taking the score to 12-12.

It was the visitors who broke the deadlock in heat 5 when Richard Hall beat James Grieves with Carl Wilkinson taking third place from Josh Auty for a 2-4 but the Bears hit back with a 5-1 from Havelock and James Cockle in heat 6 after Emiliano Sanchez had fallen and been excluded to reverse the two point advantage. A Bergstrom win in heat seven kept it that way but the Scorpions levelled the match again in heat 8 when Carl Wilkinson won from Ty Proctor with Ben Powell third for a 2-4 taking the score to 24-24.

Heat 9 provided some drama when James Grieves broke the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. Josh Auty passed early race leader Emiliano Sanchez to lead the race while Grieves caught and passed Byron Bekker before chasing after Sanchez to repeat the process for a 5-1 which put the Bears four points to the good. Wins from Magnus Karlsson, Ty Proctor and James Grieves produced three drawn races in heats 10, 11 and 12 which took the score to 38-34.

Redcar took a giant step towards victory with a 5-1 in heat 13 from Proctor and Havelock ahead of Sanchez and Hall increasing their lead to eight points with just two races left. The Scorpions gated in heat 14 to cause some momentary worry for the home fans but, although Viktor Bergstrom went on to win the race, Josh Auty and James Cockle both passed Ben Powell for a share of the points to clinch the match. Finally in Heat 15 Proctor and Grieves put some icing on the cake with another 5-1 from Karlsson and Hall to give the Bears a 12 point victory. Ha

Scorers: For Redcar – Ty Proctor 16 (6), James Grieves 12+2 (5), Gary Havelock 10+1 (4), Josh Auty 6+1 (5), James Cockle 4+3 (5), Scott James 3+1 (5).

For Scunthorpe – Carl Wilkinson 7+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 7+1 (4), Magnus Karlsson 7+1 (5), Ben Powell 7+1 (5), Richard Hall 7 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 3 (4), Byron Bekker 1 (4).



Premier League: Sheffield 65, Mildenhall 27


Sheffield were at full strength but Mildenhall had Chris Schramm at number 1 as a guest for Kai Laukkanen and used Rider Replacement at number 4 for Robbie Kessler.

This match was never likely to bring much joy to the Fen Tigers and it didn’t! Even worse for them they lost Mark Baseby in heat 9 after he crashed into the fence causing damage to both rider and fence. Baseby went off to hospital as a result. Mildenhall’s only successes were in taking a 2-4 in heat 5 and in winning the toss!

Sheffield opened with a 4-2 as Ricky Ashworth beat Michal Rajkowski then the reserves race, won by Paul Cooper, was shared after Kyle Hughes retired at the back with engine trouble. Theo Pijper split the Andre Compton/Lee Smethills pairing for a 4-2 in heat 3 but Sheffield hit the first of their 5-1s in heat 4 thanks to Ben Wilson and Paul Cooper taking the score to 16-8.

Andre Compton was excluded from the heat 5 after crashing into Chris Schramm who took advantage in the rerun by providing Mildenhall’s sole race winner of the night by beating Lee Smethills. Rajkowski’s third place gave the visitors a 2-4 advantage cutting their arrears to six points but it increased to ten when Ashworth and Parsons added a 5-1 in heat 6. The lead then went to twelve when Pijper again split the home pairing of Wilson and Hughes in heat 7 for a 4-2. Joel Parsons and Paul Cooper then continued the 5-1 blitz for Sheffield in heat 8 which took the score to 32-16.

Andre Compton and Lee Smethills added a second consecutive 5-1 to the home total as Baseby crashed out of the match in heat 9 on his way to hospital. Ashworth and Parsons made it four 5-1s from 5 races in heat 10 then Chris Schramm took a Tactical Ride in heat 11. Ben Wilson won the race from Schramm while Kyle Hughes’ third place point resulted in the points being shared 4-4. Compton beat Pijper in heat 12 with Cooper third for a 4-2 taking the score to 50-24.

Sheffield finished with three consecutive 5-1s in the last three heats as the Fen Tigers’ feeble resistance crumbled completely giving the home side a 38 point victory with Ricky Ashworth and Ben Wilson completing maximums.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 15 (5) (maximum), Ben Wilson 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Andre Compton 9 (4), Joel Parsons 8+2 (4), Paul Cooper 8+2 (4), Lee Smethills 8+1 (4), Kyle Hughes 4+1 (4)..

For Mildenhall – Chris Schramm 9 (5) (with 4 point TR), Theo Pijper 8 (6), Matt Wright 3+1 (6), Michal Rajkowski 3 (5), Mark Baseby 2 (3), Jan Graversen 2 (5).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Wednesday 2 July

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The two Wednesday evening tracks met tonight at Birmingham where King’s Lynn were the visitors in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Birmingham 38, King’s Lynn 54.


Injury-hit Birmingham were again in some disarray having to use guests Chris Mills (Reading), Andre Compton (Sheffield) and Paul Clews (Berwick) at numbers 2, 3 and 6 together with Rider Replacement at number 1 to cobble a team together. King’s Lynn on the other hand were at full strength.

Things just go from bad to worse for the Brummies. With only three of their own riders in the team from the start they were down to two when Kozza Smith crashed into James Birkinshaw in heat 4 causing an ambulance trip to hospital for the Birmingham man and consequent withdrawal from the meeting. Perry Barr must be a prime candidate for an exorcism; their injury record is quite preternatural.

The home side made a terrible start to the match conceding 1-5s in the first two heats. Craig Watson fell in heat 1 leaving Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey to score the first then the King’s Lynn reserves added the second in heat 2. Andre Compton stopped the rot by beating Tomas Topinka for a shared heat 3 before the heat 4 crash between Birkinshaw and Smith. This occurred on the last lap so the race was awarded to race leader Rusty Harrison with Birkinshaw given second and Watson third for another 3-3 which took the score to 8-16.

There was still no joy for the beleaguered home side when they watched Kevin Doolan breaking the Perry Barr track record in heat 5 from which the Stars gained a 2-4 leaving their hosts ten points in arrears. It was only heat 6 but already the Brummies called on Andre Compton to take his R/R ride as a Tactical Ride too. Even this was only partially successful as Rusty Harrison won the race while it took a last bend overtake by Chris Mills on John Oliver to scrape five points from the heat which Birmingham won by 5-3. They got a break in heat 7 though when Tomas Topinka suffered an engine failure on the last lap after both he and Simon Lambert had been passed by Paul Clews. This promoted the woeful Craig Watson to third giving the Brummies a 4-2 cutting their arrears to six points. The Stars were heading for another 1-5 in heat 8 until Paul Clews passed Kozza Smith on the line to rescue two points for the home team taking the score to 21-29. At this stage Birmingham’s guests had scored 17 of their 21 points!

Lee Smart continued his row of zeroes in heat 9 but Andre Compton won the race for a 3-3 however another 1-5 for King’s Lynn in heat 10 from Simon Lambert and Tomas Topinka effectively ended any remaining hopes to which the home fans might still have been clinging as their team now trailed by 12 points. Kevin Doolan produced another three points for the Stars by winning heat 11 from Craig Watson and Paul Clews who then took his third ride on the trot in heat 12 and produced another third place. With Andre Compton winning the race from Tomas Topinka the home fans had a 4-2 to celebrate taking the score to 32-42 but it was too little too late.

Kevin Doolan completed a four ride maximum in heat 13 producing a 2-4 for the visitors for a 12 point lead again. Then in heat 14 Lee Smart completed five pointless rides for the Brummies who lost another 1-5 this time to Kozza Smith and Simon Lambert. Heat 15 saw Kevin Doolan complete a five ride maximum but Watson and Compton shared the points behind him for a 3-3 giving King’s Lynn a 16 point victory.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Andre Compton 16+1 (6), Paul Clews 10+1 (7), Craig Watson 8+1 (6), Chris Mills 2+1 (4), James Birkinshaw 2 (2), Lee Smart 0 (5).

For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 15 (5), Rusty Harrison 9 (4), Simon Lambert 8+2 (5), Tomas Topinka 6+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 6+1 (4), Kozza Smith 6+1 (4), John Oliver 4+1 (4).