Joe and Lasse have departed and are replaced by Connor Mountain (recent Top Gun winner) and Dane Kasper Andersen ex of King's Lynn. Whether
this made us stronger was debatable. Charles had been taken ill at Leicester on Monday and we called up Jason Garrity as
guest replacement. Todd dominated from the start to win heat 1 and Jason looked comfortable in third place until he checked over his shoulder
leaving the last bend and blatantly slowed letting Stuart Robson past. The Diamonds gate to lead heat 2 but James passes Carl Wilkinson entering the
third bend. Diamonds trap ahead again in heat 3 and although Kasper really tries his hardest he cannot make his around Ashley Morris. Heat 4
and (it's going to get monotonous) the Diamonds trap. Kyle rounds Matthew into turn three but James just hasn't got the horsepower to follow suit.
Tero traps to lead heat 5 but Kasper is on his tail. Broc is passed by Stuart on the second bend and never makes up lost ground. Diamonds lead by 10
points. Jason takes a flyer but Paul Carrington pulls them back. In the rerun Matej gives Jason the benefit of his elbow and ass a result Todd's outside line is taken. Jason then spends three laps following Carl and making sure Todd didn't get past. The Diamonds gate ahead in heat 7 but Kyle dives under Ashley at the start of lap 2 and blasts around Matej out of turn four. Conner closes and tries his best to barge under Ashley on the last bend in a way Nikki Pedersen would have applauded but Ashley stuck to his line. Heat 8 sees no passing with James struggling to keep up. Kyle replaces Broc in heat 9 and gives Stuart his elbow on the first turn. Kasper once again tries every which way but Stuart is more than his match. Todd traps to win heat 10 while Jason busts a gut for four laps without managing to pass anyone. Diamonds 16 ahead and cruising.
The Diamonds trap ahead in heat 11. Kyle tries to get on terms for a couple of laps but is passed on the inside by Connor who takes up the chase. The Diamonds trap in heat 12 and; (yawn). Interval time and I visit the pits. All the Tigers and Simon are having a confab but the only one I can hear is Jason telling everyone that it's the track at fault because it isn't binding correctly. Strange how the Newcastle lads are coping so well isn't it. Heat 13 and the Diamonds have already won the meeting. Kyle muscles his way to the front but Jason is last. Having told everyone what the problem with the track is Jason then proved himself wrong with an exquisite outside blast. I suppose he'd already achieved his objective. Connor got it right at the start of heat 14 and then rode a perfect line just holding off a last bend blast from Matthew Wethers. Tero Aarnio traps to win heat 15 but Matej retires from last place as the Diamonds win by the odd 20 points or so.
Connor looked good the one time he wasn't already last by the first bend, and although Kasper didn't exactly set the track alight I admired the way he attacked it right from the first lap. I think we might see good things from this youngster.