Birmingham Monarchs Cycle Speedway team produced the shock result of the season last Sunday by trumping newly crowed British champions Wednesfield Aces in the Midland League.

It was a sensational victory as the Monarchs reigned supreme. They continued their fantastic winning run by racing to their seventh successive victory. The Monarchs have not been beaten since April and Sundays win was the first home Midland League defeat for Wednesfield all year.

The Monarchs set their stall out in heat one with British Under 19s individual champion Chris Timms taking the chequered flag to set Birmingham on the road to victory.

The following two heats were shared before Birmingham moved ahead in heat 4 with Birmingham’s Polish superstar Dominik Rycharski and youngster Arron Deery combining well.

Chris Timms followed home father Paul in heat 5 as Birmingham asserted full control as Monarchs led 28-21. Further success followed in heat 6 as ace gating Marcus Wadhams and the fast emerging Nathan Groves scored a tactical 6-4 heat win.

Wednesfield attempted to fight back in the following two heats, temporarily narrowing the gap before big guns Wadhams and Rycharski zoomed away to take maximum points in heat 9 for Birmingham.

The interval was reached with Birmingham 49-40 points to the good. Hopes of their first win at Wednesfield in over 20 years were high as team manager Phil Widdas rallied his men with a rousing half time pep talk.

The early stages of the second period saw Birmingham move further ahead, with Wednesfield affirming their right to claim the favourable inside starting positions after trailing by 12 points. This led to a superb fight back by the homesters to set up a scintillating grandstand finish.

Wednesfield rallied strongly to reduce the deficit and only two wins by international stars Wadhams and Rycharski stalled the Wednesfield onslaught. Heat 17 was reached, the penultimate race, with Birmingham’s lead down to just 5 to set-up a last heat decider.

Needing just to finish to record a momentous and stunning victory, team boss Widdas issued strict instructions to his two riders as the drama unfolded. Both Monarchs riders were ordered to forego individual glory in the last heat and Mark Winwood and Chris Timms duly obeyed, coasting round the take the minor points to secure Birmingham’s greatest victory in two decades.

This magnificent win sets the seal on Birmingham’s superb season. They have really arrived as a major force, in Wadhams and Timms they have two outstanding English riders and they have gained promotion to Cycle Speedway’s top tier of competition, the Premier League.

Birmingham points scorers:
1 Aarron Deery                6
2 Chris Timms                13
3 Marcus Wadhams        18
4 Nathan Groves               9
5 Mark Winwood            11
6 Carl Winwood              10
7 Dominik Rycharsi        13
8 Paul Timms                    9