Merlin's World

Joe McElderry sings Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Video

2009-11-29T21:18:00.000Z

Joe McElderry sings Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Video

Around the X Factor 2009

Joe McElderry – Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word – Video

2009-11-29T21:17:00.000Z

Joe McElderry – Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word – Video

Around the X Factor 2009

Joe McElderry – Circle of Life – Video

2009-11-29T21:15:00.000Z

Joe McElderry – Circle of Life – Video

Around the X Factor 2009

2008-10-13T17:20:00.006+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Sunday, 12 October 2008

Today’s main match was at Glasgow where the Tigers raced against Edinburgh in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Glasgow 45, Edinburgh 47.

Glasgow were without Robert Ksiezak out injured with a broken collar bone while Edinburgh were missing Thomas H Jonasson out with a broken ankle. Both sides used Rider Replacement – Glasgow at number 4 and Edinburgh at Number 2.

It might have been just an ordinary league match (at least as ordinary as local derbies between Glasgow and Edinburgh ever are) but this was a contest extraordinaire – a match of two halves as they say in footballing parlance.

Glasgow still smarting from last Sunday’s home defeat at the hands of the Monarchs thanks to a last heat 0-5, were determined to break their duck in derby matches this season at the seventh attempt but it all went pear-shaped after heat 8 with the Tigers holding a twelve point lead and looking like adding to it.

Glasgow could hardly have wished for a better start. William Lawson led heat 1 until the first bend when he slid off causing a rerun without him. Derek Sneddon was fast away at the second attempt but Lee Dicken changed lines entering the first bend and passed Sneddon on the inside. Shane Parker joined him up front with an inside pass this time on the third turn and the Tigers were off for an opening 5-1. The two Glasgow reserves made the start in heat two and Sneddon again had to watch from the back as the home side added another 5-1. It didn’t get much better for the Monarchs in heat 3. Lee Dicken took the Rider Replacement ride and made another fast start. Ryan Fisher, giving chase, went wide on the fourth bend but slid off leaving Dicken to score another heat win. Andrew Tully took second place so the result was a 4-2 which put the Tigers ten points ahead. At last Edinburgh provided a race winner when Matthew Wethers made the gate and held off some strong challenges from Trent Leverington in heat 4. Anders Andersen followed him home for a shared heat which took the score to 17-7.

The shell-shocked Edinburgh side immediately gave the Rider Replacement ride in heat 5 to Ryan Fisher and gave him the black and white helmet cover as a Tactical Ride too but he made a poor start leaving Trent Leverington to storm off and win the race easily. Fisher finished second while William Lawson took third ahead of Peter Juul for a 3-5 which cut the gap between the sides to eight points. The respite for the Monarchs was only temporary though since Parker and Dicken made lightning starts ahead of Matthew Wethers for Glasgow’s third 5-1 of the match which put them 12 points ahead. Trent Leverington stormed from the tapes to win heat 7 from Andrew Tully and Ryan Fisher for a 3-3 while Matthew Wethers did the same for the Monarchs in heat 8 for another shared race which took the score to 31-19.

Then it all changed as Edinburgh got into their stride. Heat 9 saw Derek Sneddon and Matthew Wethers fast away from Mitchell Davey and Peter Juul and the 1-5 cut the Tigers’ lead to eight points. In heat 10 Ryan Fisher made the gate and led Shane Parker while the Glasgow number 1 suffered an engine failure on the third lap. Lee Dicken continued his productive run with a valuable second place under pressure from Andrew Tully whose third place gave the Monarchs a 2-4 cutting the gap further to six points. Trent Leverington steadied the Glasgow ship by winning heat 11 comfortably from William Lawson but behind them Andrew Tully passed Anders Andersen for third place to share the race. Edinburgh looked to have a good chance of another race advantage in heat 12 as Fisher and Sneddon were programmed to meet the two Glasgow Danes Juul and Andersen. It looked like they would get a 1-5 too when they made the gate but Andersen passed Sneddon on the second bend and Juul followed suit with an inside pass on the third bend to leave the Edinburgh captain to chase them at the back. Sneddon fell on the third bend of lap 3 but remounted to finish last while Fisher won the race easily. The 3-3 kept the Tigers six points in front with just three races left with the score at 40-34. But it looked like Edinburgh had blown a valuable chance of making up further ground on the home side.

It started to go horribly wrong for the Tigers in heat 13 though. In the first running of the race Shane Parker was soon off and away with Trent Leverington slotting into second. However just when the Tigers finally thought that they had a win over their auld enemy in the bag Matthew Wethers made a superb inside pass on Leverington on the fourth bend. Desperate to regain his position Leverington charged hard under Wethers going into the first bend on lap two only to spin off causing William Lawson to have to lay down to avoid him. In the rerun Shane Parker again led but again Matthew Wethers found drive off the inside of the fourth bend to pass him and go on to win the race. Lawson too wasn’t far off Parker as the race finished as a 2-4 to Monarchs bringing them even closer with the gap down to four points. The butterflies in the Glasgow stomachs began to flutter even harder when Derek Sneddon charged off to win heat 14 with ease. At the back Andrew Tully recovered from another poor gate to reel in the Glasgow Danish pair. Although he finally caught and passed Anders Andersen on the final bend there wasn’t enough time for him to mount a challenge on Peter Juul but his third place point gave Edinburgh another 2-4 to cut the gap to just two points with one heat to go. Surely the Monarchs couldn’t pull the match out of the bag again with a last heat maximum! Wrong! Glasgow looked to have gained an advantage by winning the toss for gate positions and they chose the inside gates. However Ryan Fisher off gate 4 stormed out of the start with Parker in hot pursuit. On the first bend, however, Matthew Wethers, who had also made a good start, passed him on the inside and denied him a clear run round the bend. Leverington then emerged as the main threat to the Monarchs’ pair as they stormed off down the back straight in the lead. Leverington gave way to Parker who took up the challenge but the Glasgow number 1 never got quite close enough, or in the right position, to attempt a pass on Wethers so the 1-5 saw Edinburgh home to a win which had looked highly unlikely after heat 8.

As had happened last week the Glasgow fans were left to trudge off home in a bemused, stunned silence while the Edinburgh fans revelled joyously in the euphoria of the moment. But it was only a league match after all! To make matters worse this time the Tigers could not complain about suffering bad luck but were left to swallow the bitter pill of defeat knowing they had been turned over by a side which doesn’t seem to know when it’s beaten.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Lee Dicken 11+2 (5), Trent Leverington 11 (6), Shane Parker 8+1 (5), Anders Andersen 8+1 (6), Peter Juul 4+1 (5), Mitchell Davey 3+1 (3).

For Edinburgh – Matthew Wethers 14+2 (6), Ryan Fisher 14+1 (6) (with 4 point TR), Derek Sneddon 8 (6), Andrew Tully 7+1 (5), William Lawson 4+1 (4), Aaron Summers 0 (3).

2008-08-12T13:18:00.004+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Tuesday 12 August 2008
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State of the Premier League
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The league has about one third of the way to go. Based on a table of ‘points gained away less points dropped at home’ the four main contenders for the championship stand as follows: Edinburgh +14, Workington +13, Somerset +12, King’s Lynn +12. King’s Lynn look likely to finish with the best race points difference and, with a win at Mildenhall virtually certain, their finishing score on the table would be +15 (unless they can also win at the Isle of Wight).
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This means that to finish ahead of the Stars, the minimum target the rest have to reach is +16. Workington have only one away match left (at Berwick on August 23rd) so would have to win that to get to the +16 mark. Edinburgh would require a further two points to better the King’s Lynn total and have six away matches to manage it. Somerset would require a further four away points to hit the +16 mark and have seven more away fixtures to get them.
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But +16 is only a minimum target. More than that would rule out King’s Lynn and Workington leaving Edinburgh and Somerset in a head to head battle. The remaining away fixtures for the Monarchs are: Glasgow, Newcastle, Redcar, Somerset, Stoke and Workington. The remaining fixtures for the Rebels are: Berwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Isle of Wight, Reading, Rye House and Sheffield.
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So there you are – who’s your money on?
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Mildenhall
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There have been many northern tours by southern-based teams over the years some of which have been less than successful but has there ever been a more dismal set of results than the Fen Tigers produced at Armadale last Friday, Berwick last Saturday and Newcastle last Sunday? They scored 21 at the Dale, 18 at Shielfield Park and 22 at Brough Park – a total of 61, one more than Edinburgh scored in their single away match at West Row!
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It looks beyond Mildenhall’s capabilities to register even one league win home or away this season but you have to admire the enthusiasm and spirit of their gallant band of travelling supporters who, despite the terrible scores, attended all three matches and made their presence felt at all three tracks.
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Good for them – that’s the mark of a true supporter. What a credit to their team.
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Theo Pijper
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I ran into Theo last Friday afternoon (not literally of course!). He says that he hasn’t really felt at home since he left Edinburgh and is still struggling with pain from the injuries he suffered in his bad crash at Swindon. He’s got problems for next year too because he is still lumbered with his 7 plus average carried forward from last year since he just missed out on completing 12 matches for the Bandits which would have lowered his average by about a point for Premier League purposes.
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He hasn’t and won’t complete enough Premier League matches this season to get a new average nor can his Elite League scores be taken into account. So he may find it hard to find a PL team next season on the higher average particularly if the points limit is reduced. It was good to see him win a race last Friday. He also won heat 15 at Newcastle on Sunday which should do his confidence a lot of good.
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Iwish him better luck for next year.

2008-07-24T20:46:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Wednesday 23 July

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).

2008-07-23T22:03:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Tuesday 22 July

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).

2008-07-23T21:10:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Monday 21 July

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).

2008-07-23T20:21:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Sunday 20 July

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).

2008-07-20T18:22:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Saturday 19 July

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).

2008-07-19T13:31:00.003+01:00

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Friday 18 July

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).

2008-07-10T22:30:00.001+01:00

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Thursday 10 July

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).

2008-07-08T22:45:00.003+01:00

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Tuesday 8 July

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).

2008-07-08T14:54:00.002+01:00

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).

2008-07-08T00:04:00.002+01:00

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Saturday 5 July

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).

2008-07-06T17:05:00.002+01:00

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).

2008-07-03T22:26:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Thursday 3 July

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).

2008-07-02T22:27:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Wednesday 2 July

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).

2008-06-11T22:08:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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).

2008-06-10T22:20:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Tuesday, 10 June

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.

2008-06-10T10:55:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Monday, 9 June

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).

2008-06-09T22:27:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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).

2008-06-08T12:49:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Saturday, 7 June

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).

2008-06-07T15:11:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Friday, 6 June

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).

2008-06-06T10:34:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Thursday, 5 June

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).

2008-06-04T23:29:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Wednesday, 4 June

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).

2008-06-02T22:53:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

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).

2008-06-01T22:39:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Sunday, 1 June

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).

2008-06-01T11:42:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Saturday, 31 May

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).

2008-05-31T18:59:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Friday, 30 May

There were two Knock Out Cup matches raced tonight – a second leg tie at Edinburgh between the Monarchs and Redcar and a first leg tie at Somerset between the Rebels and Reading.

Knock Out Cup (second round, second leg): Edinburgh 55, Redcar 38 Edinburgh won on aggregate by 110-76.

Edinburgh were without Thomas Jonasson and Andrew Tully both off in search of World under-21 Championship glory so used Rider Replacement for Jonasson at number 4 and had Sean Stoddart at number 6 for Tully. Redcar were at full strength.

This was an excellent and entertaining match on a warm night at Armadale. The atmosphere was greatly enhanced by a coach load of Bears’ fans, suitably attired for the occasion, who ensured that a good time was had by all. Redcar had too much to do following the first leg result but contributed greatly with some spirited riding which, strangely enough, produced the identical score to the first leg.

In the opening race William Lawson showed he was in great form by scorching to a win in a time 0.2 outside the track record set by Theo Pijper in September 2006. Gary Havelock took second as the Monarchs opened with a 4-2. The usual reserves race maximum for the Monarchs didn’t materialise this time as Josh Auty made the gate to win comfortably. It looked as though the Bears were going to level the match as Arlo Bugeja was comfortably third but Aaron Summers came from a long way back to pass Bugeja on the line as the Bears’ rider seemed to slow so the heat was shared. In heat 3 Derek Sneddon, James Grieves and Ryan Fisher all came together at the same spot entering the first turn causing Grieves and Fisher to fall. In the all-four-back rerun, James Grieves led from the start but Ryan Fisher passed him on the inside coming off bend four. Derek Sneddon, stuck at the back, made a Herculean effort to pass Daniel Giffard on the fourth bend of lap 3 but only succeeded in getting completely out of shape so he retired from the race. This race was shared too as was heat 4. Edinburgh were sitting on a 5-1 from the gate but Aaron Summers made a hash of the third bend and crashed into the fence causing the race to be rerun. Matthew Wethers won that so the score stood at 13-11.

In heat 5 Derek Sneddon made a fast start to lead Gary Havelock off the second bend. Ryan Fisher tried to sweep round the outside but was baulked and could thereafter make no impression on Havelock while Sneddon was flawless on his way to the win. The 4-2 gave the Monarchs a four point lead and it stayed that way after heat 6 after an enthralling race. William Lawson gated to lead down the back straight but he got a shock as Josh Auty passed him going into the third bend. Auty couldn’t make it stick though as Lawson re-passed him off the fourth bend. With Ty Proctor third the result was a 3-3. Heat 7 was another classic. James Grieves was fast away but Matthew Wethers produced his party piece on bend 2 to pass him on the inside up the back straight. James Grieves forced his way to the front again off the top bends but a lap later Wethers drove round the outside of Grieves to win the race. Daniel Giffard took third for another shared race as the Bears resistance continued. In heat 8 Ryan Fisher (R/R) gated for a comfortable win but Aaron Summers having gated poorly and picked off Bugeja fell on the last bend to surrender his third place point to Bugeja for another 3-3 which took the score to 26-22.

Edinburgh then took control. Ryan Fisher headed off in heat 9 after Josh Auty had looked like challenging him then Auty got involved in a great race with Derek Sneddon which saw the riders pass and repass each other. Auty prevailed to take second place but the 4-2 extended the home side’s lead to six points. Heat 10 had to be rerun after Daniel Giffard fell heavily on the first bend just as Lawson and Wethers had passed James Grieves. In the rerun the two Monarchs repeated their moves on Grieves who again made the best start. Coming off bend two William Lawson passed Grieves round the outside while Matthew Wethers nipped through on the inside in a pincer movement. The 5-1 put the Monarchs 10 points ahead but Redcar suffered a bad blow in heat 11 when Gary Havelock, in second place behind Sean Stoddart, got out of shape on the first bend on the second lap. He collected Matthew Wethers and both riders crashed into the fence. Although both were soon up and walking back to the pits it was the end of the meeting for Havelock. In the rerun Wethers and Stoddart led Joni Keskinen home by a distance for another 5-1 so Redcar gave James Grieves a Tactical Ride in heat 12. This was another cracking race. Derek Sneddon gated to lead Grieves from the start. Sneddon rode an excellent race against the faster Grieves, blocking his outside run off bends two and four the whole race until on the last bend when he didn’t quite go wide enough and Grieves finally got past on the outside to win on the line for the full six points. Josh Auty finished third ahead of Aaron Summers so the visitors scored a 2-7 which took the score to 42-33.

Lawson and Wethers added a textbook 5-1 in heat 13 to seal victory for the home side then Ryan Fisher won heat 14 by a distance. The improving Arlo Bugeja took second comfortably from Sean Stoddart resulting in a 4-2 for the Monarchs before the home side signed off with another 4-2 in heat 15. In another excellent race William Lawson completed his maximum with ease but James Grieves in second place fended off all the challenges that Matthew Wethers could mount for second place.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – William Lawson 15 (5) (maximum), Matthew Wethers 14+2 (6), Ryan Fisher 13 (5), Derek Sneddon 6 (4), Sean Stoddart 6+1 (5), Aaron Summers 1+1 (5).

For Redcar – James Grieves 13 (5) (with 6 point TR), Josh Auty 10 (6), Arlo Bugeja 4+2 (5), Ty Proctor 4+1 (4), Gary Havelock 4 (3), Daniel Giffard 2+2 (3), Joni Keskinen 1 (3).

Premier League: Somerset 53, Reading 39.

Both teams were at full strength.

What should have been the second leg of this tie became the first leg following the postponement of the corresponding fixture at Reading on Monday night. Having already won at Somerset, the Racers had no fears in visiting what had become a fortress in recent weeks.

The Racers got off to a good start in heat 1 when Mark Lemon got the better of Jason Doyle on the opening bend to win the race comfortably. Chris Mills took third for a 2-4 but a reserves race 5-1 from Simon Walker and Brent Werner from the gate changed the two point lead around. Matthias Kroger touched the tapes in heat 3 and was replaced in the heat by Simon Walker. Emil Kramer got the better of Ulrich Ostergaard on the first bend to forge ahead for the race win while Ostergaard was then pressurised by Walker without success. The 4-2 put the Rebels four points ahead but the Racers pulled two points back in heat 4. Tom P Madsen and Nicki Glanz made the gate but Jordan Frampton passed Glanz on the third bend for a 2-4 which took the score to 13-11.

Mark Lemon passed Emil Kramer in heat 5 to win the race for a 3-3 then the Rebels put some daylight between themselves and the visitors with a 5-1 in heat 6. Stephan Katt and Jason Doyle gated to lead Madsen home stretching the Rebels lead to six points. Ulrich Ostergaard gated to win heat 7 for a shared race but the Rebels added another 5-1 in heat 8 when Stephan Katt and Brent Werner gated. Werner held off the challenge of Chris Mills as the score went to 29-19.

Tom P Madsen was fast away in heat 9 but Emil Kramer passed him off the second bend for the win while Jaimie Smith took third for a shared race. Doyle and Katt made the gate in heat 10 and, although Ostergaard passed Katt at the end of the first lap, he couldn’t catch Doyle so the Rebels increased their lead to twelve points with the 4-2. In heat 11 Mark Lemon took a Tactical Ride but, although he gated, he was passed round the outside by Simon Walker while Jordan Frampton was third resulting in a 4-4 shared race. Reading got back into the match by scoring a 1-5 in heat 12. Jaimie Smith and Ulrich Ostergaard hit the front after Ostergaard had pinned Kramer to the line round the first two bends. The maximum race win cut the visitors’ arrears to eight points with the score now 41-33.

Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton led Mark Lemon round the opening bends of heat 13 and, although Frampton suffered an engine failure just before the line, he had enough momentum to cross the line in second place for a 5-1. Ulrich Ostergaard tried a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 14 replacing Nicki Glanz but the move came to nothing when he finished at the back leaving Kroger and Walker to score another 5-1 which increased the Rebels lead to 16 points, a worrying gap for the Racers. However the visitors pulled two points back in the final race as Ulrich Ostergaard beat Jason Doyle with Mark Lemon in third for a 2-4.

Scorers: For Somerset – Jason Doyle 12+1 (5), Simon Walker 11+1 (5), Emil Kramer 9 (5), Stephan Katt 7 (4), Jordan Frampton 6+2 (4), Brent Werner 4+2 (4), Matthias Kroger 4+1 (4).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 12+1 (6) (with 2 point TS), Mark Lemon 12 (5) (with 4 point TR), Jaimie Smith 6+1 (5), Tom P Madsen 6 (4), Chris Mills 2 (4), Nicki Glanz 1 (3), Tomas Suchanek 0 (3).

2008-05-30T14:06:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Thursday, 29 May

With no match at Sheffield this week the only match tonight was at Redcar where the Bears raced against Edinburgh in the first leg of their second round Knock Out Cup tie.

Knock Out Cup (second round, first leg): Redcar 38, Edinburgh 55 .

Redcar were at full strength but Edinburgh were missing William Lawson who was riding in the British Final and Thomas Jonasson who was on his way to Finland for a World under-21 Championship meeting. They had Tomas Topinka as a guest for Lawson at number 1 and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Jonasson.

What was expected to be close run affair turned out another sizeable win for an Edinburgh side currently on fire. The Monarchs produced ten of the race winners and only three last places to leave Redcar with a nigh impossible task in having to pull back a seventeen point deficit in Friday’s second leg.

What a start for Edinburgh! In the opening race Tomas Topinka jetted from the gate to lower the track record to 54.4 followed by Gary Havelock and Andrew Tully (R/R) for a 2-4. The Monarchs added a 1-5 in the reserves race. Andrew Tully gated and waited for Aaron Summers to come round the outside of him before the pair team rode smoothly to keep Josh Auty in third. Six points ahead another fine start from Derek Sneddon and Ryan Fisher threatened another race advantage for the visitors but Sneddon headed for the second bend fence off the first corner allowing the other three riders to pass him by. Fisher went on to win the race comfortably for a 3-3 then Edinburgh increased their lead to eight points in heat 4 when Matthew Wethers became the fourth Monarchs’ rider to win a heat. He made the best start to the race, rerun after Andrew Tully had been warned for moving at the start, then fended off a challenge from Ty Proctor down the back straight to go on for the win. Tully’s third place gave the visitors another 2-4 taking the score to 8-16.

James Grieves gated to win heat 5 and Daniel Giffard threatened to join him up front briefly before Topinka pulled away from him to cement his second place. The 4-2 pulled Redcar’s arrears back to six points but they were eight down again after heat 6. Gary Havelock made the gate and looked in control of the race but he got a real shock when a charging Andrew Tully thundered under him on the third and fourth bends to take the lead and go on to win. Matthew Wethers took third for a 2-4 and another heat advantage went the visitors’ way in heat 7. Fisher and Sneddon were quickly off and running but a forceful move by Ty Proctor saw him pass Sneddon for second place restricting the damage to a 2-4 which increased Edinburgh’s lead to ten points. The Bears gave Ty Proctor a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 8 but it was to no avail. Fisher and Summers soon left Bugeja behind in their charge round the first two bends and, although Proctor did make up some ground on Summers, he never really looked like having any points to double. The resultant 1-5 saw Edinburgh almost out of sight now 14 points ahead with the score at 17-31.

James Grieves was next to appear with the black and white helmet cover, this time taking a Tactical Ride in heat 9. He just got to the corner ahead of Matthew Wethers who pushed him hard all race on the inside without being able to pass him. This gave Grieves the full six points but, with Tully taking third from Giffard, Redcar were restricted to a 6-3 advantage which cut the lead to 11 points. Ryan Fisher made a good start to lead Gary Havelock home in heat 10 but Joni Keskinen scored his first ever ‘genuine’ point for the Bears by fending off the challenge of Derek Sneddon for third resulting in a shared race. Ty Proctor made the gate for an excellent win ahead of Wethers and Topinka in heat 11 for another 3-3 then heat 12 became the third consecutive shared race. Derek Sneddon led from the tapes until towards the end of the third lap when he was passed in quick succession by James Grieves and Andrew Tully taking the score to 32-43.

The charge round bends one and two in heat 13 resulted in Matthew Wethers and Tomas Topinka coming out in front of Havelock and Proctor and that’s the way it stayed for a 1-5 which put the Monarchs 15 points ahead. However Josh Auty finally made a gate to lead home Aaron Summers and Ryan Fisher in heat 14, ruining Fisher’s maximum in the process. Finally Ryan Fisher completed an excellent and classy night’s work in winning heat 15 by the proverbial mile while James Grieves found himself again with his hands full trying to keep Matthew Wethers behind him. He managed it though but the race still finished as a 2-4 to the visitors giving them a 17 point advantage to take into the second leg.

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

For Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 16+1 (6), Matthew Wethers 12 (5), Andrew Tully 11+1 (6), Tomas Topinka 8+2 (4), Aaron Summers 6+2 (4), Derek Sneddon 2+1 (4).

2008-05-28T21:52:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Wednesday, 28 May

With the KO Cup match at Birmingham where the Brummies were due to face Rye House being postponed by the weather, the only match tonight was at King’s Lynn where the Stars raced against Newcastle in a Premier League match.

Premier League: King’s Lynn 65, Newcastle 27.

King’s Lynn were at full strength as were Newcastle for the first time in ages. George Stancl made a return to the team at number 3 and Jerran Hart made his debut at number 6 for the Diamonds.

The track was causing some problems for the riders in the opening heat. Kevin Doolan fell and remounted while Richard Juul took an early lead before being reeled in and passed by Shaun Tacey whose win earned the Stars a shared heat. King’s Lynn stormed ahead in heat 2 when they took a 5-1 through Kozza Smith and John Oliver for a four point lead while Jerran Hart fell at the back. In heat 3 Tomas Topinka sailed round George Stancl off the second bend while Simon Lambert passed Jason King for third and a home 4-2 and six point lead. Newcastle then conceded a 0-5 in heat 4. Sean Stoddart was first to fall then Rusty Harrison passed Christian Henry shortly afterwards only for Henry also to fall. The race was stopped and Henry and Stoddart (not under power) were excluded causing the race to be rerun. Rusty Harrison led his partner Kozza Smith home in the rerun for an unchallenged five points which took the score to 17-6.

Things got even worse for the Diamonds when they lost another 5-1 in heat 5. This time it was Simon Lambert and Tomas Topinka who cruised home ahead of Juul and Josef Franc. Heat 6 compounded the misery for the Diamonds as Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey added another maximum ahead of Sean Stoddart and Christian Henry. At last Newcastle stopped the rot in heat 7 just as the rain returned. Jason King won the heat for the Diamonds but with George Stancl falling while trying to pass Harrison the race ended as a 3-3. It was back to the 5-1 trail in heat 8 though when Shaun Tacey and Kozza Smith kept their unbeaten records going by beating Richard Juul to take the score to 35-12. The time for this race was some five plus seconds slower than those which had gone before it indicating how much the track conditions had deteriorated.

Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert added another 5-1 in heat 9 and Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey (who completed his four ride paid maximum) did likewise in heat 10. It was hardly thrill-a-minute stuff as John Oliver and Rusty Harrison continued the rout in heat 11 when both passed Josef Franc while Juul fell and remounted bringing up the rear. Heat 12 saw the end of Kozza Smith’s maximum hopes when he fell and was excluded much to his disgust after colliding with George Stancl on the first bend. In the rerun Tomas Topinka went through the formality of winning the race for a 3-3 which took the score to 53-18 giving the Diamonds a chance of reaching the 20 point mark!

Kevin Doolan and Rusty Harrison added a by now routine 5-1 in heat 13 after Christian Henry had fallen then Newcastle provided some interest to the proceedings by giving their sole race winner, Jason King, a Tactical Ride in heat 14. He flew from the gate for an unchallenged win to bring some joy to the Newcastle fans’ hearts and it got better for them when John Oliver suffered an engine failure while third leading to a Newcastle 2-7. In the last race Richard Juul fell on the last bend of the second lap, as King’s Lynn were sitting on a 5-1, and was excluded from the rerun in which Tomas Topinka and Shaun Tacey completed their paid maximums for yet another 5-1 giving the Stars a 38 point victory.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14+1 (5), Shaun Tacey 12+3 (5), Kevin Doolan 9 (4), Rusty Harrison 8+3 (4), Simon Lambert 8+1 (4), Kozza Smith 7+2 (4), John Oliver 7+1 (4).

For Newcastle – Jason King 10 (5) (with 6 point TR), George Stancl 5 (4), Richard Juul 4 (5), Josef Franc 3+1 (4), Jerran Hart 2+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 2 (4), Christian Henry 1 (4).

2008-05-28T14:33:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Tuesday, 27 May

The sole match today’s match was not as expected on the Isle of Wight but instead at Reading where the Racers raced in front of the Sky Television cameras against Rye House in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Reading 47, Rye House 46.

Both teams were at full strength.

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A match that looked like being pretty mundane after Reading opened up an eight point lead after just three heats burst into life as Rye House got the bit between their teeth to play their part in a thriller with a tremendous fightback which had the Racers decidedly worried when they found their lead reduced to a single point after heat 13. The Rockets were left to rue the fall by Luke Bowen in heat 8. Had he just settled for third place the Rockets would have won by a single point the way the match subsequently unfolded.

The opening race confirmed that the track was…err…difficult. Mark Lemon made the gate and didn’t seem to have problems but behind him the other three struggled. Indeed Robert Mear fell twice but remounted both times to at least finish the race. A wobbly Chris Neath took second from a tentative Chris Mills so the Racers took a 4-2. Luke Bowen made a great start to the reserves race and won it with something to spare. Jaimie Smith finished second as Danny Betson pulled up at the back resulting in a 3-3 but the Rockets lost another 5-1 in heat 3. Ulrich Ostergaard made one of the fastest starts you could ever see for a tapes-to-flag win while Tomas Suchanek railed round the opening bends to pass Tai Woffinden for second. Things looked bleak for the Rockets and the Sky viewers at this stage but the Rye House side pulled two points back in heat 4. Both Stefan Ekberg and Luke Bowen made the gate but Tom P Madsen made an inside pass on Bowen to restrict the visitors to a 2-4 taking the score to 15-9.

Chris Neath made the gate in heat 5 but was soon passed on the inside off bend two by the flying Ostergaard while Suchanek passed Robert Mear for third and a 4-2 stretching the Racers lead to eight points again. Stefan Ekberg anticipated the start in heat 6 to lead from the gate but his lead didn’t last long as Mark Lemon passed him off the second bend. Chris Mills took third from a struggling Betson for another 4-2, increasing the lead to ten points just at the right time for Tai Woffinden to take a Tactical Ride in heat 7. The Racers had any complacency knocked out of them when the Rye House pair responded with the big 1-8. Woffinden was fast away and his partner, Tommy Allen, joined him round the outside to team ride brilliantly denying Tom P Madsen anywhere to go. However when Madsen spotted a gap on the inside on the last bend he was through like a flash to pass Allen. The Rye House man wasn’t finished though and drove off the fourth bend timing his effort to maximum effect by finishing ahead of Madsen but still behind his partner for the best possible result. This was quite a race well worthy of the television audience. The Racers lead had now reduced to just three points and they might well have lost another two points of it in heat 8. Robert Mear finally got his act together and shot from the gate for a tapes-to-flag win. Chris Mills was second but under pressure from Luke Bowen who reeled him in and went for an inside pass on the third bend of lap 3. Unfortunately he fell in the process which allowed Nikki Glanz through for third place, a point that was to prove of great significance they way the match then unfolded. The score at this stage was 27-24.

Another fast start from Ostergaard wrapped up the win for Reading in heat 9 but the action was behind him where Ekberg led Suchanek for most of the race until Suchanek finally passed him after several unsuccessful attempts off the last bend for a 5-1 which increased the home side’s lead to seven points. Tai Woffinden won heat 10 for the visitors but Chris Mills got by Tommy Allen to finish behind Mark Lemon so the race was shared but the Rockets weren’t finished yet and recorded a 1-5 in heat 11. Chris Neath made the gate and Robert Mear, now fully into his stride, roared round the outside to join him for the maximum cutting the gap to three points again. Heat 12 was a cracker! Ulrich Ostergaard made the gate but a magnificent ride from Tai Woffinden took him past Nicky Glanz then Ostergaard on the third bend into the lead. Ostergaard had no answer so the young Rocket won the race. At the back Luke Bowen passed Nikki Glanz for third so Rye House took a 2-4 taking the score to 38-37.

Tom P Madsen made the gate in heat 13 but Stefan Ekberg and Chris Neath slotted in behind him for the 3-3 as Mark Lemon could make no impression at the back. Heat 14 was crucial and it was the home riders who made the gate. Tomas Suchanek was soon away for the race win but behind him there was an almighty battle for the minor places. Tommy Allen got past Jaimie Smith while Luke Bowen nibbled away at Smith on the inside for third place. It might have been a 4-2, 3-3 or 2-4 result but, on the last lap, Tommy Allen got out of shape and slipped to the back as Smith took full advantage to slip through for second place behind his partner for the 5-1 which sealed victory for the Racers. It was just as well for them since Rye House finished with a 1-5 from Ekberg and Woffinden. They were fortunate though since Ulrich Ostergaard, with the race in his pocket, suffered an engine failure on the last lap to surrender the maximum to the visitors. An excellent match which was a credit to the Premier League and wiped out the memory of the last televised Premier League match – the humdrum affair on the Isle of Wight when Reading were the visitors.

Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 11 (5), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tomas Suchanek 8+2 (4), Tom P Madsen 7 (4), Chris Mills 6+2 (4), Jaimie Smith 4+1 (4), Nikki Glanz 2+2 (4).

For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 15+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 11 (5), Chris Neath 6+2 (4), Robert Mear 6 (4), Luke Bowen 6 (5), Tommy Allen 2+1 (4), Danny Betson 0 (3).

2008-05-27T23:11:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Monday, 26 May

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Today’s matches were at Scunthorpe where the Scorpions raced Edinburgh in a Premier League match and at Workington where the Comets took on Stoke in the Knock Out Cup. Two other matches were postponed because of the weather. They were the matches at Rye House where the Rockets were due to race Berwick in a Premier League match and at Reading where the Racers were due to meet Somerset in a Knock Out Cup tie.

Premier League: Scunthorpe 39, Edinburgh 53

Scunthorpe without Benji Compton and Viktor Bergstrom used Scott Richardson at number 4 and had Adam McKinna as a guest at number 6. Edinburgh were at full strength.

What a strange match this was. The first nine races all finished as 3-3s then Edinburgh simply took off. In fact had Andrew Tully not suffered a puncture while on a 1-5 with Ryan Fisher in heat 14, the Monarchs would have won the last six heats by 8-28. It had looked as though this match could well end up as a last heat decider but once Edinburgh stepped up a gear they were simply unstoppable.

Thomas Jonasson won the opening race and it looked as though, with William Lawson in third, the visitors would open with a 2-4. Lawson however was looking uncomfortable and eventually slipped to the back after being passed by Andrew Moore. Andrew Tully returning to his old stomping ground gave notice of his intentions, on this his 21st birthday, by easily winning heat 2 but Aaron Summers was off the pace at the back. Again it looked as though Edinburgh were off and running when Derek Sneddon and Ryan Fisher worked their way to the front in heat 3 but Sneddon came down on the third bend causing Fisher to have to lay down and Karlsson to take some quick avoiding action. Sneddon was excluded from the rerun (once the referee who originally excluded Fisher got her act together). Fisher made sure the race was shared with a tapes-to-flag win. Matthew Wethers and Aaron Summers then looked as though they would break the deadlock when they gated in heat 4 but Summers went very wide at the start of lap 2 and the rest of the field passed by. This fourth consecutive shared heat took the score to 12-12.

Magnus Karlsson became the first Scorpions’ rider to win a race in heat 5 but Thomas Jonasson and William Lawson finished behind him for 3-3 number 5. Heat 6 was rerun after Wethers and Wilkinson came together on the first bend. In the rerun Andrew Tully was fast away for a comfortable win but Matthew Wethers got stuck behind Carl Wilkinson and Andrew Moore at the back. On the run-in to the line Wethers tried a big outside drive but clouted the fence and fell heavily just short of the line. In heat 7 an excellent race developed between Andrew Hall who made the gate and Ryan Fisher with Fisher just losing out on the line. It was the only point he was to drop all match. Heat 8 was won by Andrew Tully although he was made to work for it by Carl Wilkinson. Thomas Jonasson seemed unhappy with his bike and was tailed off at the back as another 3-3 took the score to 24-24.

Magnus Karlsson gated to win heat 9 but Aaron Summers came to life by passing Wethers and Scott Richardson for second place and another shared race but the whole match changed in the next race. Andrew Tully replaced Derek Sneddon and joined Ryan Fisher up front to team ride beautifully for a 1-5 which finally broke the deadlock and put Edinburgh four points in front. They doubled it to eight with another 1-5 in heat 11. This time it was William Lawson who sprung to life by gating for a comfortable win while Thomas Jonasson finally broke loose from Richard Hall to finish second. Andrew Tully won heat 12 but not before he had been passed by Byron Bekker slipping back to third. He repassed Bekker then set off after Magnus Karlsson finally passing him in great style off the fourth bend to win the race for a shared heat which took the score to 33-45.

It was all over after heat 13 when the Monarchs rattled in their third 1-5 in four heats. William Lawson and Matthew Wethers forced their way to the front off the opening two bends to leave Andrew Moore and Richard Hall trailing in their wake. This put the visitors twelve points up so the Scorpions tried a Tactical Substitute ride for Richard Hall replacing Scott Richardson from 15 metres back. It looked a forlorn hope when Ryan Fisher and Andrew Tully led the race from the start but Tully’s maximum hopes died when he suffered a puncture on the fourth bend allowing Bekker and Hall through. Bekker then also had a puncture but limped home behind his partner to give the Scorpions their only heat advantage of the match with a 5-3. In the last race Lawson gated again while Fisher passed Wilkinson for second place to register a fourth 1-5 for the Monarchs and 14 point win.

Scorers: For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 10 (5), Richard Hall 10 (5) (with 4 point TS), Carl Wilkinson 8 (5), Byron Bekker 6+3 (5), Andrew Moore 3+2 (4), Scott Richardson 1+1 (3), Adam McKinna 1+1 (3).

For Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 14+1 (6), Ryan Fisher 13+1 (5), William Lawson 9+2 (5), Thomas Jonasson 7+1 (4), Matthew Wethers 7+1 (4), Aaron Summers 2 (3), Derek Sneddon 1+1 (3).

Knock Out Cup (second round, first leg): Workington 54, Stoke 36.

Workington again used Rider Replacement at number 2 in place of Barry Burchatt. Stoke were missing Lee Complin who was involved in a car accident and had Adam Roynon (Birmingham) as a guest at number 1.

Having lost heavily at home to Workington on Saturday night, Stoke could not have been too optimistic about keeping this match close and they weren’t helped by the news that Lee Complin had been injured in a car smash.

Workington opened with three 5-1s in the first four heats. Daniel Nermark and Charles Wright scored the first in the opening heat but Jesper Kristensen won the reserves race for a shared heat. In heat 3 Kauko Nieminen and Charles Wright again scored another 5-1 for an eight point lead then Carl Stonehewer took time out from winning heat 4 to shepherd his partner, John Branney, home ahead of Emiliano Sanchez for yet another 5-1 which took the score to 18-6.

The Potters managed a shared race in heat 5. Adam Roynon gated for the Potters but Nieminen passed him off the second bend to go on and win. Mark Burrows finished third for the 3-3 but another 5-1 went the Comets’ way when Nermark and Branney led home Sanchez in heat 6. Stoke were now trailing by 16 points and gave a TR to Ben Barker in heat 7. Barrie Evans passed Carl Stonehewer to lead the race briefly but Stonehewer re-passed him to go on and win. With Ben Barker stuck at the back the TR was wasted and Evans’ second place resulted in a 4-2 to the Comets. Mark Burrows gated to win heat 8 but it was only good enough to share the points as Jesper Kristensen, who had also made a fast start, slipped to the back. This took the score to 33-15.

Stoke rallied in heat 9 when Klaus Jakobsen and Emiliano Sanchez gated leaving Charles Wright and Kauko Nieminen to follow them home for a 1-5 to the Potters. Daniel Nermark won heat 10 after Ben Barker had ploughed through the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. However Joe Haines’ engine failure gave the visitors a shared race before Heat 11 provided another 1-5 to the visitors. Carl Stonehewer had withdrawn from the meeting and been replaced by John Branney but it was Roynon and Burrows who won the race for the Potters cutting their arrears to just 10 points. Kauko Nieminen won heat 12 for the home side but John Branney shed a chain resulting in a shared race which took the score to 41-31.

Daniel Nermark continued his way to a maximum by winning heat 13 but Stoke’s luck held as Joe Haines again had an engine failure resulting in another shared race. Workington then took two 5-1s in the last two races to open the winning margin to 18 points. In heat 14 Joe Haines finally finished a race and he did it in style by winning from Wright and Evans then Nieminen and Nermark added the second maximum in heat 15.

Scorers: For Workington – Daniel Nermark 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Kauko Nieminen 12 (5), John Branney 8+3 (6), Charles Wright 7+3 (5), Joe Haines 7+1 (7), Carl Stonehewer 6 (2).

For Stoke – Adam Roynon 8 (4), Mark Burrows 6+2 (5), Ben Barker 6 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 5+2 (4), Barrie Evans 4+1 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 4+1 (4), Jesper Kristensen 3 (4).

2008-05-27T13:01:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Sunday, 25 May

With the match at Mildenhall where the Fen Tigers were due to race Reading being postponed because of heavy rain the sole match today’s match was at Glasgow where the Tigers raced against Redcar in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Glasgow 42, Redcar 48.

Glasgow were without Shane Parker, Trent Leverington and Josh Grajczonek. They patched up the side by using Kauko Nieminen as a guest in place of Parker at number 3, Luke Priest as a guest for Josh Grajczonek at number 2 and Rider Replacement for Trent Leverington at number 1. Redcar were without Josh Auty and used Adam McKinna as a guest at number 6.

Glasgow didn’t have their troubles to seek in this match. Starting with only six riders, including Luke Priest as a guest and rookie reserve Mitchell Davie, they then had to contend with the withdrawal of key reserve, Ross Brady, before he even completed a race to leave them a decimated and considerably under-strength team. They then found that Redcar had struck gold with their choice of guest, Adam McKinna, replacing Josh Auty, as the former Berwick rider rattled up his best ever score at Ashfield which included winning his first three races.

The fact that the Tigers took the match to a last heat decider was astonishing, and to their credit, but they couldn’t produce the 5-1 needed to salvage a draw. Redcar by contrast must be wondering how on earth they weren’t out of sight before heat 15. They must also be delighted with McKinna’s performance which undoubtedly was the key to their success. His score must have been way beyond their wildest expectations!

Glasgow got off to a good start by taking a 4-2 in the opening heat. Kauko Nieminen beat Gary Havelock while Luke Priest scored his only point of the match when Joni Keskinen had an engine failure. The picture turned black for the Tigers in heat 2. The race had to be rerun with all four back after Mitchell Davey had fallen on the first bend. In the rerun Ross Brady gated to lead the rerun but all was not well with him and he pulled up in pain to leave Adam McKinna and Arlo Bugeja to score a 1-5 turning the two point advantage around. Kauko Nieminen was out again in heat 3 and this time took care of James Grieves while Lee Dicken’s third place gave Glasgow another 4-2 which levelled the score again. At this stage Brady’s withdrawal from the meeting was announced but, undaunted, Glasgow were back in front again after heat 4. In the first running of the race, Ty Proctor fell and was excluded from the rerun which was won by Robert Ksiezak. Arlo Bugeja finished second ahead of Mitchell Davey so Glasgow took another 4-2 which resulted in a score of 13-11.

Kauko Nieminen took his third ride in heat 5 and beat Gary Havelock again while Lee Dicken’s third place increased the Tigers’ lead to four points by virtue of the 4-2. However a very disappointing and perhaps ultimately decisive race for the Tigers in heat 6, when McKinna and Proctor gated to lead Robert Ksiezak home, resulted in a 1-5 which levelled the scores again. James Grieves had a tapes –to-flag win in heat 7 to beat Robert Ksiezak while Daniel Giffard took third from Mitchell Davey to earn the Bears a 2-4 which put them back in front again by two points. They doubled that lead with another 2-4 in heat 8 as Adam McKinna continued his scoring spree to win the race. Mitchell Davey took second after fending off the challenge of Arlo Bugeja as the score went to 22-26.

Back came Glasgow again in heat 9. Kauko Nieminen led from the gate and was followed home by Lee Dicken ahead of Proctor and McKinna to restore the home side’s hopes with a 5-1 which levelled the scores once again. The home joy was short-lived though as Redcar responded in kind as James Grieves and Daniel Giffard gated to lead Lee Dicken home for a 1-5 in heat 10 which restored the Bears’ four point lead. Gary Havelock gated to win heat 11 from Ksiezak while Mitchell Davey beat Joni Keskinen for third place to share the race points. Kauko Nieminen then won heat 12 from Grieves and McKinna for another 3-3 which took the score to 34-38.

In heat 13 Robert Ksiezak gated for a valuable win for the Tigers beating Gary Havelock in the process. Ty Proctor’s third place from Luke Priest kept the Bears four points ahead and it stayed that way when heat 14 was shared too. Lee Dicken gated to beat Daniel Giffard but Adam McKinna took third from Mitchell Davey to ensure a 3-3 which left the Bears four points to the good going into the last race. Glasgow need a 5-1 to draw the match but it was Gary Havelock who got to the front off the second bend after taking Robert Ksiezak very wide while Nieminen and Grieves slotted in behind him for a 2-4 to the visitors giving them a six point win.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Kauko Nieminen 17 (6), Robert Ksiezak 11 (6), Lee Dicken 8+1 (5), Mitchell Davey 5+1 (7), Luke Priest 1 (5).

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 12 (5), Adam McKinna 11+2 (6), James Grieves 11 (5), Arlo Bugeja 5+1 (3), Daniel Giffard 5+1 (4), Ty Proctor 4+2 (4), Joni Keskinen 0.

2008-05-27T12:02:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Saturday, 24 May

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Tonight’s matches were at Berwick where the Bandits raced Scunthorpe and at Stoke where the Potters took on Workington in Premier League matches.

Premier League: Berwick 48, Scunthorpe 42

Berwick were without Adrian Rymel and Norbert Magosi both racing abroad. They had Tomas Topinka as a guest at number 1 and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Magosi. They also introduced new signings Tony Atkin ay number 4 and Paul Clews at number 6. Scunthorpe were again obliged to use Conference League guests for Benji Compton at number 4 and Viktor Bergstrom at number 6. Scott Richardson rode at 4 while Adam McKinna guested for them at number 6.

Berwick went into this match with their declared ‘dream team’ but they soon woke up to some harsh reality when they found themselves down to five riders and an arrears of eight points after heat 5. However, having clawed their way back into the match and leading by six points after heat 9, they then lost Tero Aarnio to a high speed accident leaving them with just four riders to complete the remaining six heats. Nonetheless they had sealed a remarkable victory with a heat to spare!

The Scorpions got off to a great start. They gated well in the opening heat and it took a round-the-third-bend swoop by Berwick’s guest, Tomas Topinka, to pass Carl Wilkinson and separate them with Andrew Moore winning the race. This gave the visitors a 2-4 and they added another in the reserves race as Adam McKinna gated to lead home Paul Clews. Scott Smith injured his leg again and Byron Bekker passed him to give the Scorpions a four point lead. Smith withdrew from the meeting depleting the Bandits’ resources further. Magnus Karlsson won heat 3 holding off a strong challenge from Michal Makovsky to do so for a shared race then the visitors went six points clear with another 2-4 in heat 4. This time it was Richard Hall who gated for the visitors to win the race from Paul Clews. Tero Aarnio was baulked by his partner and finished last. The score was now 9-15.

The Scorpions went eight points ahead with their fourth 2-4 of the match in heat 5. Andrew Moore and Carl Wilkinson made the start and, although Michal Makovsky drove hard under them both to pass them on the second bend, Moore regained his lead for the heat advantage. Berwick then woke up! Tomas Topinka saw off the challenge of Richard Hall on the second bend of heat 6 while Adam McKinna suffered an engine failure giving the Bandits a 4-2. They then added two 5-1s in heat 7 and 8. The first was a from-the-gate effort; the second saw Paul Clews gate to lead round the top bends with Michal Makovsky riding Carl Wilkinson out to the fence to successfully join his partner up front. Berwick had now turned their eight point arrears into a two point lead as the score stood at 25-23.

Heat 9 produced a third consecutive home 5-1 as this time Tony Atkin led from the gate. Michal Makovsky passed Adam McKinna and Richard Hall for the maximum then Berwick hit problems again in heat 10. Tomas Topinka and Tero Aarnio seemed well set to add a fourth 5-1 on the trot only for Aarnio to shed a chain on the third lap and clatter the fence. The race was awarded as a 3-3 while Aarnio withdrew from the meeting with suspected broken ribs. Down to just four riders, Berwick could only track Paul Clews in heat 11 and he succumbed to a Wilkinson/Moore 1-5 for the visitors cutting the gap to two points. Michal Makovsky, again the lone Bandit, produced a stunning race in heat 12 by passing Adam McKinna before chasing after Magnus Karlsson. He caught him off the last bend to take the win right on the line for a shared race which took the score to 37-35.

Tomas Topinka was on his own for the Bandits in heat 13 to win a close race with Andrew Moore for another 3-3 which kept the Bandits in front by two points but it was all over when the home side, at last able to track two riders again, scored a 5-1 in heat 14 to seal victory. It wasn’t easy though as Adam McKinna and Byron Bekker made the start. However the luck changed hands as McKinna fell and Bekker picked up a puncture leaving the Bandits to record their match winning maximum. In the last race Topinka won while behind him Makovsky, Moore and Karlsson had a terrific scrap for the minor places which eventually went to the visitors.

Scorers: For Berwick – Tomas Topinka 14 (5), Paul Clews 12+2 (7), Michal Makovsky 12+1 (6), Tony Atkin 7+2 (5), Tero Aarnio 3 (3), Scott Smith 0 (1).

For Scunthorpe – Andrew Moore 11+2 (5), Magnus Karlsson 10 (5), Richard Hall 6+1 (4), Adam McKinna 6+1 (5), Carl Wilkinson 5 (4), Byron Bekker 3 (4), Scott Richardson 1+1 (3).

Premier League: Stoke 36, Workington 59.

Stoke were at full strength but Workington without Barry Burchatt used Rider Replacement at number 2.

From the moment they lost a 1-5 in the opening race, Stoke were in trouble and never looked like pulling this match out of the fire. An 8-1 in heat 6 got them back to within three points of the Comets but the visitors just pulled away again. Nermark, Nieminen, Stonehewer and Haines scored enough between them to win the match for them!

It was depressing enough for the home fans watching Daniel Nermark win the opening heat with ease without having to watch Workington second string, Charles Wright, taking the R/R ride see off Mark Burrows and Lee Complin to follow him home for an opening 1-5. Joe Haines won the reserve race after John Branney had fallen so the result was a 3-3. Ben Barker was the first home race winner in heat 3 but his win was only good enough for a 3-3 as Kauko Nieminen and Charles Wright kept Barrie Evans at the back. The Comets added two points to their lead with a 2-4 in heat 4. Carl Stonehewer won the race from Emiliano Sanchez while John Branney passed Jesper Kristensen for third place to take the score to 9-15.

With the track already dry and dusty, gating was at a premium as passing was well nigh impossible. Nermark and Branney gated in heat 5 for a 1-5 which opened the Comets’ lead to 10 points. Stoke immediately gave Lee Complin a Tactical Ride in heat 6 and he and Mark Burrows struck gold after Carl Stonehewer fell and was excluded from the rerun. Joe Haines made the gate in the rerun but was passed by Mark Burrows at the end of lap 2 then by Lee Complin at the end of lap 3 for the Potters to score the big 8-1 and cut their arrears to three points. Workington replied to this set back with consecutive 1-5s in heats 7 and 8. In the former Nieminen and Wright made the gate against Sanchez and in the latter Haines and Branney did the damage after Mark Burrows had had to go from 15 metres back after tape touching. This took the score to 20-31.

Ben barker had a tapes-to-flag win in heat 9 for a 3-3 then in heat 10 Lee Complin and Mark Burrows made the gate but the Potters knew it wasn’t their night when Burrows hit the fence on the second lap and fell. He was excluded from the rerun in which Lee Complin cleverly cut back to pass Kauko Nieminen on the third lap resulting in a shared race. Daniel Nermark now rejoined the fray and duly won heat 11 from Emiliano Sanchez while John Branney beat Klaus Jacobsen for third and a 2-4. With the Comets reigning supreme at the gate Kauko Nieminen was next up for a tapes-to-flag win while Joe Haines followed him home for a Comets’ 1-5 which took the score to 29-46 clinching the match for them.

Yet another 1-5 went the Comets way when Stonehewer and Nermark led Sanchez home in heat 13 for a 21 point lead. This was Workington’s sixth 1-5 of the match. In heat 14 Stoke gave Ben Barker a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back replacing Barrie Evans. Charles Wright was then excluded under the two minute time allowance and also had to go from 15 metres back. It was Joe Haines though who gated for the win. Barker made it through to second and Kristiansen finished third so the Potters took a 5-3 advantage from the heat. Finally the Comets sealed an excellent win with a 1-5 from Nermark, who completed his maximum, and Nieminen.

Scorers: For Stoke – Ben Barker 12 (6) (with 4 point TS), Lee Complin 9 (4) (with 6 point TR), Emiliano Sanchez 6 (5), Mark Burrows 4+1 (4), Jesper Kristensen 4+1 (5), Klaus Jakobsen 1+1 (3), Barrie Evans 0 (3).

For Workington – Daniel Nermark 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Joe Haines 13+2 (6), Kauko Nieminen 12+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 8 (4), Charles Wright 6+4 (5), John Branney 6+2 (5).

2008-05-25T20:40:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Friday, 23 May

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Tonight’s matches were at Edinburgh where the Monarchs raced Scunthorpe and at Somerset where the Rebels took on Stoke in Premier League matches. Not for the first time in recent days the two matches produced identical scorelines.

Premier League: Edinburgh 68, Scunthorpe 22

Edinburgh were at full strength but Scunthorpe were without Viktor Bergstrom, injured riding in Sweden, and had Scott James (Redcar Cubs) at reserve in his place. Having dropped Benji Compton they had Scott Richardson from their Conference League side at number 4.

This really was a top drawer performance from the Monarchs which left the Scorpions in tatters. Even if the visitors had had the missing Compton and Bergstrom in their team it is hard to see how they could have made any difference. Although William Lawson and Matthew Wethers went through the meeting unbeaten the Monarchs’ star man was undoubtedly Andrew Tully who recorded his first ever 15 point Premier League maximum in times just one second outside the track record.

Carl Wilkinson led the opening race for about 50 yards by which time William Lawson had rounded him on his way to setting the fastest time this season at Armadale (55.5). Thomas Jonasson was in third place but his machine started to slow and eventually gave up the ghost allowing Andrew Moore through for a shared race. In heat 2 Andrew Tully gated and was gone. However Aaron Summers was baulked on the first bend by Byron Bekker then caught a patch of deep dirt on the second bend which had him struggling to stay on his machine. With the Scorpions nearly half a lap up on him by the time he had sorted himself out he set off in pursuit and was rewarded when Bekker fell on the second lap. He then reeled in Scott James and caught and passed him on the line for second place and a 5-1. Magnus Karlsson made the gate in heat 3 and sailed off for an untroubled race win and a shared race but a Monarchs’ 5-1 in heat 4 put them eight points ahead. Aaron Summers gated while Matthew Wethers cut back under Richard Hall on the second bend to join him and take the score to 16-8.

The Monarchs, not for the first time this season, then reeled off six consecutive 5-1s. In heat 5 Derek Sneddon touched the tapes, was excluded and replaced by Andrew Tully who passed Carl Wilkinson off the inside of bend two for an unchallenged win. Ryan Fisher passed Wilkinson on the next bend for 5-1 number 2. Lawson and Jonasson added number 3 from the gate in heat 6 then Magnus Karlsson was given a Tactical Ride in heat 7. He made the gate too but Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers were on his tail and executed a beautiful pincer movement on the third bend when Tully passed Karlsson round the outside while Wethers nipped past on the inside to leave the Scorpion’s man wondering what happened. Jonasson and Summers added 5-1 number 5 which took the score to 36-12.

Fisher and Sneddon gated for maximum number 6 then, in heat 10, Magnus Karlsson again made the gate. William Lawson passed him with a fine cut back on the second bend of lap 2 but Jonasson made no impression and had to settle for third. The home side stretched their lead to 30 points with the 4-2 then added another 5-1 in heat 11 as Andrew Tully blasted round for another heat win with Wethers following him home. The Scorpions stopped the rot in heat 12 when Magnus Karlsson again made the gate and this time pulled away from Sneddon and Summers for a shared race which took the score to 53-19.

Lawson and Wethers added 5-1 number nine in heat 13 then in heat 14 Richard Hall replaced Scott Richardson as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres. He got nowhere near that man Tully who won again from Ryan Fisher for 5-1 number 10. In the last race William Lawson completed his maximum but Matthew Wethers was baulked at the first bend. He quickly passed Magnus Karlsson then chased after Richard Hall who kept closing the door on the entrance to the bends. However Matthew had had enough of this after a couple of laps so changed lines to blast round the outside of Hall on bends three and four for Monarchs’ eleventh 5-1 of the match.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – William Lawson 15 (5) (maximum), Andrew Tully 15 (5) (maximum), Matthew Wethers 11+4 (5) (paid maximum), Ryan Fisher 8+3 (4), Aaron Summers 7+4 (4), Derek Sneddon 6+1 (4), Thomas Jonasson 6+1 (4).

For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 9 (5), Carl Wilkinson 5 (4), Richard Hall 4 (6), Andrew Moore 2+1 (4), Scott James 1 (4), Byron Bekker 1 (4), Scott Richardson 0 (3).

Premier League: Somerset 68, Stoke 22 .

Both teams were at full strength.

This match nearly didn’t take place as a torrential burst of rain waterlogged parts of the track. Only after some hard work by the track staff could the match proceed. Stoke probably wished it hadn’t as they suffered a real hammering.

Jason Doyle beat Lee Complin to win the opener as Mark Burrows pulled up at the back then a 5-1 in the reserves race won by Simon Walker put the Rebels six points ahead. Emil Kramer won heat 3 but Ben Barker and Barrie Evans kept Matthias Kroger at the back for a shared race before Jordan Frampton won heat 4. Emiliano Sanchez took second from Brent Werner for a 4-2 which took the score to 16-8.

Emil Kramer gated to win heat 5 while Matthias Kroger rounded Lee Complin to join him for a 5-1 then Jason Doyle and Stephan Katt separated by Emiliano Sanchez scored a 4-2 in heat 6 for a 14 point lead. In heat 7 Ben Barker was given a Tactical Ride but it amounted to nothing when Walker and Frampton scored another 5-1. Heat 8 provided another maximum from the home side. Emil Kramer led the race from Mark Burrows from the start but Werner passed Burrow round the outside on the third lap for the Rebels’ sixth 5-1 which took the score to 35-13.

Kramer and Kroger added another easy 5-1 in heat 9 but Ben Barker gave the visitors some joy by passing Jason Doyle at the end of the third lap of heat 10 to win the race for a 3-3. Somerset responded to that piece of impudence by rattling home five consecutive 5-1s in the last five heats to rattle up a 46 point win. The only point of interest during these heats was Sanchez’s effort in heat 13 when he led Jordan Frampton for half a lap before being swallowed up. In heat 15 Simon Walker, bidding for his paid maximum, had a good tussle with Ben Barker for second place behind Kramer until Barker fell off on the last lap.

Scorers: For Somerset – Emil Kramer 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Simon Walker 13+2 (5) (paid maximum), Jason Doyle 11 (4), Jordan Frampton 9+3 (4) (paid maximum), Brent Werner 8+2 (4), Matthias Kroger 7+2 (4), Stephan Katt 6+1 (4).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 7 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 7 (5), Lee Complin 4 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 2 (4), Barrie Evans 1+1 (4), Mark Burrows 1 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 0 (4).

2008-05-22T23:18:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Thursday, 22 May

Isn’t speedway a strange sport? Since the season started in March the teams struggled through the cold, miserable weather rearranging fixtures to avoid a backlog and sometimes running more than once a week at home. Now that we’re more than half way through May with some warmer and sunnier weather what happens? Well this week we had one Premier League match on Monday night, one on Tuesday night, none on Wednesday and only one again tonight! Tonight’s match was at Sheffield where the Tigers raced against Workington in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Sheffield 40, Workington 50.

Sheffield were at full strength but Workington were without the unfortunate Barry Burchatt so had to use Rider Replacement instead at number 2.

It’s not often the Tigers get turned over at home but Workington won this match with some ease. In fact the home side managed just one heat advantage all match – a 4-2 in heat 3 – while the Comets provided ten of the fifteen race winners. The key to their success was the stunning performance of their young reserve, Joe Haines, who scored paid twelve from his seven rides to back up the visitors’ top three. He would have scored more but for an engine failure on the last bend when leading heat 14! Every one of the Comets’ riders was paid for at least one race win.

The opening two races were shared with Daniel Nermark winning the opener, after cruising round Joel Parsons on the top bends of the third lap, and Joe Haines rocketing from the gate to win the reserves race for the Comets. However it was the Tigers who took the lead with a 4-2 in heat 3 when Andre Compton passed Kauko Nieminen on the third lap while Charles Wright fell at the back. The lead lasted just one race because Workington replied with a shock 1-5 in heat 4. The Tigers were unlucky when Paul Cooper suffered an engine failure while lying third but Carl Stonehewer and John Branney relegated Ben Wilson to the back turning a two point deficit to a two point lead with the score now at 11-13.

Andre Compton won heat 5 but the race was shared when Daniel Nermark and Joe Haines who struck the fence coming off the second bend finished behind him. Carl Stonehewer won again in heat 6 although he blocked his partner, Joe Haines’, run down the back straight resulting in Ricky Ashworth moving past into second place. This resulted in a 2-4 which doubled the visitors’ lead to four points. Ben Wilson gated to win heat 7 but the Tigers made no impression on their arrears because Nieminen and Wright slotted in behind him for a 3-3. Heat 8 was shared too by virtue of a Joe Haines win so the score moved to 22-26.

Workington’s big three won the next three races. Carl Stonehewer took heat 9 from Andre Compton and Lee Smethills for another 3-3 then Kauko Nieminen won heat 10 from Ashworth and Parsons. Daniel Nermark kept the winning run going for the Comets with a heat 11 success from Ben Wilson but this time he was supported in third place by Joe Haines for a 2-4 increasing the visitors’ lead to six points. Andre Compton broke the trend by winning heat 12 but Kauko Nieminen and Joe Haines kept the Workington lead intact by sharing the heat taking the score to 33-39.

With three heats left Sheffield were struggling but things looked a bit brighter when Ben Wilson and Ricky Ashworth made the gate in heat 13. It was not to be however as Carl Stonehewer passed Ricky Ashworth then closed the door on him allowing Daniel Nermark to pass them both with a run round the outside. Wilson’s win resulted in a shared race and it was all over for the Tigers when heat 14 was shared. This time it was Charles Wright’s turn for the glory as he led Paul Cooper and Lee Smethills home after Joe Haines suffered an engine failure on the last bend while leading the race. The race was shared then the Comets rubbed salt in the wound by finishing with a 1-5 as Daniel Nermark and Carl Stonehewer led Wilson and Compton home in the last race.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 11 (5), Ben Wilson 10 (5), Paul Cooper 6 (5), Ricky Ashworth 5+1 (4), Joel Parsons 4+2 (4), Lee Smethills 3+2 (4), Sam Martin 1+1 (3).

For Workington – Daniel Nermark 13 (5), Carl Stonehewer 12+2 (5), Joe Haines 10+2 (7), Kauko Nieminen 9 (4), Charles Wright 4 (4), John Branney 2+1 (5).

2008-05-20T22:04:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Tuesday, 20 May

Tonight on the Isle of Wight the visitors were Redcar in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Isle of Wight 53, Redcar 40.

The Isle of Wight were without Paul Fry so used Rider Replacement at number 4 while Redcar were at full strength.

Just as he did last night at Reading, Gary Havelock got the Bears off to a good start by winning the opening race. It was only good enough for a shared heat then the Islanders took the lead in the reserves race. James Holder and David Bargh led from the tapes but Josh Auty rode well to come through from last place to pass David Bargh ands finish second restricting the home side to a 4-2. Glen Phillips had a comfortable win in the third heat but James Grieves and Daniel Giffard finished behind him to share the race points. The Islanders doubled their lead in heat 4 after a great race between James Holder and Ty Proctor during which Holder rode well to keep Proctor behind him for the win. Krzysztof Stojanowski finished third for a 4-2 which took the score 14-10.

Gary Havelock scored his second race win in heat 5 fending off the challenges from Glen Phillips all race long. James Holder finished third so the race was shared. However the home side doubled their lead again in heat 6 with an untroubled 5-1 from Cory Gathercole and Jason Bunyan to lead by eight points. The Bears continued to fall further behind when heat 7 resulted in another 4-2 for the home side. David Bargh made a fast start to lead early on then Krzysztof Stojanowski moved past James Grieves and Bargh to take up the lead while Grieves then passed Bargh on the second lap stretching the gap to 10 points. Redcar lost touch completely when they conceded three more 5-1s on the trot. In heat 8 Josh Auty replaced Joni Keskinen but to no avail as Gathercole and Holder were soon off for the first of the 5-1s taking the score to 31-17.

Stojanowski and Phillips added the second despite the best efforts of Proctor for an eighteen point lead then Bunyan and Grieves took the third by gating to lead James Grieves home. Gary Havelock took a TR in heat 11 for the Bears and won the race for the six points. With Stojanowski suffering an engine failure on the opening lap, David Bargh took second and Joni Keskinen third giving the visitors a 2-7 advantage although it was too late to affect the overall result. Spurred on by that success though, Redcar produced another heat advantage in heat 12 when James Grieves won from Glen Phillips. With James Holder packing up on the first lap Josh Auty was left to pick up third for a 2-4 which took the score to 45-30.

In heat 13 Jason Bunyan was excluded for breaking the tapes. Rather than go from 15 metres back he was replaced by James Holder. The home side might have been better choosing the 15 metre option because Holder had an engine failure on the opening lap. Gary Havelock continued his unbeaten run by winning for the fourth time from Krzysztof Stojanowski who had to look lively to keep Ty Proctor back in third. The result was a 2-4, the Bears’ third successive race win, which cut the gap to 13 points. The Bears’ next move was to replace Arlo Bugeja with Ty Proctor as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres in heat 14. He got through to second place but fell on the third lap resulting in the race being awarded to James Holder with Daniel Giffard second and David Bargh third giving the home side a 4-2. In heat 15 the Bears completed an excellent last five heats to the meeting by scoring another 2-4. Gary Havelock completed a superb maximum by winning from Cory Gathercole while James Grieves took third place ahead of Glen Phillips.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight – James Holder 12+2 (7), Cory Gathercole 12+1 (5), Glen Phillips 9+1 (5), Krzysztof Stojanowski 9 (5), Jason Bunyan 6+2 (4), Andrew Bargh 5 (5).

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 18 (5) (with 6 point TR), James Grieves 9 (5), Josh Auty 5 (5), Ty Proctor 4 (5), Daniel Giffard 3+1 (4), Joni Keskinen 1 (3), Arlo Bugeja 0 (3).

2008-05-19T22:03:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Monday, 19 May

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Tonight’s only match was at Reading where the Racers raced against Redcar in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Reading 57, Redcar 35.

With Nicki Glanz having been signed on a 28 day contract as injury cover for Danny Warwick, Reading were at full strength as were Redcar.

This was the first match in Redcar’s two match mini southern tour with the second tomorrow night on the Isle of Wight. The two sides were tied after two races but after that the Racers pulled away steadily to win comfortably as the Bears failed to record a single heat advantage.

Gary Havelock led the Bears to a fine race win in heat 1 passing Mark Lemon off the second bend on lap 2. Chris Mills finished third to share the points then Nicki Glanz and Jaimie Smith led from the gate in the reserves race. However Josh Auty and Arlo Bugeja passed Smith for another shared heat but the Racers stepped up a gear in the following heats. Ulrich Ostergaard won heat 3 while James Grieves contained Tomas Suchanek who finished behind him for a 4-2 then Tom P Madsen and Nicki Glanz led heat 4 until Ty Proctor passed Glanz on the third bend for another 4-2 which took the score to 14-10.

Ulrich Ostergaard passed Gary Havelock on the second lap to win heat 5 while Havelock then had his work cut out to keep ahead of Tomas Suchanek for Reading’s third 4-2 on the trot. They added a 5-1 in heat 6. Mark Lemon and Chris Mills made the gate to team ride round ahead of Josh Auty opening a ten point gap between the teams. As a result James Grieves took a TR in heat 7 but found himself trailing Tom P Madsen and Jaimie Smith from the gate. He passed Smith on the third lap and his second place resulted in a 4-4 shared race. Heat 8 was shared too after a rerun caused by Nicki Glanz falling after contact with Arlo Bugeja. Chris Mills won the second running of the heat taking the score to 30-20.

Reading pulled further away when Ulrich Ostergaard won for the third time while Tomas Suchanek rode a good inside line to pass Josh Auty and Ty Proctor for a 5-1. Mark Lemon and Chris Mills threatened to add another 5-1 in heat 10 but James Grieves passed Mills for second place restricting the Racers’ advantage to a 4-2 and 16 point lead. Heat 11 produced another 4-2 for the home side with Tom P Madsen beating Gary Havelock and Jaimie Smith getting up to pass Joni Keskinen on the line. Ostergaard won heat 12 but Grieves and Auty finished behind him for a 3-3 which took the score to 46-28.

A comfortable win for Gary Havelock in heat 13 was Redcar’s first race winner since he won heat 1. It was only good enough for a shared heat though as Tom P Madsen and Mark Lemon filled the minor places. Heat 14 resulted in a 5-1 for the Racers when Suchanek and Smith gated to head Daniel Giffard home for a 22 point lead but Gary Havelock recorded his third heat win of the evening by winning heat 15 to deny Ulrich Ostergaard his maximum. Tom P Madsen took third from James Grieves so the Bears finished the meeting without a single race advantage.

Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 14 (5), Tom P Madsen 12+1 (5), Mark Lemon 9+1 (4), Chris Mills 7+1 (4), Tomas Suchanek 7+1 (4), Jaimie Smith 4+1 (4), Nicki Glanz 4 (4).

For Redcar – Gary Havelock 13 (5), James Grieves 10 (5) (with 4 point TR), Josh Auty 6+1 (5), Ty Proctor 3 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2+2 (4), Daniel Giffard 1 (4), Joni Keskinen 0 (3).

2008-05-19T16:02:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Sunday, 18 May

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

Premier League: Glasgow 46, Scunthorpe 44

Glasgow were again without Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek. They had Kauko Nieminen (Workington) as a guest for Parker and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Grajczonek. They also nominated Gary Beaton as their number 8. Scunthorpe were without Richard Hall who was injured so used Rider Replacement at number 5.

On a dry and duty track Glasgow rescued a two point win after an uphill struggle when they lost both the opening heats to visiting 1-5s. Scunthorpe will surely wait a long time to find a better opportunity for an away victory at Ashfield.

What a start! In the opening heat Andrew Moore and Carl Wilkinson made fast starts leaving Trent Leverington to trail round in third place for a 1-5 but if that was bad then heat 2 was no better. It was a bit of a pantomime for the Tigers when Mitchell Davey (who had taken the R/R ride in heat 1) was excluded under the two minute time allowance and had to go from 15 metres back. Then Ross Brady charged through the tapes and was excluded from the rerun leaving Davey on his own off the 15 metre mark. Viktor Bergstrom and Byron Bekker will rarely have an easier 1-5 which put the Scorpions eight points ahead. In heat 3 Kauko Nieminen rode round the outside of Magnus Karlsson to take the lead but, when Benji Compton fell on the third bend the race had to be rerun. Karlsson had learned from the first attempt and rode much wider round the opening two bends in the rerun to prevent Nieminen repeating his move in the first running. Although he was on Karlsson’s tail all race, Nieminen couldn’t pass him so the heat was shared. Glasgow pulled four points back in heat 4 when Ross Brady and Robert Ksiezak gated to beat the two Scorpions’ reserves comfortably taking the score to 10-14.

Andrew Moore made the best start in heat 5 but Nieminen drove under him taking him wide to lead off the second bend and go on to win the race. Carl Wilkinson was third for a shared heat but it was all square after another 5-1 in heat 6. Ross Brady and Trent Leverington gated to lead Viktor Bergstrom but the faster Magnus Karlsson (R/R) took up the chase. He didn’t reckon on having to beat three opponents though as Bergstrom, riding with a dreadful lack of appreciation of the situation, blocked his partner’s drive off the fourth bend on each of the first three laps by running wide to the fence down the home straight causing him to have to shut off. By the time the frustrated Karlsson finally got past his partner it was too late to make a challenge on the Glasgow pair. However the Scorpions were back in front in heat 7. Robert Ksiezak made the gate and held off the strongly challenging Karlsson until the last bend when Karlsson finally roared round then outside of him to win the race. Benji Compton beat Mitchell Davey for third so the visitors scored a 2-4. It was level again in heat 8 though as Robert Ksiezak and Ross Brady made fast starts. Carl Wilkinson passed Brady though at the end of the second lap but couldn’t catch Ksiezak so the Tigers took a 4-2 taking the score to 24-24.

Glasgow stormed into a four point lead in heat 9 when Kauko Nieminen and Lee Dicken gated to beat the Scorpions’ reserve pairing for an unchallenged 5-1 but the visitors weren’t finished. In heat 10 Magnus Karlsson gated to lead Ross Brady and Trent Leverington off the second bend. Leverington, covering Brady, was passed off the fourth bend of the third lap by Viktor Bergstrom and subsequently retired from the race as the Scorpions took a 2-4 cutting the gap to two points. That was wiped out and the visitors took a two point lead with a 1-5 in heat 11. Andrew Moore and Carl Wilkinson stormed from the gate to leave Robert Ksiezak to trail in third. Kauko Nieminen won heat 12 but Magnus Karlsson and Viktor Bergstrom filled the minor places for a 3-3 which took the score to 32-34.

This left three crucial heats to go and it was Glasgow who struck in a controversial heat 13. Robert Ksiezak and Trent Leverington made the gate leaving Andrew Moore to do the chasing with Carl Wilkinson stuck at the back. Moore reeled in Leverington and lined him up for the pass off the fourth bend of the third lap. He moved level with Leverington over the start line and roared into the first bend just as Leverington tried to close the door on him. The two riders arrived at the same spot on the first bend at the same time and Leverington went sprawling across the track. The race was stopped and awarded to the two Glasgow riders as Moore was harshly excluded in a decision which could have gone either way. The resultant 5-1 put Glasgow two points ahead with two races to go. It looked bad for the visitors when Ross Brady led heat 14 from Viktor Bergstrom and Lee Dicken but Bergstrom passed Brady off the second bend on the last lap to win the race for a 3-3. As expected Kauko Nieminen gated to win heat 15 with Karlsson and Moore poised to take advantage of any mistake or misfortune for the three points Glasgow needed to win the match.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Kauko Nieminen 14 (5), Robert Ksiezak 11+1 (6), Ross Brady 11 (7), Trent Leverington 5+2 (4), Lee Dicken 4+3 (4), Mitchell Davey 1 (4).

For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 14 (6), Andrew Moore 9+1 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 9+1 (7), Carl Wilkinson 8+3 (5), Byron Bekker 3+1 (3), Benji Compton 1 (3).

Premier League: Newcastle 47, Somerset 48.

Newcastle introduced their new signing Richard Juul at number 2 but were again without George Stancl so had to use Rider Replacement at number 4. Somerset were at full strength.

Newcastle certainly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in this match. Leading by 12 points after heat 10, the Diamonds lost the remaining five heats by 10-23 as Somerset got the bit between their teeth to come storming back for a remarkable victory.

There was no hint of what was to come in the early stages as Newcastle were in complete control. Josef Franc beat Jason Doyle in the opening race while Richard Juul passed Stephan Katt for third to get the Diamonds off to a 4-2 lead. They doubled it in the reserves race as Sean Stoddart made the gate to win from Brent Werner while Jaimie Robertson’s third place gave the home side another 4-2 and four point lead. It got even better for the home side when Sean Stoddart (R/R) made another fast start and was joined up front by Jason King who passed Emil Kramer for a 1-5 doubling the lead again to eight points. Christian Henry made it four winners on the trot for the Diamonds by winning heat 4 for a shared race taking the score to 16-8.

Jason Doyle finally won a race for the Rebels in heat 5 but King and Franc shared the points behind him. Heat 6 was shared too. Josef Franc won for the home side while Richard Juul fell off on the final bend. Things looked better for the Rebels when Emil Kramer and Matthias Kroger gated to lead heat 7 but Christian Henry rode an excellent race to pass both of them on the last lap to win the race and share the points. Brent Werner won heat 8 from Juul and Stoddart for another 3-3 which took the score to 28-20.

It looked a forlorn hope for the Rebels when Newcastle added another 5-1 in heat 9. Jason King made the gate and he was joined by Christian Henry who passed Brent Werner for the home maximum putting the Diamonds 12 points in front. It didn’t improve for the visitors when they gave Emil Kramer a TR in heat 10. He led for a lap but was passed by Josef Franc off the second bend of lap 2. This gave the Diamonds a share of the points in a 4-4 result but things were about to change. At last the Rebels managed a heat advantage when Jason Doyle won heat 11 from Christian Henry while Stephan Katt took third place for a 2-4 cutting the gap to 10 points. It was down to eight after heat 12. The race had to be rerun after Sean Stoddart fell at the end of lap two and was excluded. Stoddart was withdrawn from the meeting and in the rerun Emil Kramer beat Jason King for another 2-4 which took the score to 41-33.

There seemed no need to panic within the Newcastle ranks as a 3-3 in heat 13 won by Doyle from Henry kept them eight points ahead with just two races left. However the Rebels had other ideas and gave Jason Doyle a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back in heat 14 replacing Matthias Kroger. Simon Walker without a point to his name at this stage suddenly stormed from the gate and hindered the two Diamonds allowing Jason Doyle to retrieve his handicap. Doyle was soon past Jaimie Robertson and set off in pursuit of Jason King passing him a lap later for an excellent win. Simon Walker who had been passed by King managed to keep third place ahead of Robertson so the Rebels gained a 2-7 from the race cutting their arrears to just three points going into the last race and setting the alarm bells ringing in the home camp. In heat 13 Newcastle won the toss for gate positions electing to go from 2 and 4. However it was Doyle and Kramer who made the gate. Although Christian Henry was after the Rebels’ pair he fell on the third lap and the visitors were home and dry to a one point win.

Scorers: For Newcastle – Josef Franc 12+2 (6), Christian Henry 12+1 (6), Jason King 11+1 (5), Sean Stoddart 7+1 (5), Richard Juul 4 (4), Jaimie Robertson 1 (5).

For Somerset – Jason Doyle 19+1 (6) (with 6 point TS), Emil Kramer 13 (5) (with 4 point TR), Brent Werner 9+1 (6), Jordan Frampton 4+1 (4), Matthias Kroger 1+1 (3), Simon Walker 1 (3).

2008-05-19T13:54:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Saturday, 17 May

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With the Premier League match at Rye House between the Rockets and Somerset being postponed as a result of the weather forecast for the area, there were just two Premier League matches raced tonight. These were the matches at Stoke where the Potters took on Mildenhall and at Workington where the Comets raced against Scunthorpe.

Premier League: Stoke 54, Mildenhall 39

Stoke had Luke Priest at number 6 presumably in place of Klaus Jacobsen while Mildenhall had Jack Roberts (Birmingham) at number 6 as a guest for Mark Baseby.

Although Mildenhall were virtually out of this match when they trailed by 14 points after heat 4 they held their own for the rest of the match during which Stoke could only add one point to their lead.

The Potters started with three 5-1s and a 4-2. The opening heat went to Lee Complin and Mark Burrows from the gate and they sat on another 5-1 in heat 2 when Jesper Kristiansen and Luke Priest led from the off. Jack Roberts passed Priest however for a 4-2. Barrie Evans made the gate for the Potters in heat 3 but Ben Barker came from the back to pass the other three riders for the win and another 5-1 before Emiliano Sanchez and Jesper Kristiansen gated for a repeat performance taking the score to 19-5.

Kai Laukkanen raised the visitors’ spirits by winning heat 5 from an ever-pressing Ben Barker and Henning Loof’s third place gave the Fen Tigers a 2-4 heat advantage. This was followed by a shared heat, after Lee Complin had gated to head Robbie Kessler and Jack Roberts home, but the Fen Tigers pulled two more points back in heat 7 when Jan Graversen and Michal Rajkowski gated only for Emiliano Sanchez to pass Rajkowski for second place and a 2-4. The Potters lead was now down to 10 points but they added two more with a 4-2 in heat 8 won by Kristiansen from Loof and Burrows taking the score to 30-18.

Stoke hit home another 5-1 in heat 9. Robbie Kessler gated but he was swallowed up by Barker and Evans off the second bend to increase the Potters lead to 16 points. Lee Complin won again in heat 10 for a shared heat then Mildenhall gave Kai Laukkanen a TR in heat 11 which he duly won from Sanchez while Loof tried hard but in vain to pass Priest. This gave the visitors a 3-6 advantage cutting the lead to 13 but another 5-1 in heat 12 from Barker and Kristiansen, the latter completing a paid maximum, finally ended all hope for the Fen Tigers as the score now stood at 46-29.

Robbie Kessler and Kai Laukkanen gated in heat 13 for the visitors but Lee Complin passed Laukkanen on the second lap for a 2-4. However the visitors’ were not to be denied and finally got their 1-5 in heat 14 when Jan Graversen and Jack Roberts saw off Barrie Evans for their maximum. However Stoke replied in kind in heat 15 when Lee Complin and Ben Barker both fought their way past early race leader, Kai Laukkanen, for a home 5-1 and 15 point win.

Scorers: For Stoke – Lee Complin 14 (5), Ben Barker 13+1 (5), Jesper Kristiansen 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Emiliano Sanchez 7 (4), Barrie Evans 5+2 (4), Mark Burrows 3+1 (4), Luke Priest 2+1 (4).

For Mildenhall – Kai Laukkanen 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), Jan Graversen 7+1 (5), Robbie Kessler 6 (4), Jack Roberts 6+2 (5), Michal Rajkowski 4 (4), Henning Loof 3 (4), Jari Makinen 1 (3)..

Premier League: Workington 54, Scunthorpe 39

Workington were without the injured Barry Burchatt so used Rider Replacement at number 2. They nominated Gary Irving as their number 8. Scunthorpe were without Richard Hall and had Joel Parsons at number 5 as a guest although under what rule this was allowed is beyond me.

Unusually both tonight’s matches ended with the same score. In this match Workington did the main damage with 5-1s in heats 5, 6 and 7 which put the Comets into an eighteen point lead. Although the Scorpions got three points back over the rest of the meeting they never looked like taking anything from the match.

Daniel Nermark and Charles Wright got things underway with a 4-2 with Carl Wilkinson in second then Joe Haines won heat 2 for the home side but Byron Bekker and Viktor Bergstrom filled the minor places for a 3-3. Workington scored the first of their five 5-1s in heat 3 with Kauko Nieminen and Charles Wright leaving Magnus Karlsson behind in third. Carl Stonehewer left the Scorpions still looking for a race winner in heat 4 but Joel Parsons and Byron Bekker kept John Branney at the back again for another 3-3 which took the score to 15-9.

Then came three more 5-1s for the Comets. Nieminen and Wright produced the first against the top opposition pairing of Moore and Wilkinson then John Branney burst into life to follow Daniel Nermark home in the second ahead of Joel Parsons. The third came via Stonehewer and Haines with Karlsson in third place in heat 7 but the visitors stopped the rot in heat 8. Carl Wilkinson was given a TR and won the race and, when Joe Haines suffered an engine failure short of the line, John Branney finished second with Byron Bekker picking up the gift third place for a 2-7 which took the score to 32-19.

Kauko Nieminen won heat 9 but Parsons and Bergstrom shared the race points behind him then the Comets added two points to their lead in heat 10 with a 4-2 from Daniel Nermark who beat Magnus Karlsson and Joe Haines. Scunthorpe took their second race advantage in heat 11 when Andrew Moore beat Carl Stonehewer with Carl Wilkinson third for a 2-4. They did even better in heat 12 when Magnus Karlsson and Viktor Bergstrom rocketed from the gate for a tapes-to-flag 1-5 ahead of Nieminen which took the score to 42-33.

Daniel Nermark and Carl Stonehewer righted the home ship again with a 5-1 from Joel Parsons and Andrew Moore then Joe Haines won heat 14 for a 3-3 before Daniel Nermark completed his maximum in heat 15 but he had his work cut out as Joel Parsons got involved in an exciting passing and repassing bout with the Workington number 1 which ended with Nermark just winning it on the line. Stonehewer finished third from Karlsson for a 4-2 giving the Comets a 15 point win.

Scorers: For Workington – Daniel Nermark 15 (5), Carl Stonehewer 11+1 (5), Kauko Nieminen 10 (4), Joe Haines 9+1 (6), Charles Wright 5+2 (5), John Branney 4+1 (5).

For Scunthorpe – Carl Wilkinson 9 (4) (with 6 point TR), Joel Parsons 8 (5), Magnus Karlsson 7 (5), Byron Bekker 6+1 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 5+4 (5), Andrew Moore 4 (4), Benji Compton 0 (3).

2008-05-17T16:51:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Friday, 16 May

Three meetings took place tonight. In the Premier League Scunthorpe faced Newcastle, while at Somerset the Rebels took on Berwick. The other meeting took place at Edinburgh to celebrate the Monarchs’ 60th anniversary and took the form of a four team tournament.

Premier League: Scunthorpe 56, Newcastle 36

Scunthorpe were at full strength but Newcastle were without Josef Franc, Ben Powell and George Stancl. They had Tomas Topinka (King’s Lynn) riding at number 1 in place of Josef Franc and Daniel Giffard (Redcar) at number 4 in place of Ben Powell. They also used Rider Replacement at number 2 for George Stancl.

After taking a 2-4 from the opening race thanks to their two guests, with Tomas Topinka beating Carl Wilkinson and Daniel Giffard finishing third, the Diamonds steadily lost ground and it was only in the last two races which they won 3-9 that they cut the Scorpions’ winning margin to 20 points.

After that early success in heat 1 the home side scored two 5-1s and a 4-2 in the next three races for an eight point lead. There was plenty of passing in heats 2 and 3 but Viktor Bergstrom and Byron Bekker finally saw off the Newcastle reserves in heat 2 for a 5-1 then Magnus Karlsson won from Jason King for a 4-2 in heat 3. Heat 4 was all from the gate with Richard Hall and Byron Bekker leading Christian Henry home for a 5-1 which took the score to 16-8.

Tomas Topinka briefly stopped the rot for Newcastle when he won heat 5 by driving round Magnus Karlsson and Benji Compton for a shared heat but two more 5-1s in heats 6 and 8 left the Diamonds with little hope. Carl Wilkinson and Andrew Moore did the damage for the home side in heat 6 but machine trouble for Viktor Bergstrom in heat 7 left race winner, Richard Hall, with no support so Jason King and Christian Henry shared the points behind him. Heat 8 saw Carl Wilkinson and Byron Bekker off for a 5-1 which took the score to 32-16.

Magnus Karlsson won heat 9 for the Scorpions while behind him Benji Compton fended off the challenges from Christian Henry to stay in second for another 5-1 to add to the Diamonds’ misery. In heat 10 the unbeaten Tomas Topinka took a TR and R/R but he didn’t remain unbeaten after Andrew Moore won the race. Indeed Carl Wilkinson threatened to make it another 5-1 when he passed Topinka but Topinka got back into second place on the last lap for a 4-4 shared race. Topinka was out again in heat 11 and things looked bright for the visitors when he was joined up front by Sean Stoddart to leave Newcastle sitting on a 1-5. It didn’t happen though. Richard Hall and Viktor Bergstrom were both past Stoddart within a lap then Hall caught and passed Topinka for a fine win which gave the home side a 4-2 and 22 point lead. Byron Bekker then completed a paid maximum in heat 12 when he finished behind his partner, Magnus Karlsson, for another 5-1, the Scorpions’ sixth of the match, to take the score to 50-24.

Things improved for the Diamonds after that. Tomas Topinka won under pressure from Richard Hall in heat 13 for a shared race then the Diamonds celebrated a 1-5 in heat 14 courtesy of Jason King and Sean Stoddart. There was further joy for them in heat 15 when Tomas Topinka completed a fine performance with another heat win, this time from Magnus Karlsson while Jason King took third place after a fine battle with Richard Hall.

Scorers: For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 13 (5), Richard Hall 11 (5), Carl Wilkinson 9 (4), Byron Bekker 8+4 (4) (paid maximum), Andrew Moore 6+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 5 (4), Benji Compton 4+2 (4).

For Newcastle – Tomas Topinka 18 (6) (with 4 point TR), Jason King 8 (6), Sean Stoddart 5+1 (6), Christian Henry 4+1 (5), Daniel Giffard 1 (4), Jaimie Robertson 0 (3).

Premier League: Somerset 58, Berwick 34

Somerset were at full strength while Berwick used Rider Replacement for the missing Benny Johansson at number 4. They also had Jay Herne as a guest at reserve at number 6.

This was a far better match than the score suggests with the Bandits fighting hard for every point to prevent the Rebels from running up another 60+ score at home.

They didn’t start too well though by losing three 5-1s in the first three heats then a 4-2 in heat 4! Jason Doyle gated to win the opening race but Jordan Frampton and Adrian Rymel had a good scrap for second place on the first two laps. A 5-1 it was though as it was in the reserves race too. Somerset had to work hard for this one though as Walker, Werner and Herne had an exciting battle for the lead. The home pair prevailed. Michal Makovsky made the gate in heat 3 but was passed by first Emil Kramer round the outside then Matthias Kroger on the inside for 5-1 number 3. Stephan Katt and Brent Werner were off in heat 4 but Tero Aarnio passed Werner for second and a 4-2 which took the score to 19-5.

Somerset got a jolt in heat 5 though when lost a 1-5 to Adrian Rymel and Norbert Magosi from Kramer and Kroger but the Rebels replied by banging in two more 5-1s in heats 6 and 7. In the first Tero Aarnio led briefly but was swallowed up by Doyle on the outside and Frampton on the inside then, in the latter, Michal Makovsky was excluded after fencing Stephan Katt. In the rerun Walker and Katt had no trouble running up 5-1 number five. Jordan Frampton and Jay Herne had a battle for the lead but in heat 8 Jordan Frampton won from Jay Herne who got up to pass Brent Werner for second place on the line resulting in a 4-2 which took the score to 34-14.

The two ‘K’s Kramer and Kroger scored 5-1 number six in heat 9 then Berwick took a heat advantage in heat 10 when Jason Doyle fell on the first bend leaving Norbert Magosi to win from Jordan Frampton with Makovsky third after the riders had half expected the race to be stopped. This gave Berwick a 2-4 and they then gave Adrian Rymel a TR in heat 11. It was Simon Walker who won the race though with Rymel second for a 4-4 shared race. Emil Kramer won heat 12 for another shared race taking the score to 52-28.

Jason Doyle passed Adrian Rymel in heat 13 while Stephan Katt took third for a 4-2 then the Rebels looked set for another 5-1 in heat 14. However Matthias Kroger suffered an engine failure so Simon Walker, who completed his maximum, won the race for a 3-3. Finally a good contest between Adrian Rymel and Jason Doyle ended with Rymel winning the race for another shared heat giving the Rebels a 24 point victory.

Scorers: For Somerset – Simon Walker 12 (4) (maximum), Jordan Frampton 11+2 (5), Jason Doyle 10+1 (5), Emil Kramer 10 (4), Stephan Katt 7+1 (4), Matthias Kroger 4+2 (4), Brent Werner 4+1 (4).

For Berwick – Adrian Rymel 13 (5) (with 4 point TR), Tero Aarnio 6 (5), Norbert Magosi 5+1 (5), Jay Herne 5 (6), Michal Makovsky 3 (5), Adam McKinna 2+1 (4).

60th Anniversary Meeting at Edinburgh: Old Meadowbank 18, Coatbridge 12, Powderhall 33, Armadale 33

This anniversary meeting took the form of a four team tournament with riders representing the four eras of the Edinburgh Monarchs at Old Meadowbank, Coatbridge, Powderhall and Armadale. The event was won by the Powderhall team after a run off when Carl Stonehewer beat Matthew Wethers in a four rider top scorers’ race in which Andrew Tully finished third and Ryan Fisher was excluded after falling causing a rerun.

Scorers: For Old Meadowbank – Ryan Fisher 8 (4), Derek Sneddon 4 (4), Theo Pijper 4 (4), James Birkinshaw 2 (4).

For Coatbridge – Mark Burrows 6 (4), Thomas Jonasson 5 (4), Arlo Bugeja 1 (4) , Joni Keskinen 0 (4).

For Powderhall – Carl Stonehewer 12 (5), Andrew Tully 12 (6), Robert Eriksson 9 (5).

For Armadale – Matthew Wethers 10 (4), Jason Lyons 8 (4), Aaron Summers 8 (4), Trent Leverington 7 (4).

2008-05-15T22:35:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Thursday, 15 May

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Tonight’s matches were at Sheffield where the Tigers raced Glasgow in a Premier League match and at Redcar where the Bears took on Stoke in a Premier Trophy match.

Premier League: Sheffield 63, Glasgow 29

Sheffield were at full strength but Glasgow again were without Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek. They had Tomas Topinka as a guest for Parker and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Grajczonek. Ben Hopwood was again nominated as their number 8.

After losing the opening two races to 5-1s it looked like being a long night for the Scottish Tigers. Ross Brady made an excellent gate to lead the opening race but was passed by Ricky Ashworth on the fourth bend. Joel Parsons soon repeated the doze leaving Brady to finish third after Trent Leverington had fallen on the third lap and remounted. The 5-1 was followed by another when Paul Cooper and Sam Martin beat Ross Brady from the gate. As happened last night at Birmingham all Glasgow’s points after the first two heats were scored by Brady although this time he had two as opposed to last night’s six. Tomas Topinka led heat 3 for the visitors until he was passed by Andre Compton. Lee Smethills finished third for a 4-2 to put Sheffield ten points ahead. Mitchell Davey made the gate in heat 4 but was passed by Ben Wilson and Paul Cooper off the second bend for another 5-1 which took the score to 19-5.

In heat 5 Andre Compton and Lee Smethills gated to head home Trent Leverington for another 5-1 while Ben Hopwood was given the R/R ride. Robert Ksiezak gated in heat 6 but was passed by Ricky Ashworth after he was subject to a strong challenge by Joel Parsons. Parson finished third so the race resulted as a 4-2 for a 20 point lead to the home side. In heat 7 Glasgow gave Tomas Topinka a TR but Ben Wilson led him home from the tapes. However the visitors finally got into double figures when Topinka finished second and was supported by Lee Dicken in third for a 3-5 advantage to the visitors. Joel Parsons and Paul Cooper replied with another 5-1 in heat 8. Robert Ksiezak fell while in third place so Mitchell Davey took the third place point. Then, rather surprisingly, it was announced that Ross Brady had withdrawn from the meeting after aggravating a shoulder injury although it’s not clear what happened. The score was now 36-14.

The rout continued when Andre Compton and Lee Smethills gated for another 5-1 ahead of Ksiezak in heat 9 then Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons repeated the score ahead of Tomas Topinka in heat 10 to put the Yorkshire Tigers 30 points ahead. Heat 11 was shared though after Sam Martin’s bike packed up leaving Leverington and Hopwood (R/R) to follow Ben Wilson home for a 3-3. Andre Compton won heat 12 but the interest was in the action behind him as Paul Cooper tried unsuccessfully to pass Tomas Topinka all race. The 4-2 took the score to 53-21.

After the interval, following heat 12, Glasgow fared better. In heat 13 Ricky Ashworth gated but Robert Ksiezak and Trent Leverington slotted in behind him to keep Ben Wilson at the back and share the race. Then Lee Smethills won heat 14 but Lee Dicken finished second ahead of Sam Martin as Mitchell Davey fell at the back. This ended up as a 4-2. Glasgow then provided their sole race winner when Tomas Topinka gated to beat Joel Parsons and Paul Cooper with Robert Ksiezak at the back for a shared race.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 12 (4) (maximum), Andre Compton 12 (4) (maximum), Joel Parsons 10+2 (5), Paul Cooper 9+3 (5), Ben Wilson 9 (4), Lee Smethills 8+2 (4), Sam Martin 3+1 (4).

For Glasgow – Tomas Topinka 12 (5) (with 4 point TR), Robert Ksiezak 5 (6), Trent Leverington 4+1 (4), Lee Dicken 3+1 (4), Mitchell Davey 3 (7), Ben Hopwood 1+1 (2), Ross Brady 1 (2).

Premier Trophy: Redcar 52, Stoke 38.

Redcar introduced their new signing, Joni Keskinen (Finland), as a replacement for Chris Kerr. Stoke were at full strength.

It must be track record week. After Jason Lyons broke the track record at Birmingham last night, Gary Havelock then James Grieves both broke the Redcar track record in this nothing at stake meeting to complete the Premier Trophy section matches.

Gary Havelock was first to set the new time (54.7) in the opening heat in which the main interest lay in the performance of Joni Keskinen. He finished behind Mark Burrows and Lee Complin for a shared race but looked promising. Josh Auty won the reserves race but Jesper Kristiansen and Klaus Jacobsen took second and third for another 3-3. The Bears took the lead in heat 3 after James Grieves had lowered the new track record further to 54.5. Ben Barker took second while Daniel Giffard’s third place earned the home side a 4-2 for a two point lead. Heat 4 provided another home race winner when Ty Proctor won from Emiliano Sanchez and Jesper Kristiansen for another 3-3 which took the score to 13-11.

It was the same again in heat 5. James Grieves won the race but the Stoke riders, Complin and Burrows, shared the points behind him. A feeling of Déjà vu must have come over the Bears fans when Gary Havelock won heat 6 and Joni Keskinen never moved from the start for another 3-3. Ty Proctor won heat 7 after making the gate. Josh Auty passed Barrie Evans on the second lap to move into third before challenging Ben Barker unsuccessfully for a 4-2 giving the Bears a four point lead. It didn’t seem much of a lead given that the Bears had provided all seven race winners! In fact it wasn’t as they found out when Jesper Kristiansen and Mark Burrows made the gate to lead Josh Auty home for a 1-5 which levelled the scores at 24-24.

Redcar took a two point lead again in heat 9 when James Grieves won for the third time. Redcar were sitting on a 5-1 from the gate but Daniel Giffard got out of shape on the third bend of the last lap to let Emiliano Sanchez through for second place and a 4-2. Ben Barker and Barrie Evans gated to lead heat 10 but Gary Havelock caught and passed Barrie Evans then Arlo Bugeja did likewise to share the points. The Bears finally put some distance between themselves and the Potters by they scoring a 5-1 in heat 11 when Ty Proctor and Josh Auty gated and fended off the challenges of Lee Complin to open up a six point lead. Another 5-1 from Grieves and Bugeja in heat 12 put the Bears ten points to the good. However Ben Barker had passed both home men to lead the race until the final bend when he made a mess of it allowing both the Bears through. The score went to 41-31.

Now ten points down Stoke gave Lee Complin a TR in heat 13 but it was to no avail as Proctor and Havelock gated to record a third successive 5-1 to seal victory as the home side now led by 14 points. The Potters got some consolation with a 2-4 in heat 14 when Barrie Evans gated to win from Daniel Giffard with Jesper Kristiansen third. In the last race James Grieves gated with Ty Proctor at the back but Proctor passed Lee Complin for third so the result was a 4-2 giving the Bears a 14 point win.

Scorers: For Redcar – James Grieves 15 (5), Ty Proctor 13 (5), Gary Havelock 10+1 (4), Josh Auty 7+1 (5) Daniel Giffard 4 (4), Arlo Bugeja 3+2 (4), Joni Keskinen 0 (3).

For Stoke – Ben Barker 10 (5), Jesper Kristiansen 7+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 6 (4), Buzz Burrows 5+3 (4), Lee Complin 5+1 (5), Barrie Evans 3 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 2+2 (3).

2008-05-14T22:15:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Wednesday, 14 May

Tonight’s matches were at Birmingham where the Brummies raced Glasgow and at King’s Lynn where the Stars took on Rye House both in Premier League matches.

Premier League: Birmingham 52, Glasgow 40

Birmingham, still without Phil Morris, used Rider Replacement at number 4. Jack Roberts took over at reserve in place of Mattia Carpanese and Paul Starke was nominated as their number 8. Glasgow were without Shane Parker and Josh Grajczonek so had Carl Stonehewer as a guest at number 3 in place of Parker and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Grajczonek. They also nominated Ben Hopwood as their number 8.

Three of the opening races were won by Glasgow reserve Ross Brady. He beat Henning Bager and Lee Smart in heat 1 as the R/R thanks to a stunning gate, then the two Birmingham reserves in heat 2, again from the gate, before he had a race off in heat 3. On both occasions he had no support so the heats were shared. Jason Lyons won the third race from Carl Stonehewer while Jack Roberts took third from Lee Dicken for a 4-2 giving Birmingham a two point lead. Adam Roynon suffered an engine failure in heat 4 as Brady won again with another jet-propelled start, this time from Jack Roberts (R/R). Robert Ksiezak’s third place gave the Tigers a 2-4 to level the match with the score at 12-12.

The scores stayed tied when Jason Lyons won heat 5 in a new track record time (57.4) while Trent Leverington and Mitchell Davey (R/R) took third as Jack Hargreaves (R/R) fell on the final bend for a 3-3. Birmingham then struck with a 5-1 in heat 6. Ross Brady (replacing Mitchell Davey) was excluded under the two minute time allowance so went from 15 metres back. He could make no impact as Henning Bager led Robert Ksiezak then, when Lee Smart passed Ksiezak on the last lap, the home side recorded the maximum for a four point lead. They increased their lead to six points when Adam Roynon beat Carl Stonehewer in heat 7 with Jack Hargreaves taking third from Lee Dicken for a 4-2 but the Tigers hit back in heat 8 with a 1-5 when Robert Ksiezak (R/R) and Ross Brady gated to head home Lee Smart and Jack Roberts cutting the gap to two points and taking the score to 25-23.

It stayed that way in heat 9 when Jason Lyons beat Robert Ksiezak while Jack Roberts in third fell and gifted third place to Mitchell Davey for a shared race. There was no change in heat 10 either. The Glasgow riders made the gate but Henning Bager passed them both on the opening lap. Carl Stonehewer got past Bager to win the race while Lee Smart passed Lee Dicken for third and a shared race. Birmingham doubled their lead in heat 11 when Adam Roynon won from Ross Brady who again made the gate. Jack Hargreaves took a valuable point by beating Trent Leverington for third place as Leverington’s bike packed up so the home side scored a 4-2. They followed this by increasing their lead to six points with another 4-2 when Jason Lyons beat Carl Stonehewer by a distance while Jack Roberts chased Stonehewer but had to be content with picking up third place from Mitchell Davey. This took the score to 39-33.

Glasgow looked as though they might get back into the match when they sat on a 1-5 from the gate in heat 13. However Roynon passed Ksiezak as Leverington’s bike ran out of fuel so the Brummies took an eight point lead with the 4-2. This allowed Carl Stonehewer to take a Tactical Substitute ride in heat 14 from 15 metres back. Ross Brady gated again but he was passed by first Lee Smart then Jack Hargreaves. Stonehewer got up to pass Hargreaves but couldn’t catch Smart so the race was shared 4-4. In the last race Jason Lyons completed an immaculate maximum while Adam Roynon joined him for a 5-1 ahead of Stonehewer giving the home side a 12 point win.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (5) (maximum), Adam Roynon 11+1 (5), Lee Smart 8+3 (5), Henning Bager 8 (4), Jack Hargreaves 6 (6), Jack Roberts 4+1 (5).

For Glasgow – Carl Stonehewer 14 (6) (with 4 point TS), Ross Brady 13+1 (7), Robert Ksiezak 9 (6), Mitchell Davey 2+2 (4), Trent Leverington 2 (4), Lee Dicken 0 (3).

Premier League: King’s Lynn 62, Rye House 31.

King’s Lynn were at full strength while Rye House used Rider Replacement at number 4 for the injured Tommy Allen. They also nominated Adam Lowe as their number 8.

King’s Lynn is not one of Rye House’s happy hunting grounds but when you lose four 5-1s in the opening four heats there’s not much prospect of a result. The Stars started with a win from Kevin Doolan, back in the side after his injury. Robert Mear was in second place until he was passed on the inside by Shaun Tacey on the second lap for the first of the home maximums. Kozza Smith won the reserves race despite whacking the fence while John Oliver followed him home for the second 5-1. Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert beat Tai Woffinden in heat three for the third then Rusty Harrison and Kozza Smith saw off Stefan Ekberg for the fourth and a score of 20-4.

Simon Lambert was excluded under the two minute time allowance in heat 5 so went from 15 metres back. Tomas Topinka won the race from Robert Mear while Lambert caught and passed Chris Neath on lap three only to be repassed by the Rye House number one. This resulted in a shared race but the Rockets lost yet another 5-1 in heat 6 to Kevin Doolan and Shaun Tacey to trail by 20 points. Heat 7 brought some cheer to the visitors when Tai Woffinden took a TR and won the race from Rusty Harrison. Robert Mear (R/R) took third from John Oliver so the Rockets scored a 2-7 cutting the gap to 15 points. It was back to normality in heat 8 as the Stars scored their sixth 5-1 through Shaun Tacey and Kozza Smith with Luke Bowen in third taking the score to 35-16.

The Stars’ seventh 5-1 came along in the next heat when Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert gated to lead Stefan Ekberg home for a 23 point lead. Kevin Doolan continued his unbeaten run by winning from Tai Woffinden in heat 10. Woffinden was passed by Shaun Tacey off the second bend but he repassed Tacey on the next lap. This gave the Stars a 4-2 and 25 point lead. In heat 11 Chris Neath was excluded under the two minute time allowance and was replaced by Luke Bowen. Then John Oliver fell on the first bend resulting in an all-four-back rerun. In the rerun John Oliver won the race followed by Rusty Harrison from Robert Mear for the Stars’ eighth 5-1. Kozza Smith gated in heat 12 to follow Tomas Topinka but Tai Woffinden passed him to give chase to Topinka. The 4-2 took the score to 53-22.

Kevin Doolan led heat 13 but suffered an engine failure on the final bend allowing Stefan Ekberg to take the race win. Rusty Harrison passed Chris Neath for third place and a 2-4 to the Rockets. Ekberg was out again in heat 14 and he won that too beating Lambert and Oliver for a shared race. Kevin Doolan gated to win the last race but Tomas Topinka found himself at the back but passed Stefan Ekberg on the first lap. He couldn’t pass Tai Woffinden though so the race finished as a 4-2 giving the Stars a 31 point win.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 13 (5), Kevin Doolan 12 (5), Rusty Harrison 9+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 8+2 (4), Kozza Smith 8+2 (4), Simon Lambert 6+2 (4), John Oliver 6+2 (4).

For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 13 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 9 (6), Robert Mear 4 (5), Chris Neath 3+1 (4), Luke Bowen 2 (6), Daniel Halsey 0 (5).

2008-05-13T22:22:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Tuesday, 13 May

Tonight on the Isle of Wight it was back to aggregate scoring as the Islanders took on Sheffield in the second leg of their first round Knock Out Cup tie.

Knock Out Cup (first round, second leg): Isle of Wight 54, Sheffield 38 The Isle of Wight won through to the next round on aggregate by 92-90.

The Isle of Wight welcomed back Krzysztof Stojanowski after his shoulder injury but were without Paul Fry following his accident at Berwick. They used Rider Replacement instead at number 4. Sheffield were at full strength.

Sheffield won the first leg of this tie by 52-38 so the Islanders had a 14 point deficit to pull back in this match. Both teams came into this match on the back of away defeats. The home side lost at Glasgow by nine points on Sunday while the visitors suffered a twenty seven point defeat at Reading on Monday.

Ricky Ashworth leapt from the gate in the opening heat to win the race comfortably but he got no support from Joel Parsons who followed Krzysztof Stojanowski and Cory Gathercole home for a shared race but the Islanders moved two points clear in the reserves race. David Bargh and Paul Cooper made the best starts but it was Cooper who got his nose in front and kept it there until he was passed by James Holder on the line. This gave the home side a 4-2 and they added a 5-1 in heat 3. Glen Phillips and Cory Gathercole (R/R) gated to win unchallenged by Andre Compton who finished third. Now six points ahead the Islanders consolidated their lead as Jason Bunyan won from Ben Wilson and Paul Cooper for a shared race which took the score to 18-12 which meant that the Isle of Wight now trailed on aggregate by eight points.

Ricky Ashworth made another superb start in heat 5 for the Tigers but Glen Phillips was on his tail until he passed Ashworth on the last bend. Joel Parsons in third place made sure the race points were shared but the home side got two points closer to their objective with a 4-2 in heat 6. Cory Gathercole won the heat from Ben Wilson while Krzysztof Stojanowski took third for a 4-2. The Tigers were really struggling when the Islanders landed a 5-1 in heat 7. Andre Compton reared at the gate and, by the time he recovered, David Bargh and Jason Bunyan were gone increasing the home side’s lead to ten points. It got even worse for Sheffield when another 5-1, this time from Cory Gathercole and James Holder, put the home side 16 points ahead giving them a two point lead on aggregate. The score was now 32-16 (70-68).

Sheffield played their TR card in heat 9 with Ben Wilson wearing the black and white tablecloth but there was no gain for the Tigers who, of course, were now chasing the tie. Wilson did make the gate and led for over two laps until Glen Phillips passed him. With James Holder taking third from Paul Cooper the race points were shared 4-4. It looked all over when the Islanders scored another 5-1 in heat 10. Krzysztof Stojanowski was the race winner while Cory Gathercole headed home Andre Compton for second to put the home side twenty points ahead (six on aggregate). Jason Bunyan came from the back to lead the field in heat 11 while Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons shared the points behind him. At last Sheffield took their second heat advantage of the match when Andre Compton beat Glen Phillips in heat 12 while Sam Martin survived a late challenge by James Holder to hold on to third for a Sheffield 2-4. The score now stood at 46-28 which meant that the home side’s aggregate lead was four points (84-80).

Suddenly the Tigers gave themselves fresh hope when they took a 2-4 from heat 13. Ben Wilson made the gate and held on to win under pressure from Jason Bunyan while Ricky Ashworth beat Krzysztof Stojanowski for the vital third place. This reduced the Tigers’ arrears on the night to 16 points which meant that with two races left the Islanders aggregate lead had been reduced to just two points. In heat 14 Sheffield gave Andre Compton a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres back and replaced Sam Martin with Paul Cooper against the two home reserves. James Holder and Andrew Bargh made the gate but Andre Compton brought down Bargh on the first lap of the third bend and was excluded. The race was awarded as tempers became heated so the 5-1 went to the Islanders to see them home and dry into the next round. In heat 15 Jason Bunyan went through the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. Then, in the rerun, Glen Phillips went through the tapes and was excluded so the Islanders went with just Bunyan. Ben Wilson and Andre Compton took advantage by scoring a 1-5 despite the best efforts of Bunyan to catch them.

Scorers: For the Isle of Wight[/u][/b] – Cory Gathercole 11+3 (5), Jason Bunyan 11+1 (5), Glen Phillips 11 (5), James Holder 9+1 (6), Andrew Bargh 6+1 (5), Krzysztof Stojanowski 6 (4).

For Sheffield – Ben Wilson 14 (5) (with 4 point TR), Ricky Ashworth 8 (4), Andre Compton 7+1 (6), Paul Cooper 5+1 (5), Joel Parsons 2+2 (4), Lee Smethills 1 (3), Sam Martin 1 (3).

2008-05-13T14:11:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Monday, 12 May

Tonight’s only match was at Reading where the Racers raced against Sheffield in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Reading 60, Sheffield 33.

Reading were again without their two reserves and had Joe Haines (Workington) at number 7 in place of Danny Warwick and Nikki Glanz at number 6 in place of Jaimie Smith. Sheffield were at full strength.

Reading, returning from an unproductive two-match northern tour, got back to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over a lack-lustre Sheffield side who managed only three race winners all match.

Yet the Tigers took the lead with a 2-4 in heat 1! Ricky Ashworth was their race winner and, when Joel Parsons passed Chris Mills who fell, the visitors were two points up. Joe Haines, Reading’s guest, won heat 2 while behind him Paul Cooper and Nikki Glanz had a battle royal for second place. Cooper prevailed so the Racers took a 4-2 to level the scores again. Reading then took the lead in heat 3 as Ulrich Ostergaard scored the first of his five race wins by beating Andre Compton. Tomas Suchanek’s third place gave the Racers a 4-2 and the home side added a 5-1 in heat 4. Ben Wilson was the early race leader but looked decidedly uncomfortable and it was no surprise when he was passed by Joe Haines on the second lap then Tom P Madsen on the last bend just before Wilson fell on the run in to the line leaving Paul Cooper to score the third place point. The score now stood at 15-9.

Reading pulled way with two more 5-1s in heats 5 and 6. In the former it was Ulrich Ostergaard and Tomas Suchanek from the Parsons/Ashworth pairing and in the latter Mark Lemon and Chris Mills from Ben Wilson. Sheffield, now trailing by 14 points, gave Andre Compton a TR in heat 7 and he lifted the Tigers’ spirits by winning from Tom P Madsen and Nikki Glanz for a 3-6 cutting their arrears to eleven points. However another home 5-1 in heat 8 this time from Chris Mills and Joe Haines who both rode well to relegate Joel Parsons to third place. This took the score to 33-18.

It looked like yet another 5-1 for the Racers in heat 9 but Tomas Suchanek developed machine problems and lost his second place behind Ostergaard to Paul Cooper who passed him on the line. This gave Reading a 4-2 instead and they added another in an excellent heat 10. Andre Compton passed early race leader, Mark Lemon, coming off the second bend but Lemon returned the compliment with an outside blast on the same bend on the third lap for the win. Chris Mills’ third place edged the Racers two more points ahead. Tom P Madsen passed Joel Parsons to win heat 11 for a shared race then Ulrich Ostergaard executed a brilliant outside/inside pass on Andre Compton in heat 12 while Joe Haines took third for a 4-2 which took the score to 48-27.

Ricky Ashworth gated to lead Madsen and Lemon home for a shared heat 13 then the Racers scored another 5-1 in heat 14 from Tomas Suchanek and Nikki Glanz in heat 14. Ulrich Ostergaard gated to win the last race, completing his five ride maximum, while Ricky Ashworth took second place from Lemon and Compton for a final 4-2 which gave the Racers a 27 point win.

Scorers: For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 15 (5) (full maximum), Mark Lemon 10+1 (5), Tom P Madsen 9+1 (4), Joe Haines 9+1 (4), Tomas Suchanek 7+1 (4), Chris Mills 6+1 (4), Nikki Glanz 4+2 (4).

For Sheffield – Andre Compton 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), Ricky Ashworth 9+1 (5), Joel Parsons 5 (4), Paul Cooper 5 (4), Ben Wilson 1 (4), Sam Martin 1 (5), Lee Smethills 0 (3).

2008-05-13T12:43:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008
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Sunday, 11 May
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Two matches were raced this afternoon in the Premier League, both featuring the Scottish clubs. One was at Mildenhall where the Fen Tigers raced Edinburgh; the other was at Glasgow where the Tigers took on the Isle of Wight.

Premier League: Mildenhall 30, Edinburgh 60

Mildenhall were without Mark Baseby so used Kyle Hughes as a guest at number 6. They also introduced their new signing Michal Rajkowski at number 1. Edinburgh were without Thomas Jonasson and used Rider Replacement at number 2.

Edinburgh recorded their biggest ever away win on a swelteringly hot day at the pleasant, well equipped West Row stadium. For Mildenhall it was another heavy home defeat in a season which so far has seen them record just one win. However, despite the score, this was a very entertaining match with some excellent races.

The Edinburgh riders were fast away and on a 1-5 in the opening heat when Jan Graversen came to grief on the first bend of lap three causing Michal Rajkowski to run into him. Both stricken riders recovered and the race was awarded to the Monarchs with Andrew Tully (R/R) first and William Lawson second. Mildenhall were already struggling when they conceded another 1-5 in heat 2 after Andrew Tully gated again for his second win on the trot. Aaron Summers passed Kyle Hughes off the second bend and the Fen Tigers were eight down. However the Monarchs were shaken out of any complacency when Henning Loof and Kai Laukkanen made perfect gates in heat 3 to score a 5-1 for the Fen Tigers lifting the home side’s heads again. They pulled two more points back in heat 4 when Robbie Kessler jetted from the gate followed by Kyle Hughes. Again Aaron Summers passed Hughes off the second bend but Matthew Wethers just couldn’t repeat the move so a 4-2 went the home side’s way taking the score to 11-13.

The floodgates then opened as Edinburgh ran riot with six 5-1s on the trot to leave their hosts floundering. Kai Laukkanen made the gate in heat 5 but William Lawson cut back off bend two to pass him. On the back straight of the second lap Aaron Summers smoothly passed Laukkanen too with an excellent inside move off bend two again. Jan Graversen and Michal Rajkowski gated for the Fen Tigers in heat 6 but Graversen lifted on the second bend allowing both Tully and Wethers through. The chase was on for the two Monarchs to reel in Rajkowski and they passed the Fen Tigers’ new boy in a joint move on the fourth bend for another 1-5. Now ten points down Mildenhall gave Robbie Kessler a TR in heat 7 but this failed. Derek Sneddon gated with Kessler just behind. Coming off the second bend Ryan Fisher forced his way past Kessler and the American raced past his partner for the win and another 1-5 for the Monarchs. The carnage continued in heat 8 as Aaron Summers and Matthew Wethers gated for a fourth consecutive 1-5 ahead of Jan Graversen taking the score to 15-33.

There was a pile up on the first bend of heat 9 when Andrew Tully and Kai Laukkanen came together. Laukkanen came off worse sliding into the fence and requiring medical attention but he recovered to take his place in the rerun in which Tully and Wethers depressed the home side further by jetting off for another 1-5. The Edinburgh riders made the gate in heat 10 too but had to do it again after Jan Graversen fell and was excluded. It was the same story in the rerun but the Monarchs pair of Sneddon and Fisher had to team ride to keep out the determined challenges of Michal Rajkowski who was on their tails all race. Finally after a stunning gate by Robbie Kessler the maximum heat wins ended in heat 11. Fisher and Lawson gave chase all race long but Kessler held on for a 3-3. Heat 12 had to be rerun. Kai Laukkanen gated to lead from Andrew Tully and Jari Makinen. As Derek Sneddon passed Makinen round the outside of the fourth bend Makinen ran into him causing him to fall. Makinen was excluded from the rerun but Laukkanen gated again but got no respite from Andrew Tully who tried every imaginable line to pass him. Laukkanen held on though to win an excellent race for another shared heat which took the score to 23-49.

William Lawson led heat 13 from the tapes but was passed by Robbie Kessler. Kessler’s lead didn’t last long though as Lawson passed him again on the second lap and, with Matthew Wethers beating Michal Rajkowski, the result was a 2-4 to the Monarchs. Jari Makinen, without a point to his name, came into heat 14 replacing Kyle Hughes and stunned the crowd with a brilliant ride. Ryan Fisher made the gate but Makinen passed him in fine style on the second lap for a fine win. Behind this pair Henning Loof lost his third place when he was passed by Aaron Summers on the third lap resulting in a shared heat. In the last race William Lawson charged to the front from the tapes but was under pressure all race from Robbie Kessler. Andrew Tully was in the thick of the action too and very nearly got up on Kessler on the line. The 2-4 gave the Monarchs a 30 point win.

Gate 4 was a real graveyard gate this afternoon. In the eight races one of the home riders came off that gate they scored only four points in total. Edinburgh didn’t find it a bundle of joy either scoring only nine points from the seven heats they were off it.

Scorers: For Mildenhall – Robbie Kessler 11 (5), Kai Laukkanen 6+1 (5), Henning Loof 4 (4), Michal Rajkowski 3 (4), Jari Makinen 3 (4), Kyle Hughes 2 (4), Jan Graversen 1 (4).

For Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 15 (6), William Lawson 12+2 (5), Aaron Summers 10+3 (5), Ryan Fisher 9+1 (5), Matthew Wethers 7+3 (5), Derek Sneddon 7+2 (4).

Premier League: Glasgow 51, Isle of Wight 42.

Glasgow were without Shane Parker, Josh Grajczonek and Mitchell Davey. They had Carl Stonehewer as a guest for Parker at number 3, used Rider Replacement for Grajczonek at number 2 and had Gary Beaton at reserve in place of Davey. They also nominated James McBain as their number 8. The Isle of Wight were without Krzysztof Stojanowski and Paul Fry who was injured in the terrible accident at Berwick last night. They used Rider Replacement for Stojanowski at number 1 and had Tero Aarnio (Berwick) as a guest for Fry at number 4.

After four successive home defeats, Glasgow finally recorded a home win against an Isle of Wight side who were involved in the dreadful events last night at Berwick. The Tigers success was mainly due to the contributions of Ross Brady with paid 17 at reserve and to their guest, Carl Stonehewer, who dropped only one point in his five rides.

Things didn’t look too promising for the Tigers when they lost a 1-5 in the opening heat after Cory Gathercole and Jason Bunyan had made the gate but they reversed that score in the reserves race with a 5-1 from Ross Brady and Gary Beaton. Heat 3 had to be rerun after Glen Phillips fell on the opening bends. In the all-four-back rerun Carl Stonehewer gated for the three points but behind him there was a battle between Tero Aarnio and Lee Dicken for second which the Islanders’ guest won on the run in to the flag. This gave Glasgow a 4-2 and two point lead which remained that way after an excellent heat 4. Ross Brady and Robert Ksiezak gated for the Tigers and were headed for a 5-1 but Jason Bunyan had other ideas. After a poor start he passed his partner, James Holder, then chased down the Glasgow pair passing them both for the race win and a 3-3 which took the score to 13-11.

Heat 5 saw Cory Gathercole fall at the starting gate earning him an exclusion from the rerun in which Lee Dicken led Tero Aarnio from the gate. Carl Stonehewer passed Aarnio on the third lap to join Dicken for a 5-1 stretching Glasgow’s lead to six points which stayed that way after Jason Bunyan scored a tapes-to-flag win for a shared race in heat 6. The visitors pulled two points back with a 2-4 in heat 7 when Tero Aarnio passed Robert Ksiezak off the second bend to win the race. Glen Phillips finished third so the Tigers’ lead was cut to four points. However a 5-1 from Brady and Ksiezak in heat 8 doubled it to eight points taking the score to 28-20.

Jason Bunyan made the gate in heat 9 for another win, ending Carl Stonehewer’s winning run but with Lee Dicken third the race was shared as was heat 10 won by Trent Leverington from Aarnio and Phillips. The Isle of Wight cut the gap to six points with a 2-4 in heat 11 as Cory Gathercole won from Ksiezak and Phillips but a home 5-1 in heat 12 from Brady and Stonehewer from the gate had the visitors in trouble as they now trailed by ten points with three heats remaining. They gave Cory Gathercole a TR in heat 13 and he duly obliged with all six points by beating Trent Leverington who minimised the damage by relegating Jason Bunyan to third. However the islanders scored a 2-7 cutting their arrears to five points. It was all over after heat 14 as Glasgow sealed victory with a 4-2 in a race rerun after James Holder had fallen and been excluded. In the rerun Brady won again with Tero Aarnio taking second place putting the Tigers seven points ahead going into the last race. An interesting last race saw Jason Bunyan and Tero Aarnio pass Carl Stonehewer off the second bend to lead the race. However Bunyan suffered machine trouble and retired from the race while Stonehewer passed Aarnio on the third lap to win the race for a shared heat.

Scorers: For Glasgow – Ross Brady 16+1 (7), Carl Stonehewer 12+2 (5), Robert Ksiezak 8+1 (5), Trent Leverington 7+1 (5), Lee Dicken 6+1 (4), Gary Beaton 2+1 (4).

For the Isle of Wight – Cory Gathercole 13 (5) (with 6 point TR), Jason Bunyan 12+1 (6), Tero Aarnio 12 (6), Glen Phillips 3+1 (5), James Holder 2 (5), Andrew Bargh 0 (3).

2008-05-12T23:00:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Saturday, 10 May

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Three Premier League matches and one Premier Trophy match were raced today. The three Premier League matches were at Rye House where the Rockets faced Edinburgh, at Workington where the Comets took on Reading and at Berwick where the Bandits raced against the Isle of Wight. The Premier Trophy match was at Stoke where the Potters had Newcastle as their visitors.

Premier League: Rye House 48, Edinburgh 42

Rye House, still without Tommy Allen, used Rider Replacement at number 4 and nominated Gary Cottham as their number 8. Edinburgh were without the injured Thomas Jonasson and used Rider Replacement at number 2.

This was an excellent match on a warm, balmy evening at Hoddesdon. Edinburgh made the early running but Rye House took control over the second part of the meeting to win by six points.

William Lawson fell on the opening bend of heat 1 but Andrew Tully emerged in front off the second bend and won the heat comfortably for a shared race. The Monarchs then took the lead with a 1-5 in the reserves race. Aaron Summers made the gate and, although Daniel Halsey held second place for a lap, Andrew Tully passed him on the second lap to join his partner for the maximum. Rye House pulled two points back in heat 3 in an excellent race. A close tussle between Robert Mear and Ryan Fisher, who passed and repassed each other, ended with Mear taking the flag. Behind this pair Tai Woffinden took third for a 4-2. Back came the Monarchs with a 2-4 in heat 4. Luke Bowen gated and was away while Aaron Summers moved Stefan Ekberg over on the second bend allowing Matthew Wethers up the inside to pass both of them. Wethers then hunted down and passed Bowen on the third lap to win the race taking the score to 10-14.

Although William Lawson made the start in heat 5, he was passed by Tai Woffinden who went on to win. Aaron Summers passed Luke Bowen for third place for a shared race. Heat 6 was shared too. Chris Neath led from the start while Robert Mear made a stunning inside pass on Matthew Wethers down the back straight but Wethers repassed him at the start of the next lap. Mear got the second bend all wrong allowing Andrew Tully through for third and a 3-3. The Rockets pulled two points back in the rerun of heat 7 after Derek Sneddon had got out of shape causing Daniel Halsey to run into him. Stefan Ekberg gated in the rerun for a comfortable win from Ryan Fisher and a 4-2. The Monarchs looked like scoring a 1-5 in heat 8 when Matthew Wethers led from the gate. Aaron Summers passed Luke Bowen as did Robert Mear but a hard charge into the first bend by Mear forced Summers over the first/second bend camber. By the time he had recovered Bowen was back into third for a 3-3 which took the score to 23-25.

Matthew Wethers and Andrew Tully gated for the Monarchs in heat 9 but a magnificent effort from Woffinden saw him pick off both the Monarchs on successive laps to share the race. The Rockets took the lead for the first time in heat 10. Robert Mear and Chris Neath were fast away and Andrew Tully could only follow them home as Ryan Fisher retired from the race. This resulted in a 5-1 and two point lead for the home side and it stayed than way when Stefan Ekberg gated to win heat 11 for another shared race. The Rockets doubled their lead with another Woffinden win in heat 12. Andrew Tully took second under pressure from Bowen and the 4-2 took the score to 41-37.

Stefan Ekberg took a heavy fall on the first bend of heat 13 but was able to take his place in the rerun in which Chris Neath gated. Although passed by Lawson he repassed the Monarchs’ man to win the race while Matthew Wethers also passed his partner for a shared race. It was all over after heat 14, won by Stefan Ekberg from Andrew Tully and Luke Bowen, for a 4-2 which sealed victory for the Rockets. William Lawson made en excellent gate in the last race and, now on the outside line, was never challenged by Neath and Woffinden for a shared race.

Scorers: For Rye House – Chris Neath 12+1 (5), Tai Woffinden 11+1 (5), Robert Mear 9+1 (5), Stefan Ekberg 9 (5), Luke Bowen 6+1 (7), Danny Halsey 1 (3).

For Edinburgh – Andrew Tully 13+2 (7), Matthew Wethers 11+1 (6), William Lawson 8+1 (5), Aaron Summers 5+1 (4), Ryan Fisher 5+1 (5), Derek Sneddon 0 (3).

Premier League: Workington 54, Reading 36

Workington had James Wright (Belle Vue) as a guest at number 1 for the injured Daniel Nermark. Reading, without both reserves, had Tom Brown as a guest for Jaimie Smith at number 6 and Ross Brady (Glasgow) at number 7 for Daniel Warwick.

Reading took a two point lead from the opening race when Mark Lemon got the better of James Wright to head off for the win. Barry Burchatt went too wide allowing Jaimie Mills through for third and a 2-4. Ross Brady gated to lead the reserves race but was passed by Joe Haines and John Branney. Tom Brown then ran into Brady who was excluded and the race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Comets reversing the two point lead. In heat 3 the Comets added a 4-2 from Nieminen who beat Ostergaard and Charles Wright then Tom P Madsen won heat 4 for a shared race taking the score to 14-10.

Reading pulled two back in heat 5 when Mark Lemon won again passing Kauko Nieminen in the process while Chris Mills took third for a 2-4. Workington replied with a 4-2 won by James Wright from Tom P Madsen. Barry Burchatt took third as Tom Brown fell to regain their four point lead. Ulrich Ostergaard won from Stonehewer and Haines in heat 7 for a shared race but the Comets pulled further away with a 5-1 in heat 8 from John Branney and Barry Burchatt taking the score to 28-20.

Tom P Madsen rocketed from the gate to win heat 9 but Charles Wright and Kauko Nieminen shared the points behind him. Ulrich Ostergaard won heat 10 but this too was only good enough for a 3-3 as Tomas Suchanek recorded his third successive blot. The home side’s lead went to 10 points when Carl Stonehewer ended Mark Lemon’s winning run and Joe Haines beat Chris Mills for third and a 4-2. Kauko Nieminen won heat 12 from Ostergaard while Tom Brown scored a point when John Branney fell. The 3-3 took the score to 41-31.

Mark Lemon took a TR in heat 13 but was on the wrong end of a 5-1 from James Wright and Carl Stonehewer as the Comets sealed victory with the maximum. They added another in heat 14 thanks to Joe Haines and Charles Wright but Ulrich Ostergaard won heat 15 from Nieminen and Stonehewer for a shared race as the Comets recorded an eighteen point victory.

Scorers: For Workington – Kauko Nieminen 11+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 10+1 (5), James Wright 10 (4), Joe Haines 8+1 (4), John Branney 6+2 (4), Charles Wright 5+1 (4), Barry Burchatt 4+2 (4).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 13 (5), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tom P Madsen 8 (4), Tom Brown 3+1 (5), Chris Mills 3 (4), Ross Brady 0 (3), Tomas Suchanek 0 (4).

Premier League: Berwick 17, Isle of Wight 19 Match abandoned after heat 6 – result does not stand.

Berwick were without Benny Johansson so used Rider Replacement at number 4 . The Isle of Wight were without Krzysztof Stojanowski so used Rider Replacement at number 1.

The details of this match were overshadowed by the events of heat 7. For the sake of accuracy I can do no better than quote the following extract from the Official Berwick Speedway site:
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Berwick’s Premier League match against the Isle of Wight came to shocking end on Saturday night when with a horrific crash injured two riders and two supporters.
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The prize for the winner was the League’s number one slot and as a result racing was keen and tight, with some great speedway, but come Heat Seven events took a shocking turn. As the tapes went up Scott Smith and Paul Fry locked machines going into the opening bend leaving the pair unable to control the outcome.

With both machines at full-bore, they smashed headlong into the first bend fencing, shattering the barrier to smithereens, sending Smith deep into the no-mans- land area, but Fry, and machines kept on going, flying over the remains of the fence and into the supporters’ area. Fry ended up against the stadium’s perimeter wall, some 50 feet from the track, but the flying bikes struck two very unlucky young supporters walking past.

Fry ended up with knee ligament damage and a couple of broken toes, and Smith, like Fry was well shaken up and shocked at the severity of the incident. Both stricken supporters required instant medical attention and two NHS service ambulances were called in, arriving within 5 minutes, and as a result the authorities were effectively in charge of the event.

Treating the scene as a regular accident scene, the local police called in their incident unit as the supporters were taken into the ambulances where medics tended to their injuries. After consultations between the paramedic teams, the police, the promotion and the referee it was agreed that the only sensible decision would be for the event to be abandoned at this stage, and as the announcement was made it received a round of applause from the crowd who were themselves coming to terms with the scenes and the shock and disbelief caused.

The result does not stand and a rescheduled date will be arranged soon. Berwick Promoter Peter Waite said: “Above everything else, we at Berwick Speedway have the two injured fans and their families uppermost in our minds and wish them all the very best for a very swift recovery. “Any referral to results or potential results is immaterial although we will be preparing early for the hard trip to Somerset on Friday.” Berwick had no planned home meeting for next Saturday, the 17th of May, stating several weeks ago that this would be a blank Saturday.

Scorers: For Berwick – Norbert Magosi 7 (3), Scott Smith 3 (2), Adrian Rymel 2+1 (2), Michal Makovsky 2+1 (2), Adam McKinna 2+1 (2), Tero Aarnio 1(1).

For the Isle of Wight– Cory Gathercole 6 (2), Jason Bunyan 5 (3), James Holder 3+1 (2), Glen Phillips 3 (2), Paul Fry 2+1 (1), Andrew Bargh 0 (2).

Premier Trophy: Stoke 54, Newcastle 39

Stoke were at full strength. Newcastle had Daniel Giffard (Redcar) as a guest for Ben Powell at number 2 and Scott Richardson as a guest for Jaimie Robertson at number 6. They also used Rider Replacement for George Stancl at number 3.

After losing two 5-1s in the opening three heats Newcastle never looked like challenging for the points. Eleven last places certainly gave them little chance of success.

The Diamonds started well when their guest, Daniel Giffard, passed Lee Complin to win the opening race. Unfortunately for them, Mark Burrows passed Josef Franc to relegate him to last so the race was shared. Two 5-1s followed from Evans and Kristiansen and Barker and Jakobsen to put the Potters eight points up. Emiliano Sanchez gated to win heat 4 but Jesper Kristiansen trying to pass Stoddart ended up being passed by Christian Henry instead for a shared race which took the score to 16-8.

Josef Franc gated in heat 5 but was passed by Ben Barker while Claus Jakobsen ended up at the back for a 3-3 but the Potters soared twelve points in front with a 5-1 from Lee Complin and Mark Burrows who passed Christian Henry to join him. Newcastle then gave Josef Franc a TR in heat 7 which he duly won from the gate. However Barrie Evans and Emiliano Sanchez both passed Jason King to restrict the heat advantage to the Diamonds to a 3-6. Stoke nullified that by scoring another 5-1 in heat 8 thanks to Mark Burrows and Jesper Kristiansen taking the score to 32-19.

The home side pulled another two points clear with a 4-2 in heat 9 when Ben Barker beat Christian Henry who had his work cut out keeping Claus Jakobsen behind him. Newcastle were sitting on a 1-5 in heat 10 when Mark Burrows fell causing the race to be rerun. In the second running Lee Complin won the race for a 3-3 then another 4-2 from Barrie Evans who beat Josef Franc and Emiliano Sanchez stretched the lead to 17 points. Heat 12 won by Ben Barker also resulted in a 4-2 taking the score to 47-28.

Newcastle again sat on a 1-5 in heat 13 when Josef Franc and Christian Henry led the race but Henry suffered an engine failure so the race was shared. Newcastle finally did score a 1-5 in heat 14. Sean Stoddart and Jason King led Barrie Evans home then, in the last race, Josef Franc completed a lucrative evening by winning from Barker and Complin for a shared race.

Scorers: For Stoke – Ben Barker 14 (5), Lee Complin 11+1 (5), Barrie Evans 9 (4), Emiliano Sanchez 6+2 (4), Mark Burrows 6+2 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 5+2 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 3+1 (4).

For Newcastle– Josef Franc 16 (6) (with 6 point TR), Jason King 7+2 (6), Sean Stoddart 7 (6), Christian Henry 5+1 (4), Daniel Giffard 4+1 (5), Scott Richardson 0 (3).

2008-05-10T00:49:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Friday, 9 May

Three matches were raced today all for Premier League points. At Edinburgh the Monarchs faced Reading, at Somerset the Rebels took on Rye House while at Scunthorpe the Scorpions raced against Workington.

Premier League: Edinburgh 49, Reading 43

Edinburgh were missing Thomas Jonasson who was injured in a crash in Sweden during the week. They used Rider Replacement for him at number 4. Reading were missing both reserves, Jaimie Smith and Danny Warwick. They used Gary Beaton (Redcar Cubs) and Ross Brady (Glasgow) at numbers 6 and 7 in their place.

With the forthcoming home and away aggregate Premier Trophy semi-final tie between these two sides both were out to impose themselves. Reading though would be hoping to confine their televised match on the Isle of Wight to the unwanted memory bank with a much improved performance.

This turned out to be another thriller at Armadale with many twists and turns as Reading fought all the way making the Monarchs dig deep for their win. Edinburgh trailed after five heats but with five races to go they had built up a 12 point lead. Tactical Rides made a hole in the Monarchs’ lead as Reading pulled their arrears back but they didn’t quite have the firepower to threaten a shock win.

It was Chris Mills who jetted from the gate in heat 1. He led for a couple of laps until Ryan Fisher passed him for the win while behind this pair Derek Sneddon finished third, almost catching Mills, ahead of Mark Lemon for a 4-2. Ross Brady made the gate in the reserves race but was quickly passed by Andrew Tully. Aaron Summers made a mess of the second bend but then took up the chase on Brady, caught and passed him in fine style to follow Tully home for a 5-1 which put the Monarchs six points ahead. Heat 3 was a disaster for the home side. Although Ulrich Ostergaard made the gate, William Lawson rounded him on bends one and two to head off in front. Andrew Tully then joined the fray to catch Ostergaard but Lawson suffered an engine failure on the fourth bend leaving Tully to take up the challenge on his own. This he did and the crowd were treated to a real thriller with Tully and Ostergaard passing and repassing each other all race until Tully fell on the third bend of the last lap leaving Tomas Suchanek miles at the back to ride past for second and a 0-5 to the Racers which cut the gap to one point. Tom P Madsen gated to win heat 4 but, on the opening bends, Aaron Summers gave Ross Brady a nudge which sent him fencewards. Matthew Wethers had to all but stop to avoid running into him and by the time he got himself sorted out the other three were gone. Aaron Summers finished second ahead of Brady for a 2-4 which put the Racers a point ahead with the score at 11-12.

Mark Lemon gated in heat 5 and held off the determined challenges of William Lawson for the three points and a shared race but the Monarchs were back in front with a 5-0 in heat 6. Gary Beaton fell on the first bend and retired from the race while Ryan Fisher and Derek Sneddon headed off for a 5-1. However Madsen dive bombed Sneddon on the first bend of the second lap to send him sprawling. Madsen was excluded as was Beaton who was not under power. In the rerun the Edinburgh riders made the gate(!) for a comfortable and uncontested maximum. This put the home side 4 points up and they added a 4-2 in heat 7. Ostergaard and Suchanek were fast away but Matthew Wethers passed them both with a white line drive round the opening bends. He then rode a clever race to deny Ostergaard while Andrew Tully passed Suchanek for third. This increased the Monarchs lead to 6 points and it looked like increasing further to ten when Aaron Summers and Ryan Fisher comfortably led Brady after Chris Mills had fallen on the opening bend and remounted. However Fisher, out for two rides on the trot, had forgotten to refill his fuel tank and ran out of gas coming off bend 2 on the last lap. This allowed Ross Brady through for second but Fisher was able to coast and paddle round to the line just in time to pip Mills for third. This resulted in a 4-2 taking the score to 27-19.

William Lawson made the start from Tom P Madsen in heat 9 but Matthew Wethers railed off bend two to relegate Madsen to third for a 5-1 which took the home side’s lead to 12 points. Suchanek and Ostergaard gated to lead heat 10 but an amazing ride by Fisher, who rounded Ostergaard on the third bend and a few feet later cut under the team riding Suchanek, took him through to first. Suchanek took up the challenge and briefly passed Fisher again but the American was not to be denied and won the race for a shared heat. In heat 11 Mark Lemon took a Tactical Ride and led Matthew Wethers from the gate. Wethers kept challenging on the inside line and Chris Mills took full advantage of the situation by driving round the outside to pass Wethers earning the Racers the big 1-8 which cut the gap to 5 points. Although William Lawson made the gate in heat 12, Ulrich Ostergaard cut up the inside to pass him brilliantly and go on to win the race. Aaron Summers took third for a shared race which took the score to 39-34.

Heat 13 looked crucial but Edinburgh were well up for this one. Derek Sneddon gated brilliantly from gate 2 to lead Mark Lemon to the first bend. He pinned Lemon on the inside allowing Matthew Wethers to join him round the outside. A great team ride from the Edinburgh pair earned them a 5-1 extending their lead to 9 points. Reading weren’t finished though and threw Ulrich Ostergaard into heat 14 replacing Ross Brady as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back. This resulted in another fabulous race. Suddenly Tomas Suchanek made the start while Fisher struggled in vain to catch him. Meanwhile Ulrich Ostergaard finally got past Tully late in the race and made inroads on Fisher who was on an extravagantly wide line. He couldn’t catch him though and his third place gave the racers a 2-5 from the heat but it was too little, too late. In the last race the Racers made the gate but William Lawson rode a determined opening two bends to pass them both. Fisher and Ostergaard then had a magnificent battle for third place which ended when Fisher ended up in the first bend fence on the last lap. The heat was shared and the Monarchs were home and dry by six points.

Scorers: For Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 12 (6), William Lawson 10 (5), Aaron Summers 9+3 (5), Matthew Wethers 7+2 (5), Derek Sneddon 6+1 (4), Andrew Tully 5 (5).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 13+2 (6) (with 2 point TS), Mark Lemon 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), Tomas Suchanek 6+2 (4), Chris Mills 4+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 4 (4), Ross Brady 4 (4), Gary Beaton 0 (3).

Premier League: Somerset 66, Rye House 27

Somerset were at full strength but Rye House were again forced to use Rider Replacement for the injured Tommy Allen at number 4.

Confidence in the Somerset camp must have been sky high after their sensational win at Redcar last night. Rye House could also claim some decent away form having recorded a massive 21 point win at Mildenhall last Sunday.

The Rebels ran up another cricket score at the Oak Tree Arena with Rye House the victims this time. They have certainly set out their stall in the race for the league title and, after their results tonight and last night, they have to be considered serious challengers.

What can be said about this match. The Rebels managed ten 5-1 heat advantages in what was virtually a Somerset v Tai Woffinden match. The Rye House youngster salvaged a little respectability for the Rockets by dropping just one point from his five rides which included a successful Tactical Ride. Beaten only once – in heat 3 by Emil Kramer - he prevented all of the home riders from scoring a maximum. In fact none of the other Rye House riders beat a single opponent all night. Their combined total of ten points all came at the wrong end of the home side’s 5-1 heat wins.

After two opening maximums, Tai Woffinden made a great start in heat 3 only to be passed round the outside by Emil Kramer for his only defeat of the night. The shared race was followed by another 5-1 taking the score to 19-5.

Another two 5-1s followed before Tai Woffinden won heat 7 after a good battle with Simon Walker while on a TR so the Rockets took their only heat advantage of the night with a 3-6. A heat 8 5-1 then took the score to 37-14.

Heat 9 was another easy 5-1 for the Rebels but Tai Woffinden won again in heat 10 after clamping Jason Doyle on the opening bend before jetting off for the win and shared race. After another 5-1 for the home side Woffinden was out again in heat 12 which he again won. At this stage he had scored 15 of the Rockets’ 22 points as the score now stood at 53-22.

Heats 13 and 14 both ended up 5-1s again until Tai Woffinden completed an excellent night by winning the nominated riders’ race from Kramer and Walker.

Scorers: For Somerset – Emil Kramer 13 (5), Simon Walker 11+2 (5), Jason Doyle 10+1 (4), Stephan Katt 10+1 (4), Jordan Frampton 8+3 (4), Brent Werner 7+4 (4), Matthias Kroger 7+3 (4).

For Rye House – Tai Woffinden 17 (5) (with 6 point TR), Stefan Ekberg 3 (5), Chris Neath 3 (5), Robert Mear 3 (6), Luke Bowen 1 (4), Daniel Halsey 0 (5).

Premier League: Scunthorpe 47, Workington 43

Scunthorpe were at full strength but Workington were without Daniel Nermark so used James Wright (Belle Vue) as a guest at number 1.

Having beaten high-flying Somerset at home last week Scunthorpe would have felt confident about taking on the much-fancied Workington team. Workington fans had a welcome opportunity to see James Wright in the Comets’ colours again after he elected for the Elite League this year.

This was an excellent win for the Scorpions with only a closing 1-5 to the Comets putting a bit of gloss on the scoresheet for the visitors. The home side began in perfect style with an opening heat 5-1. Carl Wilkinson hit the front off the second bend and was joined by Andrew Moore who passed him after passing James Wright for second place. Joe Haines began a productive evening by winning the reserves race for a shared heat then Magnus Karlsson roared round Kauko Nieminen in heat 3 for another shared race. The Scorpions took another 5-1 in heat 4 to shoot eight points in front. Carl Stonehewer fell while second and Richard Hall and Byron Bekker led home John Branney for the maximum taking the score to 16-8.

Workington pulled two points back in heat 5 when James Wright passed early race leader, Magnus Karlsson, while Benji Compton fell leaving Barry Burchatt to take an easy third place for a 2-4. Carl Stonehewer passed Andrew Moore in heat 6 and challenged Carl Wilkinson only to suffer an engine failure leaving the home side to score another 5-1 which put them ten points ahead. Richard Hall passed Kauko Nieminen in heat 7 while Charles Wright won the battle for third against Viktor Bergstrom for a shared heat but the Comets scored another 2-4 in heat 8. Joe Haines won again this time from Carl Wilkinson while Barry Burchatt took third from Byron Bekker taking the score to 28-20.

Haines and Stonehewer gated to lead heat 9 but Magnus Karlsson rounded them both on the last two bends of the first lap for a fine win and shared race then things looked bright in heat 10 for the Comets too when Kauko Nieminen was quickly away to win the race. However Charles Wright who had also gated well was passed by Andrew Moore and Carl Wilkinson so the heat was shared. James Wright won heat 11 for another shared race but the Comets reduced their arrears to six points when they scored another 2-4 in heat 12. Kauko Nieminen won the race after passing Magnus Karlsson while Joe Haines took third taking the score to 39-33.

It looked as though the Comets were going to storm back into the match when they were heading for a 1-5 in heat 13 as James Wright and Carl Stonehewer led from the tapes. However Andrew Moore passed Stonehewer on the second lap then Stonehewer fell so the race was shared. The Scorpions finally sealed victory with a 4-2 in heat 14. Viktor Bergstrom won the race from Joe Haines but Benji Compton’s third place gave the home side a 4-2 and eight point lead with one race to go. An excellent heat 15 was eventually won by Kauko Nieminen and James Wright from Karlsson and Hall as the Comets finished with a bang.

Scorers: For Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 11 (5), Andrew Moore 9+1 (4), Richard Hall 9+1 (5), Carl Wilkinson 8+2 (4), Viktor Bergstrom 6+1 (4), Byron Bekker 3+2 (4), Benji Compton 1 (4).

For Workington – Kauko Nieminen 13 (5), James Wright 12+1 (5), Joe Haines 12 (6), Charles Wright 2+2 (3), Barry Burchatt 2 (4), Carl Stonehewer 1+1 (4), John Branney 1 (3).

2008-05-08T23:04:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Thursday, 8 May

Tonight’s matches were at Redcar where the Bears raced Somerset in a Premier League match and at Sheffield where the Tigers took on Hull in the Yorkshire Cup.

Premier League: Redcar 39, Somerset 54

Redcar were still without Chris Kerr and used Rider Replacement at number 2. Somerset were at full strength.

With Redcar’s new averages kicking in Josh Auty and Daniel Giffard swopped places in the team with Auty moving to number 7 and Giffard to number 4. Somerset, after some very impressive home performances, were hoping for better in this match than on their visit to Scunthorpe last Monday.

The Rebels made a blistering start to this match. They took a 1-5 in the opening race when Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton shot from the gate leaving Gary Havelock in third place unable to make any impression. Then they added a 2-4 in the reserves race with another fine piece of starting from Brent Werner and Simon Walker. Josh Auty rescued second place for the Bears by passing Walker on the second lap but the Bears trailed by six points already. James Grieves won heat 3 but Emil Kramer and Matthias Kroger finished behind him to square the heat. Ty Proctor then won heat 4 but again the Rebels pair finished behind him for another shared race which took the score to 9-15.

There was an even bigger shock for the home side when Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton scored another 1-5 in heat 5 this time at the expense of James Grieves who had no answer to the lightning gates from the Rebels pair. Somerset now led by ten points so the Bears immediately gave a Tactical Ride to Gary Havelock in heat 6. He beat Stephan Katt and Simon Walker but, with Arlo Bugeja at the back, the Rebels advantage was limited to a 6-3 cutting their arrears to seven points. In heat 7 they pulled another two points back when Josh Auty rose to the occasion by beating Emil Kramer with a stunning gate. Ty Proctor took third since Matthias Kroger suffered an engine failure at the gate for a 4-2. The Rebels made stunning gates again in heat 8 with Werner and Frampton leading the way. Ty Proctor passed Frampton for third to limit the damage to a 2-4 which took the score to 22-29.

The Bears came roaring back into the match with a hard fought 5-1 in heat 9. James Grieves drove round the outside on the opening bends to take the lead off the second bend while Daniel Giffard fought his way into second place to lead Simon Walker and Stephan Katt home. However it all went pear-shaped for the Bears when they conceded back-to-back 1-5s in heats 10 and 11. Again the damage was done at the starting gate. Emil Kramer and Matthias Kroger beat Gary Havelock then Jason Doyle and Jordan Frampton beat Ty Proctor with no sign of any passing in either heat. In heat 12 James Grieves made the start to beat Emil Kramer while Josh Auty’s third place gave the Bears a 4-2 which took the score to 33-42 with just three heats to go.

In heat 13 Jason Doyle won from Gary Havelock and Ty Proctor for a 3-3 which all but saw the Rebels home and dry. Ty Proctor took a Tactical Substitute ride from 15 metres in heat 14 replacing the pointless Arlo Bugeja but there was no success for the home side as Brent Werner and Matthias Kroger took another 1-5, the Rebels’ fifth of the match. The visitors rounded the match off with a 2-4 with Jason Doyle completing his maximum by beating Gary Havelock and Jordan Frampton beating James Grieves for third place.

Scorers: For Redcar – Gary Havelock 12 (5) (with 6 point TR), James Grieves 10 (5), Ty Proctor 9+1 (6), Josh Auty 6 (6), Daniel Giffard 2+1 (5), Arlo Bugeja 0 (3).

For Somerset – Jason Doyle 15 (5), Brent Werner 10+1 (4), Emil Kramer 9 (4), Jordan Frampton 8+3 (5), Matthias Kroger 5+3 (4), Stephan Katt 4 (4), Simon Walker 3+1 (4).

Yorkshire Cup: Sheffield 52, Hull 37.

Sheffield were without Joel Parsons who had swopped sides for the night so had James Birkinshaw at reserve in the side instead. The Hull team featured many of the riders who had previously ridden for the Vikings. Joel Parsons partnered Robbie Kessler at numbers 1 and 2. Tai Woffinden (replacing Magnus Karlsson) and Emiliano Sanchez formed the middle pairing at numbers 3 and 4 while Paul Thorpe making his 2008 debut was at number 5. The reserves were Lee Dicken and Barrie Evans.

With the scheduled meeting between the Tigers and Newport having to be put on ice for the time being, this imaginative match against the Hull Vikings was arranged instead. Hull were evicted from their home at Craven Park in 2005 and have been missing ever since from the Premier League. They were managed by their former rider Garry Stead.

A different format was used for this match. There were no Tactical Substitutes or Tactical Rides. Instead, in the event of either side trailing by six or more points, they were able to choose which gate positions they wanted to use. This was not confined to the usual gates 1 and 3 or gates 2 and 4 but was extended to the trailing team using gates 1 and 2 or 1 and 4 or 2 and 3 etc. It seems that this is one innovation which had never been tried in speedway before.

Hull went ahead with a 2-4 in heat 1 thanks to a win for Robbie Kessler from Ashworth and Parsons then a James Birkinshaw win in the reserves race resulted in a shared heat. Sheffield equalised with a 4-2 from Andre Compton, who beat Tai Woffinden, and Lee Smethills in heat 3. Ben Wilson and James Birkinshaw then put Sheffield in front with a 5-1 in heat 4 taking the score to 14-10.

Kessler was excluded in heat 5 for knocking Andre Compton off. Compton won the rerun from Parson and Smethills for a 4-2 to increase the Tigers’ lead to six points. It increased to eight when Ricky Ashworth won heat 7 from Lee Dicken and Paul Cooper. Tai Woffinden and Emiliano Sanchez pulled two points in heat 7 when Ben Wilson finished second and Sam Martin pulled up with a puncture. James Birkinshaw fell in heat 8 and was excluded from the rerun won by Paul Cooper for a shared heat taking the score to 27-21.

In heat 9 Andre Compton won from Lee Dicken and Lee Smethills as Paul Thorp fell. This gave Sheffield another 4-2 and eight point lead. The track was now causing problems for some of the riders and Emiliano Sanchez fell in heat 10 causing a rerun in which Tai Woffinden also fell. This gave the Tigers a 5-0 and a 13 point lead. Sam Martin was the next faller in heat 11 which also had to be rerun. Joel Parsons beat Wilson and Kessler for a 2-4 then heat 12, won by Andre Compton from Tai Woffinden, was shared as the score went to 41-30.

Sheffield scored two more 4-2s in heats 13 and 14 won by Ashworth and Smethills respectively then Ricky Ashworth touched the tapes in the last heat causing the race to be run with only three riders. Andre Compton completed his maximum by winning from Parsons and Woffinden.

From heat 6 onwards there were gate positional changes for a few heats from those listed in the programme but no information is available as to how successful this experiment was.

Scorers: For Sheffield – Andre Compton 15 (5) (maximum), Ricky Ashworth 11 (5), Ben Wilson 8, Paul Cooper 6+1 (4), Lee Smethills 6 (4), James Birkinshaw 5+1 (4), Sam Martin 1 (4).

For Hull – Joel Parsons 10 (5), Tai Woffinden 8+1 (5), Lee Dicken 7+1 (4), Robbie Kessler 6+1 (4), Barrie Evans 5+2 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 1 (4), Paul Thorp 0 (3).

2008-05-07T22:52:00.002+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Wednesday, 7 May

One Premier League match was raced tonight - at Birmingham where Newcastle were the visitors. The other match was at King’s Lynn where the Stars took on Redcar in the second leg of their Knock Out Cup tie.

Premier League: Birmingham 46, Newcastle 44

Birmingham used Rider Replacement for the injured Phil Morris. Jack Hargreaves took ill before the meeting and was replaced at number 7 by Jack Roberts while Paul Starke was nominated as their number 8. Newcastle were without George Stancl and the recently deposed Ben Powell. They had Daniel Giffard as a guest at number 5 for Powell and used Rider Replacement at number 2 for Stancl.

What a match and what drama in the last race! With one heat to go the Diamonds led by two points. They then won the vital toss for the inside gates but Christian Henry broke the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. Even worse for Newcastle, the gate positions changed so it was now the Brummies who had the inside gates. They celebrated with a big 5-1 from Jason Lyons and Adam Roynon to win the match by two points.

The warning bells were ringing for the home side when Newcastle took the opening race. Josef Franc won from Lee Smart while Daniel Giffard (R/R) took third place for a 2-4 and two point lead for the visitors. Mattia Carpanese won heat 2 for the home side and, when Jaimie Robertson fell after running into Jack Roberts, the race was awarded as a 5-1 to the Brummies reversing the two point lead. Jason Lyons won heat 3 from Christian Henry and Jason King for a shared heat then Adam Roynon did likewise in heat 4 beating Daniel Giffard and Sean Stoddart to take the score to 13-11.

Jason Lyons then won heat 5 but again it was only for a shared heat as Franc and King finished behind him but Birmingham pulled six points clear with a 5-1 in heat 6. Henning Bager and Lee Smart did the damage beating Stoddart and Giffard but the home side’s joy didn’t last long when Newcastle replied in kind with a 1-5 in heat 7. The home fans were dismayed when Christian Henry and Jason King beat Jack Roberts and Adam Roynon to pull their arrears back to just two points. They were then stunned when Josef Franc and Sean Stoddart beat Lee Smart and Mattia Carpanese for another 1-5 which put the Diamonds in front by two points. The score now stood at 23-25 and it was announced that Jaimie Robertson had withdrawn from the meeting due to concussion.

Birmingham regained the lead again in heat 9 when Jason Lyons and Jack Roberts scored a 5-1 over Daniel Giffard, the only rider Newcastle were able to track. The home side now led by two points but Newcastle squared the match again with a 2-4 in heat 10. Christian Henry beat Henning Bager while Jason King took third from Lee Smart. The Diamonds then went in front again with another 2-4 in heat 11. Josef Franc won the race from Adam Roynon with Stoddart third. Jason Lyons won heat 12 coming from third through to first to head home Henry and Stoddart but it only produced a 3-3 which took the score to 35-37.

Things looked good for the Brummies when Adam Roynon and Henning Bager scored a 5-1 from Giffard and Franc in heat 13 which put the home side two points in front again but the Diamonds replied with a 1-5 in heat 14 as King and Stoddart won from Roberts and Smart which put the Diamonds back in the lead by two points going into the last race. Then came the dramatic heat 15 in which Jason Lyons completed yet another home maximum.

Scorers: For Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (5) (maximum), Adam Roynon 10+1 (5), Henning Bager 7+1 (4), Jack Roberts 6+2 (7), Lee Smart 5+1 (5), Mattia Carpanese 3 (5).

For Newcastle – Josef Franc 12 (6), Christian Henry 10 (5), Sean Stoddart 9+4 (7), Jason King 8+3 (5), Daniel Giffard 5 (5), Jaimie Robertson 0 (1).

Knock Out Cup (first round, second leg): King’s Lynn 55, Reading 38 Reading win through to the next round on aggregate by 97-89.

King’s Lynn were without Kevin Doolan and had Billy Janniro (Coventry) as a guest in his place. Reading without both reserves had Jay Herne at number 6 and Sam Martin at number 7.

With 25 points to make up from the first leg at Reading just over a week ago, King’s Lynn had a hard task on their hands. It was the first time this season that an Elite League rider had been used as a guest for a Premier League side in an official fixture.

Mark Lemon and Billy Janniro had a coming together in the run to the first bend in heat 1 which resulted in an all-four-back rerun in which Chris Mills took advantage of a mix up between the home riders to win the race for a shared heat. John Oliver and Kozza Smith sat on a 5-1 in the reserves race but Kozza Smith fell on the second lap. He got up and remounted and , since Jay Herne had retired from the race, he took third place for a home 4-2 the same score as in heat 3. Ulrich Ostergaard got the better of Tomas Topinka coming off the second bend but Topinka passed him on the third lap. Suchanek gave up the ghost allowing Simon Lambert an easy third place point. King’s Lynn now had a four point lead and added another two points to it in heat 4 with a third consecutive 4-2. Rusty Harrison made a poor start but passed his partner, Kozza Smith, on the first lap then Tom P Madsen on the second for a fine race win. This took the score to 15-9 and the Racers’ aggregate lead was down 19 points.

The Stars scored a 5-1 in heat 5 to raise their hopes. Tomas Topinka and Simon Lambert headed home Chris Mills for the maximum and the home side continued to extend their lead with a 4-2 in heat 6. Billy Janniro beat Tom P Madsen in the rerun of this heat after a melee on the first bend with an all-four-back decision. Ulrich Ostergaard stopped the rot in heat 7 after passing both John Oliver and Rusty Harrison on the third lap. Harrison finished second and the race was shared 3-3. In heat 8 Reading gave Chris Mills a Tactical Ride and he duly gated for the six points. Oliver and Tacey finished behind him so the Racers took a 3-6 advantage taking the score to 30-21.

Tom P Madsen made the gate in heat 9 but Tomas Topinka passed him on the second lap. Simon Lambert took third for a 4-2 which put the Stars 11 points ahead. Another 4-2 in heat 10 increased the home side’s lead to 13 points and reduced their aggregate arrears to 12 points. Billy Janniro won the race as Ulrich Ostergaard took second by passing Shaun Tacey. Rusty Harrison won heat 12 for the Stars but a mistake by John Oliver saw him relegated to the back as Lemon and Mills filled the minor places. This resulted in a shared race but it was all over in heat 14 when Reading took a 2-4 to lead on aggregate by 14 points with just three races remaining. Ulrich Ostergaard passed Tomas Topinka and the King’s Lynn number 1 just couldn’t repass him. With Kozza Smith having fallen on the first bend the score went to 43-32.

Mark Lemon won heat 13 from Billy Janniro and Rusty Harrison for a 3-3 then in heat 14 Ulrich Ostergaard replaced Sam Martin as a Tactical Substitute from 15 metres back. He passed his partner, Tomas Suchanek, in no time at all then cut back under John Oliver on the second lap before chasing after Simon Lambert. An outside drive round the last bend ended with the Dane sliding off his bike letting Lambert and Oliver through for a 5-1. In the last race Topinka and Harrison made the gate but Ostergaard passed Harrison for second resulting in a 4-2 for the Stars which gave them a 17 point win on the night but an eight point aggregate defeat.

Scorers: For King’s Lynn – Tomas Topinka 14 (5), Rusty Harrison 10+1 (5), Billy Janniro 10 (4), John Oliver 8+2 (5), Simon Lambert 7+1 (4), Shaun Tacey 4+2 (4), Kozza Smith 2 (3).

For Reading: – Ulrich Ostergaard 12 (6), Chris Mills 11+1 (5) (with 6 point TR), Tom P Madsen 6 (4), Mark Lemon 5 (4), Sam Martin 3 (4), Tomas Suchanek 1 (4), Jay Herne 0 (3).

2008-05-06T23:12:00.001+01:00

Around the Premier League Tracks 2008

Tuesday, 6 May

Tonight’s match was on the Isle of Wight where the Islanders raced against Reading in a Premier League match.

Premier League: Isle of Wight 58, Reading 34.

The Isle of Wight were without Krzysztof Stojanowski so used Rider Replacement at number 1. Reading were without both their reserves, Jaimie Smith and Danny Warwick. They had Jay Herne at number 6 in place of Smith and Joe Haines in place of Warwick at number 7.

Watched by a television audience of millions (?), the Isle of Wight were looking for revenge after going down to a two point defeat at Reading on Monday. On that occasion the Islanders had led by two points going into the last heat but a 5-1 from the Racers meant that they left empty handed. Unfortunately tonight’s match could hardly be described as a nail biting thriller. After containing the Islanders for the first few heats the Racers had no answer to the home side’s better gating and riding as they steadily built up a 24 point win.

Reading won the opening race to lead for the one and only time in the match. Mark Lemon was the race winner from Glen Phillips (R/R) and Chris Mills for a 2-4. The Islanders levelled again with a 4-2 in the reserves race won by James Holder from Joe Haines. The home side then took the lead with a 4-2 in heat 3 when Glen Phillips won a tight battle on the first lap for the lead with Ulrich Ostergaard. Paul Fry in third then put Ostergaard under pressure but that’s the way the race finished. It was all square again after heat 4 when Tom P Madsen made the gate to see off Jason Bunyan round the opening two bends to go on and win the race. James Holder’s third place gave the home side a 3-3 taking the score to 13-11.

The Isle of Wight then put their best gating boots on and left the Racers struggling with consecutive 5-1s in heats 5 and 6. Paul Fry leapt from the tapes to lead Glen Phillips home ahead of Mark Lemon in the former then Cory Gathercole and Jason Bunyan scored an easy maximum against Jay Herne and Tom P Madsen in the latter. This put the visitors ten points ahead so Ulrich Ostergaard came out in heat 7 as a TR. However a fine start by Jason Bunyan saw him get to the second bend ahead of Ostergaard then head off for the win. However Tomas Suchanek got the better of David Bargh for third so the visitors took a 3-5 advantage to cut their arrears to eight points. Gathercole and Holder followed this with a 5-1 in heat 8 which took the score to 31-19.

It kept getting worse for Reading as Phillips and Fry gated to beat Madsen in heat 9 for another home 5-1 then Paul Fry out again made the gate to win from Ulrich Ostergaard in heat 10. Cory Gathercole took third for a home 4-2 which increased their lead to 18 points. Heat 11 brought no comfort to the Racers as they conceded another 5-1. This time Jason Bunyan and David Bargh left Chris Mills and Mark Lemon in their wake but in heat 12 Ulrich Ostergaard stopped the rot by winning from Glen Phillips and James Holder for a shared race which took the score to 48-26.

When Jason Bunyan fell on the second bend of heat 13 Mark Lemon was left to win the heat unchallenged from Cory Gathercole. Tom P Madsen’s third place gave the Racers a welcome heat advantage with a 2-4 but their joy was short lived as the home side added a 5-1 in heat 14. David Bargh and Paul Fry reeled in and passed an excellent effort from Joe Haines who led for over two laps until his engine seemed to slow. In the final race Glen Phillips rode a stunning opening two bends to pass Mark Lemon and Ulrich Ostergaard for the race win but Jason Bunyan’s engine failure resulted in the race being shared leading to a 24 point victory.

Scorers: For Isle of Wight – Glenn Phillips 15+1 (6), Paul Fry 11+2 (5), Jason Bunyan 10+1 (6), Cory Gathercole 9 (5), James Holder 7+2 (4), Andrew Bargh 6+1 (4).

For Reading – Ulrich Ostergaard 12+1 (5) (with 4 point TR), Mark Lemon 9 (5), Tom P Madsen 5 (4), Joe Haines 3 (5), Tomas Suchanek 2+1 (4), Chris Mills 2 (4), Jay Herne 1 (3).