Hammers stung by the Bees

The Vortex Lakeside Hammers suffered a second successive home defeat when the Coventry Bees delivered a last heat 5-1 to take all the Elite League points with a 42-47 victory.

In a close fought affair, the Hammers got off to the best possible start with Kim Nilsson scorching from the gate, followed by guest Freddie Lindgren in for Andreas Jonsson.  Jason Garrity took the chequered flag in heat 2, as the Bees reserves delivered a 2-4 over Adam Ellis and Marc Owen,  on his Hammers debut.

Edward Kennett gated in the next race, chased by former Hammer Joonas Kylmakorpi, whilst Mikkel Bech kept GP Star Chris Harris at the back, until the Danish rider over ran on bend 4 of the last lap, allowing Harris through for a shared heat.

Former Hammer Danny King delivered a stunning ride in the 4th, sweeping round the boards and on the outside of the home straight to muscle past Lawson.  Heat 5, with the Hammers 2 points to the good, saw a third shared heat, after Ellis and Garrity both fell on the first bend in the initial running.

A 2 point lead became 4 to the Hammers in the next race, when Lawson gated, whilst Harris eventually got the better of Bech. The Bees kept themselves within reach in the following race, initally gating on a 5-1 before Kennett wound it on to swoop past Kylmakorpi, with King taking the flag.

After a shared heat 8, the Bees clawed themselves level. Guest reserve Darryl Ritchings was excluded for missing the two minute warning, allowing the impressive Jason Garrity to take his place, and the victory, despite the best efforts of Nilsson.

Kennett produced a great ride in the next heat, hunting down and passing Anderson on the second lap.  Nilsson and Lingdren then teamed up for a maximum heat advantage in heat 11, re-establishing a four point lead for the Hammers.  Successive shared heats in the following three races, which included Marc Owen’s first Elite League point in the heat 12, then saw disaster strike in heat 14.

With Bech falling on bend 2 in the initial running, stand in Skipper Richard Lawson then suffered a blown engine whilst leading on the third lap.  As he ground to a halt, the Bees pairing of King and Kylmakorpi sped past to give the Bees a 0-5 heat win.

With a point between them, the nominated heat saw further disaster, as both King and Harris got the better of Kennett exiting the second bend, to deliver a 1-5 and the final hammer blow.

Scores and heat results.

Lakeside Hammers = 42

1. Freddie Lindgren (Guest) – 2*, 0, 2*, 0, 1 = 5+2
2. Kim Nilsson – 3, 3, 2, 3 = 11
3. Mikkel Bech – 0, 1, 0, FX = 1
4. Richard Lawson – 2, 3, 3, R = 8
5. Edward Kennett – 3, 2, 3, 3, 0 = 11
6. Adam Ellis – 2, 1*, 0, 0, 2 = 5+1
7. Marc Owen (Guest) – 0, 0, 1* = 1+1

Coventry Bees = 47

1. Hans Andersen – 0, 0, 2, 1* = 3+1
2. Stuart Robson – 1, 2, 2, 1* = 6+1
3. Joonas Kylmakorpi – 2, 1, 1, 2* = 6+1
4. Danny King – 3, 3, 1, 3, 3 = 13
5. Chris Harris – 1*, 2, 0, 2, 2* = 7+2
6. Jason Garrity – 3, 1*, 1*, 3, 3 = 11+2
7. Darryl Ritchings (Guest) – 1, 0, M, R = 1

Heat Results

Heat 01: Nilsson, Lindgren, Robson, Andersen 58.7 – 5-1
Heat 02: Garrity, Ellis, Ritchings, Owen 58.9 – 2-4; 7-5
Heat 03: Kennett, Kylmakorpi, Harris, Bech 58.5 – 3-3; 10-8
Heat 04: King, Lawson, Ellis, Ritchings 59.3 – 3-3; 13-11
Heat 05: Nilsson, Robson, Garrity, Ellis 58.8 – 3-3; 16-14
Heat 06: Lawson, Harris, Bech, Andersen 59.0 – 4-2; 20-16
Heat 07: King, Kennett, Kylmakorpi, Lindgren 59.1 – 2-4; 22-20
Heat 08: Lawson, Robson, Garrity, Owen 59.3 – 3-3; 25-23
Heat 09: Garrity, Nilsson, King, Ellis 59.2 – 2-4; 27-27
Heat 10: Kennett, Andersen, Robson, Bech 58.9 – 3-3; 30-30
Heat 11: Nilsson, Lindgren, Kylmakorpi, Harris 59.1 – 5-1; 35-31
Heat 12: Garrity, Ellis, Owen, Ritchings (R) 59.9 – 3-3; 38-34
Heat 13: Kennett, Harris, Andersen, Lindgren 58.6 – 3-3; 41-37
Heat 14: King, Kylmakporpi, Lawson (R), Bech (FX) 60.8 – 0-5; 41-42
Heat 15: King, Harris, Lindgren, Kennett 59.1 – 1-5; 42-47

Updates courtesy of @lakesidelive and @speedwayupdates.

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Image: Heat 3: Richard Lawson (blue) and Rory Schlein (white) – Lakeside Hammers vs Kings Lynn Stars, Elite League Speedway at the Arena Essex Raceway. CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO