[Merlin]

Sunday, 15 March



Premier Trophy: Rye House v. Birmingham
Prince of Wales Trophy: Newport
Ozchem Classic: Sheffield Legends v. Rest of the World



Premier Trophy: Rye House 57 (3 points), Birmingham 39 (0 points).


Team changes: Both sides were at full strength.

Rye House quickly tore into their visitors by producing the first four heat winners opening a ten point gap in the process. The Brummies replied by producing the first TR of the season when Jason Lyons came from behind to pass both Linus Sundstrom and Robert Mear for the full six points. This resulted in a 3-6 cutting the gap to seven points but three more 5-1s in the next four heats found Birmingham 17 points behind with only a Tomasz Piszcz win in heat 7 to console them. The score at this stage read 37-20 so the visitors called on Piszcz to take their second TR in heat 10.

Again this produced the full six points as Piszcz ended Chris Neath’s winning run. With no support from Robert Ksiezak another 3-6 went the Brummies’ way reducing the gap to 14 points. Jason Lyons kept it that way by winning heat 11 but the visitors were effectively a two man team. Indeed Rye House won the last four heats by 14-10 dropping points to only Lyons and Piszcz who scored nine of the 10 for the Brummies.


Scorers: Rye House – Robert Mear 11+1 (5), Chris Neath 10+1 (5), Luke Bowen 10 (4), Linus Sundstrom 7+1 (4), Joe Haines 7+2 (4), Tommy Allen 7+1 (4), Andrew Silver 5+2 (4).

Birmingham – Tomasz Piszcz 17 (5) (with 6 point TR), Jason Lyons 14 (5) (with 6 point TR), Marek Mroz 4 (5), Robert Ksiezak 2 (4), Ludvig Lindgren 1 (4), Ben Taylor 1 (4), Richard Sweetman 0 (4).


Prince of Wales Trophy at Newport.


Winner - Kevin Doolan… Second -David Howe… Third - Ben Barker

The format for this individual meeting was scheduled to be a full 16 rider, 20 heat event with a grand final for the top four scorers. However due to a number of delays resulting in riders having to be taken to hospital the meeting was curtailed to 16 heats and a final after each rider had had four scheduled rides.

The final was contested by Kevin Doolan, David Howe, Ben Barker and Mark Lemon with Doolan coming out on top. Casualties during the 16 qualifying heats were Craig Watson, Jason Doyle and Ty Proctor. Craig Watson and Jason Doyle were taken to hospital, Doyle having suffered a shoulder injury while Proctor hurt his leg. It was later announced that Craig Watson had suffered a broken leg in his crash.


The meeting was raced on a fine sunny afternoon in front of a large crowd but the track was very slick with a blue groove developing early in the proceedings.

Scorers: Kevin Doolan 10, David Howe 10, Mark Lemon 9, Ben Barker 9, Craig Watson 9, Chris Kerr 7, James Holder 6, Nicolai Klindt 6, Jason Doyle 5, Ty Proctor 5 (3), Brent Werner 4, Nick Simmons 3, Mads Korneliussen (2) 3, Emil Kramer 3, Jordan Frampton 2, Karl Mason (Res) 2 (3), Jay Pickard 2 (2), Kyle Newman 0.


Ozchem Classic at Sheffield.


Premier Trophy: Sheffield Legends 35, Rest of the World 43.


Teams: The Sheffield Legends side lined up with Steve Johnson and Ricky Ashworth at 1 and 2; Carl Stonehewer and Andre Compton at 3 and 4; Rory Schlein at 5 with Tai Woffinden and Josh Auty at reserve.

The Rest of the World side had Greg Hancock and Travis McGowan at 1 and 2; Seb Ulamek and Karol Zabik at 3 and 4; Jason Crump at number 5 with William Lawson and Ricky Wells at reserve.

In front of a packed stadium this meeting was raced over a 13 heat formula which meant that, with heat 14 missing, both number 4s and two of the four reserves had only three scheduled rides.

There were some excellent races particularly heats 3 and 13 in the former of which Jason Crump had a titanic struggle with Andre Compton before Crump prevailed while Compton suffered a puncture and Rory Schlein passed Karol Zabic; then in the latter Rory Schlein and Greg Hancock passed and repassed each other until Schlein eventually won through.

The Rest of the World side had too much top end strength for the Sheffield Legends with Crump and Hancock dropping only one point between them. 4-2s were swopped in the first five heats with the Rest of the World taking them 3 to 2 for a two point lead at 14-16. A spate of five drawn races were followed by 1-5s in heats 11 and 12 to the ‘away’ side although Schlein brought the house down with a thrilling battle with Hancock for a Sheffield 4-2 in the final race.


Scorers: Sheffield Legends – Rory Schlein 10 (4), Tai Woffinden 10 (5), Steve Johnson 5 (4), Josh Auty 4 (3), Ricky Ashworth 3+3 (4), Carl Stonehewer 3+1 (4), Andre Compton 0 (3).

Rest of the World – Jason Crump 12 (4) (full maximum), Greg Hancock 11, Seb Ulamek 8+2 (4), Travis McGowan 7+1 (4), William Lawson 4 (3), Karol Zabik 1 (4), Ricky Wells 0 (3).

In an old 1960s style ’Rider of the Night’ raced over three heats and a final, with the three race winners and fastest second qualifying for the final, the three race winners were Greg Hancock, Jason Crump and Tai Woffinden and Rory Schlein was the fastest second.

In the running of the final Tai Woffinden rounded the field on the first and second bends but Jason Crump passed him on the third bend. Woffinden moved in front again passing Crump on the first bend of the second lap but Crump was back in front with an outside swoop on the next bend to win from Woffinden. Greg Hancock was third.

This post has been edited by Merlin on Mar 15 2009, 09:08 PM

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 18 March




Alan Hunt Memorial Trophy: at Birmingham


Winner: Sebastian Ulamek.......; Second: Shane Parker.......; Third: Jason Lyons



Birmingham got their 2009 season under way by staging the annual Memorial Trophy in memory of one of their former riders, Alan Hunt, who tragically lost his life over 50 years ago racing speedway. The event took the form of the classic 16 rider individual raced over 20 heats.

The field consisted of the seven riders signed for the Brummies this season plus nine others from the Premier and Elite Leagues including the reigning holder David Howe (Scunthorpe) and Andre Compton (Workington) who won the trophy two years ago.

The first four races were all from the gate with wins for Tomasz Piszcz, Jason Lyons, Claus Vissing, who headed home James Wright and David Howe, and Sebastian Ulamek. Jason Lyons was the only rider to win two on the trot from his opening two rides by taking heat 5 but wins for James Wright, Shane Parker and Andre Compton put them in the chasing group along with Sebastian Ulamek with Wright and Parker on 5 points and the others on four.

Last year's winner, David Howe, couldn't make fast starts and dropped another point in heat 9 losing to Lundvig Lindgren after passing Ben Taylor and Robert Ksiezak but Jason Lyons had no trouble in seeing off two of the main contenders by winning from Vissing and Parker in heat 10 to remain unbeaten on 9 points and Sebastian Ulamek won for the second time in heat 11 from Piszcz. Heat 12 produced another win for Ulamek ahead of the challenging Ben Barker to leave Compton and Ulamek on 7 and Parker on 6 as Jason Lyons' main challengers.

The fourth set of rides saw Ulamek consolidating his challenge by winning heat 13 while a win from Josef Franc ahead of David Howe in heat 14 all but ended Howe's challenge. Jason Lyons' winning run then came to an end in heat 15 when he was beaten into third place by James Wright and Tomasz Piszcz. With the field now closing in Shane Parker took full advantage by beating Andre Compton with a fast start in heat 16. This left Jason Lyons and Sebastian Ulamek leading the field on 10 points each with Andre Compton and Shane Parker on 9. James Wright was still in the hunt on 8 points but, with just one ride each left for each rider, David Howe's 7 points left him struggling to make the rostrum.

Parker and Wright met in heat 17 and it was the Glasgow man who made the gate to beat Wright and lead the field on 12 points. Heats 18 and 19 featured eight of the 'also rans' with the first going to Josef Franc and the second to Ben Barker. The programme compiler had obviously done his homework well producing a line up in the deciding heat 20 which featured the leaders Lyons and Ulamek plus Andre Compton and David Howe for good measure! Sebastian Ulamek won this crunch heat with Jason Lyons never far behind and David Howe third. This meant that Ulamek had won the meeting but a run-off for second place was needed to separate Jason Lyons and Shane Parker both of whom finished joint second on 12 points. Parker won the run-off to finish runner up.


Scorers: Sebastian Ulamek 13, Jason Lyons 12, Shane Parker 12, James Wright 10, Andre Compton 9, Claus Vissing 9, David Howe 8, Josef Franc 8, Tomasz Piszcz 8, Phil Morris 7, Ludvig Lindgren 6, Ben Barker 6, Richard Sweetman 5, Robert Ksiezak 4, Marek Mroz 2, Ben Taylor 1.

[Merlin]

Friday, March 20



Challenge Match: Scunthorpe v. Sheffield
Tom P Madsen Testimonial: at King's Lynn



Challenge Match: Scunthorpe 60 ,Sheffield 32 .


Team changes: both teams were at full strength.


This was the first leg of a home and away challenge match between these teams. For Scunthorpe it was an early season opportunity to wipe out the memory of six consecutive defeats home and away by Sheffield last season. There was never much prospect of it becoming seven in a row for the Tigers during this match!

With 12 of the 15 race winners, each of the Scorpions had at least one win or paid win. Jerran Hart scored a reserves paid maximum while Magnus Karlsson and Viktor Bergstrom dropped only a point each, both to former Scorpion, Richard Hall, by far the Tigers' top man. It was not until heat 6 that the visitors recorded their first heat advantage by which time they trailed 21-9. It took a tactical ride by Hall to produce a 3-5 in a heat won by David Howe who led all the way. The teams then exchanged 5-1s in heats 7 and 8, heat 7 going to Magnus Karlsson and Jerran Hart and heat 8 to Joel Parsons and Josh Auty.

The score then stood at 30-20 but consecutive 5-1s for the Scorpions in heats 10 and 11had Sheffield struggling badly. Heat 11 was a particularly bad result for them since they had given Joel Parsons their second tactical ride only for him to run a last behind the high scoring Karlsson-Hart pairing. Now leading by 18 points the Scorpions stretched their first leg lead to 28 points with heat advantages in each of the last four races.

Not a good start for Sheffield but Scunthorpe will be delighted to have beaten their bogey team in such emphatic fashion.


Scorers: Scunthorpe – Magnus Karlsson 14 (5), Jerran Hart 10+2 (4) (paid maximum), Carl Wilkinson 10 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 8+3 (4), David Howe 8 (4), Simon Lambert 6+1 (4), Byron Bekker 4+2 (4).

Sheffield – Richard Hall 12 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Joel Parsons 7 (5), Chris Mills 3+1 (4), Josh Auty 3+1 (4), Ricky Ashworth 3 (4), Paul Cooper 2 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 2 (4).


Tom P Madsen Testimonial: at King's Lynn.


Format: The meeting took the form of a four team tournament over 16 heats, the teams named as Team Shaun Hagen Motor Services represented by Niels Kristian Iversen, Travis McGowan, Tomas Topinka and Emiliano Sanchez; Team Industrial Links represented by Hans Andersen, Ulrich Ostergaard, Jesper Kristiansen and Chris Schramm; Team P. K. Fencing represented by Scott Nicholls, Adam Allott (replacing Davey Watt), Mark Lemon and Jan Graversen; and Team Hayley East Anglia represented by Kenneth Bjerre, Simon Stead, Kevin Doolan, and Tom P Madsen.

Although signed to ride for Stoke this year, Tom P Madsen's testimonial, celebrating ten years in British Speedway, was held at King's Lynn, the club for which he rode between 2000 and 2004. Tom P Madsen (the 'P' stands for 'Paarup') was born in 1977 in Esbjerg, Denmark and, during his career, in addition to King's Lynn and Stoke (his 2009 side), he has ridden for Berwick, Ipswich, Oxford, Belle Vue, Mildenhall and, last season, Reading.

It was a high quality field with so many Elite League and former Elite League riders in action. Hans Andersen went through the card for a four ride maximum while Ulrich Ostergaard and Kevin Doolan both recorded two race wins for 10 point scores. The full results were as follows:


Scorers: Shaun Hagen Motor Services – Tomas Topinka 7, Niels Kristian Iversen 6, Emiliano Sanchez 6 – Total 24

Industrial Links – Hans Andersen 12 (full maximum), Ulrich Ostergaard 10, Chris Schramm 5, Jesper Kristiansen 2 – Total 29

P. K. Fencing – Scott Nicholls 9, Mark Lemon 2, Jan Graversen 1, Adam Allott 0 – Total 12

Hayley East Anglia – Kevin Doolan 10, Kenneth Bjerre 9, Simon Stead 9, Tom P Madsen 3 – Total 31

[Merlin]

Saturday, 21 March



Premier Trophy: Rye House v. Newport
Tyne Tweed Trophy (first Leg): Berwick v. Newcastle
M6 Trophy (first Leg): Home v. Away



Premier Trophy: Rye House 52 (3 points), Newport 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Rye House were missing Chris Neath who had a leg infection following his crash in heat 15 last week. They used Rider Replacement at number 1.
Newport were without Craig Watson as a result of his horrific accident last Sunday when he broke his femur. They covered his absence by using Rider Replacement at number 3.

Rye House have stolen a march on the other Premier League sides in their Premier Trophy group by having raced two Premier Trophy matches already, both at home, picking up the full available six points under the new scoring system winning by more than six points in each match. Having disposed of Birmingham last week it was Newport's turn to face the Hoddesdon music.

The Rockets opened up a ten point lead in the first three heats with two 5-1s and a 4-2 but Newport rallied and were still only six points adrift after heat 10. Rye House had heat advantages in three of the last five heats though to make sure they took all the booty.

The Wasps' fight back from the opening first three heat blitz came in heat 4 with a 2-3 after Tommy Allen had fallen and been excluded from the rerun and James Holder had also been excluded for a defective silencer. Mark Lemon won heat 5 for a shared race then Robert Mear, the star of the show, won from Brent Werner for a 4-2 increasing the home side's lead to 11 points. A winning tactical ride by Werner from Tommy Allen and third place for Chris Kerr produced a 2-7 which cut the gap between the teams to six points but, after a shared heat won by Jordan Frampton, Robert Mear and Linus Sundstrom combined for a 5-1 which stretched the Rye House lead to 10 points again at 33-23.

Newport hit back with a 1-5 from Jordan Frampton and Chris Kerr in heat 10 to get within six points of their hosts and a possible league point but Andrew Silver and Tommy Allen responded with a maximum of their own to restore the ten point lead which the Rockets finally increased to 12 points over the last three heats.

Rye scored heavily all throughout the team and ran only two last places coupled to two exclusions for falling by Tommy Allen. Newport's top four should have done enough to return home with some reward but their reserves didn't manage a genuine point between them in eight rides which must be a bit of a worry for them.


Scorers: Rye House – Robert Mear 16 (6), Linus Sundstrom 9+3 (6), Luke Bowen 7+1 (4), Tommy Allen 7+1 (5), Joe Haines 7 (5), Andrew Silver 6+2 (4).

Newport – Brent Werner 13 (6) (incl 6 point TR), Mark Lemon 12 (6), Chris Kerr 8+1 (5), Jordan Frampton 6 (5), Nick Simmons 1 (4), James Holder 0 (4).


Tyne Tweed Trophy: Berwick 48, Newcastle 42 .


Team changes: Berwick had Sean Stoddart as a guest at number 6 to replace Guglielmo Franchetti who was doing something or other in Italy[/color][/b]. Newcastle, however, were at full strength.

Both teams kick-started their 2009 seasons with this annual challenge match for the Tyne Tees Trophy won last year by Newcastle by just one point over the two legs. For Berwick it was the start of life under the new promotion and for Newcastle it was the start of their 80th anniversary season.

A cold but pleasant night at Berwick saw the Bandits eke out a six point lead in front of a very big speedway-starved crowd including yours truly (watching my first match of the season). It was an entertaining match for a season opener with some very good races and never more than eight points between the sides. The pendulum swung Newcastle's way after they had gone eight down following heat 9. They pulled six points back over the next three heats thanks to former Glasgow rider, Trent Leverington, who won two of them and to former Edinburgh rider, Derek Sneddon, who ended Michal Makovsky's maximum hopes by comfortably beating Berwick's top man in heat 11.

Berwick recovered to add another four points to their lead by taking 4-2s in heats 13 and 15 to set up a finely balanced second leg. The Bandits blew hot and cold throughout the match but threatened to open a sizeable gap on a couple of occasions especially with Steve Boxall struggling badly on dodgy-looking machinery. However they had to contend with the sparkling form of Leverington and Sneddon who, with three wins each, produced all six of the Diamonds' race winners. The Bandits never managed to subdue them. William Lawson had two unbeaten rides for the home side but, surprisingly, only managed a single point thereafter. Paul Clews was exciting to watch after his usual indifferent gating while Makovsky and Josef Franc led the side well. For Newcastle Craig Branney produced two stunning last bend overtakes while Kenni Larsen improved as the meeting progressed.

Scorers: Berwick – Michal Makovsky 14 (5), Josef Franc 10+1 (5), Paul Clews 7 (4), William Lawson 6+1 (4), Danny Warwick 5 (5), Tero Aarnio 4+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 2+1 (3).

Newcastle – Trent Leverington 12+1 (5), Derek Sneddon 11 (5), Kenni Larsen 7+1 (4), Jason King 6 (4), Craig Branney 5+2 (4), Casper Wortmann 1 (4), Steve Boxall 0 (4).


M6 Trophy: Stoke 54, Birmingham 41 .


Team changes: Stoke were at full strength but Birmingham had Ben Hopwood guesting for Ben Taylor at number 6.

Stoke opened their season tonight with a home and away challenge match for the M6 Trophy. Having completed the double over the Brummies last season they were looking for a big aggregate lead with their much changed team containing four dιbutantes to the Potters' ranks – Jason Bunyan, Tom P Madsen, Glen Phillips and Phil Morris. Birmingham on the other hand were looking for a much more competitive performance than the one they turned in at Rye House last week. They got it from perhaps a surprising source – Marek Mroz at reserve.

The visitors got off to a poor start trailing by ten points after heat 4 and still looking for a race winner. They didn't get one in heat 5 either but they did gain a heat advantage as Jason Lyons took a tactical ride only to finish second to Jason Bunyan who won the race despite having to start from 15 metres back after touching the tapes. With Tom P Madsen suffering an engine failure, Richard Sweetman gained the third place point for a 3-5. The Potters got a real jolt though in heat 6 when the Birmingham pair of Robert Ksiezak and Marek Mroz gated for a 1-5 ahead of Glen Phillips and Lee Complin. However a 5-1 and two 4-2s saw the Potters stretch the lead to 34-22 by heat 9.

Now twelve points in arrears the Brummies were able to give Tomasz Piszcz the second tactical ride and he duly obliged with the full six points for a 3-6 cutting the gap to nine points. That was as close as Birmingham got though for, although they shared the next two races, Stoke added a 4-2 and 5-1 to increase their lead to 15 points before Lyons and Piszcz scored a last heat 2-4 to leave the Brummies with 13 points to pull back in the second leg.

Every Stoke rider managed a race win so the Potters scored well all down the line. Jason Lyons was unusually subdued for Birmingham only managing a single heat win but paid 12 from six rides by Marek Mroz and that after shedding a chain in heat 2 and scoring a zero made up for it and for the uninspiring scores from the lower order riders.

Scorers: Stoke – Phil Morris 11+2 (5), Jason Bunyan 11+1 (5), Jesper Kristiansen 9+2 (4), Klaus Jacobsen 7 (4), Glen Phillips 6+1 (4), Lee Complin 6 (4), Tom P Madsen 4 (4).

Birmingham – Jason Lyons 11 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Marek Mroz 10+2 (6), Tomasz Piszcz 10 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Robert Ksiezak 4 (4), Ludvig Lindgren 3+1 (4), Ben Hopwood 2 (3), Richard Sweetman 1+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 22 March



Inter-league Challenge (first leg): Glasgow v. Belle Vue
Tyne Tweed Trophy (second leg): Newcastle v. Berwick
Severn Bridge Trophy (first leg): Newport v. Somerset
Challenge Match (second leg): Sheffield v. Scunthorpe




Inter-league Challenge Match: Glasgow 47, Belle Vue 48 .


Team changes: Glasgow supplemented their side for this match by including Kevin Doolan at number 1 with Shane Parker moving to number 3. Anders Andersen and Mitchell Davey shared the number 6 reserve berth. Belle Vue had Henning Bager at number 4 replacing Billy Forsberg who broke his wrist in a training crash. They also tracked Glasgow junior James McBain at number 6 since both sharing reserves, Steve Boxall and Thomas H Jonasson were unavailable.

Glasgow got off to a dreadful start conceding two 1-5s in the opening four races to trail 8-16. James Wright and Krzysztof Kasprzak began proceedings with a maximum ahead of Kevin Doolan but the next two races won by Patrick Hougaard and Shane Parker respectively were shared. Another 1-5 went the Aces' way in heat 4 after Hougaard had made a lightning start and Ulrich Ostergaard and James Grieves had passed and repassed each other with Ostergaard prevailing.

Josh Grajczonek was the unlikely winner of heat 5 although the points were shared when Kasprzak and Wright relegated Parker to the back and there was no change in heat 6 won by Ostergaard for another 3-3 nor in heat 7 when Charlie Gjedde passed James Grieves for another shared race. The Aces stretched their lead to 10 points in heat 8 when James Wright passed Peter Juul with Mitchell Davey falling for a Belle Vue 2-4. This arrived at the right time for Shane Parker to emerge for heat 9 wearing the black and white helmet cover for a tactical ride. Ulrich Ostergaard took Parker wide on the second bend to head off for the win and, although Parker passed James McBain and Grajczonek for second, a 5-3 result was not what Glasgow had in mind. Nonetheless the lead had been cut to 8 points at 24-32.

Matters then took another turn for the worse for the Tigers when they conceded a third 1-5 in heat 10. Charlie Gjedde made the gate from Kevin Doolan but Henning Bager passed Doolan in forceful style which clearly did not impress Glasgow's guest. Now 12 points in arrears, Glasgow were able to use the second tactical ride and this time James Grieves wore the black and white helmet cover in heat 11. This time they were successful as Grieves won the race from a pressing James Wright while Anders Andersen took the third place point from Kasprzak for a 7-2 which cut the Tigers' deficit to
seven points as the rain became heavy enough to suspend the action.

There then followed discussion between the referee and the two captains and team managers following which it was announced that the track, which was now looking greasy, would be graded and some more dirt would be laid on it. Eventually after a half hour delay the match restarted with the track in a terrible condition. Ross Brady and Shane Parker cashed in by heading Gjedde home for a 5-1 in heat 12 to cut the gap to just three points at 37-40. The Glasgow recovery continued with a 4-2 in heat 13. James Grieves won from Kasprzak with Doolan taking third from the previously unbeaten Ostergaard. There was now only a single point between the teams at 41-42 with two races left.

Josh Grajczonek won heat 14 but the heat was shared leaving Glasgow needing a heat advantage from the last race to win the match. The fairytale ending didn't materialise though for the Tigers as Charlie Gjedde beat James Grieves and Josh Grajczonek for the shared heat which gave the Aces a one point victory.


Scorers: Glasgow – James Grieves 14 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Shane Parker 9+1 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Josh Grajczonek 8+2 (5), Ross Brady 4+1 (3), Kevin Doolan 4+1 (4), Peter Juul 4 (4), Anders Andersen 2+1 (3), Mitchell Davey 2 (2).

Belle Vue – Charlie Gjedde 12 (5), James Wright 9+1 (5), Patrick Hougaard 9 (4), Ulrich Ostergaard 8+1 (4), Krzysztof Kasprzak 6+1 (4), Henning Bager 4+3 (4), James McBain 0 (4).


Tyne Tweed Trophy: Newcastle 50, Berwick 42. Newcastle won on aggregate by 92-90.


Team changes: Newcastle were at full strength Berwick again had Sean Stoddart as a guest at number 6 in place of Guglielmo Franchetti.

The Diamonds had six points to pull back from the first leg at Shielfield Park last night and it didn't take them long to do so. Steve Boxall and Derek Sneddon gated in the opening heat to register an easy 5-1 then, after a shared reserves race won by Craig Branney, another Diamonds 5-1, this time from Kenni Larsen and Trent Leverington who gated ahead of Josef Franc, not only wiped out the arrears for Newcastle but saw them into the lead on aggregate by two points. Michal Makovsky steadied the sinking Berwick ship by winning heat 4 for a share of the spoils and taking the score to
16-8 but things looked bleak for the Bandits' hopes of wresting the trophy back from Newcastle.

William Lawson began to make amends for his opening heat blob by winning heat 5 from Leverington and Clews for a 2-4 which levelled the scores on aggregate but Derek Sneddon passed Michal Makovsky to win heat 6 supported in third by Steve Boxall for a 4-2 which restored the Diamonds eight point lead. Berwick fought back again with a 2-4 from Josef Franc and Tero Aarnio with Jason King the meat in the sandwich so the Diamonds were only six points to the good again and level on aggregate. Finally Newcastle put some daylight between themselves and Berwick when Derek Sneddon kept his unbeaten run intact by winning heat 8. He was supported by Craig Branney who finished second and the 5-1 stretched the Diamonds' lead to 29-19, four ahead overall.

Ten points behind signalled a tactical ride for Michal Makovsky who was conveniently programmed to appear in heat 9. However it was Kenni Larsen who rocketed from the gate to win in the fastest time of the match. Makovsky took second but Trent Leverington was third ahead of a disappointing Stoddart so the race was shared 4-4.

Berwick weren't about to surrender though and were thrown a lifeline when Derek Sneddon fell in heat 10 leaving Tero Aarnio and Josef Franc to rattle home a 1-5 ahead of Steve Boxall. This cut the Diamonds' lead to six points and once again tied the scores on aggregate. Heat 11 produced a bit of a sensation when Casper Wortmann, without a point to his name, gated with Jason King to produce a 5-1 ahead of Lawson and Clews. This restored Newcastle's aggregate lead to four points but Berwick were still not prepared to roll over. In heat 12 Tero Aarnio won again from Craig Branney and, with Trent Leverington passing Sean Stoddart for third, the points were shared and the score stood at 42-32 (84-80).

Michal Makovsky won heat 13 from King and Boxall but, with no support from William Lawson, Berwick still had those four aggregate points to pull back with just two races left. Newcastle finally ended Berwick's hopes by winning heat 14 by 4-2 to stretch their lead on the night to 12 points and on aggregate to 6. Kenni Larsen won the race from Josef Franc while Wortmann added the vital third place for the home side. Kenni Larsen touched the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back in heat 15. Newcastle had cause to be grateful for their heat 14 success because in the rerun of heat 15 Michal Makovsky and Josef Franc banged home a 1-5 to give the Berwick fans some consolation. Having won on aggregate by one point last year, the Diamonds' two point aggregate victory this year shows some progress!

Scorers: Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 10 (5), Craig Branney 8+2 (5), Derek Sneddon 8+1 (4), Jason King 8+1 (4), Trent Leverington 6+2 (4), Steve Boxall 6+1 (4), Casper Wortmann 4 (4).

Berwick – Michal Makovsky 15 (incl 4 point TR), Josef Franc 10+2 (5), Tero Aarnio 7 (4), William Lawson 4 (4), Paul Clews 3 (4), Danny Warwick 2 (4), Sean Stoddart 1+1 (4).


Severn Bridge Trophy: Newport 44, Somerset 46 .


Team changes: Newport again used Rider Replacement for Craig Watson at number 3. Somerset used Rider Replacement at number 3 for Simon Walker who was ill and had Brendan Johnson at number 5 for their new signing Justin Sedgmen who has still to arrive in Britain having been delayed by Visa difficulties in Australia.

What a cracking start for the Rebels who charged into a 1-5 lead in the opening heat when Steve Johnston and Cory Gathercole headed Mark Lemon home. It stayed that way with a shared reserves race after Nick Simmons had fallen but Somerset increased their lead in heat 3 with a 2-4 won by Emil Kramer for a six point lead. Jay Herne then won heat 4 to keep the Rebels six up at 6-12.

Newport got two points back in heat heat 5 when Steve Johnston could only split Mark Lemon and Chris Kerr but it was all square again when Lemon and Jordan Frampton took a 5-1 from heat 6. Emil Kramer kept the scores tied by winning heat 7 then Somerset went back in front with a 2-4 in heat 8 won by Gathercole from Frampton making the score 23-25.

The Rebels' lead didn't last as long this time though as Chris Kerr and James Holder added another Wasps 5-1 in heat 9 which put the home side in front by two points. Emil Kramer kept his maximum hopes going by winning heat 10 but it was only good enough for a share of the points. However one race later the Rebels were back in front yet again. This time it was Cory Gathercole and Steve Johnston who did the damage by team riding to keep Brent Werner at the back. The 1-5 took the score to 32-34 but it was all square again after Chis Kerr had won heat 12 and Nick Simmons had been awarded third for a 4-2 after Jay Herne had fallen and been excluded. Back came Newport again with a 4-2 after Mark Lemon had beaten Steve Johnston to take a two point lead again. Emil Kramer completed his four ride maximum by winning heat 14 for a shared race resulting in a last heat decider. There was just no stopping Kramer and he duly won heat 15 too. Unfortunately for the Wasps he was followed home by Steve Johnston giving the Rebels victory by two points. It was surprising to see the two Rebels' reserves outscoring last season's Somerset stalwarts Jordan Frampton and Brent Werner. It must have given the Rebels a lot of optimism for the long season ahead.


Scorers: Newport – Mark Lemon 13 (6), Chris Kerr 11 (6), James Holder 8+2 (5), Jordan Frampton 5+2 (5), Brent Werner 5+1 (4), Nick Simmons 2+1 (4).

Somerset – Emil Kramer 15 (5) (full maximum), Steve Johnston 11+2 (5), Cory Gathercole 9+1 (5), Jay Herne 6 (7), Tom Brown 5+1 (5), Brendan Johnson 0 (3).


Challenge Match: Sheffield 50, Scunthorpe 40 – Scunthorpe won on aggregate by 100-82 .


Team changes: Both teams were again at full strength.


Sheffield carried forward a whopping 28 point deficit from the first leg of this challenge match on Friday night and there was never really much prospect of them pulling that deficit back. They started brightly enough with an opening heat 5-1 from Ricky Ashworth and Joel Parsons and followed it up with a 4-2 in the reserves race won by Josh Auty but then lost ground again as Scunthorpe hit them with a 2-4 from Carl Wilkinson and Viktor Bergstrom. A heat four 5-1 courtesy of Richard Hall and Chris Mills put the Tigers 16-8 ahead so at this stage at least Sheffield were still in the hunt for overall victory.

Heats 5 to 8 saw the sides exchange 4-2s, two each, to keep the difference between the teams at eight points and a shared heat 9 kept the status quo. An exciting rerun heat 10 resulted in Carl Wilkinson passing both Joel Parsons then Ricky Ashworth for a fine win while Viktor Bergstrom also got past Parsons to provide the Scorpions with a 2-4 cutting the gap on the night to six points. The Tigers responded with another 4-2 after Josh Auty had passed David Howe to win the race with Richard Hall following this pair for third. Back came the Scorpions again in heat 12 with a fine win for their reserve, Jerran Hart, from Ritchie Hawkins. Carl Wilkinson's third place gave the visitors a 2-4 which was matched by Sheffield in heat 13 when Ricky Ashworth beat David Howe for the second time and was followed home in third place by Richard Hall for an 8 point Sheffield lead.

Bergstrom won heat 14 from Auty and Cooper for a shared race in heat 14 then Ricky Ashworth wrapped up proceedings by winning the last race from Viktor Bergstrom and Ritchie Hawkins to give Sheffield a ten point win on the night but a long way from what was needed for aggregate success.


Scorers: Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 14 (5), Ritchie Hawkins 10 (5), Josh Auty 9 (4), Richard Hall 8 (4), Joel Parsons 5+1 (4), Chris Mills 3+1 (4) Paul Cooper 1+1 (4).

Scunthorpe – Jerran Hart 9+1 (6), Viktor Bergstrom 9 (5), David Howe 8 (4), Carl Wilkinson 7 (4), Magnus Karlsson 4 (4), Simon Lambert 2 (4), Byron Bekker 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 25 March



Premier Trophy: Birmingham v. Rye House
Challenge Match: King's Lynn v. Edinburgh



Premier Trophy: Birmingham 50 (3 points), Rye House 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Birmingham were at full strength but Rye House , still missing Chris Neath, had one of their favourite past riders, Stuart Robson, as a guest at number 1.

Birmingham were looking for their first win of the season following away defeats at Rye House and Stoke while Rye House were hoping to build on their two home wins in the Premier Trophy against the Brummies and Newport. Although each of the Rockets, bar Andrew Silver, had at least a win or paid win, they didn't get any points this time towards their Premier Trophy campaign after squandering a 6 point lead gained from the opening five races. It was Birmingham who captured all three points this time.

The opening heat, won by Jason Lyons, was shared but the Brummies must have had that sinking feeling again when they lost a 2-4 in the reserves race, won by Luke Bowen, then a 1-5 to Linus Sundstrom and Robert Mear with Tomasz Piszcz left trundling home in their wake. Wins from Tommy Allen in heat 4 then Stuart Robson in heat 5 resulted in shared races and the Brummies, having produced only one race winner, were left staring at a 12-18 scoreline.

Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman turned the tide however with a 5-1 in heat 6 after Sweetman had finally found a way past Tommy Allen and Birmingham cashed in with two more maximum race wins over the next three heats to turn their six point arrears to a six point lead. Robert Ksiezak and Marek Mroz produced the first then, after Joe Haines had won heat 8 for a 3-3, Tomasz Piszcz and Ludvig Lindgren banged home another after Tommy Allen had fallen. The score now stood at 30-24 and with the imperious Lyons still having three races to come the Brummies prospects looked bright.

Lyons duly came from third to win and share the points in heat 10 but Rye House were unfortunate when Joe Haines suffered an engine failure in heat 11 while leading. Stuart Robson won the race for a 3-3 but the Rockets had lost a chance to get back on the Brummies heels. An excellent heat 12 saw Ludvig Lindgren score his first win for the Brummies and, with Ben Taylor winning the battle of the reserves from Andrew Silver, the home side extended their lead to eight points. Jason Lyons and Tomasz Piszcz kept them eight in front by winning heats 13 and 14 respectively for shared races before Lyons completed his five ride maximum by winning heat 15 from Robert Mear to deny Rye House any chance of getting the deficit back to six points for a league point. Tomasz Piszcz picked up the third place point for a 4-2 to put some added gloss to the result.

Scorers: Birmingham – Jason Lyons 15 (5) (full maximum), Tomasz Piszcz 9+1 (5), Ludvig Lindgren 7+1 (4), Robert Ksiezak 7 (4), Ben Taylor 5+2 (5), Richard Sweetman 4+1 (4), Marek Mroz 3+2 (3).

Rye House – Stuart Robson 9+1 (5), Robert Mear 8+2 (5), Linus Sundstrom 7 (4), Luke Bowen 5+2 (5), Joe Haines 5 (4), Tommy Allen 4 (3), Andrew Silver 2 (4).



Challenge Match: King's Lynn 58, Edinburgh 44 (including a 10 point starting advantage).


Team changes: King's Lynn used Rider Replacement for Kozza Smith following the injuries he suffered last week at Ipswich while Edinburgh were at full strength.

This Challenge Match, billed as the 'Premiership', by King's Lynn was held over the one leg at Saddlebow Road. To compensate for the Stars' home advantage the Monarchs started with a 10 point lead. They could have been given double that and still lost! Although the King's Lynn side tracked only one rider from last year's team, they were keen to beat the Champions who had knocked them out of the play-offs towards the end of last season and drawn at Saddlebow Road in an early season League match.

Although there were a good number of entertaining races on this bitterly cold evening, the Monarchs were never in the hunt which is hardly surprising since they could only provide one finisher in five of the opening six races! By that time they had lost four 5-1s with one gained to trail 24-22 with their start. The opening race looked like it might be shared when Chris Schramm led from the start with the two Monarchs following him. However Ryan Fisher has an engine failure on the third lap and Aaron Summers couldn't hold off Topinka so the Stars started with a 5-1. They scored another in the reserves race when Sean Stoddart never left the tapes leaving Darcy Ward and Jan Graversen to head home Michal Rajkowski. However Edinburgh hit back in heat 3. Thomas H Jonasson and Andrew Tully were heading for a 1-5 when Graversen and Christian Henry came to grief on the third bend. Graversen was excluded and, although Thomas H Jonasson was soon off in front again in the rerun, Christian Henry made a better gate to slot into second. The charging Andrew Tully was not about to be denied his paid win, however, and chased down Henry passing him for a Monarchs 5-1 and taking the score to 11-17. It was to be heat 11 before Edinburgh were to enjoy another heat advantage!

Things looked bright again for Edinburgh when Matthew Wethers led heat 3 but an engine failure on the third lap turned a 3-3 into a 5-1 for the Stars as Ward and Sanchez cashed in. Aaron Summers never left the tapes in heat 5 but Ryan Fisher won from Ward and Henry to share the points. He had to look lively on the run in to the line however as Ward made up a huge amount of ground to end on Fisher's tail. Sean Stoddart then failed to start in heat 6 as the tapes rose and this time Schramm and Topinka took an easy 5-1 to put the Stars into an aggregate lead again at 24-22. Edinburgh had two finishers in heat 7 (!) but still lost a 4-2 when Emiliano Sanchez gated to see off Jonasson with Tully's efforts to catch Graversen being unsuccessful. Michal Rajkowski perked up the Monarchs fans by leading heat 8 until he ground to a halt with an engine failure on the third bend leaving Schramm and Ward to bang home another 5-1 which took the overall score to 33-25.

Tomas H Jonasson chased the lightning starting Chris Schramm hard in heat 10 but, trying a bit too hard on the last bend, he went too wide and Topinka slipped through for second and yet another King's Lynn 5-1. Then Edinburgh pulled back eight points over the next two races! Now over ten points in arrears overall they gave Ryan Fisher a tactical ride in heat 11. Fisher duly won for the full six points but Aaron Summers failed to start again at the gate. Emiliano Sanchez fell on the last bend of the second lap so the Monarchs took a 2-6. Lo and behold, they added a 1-5 in heat 12 but only after Darcy Ward had fallen on the second lap trying to chase down Jonasson. Michal Rajkowski who had been on a 1-5 with Jonasson earlier in the race moved back into second again and the score narrowed to 44-40.

Any hopes of a dramatic Monarchs comeback ended when Topinka and Sanchez headed home Ryan Fisher in heat 13 for another maximum advantage. Sanchez also appeared in heat 14 as rider replacement and duly won that too from Andrew Tully for a 4-2 before Topinka and Schramm completed their paid maximums in heat 15 with the Stars' eighth 5-1 of the match. Ryan Fisher looked set to end Schramm's maximum when lying comfortably second but the King's Lynn man got the bit between his teeth and found some extra speed to pass Fisher on the last bend to complete an excellent opening night for the home side.

Scorers: King's Lynn – Chris Schramm 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Tomas Topinka 12+3 (5) (paid maximum), Emiliano Sanchez 10+2 (5), Darcy Ward 10+1 (6), Christian Henry 6+1 (4), Jan Graversen 6+1 (4).

Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 11 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Thomas H Jonasson 9 (5), Michal Rajkowski 6+1 (5), Andrew Tully 4+1 (4), Aaron Summers 2 (4), Matthew Wethers 1+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 1 (4).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 26 March



Challenge Match (first leg): Redcar v. Newcastle


Challenge Match: Redcar 51, Newcastle 40 .


Team changes: Redcar were at full strength but Newcastle were missing their top rider, Steve Boxall, who had been allowed to ride for Belle Vue as one of their doubling up reserves. In his place they recruited Josef Franc, no stranger to the Diamonds race jacket, to ride at number 1. As it turned out they needn't have bothered since the match at Ipswich where Belle Vue were due to provide the opposition was called off due to a waterlogged track before a wheel was turned.

Redcar opened their season with this local derby against their nearest and dearest – Newcastle. Although it was the Bears' first meeting, Newcastle had already ridden home and away matches against Berwick. The match began with fortunes swinging first one way then the other. Redcar got off to the best possible start with a 5-1 from Robbie Kessler and Gary Havelock after Derek Sneddon had fallen and been excluded but their joy was short lived as Newcastle replied in kind. Craig Branney and Casper Wortmann hit a maximum against the Bears' reserve pair of Benji Compton and Arlo Bugeja. However it was 5-1 time to the Bears again in heat 3 after Kenni Larsen had touched the tapes and elected to start off the 15 metre handicap. He then fell on the third lap and remounted as Carl Stonehewer and Ben Wilson took a maximum with Trent Leverington third. Back came the Diamonds with a win from Jason King despite a strong challenge from Ty Proctor. Craig Branney finished third so the visitors scored a 2-4 bringing the score after an eventful first four races to 13-11.

Redcar began to pull away with a 5-1 from Stonehewer and Wilson, who team rode to keep Josef Franc in third place, then added a 4-2 when Jason King could only split the Kessler-Havelock pairing. This extended Redcar's lead to eight points and although heat 7, won by Proctor, was shared, another 5-1 from Kessler and Bugeja from Derek Sneddon gave the home side a 12 point lead after heat eight at 30-18.

The pendulum then began to swing the other way! Newcastle gave Jason King a tactical ride in heat 9 and pulled three points back when Casper Wortmann won the race from Ben Wilson. Jason King finished third while Carl Stonehewer fell and remounted. This gave the Diamonds a 2-5 cutting their arrears to nine point and they pulled another two points back in heat 10 with a 2-4 when Kenni Larsen won comfortably from Gary Havelock while Trent Leverington took third as Robbie Kessler retired ending his unbeaten run. Redcar's lead had now been cut to seven points. Ty Proctor kept it that way by winning heat 11 as Benji Compton fell but the Diamonds' recovery continued in heat 12 as Kenni Larsen won from Stonehewer with Casper Wortmann third for a 2-4 which left them now just five points adrift at 39-34.

Redcar stemmed the tide at this point and, when Josef Franc could only split Proctor and Havelock in heat 13, they stretched their lead out to seven again then extended it further to 11 with a 5-1 from Ben Wilson and Benji Compton who finally got off the mark leaving Leverington and Branney to bring up the rear. Kenni Larsen made sure Redcar didn't add further to that lead by completing a highly successful night by winning the final race from Robbie Kessler and Ty Proctor for a shared heat. All of the Bears had at least a paid win with Robbie Kessler and Ben Wilson providing strong backup to Ty Proctor. Newcastle must have been delighted with another excellent performance at reserve by Casper Wortmann while Kenni Larsen finished with three straight wins to top score for them.


Scorers: Redcar – Ty Proctor 12+1 (5), Robbie Kessler 11 (5), Ben Wilson 9+2 (4), Carl Stonehewer 8 (4), Gary Havelock 6+1 (4), Arlo Bugeja 3+1 (4), Benji Compton 2+1 (4).

Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 11 (5), Jason King 7 (5) (incl 2 point TR), Casper Wortmann 6+1 (4), Josef Franc 6 (4), Trent Leverington 4+1 (4), Craig Branney 4, Derek Sneddon 2+1 (4).

[Merlin]

Friday, 27 March



Premier Trophy: Scun.thorpe v. Stoke
Spring Trophy (first leg): Edinburgh v. Glasgow
Severn Bridge Trophy (second leg): Somerset v. Newport



Premier Trophy: Scun.thorpe 57 (3 points), Stoke 37 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

This was the first Premier Trophy match for the two sides after they had tasted success in their opening matches. Scunthorpe had already won their early season Challenge match over two legs against Sheffield while Stoke had beaten Birmingham in their season opener last Saturday night.

Stoke kept this match close in the early stages but back to back 5-1s for the Scorpions mid-match followed by two ineffective tactical rides by the Potters ended the visitors hopes as the Scorpions ran out comfortable winners. After an opening shared race won by Lee Complin the home side took the lead with a reserves race 5-1. Stoke hit back with a 2-4 when Jason Bunyan beat Carl Wilkinson with Tom P Madsen third and heat 4, won by Magnus Karlsson, was shared taking the score to 13-11.

A Bergstrom-Wilkinson 5-1 in heat 5 increased Scun.thorpe's lead to six points, then, after a 3-3 courtesy of a David Howe win, Stoke pulled two points back in heat 7 when Jason Bunyan inflicted the only defeat Magnus Karlsson suffered all night with Madsen picking up third after Jerran Hart had fallen on the third bend. Although the gap had been cut to four points, this was to be the Potters' last heat advantage all night.

The Scorpions took 5-1s from heats 8 and 9 to rocket into a 12 point lead at 33-21 so the visitors gave Jason Bunyan a tactical ride in heat 10. He made a poor start however but chased down and passed Simon Lambert to move into second. However he couldn't quite reel in David Howe so the race was shared 4-4. Still 12 points in arrears the Potters then gave Lee Complin their second tactical ride in heat 11 but the result was the same as Magnus Karlsson won the race. This second 4-4 took the score to 41-29 and, having weathered Stoke's tactical moves, the Scorpions pulled away by taking heat advantages from the next three heats. Carl Wilkinson headed Madsen home in heat 12 for a 4-2. Then Karlsson and Howe added a 5-1 in a rerun heat 13 after Phil Morris had fallen after running into Howe.

Viktor Bergstrom won heat 14 from Jason Bunyan to add two more points to the home side's lead with another 4-2 before Magnus Karlsson wound things up by beating Bunyan and Complin for a shared last heat and a 20 point win for the Scorpions which gave them all three available points.




Scorers: Scun.thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 14 (5), Carl Wilkinson 10+1 (4), David Howe 9+2 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 8+1 (4), Simon Lambert 6 (4), Byron Bekker 5+2 (4), Jerran Hart 5 (4).

Stoke – Jason Bunyan 14 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Lee Complin 10+1 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Phil Morris 4+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 4 (4), Klaus Jakobsen 3 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 1+1 (4), Glen Phillips 1 (4).



Spring Trophy (first leg): Edinburgh 55, Glasgow 39 .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Both sides had ridden an early season Challenge Match, Edinburgh at King's Lynn and Glasgow at home to Belle Vue with Glasgow producing the more encouraging result for the new season.

You could tell it was the opening match of the season at Armadale as a cold wind blew across the rain sodden stadium in the gathering gloom. The two Scottish sides faced each other for the first of eight times (at least) this season, on this occasion all for a trophy which consists of a giant spring stuck in a lump of wood called, appropriately enough, the Spring Trophy (nothing to do with Spring – the season). The outcome was a comfortable 16 point victory for the Monarchs which they take through to Ashfield on Sunday for the second leg. While Glasgow, predictably enough, relied heavily on the scoring power of Shane Parker and James Grieves, Edinburgh, Thomas H Jonasson apart, scored well throughout the team with Aaron Summers recording a brilliant maximum and excellent contributions from the reserves with Michal Rajkowski quite outstanding with paid 14 from his five rides.

Edinburgh looked like starting with a 5-1 in the opening heat when Summers and Ryan Fisher left Shane Parker in their wake but Fisher decided to inspect the fourth bend fence on the second lap for some reason allowing Parker through for a 4-2. The 5-1 wasn't long delayed though as Stoddart and Rajkowski raced off to take the maximum from the reserves race. Glasgow hit back in the third heat when Josh Grajczonek shot from the tapes while Thomas H Jonasson didn't move from them. Peter Juul fell on the second bend causing Tully to fall too so the race was rerun without Jonasson and Juul. Grajczonek was fast away in the rerun but Tully passed him down the back straight only to fall again on the third bend. He remounted for the two points as Glasgow took a 2-3 to pull a point back. They pulled two more back in heat 4 with a 2-4 courtesy of a fine James Grieves win after a passing and repassing bout with Matthew Wethers. Stoddart fell so Ross Brady picked up the third place point taking the score to 13-10 after the first four heats.

The Tigers pulled another two points back in heat 5 when Shane Parker won comfortably from Andrew Tully while a strangely out of touch Jonasson trailed in last by a distance leaving Brady to take third for a 2-4 cutting the gap to just a single point. Edinburgh then pulled away with two 5-1s and a 4-2 over the next three heats. In the first of them James Grieves touched the tapes so went from 15 metres back but could only watch as Summers and Fisher streaked off for the maximum. Then Josh Grajczonek was deemed to have caused Matthew Wethers to fall in heat 6 coming off the second bend and he was disqualified from the rerun in which Wethers and Rajkowski comfortably headed Mitchell Davey home. Aaron Summers passed the fast starting Ross Brady in heat 8 but Brady took second from Stoddart to take the score to 29-18.

Now 11 points down James Grieves took a tactical ride in heat 9 and won from Andrew Tully. Jonasson fell trailing badly at the back and Mitchell Davey took third as the race was awarded. The 2-7 brought Glasgow storming back into the match, cutting their deficit to 6 points. In heat 10 Ryan Fisher was excluded under the two minute rule but went from 15 metres back. Summers was fast away again while Fisher made light of his handicap to pass Grajczonek and Juul to join Summers for another home 5-1. Shane Parker kept things as they were by winning heat 11 after hunting down and passing Rajkowski for the first shared heat of the match but another 5-1 went the Monarchs' way in heat 12 from Sean Stoddart and Michal Rajkowski which took the score to 44-30.

Glasgow were still in with a good chance of restricting Edinburgh's lead to single figures with Parker and Grieves out in heats 13 and 15. Better still Shane Parker came out for Glasgow's second tactical ride in heat 13. However Ryan Fisher won both to keep them from eating into the Monarchs' lead. The Tigers did take a 3-5 when Parker and Grieves were left to trail Fisher home in heat 13 after a scintillating ride from the Monarchs' rider but Tully and Rajkowski took a 5-1 in the penultimate race from Grajczonek before Fisher wrapped things up with his heat 15 win from a hard challenging Parker and Grieves.


Scorers: Edinburgh – Aaron Summers 12 (4) (full maximum), Ryan Fisher 11+2 (5), Michal Rajkowski 10+4 (5), Andrew Tully 9 (4), Sean Stoddart 7 (4), Matthew Wethers 6+1 (5), Thomas H Jonasson 0 (3).

Glasgow – Shane Parker 14 (5) (incl 4 point TR), James Grieves 12+2 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Josh Grajczonek 4 (4), Ross Brady 3 (4), Peter Juul 2 (4), Mitchell Davey 2 (4), Anders Andersen 2 (4).



Severn Bridge Trophy (second leg): Somerset 46, Newport 44, Somerset won on aggregate by 92-88 .


Team changes: Somerset were at full strength while Newport were missing Nick Simmons and Chris Kerr. They used Rider Replacement for Kerr and had Kyle Newman replacing Simmons at number 7. Paul Fry made his debut for the Wasps as a replacement for the injured Craig Watson.

Somerset opened their season with this challenge match against their nearest rivals, Newport. The Rebels had taken a two point advantage from the away leg at Newport so were hot favourites to win the Trophy over the two legs.

The Rebels duly won the silverware but not until Newport had pushed them all the way to a last heat decider for the match and aggregate win. Steve Johnston won the opening race from Mark Lemon and Jordan Frampton but Newport charged into the lead with a 1-5 in the reserves race from James Holder and Kyle Newman to take an aggregate two point lead. Simon Walker and Paul Fry then had an exciting wheel to wheel tussle in heat 3 but it was the Rebel who took the race win. Behind them Jordan Frampton passed Justin Sedgmen for third resulting in another shared race but the Rebels levelled the score in heat 4. It took three attempts to run this race but Emil Kramer won it from Brent Werner who had to defend his position from a challenging Jay Herne. The score now stood at 11-13 with the match tied on aggregate.

Mark Lemon passed Simon Walker in heat 5 for a Wasps heat advantage after Justin Sedgmen had shed a chain at the tapes. This increased Newport's lead to four points and gave them a two point aggregate lead. However that soon changed as the Rebels banged home a 5-1 and two 4-2s to put them in the driving seat. Steve Johnston won heat 6 with ease while Cory Gathercole came from the back to join him for a maximum then Emil Kramer took heat 7 from Paul Fry while Mark Lemon fell on the third lap for a 4-2. Heat 8 provided the third consecutive Somerset advantage with a Gathercole win from former Rebel, Jordan Frampton, for another 4-2 which took the score to 26-22 giving the Rebels a six point aggregate lead.

Newport hit back in heat 9 with a 1-5 from James Holder and another former Rebel, Brent Werner, which levelled the score on the night but the Johnston-Gathercole pairing struck again in heat 10 with a Rebels 5-1 restoring Somerset's four point lead. Emil Kramer saw off Mark Lemon in heat 11 for a 3-3 but back came the visitors again in heat 12 when yet another former Rebel, Paul Fry, won the race from Simon Walker. James Holder held off Jay Herne for third and the 2-4 cut the Rebels lead to just two points at 37-35.

Steve Johnston kept his winning run going by beating Mark Lemon in heat 13 after a thrilling battle which also involved Emil Kramer who eventually finished third for a 4-2 but the Wasps cancelled that advantage with a 2-4 in heat 13 as Paul Fry won again. This left the Rebels two points ahead in the match and four on aggregate. Mark Lemon ended Johnston's winning run in heat 15 but with Paul Fry stuck at the back the race was shared and the trophy was destined for the Rebels Trophy Cabinet.


Scorers: Somerset – Steve Johnston 14 (5), Emil Kramer 11+1 (5), Cory Gathercole 7+2 (3), Simon Walker 7 (4), Justin Sedgmen 3 (4), Jay Herne 3 (4), Tom Brown 1 (5).

Newport – Mark Lemon 12 (6), Paul Fry 10 (6), James Holder 9 (6), Jordan Frampton 6+3 (5), Brent Werner 5+1 (4), Kyle Newman 2+1 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 28 March



Premier Trophy: Berwick v. Redcar
Premier Trophy: Stoke v. King's Lynn
Premier Trophy: Workington v. Newcastle
Premier Trophy: Rye House v. Somerset – Match off




Premier Trophy: Berwick 53 (3 points), Redcar 40 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Most teams are now swinging into 'official' action now the early season challenges are dying out and both Berwick and Redcar launched their Premier Trophy campaigns in this match. It was a close fought encounter in the early stages with the score tied at 18-18 after six heats but three consecutive 5-1s for the Bandits opened up a 12 point lead from which Redcar never recovered.

It was the Bears who struck first with an opening 2-4 from Havelock and Kessler after Lawson had failed to make the two minutes but Berwick took a 5-1 in the reserves race to edge two points in front. Ben Wilson began an impressive performance by taking the third heat for a share of the spoils before another home 4-2 took the Bandits into a four point lead. However Redcar replied with consecutive 2-4s in heats 5 and 6 thanks to wins from Havelock and Ty Proctor to square the scores again before Berwick made their decisive move.

Carl Stonehewer fell and was excluded from a rerun heat 7 in which Ben Wilson missed the gate. Makovsky and Franchetti cashed in with a 5-1 and, when Kessler suffered an engine failure in heat 8,Warwick and Clews did likewise to open an eight point lead for the Bandits. Heat 9 also resulted in a home maximum, awarded after Benji Compton fell after one and a half laps, with Josef Franc and Tero Aarnio taking the five points and the Berwick lead had stretched to 12 points at 33-21.

Redcar then gave Ben Wilson a tactical ride and he responded by beating Paul Clews for the six points. Carl Stonehewer took third from a struggling William Lawson for a 2-7 which cut the gap to seven points but that was as good as it got for the Bears. Makovsky won heat 11 from Havelock while Franchetti passed Kessler for a 4-2 and the Bandits lead was up to nine points again. Stonehewer won heat 12 unsupported but a 4-2 from heat 13 put Berwick nine ahead and they now looked likely to take all three points. A shared heat 14 was followed by a last heat 4-2 to the Bandits in which Michal Makovsky completed a fine maximum.


Scorers: Berwick – Michal Makovsky 15 (5), Josef Franc 10 (5), Danny Warwick 9 (4), Paul Clews 8+1 (4), Guglielmo Franchetti 6+3 (5), Tero Aarnio 4+3 (4), William Lawson 1 (4).

Redcar – Ben Wilson 13 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Gary Havelock 12 (5), Ty Proctor 6 (4), Carl Stonehewer 4 (4), Robbie Kessler 2 (4), Arlo Bugeja 2 (4), Benji Compton 1 (4).


Premier Trophy: Stoke 48 (2 points), King's Lynn 42 (1 point) .


Team changes: Stoke were at full strength but King's Lynn again had to use Rider Replacement for the injured Kozza Smith.

This was the first match of the season to end with a 2-1 split of the league points as King's Lynn lost by just six points at Stoke. It was certainly a close match over the opening five heats which produced four shared heats and a Potters 4-2. Thereafter the home side pulled away opening up an eight point lead after heat 7 only for the Stars to pull that back to equality by heat 10. Although the home side took two further heat advantages they couldn't quite stretch their lead to the eight points required for all three league points.

King's Lynn produced the first two race winners in Topinka and Ward but both heats were shared. Jason Bunyan won heat 3, again for a 3-3, before Phil Morris and Klaus Jakobsen looked like taking a 5-1 from heat 4. However Darcy Ward chased and passed Jakobsen off the last bend so the Potters had to be content with a 4-2. Bunyan won again in heat 5 but again the race was shared then Stoke finally opened a gap by taking a 5-1 from heat 6 thanks to Glen Phillips and Lee Complin as Jan Graversen packed up. The six point lead went to eight as Kristiansen beat Henry with Morris third for a 4-2 which took the score to 25-17.

King's Lynn then hit back with a vengeance as Darcy ward passed Glen Phillips to win heat 8 while Emiliano Sanchez took third for a 4-2. Then Graversen and Sanchez scored a 1-5 in heat 9 and Christian Henry won heat 10 from Lee Complin with Chris Schramm third for another 2-4. The scores were now tied at 30-30 but Stoke responded with a perhaps unexpected 5-1 from Phil Morris and Jesper Kristiansen who headed Topinka and Ward home for a four point lead again. Tom P Madsen won heat 12 for a shared race which kept it that way and Morris did likewise in heat 13 beating Sanchez and Topinka.

Jason Bunyan was first away in a vital heat 14 but Darcy Ward chased him hard for three laps before passing him to share the points. This left Stoke needing a 5-1 in the last race for the three league points and King's Lynn needing a 2-4 or better for one. Morris won the race for the Potters but Topinka's second place from Bunyan gave the Stars a point with Stoke gaining two.


Scorers: Stoke – Phil Morris 13 (5), Jason Bunyan 9 (5), Jesper Kristiansen 8+3 (5), Glen Phillips 7 (4), Lee Complin 5+2 (4), Tom P Madsen 3 (3), Klaus Jakobsen 3 (4).

King's Lynn – Darcy Ward 14+1 (7), Tomas Topinka 9+1 (5), Christian Henry 7+2 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 6+1 (5), Chris Schramm 3 (4), Jan Graversen 3 (4).


Premier Trophy: Workington 51 (3 points), Newcastle 42 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

In an excellent match at Workington, Newcastle couldn't quite keep the score close enough to gain anything from the outcome. However the match saw both sides have their purple patches. The Diamonds clawed back an early 12 point deficit after heat six to cut the gap to just one point after heat 11 but they faded over the last four heats and Workington took the three league points.

Kevin Doolan won the opener but at the back John Branney passed Boxall to share the spoils before Newcastle struck first blood with a reserves race 2-4 won by Casper Wortmann form Richard Lawson as the unfortunate Luke Priest had a puncture. Workington wiped that out and went two up with a heat three 5-1 from Adrian Rymel and Charles Wright who headed home Kenni Larsen. Jason King could only split Andre Compton and Richard Lawson in the fourth heat so the Comets charged into a 15-9 lead.

Rymel and Wright added another 5-1 from Boxall for a ten point lead and it went to 12 when Kevin Doolan won again from King while John Branney kept Wortmann at the back for a 4-2. However it was all change as Newcastle rallied. Kenni Larsen was given a tactical ride in heat 7. In the first running Andre Compton was excluded (or is it disqualified?) from the rerun for bringing down Trent Leverington and in the rerun Larsen and Leverington comfortably secured a Diamonds 1-8 cutting the gap to five points. Derek Sneddon won heat 8, Rymel heat 9 and Larsen heat 10 all for shared heats but the gap was down to a single point as the Diamonds scored a 1-5 in heat 11when Sneddon and Boxall headed home Compton. The score now stood at 35-34.

It was all downhill for the Diamonds after that as they lost two 5-1s and a 4-2 over the last four heats although Kenni Larsen offered resistance by winning heat 14 for a 2-4 to the visitors who were denied even the consolation of a point for their efforts. The score stood at 46-41 going into the last race so Newcastle needed a shared heat to salvage a league point but they were unfortunately faced by Kevin Doolan and Adrian Rymel so the odds were very much stacked against them. The Workington pair took the 5-1 with Rymel completing a paid maximum.

Scorers: Workington – Adrian Rymel 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Kevin Doolan 14 (5), Charles Wright 6+2 (4), Richard Lawson 6+1 (5), Andre Compton 6+1 (4), John Branney 4+1 (4), Luke Priest 1 (3).

Newcastle – Kenni Larsen 13 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Derek Sneddon 9 (5), Jason King 6 (4), Steve Boxall 4+1 (4), Trent Leverington 4+1 (4), Casper Wortmann 4+1 (4), Craig Branney 2 (4).

[Merlin]

Sunday, 29 March



Premier Trophy: Newport v. Rye House
Spring Trophy (second leg): Glasgow v. Edinburgh
Challenge Match (second leg): Newcastle v. Redcar



Premier Trophy: Newport 49 (3 points), Rye House 41 (0 points).


Team changes: Newport were at full strength. Rye House had Stuart Robson as a guest at number 1 for the injured Chris Neath.

Rye House looked a good bet to take at least a point or two from this match when they led by two points 23-25 after eight heats but Newport levelled then gradually pulled away to leave the Rockets to return home empty-handed..The Wasps started with 4-2s in the opening two heats but the Rockets pulled back their four point lead with a 1-5 in heat 3 when Robert Mear and Linus Sundstrom raced away from Jordan Frampton and Chris Kerr. Much to the Wasps' dismay they then went four ahead with another 1-5 in heat 4 this time from Tommy Allen and Luke Bowen leaving Brent Werner back in third. Joe Haines won heat 5 from Kerr and Frampton to keep the Rockets four up but Newport shaved two points from that lead with a 4-2 in heat 6 from Fry and Lemon. There was no change in heats 7 and 8 won by Werner then Haines so the score stood at 23-25.

Newport levelled the scores with a 4-2 in heat 9 as Frampton beat Tommy Allen with Chris Kerr third then went two up with another of the same in heat 10 when Mark Lemon beat Robert Mear in a heat, rerun after Linus Sundstrom had fallen heavily and been excluded. Joe Haines, having a great meeting, won again to share heat 11 then Jordan Frampton did the same to share heat 12 after which the score stood at 37-35.

Heat 13 was a killer for the Rockets. Mark Lemon and former Rocket, Brent Werner, raced off for a 5-1 ahead of Tommy Allen to put the Wasps six ahead. Robert Mear won heat 14 from James Holder with Luke Bowen third after Chris Kerr had fallen on the second bend to pull two points back for the visitors who now trailed by just four points. However a last heat 5-1 by Lemon and Frampton from Haines and Mear produced the 5-1 which gave the Wasps all the points and left the Rockets with nothing.


Scorers: Newport – Mark Lemon 13 (5), Jordan Frampton 10+2 (5), Brent Werner 8+1 (4), Paul Fry 7 (4), James Holder 6+1 (4), Chris Kerr 3 (4),Nick Simmons 2+1 (4).

Rye House – Joe Haines 12 (5), Robert Mear 10 (5), Tommy Allen 8 (4), Linus Sundstrom 5+2 (4), Andrew Silver 3+1 (4), Luke Bowen 3+1 (5).


Spring Trophy: Glasgow 56, Edinburgh 37. Glasgow won on aggregate by 95-92..


Team changes: Glasgow were at full strength but Edinburgh were without Thomas H Jonasson so used Rider Replacement at number 3.

At long last Glasgow ended Edinburgh's run of 9 victories in a row against them and they did it in style with some determined riding which saw them not only win on the day but also on aggregate. Edinburgh can have no complaints.

Glasgow simply blew the Monarchs away over the opening four heats which saw them establish a 14 point lead leaving their Edinburgh rivals gasping for breath. Things changed quite a bit though when Edinburgh took a 1-8 from heat 5 and the aggregate win was thereafter in the balance right up till the last heat.

Shane Parker and Ross Brady led Ryan Fisher from the start in the opening race and there was nothing Fisher could do to prevent the 5-1. The Tigers then hit another maximum from the reserves race after Mitchell Davey had scorched from the tapes and Edinburgh were already facing a long uphill struggle. It got worse for the Monarchs in heat 3 and just when they had prospects of pulling points back. Josh Grajczonek led from the tapes but Andrew Tully was soon on his heels with Matthew Wethers behind him in third. On the third bend of the last lap Tully drove hard underneath Grajczonek and both riders drifted outwards. Grajczonek bailed out as the fence approached and Tully was excluded with Grajczonek awarded the race for a 4-2 to the home side. The Tigers fans were in seventh heaven when they hit home another 5-1 in heat 4 thanks to the fast starting James Grieves and Anders Andersen who left Matthew Wethers to follow in their wake. This took the score to 19-5 with the Monarchs looking for some relief from the onslaught.

It came in heat 5! Ryan Fisher took a tactical ride and gated with Aaron Summers to leave Grajczonek behind for the big 1-8 which halved the gap between the teams to seven points. Matthew Wethers then made the jump on Shane Parker to the first bend and held off every challenge the Glasgow rider could make to win the heat for a 3-3. Heat 7 was shared too following another fast Grieves start which left Fisher powerless to do anything about. Edinburgh pulled two more points back in heat 8 thanks to a fast start from Aaron Summers who got the better of Ross Brady. Behind them Michal Rajkowski passed Anders Andersen for third and a 2-4 to the visitors who now trailed by only five points at 33-28, but who were still 11 points up on aggregate.

Matthew Wethers won again to share heat 9 but Glasgow hit home another 5-1 when Shane Parker and Ross Brady made the gate to head home Aaron Summers. This stretched the Tigers lead to nine points but it was cut to seven when Edinburgh took a 2-4 from heat 11 in which Ryan Fisher inflicted the only defeat of the match on a hard pressing James Grieves. The Tigers replied with another 5-1, their fifth of the match, through Anders Andersen and Peter Juul who left Tully struggling after another woeful start. Grieves and Parker added another 5-1 in heat 13 as Fisher fell on the third bend, second lap, trying to prevent Parker's pass on him from sticking. Now Glasgow could smell blood as they led by 15 points at 48-33, one behind on aggregate with just two heats remaining.

Edinburgh needed a heat advantage from heat 14 to improve their chances of aggregate success but shot themselves in the foot by failing to give Andrew Tully a tactical ride in heat 14. Why they didn't is a mystery but it left the Glasgow fans stunned and the Edinburgh fans incandescent with rage. The failure looked an expensive one when Anders Andersen never left the tapes in heat 14 but Andrew Tully lost out to Josh Grajczonek in the race to the first bend so that was that. Instead of a 3-5 Edinburgh shared the race and still remained a single point ahead on aggregate going into the last heat. Grieves and Parker settled their hash again gating well to leave the Monarchs pair to bring up the rear. Their 5-1 success was wildly cheered by their long suffering support as they took a 19 point win from the match and a three point aggregate success.

Scorers: Glasgow – James Grieves 14 (5), Shane Parker 12+2 (5), Josh Grajczonek 9 (4), Ross Brady 7+3 (4), Anders Andersen 7+2 (5), Peter Juul 4 (4), Mitchell Davey 3 (3).

Edinburgh – Ryan Fisher 12 (6) (incl 6 point TR), Matthew Wethers 11 (6), Aaron Summers 7+1 (5), Andrew Tully 4+1 (5), Michal Rajkowski 3+1 (5), Sean Stoddart 0 (3).



Challenge Match (second leg): Newcastle 44, Redcar 49. Redcar won on aggregate by 100-84 .


Team changes: Newcastle were without Trent Leverington and used Rider Replacement at number 3. Redcar were at full strength.

Recar led by 11 points from the first leg of this challenge match but there was never any prospect of Newcastle pulling the arrears back as the Bears left them in some disarray to win the second leg too!

Gary Havelock won the first heat from Steve Boxall with Robbie Kessler third after Derek Sneddon had suffered an engine failure for a 2-4 but the Diamonds squared the match again with a 4-2 in heat 2 won by Casper Wortmann from Arlo Bugeja. In heat 3 Kenni Larsen touched the tapes and had to go from 15 metres back. Ben Wilson and Carl Stonehewer cashed in with a 1-5 from Casper Wortmann to give the visitors a four point lead. Jason King won heat 4 from Ty Proctor for a shared race but things were not looking too promising for the Diamonds when they lost another 1-5 in heat 5. Gary Havelock and Robbie Kessler were leading Kenni Larsen when Craig Branney fell and the race was awarded. The Bears now led by eight points but Newcastle got two points back with a 4-2 win from Sneddon and Proctor who were separated by Ty Proctor in heat 6. Ben Wilson and Carl Stonehewer team rode well to take another Bears 1-5 from heat 7 with King unable to do anything about it. This gave the visitors a ten point lead – twenty one on aggregate.

The Diamonds then gave heat 8 specialist, Derek Sneddon, a tactical ride and he duly delivered winning the race with his partner, Craig Branney, in second for the big 8-1.This cut the visitors lead on the night to just three points and brought the Diamonds back into contention. Alas for the home fans it was just an illusion. The Bears took revenge for this piece of impudence by rattling in a 2-4 when Proctor beat Larsen then a 1-5 from the Wilson-Stonehewer pairing again with Boxall in third as Derek Sneddon fell on the third lap causing the race to be awarded. The Bears were now nine up with the score at 27-36. A home 4-2 in heat 11 when Jason King beat Gary Havelock was just an oasis in the desert as Carl Stonehewer shepherded Benji Compton round for a race win and another 1-5 in heat 12 which took the score to 32-43.

Newcastle did manage some damage limitation by winning each of the last three races with 4-2s but it was too little too late as Redcar had long since had the aggregate win well and truly in their pockets.

Scorers: Newcastle – Derek Sneddon 10 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Kenni Larsen 9 (5), Jason King 8 (4), Steve Boxall 8 (5), Casper Wortmann 6 (6), Craig Branney 3+1 (5).

Redcar – Gary Havelock 12 (5), Ben Wilson 11 (4), Carl Stonehewer 8+4 (5), Ty Proctor 7 (4), Arlo Bugeja 4+1 (4), Benji Compton 4 (4), Robbie Kessler 3+1 (4).

[Merlin]

Wednesday, 1 April



Premier Trophy: Birmingham v. Newport
Premier Trophy: King's Lynn v. Rye House



Premier Trophy: Birmingham 43 (0 points), Newport 47 (3 points).


Team changes: Birmingham were at full strength but Newport again had to use Rider Replacement for the injured Chris Kerr at number 4..

What an incredible match this was with both sides scoring no less than five 5-1s each! Birmingham had a real Achilles heel with their third pairing of Robert Ksiezak + reserve losing three 5-1s in the opening 11 heats. On the other hand they had a superb opening partnership of Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman who scored three 5-1s over the same period. Despite having to use rider replacement for Chris Kerr, the better balanced Newport side eventually ran out winners and weren't too far away from being the first side to score four league points with this away win.

What a start it was for the Brummies when they won the opening two races with 5-1s for an early eight point lead. With Lemon and Fry getting into a muddle on the second bend Jason Lyons and Richard Sweetman took advantage in the first heat then Marek Mroz and Ben Taylor held off Nick Simmons for a reserves race maximum. Back came the Wasps with a 2-4 in heat 3 with Fry beating Tomasz Piszcz and Jordan Frampton finishing third after a thrilling tussle with Ludvig Lindgren. They followed that with a 1-5 from Brent Werner and James Holder who left Robert Ksiezak in their wake to take the score to 13-11.

Mark Lemon won heat 5 for a rare 3-3 before Lyons and Sweetman added their second 5-1 to increase the Brummies lead to six points. Two races later they found themselves two points down! Heats 7 and 8 resulted in 1-5s for the Wasps as Lemon and Frampton beat Robert Ksiezak comfortably for the first before Fry and Holder relegated Sweetman to third in the second. The score now stood at 23-25.

If Birmingham's third pairing was weak Newport's wasn't much better and in heat 9 Werner and Simmons conceded a second 5-1 this time to Ludvig Lindgren and Tomasz Piszcz. It was the home side's turn for back to back 5-1s when in heat 10 it was Lyons and Sweetman time again for another 5-1 with Jordan Frampton the victim this time. Now Birmingham led by six points at 33-27 but Newport were not to be outdone in the back to back 5-1 stakes. Heats 11 and 12 both went to the Wasps by 1-5 with Lemon and Fry taking the first of them in heat 11 and Jordan Frampton and James Holder the second in heat 12. Now Newport were back in front at 35-37!

Mark Lemon struck a crucial blow for the visitors in heat 13 by leaping from the gate to end Jason Lyons' winning run and earn a shared race for the Wasps. They then increased their lead to four points in heat 14 when Jordan Frampton beat Tomasz Piszcz and James Holder picked up third. In the final heat Jason Lyons raced off for the win but Lemon and Fry finished behind him to keep Richard Sweetman in last place for another shared race which clinched a fine win for the Wasps.

Scorers: Birmingham – Jason Lyons 14 (5), Richard Sweetman 7+3 (5), Tomasz Piszcz 7+2 (4), Ludvig Lindgren 5 (4), Robert Ksiezak 4+1 (4), Marek Mroz 4 (4), Ben Taylor 2+1 (4).

Newport – Mark Lemon 15 (6), Jordan Frampton 11+2 (6), Paul Fry 8+1 (5), James Holder 7+3 (6), Brent Werner 4 (4), Nick Simmons 2 (3).



Premier Trophy: King's Lynn 58 (3 points), Rye House 35 (0 points).


Team changes: King's Lynn used Rider Replacement for Kozza Smith at number 2 while Rye House used Rider Replacement at number 1 for Chris Neath.

Although Joe Haines and Robert Mear put up stern resistance for the Rockets winning five races between them and scoring 23 of Rye House's 35 points (67%!) the visitors were never in this match. With the two reserves failing to beat an opponent and using rider replacement the Rockets were effectively a four man team. King's Lynn on the other hand provided solid scoring down the line with Topinka and Schramm dropping only a point each and Darcy Ward rattling up another impressive score at reserve with paid 13 from his five races.

The match was more or less over for the Rockets when they lost three 1-5s and a 2-4 in the opening four races to trail by 14 points at 19-5. The only resistance at this point came from Tommy Allen who managed a second place behind Darcy Ward in heat 4 and ahead of Emiliano Sanchez. Things then improved for the visitors when Joe Haines recorded the fastest time of the match in heat 5 beating Chris Schramm in the process. Linus Sundstrom finished third so the Rockets took a 2-4 but then lost a 5-1 to Tomas Topinka and Darcy Ward in heat 6. The Rockets then gave a tactical ride to Robert Mear in heat 7 and he didn't let them down by beating Emiliano Sanchez for the six points. Linus Sundstrom was again able to provide support by finishing third so Rye House took a 2-7 to trail by 11 points at 28-17. Joe Haines then won again in heat 8 for a shared race taking the score to 31-20.

Chris Schramm and Christian Henry added a 5-1 for King's Lynn in heat 9 and, when Linus Sundstrom could only split the Topinka-Graversen pairing in heat 10, the 4-2 stretched the Stars' lead to 17 points. In heat 11 Rye House played their second tactical card by giving the TR to Joe Haines. The Rockets had their two most impressive riders out in this race but, unfortunately for them, Haines missed the gate and it was left to Mear to race home for the win which only shared the points. Linus Sundstrom became the third Rye House rider to win a race when he passed Christian Henry on the opening lap of heat 12 for another 3-3 the same score as in heat 13 when Joe Haines beat Sanchez and Topinka ending Topinka's unbeaten run. King's Lynn ended with a 4-2 in heat 14 won by Chris Schramm from Robert Mear then Topinka and Schramm added a 5-1 in heat 15 after Mear and Schramm had passed and repassed each other.

Scorers: King's Lynn – Tomas Topinka 13+1 (5), Chris Schramm 13+1 (5), Darcy Ward 10+3 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 9 (5), Jan Graversen 8+2 (6), Christian Henry 5+3 (4).

Rye House – Robert Mear 13 (6) (with 6 point TR), Joe Haines 10 (5), Linus Sundstrom 7 (5), Tommy Allen 4 (5), Luke Bowen 1 (4), Andrew Silver 0 (4).

[Merlin]

Thursday, 2 April



Premier Trophy: Redcar v. Berwick
Premier Trophy: Sheffield v. Edinburgh



Premier Trophy: Redcar 47 (2 points), Berwick 43 (1 point) .


Team changes: [Both teams were at full strength.

This was the return fixture from the one at Berwick last Saturday which the Bandits won by 53-40 but the Bears were in confident mood after home and away wins against Newcastle in their early season Challenge Match and were looking to reverse that result.

Up until heat 10 there were never more than 2 points between the teams but back to back 4-2s in heats 11 and 12 saw Redcar edge 6 points in front. Berwick pulled two back in heat 14 but had to be content with a single point from the match. However, since they provided nine of the heat winners, the Bandits will feel they missed the chance to take more.

Redcar started with a 5-1 from Gary Havelock and Robbie Kessler after William Lawson had packed up on the opening bend but they weren't to realise at that stage just how vital that was to be as the match unfolded. It was the only 5-1 of the meeting. Back came Berwick with a Warwick win in the reserves race for a 2-4 but the three points were all that he was to score all match. The next three races were all shared. Josef Franc sailed off to beat Carl Stonehewer in heat 3 then Michal Makovsky held off a hard challenging Ty Proctor in heat 4. William Lawson scored his only three points by beating Stonehewer and Wilson in heat 5 before Michal Makovsky won again becoming Bandits' fifth consecutive race winner by holding off Havelock to win heat 6. With Guglielmo Franchetti in third Berwick took a 2-4 from the race to level the scores at 18-18.

The Bears were back in front again in heat 7 when Ty Proctor stopped the run of Berwick race winners by passing the fast starting Josef Franc on the last bend. Tero Aarnio continued his run of zeroes as Benji Compton took third for a 4-2 and two point lead. Paul Clews became the fifth Berwick rider to win a race by blasting round Robbie Kessler and Arlo Bugeja for another 3-3 in heat 8 then Carl Stonehewer finally won a race in heat 9. Franchetti sat in second place and was joined by his partner Michal Makovsky who rounded Ben Wilson for third and another 3-3. Josef Franc kept Berwick well in contention by winning heat 10 from Gary Havelock but Redcar hit the Bandits with two decisive blows in heats 11 and 12. Proctor won the first of them by beating Clews as Lawson packed up again then Stonehewer beat the lively Franchetti in heat 12 for the second heat advantage taking the score to 39-33.

Makovsky kept the visitors in the hunt with a win over Havelock and Proctor in heat 13 then Berwick edged closer in heat 14 with a 2-4 as Franchetti swept past Ben Wilson with Josef Franc in third. This cut the gap to four points and set up a last heat decider. Things looked bright for the Bandits when Franc and Makovsky stormed from the tapes in a 1-5 position but Proctor became the home hero by passing both of them to share the points and ensure that Redcar took two league points from the encounter.

Scorers: Redcar – Ty Proctor 12+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 10 (5), Gary Havelock 9 (4), Robbie Kessler 5+2 (4), Arlo Bugeja 5+2 (4), Ben Wilson 4+2 (4), Benji Compton 2 (4).

Berwick – Michal Makovsky 11+2 (5), Josef Franc 11 (5), Guglielmo Franchetti 9 (5), Paul Clews 6 (4), Danny Warwick 3 (3), William Lawson 3 (4).



Premier Trophy: Sheffield 50 (3 points), Edinburgh 39 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Both sides began their Premier Trophy campaign with this fixture with the return tomorrow night at Armadale. Sheffield had lost their Challenge matches against Scun.thorpe while Edinburgh had lost the Spring Trophy to Glasgow so both teams were looking for improved results to set them up for the season ahead.

Having lost to one set of Tigers at the weekend the Monarchs did not want to lose to the Yorkshire variety this time but Edinburgh have a miserable record round Owlerton and it didn't improve in this match with the Tigers taking a comfortable win. Nonetheless it was a match of 'ifs' 'maybes' and 'might have beens' for the Edinburgh outfit.

Two 5-1s in the first three heats set the Monarchs up nicely to make their mark on the match but a series of machine troubles, falls and even a bike which caught fire took their toll leaving them to make the long journey north with no reward.

With Ryan Fisher and Matthew Wethers not taking delivery of brand new engines until after heat 1 it was a race for them to get their machinery set up for the big Sheffield track. Fisher and Aaron Summers made perfect starts to the opening race leaving Ricky Ashworth to trail behind in their wake for a 1-5. Sheffield replied with an impressive Josh Auty win in the reserves race. Michal Rajkowski took second while Chris Mills held off the battling Sean Stoddart for third and a 4-2 but the Monarchs hit home another 1-5 in heat 3. Andrew Tully stormed from the gate to win by the proverbial mile while Thomas H Jonasson slipped in behind him to head Joel Parsons home and give Edinburgh a six point lead. Then it started to go wrong for Edinburgh. Star of the night, Richard Hall, led heat 4 with Wethers in second only for the Monarchs' man to suffer bike problems on the second lap so the 4-2 became a 5-1 cutting the gap to two points with the score now at 11-13.

Ritchie Hawkins took heat 5 from Fisher and, with Aaron Summers suffering machine problems and finishing at the back, Shefield levelled the scores with the 4-2 at 15-15. Matthew Wethers made a good start to heat 6 to lead the field but his bike packed up coming off the second bend and Rajkowski's second place behind Ricky Ashworth gave the Tigers a 4-2 and a two point lead for the first time. In heat 7 the riders sitting at the tapes were alarmed to see Andrew Tully's machine catch fire but not as amazed as Tully who had to bale out big-style to avoid an instant cremation. Andrew was none the worse after being examined by the medics but his machine was. When the race was finally run Richard Hall romped off to win comfortably from Thomas H Jonasson for another 4-2 taking the Tigers into a 23-19 lead .

Michal Rajkowski won heat 8 for a shared race to steady the Monarchs' ship then Joel Parsons beat Wethers while Hawkins made a fine pass on Rajkowski on the last two bends for third place in heat 9 for another 4-2 which extended the Tigers' lead to six points. Jonasson won heat 10 by superbly rounding Ricky Ashworth on the third lap but Andrew Tully couldn't recover from an awful start so the race was shared . Sheffield then had a stroke of bad luck as Richard Hall's machine made an expensive sounding noise at the starting gate in heat 11 leaving Ryan Fisher to head off and win the race. Aaron Summers fell at the end of the second lap and couldn't get going again for the gift third place point so the race finished as a 2-3 and Edinburgh now trailed by five points . Another Jonasson win in heat 12 kept it that way with the score then 38-33.

Ricky Ashworth led a vital heat 13 from the gate while Fisher and Wethers tucked in behind in the hope of a shared race. Richard Hall was having none of it though and swept round both Monarchs in brilliant style to join his partner for a 5-1 to open up a nine point gap between the teams. Andrew Tully raised the vsitiors' hopes of a possible league point by streaking away in heat 14 but Rajkowski finished at the back for a 3-3 before Hall completed an impressive evening's work by winning the last race from Jonasson. Ashworth passed Ryan Fisher so the Tigers took a 4-2 preventing the Monarchs from reaching the 40 point mark and taking all three points.

Scorers: Sheffield – Richard Hall 11+1 (5), Ricky Ashworth 10 (5), Josh Auty 9+2 (4), Joel Parsons 7 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 5+1 (4), Chris Mills 5+1 (4), Paul Cooper 3+2 (4).

Edinburgh – Thomas H Jonasson 12+1 (5), Ryan Fisher 8 (5), Michal Rajkowski 7 (6), Andrew Tully 6 (4), Matthew Wethers 3 (4), Aaron Summers 2+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Friday, 3 April



Premier Trophy: Edinburgh v. Sheffield
Premier Trophy: Scun.thorpe v. Birmingham
Premier Trophy: Somerset v. Rye House



Premier Trophy: Edinburgh 53 (3 points), Sheffield 39 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Edinburgh were looking for revenge after last night's defeat at Sheffield to put some points on the board in a fixture which usually produces a sizeable win for the Monarchs. It may not have been quite so sizeable this time but it was still comfortable enough. Strangely enough Sheffield followed Edinburgh's example of last Sunday by not bothering with a second tactical ride in heat 14 when they trailed by 14 points.

This was a better performance from Sheffield than the score suggests although their weak middle pairing of Ritchie Hawkins and Joel Parsons was an albatross round their necks. They did have the man of the match though in Josh Auty who once again showed his liking for the Armadale circuit with a huge 16 point total without any boost from a tactical ride points too.

Ricky Ashworth got out of shape on the second bend of the opening race and Summers baled out. The Edinburgh man was excluded but Ryan Fisher won the rerun for a 3-3. Sheffield looked like taking the lead in the reserves race as Josh Auty won by a mile from Michal Rajkowski but Chris Mills sitting in third place until the last bend fell under pressure from Sean Stoddart so that race was shared too. An easy 5-1 from Thomas H Jonasson and Andrew Tully in heat 3 was followed by a shared heat 4 won by Matthew Wethers taking the score to 14-10.

Andrew Tully caught and passed early race leader Ashworth in heat 6 for a 4-2 for the Monarchs but Sheffield replied with a 2-4 in heat 6. The Sheffield pair sat on a 1-5 from the gate but Ryan Fisher dived up the inside of them both going into the third bend and Richard Hall fell. Fisher was excluded and Hall won the rerun with wide sweeping turns which Aaron Summers in second place could not match. Wethers and Rajkowski stretched the Monarchs lead, this time to eight points, with a 5-1 from Ritchie Hawkins in a rerun heat 7 after Joel Parsons had fallen in the first running and been excluded. Josh Auty won heat 8 from Summers while Chris Mills took third after Sean Stoddart had fallen on the last lap trying to pass Mills on the outside. This 2-4 took the score to 27-21.

Josh Auty, out again in heat 9, had an impressive win after rounding Jonasson but Andrew Tully kept Richard Hall at the back so the race was shared. Edinburgh then went 10 points ahead with another 5-1 against the Hawkins-Parsons pairing this time by Fisher and Summers. Sheffield then gave Ricky Ashworth a tactical ride in heat 11 but, although he made the gate, Matthew Wethers cleverly engineered an inside pass to win the race for a 4-4 share of the points. Michal Rajkowski made an impressive start to heat 12 and seemed to have a big enough lead to win the race. However Josh Auty chased him down to pass him and win impressively. There was no support from Hawkins though so this race was shared too. Heat 13 was pulled back twice as Ashworth jumped from the gate and was eventually warned by the referee. At the third attempt Wethers and Fisher were fast away, Ashworth fell on the second bend then Richard Hall fell on the fourth bend on the second lap but remounted. With fence panels dislodged the referee stopped the race and awarded a 5-1 to the home pair which extended their lead to 14 points. Sheffield declined to use their second tactical option and in an thrilling race Chris Mills held just off Andrew Tully while Tully in turn just held off Josh Auty for a 2-4. Ryan Fisher made the gate in the final race but had a job on his hands holding off Josh Auty but managed while Matthew Wethers cruised for the third place point as Richard Hall suffered an engine failure at the starting line.

Scorers: Edinburgh – Matthew Wethers 12+1 (5), Ryan Fisher 11+1 (5), Andrew Tully 8+2 (4), Michal Rajkowski 8 (5), Thomas H Jonasson 7+1 (4), Aaron Summers 6+1 (4), Sean Stoddart 1 (3).

Sheffield – Josh Auty 16 (7), Ricky Ashworth 8 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Richard Hall 6 (5), Chris Mills 5+1 (3), Ritchie Hawkins 3 (4), Paul Cooper 1 (3), Joel Parsons 0 (3).



Premier Trophy: Scun.thorpe 53 (3 points), Birmingham 41 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Scun.thorpe have had an excellent start to the season and faced a Birmingham side anxious to recover from Wednesday's home defeat at the hands of Newport. The match was evenly contested over the first four heats with only a 4-2 in the opener separating the two teams. David Howe and Byron Bekker won heats 1 and 2 for the Scorpions and Ludvig Lindgren and Robert Ksiezak replied with wins in heats 3 and 4 for the Brummies. The score then stood at 13-11.

Consecutive 5-1s in heats 5 and 6 from Bergstrom and Wilkinson, as Lyons got out of shape and finished at the rear. then Howe and Lambert added another four points to the Scorpions lead taking it to ten points. This gave the Brummies the opportunity to nominate an on-fire Ludvig Lindgren for a tactical ride. However Magnus Karlsson won heat 7 for the home side, although with Lindgren and Piszcz finishing in the minor places, the visitors took a 3-5 heat advantage cutting the gap to six points. That was as close as they got though as the Scorpions pulled away again. A 4-2 from Lambert and Bekker in heat 8 followed by a 5-1 from Wilkinson and Bergstrom stretched the lead to 35-21.

Birmingham got two points back in heat 10 with a 2-4 in a race won by Tomasz Piszcz then, because they were still more than 12 points in arrears, the Brummies were able to use the second tactical ride in heat 11. This time Jason Lyons took it but he too could do no better than finish second as Magnus Karlsson again thwarted the visitors' tactical manoeuvres by winning the race. The result was a 4-4 shared heat leaving the Scorpions still 12 points to the good. Ludvig Lindgren won heat 12 from Carl Wilkinson and Byron Bekker for a share of the points but the visitors' chances finally died in heat 13 with a Karlsson-Howe 5-1.

The Brummies put some gloss on the scoreline when Tomasz Piszcz won heat 14 for a 3-3 then Lindgren and Piszcz finished with a 1-5 against Bergstrom and Karlsson in the last race.

Scorers: Scun.thorpe – Magnus Karlsson 11 (5), Viktor Bergstrom 9+2 (5), Carl Wilkinson 9+1 (4), David Howe 8+1 (4), Simon Lambert 8+1 (4), Byron Bekker 6+1 (4), Jerran Hart 2+1 (4).

Birmingham – Ludvig Lindgren 14 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Tomasz Piszcz 9+2 (5), Jason Lyons 7 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Robert Ksiezak 4 (4), Richard Sweetman 3 (4), Ben Taylor 3 (5), Marek Mroz 1+1 (3).



Premier Trophy: Somerset 49 (3 points), Rye House 41 (0 points).


Team changes: With Chris Neath returning to the Rye House side both teams were at full strength.

After winning both legs of their opening season Challenge matches for the Severn Bridge Trophy against Newport, the Rebels faced Rye House who, although showing fine form round Hoddesden, were far less convincing on their travels. The Rockets looked as though they might take a league point from this match but a last heat 5-1 for the Rebels scuppered their hopes.

The Rebels were fast away with wins in the opening two heats – a 4-2 in the opener with Simon Walker the winner from Chris Neath and Steve Johnston relegated to third, then a reserves race 5-1 'rocketed' the Rebels into a six point lead but they got a jolt when Rye House replied with a 1-5 in heat 3. Robert Mear and Linus Sundstrom left the Rebels pair for dead at the gate and the gap was cut to two points. Tommy Allen passed Emil Kramer and Jay Herne in heat 4 to share the spoils and take the score to 13-11.

Rye House levelled the scores in heat 5 when Chris Neath beat Cory Gathercole with Joe Haines third but Somerset regained their two point lead with a 4-2 of their own from Johnston and Walker in the next race. A shared heat 7 was followed by back to back 4-2s from the home side won by Walker and Gathercole so the home side's lead stretched to six points at 30-24.

The visitors hit back with a 2-4 in heat 10 as Robert Mear beat Steve Johnston with Linus Sundstrom in third so the gap was down to four points and the Rockets had at least a league point in sight. Wins for Kramer and Gathercole resulted in 3-3s then the two sides exchanged 4-2s. Somerset's came in heat 13 when Chris Neath split Kramer and Johnston and Rye House responded in kind through Robert Mear and Andrew Silver with Justin Sedgmen the meat in the sandwich this time. The score now stood at 44-40 so Somerset needed a 5-1 for all three points and Rye House needed anything but a 5-1 for a single point. It was Johnston and Kramer who worked their way to the front to leave Mear and Sundstrom to bring up the rear as Somerset prevailed to take the maximum three points.

Scorers: Somerset – Emil Kramer 13+1 (5), Steve Johnston 10 (5), Cory Gathercole 9 (4), Simon Walker 7 (4), Jay Herne 5+1 (5), Justin Sedgmen 3 (4), Tom Brown 2+1 (4).

Rye House – Robert Mear 12 (5), Chris Neath 9 (4), Tommy Allen 7 (4), Linus Sundstrom 6+2 (5), Joe Haines 4+1 (4), Andrew Silver 2+1 (5), Luke Bowen 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Saturday, 4 April



Premier Trophy: Berwick v. Edinburgh
Premier Trophy: Rye House v. King's Lynn
Premier Trophy: Stoke v. Somerset
Premier Trophy: Workington v. Glasgow



Premier Trophy: Berwick 46 (1 point), Edinburgh 46 (2 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

What a cracking match this turned out to be with both sides fighting to the final lap of the last heat for the league points. Berwick established a 10 point lead after just 5 heats and looked likely to take all three league points but Edinburgh, inspired by Michal Rajkowski and Thomas H Jonasson, turned things round to such an extent that they led by two points after heat 12. Eventually Michal Makovsky's maximum earned the Bandits a point from the draw.

Berwick were off to a flier when William Lawson and Paul Clews gated to a first heat 5-1 as Ryan Fisher pulled up on the last lap with an engine failure. Gino Franchetti then rode an excellent race in heat 2 to beat Rajkowski for a 4-2 with Sean Stoddart falling at the back. In the third race Andrew Tully fell on the third bend and Tero Aarnio ran into him. The Berwick man came off worst and had to withdraw from the meeting while Tully was excluded. Thomas H Jonasson with a smooth gate won the rerun for a shared race but Berwick extended their lead with a 4-2 in heat 4 as Michal Makovsky won comfortably on his way to a five ride maximum. The score was now 16-8.

Edinburgh fell further behind in heat 5 when Ryan Fisher could only separate the Berwick pair of Josef Franc and Franchetti. The 4-2 increased the Bandit's lead to 10 points and it stayed that way as Michal Rajkowski gated in heat 6 to head Lawson and Clews home for a 3-3. Edinburgh gave a tactical ride to Thomas H Jonasson in heat 7, a brave decision since Makovsky was also in the race. Makovsky proved too fast for Jonasson and won the race but the points were shared 4-4 to keep the Bandits ten points in front at 27-17.

At this point Edinburgh started their revival. Rajkowski gated with Aaron Summers in heat 8 for a 1-5 then, after Matthew Wethers had won heat 9 from Franc and Franchetti, the Monarchs scored another 1-5 as Thomas H Jonasson stormed to the front followed by Michal Rajkowski to head William Lawson home. The Berwick lead had been cut to just two points as a result but Michal Makovsky won again in heat 11 from Fisher and Summers for a 3-3. Edinburgh then wiped out the arrears and took a two point lead with their third 1-5 in five heats as Jonasson and Rajkowski again led the Bandits home to take the score to 36-38.

Heat 13 was pivotal. It took five attempts to finally get it under way as the riders pushed and barged their way to the first bend. Eventually Makovsky and Lawson got the drop on Fisher and Wethers to score a 5-1 which wiped out their two point deficit and put the Bandits two points ahead again. Michal Rajkowski gated again to win heat 14 and Edinburgh briefly sat on a 1-5 when Andrew Tully joined him up front but Josef Franc passed Tully for a 2-4 which levelled the match with one heat to go.

In the final race Michal Makovsky shot to the front from the tapes but Jonasson and Rajkowski tucked in behind him to deprive William Lawson of a point so the race and match were drawn with Berwick earning one league point to Edinburgh's two.

Scorers: Berwick – Michal Makovsky 15 (5) (full maximum), Guglielmo Franchetti 9+1 (7), William Lawson 8+1 (5), Josef Franc 8 (4), Paul Clews 3+2 (4), Danny Warwick 3 (5), Tero Aarnio 0 (1).

Edinburgh – Michal Rajkowski 16+3 (7), Thomas H Jonasson 15 (5) (with 4 point TR), Ryan Fisher 5 (4), Matthew Wethers 5 (4), Aaron Summers 4+2 (4), Andy Tully 1 (3), Sean Stoddart 0 (3).


Premier Trophy: Rye House 49 (2 points), King's Lynn 44 (1 point) .


Team changes: Rye House were at full strength. King's Lynn used Rider Replacement for the injured Kozza Smith at number 2.

Rye House managed a five point win in their match against the Stars after Tommy Allen, having won his first race, crashed out of the meeting in heat 7. A Robert Mear maximum and impressive nine points tally from Andrew Silver kept the visitors at bay.

It was all Rye House in the early stages as they took a 5-1 and four 4-2s over the opening six races. Joe Haines and Chris Neath got the Rockets off to the perfect start with a 5-1 over Tomas Topinka from the first heat then, after a shared reserves race won by Darcy Ward, the Rockets began their run of 4-2s. In the first Mear won from Chris Schramm then, in the second, Tommy Allen beat Sanchez who passed Luke Bowen for second with Ward stuck at the back. with The third produced another win for Robert Mear with Topinka second while Linus Sundstrom passed Darcy Ward on the last lap. Joe Haines and Chris Neath looked set for another 5-1 in heat 6 but Neath's bike packed up on the run in to the line allowing Emiliano Sanchez to nip by for second. This took the score to 24-12 so King's Lynn gave Chris Schramm a tactical ride in heat 7. The race had to be rerun after Tommy Allen had fallen and been excluded. Although Schramm was passed by Andrew Silver in the rerun, he repassed the Rye House man for the full six points while Christian Henry picked up the gift third place point for a 2-7 cutting the gap to seven points at 26-19.

Joe Haines beat Darcy Ward to win heat 8 for a shared race then Mear won a rerun heat 9 after Linus Sundstrom had fallen while sitting on a 5-1 with Mear causing the race to be rerun without him. Chris Neath won heat 10 from Henry and Schramm for another shared race but King's Lynn hit back in heat 11 with a 1-5 from Ward and Topinka which reduced the gap to just three points at 36-33. Andrew Silver won heat 12 from Henry and Ward to share the points while Sanchez did likewise from Bowen and Neath in heat 13. The score was now 42-39.

Robert Mear and Andrew Silver threatened to score a 5-1 in heat 14 until Darcy Ward rounded Silver on the last lap to restrict the Rockets to a 4-2. Now five points to the good, the Rockets needed a 4-2 or better to take all three points but, although Robert Mear completed his full maximum, Chris Neath retired at the back so Sanchez and Topinka shared the race points to salvage a league point from the match.

Scorers: Rye House – Robert Mear 15 (5) (full maximum), Joe Haines 9 (4), Andrew Silver 9 (5), Chris Neath 7+2 (5), Luke Bowen 4+1 (5), Tommy Allen 3 (2), Linus Sundstrom 2 (4).

King's Lynn – Emiliano Sanchez 12+1 (6), Darcy Ward 11+1 (7), Chris Schramm 9 (4), Tomas Topinka 6+2 (5), Christian Henry 5 (4), Jan Graversen 1+1 (4).



Premier Trophy: Stoke 55 (3 points), Somerset 40 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Stoke took heat advantages from all of the first four heats with two 4-2s followed by two 5-1s to lead by 18-6 after heat 4 leaving the Rebels with a lot to do to get back into the match. The Rebels gave Steve Johnston a tactical ride in heat 5 but Jason Bunyan prevented the visitors from maximising their opportunity and, with Cory Gathercole suffering an engine failure, Somerset could only share the race 4-4. A 5-1 in heat 6 from Glen Phillips and Lee Complin all but sealed things for the Potters as they now stood 16 points up at 27-11.

Somerset gave their second tactical ride to Emil Kramer in heat 7 and he scored his only race win to take six points for the Rebels. He received no support though from Simon Walker so the 3-6 cut the gap to thirteen points. Another 5-1, this time from Jakobsen and Phillips, stretched the lead to 17 points but Somerset hit back strongly in the next two heats. Simon Walker produced his only points of the meeting winning from Lee Complin who passed Emil Kramer for second so the Rebels took a 2-4. They added a 1-5 in heat 11 when Cory Gathercole gated and Steve Johnston joined him by passing Jesper Kristiansen cutting the home side's lead to nine points at 41-30 and putting them in with a chance of a league point.

Stoke ended that hope with another 5-1 in heat 12 awarded to Jakobsen and Madsen after Simon Walker had hit the fence and fallen. The gap was now back up to 15 points and it stayed at that after Steve Johnston won a rerun heat 13 from Complin and Morris after Justin Sedgmen had fallen and been excluded. Bunyan beat Kramer in heat 14 and Kristiansen's third place point gave the Potters a 4-2 before the Rebels gained some consolation by taking a 2-4 from the last race thanks to a win from Cory Gathercole ahead of Bunyan with Johnston third.

Scorers: Stoke – Klaus Jakobsen 12 (5), Jason Bunyan 10+1 (5), Lee Complin 9+1 (4), Tom P Madsen 9+1 (4), Glen Phillips 6+1 (4), Phil Morris 5+3 (4), Jesper Kristiansen 4 (4).

Somerset – Steve Johnston 12+1 (5), Emil Kramer 10 (4) (incl 6 point TR), Cory Gathercole 7 (5), Justin Sedgmen 4 (4), Simon Walker 3 (4), Tom Brown 2+1 (4), Jay Herne 2 (4).


Premier Trophy: Workington 54 (3 points), Glasgow 41 (0 points) .


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

On a slick track which produced little passing Glasgow never threatened to take a point from this match. Wins from Shane Parker and Richard Lawson in the opening two heats resulted in a tied score at 6-6 but the Comets won four of the next five heats to open up a twelve point lead at 26-16.
Adrian Rymel and Charles Wright began with a 5-1 in heat 3 then James Grieves suffered an engine failure in heat 4 while lying second leaving Anders Andersen to rescue two points from the race for Glasgow by following Andre Compton home. Adrian Rymel beat Parker in heat 5 with Charles Wright taking third from Ross Brady for another 4-2. John Branney won heat 6 but, with Kevin Doolan suffering an engine failure, James Grieves and Mitchell Davey shared the race points. Heat 7 saw Andre Compton win again this time from Grajczonek and Priest but the Tigers gained their fist heat advantage in heat 8 when Anders Andersen won from John Branney with Ross Brady in third for a 2-4 which took the score to 28-20.

Rymel beat Grieves in heat 9 and, with Wright taking third, the 4-2 increased the Comets' lead to ten points but it increased further to 14 when Doolan and Branney added another 5-1 from Peter Juul. Glasgow then gave a tactical ride to Shane Parker and he delivered the six points by beating Andre Compton. However there was no support from Anders Andersen who had replaced Ross Brady so Glasgow took a 3-6 from the race taking the score to 40-29. Another 5-1 this time from Richard Lawson and Adrian Rymel put Workington 15 points ahead but the Tigers pulled two back with a Grieves win from Doolan and third place from Parker to give Glasgow a 4-2 which left the score standing at 47-34.

Glasgow gave their second tactical ride to Josh Grajczonek in heat 14 but Charles Wright won the race. With Lawson third the race was shared 4-4. Grieves won heat 15 but Rymel and Compton kept Shane Paarker at the back so this heat was also drawn.

Scorers: Workington – Adrian Rymel 13+1 (5), Andre Compton 9+1 (5), John Branney 8+2 (4), Richard Lawson 8 (5), Charles Wright 7+1 (4), Kevin Doolan 7 (4), Luke Priest 2+1 (3).

Glasgow – Shane Parker 12 (5) (incl 6 point TR), James Grieves 10 (5), Josh Grajczonek 7 (4) (incl a 4 point TR), Anders Andersen 6+1 (5), Mitchell Davey 4+1 (5), Ross Brady 1 (3), Peter Juul 1 (3).

[Merlin]

Premier Trophy: Newport v. Scun.thorpe
Premier Trophy: Glasgow v. Redcar
Premier Trophy: Newcastle v. Sheffield



Premier Trophy: Newport 49 (2 points), Scun.thorpe 46 (1 point) .


Team changes: Newport were still without Chris Kerr so they used Rider Replacement at number 4 and nominated Kyle Newman as their number 8. Scun.thorpe were again at full strength.

What better way to start a meeting than by winning the opening heat 5-1 against a track expert such as David Howe and setting a new track record in the process. That's what happened this afternoon at Newport when Mark Lemon and Paul Fry were fast away leaving Howe in their wake with Lemon setting a new best time of 58.13 seconds. The Wasps added another 5-1 in the reserves race but not until the race had been rerun without Jerran Hart who was excluded after bringing down James Holder on the first bend in the first running of the race. Prospects were looking decidedly poor for the Scorpions when they lost a third maximum on the trot after Brent Werner and Mark Lemon (as rider replacement) left Wilkinson and Bergstrom behind at the tapes. Magnus Karlsson stopped the rot by making a good start to heat 4 which resulted in him beating Jordan Frampton and Nick Simmons for a shared race which took the score to 18-6.

As early as heat 5 the Scorpions gave David Howe a tactical ride but it was only partially successful as Paul Fry (taking the R/R ride) won the race from Howe and Brent Werner. The points were shared 4-4 so Scun.thorpe remained 12 down. This allowed them to use their second tactical option and Magnus Karlsson's second ride appeared at just the right time to do so in heat 6. Paul Fry led the race until the end of the third lap but an engine failure allowed Karlsson through for the full six points. Jerran Hart picked up the gift third place point behind Mark Lemon so the Scorpions took a 2-7 from the race to cut their arrears to just seven points at 24-17. They then shocked the home side by adding a 1-5 in heat 7! Viktor Bergstrom made the start and Carl Wilkinson got past Jordan Frampton for second and within two races the Wasps saw their lead slashed to just three points at 25-22.

The lead was down to a single point after heat 8 when Simon Lambert won from Nick Simmons and Byron Bekker took third from Paul Fry for a 2-4 which made the score 27-26. However Jordan Frampton steadied home nerves by lowering the track record even further to 58.04 in heat 9 while Brent Werner provided support in second place beating Magnus Karlsson in the process. The home side's lead was back up to five points again. They looked like increasing it to seven when Mark Lemon made a fast start to heat 10 with Paul Fry in third behind Bergstrom. However Fry fell attempting to pass Wilkinson so the race was shared. David Howe finally won a race in heat 11 but Frampton and Holder followed him home for another shared race which kept the Wasps' lead at five points with the score at 38-33.

Jerran Hart then came to the party. He led the first running of heat 12 but Carl Wilkinson fell towards the end of the second lap and was excluded from the rerun. Undaunted Hart went on to win the rerun from Werner and Simmons to keep the gap at five points. It was back to one though after heat 13! Magnus Karlsson and David Howe made the gate to head home Mark Lemon as Jordan Frampton fell at the back. The 1-5 took the score to 42-41 with just two races to go.

The vital heat 14 went to the Wasps by 4-2. Brent Werner got to the front off the second bend ahead of Viktor Bergstrom while James Holder kept Jerran Hart at the back so Newport went into the last race three points ahead needing a 2-4 or better for two league points or a 5-1 for all three league points. David Howe won the last heat decider but Mark Lemon and Jordan Frampton took second and third for a shared race which gave Newport a three point win earning them 2 league points to Scun.thorpe's one.

Scorers: Newport – Mark Lemon 13+1 (6), Brent Werner 11+1 (5), Jordan Frampton 9+1 (6), Nick Simmons 6+3 (4), James Holder 5+1 (4). Paul Fry 5+1 (5).

Scunthorpe – David Howe 13+1 (5) (incl 4 point TR), Magnus Karlsson 13 (5) (incl 6 point TR), Viktor Bergstrom 7 (4), Carl Wilkinson 4+2 (4), Jerran Hart 4 (4), Simon Lambert 3 (4), Byron Bekker 2 (3).



Premier Trophy: Glasgow 52 (3 points), Redcar 38 (0 points).


Team changes: Both teams were at full strength.

Redcar needed at least a point from this match to repair the damage they suffered by failing to take all three points from Berwick last Thursday. It looked like they might do better than that when they led by six points after heat 10 but they collapsed losing three 5-1s over the last three heats to leave with nothing for their efforts. With ten non-scoring rides – seven of them from the two reserves – the Bears had little leeway to cope with any slip-ups from their top five.

The first two races were shared with wins for Parker and Bugeja then it was the visitors who struck first blood with a 1-5 in heat 3 when Ben Wilson and Carl Stonehewer headed home Grajczonek for a four point lead. James Grieves won heat 4 under pressure from Ty Proctor. Anders Andersen's third place point gave the Tigers a 4-2 which took the score to 11-13.

Redcar then took a second heat advantage against the Glasgow middle pairing as Gary Havelock and Robbie Kessler gated for a 1-5 which increased the Bears' lead to six points. Shane Parker won heat 6 while Brady held off the challenging Benji Compton for third to pull two points back for Glasgow before James Grieves beat Carl Stonehewer with Davey third for a second 4-2 cutting the gap to just two points. Glasgow then stormed into a six point lead with back to back 5-1s in heats 8 and 9 with Andersen and Brady taking the first and Andersen and Grajczonek the second. The score now stood at 30-24.

Parker won again in heat 10 but with Brady at the back Stonehewer and Wilson shared the race before Redcar came storming back into the match with a 1-5 from Kessler and Stonehewer who brought James Grieves' winning run to an end by relegating him to third. This cut the Glasgow lead to two points but, after Stonehewer had won heat 12 for a shared heat, Redcar simply collapsed with no Bears' rider heading home a Glasgow rider thereafter.

Glasgow finished with three 5-1s, two of them from Parker and Grieves in heats 13 and 15 while Grajczonek and Andersen took the other in heat 14 leaving the visitors a well beaten side after such a promising start.

Scorers: Glasgow – Shane Parker 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), James Grieves 12+1 (5), Anders Andersen 12+2 (6), Josh Grajczonek 7+1 (4), Ross Brady 3+1 (4), Mitchell Davey 3 (3), Peter Juul 1+1 (3).

Redcar – Robbie Kessler 9+1 (5), Carl Stonehewer 7+1 (4), Ben Wilson 7+1 (4), Gary Havelock 6+2 (5), Ty Proctor 6 (4), Arlo Bugeja 3 (5), Benji Compton 0 (3).



Premier Trophy: Newcastle 39 (0 Points), Sheffield 50 (4 points).


Team changes: With Trent Leverington returning to the Newcastle side both teams were at full strength.

After last week's home defeat at the hands of Redcar, the Diamonds desperately needed to get back on the rails against Sheffield. That simply didn't happen as they were well beaten by Sheffield.

Ricky Ashworth stormed off in the opening heat to win in the fastest time of the season so far round Brought Park (64.0). Boxall and Sneddon followed him home for a 3-3 but Sheffield slipped into gear with a 1-5 in the reserves race from Chris Mills and Josh Auty. The Diamonds then lost a 2-4 in heat 3 to Ritchie Hawkins and Joel Parsons after the race was rerun without Trent Leverington who fell on the first bend in the first running and was excluded. They got a break in heat 4 though when Richard Hall suffered an engine failure while leading. Craig Branney took advantage to slip through into the lead from Chris Mills while Jason King picked up the gift third place point. The score was now 10-14.

Heat 5 had only one finisher! Paul Cooper's bike packed up, Kenni Larsen fell, remounted and he too suffered an engine failure while Trent Leverington's bike too couldn't finish four laps. This left Ricky Ashworth to win the heat unopposed for a 0-3 which put the Tigers seven points ahead at 10-17. It got worse for Newcastle when they fell another two points behind after Chris Mills replaced tape-toucher Josh Auty then proceeded to win the race from Steve Boxall with Derek Sneddon last behind Richard Hall. The Tigers had now established a nine point lead and Newcastle didn't pull any of it back in heat 7 when Jason King won for a shared heat. Finally Newcastle managed a heat advantage in heat 8 when Derek Sneddon beat Chris Mills while Craig Branney finished third after Paul Cooper retired at the back. The 4-2 took the score to 19-26. Sheffield opened the gap to nine points again when Richard Hall beat Kenni Larsen with Auty in third for a 2-4 for the visitors. But back came the Diamonds with a win from Steve Boxall over Joel Parsons and Sneddon in third. The score now stood at 25-32 but Newcastle faced a dangerous race in heat 11 when Josh Auty replaced Paul Cooper.

So it proved when Auty and Ashworth headed Jason King home for a 1-5 which had the Diamonds in disarray at 26-37. Craig Branney took a tactical ride in heat 12 and Sheffield did their best to present the Diamonds with a big heat advantage! First Richie Hawkins was excluded for delaying the start so was replaced by Chris Mills then Josh Auty knocked Craig Branney off and was excluded. However Chris Mills won the three man race so the Diamonds were eventually restricted to a 5-3 success. Ricky Ashworth then beat Jason King in heat 13 but the action was at the back where Richard Hall and Steve Boxall passed and repassed each other. Hall prevailed however so the Tigers took a 2-4 and 33-44 lead. Kenni Larsen won heat 14 for the home side but King and Hall kept Boxall at the back for a 3-3 which meant that not only had Sheffield won the match but had taken all four points available for an away win by more than six points with the score at 36-47. The Tigers rounded off proceedings with a shared heat with Ricky Ashworth winning it for a paid maximum. Sheffield move into pole position in their Premier Trophy group with this win.

Scorers: Newcastle – Steve Boxall 9 (5), Craig Branney 9 (4) (incl 4 point TR), Jason King 8+1 (5), Kenni Larsen 7 (4), Derek Sneddon 5+1 (4), Trent Leverington 1+1 (4), Casper Wortmann 0 (4).

Sheffield – Ricky Ashworth 14+1 (5) (paid maximum), Chris Mills 14+1 (7), Joel Parsons 6+1 (4), Josh Auty 6+1 (4), Ritchie Hawkins 5 (4), Richard Hall 5 (4), Paul Cooper 0 (3).

This post has been edited by Merlin on Apr 5 2009, 08:17 PM