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BRITISH INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
VETERANS
HARRIS AND PRINCE TOP VETS posted 15 July 2013
Poole's former World champion Steve Harris has long rated the Gin Pit circuit as one of his favourites and he raced to the O-40 British individual title, winning all his five races to score a maximum 20 points. He showed his class with two excellent wins from the back in his opening two races, before making perfect starts to win his last three races convincingly.
Wednesfield's Mark Griffiths is another racer who always performs well at Gin Pit. After finishing second to Harris in his first race, Griffiths won his remaining four races to take overall runner-up place with 19 points. Exeter's Andy Stone made his first appearance at Gin Pit and he will rue an opening race slip which let Harris and Griffiths through, before settling down to score an impressive 17 points and take third place overall. behind Edinburgh's Lee Lawrence in fourth. Steve Harris (Poole) 20, Mark Griffiths (Wednesfield) 19, Andy Stone (Exeter) 17, Lee Lawrence (Edinburgh) 16, Chris Turner (Sheffield) 15, Terry Norman (Stockport) 15, Dave Meanley (Wednesfield) 14, Paddy Wenn (Norwich) 13, Peter Chant (Southampton) 11, Mick Knowles (Sheffield) 9, Martin Glover (Swindon) 8, Richie Pawson (Hull) 6 Referee - Mike Hack (Greater Manchester)
The O-60s championship was keenly contested, despite six riders pulling out, with Wednesfield's Mick Aris beating defending champion Bob Prince, of Birmingham, to win heat four. However, Aris's chances of taking the title took a blow when he was excluded for a starting infringement in heat seven. Prince seized the opportunity to come back and he clinched the title for the third successive year with a clever tactical ride last time out. Aris finished overall runner-up, with Bury's John Whiting in third place.
British Over-60 Individual Championship Bob Prince (Birmingham) 11, Mick Aris (Wednesfield) 10, John Whiting (Bury) 6. Referee - Mike Hack (Greater Manchester).
The championships were sponsored by Commissioning Water Treatment Specialists Ltd, of Atherton and the awards presented by the Astley & Tyldesley club chairman, Bill Phillips.
A very bright and hot day heralded the two Veterans finals, the over-40s and over-60s at Astley. There had been a tremendous amount of controversy and withdrawals from the over-60 event. In fact only three riders lined up. These were tagged into the existing over-40 final and just the one match was ridden. Introductions to the crowd took place with the long version of the National Anthem.
Race one looked tasty as it brought together three of the favourites, Stone, Griffiths and Harris with Mick Knowles looking for any crumbs. Stone led from the start with Griffith charging hard and Harris very much in attendance. A clash on the second lap and Harris nipped up the inside, Griffith recovering for second.
Race two and defending champion Chris Turner met up with Norman, Wenn and Lawrence. Four into one bend sometimes doesnt go and it was Chris who lost out, Lawrence winning from Norman and Wenn.
There was a match race in the third as both Pete Chant and Richie Pawson moved at the start, Dave Meanley taking four points from Glover. Race four and a tremendous cheer for the senior riders, Whiting on grid one, Aris on three and Prince on four. It was Mick Aris who just made the gate with Bob Prince receiving a free guided tour of the outsides of Astley.
Two on the trot didnt do much for young Whitings legs and Stone led all the way from Lawrence and Glover. Chris Turner repaired the damage with a gate-to-line win in race six. Heat seven saw Aris back to the pits for a move, Griffiths winning from Meanley and Wenn. The eighth and Harris didnt make the gate, Norman and Chant leading, however a tangle and Steve said thank you on the way to four points. Harris eight points, Griffiths, Lawrence and Meanley seven and the 60s (Im sure you want to know!) Prince and Aris tied on four and Whiting on three.
Bob Prince had two gate ones but Turner led from the start holding off Andy Stone with Prince gaining third. Lee Lawrence was a fine winner of race 10, Chant three points and Aris third. Griffiths took the 11th from Norman and Glover, with Harris remaining unbeaten taking the 12th from Wenn and Pawson. Three races gone and Harris still had to drop a point on 12, Griffiths 11, Lawrence 11, with Stone on Turner on nine, Meanley having a bad heat nine. The Seniors Aris and Prince tied on six and Whiting on four.
Race 13 and not unlucky as Andy Stone swept round Wenn and Chant for a fine win. Norman took the 14th for an outside chance, with Knowles and Whiting having a four lap dust up for third, very exciting these vets matches. Griffith defeated Turner in race 15 and then after Harris defeated Lawrence, there was a gap. Harris 16 and a gate one to come, Griffith 15 and a grid four. Stone, Lawrence, Norman and Turner all still in the mix.
Final races and lots to be decided with plenty of riders still in contention. Andy Stone put down his marker, with a good win from four, beating Terry Norman and Mick Aris. Glover joined the exclusion list in race 18, with Wenn winning the race, a good reward for some hard racing by the Norwich rider, but importantly Prince took second from Knowles making the Birmingham veteran the champion for the third year.
Mark Griffith did everything he could with a great win off grid four, Chris Turner second, but Harris made no mistakes in the final deservedly taking the win and championship, Dave Meanley second and Lee Lawrence third just out of a run-off.
The afternoon provided some some smashing racing with the top three deserving their spoils. Lee Lawrence, Terry Norman and Dave Meanley were thereabouts with Chris Turner ruing that first race mishap. Credit to all the riders who put on a really good show for a reasonable crowd. Plenty of passing on a heavy track, but same for everyone.
Bob Prince retained his title with Mick Aris ruing his second race exclusion, John Whiting off the pace. At least the over-60s had five rides but there needs to be a reality check within the Commission and BC. Mike Hack did a good job as referee and Astley presented the event very well.
British Veterans Championship at Astley & Tyldesley Over 40s Steve Harris (Poole) 20, Mark Griffiths (Wednesfield) 19, Andrew Stone (Exeter) 17, Lee Lawrence (Edinburgh) 16, Terry Norman (Stockport) 15, Chris Turner (Sheffield) 15, Dave Meanley (Wednesfield) 14, Paddy Wenn (Norwich) 13, Bob Prince (Birmingham) 11, Peter Chant (Southampton) 11, Mick Aris (Wednesfield) 10, Mick Knowles 9 (Sheffield) 9, Martin Glover (Swindon) 8, Richie Pawson (Hull) 6, John Whiting (Bury) 6 Over 60s Bob Prince (Birmingham) 11, Mick Aris (Wednesfield) 10, John Whiting (Bury) 6: Referee: Mike Hack (Lancashire)
Organisers of this years British veterans championships have had to hurriedly re-schedule todays events after more riders pulled out of the over-60s classification.
An original entry of nine has now been whittled down to just four leaving organisers with little choice but to run the over-60s with the over-40s which had itself only attracted a dozen entries.
The single match will go ahead at 3.15pm with the four over-60s being balloted to the vacant thirteen to sixteen slots in the programme. Unfortunately it will mean riders of 65 plus racing those in their earlier Forties.
British Cycling has been criticised for not allowing late entries in the over-60s category, insisting that the field must stay at the nine who entered by the official closing date. Subsequently more and more riders have withdrawn, some feeling that the time and cost of travelling could not be justified for a few three-rider and two-rider match races.
Following Davie Baxter and Colin Wheelers decision to pull out of the over-60s national championship, there has been another call off.
1962 World finalist Ian McKinlay came to grief whilst leading Edinburgh rider Douglas Morgan at training on Wednesday night. A trip to A&E on Thursday morning showed that Ian has a broken bone in his hand. As a result he has had to withdraw from the championship.
One of the greatest cycle speedway riders of all time is making a dramatic return to the sport.
To the uninitiated, a seemingly innocuous name from a northern cycling club on the championship entry list wouldnt raise a second glance but to aficionados, the name John Watchman will stir golden memories of one of the best, many would say the best, riders that ever lived.
And race number two at Astley on Saturday 13 July will conjure up memories of one of the most iconic races of all-time.
As this wonderful picture above, reproduced from 50 Years of Cycle Speedway reminds us, Watchman set the pace in the tie-break but Wheeler passed him with an amazing burst of speed to win the title.
The full draw for the over-60s at Astley on Saturday 13 July at 2pm is 1 Ian McKinlay (Edinburgh), 2 John Murphy (Edinburgh), 3 Bob Prince (Birmingham), 4 Mick Aris (Wednesfield), 5 Colin Wheeler (Southampton), 6 John Watchman (ABC Centreville), 7 Fred Rothwell (Bury), 8 John Whiting (Bury), 9 David Baxter (Edinburgh)
The corresponding over-40s event which starts at 3.15pm is 1 Andrew Stone (Exeter), 2 Mick Knowles (Sheffield), 3 Mark Griffiths (Wednesfield), 4 Steve Harris (Poole), 5 Lee Lawrence (Edinburgh), 6 Chris Turner (Sheffield), 7 Patrick Wenn (Norwich), 8 Terry Norman (Stockport), 9 Martin Glover (Swindon), 10 Richard Pawson (Hull), 11 Dave Meanley (Wednesfield), 12 Peter Chant (Southampton)
The pride of London dropped his only point to surprise package Lee Lawrence of Edinburgh in a hotly contested heat seven. Lawrence led from the tapes and held off the furious challenge of Tiptree (Essex) based Hubble.
Lawrence showed a high level of fitness throughout, allied to some razor sharp gating. Not a regular on the Eurovets circuit, Lawrence seemed to have an extra gear when required and fully deserved his second place overall.
Murphy, aided by a good local support, calmly went about his business in collecting an 18 point tally and an eventual third placed podium finish before his home fans.
Joe McLaughlin of Coventry went agonisingly close, showing he`s not all PR and promotional hype. He posted a 17 point score, including some brilliant overtaking, particularly on his great friend, Paul Timms of Birmingham in heat nine, and a powerhouse dive on Steve Hodgkinson, also of Birmingham.
McLaughlin needed a win from his final ride to force a sensational four rider run-off for the title, featuring Hubble, Lawrence, Murphy and the Coventry man but he had to settle for fourth overall.
Mike Burgess, a former champion, gave a polished display after a heat two blank to finish on 16 points, alongside Timms. Both riders were, as usual, immaculately turned-out and were a credit to themselves and their clubs.
Of the others, Hodgkinson was always in the thick of the action and he was thrilled to notch a well deserved heat five race win amongst his 14 point tally in his comeback campaign.
The Exeter club were welcoming hosts and staged the final in a good and efficient manner. The track was first rate, the facilities even better and the meeting had the advantage of a snappy, concise and eloquent announcer.
Denis Hubble (East London) 19, Lee Lawrence (Edinburgh) 18, Dave Murphy (Exeter) 18, Joe McLaughin (Coventry) 17, Mike Burgess (Horspath) 16, Paul Timms (Birmingham) 16, Phil Hemmings (Newport) 14, Colin Simmons (Newport) 14, Stephen Hodgkinson (Birmingham) 13, Philip Widdas (Birmingham) 11, Kevin Smith (East London) 10, Kevin Greaves (Newport) 10
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