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MATCH REPORTS BRISTOWE SURPRISE GO-RIDE WINNER posted 13 April 2013
The first round of the 2013 Hallamshire Go-Ride League saw Pooles Will Bristowe take the honours in the open category. Bristowe was in Sheffield on a visit and dropped in at Cookson Park when he discovered there was some racing taking place.
Riding on borrowed machinery he managed to withstand the efforts of Kyle Holland and Liam Webster first time out. Then a well executed first bend switchback saw him take his second win. Third time out he was relegated to third spot after losing out in a classic battle with Holland, the Sheffield youngster re-passing on the third lap and creating a gap that Luke Morton made the most of.
The Poole youngster then took the A Final with a comfortable tapes to flag win, with all the action happening for the minor placings. Veteran Mick Knowles continued his return to racing by causing an upset in the form book to make the A Final. His first bend demolition of Webster and Luke Morton has earned him a new nickname of Wreck it Ralph. The legs though gave up on lap three with Webster then Morton getting past.
The Girls final saw a first win of the day for Sandra Tamborska, who was having a below par day by her high standards, as she managed to get the better of the Unwin family.
The under-13s competition provided plenty of close racing and lots of passing. James Bunting and Ellie Sullivan recorded unbeaten scores with some electrifying starts. Ed Morton was also unbeaten, but was made to work hard for his third win by Billie Owen (who his improving with every meeting at the moment). The three unbeaten riders met in the A Final with Sullivan making the most of grid one to speed away for the win. Bunting got the better of Morton as the riders came together on the first corner, with Morgan Turner making the most of the opportunity to go on and claim third spot.
The under-10s saw Sam Turney take top spot, though he did lose out to James Hawkins when given a 10 metre handicap for tapes movement in a qualifying race. Jack Brownell beat younger brother Joe to take the under-8 win, confirming his form from the opening round of the British Youth and Junior League.
Qualifying Scores Open Will Bristowe 14, Mick Knowles 13, Luke Morton 13, Liam Webster 13, Kyle Holland 12, Niall Morton 12, Rob Mawhood 12, Sandra Tamborska 10, John Turney 9. Under-13/Girls James Bunting 16, Ed Morton 16, Ellie Sullivan 16, Billie Owen 13, Morgan Turner 13, Daniel Rushton 11, Charlotte Adams 10, Sam Haines 10, Alice Turney 10, Niamh Morton 9, Katy Unwin 9, Alice Unwin 8, Lisa Unwin 6, Matthew Wigfield 6. Under-8/10s Sam Turney 15, Jack Brownell 12, James Hawkins 10, Katie Adams 9, Joe Brownell 4.
Grand Prix Finals Open A 1st Will Bristowe, 2nd Liam Webster, 3rd Luke Morton 4th Mick Knowles Open B 1st Kyle Holland, 2nd Niall Morton, 3rd Rob Mawhood, 4th John Turney Girls 1st Sandra Tamborska, 2nd Katy Unwin, 3rd Alice Unwin, 4th Lisa Unwin Under-13 A 1st Ellie Sullivan, 2nd James Bunting, 3rd Morgan Turner, 4th Ed Morton Under-13 B 1st Billie Owen, 2nd Daniel Rushton, 3rd Alice Turney Under-13 C 1st Sam Haines, 2nd Charlotte Adams, 3rd Niamh Morton, 4th Matthew Wigfield Under-10 1st Sam Turney, 2nd James Hawkins, 3rd Katie Adams. Under-8 1st Jack Brownell, 2nd Joe Brownell.
The 2013 regional cycle speedway season kicked off at Harford Park last Sunday with the local Norwich Stars taking their place back in the South East League Division One with a visit from a Great Blakenham side, which although was not up to full strength, still posed a threat with three Elite League riders namely Adam Peck, Lewis and Chris Osborne in their line-up.
With the powerful heat leader trio leading the visitors attack, there was still a way to defeat the Suffolk visitors and that was to tactically
Great Blakenham recorded seven heat winners, which resulted in skilled scoring heats, and Norwich hit them with 7-3 heat wins in heats four and nine, to make a half time score of Norwich 48 Great Blakenham 42.
The second half scoring was much the same as the first half, with Alan Parkins being involved in two unusual incidents involving his rear inner tube. He was in good point scoring positions when in heats 12 and 16, all of a sudden his rear inner tube came away from his wheel, causing Alan to retire from the race dropping vital points.
Norwich knew that they had to be at least five point ahead going into the final heat, and this they achieved by leading 8978 prior to heat 18. As expected Peck and Lewis Osborne raced away from home riders of Steven Clare and Jamie Medler to score a 73 heat win, but it was not enough to take the league points as Norwich won the match with a score of Norwich 92 Great Blakenham 85.
Norwich 92 Paddy Wenn 15, Danny Margitson 14, Gary Colby 13, Jamie Medler 12, Steven Clare 11, Alex Dyball 10, Alan Parkins 9, Toby Sands 8 Great Blakenham 85 Lewis Osborne 20, Adam Peck 19, Chris Osborne 16, Sam Turland 7, Will Jennings 7, Terry Ashford 6, Gavin Whitehouse 6, Vlad Simmons 2, Sam Broom 2
SAME AGAIN BLAKENHAM posted 12 April 2013
In the Division Two match, a young Norwich side, boosted by Alex Dyball, Danny Margitson and Jamie Medler, saw off a visiting side that turned out in the Division One match. With 11 riders to call on, the Norwich top six all went on to score double figures with Rohan Ewbank and Mason Parkins leading the way with 16 point each.
Dane Parkins went on to score 15, and Alex Dyball scored 14 points. Danny Margitson and Jamie Medler scored 13 each, with Kieran Money 3, Ciaran Wenn 2, Mia Sands 1, Aaron Mills 1, and Iwan Sands 1, being the other points scorers as Norwich went on to win the match by 9564.
Hull played hosts to Edinburgh in the Northern League on another bright but chilly day at the Hessle Raceway.
The meeting looked set to be a very close affair with the opening three heats drawn and the sides trading 6-4's in heats four and five. Mikey Hewittson/Neil McPherson edged the visitors two points clear with a seventh heat 6-4 but heat nine was decisive as the Falcons Jake Slight/Craig Newsome took a 7-2 after a tape exclusion for Lewis Aylmer to establish a seven point lead.
The second half began in similar fashion as Jake Slight teamed up with Kamil Greszla to take a 7-3 before Andy Angell/Rob Stockton Garner replied with a 6-4 for Hull. The visitors then wrapped things up with quick fire maximums in heats 13 and 14 from Lee Lawrence/Chris Lee and Mikey Hewittson/Jake Slight leaving a Lewis Aylmer/Craig Bodice 6-3 in heat 16 as a mere consolation for Hull.
Andy Angell was on top form for Hull with an unbeaten score while Ben Swanborough was also back to his best. But the home side missed Adam Stephenson and couldn't find the elusive 7-3's after a solid start. For Edinburgh Jake Slight only dropped one point in five starts from a reserve berth and Craig Newsome and Mikey Hewittson led a strong all round display.
Hull 82 Andy Angell 20, Ben Swanborough 17, Lewis Aylmer 11, Craig Boddice 8, Dominic Bent 7, David Cooper 7, Rob Stockton Garner 7, Ryan Harrison 5. Edinburgh 86 Jake Slight 18, Mikey Hewittson 18, Craig Newsome 17,Lee Lawrence 14, Chris Lee 13, Neil McPherson 8, Kamil Greszla 7, Marcin Czarcowski 1.
EDINBURGH SECONDS IMPRESS posted 11 April 2013
Edinburgh fielded a strong division two side with three new riders joining two that had raced previously whilst Hull mixed youth and experience in a new eight rider line up. The first heat saw Hull's Rich Pawson split the Mark Lee/Doug Morgan pairing and Andy Moody repeated the feat in heat four against Doug Morgan/Marcin Czarcowski. Apart from this Edinburgh won every race by a maximum except where they only had one rider, despite the best efforts of a mainly young home side.
Callum Slight, Mark Lee and Kamil Greszla were unbeaten for the Falcons with Nick Dows showing promise on his debut for Hull.
Hull 57 Andy Cooper 12, Rich Pawson 10, Nick Dows 8, Josh Bellis 8, Katie Greaves 7, Andy Moody 6, Charlie Davis 4, Charlie Wade 2. Edinburgh 88 Callum Slight 19, Mark Lee 18, Kamil Greszla 17, Doug Morgan
HULL WALKOVER IN UNDER-12 DIVISION posted 11 April 2013
In division three Edinburgh understandably had no under 12's making the long trip and it was left to Hull's five riders to battle it out for bragging rights with Charlie Wade narrowly taking the honours .
Hull 50 Edinburgh 0
The CRA Sheffield Rockets got their home season of to the perfect start with an emphatic 99-51 victory over Astley & Tyldesley in this Northern League Division One encounter.
Sheffield were able to field a very strong octet, with former Young England riders Aiden Owen and Simon Gamble named in the reserve berths, as they looked to bounce back after a heavy defeat at Bury. The visitors though had several first team riders missing and would find the home riders just too hot to handle.
Sheffield riders were bossing the run to the first bend as they wrapped up maximum 7-3 race wins in the opening seven races. Reece Pollitt then stopped the onslaught with a good ride to split the Liam Webster/Niall Morton pairing as the teams reached half time with Rockets up by 55-25.
Heat 10 saw Kyle Holland provide a good bit of sportsmanship. Firstly he missed the start and trailed the A & T riders around the first bend. On lap two he made an outside pass on Daniel Burns, who fell as he appeared to run into Hollands trailing left leg. Kyle then rode around the outside of the track to allow Burns to remount and take third place behind his team partner Ron Makin. Pollitt then scored another good second place, this time keeping out Louis German.
After a shaky start Joel Partington was now beginning to come to terms with the Graves track and gave Owen a fright with his effort in heat 12. Pollitt and Partington then combined to secure a drawn heat 14 by keeping Morton in last place. Sheffield then rounded the match of with their eleventh 7-3 race win in the last heat as Holland and German came from the back to pass Roy Heslop and Makin.
For the Rockets five riders, Richard Hudson, Zach Smurthwaite, Liam Webster, Simon Gamble and Aiden Owen were unbeaten by an opponent while for A & T Reece Pollitt and Joel Partington had kept the Sheffield riders on their toes.
Sheffield Rockets 99 Richard Hudson 15, Zach Smurthwaite 15, Liam Webster 15, Louis German 12, Simon Gamble 11, Kyle Holland 11, Niall Morton 11, Aiden Owen 9 Astley & Tyldesley 51 Reece Pollitt 12, Joel Partington 10, Ron Makin 8, Roy Heslop 7, Steve Waterworth 6, Daniel Burns 5, Max Evans 3, Matt Snell DNR.
ROCKETS FIELD SEPARATE TEAM posted 8 April 2013
The visitors named the same team for the second team match, with manager Mike Hack rotating the rider order in a strategic move. The Rockets were able to field a brand new eight with Mick Knowles returning from a 12 month absence taking the place of fellow veteran racer Rob Mawhood, who took up refereeing duties.
Sheffield opened with a fine 7-3 maximum from Matt Parrott and Luke Morton. However, a repeat of the first match was quickly dispelled as Pollitt and Partington were race winners in the next three heats. Heslop and Steve Waterworth then held Morgan Turner in last place to draw heat five. The impressive Luke Morton then team rode son Ed to the front as he held out Partington and claimed Sheffields second maximum score and a lead by 34-26.
A & T then got into the match by taking a 7-2 win in heat seven as first Turner was excluded for moving at the tapes and then Ellie Sullivan fell when drawn into an inside dive by a clever move from Pollitt. Heat eight was drawn as James Bunting found no way past Heslop and Makin to make the interval score 41-38 for the Rockets.
The Pollitt/Partington pairing scored a superb 7-3 win in the first race after the interval to take the visitors into a 45-44 lead. This stunned the Rockets who then responded with two maximum scores from Parrott/Knowles and the Vicky Brown/Sullivan pairing to re claim a 58-51 lead. Sheffield then used their young reserves in heats 13 and 14 and suffered 6-4 reverses as Pollitt and Partington completed their match with comfortable race wins.
The Rockets then made sure of the league points with a last race 7-3 from Parrott/Brown to give a final scoreline of 78-71. Pollitt scored a fine 20 point maximum for A & T, with the home riders all chipping in with solid scores.
Sheffield Rockets 78 Vicky Brown 13, Matt Parrott 13, Mick Knowles 12, Ellie Suilivan 11, Luke Morton 10, James Bunting 9, Ed Morton 8, Morgan Turner 2 Astley & Tyldesley 71 Reece Pollitt 20, Joel Partington 17, Roy Heslop 9, Ron Makin 9, Steve Waterworth 8, Daniel Burns 4, Max Evans 3, Matt Snell 1.
BUNTING STARS IN DIVISION THREE posted 8 April 2013
The Division Three match, for under-12s only, went the way of the visitors by a 60-56 scoreline, with the contribution of Charlie Burgess being paramount to A & Ts success. James Bunting again raced unbeaten for Sheffield and he received good support from Niamh Morton and Morgan Turner.
For A & T, Max Evans recorded three race wins with Matt Snell and Daniel Burns also recording a race win each. However it was the two defeats of Jack Brownell by Jessica Burgess and the heat 11 race that saw Evans and Burns relegate Turner to last place that ensured A & T maintained their unbeaten run in this newly formed competition.
Sheffield Rockets 56 James Bunting 16, Niamh Morton 13, Morgan Turner 12, Jack Brownell 8, Joe Brownell 7 Astley & Tyldesley 60 Max Evans 14, Daniel Burns 13, Matt Snell 12, Jessica Burgess 10, Emily Burgess 7, Charlie Burgess 4
ASTLEY GIVE IT THEIR BEST SHOT posted 8 April 2013
For the third successive Sunday, Astley & Tyldesley lined up in an away Northern League fixture. A&T had several senior riders missing, so the juniors filled the gaps in the Division One match.
Sheffield opened up with seven maximum heat wins, before Reece Pollitt took a second place in heat eight, relegating Niall Morton to third place. A&T performed better in the second before going down to a heavy 99-51 defeat. Sheffield had five unbeaten riders, Zac Smurthwaite, Richard Hudson, Liam Webster, Simon Gamble, Aiden Owen. Pollitt was A&T's best rider, three times beating home riders. A&T riders gave it their best shot, but were well beaten by a solid scoring Sheffield team.
Northern League Division One Sheffield 99 Zac Smurthwaite 15, Richard Hudson 15, Liam Webster 15, Louis German 12, Kyle Holland 11, Simon Gamble 11, Niall Morton 11, Aiden Owen 9 Astley & Tyldesley 51 Reece Pollitt 12, Joel Partington 10, Ron Makin 8, Roy Heslop 7, Steve Waterworth 6, Daniel Burns 5, Max Evans 3, Matthew Snell dnr. Referee: Mick Knowles.
SAME AGAIN IN DIVISION TWO posted 8 April 2013
Sheffield fielded a separate team for the Division Two match, whilst A&T lined up with the same riders, albeit in a different riding order. Sheffield opened with a 7-3 heat win in heat one but the next four races were all drawn. Sheffield held a three points lead at the interval, but a 7-3 heat win to the Reece Pollitt/Joel Partington pairing in heat nine put A&T ahead by one point.
Sheffield immediately hit back with two successive 7-3 heat wins to regain control of the match. A&T were not down though and two successive 6-4 heat wins reduced the gap to three points and forced a last heat decider. Sheffield rounded off the match with a 7-3 heat win to the Vicky Brown/Matt Parrott pairing, to win 78-71.
This was a very entertaining and keenly contested match throughout. For A&T, Reece Pollitt won all his five races, whilst Joel Partington was beaten only in heat six. Plenty of effort from the rest wasn't quite enough to secure the points against a very solid scoring Sheffield side.
Northern League Division Two Sheffield 78 Matt Parrott 13, Vicky Brown 13, Mick Knowles 12, Ellie Sullivan 11, Luke Morton 10, James Bunting 9, Ed Morton 8, Morgan Turner 2. Astley & Tyldesley 71 Reece Pollitt 20, Joel Partington 17, Roy Heslop 9, Ron Makin 9, Steve Waterworth 8, Daniel Burns 4, Max Evans 3, Matthew Snell 1. Referee: Rob Mawhood.
ASTLEY MAINTAIN UNBEATEN RUN posted 8 April 2013
The final match of the weekend was the Division Three match. A&T had three members of the Burgess family all making their competitive debuts. Young Charlie took a fall first time out, but bravely continued and his four points proved decisive as A&T narrowly beat Sheffield 60-56.
Jessica and Emily can feel well pleased with their scores. There was some great racing, particularly when the leading scorers came together in heat 11. Sheffield's James Bunting took the win, to complete a 16 points maximum score but A&T's Daniel Burns and Max Evans relegated Sheffield's Morgan Turner to the back, in what turned out to be a decisive race. Niamh Morton and Matthew Snell were also impressive in this match. This was A&T's third win out of three in this competition.
Northern League Division Three Sheffield 56 James Bunting 16, Niamh Morton 13, Morgan Turner 12, Jack Brownell 8, Joe Brownell 7 Astley & Tyldesley 60 Max Evans 14, Daniel Burns 13, Matthew Snell 12, Jessica Burgess 10, Emily Burgess 7, Charlie Burgess 4 Referee: Dave Shoat.
This was a splendid afternoon's sport, with all matches ridden in the right spirit, as is always the case when these two clubs meet, whether the match be close or one sided.
On a bright sunny afternoon the Ipswich Eagles made the longest trip in the league to face the East London at the Docklands track for the start of what they hope will be another successful campaign. In doing so they hope to collect their third title in a row, a feat that hasn't been done before since the introduction of the South East League.
If the Londoner's task wasn't hard enough before they started, having only six riders meant that they would be in for a long afternoon. The Ipswich squad could boast five riders under the age of eighteen, three of them could still could ride in the under sixteen's .Team manager Tony Stant will be certainly looking to give the youngsters a fair role to play in this years championship campaign while looking to the more senior riders to add experience and back up to this talented squad.
With the likes of Williamson, Pike, Stant and Ashley Hill also at his disposal in terms of regional racing, the Suffolk base team can boast an array of riches which would be a match for any team up and down the country.
Ipswich were in no mood to be charitable to their hosts and set about their task in a ruthless fashion racking up 61 points by half time. The only heat in which they didn't score a maximum was in heat three when Mower came down while under pressure from Gunkel giving the Londoners a shared heat. The second half carried on very much in the same way as the first with Jamie Chittock scoring a maximum, supported by Josh Brooke and Richard Fellgett both scoring a paid max.
East London 52 Nicky Gunkel 12, Denis Hubble 11, Steve Woodruff 9, Steve Myhill 7, Dave Hughes 7, Kevin Smith 6 Ipswich Eagles 122 Jamie Chittock 20, Josh Brooke 19, Richard Fellgett 19, Lewis Roberts 17), Daniel Knights 13, Charlie Rumbold 12, Matt Hill 12,Leon Mower 10 Referee: Paul Roberts (Suffolk)
Like the first team the Ipswich Eagles second team were looking to get their campaign off to a winning start and start their defence of their fourth league title in a row. East London had to field the same six riders and were giving away 30 penalty points just to make their task even harder while the Suffolk team could call on three fresh riders.
The match was raced in a good and at times humorous spirit but in the end the young guns against fast fading old legstook its toll and the Suffolk side ran out comfortable winners by 20 points before adding the penalties points culminating in a final score 69-119 .
The message was clear to all the other teams in the league that Ipswich are hell bent on keeping the silverware at Whitton for another season and will not take any of their opponents likely. A word of thanks to Paul Roberts who stepped in to officiate both matches.
Ipswich Eagles scorers - Daniel Knights 21, Richard Fellgett 20, Matt Hill 14, Lauren Jacobs 12, Fraser Harris 11, Phil Clarke 9, Leon Mower 2
The East Park team has a very solid look to it this year and on paper they are likely to be the nearest challengers to Wednesfield for the league crown.
Leicester made a huge fight of the match though and against all the odds actually opened up a seven point lead at one stage. However the Wolves had the strength in depth to snatch victory in the final heat courtesy of the Smith brothers. Craig Marchant went through the card unbeaten for the Monarchs, highlight being a superb pass on Jamie Ball in heat four, in the process allowing the following Liam Davies through. Jamie then hitting the deck after his partner hit his back wheel, tough stuff but no complaints.
The home side managed to keep on level terms until the fifteenth. Kev Burns was given his marching orders for a starting offence leaving Lauren Davies on her own. To her great credit she fought off a strong physical challenge from Joe Kemp to take second but the win from Jamie Ball put the Wolves in front for the first time.
Marchant and Whitehead narrowed the margin to a single point in the penultimate race over a hard pressing Draisey but the Smiths rode a clever first bend in the final race to make sure the points went to Wolverhampton.
A very entertaining match well officiated by Ralph Doughty. The two teams were giving it their all and not a cross word spoken despite some physical stuff on track, something both sets of riders should be commended for.
Leicester 85 Craig Marchant 18, Ryan Hoyland 16, Mark Whitehead 11, Norm Venson 11, Liam Davies 8, Kev Burns 8, Ash Doughty 7, Lauren Davies 6 East Park 91 Lee Smith 18, Matt Smith 17, Luke Draisey 15, Jamie Ball 14, Brandon Whetton 9, David Ball 7, Joe Kemp 6, Jamie Whetton 6
In the Combination the Lions are trying to put out a female team whenever possible this season. With the Duckhams and Olsens on holiday they could only field six but even so the racing showed just how much the ladies side of the sport has progressed. Highlight was the pass by Lauren Davies on Will Cartwright in heat ten on her way to a paid maximum.
Lions 70 Lauren Davies 19, Michelle Whitehead 17, Lucy Whitehead 11, Jenna Whitehead 9, Elizabeth Rigley 5, Luke Whitehead 4, Jimmy Wassell 3, Honey Whitehead 2 East Park 60 Will Cartwright 17, Lee Kemp 14, Josh Hill 9, Josh Whetton 7, John Whetton 5, Gemma Cartwright 4, Liam Cartwright 2, Mark Cartwright 2
In the final match the Wolves were simply too strong, only Woody and Luke Whitehead able to win a race whilst the Whetton boys, Jamie and Brandon, were unbeaten for East Park.
Monarchs 55 Liam Wood 12, Luke Whitehead 11, Liam Doughty 9, Hardrian Rigley 7 East Park 73 Will Cartwright 15, Jamie Whetton 14, Lee Kemp 12
ERRORS COST BURY DEAR posted 7 April 2013
The match started off with a rerun heat one, Phillips taking Whitaker to the boundary. In the rerun Whitaker rode a clever first turn and managed to get alongside Parish for a maximum score but wily veteran Terry Norman switched back on the exit of turn two to push Whitaker wide allowing Phillips back under, Norman falling as a result meaning the heat finished with a 6-4 to the visitors.
The home side responded well with a Read/Matt Lush 6-4. Heat three was rerun three times with Stockport trying to ride a tactical heat. Unfortunately for Bury at the third time of asking Zareba received a tapes exclusion on gate one and Jack Lush rode an excellent race to secure a 7-2 over Joe Allen.
A shared heat followed and then Bury pulled back to within a point in heat five, Whitaker showing his experience in getting young Owens round and shepherding home from the hard chasing Phillips for a maximum score.
Shared heats followed up to the interval with the exception of heat seven where a Bury 6-4 saw them take the lead. At interval Bury were ahead 45-43 and looked on paper to have the stronger second half.
Disaster hit the visitors in heat 10. Scranage, trying to gate over the impressive Phillips, fell off before the first turn as the Stockport duo raced away for a maximum score. Heat 11 brought more problems for the visitors. Zareba held gate one easily but slowed off too much looking for his partner. This allowed Read to blast from four knocking Zareba off balance. Despite the best efforts of the Bury duo they could not recover as Read and Matt Lush raced away for victory.
Stockport now led by six and basically shut the door! Regulation five-all shared heats with the highlight being a superb pass by Jack Lush on Parish in heat 13. Stockport effectively sealed victory in heat 15 with another maximum score.
Bury looked to finish strong in the final race with a heat win as consolation. Whitaker performed a fine pass on Matt Lush and seemingly with Zareba following through for a maximum score, the ref had other ideas and excluded Whitaker for excessive force as Lush ended off the track. Seemed a harsh decision but in truth it didn't affect the match as it was over really after heat 11.
All in all a good sporting contest with some hard riding and at times both teams puzzled by some of the refs decisions. Final score Stockport 94 Bury 83.
DISAPPOINTMENT FOR BURY posted 7 April 2013
Bury cycle speedway clubs unbeaten run came to a halt at Stockport, home of the defending champions. Ben Higham was unavailable but new signing Adam Phillips has been in good form.
Bury got off to a fine start as Parish and Whittaker (pictured below) took a six pointer. Stockport reacted quickly with six points over Scranage, whilst a three times rerun race three gave Stockport a five point lead as Zareba was excluded.
Races 10 and 11 and it all went wrong for Bury. Scranage fell at the start and Phillips-Pickford took full advantage. Next time out and Read/ Lush took a further 7 points from Zareba. Three tight drawn races followed as Stockport held onto their lead but the home side sewed up the points in race 15 with seven points over Livesey.
Stockports Jack Lush completed a fine unbeaten race card in the 16th, another drawn race followed in race 17 with the points secured. The final race and Bury were incensed after one of the passes of the day by Whittaker resulted in an exclusion, Damian Zareba winning the rerun.
This was a very disappointing day and display from Bury who can only blame themselves. The key to winning matches at Stockport is winning races, and Bury only managed to take four of the 18 on offer. Each of the eight riders lost a point at least and those dropped points would have swung the match.
For the home side Jack Lush was excellent and very well supported throughout the team, stalwart Terry Norman and Jake Read scoring highly For Bury Chris Parish and Steve Whittaker and captain Neil Howarth scored well, but even normal high scorers Scranage and Zareba had bad days.
Stockport 94 Jack Lush 20, Jake Read 17, Terry Norman 15, J Pickford 13, Adam Phillips 13, Matt Lush 10, C Simpson 4, Alan Taylor 2 Bury 83 Chris Parish 15, Damian Zareba 13, Neil Howarth 12, Ben Scranage 11, Allen 10, Steve Whittaker 9, Owens 8, Livesey 7 Referee: Alan Taylor
Bury didnt want a repeat performance in the second match. With the home side struggling to raise a full team, all credit to Bury who went out and did a thorough job winning 85 to 54.
Early heat wins from Ramsden / Mann and then Holloran/ Livesey set Bury away to a fine start. Stockports two top scorers in Phillips and Pickford kept peppering away with wins but couldnt prevent the visitors racing to a big score. Some fine racing from Elston and Ramsden spearheaded the Bury attack, with Livesey supporting well and having some good clashes with the unbeaten Phillips. Good to see Paul Dyson back on a bike, and youngster Adam Turnbull scored a very good 10 points.
Stockport 54 Adam Phillips 20, J Pickford 18, C Simpson 10, Alan Taylor 6 Bury 85 K Ramsden 15, Steve Mann 10, D Taylor 10, J Elston 15, J Holloran 10, R Livesey 13, Adam Turnbull 7, Paul Dyson 7 Referee: Terry Norman
The opening Northern regional round of the British Youth & Junior League was staged at Sheffields Graves Centre circuit, which was bathed in Spring sunshine. The track was surprisingly fast and grippy considering last week it was still under a few inches of snow. There were only four crashes in 66 heats of racing.
With 32 riders in competition Sheffield were always going to take the team title, but it was close for runner up spot. Hull managed to claim that position following Katie Greavess contribution in the girls event. All riders on show provided a tremendous days racing and excitement. Particular highlights were the three meetings of Jack Brownell and Edward Lister in the under-8s with the Sheffield rider having to make passes in each race on his way to the opening grand prix win.
There was plenty of passing in the under-10s competition, with the A final being a classic as the top four challenged for the race duration. Matt Snell led from the tapes but Tom Whitwam rode a very patient race, picking his moment to burst pass on the inside on the last lap to take the chequered flag, Sam Turney and Charlie Wade being close enough to pounce should either of the lead pair make a slip. James Bunting is Sheffields new star in the making and was a comfortable winner of the under-12s group. Team mate Morgan Turner made for a Sheffield one-two by holding off the challenge of Adam Turnbull and Max Evans in the A Final.
The main contenders in the under-14s provided the thrills and spills of the afternoon. Niall Morton hit the fence following a strong challenge from James Elston in the very first race, Morton recovering to take the re-run. Then Adam Watson fell when challenging Rob Stockton Garner. But the race of the day would be the under-14 A final. Stockton-Garner made the most of grid one to lead round the first turn.
On turn three Morton tried and outside move that the Hull rider was able to resist but we saw Elston and Watson go past the Sheffield rider. Then Stockton-Garner rode a perfectly judged race, holding his line well under the attentions of both Elston and Watson. On turn one of the last lap Elston made an inside move that didnt come off and he lost his position to Watson and Morton but StocktonGarner had taken the win.
Kyle Holland and Richard Hudson showed superior fitness in the under-16 event. The two Sheffield riders had too much speed for Sam Schofield and Connor Simpson. Holland took the Grand Prix win with a fantastic burst of speed around the outside from grid four in the A final.
The Girls event saw Ellie Sullivan the clear cut winner as she reeled off five comfortable wins. Billie Owen will have gained plenty of confidence by taking runners-up place, but she was made to work really hard for the points by the never say die attitude of Katie Greaves.
The meeting took less than three hours to complete with refereess Mick Knowles and Rob Mawhood quickly getting through the races, with Luke Morton doing a sterling job as pits marshal. |
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