Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Wednesday, 11 June

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


Premier League: King’s Lynn 66, Redcar 27


King’s Lynn were at full strength but Redcar were missing Daniel Giffard and Joni Keskinen, who has returned to Finland, so used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Giffard and had Adam McKinna at number 4 for Keskinen.

With King’s Lynn on a winning roll at home since their early season setbacks, they started big favourites to beat a weakened Redcar side. So it proved as the Stars provided 14 of the 15 race winners.

Kevin Doolan produced the fastest time of the season at the Norfolk Arena in winning heat 1 from Gary Havelock for a 4-2 to the Stars who then scored another in the reserves race. Josh Auty passed John Oliver to follow Kozza Smith home and prevent a home maximum but that duly came along in heat 3 thanks to Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert from James Grieves to double the home side’s lead to eight points. Rusty Harrison won heat 4 and it looked like another 5-1 for the Stars until Kozza Smith fell at the end of lap 3 allowing Bugeja and Proctor to share the heat taking the score to 21-9.

Another 5-1 was just delayed though as Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert headed Gary Havelock home in heat 5. In heat 6 it didn’t get any better when Ty Proctor fell on the first bend and was excluded from the rerun in which Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey scored another 5-1 for a 16 point lead. In heat 7 Rusty Harrison led from the gate and, although James Grieves put in a determined effort to move into second off the second bend, he was passed on the next bend by John Oliver as the Stars ran off with another 5-1 and 20 point lead. King’s Lynn made it four 5-1s on the trot with another in heat 8 when Kozza Smith and Shaun Tacey gated to lead Josh Auty home taking the score to 36-12.

King’s Lynn extended their run of maximums to five in heat 9 as Lambert and Topinka added another as Josh Auty retired at the back. Finally Redcar produced a race winner when Gary Havelock won a thrilling race with Rusty Harrison right on the line. Even better for the visitors was the fact that Havelock was on a Tactical Ride at the time and with Josh Auty taking third from Oliver the Bears took a 2-7 from the race. Their joy was short-lived as Topinka and Smith, under pressure from Grieves, scored another 5-1 which took the score to 53-22.

Heat 13 was another 5-1 this time from Doolan and Harrison from Havelock then the Stars added a 4-2 from heat 14 when Simon Lambert won from Auty who passed John Oliver for second place. In the last race Kevin Doolan completed his maximum by beating Gary Havelock while Simon Lambert finished third for a 4-2 which gave the Stars a 39 point win.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 15 (maximum), Simon Lambert 11+2 (5), Tomas Topinka 11+1 (4), Rusty Harrison 10+1 (4), Kozza Smith 8+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 7+3 (4), John Oliver 4+1 (4).

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), Josh Auty 7 (7), James Grieves 4 (4), Ty Proctor 2+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2 (6), Adam McKinna 0 (4).



Premier League: Birmingham 47.5, Workington 42.5.


Birmingham were without Adam Roynon, Phil Morris, Lee Smart and Jack Hargreaves. They used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Adam Roynon, and had Robert Ksiezak as a guest for Morris at number 2, Jason Bunyan as a guest for Lee Smart at number 4 and Paul Clews as a guest at reserve for Jack Hargreaves. Workington by contrast were at full strength.

What an incredible match! Workington fought back from a 4 point deficit after heat 4 to take a two point lead after heat 7. Even though the Comets lost a 5-1 in heat 8 they seemed to have all the cards for the run-in particularly when Charles Wright beat Jason Lyons in heat 9 which produced a dead heat for second between Lyons and Stonehewer, then Kauko Nieminen also beat Lyons in the next race. The visitors were a point in front at this stage and with the unbeaten Daniel Nermark out in three of the last five races the odds were very much in their favour. However when Robert Ksiezak came out to beat Nermark in heat 13 for a home 4-2 the whole match turned around and Birmingham pushed home their advantage in fine style to seal victory in heat 14.

Daniel Nermark got the Comets off to a good start by winning the opening race from Robert Ksiezak while Tomi Reima took third from Jason Bunyan giving the visitors a two point lead with a 2-4 but they found themselves two points down after a 5-1 for James Birkinshaw and Paul Clews in the reserves race. Jason Lyons passed Kauko Nieminen on the back straight on the third lap to win heat 3 while Jason Bunyan’s third place at the expense of Joe Haines gave the home side a 4-2 doubling their lead to four points and it remained that way when Craig Watson won heat 4 from Carl Stonehewer for a shared heat taking the score to 14-10.

Daniel Nermark ensured that there would be no Lyons maximum tonight by winning heat 5. Jason Bunyan took second followed by Jason Lyons for another shared race but Workington pulled two points back in heat 6 when Carl Stonehewer beat Craig Watson while Charles Wright took third from Robert Ksiezak for a 2-4. Craig Watson had bike troubles at the start of heat 7 and by the time he sorted things out the Comets had gone with Joe Haines and Kauko Nieminen taking a 1-5 to turn the match around with the visitors now two points ahead. Heat 8 was clearly crucial since none of the visiting heat leaders were programmed to ride. Robert Ksiezak and James Birkinshaw took full advantage to restore the Brummies two point lead with a 5-1 over Tomi Reima which took the score to 25-23.

Jason Lyons still had four races to take in the last seven heats and the home side looked as though they were going to rely heavily on him if they were to see the match through to victory. He found it hard going though. In heat 9 Charles Wright won the race while Jason Lyons and Carl Stonehewer’s battle behind him for second place ended in a dead heat with both getting 1.5 points giving Workington a 1.5-4.5 advantage putting them back in the lead by one point. Kauko Nieminen won heat 10 with Lyons in second place and Ksiezak third sharing the race behind him. With Daniel Nermark out in three of the last five races the odds were now firmly on a Comets’ victory. He duly won heat 11 but Clews and Watson shared the race behind him when Charles Wright fell. Jason Lyons won heat 12 when he beat Kauko Nieminen and, when Paul Clews took the vital third place from Wright, the Brummies scored a 4-2 and went back in front by one point at 36.5-35.5.

What a boost for the Brummies in heat 13. Robert Ksiezak and Craig Watson made the gate to lead Daniel Nermark until the last lap when Nermark passed Watson for second. With Carl Stonehewer finishing last the home side took a 4-2 from a heat from which they must have feared the worst. This increased their lead to three points with just two races remaining giving them real hope. It was well justified too as Paul Clews won heat 14 for them by beating Charles Wright while Jason Bunyan sealed victory for them by taking third place from Joe Haines for a 4-2 leaving the home side five points ahead going into the last race. Finally Jason Lyons produced another race win beating Nermark and Nieminen with Ksiezak last for a shared race and hard-fought victory for the Brummies who once again were indebted to some sparkling contributions from their guests to see them home.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 13.5+1 (6), Paul Clews 9+1 (5), Robert Ksiezak 9+1 (6), Craig Watson 7+1 (5), James Birkinshaw 5+1 (3), Jason Bunyan 4 (5).

For Workington – Daniel Nermark 13 (5), Kauko Nieminen 10+2 (5), Carl Stonehewer 6.5 (4), Charles Wright 6 (6), Joe Haines 3 (4), John Branney 2+1 (3), Tomi Reima 2 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Tuesday, 10 June

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Tuesday night means the Isle of Wight where tonight’s match featured Birmingham as the opposition in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Isle of Wight 51, Birmingham 41.


The Isle of Wight were again without Paul Fry so they used Rider Replacement at number 4. Injury hit Birmingham were once again without Adam Roynon, Phil Morris and Jack Hargreaves so used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Roynon and had Nick Simmons as a guest at number 2 for Morris and John Oliver at number 6 for Hargreaves.

Once again the injury jinx struck Birmingham when, in heat 2, James Birkinshaw fell on the first bend and suffered a leg injury which caused him to withdraw from the meeting leaving the Brummies to soldier on with just three team members and two guests. It meant that their remaining reserve, guest John Oliver, was in for a busy night. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Lee Smart crashed in heat 12 and also had to withdraw from the meeting leaving the visitors with just four fit riders.

It took three attempts to run heat 1. First up Craig Watson fell on the first bend for an all-four-back decision, then, at the second attempt, Watson was moving at the start so it was called back. Thirdly the Islanders gated for an easy 5-1 from Jason Bunyan and Corey Gathercole. Heat 2 saw another first bend bunching incident but this time James Birkinshaw suffered a leg injury and withdrew from the meeting. Undaunted John Oliver rounded Andrew Bargh and James Holder in the three man rerun for a fine win and shared race. Heat 3 was shared. Glenn Phillips won the race under great pressure from Jason Lyons while Andrew Bargh suffered an engine failure on the second lap allowing Lee Smart to pick up the third place point unchallenged. The Islanders pulled six points clear after heat 4 when Krzysztof Stojanowski gated to lead Craig Watson and James Holder home for a 4-2 which took the score to 15-9.

James Holder fell on the first bend and was excluded from the rerun of heat 5 won by Jason Lyons by the proverbial mile from Glen Phillips. With Nick Simmons picking up the gift third place point Birmingham picked up a 2-4 cutting their arrears to four points but Corey Gathercole and Jason Bunyan gated for a 5-1 in heat 6 to increase the home side’s lead to eight points. Birmingham pulled two points back again in heat 7 thanks to another Jason Lyons win this time over Krzysztof Stojanowski while Lee Smart took third place from Bargh. This cut the gap to six points and it stayed that way when Nick Simmons gated to win heat 8 from Gathercole and Holder for a 3-3 which took the score to 27-21.

Another shared heat in heat 9 won by Craig Watson kept the Brummies in the hunt and similarly Jason Lyons won heat 10 but this came at a cost to the Brummies as Lee Smart became their next injury victim when he crashed on the fourth lap and also withdrew from the meeting. Birmingham now fast running out of resources were only able to track one rider in heat 11, Nick Simmons, and he took second place behind Stojanowski for a 4-2 to the Islanders. Jason Lyons kept the good ship Birmingham afloat with another win in heat 12 while Phillips and Holder shared the race behind him taking the score to 40-32.

Bunyan and Stojanowski gated for a 5-1 in heat 13 ahead of Simmons while Watson suffered an engine failure increasing their lead to 45-33 and sealing victory for the home side. Still the Brummies fought on. Nick Simmons took a Tactical Substitute ride in heat 14 from 15 metres and finished second behind James Holder as Andrew Bargh suffered an engine failure so, with John Oliver third, the visitors scored a 3-5. Jason Lyons wrapped things up by winning heat 15 from Bunyan and Phillips to restrict the Islanders to a ten point victory which was quite remarkable all things considered.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – Jason Bunyan 12+1 (5), Krzysztof Stojanowski 11+2 (5), Glen Phillips 10+1 (5), Corey Gathercole 8+2 (4), James Holder 8+2 (6), Andrew Bargh 2+1 (5).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 17 (6), Nick Simmons 12 (7) (with 4 point TS), Craig Watson 6 (5), John Oliver 4+1 (7), Lee Smart 2+1 (3), James Birkinshaw DNR.

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Monday, 9 June

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Today’s match was at Reading where the Racers were up against Birmingham in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Reading 48, Birmingham 42.


Reading were at full strength while Birmingham were without Adam Roynon, Phil Morris and Jack Hargreaves. They used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Roynon, had Krzysztof Stojanowski at number 2 for Phil Morris and Paul Clews as a guest reserve for Hargreaves at number 6.

This was the close encounter expected from these two sides. Reading did not have the usual high returns from Ulrich Ostergaard and Tom P Madsen who managed just 9 points between them and they were indebted to a 12 point return from reserve, Jaimie Smith, and 9+2 from Chris Mills to pull them through. Birmingham may be injury ravaged but they sure know which guests to use on specific tracks. Indeed Krzysztof Stojanowski and Paul Clews, their two guests for this match, scored one point short of half their total!

It looked so comfortable for the Racers when they took a six point lead from the first two races. Chris Mills and Mark Lemon opened with a 5-1 from Stojanowski after Craig Watson had fallen and remounted then, when Paul Clews could only split Jaimie Smith and Nicki Glanz in the reserves race, they added a 4-2. Their troubles started in heat 3. With Tomas Suchanek and Ulrich Ostergaard sitting on a 5-1, Ostergaard suffered an engine failure and was never really effective after that on his second bike. Jason Lyons and Lee Smart shared the race behind Suchanek then the Brummies pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat four. They were hoping for a 1-5 as Watson and Birkinshaw led from the tapes but Madsen passed Birkinshaw to restrict them to a two point heat advantage which took the score to 14-10.

They did even better in heat 5 with a dream 1-5 from Lyons and Stojanowski from Ostergaard to level the scores again and Reading knew they were going to have to dig deep for the points. However the Racers hit back immediately with a 5-1 from their top pairing of Mills and Lemon with Lemon sitting shotgun behind Mills to ward off any challenge from Clews and Watson. A 4-2 in heat 7 restored Reading’s early six point lead thanks to a win from Jaimie Smith who clung on desperately to hold off Jason Lyons with Tom P Madsen pressing both of them just behind. Birmingham looked well placed to hit back with a 1-5 in heat 8 as Stojanowski and Birkinshaw gated but Jaimie Smith and Chris Mills both passed Birkinshaw so the heat was shared and the score now stood at 27-21.

Ulrich Ostergaard produced his only race win of the match in heat 9 beating Clews and Watson but with Suchanek stuck at the back the race was shared. Reading then pulled eight points clear with a 4-2 in heat 10. Mark Lemon passed early leader, Jason Lyons, while Chris Mills passed Lee Smart to add two points to their lead. Heat 11 produced another 3-3 in a race won by Jaimie Smith from Stojanowski. A close battle at the back was resolved by Paul Clews who got the better of Tom P Madsen to ensure the points were shared. Birmingham pulled two points back in heat 12 when Jason Lyons beat Ostergaard while Paul Clews finally pipped Nicki Glanz on the line for a 2-4. This took the score to 39-33.

Birmingham looked set to score a 1-5 from heat 13 as Craig Watson sat behind Krzysztof Stojanowski but, on the last lap, Tom P Madsen passed Craig Watson and the Birmingham rider fell. Madsen was excluded to the anger of the home fans and the race was rerun rather than awarded. At the second attempt again the Brummies sat on a 1-5 but Mark Lemon passed Watson on the third lap to rescue two points for the Racers in a 2-4 advantage to the visitors who now trailed by just four points. Tomas Suchanek won heat 14 while Paul Clews passed Jaimie Smith for second place and another 4-2, this time to Reading, which sealed victory for the home side while, in the last race, Jason Lyons won for the Brummies from Lemon and Mills for a shared heat.

Scorers: For Reading – Jaimie Smith 12 (5), Mark Lemon 11+2 (5), Chris Mills 9+2 (5), Ulrich Ostergaard 6 (4), Tomas Suchanek 6 (4), Tom P Madsen 3 (4), Nicki Glanz 1 (3).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (6), Krzysztof Stojanowski 11+1 (6), Paul Clews 9+1 (6), Craig Watson 5+1 (5), Lee Smart 1+1 (4), James Birkinshaw 1 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Sunday, 8 June

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


Premier League: Glasgow 41, Workington 49


Glasgow were missing Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek through injury while Anders Andersen was absent through riding in the European Championships. They had Adrian Rymel as guest at number 1 and Adam McKinna as a guest at number 7. They also used Rider Replacement for Andersen at number 3. Workington were missing the injured Joe Haines so used Rider Replacement at number 4.

Already using a six man team with R/R, the last thing Glasgow could cope with in their efforts to beat the high-flying Comets were two non-scoring reserves. As it was they did well with their limited resources and only trailed by two points after heat 10. However Workington’s Daniel Nermark had three rides to come in heats 11, 13 and 15 and he won them all with the Comets scoring 4-2s in each of those races to win by eight points.

Adrian Rymel and Trent Leverington led off the second bend with Daniel Nermark third in the opening heat but Nermark wasn’t doing third places in this match and was soon past Leverington but couldn’t catch Rymel so Glasgow led for the one and only time in the match with the 4-2. An easy reserves race 1-5 for John Branney and Charles Wright reversed the two point lead and 2-4s in the next two heats to the visitors had the Comets in complete control. In the second of those Carl Stonehewer made a superb pass on the fast starting Robert Ksiezak on the first two bends of lap 4 for a 9-15 lead.

Passing was restricted on a fast drying track and although Adrian Rymel’s fast starts were causing the visitors problems there was no change to the their lead after the sides traded 4-2s in heats 6 and 7. A shared heat 8 took the score to 21-27 but Glasgow’s hopes were resurrected by two 4-2 advantages in heats 9 and 10. Ksiezak beat Stonehewer in the first while Rymel did likewise to Nieminen in the second all from the gate as the Tigers now trailed by just 29-31.

Then came the Nermark show. The pick of his three race wins in heats 11,13 and 15 was his win in heat 13 which was quite superb after Ksiezak had made an electric start and ridden to the front on the opening two bends round the boards. Nermark reeled him in and passed him down the back straight on the third lap. Six points down with two heats left, the Tigers’ hopes were briefly raised again in heat 14 when Lee Dicken and Mitchell Davey led from the gate and looked set for a 5-1. However John Branney passed Davey entering the first bend of the second lap and Davey got badly out of shape allowing Charles Wright through as well and the home side’s hopes died. The meeting ended with another excellent race between Adrian Rymel and Daniel Nermark but good though Rymel was he was no match for Nermark who was quite outstanding.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Adrian Rymel 13 (6), Robert Ksiezak 11 (6), Trent Leverington 8 (5), Lee Dicken 7+1 (5), Adam McKinna 1+1 (4), Mitchell Davey 1 (4).

For Workington – Daniel Nermark 14 (5), Kauko Nieminen 12 (5), John Branney 9+1 (7), Carl Stonehewer 8 (4), Charles Wright 3+2 (4), Tomi Reima 3 (5).



Premier League: Newcastle 48, Stoke 42.


Newcastle were without Josef Franc and Richard Juul and had Arlo Bugeja as a guest at number 7. They also used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Franc. Stoke were missing Lee Complin and Ben Barker and had Matthew Wethers as a guest at number 1 and Ryan Fisher as a guest at number 3.

It took a heat 14 5-1 to Newcastle and a superb 6 ride 18 point maximum from Jason King to see the Diamonds home in this match. Fortunes swung one way then the other over the opening four heats which saw Newcastle take 4-2s in heats 1 and 3 but lose a 1-5 in the reserves race to Stoke’s two Danes, Klaus Jakobsen and Jesper Kristiansen, after Jerran Hart had fallen and been excluded. The scores were tied at 12-12 at that stage.

Newcastle then pulled six points clear with a 5-1 from Jason King and George Stancl then a 4-2 from Jason King and Sean Stoddart in heats 5 and 6 but, after a Ryan Fisher win over Christian Henry in heat 7 for a shared race, the Potters pulled the arrears back to just 4 points with a 2-4 from Mark Burrows and Jesper Kristiansen in heat 8 which took the score to 26-22.

Another 5-1 from Stancl and King ahead of Emiliano Sanchez in heat 9 put the home side eight points ahead which looked decisive but the Potters hit back with a 2-4 from Matthew Wethers and Mark Burrows in heat 11 then a 1-5 in heat 13 from Wethers and Sanchez to cut the Diamonds lead to just two points.

The 5-1 from Jason King and Jerran Hart in heat 14 saw the Diamonds home and dry before King completed his maximum in heat 15 holding off the challenges of Ryan Fisher all race long to preserve the home side’s six point lead.

Scorers: For Newcastle – Jason King 18 (6) (maximum), George Stancl 11 (6), Christian Henry 10 (5), Jerran Hart 5 (5), Sean Stoddart 3 (5), Arlo Bugeja 1 (3).

For Stoke – Ryan Fisher 11 (5), Mark Burrows 8+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 7 (4), Matthew Wethers 5+1 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 5+1 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 4+1 (4), Barrie Evans 2+1 (4).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Saturday, 7 June

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Three Premier League matches and one Knock Out Cup tie were raced tonight. The Premier League matches were: Berwick versus Glasgow, Mildenhall versus Newcastle and Stoke versus Scunthorpe. The Knock Out Cup tie was at Workington where the Comets faced the Isle of Wight.



Premier League: Berwick 54, Glasgow 39


Berwick were without Tero Aarnio and used Rider Replacement at number 4. Glasgow were missing Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek through injury while Anders Andersen was missing due to European commitments. The Tigers had Tomas Topinka at number 1 in place of Parker and Sam Martin at number 7 in place of Grajczonek. They used Rider Replacement at number 3 for Andersen.

Glasgow’s hopes lay in tatters after losing three 5-1s in the opening three heats but after slipping 18 points in arrears after heat 6, and looking down the barrel of a drubbing, they rallied with a 1-8 from Tomas Topinka and Lee Dicken in heat 7 to trail by 11 points.

The Bandits scored a 5-1 and two more 4-2s over the next three heats to lead by 19 points but another Glasgow maximum, this time a 5-1, from Leverington and Topinka stopped them in their tracks as the deficit was cut to 15 points, a gap that was unchanged at the end of the match.

Lee Dicken won heat 12 for the Tigers stopping Michal Makovsky’s winning run for a shared heat while the teams exchanged 4-2s in heats 14 and 15 as Adrian Rymel completed a full house for the Bandits. Glasgow could take some consolation from this as Rymel guests for them tomorrow in the match against Workington.

For Berwick, Rymel was master of all while three wins apiece for Makovsky and Magosi took the number of home race winners to 10. Scott Smith’s paid 11 and Paul Clews’ paid 7 exposed the weakness in the Glasgow line up at reserve where the Tigers’ pair scored a point apiece without actually beating an opponent. The home pairing of Atkin plus reserve looked vulnerable losing two maximums in their three races together while Glasgow will be hoping that Trent Leverington can quickly get back to full fitness after failing to score in his first three rides.

Scorers: For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 13+2 (paid maximum), Michal Makovsky 12 (5), Norbert Magosi 10 (4), Scott Smith 8+3 (6), Paul Clews 6+1 (5), Tony Atkin 5+1 (5).

For Glasgow – Tomas Topinka 15+1 (6) (with 6 point TR), Lee Dicken 9+1 (5), Robert Ksiezak 9+1 (6), Trent Leverington 4 (5), Mitchell Davey 1 (4), Sam Martin 1 (4).



Premier League: Mildenhall 39, Newcastle 53


Mildenhall were at full strength while Newcastle had Arlo Bugeja as a guest at number 7 for the injured Richard Juul.

Mildenhall must be wondering if they will go through the entire season without a Premier League win as once again a visiting team had an easy win against them.

The track was not in ideal condition after some heavy rain and further showers during the meeting didn’t help things. The two teams exchanged 5-1s in the opening two heats but Newcastle then rattled off five consecutive heat advantages – three 2-4s and two 1-5s to put themselves almost out of sight with a 14 point lead after heat 7.

Falls for Loof and Stoddart in heat 8 resulted in a 6-2 advantage to the home side since Jan Graversen was on a Tactical Ride at the time. This cut the gap to ten points and the Fen Tigers made further inroads with a 5-1 in heat 11 when Michal Rajkowski and Jan Graversen headed George Stancl home leaving the Diamonds just six points ahead.

Another 5-1 from Robbie Kessler and Mark Baseby over Josef Franc got the home fans excited since the score now stood at 33-35 but it all went pear shaped for the home side after that as Newcastle scored three 1-5s over the last four heats to seal victory.

It was unfortunate for Mildenhall that Kai Laukkanen chose this match to turn in such a low points return otherwise things might have been different but once again a fine performance from Mark Baseby gave the beleaguered home team some consolation. They could be doing with some better scores from their number 1 Michal Rajkowski though.

For Newcastle it all looked as though it might slip away as track conditions worsened but their late burst doomed the Fen Tigers to further home misery. Jerran Hart’s performance at reserve for the Diamonds suggests they might be on to a real winner here.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Jan Graversen 10+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Robbie Kessler 9 (5), Mark Baseby 8+2 (6), Kai Laukkanen 4+1 (4), Michal Rajkowski 4 (4), Henning Loof 3 (3), Jari Makinen 1 (3).

For Newcastle – Jason King 12 (5), Josef Franc 10+2 (5), Christian Henry 9 (4), George Stancl 8+2 (4), Jerran Hart 7+2 (5), Arlo Bugeja 4 (3), Sean Stoddart 3+1 (4).



Premier League: Stoke 43, Scunthorpe 47


Stoke were without the injured Lee Complin and Ben Barker who was riding in the under 21 World Team Cup so had Craig Watson as a guest for Complin at number 1 and Ryan Fisher as a guest for Barker at number 3. Scunthorpe were without Andrew Moore so used Rider Replacement at number 5.

With only four race winners all match Stoke had little chance of getting a result from this match although they did manage three 5-1s and actually led by 20-16 after heat 6.

Five of the first six heats resulted in 5-1 scores with three going to the Potters and two to the Scorpions giving the home side a four point lead but with only Ryan Fisher winning a race for the home side after that, in heat 9, it was only a matter of time before the visitors went in front. With Magnus Karlsson, Viktor Bergstrom and Carl Wilkinson dominant over the last nine heats it was all Stoke could do to share the points in six of them.

It took the Scorpions until heat 10 though before they could make their race winners’ returns count when they took a 1-5 through Karlsson and Bergstrom from Craig Watson. The two point lead they had following that race remained unchanged until the last race when Magnus Karlsson and Carl Wilkinson took a 2-4 to increase the winning margin to four points.

Apart from Emiliano Sanchez whose 2+1 return was a big disappointment for the Potters they all scored solidly but just not well enough while Scunthorpe must be delighted to have provided ten race winners, particularly since they were without Andrew Moore.

Scorers: For Stoke – Ryan Fisher 10+1 (5), Craig Watson 9 (5), Klaus Jacobsen 7+1 (4), Mark Burrows 5+3 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 5+2 (4), Barrie Evans 4+1 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 3+1 (4).

For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Viktor Bergstrom 11+2 (5), Carl Wilkinson 11 (6), Ben Powell 5 (4), Byron Bekker 4 (5), Richard Hall 2+1 (5).



Knock Out Cup (first leg): Workington 53, Isle of Wight 38


Workington used Rider Replacement for the injured Joe Haines at number 4 and nominated David Haigh as their number 8. The Isle of Wight used Rider Replacement for injury victim Paul Fry at number 2.

The Comets looked as though they might struggle to take a decent lead to the second leg on the Isle of Wight when they trailed by three points after the opening four races but, with Jason Bunyan strangely ineffective following a fall in the opening race which had to be rerun after Tomi Reima had crashed into the back of him, the Islanders didn’t have enough firepower to hold the Comets in check.

A 4-2, 5-1score in heats 5 and 6 saw the home side reverse the three point advantage although the Islanders stopped any further erosion of their position by sharing the next three heats taking the score to 28-25 after nine races. Workington then steadily built up a lead with their heat leader trio all winning races over the next four races for two 5-1s and two 4-2s stretching their advantage to 15 points at the end of heat 13. The heat 13 maximum for the Comets was particularly disappointing for the visitors since Krzysztof Stojanowski was on a TR at the time but he finished behind Nermark and Stonehewer.

In heat 14 Glen Phillips took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres and finished second behind John Branney for a 3-5 to the Islanders but a last heat 4-2 from Nermark and Stonehewer neutralised the effects of that advantage and gave the Comets a 15 point lead for the second leg which probably makes them favourites to win the tie on aggregate.

Scorers: For Workington – Daniel Nermark 15 (5), Carl Stonehewer 12+1 (5), Kauko Nieminen 9 (4), Tomi Reima 7+2 (5), John Branney 6+2 (5), Charles Wright 4+1 (6).

For the Isle of Wight – Krzysztof Stojanowski 10 (6), Glen Phillips 8+2 (5) (with 4 point TS), Cory Gathercole 8+1 (5), James Holder 5 (5), Jason Bunyan 4 (4), Andrew Bargh 3+1 (5).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Friday, 6 June

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Three matches were raced tonight all for Premier League points. At Edinburgh the Monarchs faced the Isle of Wight, at Somerset the Rebels took on Newcastle while at Scunthorpe the Scorpions raced against Redcar.


Premier League: Edinburgh 67, Isle of Wight 23


Edinburgh were without William Lawson and Thomas Jonasson both on under 21 World Cup duty so they had Tomas Topinka as a guest for William Lawson at number 1 and used Rider Replacement for Thomas Jonasson at number 4. The Isle of Wight were without the injured Paul Fry so had to use Rider Replacement at number 4.

The Isle of Wight have never won at Armadale. Their best result was a ten point defeat last year but this was by far their worst result as a rampant home side simply tore them to bits. The Islanders were a bit unlucky to find themselves up against Andrew Tully whose performance in compiling a seven ride full maximum was just about the best ever seen at Armadale. Edinburgh supplied 14 of the race winners and none of the Monarchs had a pointless ride.

The match got off to a tremendous start with a thrilling heat 1. The four riders seemed to hit the opening bend together with Topinka slightly ahead when Corey Gathercole shunted Ryan Fisher over causing the Edinburgh rider to slip to the back as Jason Bunyan powered inside Topinka to take the lead. Fisher soon re-passed Gathercole then his partner, Tomas Topinka, to chase after Bunyan but he couldn’t catch the Islander so the race was shared. This was to be the Islanders only race win of the match and the only race they didn’t lose. James Holder made an impressive gate in heat 2 but Andrew Tully passed him off the second bend to win the race in a time 1.5 seconds faster than heat 1 and only 0.7 off the track record. Aaron Summers had made a terrible gate but passed Andrew Bargh for third place for the first of four consecutive 4-2s for the Monarchs. Andrew Tully was out again in heat 3 as R/R and won the race by a ‘mile’. Derek Sneddon behind him seemed to be struggling to keep his bike tight on the bends and Glen Phillips took advantage to slip through on the inside for second while Andrew Bargh was pressing hard at the back. Heat 4 saw Matthew Wethers win with a tapes-to-flag victory but an impressive ride by James Holder earned him second ahead of Summers to take the score to 15-9.

It was Tully time again in heat 5. He was leading the race when Corey Gathercole tried to round him on the fourth bend but came to grief causing the race to be rerun without him. In the rerun Derek Sneddon gated but was rounded by Jason Bunyan on the second bend only for Andrew Tully to nip past both of them on the inside. Bunyan tried so hard to get on terms with Tully but just kept losing ground to the Edinburgh reserve so another 4-2 went the home side’s way. After these four 4-2s Edinburgh stepped up a gear and rattled in six consecutive 5-1s for the third time this season. Fisher and Topinka gated for the first ahead of Stojanowski; Tully and Wethers did likewise for the second ahead of James Holder; then the third came along in heat 8. In this race Aaron Summers passed early race leader, Corey Gathercole, coming off the fourth bend and took him wide down the home straight much to Gathercole’s obvious displeasure. If he wasn’t too keen on that move he was even further infuriated when Fisher charged under him on the first bend shortly after which caused a momentary wobble for the Islander and another 5-1 for the Monarchs which took the score to 34-14.

Things looked brighter for the visitors when Stojanowski and Bargh gated in heat 9 but Derek Sneddon got them both with an outside pass on the third and fourth bends while Matthew Wethers at the back bided his time before swooping past the visiting pair at the start of the third lap for 5-1 number 4. Number 5 arrived with a fine team ride by Fisher and Topinka in heat 10 with Stojanowski this time taking the third place point. It was time now for the Islanders to give Jason Bunyan a Tactical Ride in heat 11 (a brave move with Andrew Tully in the heat!). Corey Gathercole, now in full ‘narked’ mode, sat on Andrew Tully’s shoulder on gate 3 at the start with Tully off gate 4 and when both gated together it was no surprise when Tully hit the deck on the first/second bend. In the all-four-back rerun Tully was waiting for the same move from Gathercole but simply turned back under him to shoot between Gathercole and Bunyan with sheer class before heading off into the distance. Matthew Wethers joined the fray by passing Bunyan on the third bend then Gathercole on the fourth to join his partner for the 5-1 to leave the Islanders 32 points in arrears with their TR blown. In heat 12 there was a bit of a palaver at the tapes as Glen Phillips was excluded after failing to get his bike going on the track. He elected to go from 15 metres back but suffered the same fate so the visitors went with just one rider. Andrew Bargh made the gate when the race got underway but Derek Sneddon passed him on the fourth bend but then had to fend off Bargh’s challenges for the rest of the raced while Summers was tailed off at the back. The 4-2 took the score to 53-19.

Tomas Topinka had a tapes-to-flag win in heat 13 but Jason Bunyan slotted into second place behind him. He was passed on the inside by Matthew Wethers but he regained his second place with an outside drive round bends three and four so the race finished as a 4-2. In heat 14 Corey Gathercole took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres replacing the R/R for Paul Fry but this was a forlorn hope against Tully and Fisher who rattled off another 5-1 with ease. Gathercole fell on the third lap so Andrew Bargh took the third place point. Finally, in heat 15, Andrew Tully gated to lead the race but on the fourth bend, just as it looked as though Jason Bunyan was going to try a big round-the-boards drive, Ryan Fisher shot through on the inside to put paid to that idea. The Edinburgh pair cruised home for a final 5-1 after which the delighted Tully got ‘the bumps’ for his astonishing and brilliant display.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 21 (7) (maximum), Ryan Fisher 14+3 (6), Matthew Wethers 10+3 (5), Tomas Topinka 8+3 (4), Derek Sneddon 8 (4), Aaron Summers 6 (4).

For the Isle of Wight – Jason Bunyan 8 (5), James Holder 5 (5), Andrew Bargh 4 (5), Glen Phillips 2 (4), Krzysztof Stojanowski 2 (4), Corey Gathercole 2 (5)..



Premier League: Somerset 65, Newcastle 25


Both teams were at full strength.

On their visit to Somerset just 6 weeks ago Newcastle scored just 28 points. They don’t seem to have learned much from that visit since in this match they only managed 25, this time with their full team. However when your three heat leaders manage only 12 points between them there really isn’t much hope. The Diamonds failed to sparkle as Somerset once again topped the 60 point mark.

The first ten heats all produced points advantages for the Rebels. They kicked off with an easy 5-1 in the opening heat from Stephan Katt and Jason Doyle with Sean Stoddart finishing ahead of his more illustrious partner, Josef Franc. The Diamonds were unlucky though in heat 2 when they lost the services of Richard Juul after he had fallen on the third lap and suffered suspected broken ribs. The race was awarded to Simon Walker who was leading Jerran Hart at the time with Brent Werner third for a 4-2. George Stancl gated but, in a pattern that was to be repeated, he was soon passed by the rest of the field. Emil Kramer forced his way to the front while in the three man chase into the third bend Jason King emerged in second place with Matthias Kroger third for another 4-2. Jason Frampton gated in heat 4 and took Christian Henry wide while Brent Werner nipped through into second for a second 5-1 for the home side which took the score to 18-6.

Emil Kramer gated to beat Josef Franc in heat 5 while Matthias Kroger passed Stoddart on the last bend to add a 4-2 for the Rebels before they added four consecutive 5-1s to the score. Doyle and Katt took the first from Christian Henry then George Stancl made the gate again in heat 7 before dropping to the back again while Frampton and Walker added the second of the four 5-1s. Stephan Katt won heat 8 while Jerran Hart put up some resistance by holding off Brent Werner until the last lap when Werner finally got past on the outside for the third of those 5-1s which took the score to 37-11.

Christian Henry raised the visitors’ hopes by leading from the tapes in heat 9 but Emil Kramer passed him down the back straight then Matthias Kroger followed through for the 5-1 at the start of the second lap. Jason Doyle won heat 10 but Jason King took second from Stephan Katt while Stancl finished last again for a 4-2 to the home side but the Diamonds hit a purple patch by sharing the next two heats! In heat 11 Jordan Frampton lifted entering the first bend and brought Josef Franc down. He was excluded from the rerun which was won by Simon Walker who eased round Josef Franc on the first two bends. Heat 12 ended as a 3-3 again with only one home rider finishing the race. Brent Werner suffered an engine failure just after leaving the tapes leaving Emil Kramer to head home Jerran Hart while George Stancl picked up the gift third place point to open his account. The score now stood at 52-20.

Jason Doyle gated to lead heat 13 while Jordan Frampton passed Josef Franc to go on and win the race for another 5-1 then Newcastle had the temerity to give Jason King a Tactical Ride. It was all in vain though as Walker and Kroger raced off for the 5-1 while Jerran Hart relegated his TR partner to last. Then, hallelujah!, Newcastle provided a race winner in the last heat when Josef Franc became a real spoilsport by winning from Emil Kramer and Stephan Katt for a shared race ruining Kramer’s maximum in the process.

Scorers: For Somerset – Emil Kramer 14 (5), Simon Walker 11+1 (4) (paid maximum), Jason Doyle 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Stephan Katt 10+2 (5), Jordan Frampton 9 (4), Matthias Kroger 6+2 (4), Brent Werner 5+2 (4).

For Newcastle – Josef Franc 8 (5), Jerran Hart 6 (7), Jason King 5 (5), Christian Henry 3 (4), Sean Stoddart 2+1 (4), George Stancl 1+1 (4), Richard Juul 0 (1).



Premier League: Scunthorpe 52, Redcar 41


Scunthorpe introduced their new signing, Ben Powell, at number 6 and, with Viktor Bergstrom back from injury, were at full strength. Redcar, without the injured Daniel Giffard, used Rider Replacement at number 2 and nominated Adam McKinna as their number 8.

Redcar must have had high hopes when they shot into a 6 point lead after just two races but, alas for the Bears, that lead had disappeared like snow off a dyke, by heat 5. The Scorpions then hit a purple patch mid-match to leave their visitors fighting an uphill battle in vain.

Gary Havelock got Redcar off to a good start by winning under pressure from Carl Wilkinson. Adam McKinna (R/R) took advantage of bike problems for Richard Hall to take third for a 2-4 before Arlo Bugeja won heat 2 while Josh Auty joined him up front by passing Byron Bekker after Ben Powell had fallen for a 1-5 giving the Bears a six point lead. Viktor Bergstrom won heat 3 from James Grieves while Magnus Karlsson passed Joni Keskinen for third and a 4-2 pulling two points back for the home side. Ty Proctor then won heat 4 for the Bears for a shared race which took the score to 10-14.

The Scorpions levelled the scores in heat 5 when Viktor Bergstrom won again from the gate while Magnus Karlsson, then Adam McKinna, both passed Gary Havelock for a 5-1 and equality. Josh Auty led from the gate for the Bears in heat 6 with Richard Hall in second. Ty Proctor then passed Carl Wilkinson to move into third while at the end of lap 3 Richard Hall rounded Auty to win the race for the home side for a 3-3. The home side finally took the lead in heat 7 when Ben Powell scored his first race win for them beating James Grieves in the process while Andrew Moore finished third for a 4-2 and two point lead. Carl Wilkinson flew from the tapes in heat 8 while Byron Bekker held on to second under pressure from Auty to score a 5-1 for the Scorpions taking the score to 27-21.

Heat 10 was an easy 5-1 to the home side as Richard Hall and Carl Wilkinson won from James Grieves to open up a ten point gap just at the right time for Gary Havelock to take a Tactical Ride in heat 11. In this race Andrew Moore fell and was excluded from the rerun. Even worse, he withdrew from the meeting injured. In the rerun Redcar were sitting on a 1-8 but Ben Powell passed Josh Auty on the last bend restricting the Bears to a 2-7 advantage which cut the gap to nine points. The Bears got two points closer with a 2-4 in heat 12 when James Grieves beat Magnus Karlsson while Josh Auty picked up third from Byron Bekker which took the score to 41-34.

Gary Havelock kept the visitors’ comeback alive by winning heat 13 as it started to rain quite heavily. But Hall and Powell kept Proctor at the back to share the points. Arlo Bugeja led heat 14 from the tapes but he was passed by Ben Powell on the second lap and by Bergstrom, completing his paid maximum, a lap later for a 5-1 which sealed victory for the Scorpions. In the last race Gary Havelock won again this time from Richard Hall while Magnus Karlsson in third ensured a shared heat.

Scorers: For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 10+1 (5), Richard Hall 10 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 9+3 (4) (paid maximum), Ben Powell 9+1 (5), Carl Wilkinson 7+1 (4), Byron Bekker 5+1 (4), Andrew Moore 2+1 (3).

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 15 (5) (with 6 point TR), James Grieves 8 (5), Josh Auty 7+1 (7), Ty Proctor 5+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 4 (4), Adam McKinna 2 (2), Joni Keskinen 0 (3).

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Thursday, 5 June

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Tonight’s matches were at Sheffield where the Tigers took on Birmingham in the second leg of the Premier Trophy semi-final and at Redcar where the Bears took on Mildenhall in a Premier League match.



Premier Trophy (semi-final, second leg): Sheffield 53, Birmingham 37. Birmingham won through to the final on aggregate by 94-90.


Sheffield were without Sam Martin and had Kyle Hughes at number 6. Birmingham were missing Adam Roynon and Phil Morris and had Chris Mills as a guest at number 2 again while using Rider Replacement at number 1 for Roynon.

Sheffield had 20 points to pull back from the first leg but it took them until heat 10 even to take the lead in this match leaving them too much to do over the closing five heats. Three wins from Craig Watson in the first six heats plus another excellent Owlerton performance from James Birkinshaw sowed the seeds for Birmingham’s overall success and they now meet the winner of the other semi-final between Edinburgh and Reading to contest the final of this year’s trophy.

What a start for the Brummies! They added four points to their 20 point aggregate lead with a 1-5 from the gate in heat 1 through Craig Watson and Chris Mills as Ricky Ashworth retired at the back. Sheffield pulled two of the points back in the reserves race as Lee Smethills beat James Birkinshaw with Kyle Hughes third for a 4-2. Heat three also provided a 4-2 which levelled the match score. Andre Compton won from Jason Lyons with Paul Cooper in third but Birmingham pulled four points clear again with another 1-5 in heat 4. Craig Watson won again and this time was supported by James Birkinshaw who had to fend off Lee Smethills for all four laps while Ben Wilson trailed in last at the back. This took the score to 10-14 (Aggregate: 47-71).

Andre Compton won an exciting race with James Birkinshaw in heat 5 while behind them Chris Mills won his battle with Paul Cooper to share the points. Craig Watson was out again in heat 6 and he won for the third time by fending off the constant challenges of Joel Parsons. Ashworth’s third place resulted in another shared heat all of which was nectar from the gods for the Brummies with such a big lead. Jason Lyons brought them further joy by winning heat 7 after passing Ben Wilson on the third bend while Kyle Hughes passed Lee Smart two laps later for third and another 3-3. In heat 8 Joel Parsons brought down James Birkinshaw and was duly excluded from the rerun in which Lee Smethills produced an excellent race win under pressure from Chris Mills to share the heat taking the score to 22-26 (Aggregate: 59-83).

Craig Watson gated again to lead heat 9 but this time Andre Compton was having none of it and rounded Watson on the third bend to win comfortably. Paul Cooper took third place as Sheffield at last made inroads to Birmingham’s lead. The 4-2 cut the gap on the night to two points and the Tigers added a 5-1 from Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons under pressure from Jason Lyons in heat 10 to put the Tigers in front for the first time in the match by two points. They still had a long way to go to pull back the other 18 points with races fast running out. Heat 11 brought another heat advantage to Sheffield with a 4-2 going their way in a race rerun without Chris Mills after Kyle Hughes had fallen. Ben Wilson won the rerun in fine style from James Birkinshaw. Heat 12 provided excitement from start to finish. Andre Compton led the race but was under severe pressure from Lyons and Birkinshaw. Birkinshaw slipped back and was passed by Lee Smethills at the start of the third lap while Compton won a photo-finish with Jason Lyons for another 4-2 which took the score to 39-33 (Aggregate: 76-90). Exciting race or not, Birmingham sealed victory with these two points as the match was now beyond Sheffield’s reach.

Nonetheless Sheffield pressed on and took a 5-1 in heat 13 from Wilson and Ashworth as this time Lyons and Watson brought up the rear. They added another 5-1 in heat 14 as Lee Smethills and Paul Cooper headed home James Birkinshaw then, in the last race, the crowd were treated to an epic battle. Ben Wilson gated to lead the charge then Jason Lyons passed Andre Compton at the start of the second lap. Compton re-passed Lyons two bends later to challenge Watson in second place. That’s how the race finished though – as a 4-2 to the Tigers who finished 16 points ahead in the match but four points behind on aggregate.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 13 (5), Ben Wilson 11 (5), Lee Smethills 11 (5), Ricky Ashworth 6+2 (4), Joel Parsons 5+1 (4), Paul Cooper 4+1 (4), Kyle Hughes 3+1 (3).

For Birmingham – Craig Watson 13 (6), James Birkinshaw 10+2, Jason Lyons 9 (6), Chris Mills 5+2 (4), Lee Smart 0 (4), Jack Hargreaves 0 (3).



Premier League: Redcar 53, Mildenhall 40.


Redcar were without the injured Daniel Giffard so used Rider Replacement at number 2. They also nominated Adam McKinna as their number 8.With Mark Baseby returning to the team at number 6, Mildenhall were at full strength.

When Redcar went 14 points ahead after just five races it looked as though Mildenhall were in for a real thrashing. However the Fen Tigers rallied to pull a point back over the remaining ten races during which they provided six of the race winners and took six heat advantages.

Things looked bright for the Fen Tigers when Jan Graversen led the opening heat until he fell on the last lap allowing Gary Havelock and Adam McKinna (R/R) through for a 5-1 then they lost another 5-1 in heat 2. Josh Auty won the race while Arlo Bugeja rounded Mark Baseby and Henning Loof to join his partner while Loof fell on the second lap. This was not the start the visitors were looking for but they shared heat 3, won by James Grieves, through Kai Laukkanen and Jari Makinen before losing a 4-2 in heat 4 when Ty Proctor made an electric start to beat Robbie Kessler and Arlo Bugeja taking the score to 17-7.

James Grieves won heat 5 while Joni Keskinen made an outside swoop past the visiting pair to put Redcar firmly in the driving seat with a 5-1 and 14 point lead. They were never to increase it though. Robbie Kessler and Mark Baseby made the gate in heat 6 and, although Gary Havelock passed Baseby on the back straight, Kessler went on to win and the Fen Tigers grabbed a 2-4 cutting their arrears to 12. Striking while the iron was hot, Kai Laukkanen took a Tactical Ride in heat 7 and won the race. It looked as though he might get some support from Jari Makinen but Josh Auty was soon past him while Ty Proctor also passed him on the second lap. This gave the visitors a 3-6 race advantage cutting the gap further to 9 points and it was down to 7 after the visitors made it three heat advantages in a row in heat 8. Mark Baseby won for Mildenhall after a close battle with Arlo Bugeja while Graversen took third from Auty for a 2-4 which took the score to 29-22.

Redcar pulled another two points clear in heat 9 when James Grieves won again this time from Robbie Kessler while Keskinen finished third after Loof had fallen on the opening lap while at the back . This gave the Bears a 4-2 but heat 10 saw Mildenhall reply in kind as Kai Laukkanen beat Gary Havelock while Mark Baseby won a close tussle behind them with Adam McKinna for the third place point. The 2-4 cut the gap to seven points again. However the Bears took a decisive step to sealing victory with a 5-1 in heat 11 through Josh Auty and Ty Proctor from Michal Rajkowski to increase the lead to 11 points. Back came the visitors though with another 2-4 in heat 12 as Kai Laukkanen ended Grieves’ maximum hopes by winning the race while Mark Baseby took another third place point which took the score to 42-33.

Havelock and Proctor finally ended the visitors’ hopes with a 5-1 in heat 13 with Kessler having to settle for third after Havelock had worked him wide on the fourth bend to leave space for Proctor to come past. Still Mildenhall wouldn’t lie down and they scored another 2-4 in heat 14 when Jari Makinen won the race from Josh Auty with Henning Loof in third. The final heat went to the Bears with another Grieves win on the line from Kai Laukkanen with Proctor third.

Scorers: For Redcar – James Grieves 14 (5), Gary Havelock 10 (4), Josh Auty 10 (5), Ty Proctor 9+3 (5), Arlo Bugeja 5+1 (4), Joni Keskinen 3+1 (4), Adam McKinna 2+1 (3).

For Mildenhall – Kai Laukkanen 16 (5) (with 6 point TR), Robbie Kessler 8 (5), Mark Baseby 7 (5), Jari Makinen 4+1 (3), Michal Rajkowski 3 (4), Jan Graversen 1 (4), Henning Loof 1 (4).

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Wednesday, 4 June

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Tonight’s matches were at Birmingham where the Brummies raced Sheffield in the first leg of the Premier Trophy semi final and at King’s Lynn where the Stars took on Workington in a Premier League match.


Premier Trophy (semi final, first leg): Birmingham 57, Sheffield 37


Birmingham were missing injury victims, Adam Roynon and Phil Morris. They used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Roynon and had Chris Mills as a guest at number 2 for Morris. Sheffield were without Sam Martin and had Kyle Hughes at number 6 as a guest.

Birmingham certainly pulled themselves together, after the disaster of Saturday night, by beating Sheffield by 20 points, giving the Tigers a lot to do to pull the deficit back. The visitors got off to a dreadful start and trailed by 12 points after the first four races. Although they lost another 8 points by the tenth race they dropped just two points thereafter with a number of shared heats to leave some hope for the second leg tomorrow night for a place in the final.

The first heat had to be rerun after Ricky Ashworth brought off Craig Watson on the second lap. Ashworth was excluded and Craig Watson led the rerun from the off with Joel Parsons holding off Chris Mills for second for a 4-2. James Birkinshaw got off to a fast start in heat 2 while Jack Hargreaves joined him for a 5-1 by passing Lee Smethills on the third lap. The six point lead went to eight in heat 3 when Jason Lyons led Andre Compton from the gate for a 4-2 then the Brummies added another 5-1 in heat 4 in a brilliant race. Ben Wilson and Lee Smethills gated for the Tigers until, firstly, Craig Watson then James Birkinshaw passed both visitors to turn a potential 1-5 into a 5-1 which took the score to 18-6.

The Tigers got back into the match in heat 5 after Jason Lyons had fallen on the first bend and been excluded. In the rerun Ricky Ashworth led Lee Smart home with Parsons third for a 2-4 then Andre Compton took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 6 replacing Kyle Hughes. Chris Mills won the race for the home side while Andre Compton’s chase ended on the line as he just failed to pass him for all six points. Birkinshaw’s third place meant that the heat was shared 4-4. Compton was out again in heat 7 and he won this one from Craig Watson while Paul Cooper took third for a 2-4 which cut the arrears to eight points. Birmingham responded with a 5-1 in heat 8 from Mills and Birkinshaw who came through the field from last to second to join his partner up front. This took the score to 31-19.

The Brummies hit maximum mode again in heat 9 as Lee Smart passed Ben Wilson on the last lap to join Jason Lyons who led from the start. Sheffield were now slipping behind badly and they lost another 4-2 in heat 10 when Jason Lyons led Andre Compton home again with Mills third. In heat 11 Ricky Ashworth took a Tactical Ride but he could only finish second to Craig Watson. With Birkinshaw taking third place the heat was shared 4-4. Heat 12 was also shared. Jason Lyons again beat Andre Compton but Kyle Hughes passed Jack Hargreaves on the line to rescue a shared heat for the Tigers taking the score to 47-29.

Heat 13 produced another 4-2 for the Brummies when Craig Watson won from Ricky Ashworth with Chris Mills third and the home side no doubt expected another heat advantage in heat 14. However Lee Smethills burst into life to win this one for the Tigers for a 3-3. Sheffield looked likely to win the last race as Ricky Ashworth led from the tapes. Jason Lyons reeled him in, however, and passed him off the last bend to deny Sheffield any advantage as Compton beat Watson for the third place point.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (6), Craig Watson 14 (6), James Birkinshaw 11+2 (6), Chris Mills 9 (5), Lee Smart 6+1 (4), Jack Hargreaves 2+1.

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 14+1 (6) (with 4 point TS), Ricky Ashworth 11 (5) (with 4 point TR), Joel Parsons 4 (4), Lee Smethills 4 (4), Ben Wilson 2 (4), Kyle Hughes 1+1 (3), Paul Cooper 1 (4).



Premier League: King’s Lynn 61, Workington 32.


King’s Lynn were at full strength but Workington were without Carl Stonehewer so had to use Rider Replacement at number 5.

This is not a match Workington will wish to remember! They were hammered by an on-song King’s Lynn side for whom every rider was paid for at least one race win. With Kauko Nieminen, Tomi Reima and John Branney scoring just one (gift) point between them the Comets were a three man team. To compound matters for them Joe Haines crashed into a fallen Daniel Nermark in the last race and suffered a suspected broken arm!

With no bonus point to worry about this season, a poor match can just be written off as a bad day at the office. This was certainly a bad one for the Comets. The first four races were all from the gate. Kevin Doolan beat Daniel Nermark in the first race with Shaun Tacey third for an opening 4-2 then the Stars rattled home three consecutive 5-1s. John Oliver and Kozza Smith won the reserves race while Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert did likewise in heat 3 from Joe Haines with Kauko Nieminen trailing in last at the back. Harrison and Smith added the third maximum with Joe Haines (R/R) again left to pick up the third place point. This took the score to 19-5.

King’s Lynn added a 4-2 in heat 5 after Tomas Topinka had inflicted another defeat on Daniel Nermark in the fastest time of the season at the Norfolk Arena. Simon Lambert was on Nermark’s tail as the race finished with another 2 points being added to the home side’s lead. Heat 6 brought no joy to the visitors either as Kevin Doolan won the race from Charles Wright. Shaun Tacey who completely missed the gate finally reeled in Tomi Reima to pass him on the run in to the line. This resulted in another 4-2 as did heat 7 won by Rusty Harrison from Joe Haines while Kauko Nieminen was well out of the race at the back. Finally Workington stopped the rot by sharing heat 8 although they were helped by a fall by Kozza Smith. They were still looking for a race winner though as Shaun Tacey led home Wright and Reima taking the score to 34-14.

Simon Lambert and Tomas Topinka added another 5-1 in heat 9 then Doolan’s win from Joe Haines in heat 10 resulted in another 4-2 when Shaun Tacey took third. Finally Daniel Nermark won a race for the visitors! He was on a Tactical Ride too so his six points after a terrific race with Rusty Harrison, which saw the lead change hands twice, gave the Comets a 3-6 advantage. King’s Lynn replied to this aberration by hitting home another 5-1 in heat 12 when Tomas Topinka and Kozza Smith led home Charles Wright taking the score to 51-24.

Nermark won again in heat 13 to end Kevin Doolan’s unbeaten run but with Harrison third the race was shared. Then the Comets took another race advantage in heat 14 when Joe Haines won from Lambert and Wright for a 2-4. In the last race Daniel Nermark fell on the first bend and Joe Haines ploughed into him. Haines was thought to have a broken his arm and was replaced by Charles Wright. It was an all-four-back decision and, in the rerun Doolan and Topinka team rode to keep Daniel Nermark back in third place for a final 5-1 to the home side who scored a 29 point victory.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Kevin Doolan 14 (5), Tomas Topinka 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Rusty Harrison 9+1 (4), Simon Lambert 8+1 (4), Kozza Smith 6+3 (4), Shaun Tacey 6 (4), John Oliver 5+1 (4).

For Workington – Daniel Nermark 14 (5) (with 6 point TR), Joe Haines 9 (5), Charles Wright 8 (7), Tomi Reima 1+1 (5), Kauko Nieminen 0 (3), John Branney 0 (5).

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Monday, 2 June

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Tonight’s only match was at Reading where the Racers took on Stoke in a Premier League match.


Premier League: Reading 54, Stoke 41.


Reading were at full strength but Stoke were without the injured Lee Complin so had Kauko Nieminen as a guest at number 1.

This was a match which Reading might have expected to win comfortably but they found themselves 8 points down after just two races. Unfortunately for the Potters they didn’t provide another race winner until heat 11 when Kauko Nieminen scored 6 points from a Tactical Ride. The resultant 2-7 got the Potters back to within five points of their hosts but their challenge fizzled out after that.

Kauko Nieminen passed Mark Lemon on the second lap of the opening race while Mark Burrows won a good tussle for third from Chris Mills to give the Potters a 2-4 and early two point lead which they doubled in the reserves race. Jesper Kristiansen won from Glanz and Jakobsen for another 2-4 but then Reading replied with a 4-2 in heat 3 with an Ulrich Ostergaard win from Ben Barker while Tomas Suchanek passed Barrie Evans for third. The score was level again when the home side added another 4-2 in heat 4 after Tom P Madsen won from Emiliano Sanchez and Nicki Glanz passed Kristiansen for third. This took the score to 12-12.

Ostergaard and Suchanek gated for a 5-1 in heat 5 with Nieminen surprisingly trailing in last so the Racers now had a four point lead and they doubled it in heat 6 with another 5-1 from Mills and Lemon. This time it wasn’t plain sailing as Emiliano Sanchez made the gate. He was passed by Mills off the second bend and Lemon on the fourth bend so Stoke now found themselves trailing by eight points. Madsen passed Barrie Evans to win heat 8 for a 3-3 then Ben Barker took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 8 replacing Klaus Jakobsen. Chris Mills won the race but Ben Barker finally passed Glanz at the end of the second lap then his partner, Mark Burrows, so the visitors took a 3-5 advantage from the race taking the score to 28-22.

Ostergaard won heat 9 while Suchanek passed Jakobsen then Sanchez with an inside line burst to join him for a 5-1 which put Reading ten points ahead. Mark Lemon led heat 10 but an excellent pass by Ben Barker ended with the Stoke rider winning the race while Kristiansen fell and was excluded. This resulted in a shared race and Kauko Nieminen was then nominated for a Tactical Ride in heat 11. When Nieminen and Burrows gated the Stoke pair were sitting on a 1-8 but Madsen passed Burrows on the last lap to rescue two points for Reading leading to a 2-7 for the Potters which cut the lead to five points. Ostergaard won again in heat 12 from Barker while Kristiansen was excluded when he fell in third place. The home 4-2 took the score to 42-35.

A 5-1 from Madsen and Lemon in heat 13 with Nieminen retiring from the race all but sealed victory for the Racers stretching their lead to 11 points. Kristiansen and Suchanek came together in heat 14 and the Reading man was excluded from the rerun. Kristiansen won the rerun from Jaimie Smith for a 2-4 then the home side finished with another 5-1 in heat 15 when Ostergaard and Madsen led Nieminen home.

Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 15 (5) (maximum), Tom P Madsen 13+1 (5), Mark Lemon 8+2 (4), Chris Mills 7+1 (4), Tomas Suchanek 5+2 (4), Nicki Glanz 4 (4), Jaimie Smith 2 (4).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 13 (6) (with 4 point TS), Kauko Nieminen 10 (5) (with 6 point TR), Jesper Kristiansen 6 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 5 (4), Mark Burrows 4+1 (4), Barrie Evans 2+1 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 1 (3).

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Sunday, 1 June

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Three matches were scheduled for today. One of them was postponed well in advance of the start time – the Premier League match at Newcastle where the Isle of Wight were due to provide the opposition; one started and lasted two heats before being called off - the Premier League match at Glasgow where Sheffield were the visitors; and one was completed – the Premier League match at Mildenhall where the Fen Tigers took on Somerset.


Premier League: Glasgow 6, Sheffield 6 the match was abandoned after heat 2 due to a waterlogged track.


Glasgow were without Shane Parker, Trent Leverington and Josh Grajczonek all on the injury list. They had William Lawson as a guest at number 1 for Parker, used Rider Replacement at number 5 for Leverington and had Adam McKinna at number 7 as a guest for Josh Grajczonek. The Tigers also introduced their new signing, Anders Andersen at number 3. Sheffield were without the injured Sam Martin and had Ben Hopwood at number 6 as a guest.

It is debatable whether this match should ever have started on the already waterlogged track but it did. After two heats with the rain still falling a halt was called to the proceedings to see whether the rain would stop. It didn’t so the inevitable decision to abandon the meeting was made.

In the first race William Lawson powered from the start to win by the proverbial mile and Glasgow looked in good shape for a 5-1 when Lee Dicken saw off Ricky Ashworth to move into second place but he fell under no pressure on the second bend of the last lap which allowed Ashworth through. Joel Parsons had lost interest behind the other three riders long before this but kept going no doubt suspecting a fall by someone and his casual interest in the proceedings was rewarded when he coasted home for third place. In the reserves race Adam McKinna, anxious to get on with the heat, charged into the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. When the race got under way, Lee Smethills made a fast start for a tapes-to-flag win while Mitchell Davey took second. Adam McKinna quickly made up his 15 metre handicap to pass Ben Hopwood so the race was shared. Anders Andersen was quickly on to the track for his debut race for the Tigers in heat 3 but was recalled to the pits as the inevitable long-winded discussions took place between all and sundry before the decision was made to call a halt, a decision which had been quite clear as the only one possible to the crowd even before heat 1.

Scorers: For Glasgow – William Lawson 3 (1), Mitchell Davey 2 (1), Adam McKinna 1+1 (1), Lee Dicken 0 (1), Anders Andersen and Robert Ksiezak did not ride.

For Sheffield – Lee Smethills 3 (1), Ricky Ashworth 2 (1), Joel Parsons 1+1 (1), Ben Hopwood 0 (1), Andre Compton and Ben Wilson did not ride.



Premier League: Mildenhall 37, Somerset 55.


Mildenhall were without Mark Baseby and had Kyle Hughes at number 6 in his place. Somerset were at full strength.

Mildenhall started badly then faded as another of the top Premier League sides came, saw and routed them. They produced only four race winners all match, hardly the recipe for success and Somerset had the points wrapped up by heat 13.

The Fen Tigers got off to a poor start losing the opening two heats to 2-4s, as Jan Gravesen finished behind Jason Doyle in heat 1 and Kyle Hughes finished behind Brent Werner in heat 2, to trail by four points. Heat 3 had to be rerun after Matthias Kroger had fallen while trailing at the back. Kai Laukkanen won the rerun from Emil Kramer while Hughes’ third place gave the home side a 4-2 to cut the gap to two points. Although Robbie Kessler gated to lead heat 4, he was passed by both Jordan Frampton and Simon Walker who took a 1-5 leading to a score of 9-15.

The next three races all produced heat advantages to the visitors. Jason Doyle beat Kai Laukkanen in heat 5 with Katt third for a 2-4 then Jordan Frampton won heat 6 from Graversen, who passed Brent Werner for his two points, and another 2-4. Kramer and Kroger added a 1-5 in heat 7 to increase Somerset’s lead to 14 points then Jan Graversen took a Tactical Ride in heat 8 for the Fen Tigers. His task was made easier when Stephan Katt suffered an engine failure at the gate but he couldn’t take full advantage since Simon Walker won the race for the Rebels. With Graversen finishing second the home side took a 5-3 advantage taking the score to 19-31.

Another 2-4 added two more points to the visitors’ lead in heat 9 won by Frampton from Laukkanen but the home fans had something to cheer about in heat 10 when they witnessed that rarity – a 5-1 for the Fen Tigers! Many though the race should have been pulled back after an unsatisfactory start but the home boys weren’t hanging about for the red light to come on. Michal Rajkowski awoke from the slumbers of his otherwise pointless meeting to win the race while the much improved Jan Graversen took second ahead of the two Ks – Kroger and Kramer. This oasis in the desert pulled the home side’s arrears back to just ten points and they kept it that way after Stephan Katt had fallen and been excluded in heat 11. Jason Doyle won the race for a 3-3 but Somerset pulled away again with another 1-5 in heat 12 from Kramer and Werner taking the score to 30-44.

Robbie Kessler headed Frampton and Doyle home in heat 13 for a shared race, ruining the maximum hopes of both Rebels’ riders in the process, but Somerset added another 1-5 from Kroger and Walker in heat 14. In the last heat Robbie Kessler finished with a flourish by winning again from Doyle and Frampton for another shared race as Somerset ended up with an 18 point win.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Jan Graversen 10+1 (5) (with 4 point TR), Robbie Kessler 9+1 (5), Kai Laukkanen 7 (4), Kyle Hughes 6 (5), Michal Rajkowski 3 (4), Henning Loof 2+1 (4), Jari Makinen 0 (3).

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

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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Saturday, 31 May

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Three matches were raced today. At Berwick the Bandits faced the Isle of Wight and at Workington the Comets took on Sheffield both in Premier League matches while at Rye House the Rockets raced against Birmingham in a first leg Knock Out Cup match.


Premier League: Berwick 46, Isle of Wight 44


Berwick were without Tero Aarnio, Norbert Magosi and Scott Smith. They had Kozza Smith as a guest at number 2, Adam McKinna as a guest at Number 7 and used Rider Replacement for Norbert Magosi, who was riding in the Hungarian Championships, at number 4. The Isle of Wight were missing Paul Fry and used Rider Replacement at number 4.

The opening race, won by Adrian Rymel from Jason Bunyan was shared as was the reserves race won by James Holder after passing Paul Clews coming off the second bend. Clews fought hard but couldn’t re-pass Holder. Behind them Adam McKinna passed Andrew Bargh for third for the 3-3. First blood went to Berwick with a 4-2 in heat 3. Glen Phillips led from the gate but was passed by Michal Makovsky on the third bend while Paul Clews provided third place for the Bandits. The two Islanders led from the gate in heat 4 but, while Krzysztof Stojanowski went on to win the race, Andrew Bargh was passed by firstly Tony Atkin then Adam McKinna for a shared race which took the score to 13-11.

Heat 5, won by Michal Makovsky from Jason Bunyan, was shared too after Kozza Smith fell on the third lap but the Bandits took a 5-1 in heat 6. Kozza Smith came from the back to lead the race in fine style while Adrian Rymel finished second ahead of Stojanowski. This gave the Bandits a six point lead but the Islanders pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat 7. Glen Phillips and Andrew Bargh were sitting on a 1-5 when Tony Atkin fell on the fourth bend causing the race to be stopped and rerun. In the rerun Glen Phillips again led the race but Paul Clews passed Bargh for second salvaging two points from the heat for the Bandits. The visitors then pulled back another two points in heat 8 when Cory Gathercole won the race from Kozza Smith while James Holder took third place taking the score to 25-23.

Krzysztof Stojanowski won heat 9 from Michal Makovsky for a 3-3 and heat 10, won by Adrian Rymel from Glen Phillips after Kozza Smith had fallen and been excluded, produced the same score. However the Islanders took a 1-5 in heat 11 as Jason Bunyan and Cory Gathercole gated to head home Paul Clews to put the visitors two points in front. Berwick countered that with a 5-1 from Paul Clews and Michal Makovsky ahead of Glen Phillips. This put Berwick back in front by two points again with the score now 37-35.

Adrian Rymel won heat 13 but Krzysztof Stojanowski and Jason Bunyan finished behind him for a shared race. Heat 14 provided a 2-4 to the Islanders which levelled the match at 42-42. Krzysztof Stojanowski headed Makovsky round the opening bends to lead the race then, when Makovsky shed a chain on the fourth bend, Paul Clews finished second with Andrew Bargh picking up the gift third place point. So it was a last heat decider in which Adrian Rymel raced round Stojanowski on the first bend with Makovsky trying to follow him through on the inside. Makovsky chased Stojanowski hard but decided that discretion was the better part of valour by turning his attention to keeping Gathercole behind him as the Islander started to threat. He only just managed it! The race finished as a 4-2 to the Bandits who therefore scraped home by two points in a nail biting finish.

Scorers: For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Michal Makovsky 11+1 (6), Paul Clews 11 (6), Kozza Smith 5 (5), Tony Atkin 3+1 (5), Adam McKinna 2+2 (3).

For the Isle of Wight – Krzysztof Stojanowski 14 (6), Jason Bunyan 8+1 (4), Glen Phillips 8 (4), Cory Gathercole 7+3 (5), James Holder 4 (4), Andrew Bargh 3+1 (7).



Premier League: Workington 45, Sheffield 45


Workington were without Carl Stonehewer and used Rider Replacement at number 5. They also introduced their new signing, Tomi Reima, at number 2. Sheffield were without Sam Martin, injured last night, and had Ben Hopwood as a guest at number 6.

Aye, speedway’s a funny old game. Just nine days ago Workington went to Sheffield and comfortably beat the Tigers by ten points. Tonight Sheffield made the trip to Workington in the return fixture and earned a draw. The Comets were of course missing Carl Stonehewer but an uncharacteristic single figure score from Daniel Nermark who only won one race (plus a paid win) didn’t help.

This match see-sawed back and forth all night. In the opening heat Joel Parsons touched the tapes and was replaced by Paul Cooper. Ricky Ashworth then led Daniel Nermark home while Paul Cooper took third from the Comets’ new man, Tomi Reima, for third and a 2-4. The Tigers’ lead was wiped out by a Comets’ 5-1 in the reserves race won by Joe Haines and Workington were now two points ahead. Back came the Tigers in heat 3 with a 1-5 although they were fortunate when Kauko Nieminen suffered an engine failure at the end of the third lap while out in front. Andre Compton and Lee Smethills took full advantage by heading Charles Wright home. This restored Sheffield’s two point lead and it stayed that way when Joe Haines won a titanic struggle with Ben Wilson to win heat 4 for a shared race which took the score to 11-13.

Ricky Ashworth fell in heat 5 and was excluded from the rerun which was won by Kauko Nieminen from Joel Parsons for a 4-2 to the home side levelling the scores again. Ben Wilson gated in heat 6 for the Tigers but Tomi Reima passed him round the opening bends and was followed soon after by Daniel Nermark leading to a home 5-1 which put the Comets four points in front. Back came Sheffield in heat 7 with a win from Andre Compton. The Tigers threatened a 1-5 as Lee Smethills joined him up front but Joe Haines passed him at the end of the second lap to turn the result into a 2-4. The visitors were now just two points down but they levelled the match again in heat 8 with another 2-4. Paul Cooper led from the start and again the Tigers were sitting on a 1-5 when Joel Parsons moved into second place behind him. However once more it was down to Joe Haines to rescue the Comets and this he did by passing Parsons right on the line to restrict the Tigers’ heat advantage to two points taking the score to 24-24.

Kauko Nieminen easily won heat 9 and, with Charles Wright in second, it was Workington’s turn to threaten a 5-1. However Ben Wilson passed Wright down the back straight to take second. Nonetheless the Comets took a 4-2 which put them back in front by two points again. They then stretched their lead to six points with a 5-1 from Daniel Nermark and Joe Haines ahead of Andre Compton but Sheffield hit back again in heat 11 when Ricky Ashworth beat Kauko Nieminen with Joel Parsons this time subduing Joe Haines to keep him at the back for a 2-4 which cut the visitors’ arrears to four points. John Branney fell on the second lap of heat 12 as Sheffield sat on a 1-5. He was excluded but it was scant consolation for the Tigers as Kauko Nieminen charged past both Cooper and Compton in the rerun to win the heat. Cooper fell on the second lap but remounted for third to earn a shared race which took the score to 38-34.

The alarm bells started ringing for Workington when Daniel Nermark fell while leading on the last lap in heat 13. The race was awarded to Ben Wilson with Tomi Reima (R/R) second and Ricky Ashworth third. This gave Sheffield another 2-4 cutting their arrears to just two points then they squared the match in heat 14 with yet another 2-4. Lee Smethills and Paul Cooper led from the gate for the Tigers and once again it was left to Joe Haines to rescue second place for the home side. This he did passing Paul Cooper on the second lap off the second bend and setting up a last heat decider in which Andre Compton scored a tapes-to-flag victory for the visitors from Nieminen and Nermark for a shared race which left the match tied.

Scorers: For Workington – Joe Haines 14+1 (7), Kauko Nieminen 13 (6), Daniel Nermark 8+2 (5), Tomi Reima 5 (4), Charles Wright 3 (5), John Branney 2+1 (3).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 12 (5), Paul Cooper 8+2 (6), Ben Wilson 8 (4), Ricky Ashworth 7 (5), Lee Smethills 6+1 (4), Joel Parsons 4 (4), Ben Hopwood 0 (3).



Knock Out Cup (second round, first leg): Rye House 62, Birmingham 30


Both teams were at full strength (briefly).

At last Birmingham welcomed back their injury victims, Phil Morris and James Birkinshaw, but their injury list wasn’t depleted for long. In the opening heat Phil Morris ploughed through the third bend fence while Adam Roynon followed him. Both withdrew from the meeting, Morris with a dislocated shoulder and Roynon with a broken leg, leaving the Brummies yet again in tatters. It seems barely conceivable that the fates could conspire against them so cruelly. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jason Lyons suffered lacerations to his hand after crashing into his stricken partner in heat 12 ruling him out of the last race.

In the opening heat Robert Mear raced inside Phil Morris on the third bend of the second lap. Although there was no contact, Morris straightened up and crashed through the fence causing Adam Roynon to lay down his bike to avoid hitting Morris but he only succeeded in crashing into the fence too. This left both Birmingham riders to take trips to the hospital leaving the Brummies with only five riders and no opening pairing. In the rerun of heat 1 Chris Neath and Robert Mear easily beat James Birkinshaw for a 5-1. Heat 2 had to be rerun too after Luke Bowen fell attempting an outside pass on race leader, James Birkinshaw, at the end of the second lap. He was excluded from the rerun in which Birkinshaw won from the gate from Danny Betson for a 2-4. Tai Woffinden passed Jason Lyons in heat 3 at the end of the first lap and Tommy Allen did likewise on the next lap but Lyons regained his second place soon after. This gave Rye House a 4-2 and four point lead again and they added a 5-1 in heat 4 in yet another rerun race after Craig Watson had fallen on the second lap. Luke Bowen and Stefan Ekberg took all five points in the rerun which took the score to 16-8.

Woffinden and Allen recorded a 5-1 against the two Brummies’ reserves in heat 5 and Neath and Mear added another beating Craig Watson in heat 6 after Mear had passed Watson on the backstraight. In heat 7 Birmingham gave Jason Lyons a Tactical Ride but Stefan Ekberg won the race to deny him all six points. Birmingham still took a heat advantage though when Lee Smart passed Danny Betson for third resulting in a 3-5 to the visitors. In heat 8 Bowen and Mear beat the two Brummies’ reserves for another 5-1 taking the score to 34-16.

In heat 9 Tai Woffinden passed Craig Watson while Tommy Allen took third for a 4-2 which stretched the home side’s lead to 20 points and it stayed that way when Jason Lyons won heat 10 for a shared race. Stefan Ekberg won heat 11 but the two Brummies’ reserves finished ahead of Danny Betson to share this race too. In heat 12 there was more trouble for the depleted visitors when James Birkinshaw fell on the last bend of the second lap and Jason Lyons ran into him hurting his hand in the process. The race was awarded to Luke Bowen and Tai Woffinden for another 5-1 which took the score to 49-25.

Birmingham’s resources were reaching exhaustion point and they were able to track just one rider in heat 13, Craig Watson. Stefan Ekberg took a tapes-to-flag win but Watson passed Chris Neath for second so the race finished as a 4-2 for the Rockets. Jack Hargreaves then fell in heat 14 while at the back so the race had to be rerun. Tommy Allen won it for the home side but Lee Smart held on under pressure from Bowen for second place and another 4-2. To complete a dismal night for Birmingham Craig Watson fell in heat 15 causing that heat to be rerun too, the sixth rerun of the night. Ekberg and Woffinden completed their maximums beating Smart into third place for a 32 point lead to take into the second leg which surely ends Birmingham’s chances of progression.

Scorers: For Rye House – Stefan Ekberg 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Tai Woffinden 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Luke Bowen 10 (5), Robert Mear 8+3 (4), Chris Neath 8+1 (4), Tommy Allen 7+1 (4), Danny Betson 2 (3).

For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 10 (4) (with 4 point TR), James Birkinshaw 8+1 (7), Craig Watson 5 (5), Lee Smart 4+1 (5), Jack Hargreaves 3 (7), Phil Morris 0 (1), Adam Roynon 0 (0).