SUPER SPEEDWAY FOR A SUPERMAN

Isle of Wight 28 – Cradley 33 – Weymouth 29 - Steve Piper Memorial Trophy

Three teams close to the heart of former Warriors team manager Steve Piper, who sadly passed away during the winter, served up a thrilling nights racing at the Smallbrook stadium on Tuesday evening, In front of another bumper crowd.

The racing got underway with Cradley setting out their stall immediately, slamming home a 5-1 from James Shanes and the spectacular Charlie Wood, over the home number one Ben Morley who’s bike died after barely half a lap, with Henning Loof picking up the lone point.

The Warriors loaned Darryl Ritchings to Weymouth to strengthen up their squad, a move that was to backfire as the loaned racer, once again showed his class by storming to victory in a mega fast 68.8 seconds, Warriors Jamie Halder and Ryan Ingram left in his dust. Heat three was rerun after Nathan Hargrave of Cradley came to grief on the 1^st bend on lap two and that opened the way for Weymouth Mitchell Cluff to storm to victory after a neat pass of Danno Verge, the Wildcats taking a 4-2, to go joint first with the Heathen on 7 points with the home side on 4.

Ben Morley shot from the start of heat 4, but that man Ritchings stormed past him early on to take the win, Hoof this time picked up third place in a shared heat. 15 year old Warriors Ryan Ingram showed he is fast learning this circuit taking heat 5 with a super pass on Verge with Jamie Halder taking third after Hargrave had parted company with his machine.

With the Warriors now in front by 11 – 9 – 10 it was Cradley who once again took maximum points with Shanes and Wood, who stormed through from last to second in fine style. Morley won the 7^th for the home side after a lightning start but with Cradley’s Hargrave and Verge keeping Loof at the back the heat was split 3 a piece.

The Warriors looked good for maximum points in the eighth, but Wildcats James Laker had other ideas and snatch second place after a brilliant display of leg trailing racing. The 4-2 enough though to put the home side in front by a solitary point.

Ritchings again stormed to victory in heat 9 with Shanes keeping him honest without threatening him, against the race was won in a sub 70 second time. Heat ten saw the home side go back in front after a shared heat but it was Wildcats Cluff who won at a canter from Morley with Loof taking third.

Ritchings again romped to the chequered flag in the eleventh but the Cradley pairing of Verge and Hargrave held the minor placing to make the scores 21 - 23 – 22. Heat 12 was re-started after a first bend melee involving Charlie Wood who ended up against the safety fence. The restart saw Warriors Ryan Ingram with a fast start, but he was quickly passed by Shanes, Wood meanwhile was at the back and had to find first a way past Halder and then set after Ingram, trying inside and outside, before a magnificent last bend swoop saw the Heathen take second by the narrowest of margins, lifting the crowd to its feet in appreciation of a brilliant display of racing, however, it didn’t end well for Wood who slammed into the safety fence at high speed, wrecking his machine and worse braking two fingers and possibly four ribs and damaging his shoulder in the process.

Heat thirteen saw Weymouth take a 4-2 with Ritchings picking up his fifth win, against by the preverbal mile with Sam Peters gaining a point after Hargrave had come to grief. Shanes won heat fourteen from Ben Morley after another excellent outside pass to clinch the win for the Heathens leaving the home side just a point adrift of the Wildcats with one heat left, but it was the Australian Mitchell Cluff who was to take the chequered flag from Ingram with Loof third for a split heat giving the Dorset side second place.

Heathen boss Any Hawthorne was undoubtedly pleased with his team’s second win at the Island this season, whilst Warriors team manager Martin Widman said, "it was a great nights racing and everyone was entertained, of course we would have liked to have won, but this evening as all about our great friend Steve who we all miss."

The presentations were made by Steve Pipers son who was in attendance to witness the event.

Scores; IOW; Ben Morley 9, Henning Loof 4+3, Jamie Halder 6+1, Ryan Ingram 9+1.

Cradley; James Shanes 14, Charlie Wood 7+4, Nathan Hargrave 3+1, Danno Verge 9+1.

Weymouth;  Darryl Ritchings 15, Sam Peters 1, Mitchell Cluff 10, James Laker 3.

In the British JAP Championship, fans were treated to speedway how it used to be, with the smell and noise of the bikes from the 1940-60s. It was Dean Felton who raced to victory winning all of his races, second was Graham Knowler with Keith Cornell third.

There is more track action at Smallbrook next Tuesday with the annual Best pairs even and the Woman’s British Championship. The main event Action gets underway at 7pm.