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Last Updated: Nov 28th, 2010 - 10:22:29 |
The Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions got their season under way last night with a 43-33 victory over the Sheffield Tigers at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
After a near five month lay off there was a lot of nerves showing prior to the start of the meeting but despite Sheffield having opened their season twenty-four hours earlier it was the Scorpions who adapted to the tricky conditions and claimed all three Premier Trophy points on offer. The Scorpions produced a strong team performance with all riders registering between five and eight points before the persistent rain finally brought an end to proceedings after twelve races.
After a glorious day it started to rain around fifty minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting but thankfully it abated and racing started on time at 7.30pm. Around twenty minutes later and the Scorpions had blitzed into a 20-3 lead with several Tigers’ riders failing to finish races. Heat 1 saw David Howe pass both Sheffield riders to join Viktor Bergström for a 5-1 before both Simon Lambert and Jerran Hart got the better of Paul Cooper in the reserves’ race to take the score to 10-2.
Worse was to follow for Sheffield in the third race as Josh Auty clipped the back of Joel Parsons and crashed before Richard Hall’s bike ground to a halt whilst at the back of the re-run to give the Scorpions a 5-0 heat advantage and a 15-2 lead. Josef Franc then suffered an engine failure after taking an early lead in heat 4 to see the Scorpions stretch their lead to 20-3.
At that point it looked like the Scorpions might rattle up a cricket score but Sheffield did start to put up a fight and there was some decent races. High Skidmore held off Magnus Karlsson in heat 5 after a good race whilst Paul Cooper did the same to David Howe a race later. Heat 7 and it was the Scorpions’ reserve, Jerran Hart, who kept the charging Josh Auty at bay before Viktor Bergström suffered an engine failure whilst battling for the lead of heat 8 with former Scorpion Paul Cooper. It meant Sheffield had whittled four points off the Scorpions’ lead but Magnus Karlsson and Joel Parsons claimed a 5-1 over Josef Franc and Arlo Bugeja to restore the 17 point gap.
Heat ten saw the first of the Tigers’ tactical rides but David Howe kept the black and white helmet cover-wearing Josh Auty in second place. Two heats later and Paul Cooper was given their second tactical ride and, whilst he did combine with Richard Hall for an 8-1 over Joel Parsons and Simon Lambert, in reality it was too little, too late for them to mount a serious challenge for a Premier Trophy point (for losing by six or less). A increase in the rain, which had fallen throughout the meeting, after heat 10 seemed to be the deciding factor and referee Mick Bates brought a close to proceedings after the twelfth race had been completed.
The Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions are next in action next Thursday, 25th March, in the return leg at Sheffield (7.45pm start) before they take on the Stoke Potters, with former Scunthorpe Saints’ Team Manager Malcolm Vasey in charge, the following night (Friday 26th March, 7.30pm start).
Post meeting quotes:
Simon Lambert - Overall it was a good team performance. We were hammering them to start with but they soon adapted to the track which was fair play to them. Paul Cooper came real good and he must have finished with quite a hatful. From a personal point of view I started off all right and scored eight points from my programmed four rides which wasn't too bad at all but obviously that includes a crash in my last heat as I was trying too hard really, I just wanted to make a line that wasn't really there so I was over trying but I was making 100% effort. I've christened my new kevlars now but I can't tell if I've got any holes in them though as there is that much dirt. It was good to win my first race, it was funny though I've been in a bit of a tizz all day, nobody has really spoken to anybody so it was good to get the first race out of the way. Obviously Joel had a few mechanical problems but we all helped and I lent him a carb (carburettor) for the end of the meeting but he came good when he got that sorted. Team spirit was good, at the end of the day it was probably harder for Joel as he's the new boy so we are looking after him and he's settling in well so it's all good, it was an easy job for the team manager today!
We're at Sheffield next Thursday which is one of my favourite tracks, I had a good meeting there last year, scored about 9 and I've got better equipment this year, I've put in a lot of time and effort into my bikes and nearly every bit is brand new apart from the frames so there's no excuses really, it's all down to me and I feel like I gated well. I had gate 3 in my last ride which is the gate of death round here especially in weather like this as it's the racing line, I thought I gated well but I was suddenly four bike lengths behind but to be fair it's like that at a lot of places. Sheffield lost at home last night but it was against an Elite League team - Richard Hall had a bad night, Auty seems to be flying and spending the winter down under seems to have done him the world of good and fair play to him. He's a British rider and we need British riders coming through like that. We'll be going to Sheffield to win, same as anything we all want the extra meetings and the extra pay cheques. Like I've said in a lot of interviews I've done this year, I want to be picking up some silverware with this team this year – Rob (Godfrey), Gail (Godfrey), Richard (Hollingsworth) and everyone else have put so much into the club that they deserve some success. The club has been built up for nothing and now it's become an established place so it's only what everyone deserves. Kenny and Rob Woffinden were a big part of the club and we want to do well for them too. I had a chat with David Howe and there is maybe four of us who are fighting for the main team, Joel, Viktor, Jerran and myself. I certainly don't want to be at reserve all year, the rides are a bit easier I know but that's not the way I look at it, I want to be going forward and move into the Elite League next year so I've definitely got to be pushing on and the team want to be pushing on too. The only thing in my eyes is silverware - I'm at Kings Lynn on Wednesday, Sheffield Thursday and back here against Stoke on Friday so that's good, it'll keep me race fit so all good fun.
Richard Hollingsworth (Team Manager) – It was good to get the first meeting out of the way. The weather didn’t help but we kept a positive attitude throughout. If the referee had wanted the full fifteen races completing then we would have got on with business and made sure we secured all three points. Gate four was the best by far and Carl (Wilkinson) was disappointed to not get to ride heat 13 off it. We had David (Howe) partnering him in that race and then Magnus (Karlsson) and Jerran (Hart) out in heat 14 so the rather naughty suggestions that we were concerned about missing out on the bonus point if we had continued couldn’t be wider of the mark.
It was pleasing to see all seven riders contribute tonight and they all can ride the Sheffield track well so I’m very much looking forward to the return leg.
Scunthorpe Scorpions 43 – David Howe 7+1 (3 rides), Viktor Bergström 5+1 (4), Joel Parsons 5+2 (3), Magnus Karlsson 8 (3), Carl Wilkinson 5 (3), Jerran Hart 6+2 (3), Simon Lambert 7+1 (5),
Sheffield Tigers 33 – Ricky Ashworth 2 (2), Hugh Skidmore 7 (4), Richard Hall 3+2 (4), Josh Auty 6 (3, including a 4 point tactical ride), Josef Franc 1 (3), Paul Cooper 13 (4, including a 6 point tactical ride), Arlo Bugeja 1 (4)
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