Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2008
Scunthorpe 'Scorpions' v SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' Premier League 15 August

Referee: Stuart Wilson

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Richard Hall © 6.77 0 2' 3 2' 0 7+2
2. Viktor Bergstrom 5.31 1 3 ns - 4
3. Magnus Karlsson 7.97 1 2' 2 1' 6+2
4. Emiliano Sanchez 5.91 0 3 1' 0 4+1
5. Carl Wilkinson 6.19 0 2 1 3 2 8
6. Byron Bekker 3.54 1' 1' 2 0 - 4+2
7. Ben Powell 4.59 2 2 1' 1 2 2 10+1
Kenny Smith 1 3 1 2 5 5 3 3 3 4 1 3 5 2 2
Henderson Insurance 'Scorpions' 1 4 5 7 12 17 20 23 26 30 31 34 39 41 43
Sheffield 'Tigers' 5 8 13 17 18 19 22 25 28 30 35 38 39 43 47
 Eric Boocock 5 3 5 4 1 1 3 3 3 2 5 3 1 4 4
1. Ricky Ashworth r/r 7.93 - - - - (7+1)
2. Paul Cooper 5.30 3 0 3 2' 0 8+1
3. André Compton © 8.88 2' 1 3 0 3 3 12+1
4. Joel Parsons 5.85 2' 3 x 2 3 1 11+1
5. Ben Wilson 7.12 1 1 3 3 1 9
6. Kyle Hughes 3.00 0 r 0 r 1 1
7. Josh Grajczonek (g) 5.04 3 3 x - 6
Track record; 56.90
Richard Hall, 20 June '08
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

57.62

59.12

59.70

60.09

60.18

59.43

awd

59.68

59.75

59.23

60.18

59.43

59.92

60.73

58.86

Scunthrpe programme Joel Parsons was rider replacement for Ricky in heat 1 and he tucked in behind Paul Cooper to get the Tigers off to the best possible start. The Scorpions reserves were first from the tapes in heat 2 but Tigers guest Josh Grajczonek recovered from the unrewarding outside gate position to pass Byron Bekker on the second turn and then under Ben Powell on turn three and into the lead. Joel Parsons led by the back straight of heat 3 with Emiliano Sanchez rounding André Compton at the end of the second lap and into second place. Emiliano set off after Joel and overdid it on the second bend and fell gifting the Tigers another 5-1. Josh got shut down on the first bend of heat 4 but in an amazing ride he picked his way past Carl Wilkinson, Ben Powell and then team mate Ben Wilson to lead by the end of the second lap. Ben Powell responded well and swooped around Ben Wilson on the last corner to steal second place. André was rider replacement in heat 5 but it was Paul who led the way. Unfortunately Paul had some kind of problem and found himself last by the end of the first lap and his skipper couldn't make any impression on the Scorpions pair. Despite the Scunthorpe maximum the Tigers still hold a six point  advantage.

Viktor Bergstrom made light of the outside gate position to lead heat 6 from his skipper Richard Hall. Ben Wilson eventually passed team mate Kyle Hughes on the second lap but never looked like catching the Scorpions pair. It was Joel's turn for the outside gate in heat 7 and he found himself last although André was in the lead. Joel harried Byron Bekker for three laps but dived past on the first turn of the last lap. Byron tried to go back around him on turn two but ran out of track and clattered into the fence. Stuart Wilson for some inexplicable reason excluded Joel! The first turn of heat 8 was a free for all with riders changing lines and passing inside and out. Josh led down the back straight but Viktor Bergstrom had more momentum on the outside line and nosed ahead into turn three but then cut back hard straight across Josh's line. The two collided and hurtled full pelt into the safety fence. A lengthy delay ensued while both riders were loaded into ambulances and the safety fence was repaired. The Scorpions no.8 endeared himself to the visiting fans even more by excluding Josh! Byron Bekker took Viktor's place when the action recommenced but Paul blasted all the way from the outside gate around the field and into the lead on the back straight and was never troubled. Ben Wilson trapped ahead and resisted stern pressure from Magnus Karlsson to force a shared heat 9. Ben Powell and Joel Parsons did battle again in heat 10 with Richard Hall passing the pair of them with a breathtaking outside blast on the third turn. André was a spectator as the two Aussies were locked together with Joel eventually pulling clear on the third lap. Tremendous speedway and the scores are now dead level.

Ben Wilson is rider replacement in heat 11 and he joins Paul in a tremendous 5-1 to put the Tigers back into the lead. André makes no mistake to win heat 12 in style but Kyle Hughes commits a professional foul by pulling off the track before completing a single lap and then riding into the pits after the finish. Paul is rider replacement in heat 13 and hopes are high that he and Ben will reprise their 5-1  from heat 11, but Carl blasts into the lead on the fourth turn of the first lap, and Paul leaves the smallest of gaps between himself and the second bend fence which is all Richard needs to pass him on the third lap and the scorpions have levelled the scores yet again. Anxious times for the Tigers fans as Ben Powell takes a reserve ride in place of Byron Bekker in heat 14 and Eric Boocock has to track Kyle Hughes for the hospital bound Josh. Kyle actually leads into turn one although both Ben Powell and Joel Parsons pass him out of turn two. Emiliano was badly away from the outside gate position and while he soon caught up young Kyle rode a sweet line for the all important third place. Joel and Ben had another brilliant scrap with Joel once gain victorious leaving the Tigers with a two point advantage into the final heat. Carl and Richard got the nod from Kenny Smith but André and Joel won the toss and chose the inside gate positions. André made a brilliant start and was never troubled while Carl and Joel had a tussle for second place until Carl moved clear on lap three.

The Tigers made it a hat-trick of wins at the Eddie Wright Raceway but this was certainly the most entertaining of the three matches. Brilliant racing, a spirited fight back and a last heat decider. What more could you want, unless you're a Scorpions fan in which case the answer is a win against Sheffield!

Josh had been 'dazed and confused' (good job the paramedics don't see much of me then!) while Viktor had a suspected broken leg but thankfully both were released from hospital with nothing more than cuts and bruises. Congratulations to the Tigers for battling against adversity and the referee to claim their third win of the week!

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