Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2005

Key: + = from 15m handicap - * = Tactical ride for double points - ! = Golden Double Tactical Substitute from 15m
Sheffield PIRTEK 'Tigers' v Hull CPD 'Vikings' Yorkshire Challenge 17th March
Rider010203040506070809101112131415Tot+Bp
Sean Wilson © 9.45 3 3 3 2 3 14
Ben Wilson 4.96 2' 1 3 2' 8+2
Richard Hall 5.38 2' 3 3 3 1 12+1
Ricky Ashworth 8.31 3 2' 1 1 7+1
André Compton 8.70 3 fx 2 1 6+1
Paul Cooper 3.00 3 fx 0 3 6
Kyle Legault 4.00 1 1 0 0 2
Reg Wilson 5 4 5 4 5 4 0 3 4 5 2 3 3 4 4
Sheffield PIRTEK 'Tigers' (39) 5 9 14 18 23 27 27 30 34 39 41 44 47 51 55 94
Hull CPD 'Vikings' (53) 0 2 3 5 6 8 13 18 20 21 26 29 32 34 36 89
Dave Peet 0 2 1 2 1 2 5 5 2 1 5 3 3 2 2
Paul Thorp © 7.69 x 1 *2 3 2 8
Emiliano Sanchez 7.35 r 0 1' 3 4+1
Lee Dicken 5.11 0 2' 0 1' 3+2
Emil Kramer 7.55 1 3 1 2 0 7
Garry Stead 7.67 0 2 2 0 4
Craig Branney 4.24 0 0 0 - 0
Jan Jaros (g) 5.04 2 2 *4 2 0 10
Heat
times
01020304050607 0809101112131415
63.265.463.564.563.7 62.564.163.062.862.9 62.94.5462.764.563.5

This match nearly didn't happen as the Vikings attempted a 'rider revolt'. Their senior statesman decided that the track was in a dangerous condition and the six members of the Hull team wanted the meeting cancelled despite the referee ruling that the track was fit for racing. The problem was the second bend where the white line had been re-painted to exclude a soft patch on the inside which had not bedded down since being relaid. They eventually relented and the meeting started a good 30 mins behind schedule. Please note that guest rider Jan Jaros was not involved with the dispute and was in the pits ready with the Sheffield team ready to race.

Sean and Ben took a comfortable win in heat 1 with Paul Thorp refusing to compete and Sanchez retiring. Sean's untroubled time of 63.2 was an indication of the perilous state of the track. Paul Cooper dominated heat 2, but suffered an breakdown on the second bend after the race had finished with Kyle giving him a lift back to the pits. Kyle spent the race climbing over Jan Jaros' back wheel, and with a little more experience around Owlerton would have made the outside pass on the third turn of the last lap. Richard and Ricky won heat three with consumate ease, and André took heat 4 with a blinding last lap which took him from 3rd to 1st on the last two turns. Kyle who had been climbing all over André for three laps after a poor start kept it wound on and was rewarded with a point for third place when he passed the slowing Garry Stead on the finish line. He was so 'up for it' that he then suffered the ignominy of colliding with Jan Jaros on the first turn after the chequered flag. Richard and Ricky took another maximum ahead of the disinterested Vikings pair in heat 5, and Sean passed Garry Stead on the third turn to win heat 6.

The Vikings recorded their first heat win in heat 7. André was excluded after dropping it on the first turn, but Paul rounded the field to lead down the back straight in the rerun. As he turned into turn three he was deliberately rammed by Lee Dicken and was dumped into the fence at a high rate of knots. Paul was irate and had to be restrained by the track staff as he tried to explain to Lee how displeased he felt. Ben Wilson trapped to win heat 8 at the canter, but Kyle looked off the pace following a poor start. Richard was rewarded for his determination as he chased Garry Stead for 3½ laps before making a sweet cutback to the inside to win the race to the finish line in heat 9. Ben Wilson rounded Emil Kramer out of turn 2 to follow Sean home for a maximum in heat 10, and André and Emiliano Sanchez had a real ding-dong battle in heat 11 with the lead changing countless times before the Viking got the advantage when it counted, over the finish line.

Jan Jaros sneaked under the field to lead down the back straight in heat 12, but Richard passed Dirty Dicken down the home straight and then swapped the lead with Jan several times before being in the right place when the flag came out. Paul Thorp gated to win heat 13 in the second fastest time of the night (but remember the track was unridable). Paul Cooper trapped to win heat 14, and I thought Ricky was doing his best to protect him until Emil Kramer passed him out of turn 4 and Ricky just didn't have the pace to get back on terms. The Vikings were left requiring a maximum heat win from the nominated finale to win the cup but although Paul and Emil gated well the Tigers were in no mood to relinquish their silverware with Sean scything past Paul at the start of the second lap, and Richard deposing Emil out of turn 2 a few yards later.

Final analysis; the kids did us proud, nice to have Sean back and Kyle remains upbeat despite being bottom of the scorechart. Hey, remember what Shawn Moran scored on his Sheffield debut! No? Then you haven't been looking at my archives page have you!

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