Conference League
Buxton Speedway: Hit by weather
By Nick
May 5, 2008, 13:43

For the second week running, the Buxton Hitmen were unable to get their Conference Challenge fixture against the Belle Vue Colts on because of the weather.

This seems like déjà vu as a week ago the meeting with the Colts was called off early on due to heavy rain but on Sunday everyone was more optimistic as only a few showers had passed through the Buxton area during the morning. It wasn’t until around 12.30 that more persistent rain started to fall and referee Jim Lawrence decided to give the weather a chance to clear as the forecast had predicted. Unfortunately the weathermen were a bit out and at 2.00 there was no sign of a break in the weather, giving the referee no alternative but to call off the meeting.

The postponement was the last thing that the Hitmen needed as the competitive meeting that the Colts would have provided was required ahead of Buxton’s next meeting this coming weekend when they travel to face the Boston Barracudas at Kings Lynn in the Conference Trophy. It will have been four weeks since their last meeting and almost half of the team will not have had competitive action in that time. Branney and McKinna have at least had some meetings with their respective Premier League commitments while Roberts and Taylor have had a few guest bookings as well.

One new face for the Hitmen in the forthcoming meeting with Boston will be Gareth Isherwood who has joined Buxton for the 2008 season. In some ways he is no stranger the team as he has had a spell with the Hitmen in each of the last two seasons but then just as cover for injured riders.  Last year Isherwood replaced Andrew Braithwaite following his wrist injury and he rode in the next eight meetings, including a score of paid 13 points in Buxton’s win away at Sittingbourne, before returning to the Stoke Spitfires. With Stoke’s decision not to run in the Conference League this year, Isherwood was left on the sidelines at the start of the season and Buxton was his preferred choice of track, a move that has finally come off.