Swindon Scorers
1.Claus Kristensen : 3,2,3,3,1 = 12
2.Martin Dixon : 1,3,1',f,1 = 6(1)
3.Alan Mogridge : 2',3,0,3,2 = 10(1)
4.RIDER REPLACEMENT
5.Paul Fry : 3,3,3,1,fx = 10
6.Alun Rossiter : 3,0,1,2,1,1' = 8(1)
7.Ritchie Hawkins : 0,2',1,1 = 4(1)
Hull Scorers
1.Paul Bentley : 2,2,3,2,0 = 9
2.Ross Brady : 0,1',2',0 = 3(2)
3.David Walsh : 0,0,fx = 0
4.Paul Thorp : 1,2,3,2,3,3 = 14
5.Garry Stead : ret,3,1,0,2,2' = 8(1)
6.Mike Smith : 2,0,2 = 4
7.Jamie Smith : 1',1,0 = 2(1)
Referee: Mr R Perks.
Coin Toss : Thorpy calls heads and it comes down tails, Mad Dog takes 1 & 3 in heat 1.
Heat Details.
Heat 1 - Claus Kristensen, Paul Bentley, Martin Dixon, Ross Brady (67.5) - (4-2)(4-2)
Clausy make a great gate and fires off into the ditance, Bentley and Mad Dog make similar
starts and the battle is joined all the way to the third bend, Mad Dog there challenges one
last time before settling for third. Brady missed the gate and failed to challenge, first
blood to the Robins.
Heat 2 - Alun Rossiter, Mike Smith, Jamie Smith, Ritchie Hawkins (68.0) - (3-3)(7-5)
Rosco and Mike Smith off gates 2 and 1 respectively make the gate and head into the first
turns neck and neck, Rosco edges out in front and holds off a spirited challenge from Mike
for 4 laps to take the chequered flag, Jamie Smith makes a steady gate and is not genuinely
challenged by Ritchie, who seems to be missing the gate more and more now after his touch
tape problem a couple of weeks back, though Id much rather him miss the gate from a level
field than from 15 metres back!!
Heat 3 - Martin Dixon, Alan Mogridge, Paul Thorp, David Walsh (68.3) - (5-1)(12-6)
Heat 3 sprung a suprise with Moggo off of gate 3 and r/r Dicko coming off of gate 1, pitted
against the notoriously devastating partnership of Dave Walsh and Paul Thorp, coming off of
2 and 4. As the tapes rose it was Moggo and Mad Dog who flew off of the start, followed by
Thorpy and a sluggish looking Walsh. It was 2 laps before Thorp starts to mount a serious
challenge on Dicko, but it's too late and the Robins hit the first 5-1 of the night.
Heat 4 - Paul Fry, Ritchie Hawkins, Jamie Smith, Garry Stead(ret) (66.6) - (5-1)(17-7)
This one was decided by the first bend, Fryer came off of gate 3 with Garry Stead outside
him on trap 4. Fryer was marginally ahead by the first corner and pushes Stead very wide.
Ritchie, who has made a good start pushes Smith wide and rides a tight inside line onto the
back straight while Fryer gets thegrip and drives around the outside to join his partner up
front to put the Robins on a 2nd consecutive 5-1. As Stead tries to pass his team mate and
get into the chase his bike packs up and he grinds to a halt coming out of turn 4. As he
rolls onto the centre green his bike fires into life again, sods law!
Heat 5 - Alan Mogridge, Paul Bentley, Ross Brady, Alun Rossiter (67.7) - (3-3)(20-10)
Moggo off gate 2 gets out in front of Bentley and Brady with r/r Rosco off of the
ineffective gate 4 stuck at the rear. A lively looking Bentley edges colser and closer to
Moggo but never really looks like passing. 1/3 of the meeting gone and Swindon lead by 10.
Heat 6 - Garry Stead, Claus Kristensen, Martin Dixon, Mike Smith (67.0) - (3-3)(23-13)
In this one the gate 4 hoodoo continues, with Mike Smith missing out. Garry Stead off gate 2
traps dead level with Kristensen and they are wheel for wheel coming off the second turn but
Stead pulls clear and edges away for the win. Mad Dog has to fend off a strong challenge
from Smith for a couple of laps but comes out on top.
Heat 7 - Paul Fry, Paul Thorp, Alun Rossiter, David Walsh (67.0) - (4-2)(27-15)
Fryer makes it from gate 2 and holds the lead from start to finish, Rosco outgates Thorp and
Walsh (gates 3 & 1 respectively) but is passed on the inside by Thorp on turn 3/4 of lap 1.
Holds off Walsh with relative ease.
Heat 8 - Paul Bentley, Ross Brady, Ritchie Hawkins, Martin Dixon(f) (68.8) - (1-5)(28-20)
Frustrating one for the Robins this, Dicko misses the gate from trap 4 and is behind the Hull
duo of Ross Brady (gate 3) and tac sub for J.Smith Paul Bentley (gate 1). Dicko tracks and
passes Brady on the outside of the 2nd turn of lap 2, then flies along the back straight and
goes under Bentley on turns 3/4 to take the lead, but on the 2nd turn of lap he he slides
off unchallenged and lets the Vikings slip back into the match.
Heat 9 - Paul Thorp, Alun Rossiter, Garry Stead, Alan Mogridge (67.4) - (2-4)(30-24)
Paul Thorp comes in as a tac sub for Mike Smith and gates to take the race win, r/r Rosco
comes out of turn 2 in 2nd and holds off Garry Stead, who in turn keeps Moggo behind him in
a close race.
Heat 10 - Claus Kristensen, Paul Thorp, Martin Dixon, Garry Stead (66.9) - (4-2)(34-26)
Kristensen makes a good start from gate 4 and beats Thorpy to the first bend and holds
position until the flag, Mad Dog nullifys Hull tac sub (bringing Garry Stead in for Dave
Walsh) by keeping Stead at the back.
Heat 11 - Paul Fry, Paul Bentley, Alun Rossiter, Ross Brady (67.8) - (4-2)(38-28)
Fryer off gate one takes the heat whilst Bentley off of gate 4 pushes Rosco into 3rd. Brady
can't make an impression from the back. The Robins advantage is back to 10 points.
Heat 12 - Alan Mogridge, Mike Smith, Ritchie Hawkins, David Walsh(fx) (68.2) - (4-2)(42-30)
This one is re-run as Dave Walsh falls on the first bend of the lapand he is excluded which
all but ensures the Robins the match. Moggo pushes Smith wide in the re-run and Ritchie can't
quite take advantage but he rides a sensible race and takes a point which guarentees the
Robins a draw.
Heat 13 - Claus Kristensen, Garry Stead, Paul Fry, Paul Bentley (67.8) - (4-2)(46-32)
Clausy blisters out of the gate again and takes the victory, Fryer is all over Bentleys back
wheel but fails to pass, he couldn't make the start as he was off gate 4. Stead stuck at the
back again.
Heat 14 - Paul Thorp, Alan Mogridge, Alun Rossiter, Jamie Smith (68.3) - (3-3)(49-35)
Moggo comes in for his r/r ride and comes off of gate 3 eith Rosco off gate 1 and Thorpy
sandwiched between them on gate 2, the Viking outgates the Robins pair and holds on for his
3rd race win of the evening but Swindon are guarenteed the meeting.
Heat 15 - Paul Thorp, Garry Stead, Claus Kristensen, Paul Fry(fx) (68.1) - (1-5)(50-40)
The Robins come off of gates 2(Fry) and 4(Kristensen) whilst for the Vikings Thorp comes off
the inside gate and Stead off of gate 3. In the first run Clausy misses the gate from the
outside and Fryer is sandwiched between the two Hull riders, going into the fourth turn
Fryer tries an outside dive and as he seems to be getting up to Stead his chain snaps and he
goes head first into the fence, luckily the bike bounced over him as opposed to hitting him,
he is quickly up on his feet but looks somewhat groggy and is later diagnosed to have
broken a knuckle. In the re-run Clausy misses the gate again and settles for third.
Final Score : Swindon 'Soft Water' Robins 50 Hull Vikings - 40
A great close meeting that showed hat Swindon are still in the hunt for the title. Fryers
injury in heat 15 marred the result somewhat but some of the racing was great, the Robins
banded together and fought as a team. Gate four was something that I feel I have to mention,
only 9 points being scored from it and only 2 points in the first 9 heats! Its definitely a
gate u want to avoid!
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