Last night the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions registered a hard-fought 46-44 win in a sensational Premier League encounter against the Stoke Potters at the Eddie Wright Raceway. 

With no more than four points separating the two sides throughout the meeting it came down to a last heat decider where Richard Hall gave a real captain’s performance by securing the second place required for victory.  However, with the Potter’s Ben Barker recording a full maximum the win was a real team effort as all seven riders were paid for between six and eight points.

The meeting opened with three drawn heats as Hall suffered an engine failure in heat 1 and Byron Bekker fell after passing the two Potters in heat 2.  Barker produced an incredible ride to go between the Scunthorpe pair in heat 3 but the Scorpions opened up a lead when Bekker joined Carl Wilkinson in heat 4 for a 5-1 over Klaus Jakobsen and former Scorpion Andrew Moore.  Emiliano Sanchez rode well to split the Potters in heat 5 before Hall and Viktor Bergström reversed the 4-2 one race later.  Bergström rode well to see off the challenge from former Scunthorpe Stag Mark ‘Buzz’ Burrows for third place and Ben Powell did similar to Jesper Kristiansen in heat 7 as Barker claimed his second heat win.

Heat 8 looked like a real chance of a Scorpions’ heat advantage but Potters’ Danish pairing of Krister Jacobsen and Klaus Jakobsen gave a terrific team-riding display to keep Bergström at bay in a wonderful heat of speedway.  It meant the scores were once again level but Karlsson and Sanchez recorded a 4-2 in heat 10 as Sanchez managed to claim third place coming off the last bend.  However, a fall for Hall in the next race, when challenging Barker on the penultimate bend of heat 11, cancelled the advantage and the scores were once again all square.  Wilkinson managed to re-pass Joel Parsons to take win 11 before Karlsson held off Barker for two laps in heat 12. 

With 12 races gone the scores were still level and an incredible heat 13 couldn’t even split the two sides.  Hall and Moore duelled for the lead with both Parsons and Wilkinson in close contention for four laps but despite several passes the 3-3 left the sides locked at 39-39 with two races to go.  With Barker looking like claiming a maximum with a race win in heat 15 the Scorpions really needed a heat advantage in heat 14 and not only did Sanchez and Powell claim a heat advantage it was a 5-1 with Powell holding off the late challenge from Jesper Kristiansen on the line.  It meant the Scorpions couldn’t lose both league points if they managed a finisher in the last race.  However, the Scorpions wanted both league points to ensure they make the Young Shield it was left to Hall to split Barker and Parsons in the last race and ensure that both league points stayed in Lincolnshire and the home fans went home happy.

The Scorpions are next in action on Monday night at Reading as they hope to secure one of the two away wins that would ensure an early pick of opponents in the end of season Young Shield knockout competition.  They then travel to Sheffield on Thursday night, 4th September, for the local derby class with the Sheffield Tigers before returning to face the Reading Racers at the Eddie Wright Raceway next Friday night, 5th September.       

Post meeting quotes:

Scorpions’ Captain Richard Hall – “It has been one of those nights for me.  We got it in the end, we got the two points for the win, that is the main thing.  I had a spark plug go in my first ride and I haven’t had one of those go for a long.  I won my second ride and I thought I was on for a good night but my engine seized in my next one whilst I was chasing Ben (Barker).  I just hope my engine tuner can sort it for Monday.  I swapped to an engine that doesn’t like slick tracks but we had to de-tune it and get on with the job.  In heat 15 Kenny just said “whatever you do don’t let Joel beat you” so I said “right, I’ll take gate two and clamped him on the inside”.  That was all I did.  I wasn’t bothered about Ben winning.  All I wanted was a second place and I got it”.

Scorpions Co-promoter and Team Manager Kenny Smith – “Fantastic meeting wasn’t it?  Glasgow came last week and said they’d heard this place was one of the best places for racing.  On the way out they said it was absolutely spot on and tonight proved it again.  It is just a fantastic place to be.  That’s why I got both teams out on parade.  It was just awesome racing.  The lads gave 100%, they did fantastic.  We had a little bit of a chat in the interval but there was no need for it because all the lads know what we are after and they want it as bad as me.  It was absolutely brilliant!”.

Scunthorpe Scorpions 46
Richard Hall 8 (5 rides), Viktor Bergström 6 (4), Magnus Karlsson 6+1 (5), Emiliano Sanchez 8 (4), Carl Wilkinson 8 (4), Ben Powell 6+2 (4), Byron Bekker 4+2 (4)

Stoke Potters 44
Joel Parsons 8+2 (5 rides), Klaus Jacobsen 6+2 (4), Ben Barker 15 (5), Jesper Kristiansen 2 (4), Andrew Moore 6 (4), Mark Burrows 2 (3), Klaus Jakobsen 5+1 (5)