WARRIORS BEAT THE RAIN, BUT CAN'T BEAT THE HAMMERS

ISLE OF WIGHT WIGHTLINK WARRIORS 39 THURROCK HAMMERS 51

The injury ravaged Wightlink Warriors went down to a twelve point defeat to an exciting young Thurrock side at Smallbrook on Tuesday in the final home match of 2025. Already without Ben Morley work commitments and Arran Butcher broken hand, the home side were further hampered by falls and injuries to Harley Freeman and Henning Loof, leaving them to end the meeting with just two fit riders. Darryl Ritchings and Charlie Southwick, who between them recorded 33 of their clubs final total of 39.

Ritchings was in blistering form, storming to victory in heat one leaving Charlie Wood and teenage sensation Cooper Rushen in his dust for a 3-3. Heat two was won by Southwick, but again shared 3-3 with Hammers Danno Verge and Harrison Rogers picking up the scraps after Harley Freeman fell. Ingram then became the first visitor to take the chequered flag with Loof second and Freeman taking third after a spectacular tumble, somehow he managed to pick up his machine, restart it and finish. 9 - 9. Ritchings once more beat Rushen and Wood, keeping the scores level at 12-12.

Ingram and Verge then put the visitors in front with Loof third, clearly suffering from a previous arm injury and Freeman retiring in pain from his previous spill. 13 - 17. Ritchings then saw off an early challenge from Ingram with Rogers taking third after Jamie Sealey came down.  16 - 20. Heat 7 was the race of the night and saw Rushen show he is fast learning the open spaces of the Smallbrook track, storming to victory with partner Charlie Wood following him home to double the visitors lead. However he had to work for it as Southwick and Wood were having a right old ding dong battle up front, with the Warrior trying everything to find away through, on lap two, Southwick dived inside only for wood to block him and Rushen swooped outside of the pair of them to take the lead and the win. 17 - 25. Wood was nominated to go off a 15 metre handicap in heat 8, but it took him just over a lap to find first place in spectacular style Verge taking second from Sealey after Loof was forced to pull up. 18 - 30.

Ritchings won heat 9, with Ingram splitting the home pair forcing Southwick back into third to reduce the gap to ten at 22 - 32. Rushen turned on the style to win heat ten from Southwick with again Wood taking third, Loof having withdrawn through injury along with Freeman. 24 - 36. Heat eleven saw Ritchings and Rushen come together once again, this time it was the 15 year old who shot to victory leaving the previously unbeaten Warrior in his dust, Sealey taking a good third from Verge who was on a 15 metres handicap.  27 - 39. Ritchings and Southwick then gave the home fans something to shout about with a Warrior 5-1 over Ingram to bring the scores back to 32 - 40. 

Southwick won heat thirteen comfortably from Rogers and Verge after Sealey came down on the last lap.  35 - 43. With the Wightlink Warriors down to just two riders they were forced to go with just one rider in each of the last two heats. Ritchings duly took heat 14, to record an amazing 20 out of 21 with Wood and Verge behind him. 48 - 46. Finally the visitors wrapped things up with Rushen and Ingram slamming home a 5-1 over Southwick for a final score of 39 - 51.

Promoter Barry Bishop said  "Well that’s the end of another fun packed season on the island. Unfortunately the rain took away a meeting but, other than that it was another great season of speedway and motorsport. We would like to thank all our incredible volunteers for all their efforts on and off the track that make these events so good, our fans, all the riders and sponsors who without it would be impossible to stage speedway at beautiful Smallbrook stadium".

Scorers

Isle of Wight : Ritchings 20, Sealey 2+1, Morley R/R, Southwick 13+1, Loof 3, Freeman 1+1.

Thurrock: Rushen 15+1, Wood 11+2, Kingston R/R, Verge 8+4, Ingram 13+1, Rogers 4+2.

Ken Burnett

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