Hammers start Elite campaign with a win

The Vortex Lakeside Hammers began their 2014 Elite League Campaign this evening with a 47-44 victory over the Swindon Robins, with the Essex based club giving full home debuts to Mikkel Bech and fast track reserves Adam Ellis and Ben Morley, all of whom scored heat wins.

The very first heat saw a great race with Richard Lawson for the Hammers and visting riders Peter Kilderman and Nicolai Klindt swapping places throughout, before the Hammers Number 2 squeezed to victory on the line.

The new era of Fast track reserve races started in heat two, with Ellis and Morley taking a maximum heat advantage over their Wiltshire counterparts.  The Hammers then began to stamp their initial authority on the meeting, with first captain Davey Watt, followed by Lewis Bridger taking heat victories, to open up a ten point lead by heat five.

The visitors resorted to a tactical ride for Kildermand in heat six, but were unable to stop the impressive Bech from adding to his first heat win which he had previously achieved in heat four. A mix up between Morris and Kildermand also meant that the Robins failed to capitalise on the tactical opportunity, with the Wiltshire number one unable to pass his team mate to double his points advantage further.

Richard Lawson delivered another heat victory in heat seven, with Ellis taking third, before Ben Morley then raced to his first heat win as a full time Hammer in heat nine.

Troy Batchelor and Nick Morris for the Robins dominated heat 10 delivering a maximum heat advantage of their own over an off the pace Peter Karlsson. Hammers team manager Neil Vatcher brought Ellis into Heat 12 and the Hammers asset pulled out all the stops to join the similarly impressive Richard Lawson on a 5-1 beating the experienced Nicola Klindt in the process.

With an eleven point cushion, the Hammers looked on course to take all three league points, but the Robins fought back in the tail end of the meeting, first with the impressive Kildermand teaming up with  Morris for a 5-1 in heat 13.

Hammers fast track reserve Ellis then suffered a second blown motor in four days whilst in third position in heat 14, turning what was a heat advantage to the Hammers into a shared heat, before Batchelor and Morris then saw off the final challenge from Watt and Bech in heat 15, to enable the visitors to snatch a league point.

Looking back on the opening night of the campaign, Vortex Hammers promoter Jon Cook hailed youngster Adam Ellis as a match winner, helping The Hammers deny Swindon a fourth consecutive win in Essex

“Adam was awesome and to claim such a notable scalp on his home debut is a mouthwatering taster of what is to come in the seasons ahead. Praise too to Ben Morely for a terrific first Elite League meeting as a Vortex Hammer.”

 

Lakeside Hammers = 47

1. Peter Karlsson 0 1 1 0 =2
2. Richard Lawson 3 3 0 3 =9
3. Davey Watt 3 0 3 2 1 =9
4. Mikkel Bech 3 3 0 3 0 =9
5. Lewis Bridger 1 3 1′ 1 =6+1
6. Ben Morley 2′ 1 3 =6+1
7. Adam Ellis 3 1 F 2′ R =6+1

Swindon Robins = 44

1. Peter Kildemand 2 2^ 3 3 3 =13+1
2. Nicolai Klindt 1′ 2 1′ 1 =5+2
3. Troy Batchelor 2 2 2 3 2′ =11+1
4. Simon Gustaffson 0 2 0 2 =4
5. Nick Morris 0 2 2′ 2′ =6+2
6. Darryl Ritchings 1 0 2 0 =3
7. Matt Williamson (G) 0 0 1′ 1′ =2+2

Heat Results

Heat 01: Lawson, Kildemand, Klindt, Karlsson 60.1 3-3 (3-3)
Heat 02: Ellis, Morley, Ritchings, Williamson 61.2 5-1 (8-4)
Heat 03: Watt, Batchelor, Bridger, Morris 59.9 4-2 (12-6)
Heat 04: Bech, Klindt, Morley, Williamson 60.0 4-2 (16-8)
Heat 05: Bridger, Batchelor, Karlsson, Gustafsson 59.9 4-2 (20-10)
Heat 06: Bech, Morris, KILDEMAND, Watt 59.8 3-4 (23-14)
Heat 07: Lawson, Gustafsson, Ellis, Ritchings 60.0 4-2 (27-16)
Heat 08: Watt, Batchelor, Klindt, Bech 59.4 3-3 (30-19)
Heat 09: Morley, Ritchings, Williamson, Ellis(F) 60.2 3-3 (33-22)
Heat 10: Batchelor, Morris, Karlsson, Lawson 60.1 1-5 (34-27)
Heat 11: Kildemand, Watt, Bridger, Gustafsson 60.0 3-3 (37-30)
Heat 12: Lawson, Ellis, Klindt, Ritchings 59.9 5-1 (42-31)
Heat 13: Kildemand, Morris, Bridger, Karlsson 60.1 1-5 (43-36)
Heat 14: Bech, Gustaffson, Williamson, Ellis(R) 60.0 3-3 (46-39)
Heat 15: Kildemand, Batchelor, Watt, Bech 60.1 1-5 (47-44)

Elite League points: Lakeside 2 Swindon 1

Results courtesy of @speedwayupdates

 

Image: Richard Lawson of Lakeside Hammers – CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO