Gold Edition - ENHANCED

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The championship race is set for one of it’s closest finishes ever after the latest set of results conspired to leave the top three teams in the division one table locked on 57 points. Only points difference separates new leaders Stansted Spitfires—the fifth different pacesetters this season—from Boston Braves and Brookwood Tigers, while theoretically fourth placed Pinders can still grab the silverware. That’s unlikely though with Stansted meeting Boston in a critical contest in the penultimate round of fixtures, with one of the two picking up at least two points the Heathans will be still two adrift come the final day. Stansted moved into pole position with a 38-52 win at Hertfordshire rivals Hoddesdon, three 4-2’s and two 5-1’s in the opening five heats left the home side facing a rout early on, with only the use of tactical substitutes limiting the damage to 14. Sean Robson (13) and Paul Mellor (13+1) raced to three wins apiece for the visitors, as the Hounds poor run of form continued. They’ve now lost five on the bounce, in contrast the Spitfires have lost just once in nine. It’s a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the Andy Barton side, they sat in the relegation zone early on in the campaign and have been seven points adrift of the league leaders on two separate occasions. The combination of the £31,000 signing of David Morley—who’s excelled from reserve—and the lack of any dominant side at the head of the table has seen the Spitfires not only come back into contention, but become title favourites. At the other end of the table relegation was confirmed this week for Vange Vikings, plus early season leaders Sedgley Sprites and Berkshire Bandits, the trio were all promoted two seasons ago, but have struggled to make the grade required in the top flight. Berkshire suffered their eighth home defeat of the campaign with this weeks visit of Wimbledon Stars, the London club 40-50 winners after taking control late on, the points assured with a 5-1 from Gregory Nicholson (12) and Brian Skaarup (14+1) in heat 13, a race earlier Mark Garner’s fall had gifted another maximum to the visitors.

Prior to the first leg of the final this week, Matt Akers gave warning that his Stannington Shoguns side would be no pushovers in the pursuit of the KOC silverware. The 4TT runners-up didn’t let him down, they holding twice winners of the competition, Pinders Heathans, to just a two point win in Yorkshire, leaving the Shoguns as favourites to claim the trophy in the return at Stannington Motor Park. Stannington are a division one side in all but name, their promotion to the top flight was confirmed this week, while their top four have vast experience at the highest level. While Artur Dudek (10+2) and David Mullen (12+1) again led the line, it was 17 year old Paul Southam (7+1) who impressed most in Wakefield—as he has done most of this season—the Scot getting to grips with The Vale circuit immediately, taking a good third behind Dudek in heat one before winning heat five in a 5-1 with his number one in tow. With Andy Machin struggling to gain consistency from his own back up riders—Kurt Edwards managed just a point in the slender win—the scoring of Southam could hold the key in the second leg.

England are World Champions once more, the Lions dominating this weeks final at Brookwood against the USA, the home nation 58-32 winners after overcoming a shaky start. Well a 4-2 against in heat one is about as shaky as it has got recently for the national side, Dean Stansfield (12+1)—England’s top scorer—winning a heat two 5-1 from reserve to see his side in front, from then on it was plain sailing, with a further four 5-1’s added, three in succession from heat eight.

Seven years passed from his GP debut to his first individual round win, but it didn’t take anywhere near as long for his second, Peter Martensson (12) claiming back-to-back successes in the series this week to move six points clear in the World Championship standings and ensure Stag Hill Stars a bumper pay day. The 29 year old Swede didn’t score a point after heat 13, he didn’t have to, his four race victories by that point enough to secure victory in the British GP, with Walter Kogler’s (11) second in heat 17 meaning that Martensson’s final race would count for nothing on the night. Gregory Nicholson (11) claimed second in Bradford after a race off win over Kogler.

Stannington Shoguns secured their place in division one next season, a 41-49 win at Gosport—who drop into the bottom three—taking care of that, but the other two promotion places in division two are still up for grabs, with this weeks televised clash at Long Eaton Rifles ending all square. Having won at Thames 44-46 earlier in the week thanks to a last heat win from Richard McGrath, the hosts had the opportunity to move two points clear of Bradford Speedsters when entertaining them in front of the cameras, that they are only one is down to the stubbornness of the Speedsters, who just would not ‘lay and down and die’. A Peter Bunting winning 5-1 in heat seven saw the hosts early lead pegged back, while a six point Long Eaton lead was overhauled by a 5-1 in heat ten and another Bunting win in a 4-2 in heat 12. A home 4-2 in heat 13 and 3-3 in heat 14 ensured the Rifles would be in front going into the last, only for Harri Saarelma (11) to win that in a 4-2 leaving the main points shared. Having won the first leg in Bradford the Rifles did take the bonus and third place from the Speedsters, the pair plus second placed Stag Hill Stars are now separated by just two points, the Stars travel to Long Eaton on the final day of the season.

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