Hammers grab one point advantage
The Hammers took the first leg of the Elite League play-off semi finals against Eastbourne by the narrowest of margins, running out winners by 47 points to 46.
The home side raced into an early ten point lead after six heats with momentum buoyed by the unbeaten opening rides from Lee Richardson and Jonas Davidsson. Davidsson opened his account with a superb display of team riding, shepherding home Stuart Robson ahead of Lewis Bridger and Cameron Woodward. Hopes of a quick double were dashed when Peter Ljung was overhauled by Joonas Kylmakorpi and Timo Lahti despite Kim Nilsson’s winning effort in heat four.
Davidsson claimed his second win as Eagles number one Bjarne Pedersen suffered a second successive last place in heat five, his 4-2 with Robson extending the Hammers lead to eight points. Richardson then produced a superb first lap in the next to round Kylmakorpi on the third bend and head another 4-2.
Eagles hit back, though, as team manager Trevor Geer nominated Bridger for a tactical ride and he duly brought home the spoils for a 7-2 for Cameron Woodward. It was here that the tide definitely turned in favour of the Eagles as Woodward appeared again for a 4-2 with Simon Gustafsson and then Hammers’ unbeaten pairing saw their runs ended in quick succession; Davidsson suffered an engine failure at the start of heat nine whilst Richardson was baulked by Woodward and had to shut off on the second bend of heat eleven, effectively ending his race.
It took a great pass from Davidsson over Pedersen to prevent an Eagles advantage in heat eleven but there was no such luck in the next as Robson was excluded for hitting the deck and the visitors pulled to within a point thanks for another 4-2.
A Gustafsson/Woodward advantage – the latter finishing with two heat wins – took the Eagles into the lead for the first time in the meeting with just a solitary race to go. Fittingly, it was Richardson who produced another stellar performance to claim the win with Davidsson in third to ensure that the Hammers finished as meeting winners, albeit with much to race for in the second at Arlington next week.
Lakeside Hammers = 47 1. Lee Richardson - 3, 3, 0, 3, 3 = 12 2. Peter Ljung - 1, 0, 1, 2, 3 = 7 3. Stuart Robson - 2',1, 2, 3, X = 8+1 4. Jonas Davidsson - 3 ,3, R, 3, 2, 1 = 12 5. Rider Replacement 6. Robert Mear - 3, X, 0, 0 = 3 7. Kim Nilsson - 0, 3, 0, 2, 0 = 5
Eastbourne Eagles = 46 1. Bjarne Pedersen - 0, 0, 2, 2, 2 = 6 2. Simon Gustafsson - 2, 2, 3, 1',1 = 9+1 3. Lewis Bridger - 1, 6^,2, 1, 0 = 10 4. Rider Replacement 5. Joonas Kylamkorpi - 1',2, 2, 1' = 6+2 6. Cameron Woodward - 2, 0, 1, 1, 1',3 ,3 = 11+1 7. Timo Lahti - 1',2, X, 1' = 4+2
Heat Results
Heat 01: Richardson, Gustafsson, Ljung, Pedersen (5-1) 58.5 Heat 02: Mear, Woodward, Lahti, Nilsson (3-3) (7-5) 58.6 Heat 03: Robson, Davidsson, Bridger, Woodward (5-1) (12-6) 59.7 Heat 04: Ljung, Lahti, Kylamkorpi, Ljung (3-3) (15-9) 58.2 Heat 05: Davidsson, Gustafsson, Robson, Pedersen (4-2) (19-11) 58.4 Heat 06: Richardson, Kylamkorpi, Ljung (fell exc) (4-2) (23-13) 58.6 Heat 07: Bridger (tactical ride), Robson, Woodward, Mear (exc) (2-7) (25-20) 59.5 Heat 08: Gustafsson, Ljung, Woodward, Nilsson (2-4) (27-24) 59.0 Heat 09: Robon, Kylamkorpi, Lahti, Davidsson (ret) (3-3) (30-27) 58.8 Heat 10: Ljung, Bridger, Woodward, Richardson (3-3) (33-30) 59.1 Heat 11: Davidsson, Pedersen, Gustafsson, Mear (3-3) (36-33) 59.2 Heat 12: Woodward, Nilsson, Bridger, Robson (fell exc) (2-4) (38-37) 58.7 Heat 13: Richardson, Pedersen, Kylamkorpi, Nilsson (3-3) (41-40) 58.8 Heat 14: Woodward, Davidsson, Gustafsson, Mear (2-4) (43-44) 59.3 Heat 15: Richardson, Pedersen, Davidsson, Bridger (4-2) (47-46) 58.5
Heat 1: Peter Ljung (blue), Lee Richardson (red), Simon Gustafsson (yellow) and Bjarne Pedersen (white) – Lakeside Hammers vs Eastbourne Eagles, Elite League Speedway play-off semi-final at the Arena Essex Raceway, Purfleet – 19/09/11 – (Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO)