Stars smash and grab raid

The King’s Lynn Stars ended the Vortex Hammers unbeaten home run tonight with 45-47 victory,  in a last heat decider in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Led by a sublime 21 point maximum from World Number 3 Neils Kristian Iversen, the Norfolk based team used the tactical ride to full effect to claw their way back into a meeting which at heat 9 looked to be heading in the Hammers favour.

Iversen showed his intent hunting down Richard Lawson for 2 laps in the opening race to take victory on the third and fourth bends, to secure a shared heat.  The reserves race followed this trend with Lewis Kerr leading from the tapes ahead of Ellis and Morley.  Hammers captain Davey Watt got the better of Robert Lambert on the first and second bends in heat three, but with Bech at the back, the points were shared again.

The Stars opened an initial gap up when Porsing and Kerr gated in heat 4, although Lewis Bridger managed to pass the Stars reserve, reducing the score to a 2-4.   Two further shared heats followed, the first in the 5th, when Schlein showed a clean pair of heels, followed by a great 1st and 2nd bend in the 6th heat by Iversen to get ahead of Watt and Bridger.

Heat 7 provided a talking point, when after an initial stoppage when Mallet was excluded for a second bend fall, the Stars sole rider, Robert Lambert was deemed to have left the track after suffering engine failure in the re-run.  The resulting 5-0 giving the Hammers the lead for the first time on the night.  Watt and Bridger then teamed up for a 5-1, immediately followed by another maximum heat advantage from Morley and Ellis to open up an 11 point gap.

Heat 10 saw Iversen introduced as a tactical nomination, a rule so often a thorn in the Hammers side.  As the Danish star gated and left Karlsson in his wake, Schlein got the better of Lawson securing a 2-7 to The Stars. Further misery for the home support followed by Iversen again leading from tapes to flag, whilst Lambert kept Watt at bay, bringing the 11 point lead for the Hammers down to 2 points.

Lawson and Morley looked to rebuild that lead in the next heat, with the young Essex rider maintaining second place behind his team mate for four laps. Iversen showed the quickest way around the Raceway track in heat 13, with the off song Bech letting third place slip to Schlein on the run in to the line.

Four points to the good, disaster struck for the Hammers in heat 14, when Lambert and Kerr slammed in an away heat advantage over Bridger, in an awarded race after Ellis had fallen on the third bend.

With the scores level leading into the nominated heat, Iversen again left everyone trailing from the gate.  With Watt and Karlsson packing in the minor placings after the first lap, Schlein then slipped by Karlsson to give the Stars a two point victory on the night.

Scores and heat results

Lakeside Hammers = 45

1. Peter Karlsson – 1′ , 1′ , 2 , 2 , 0 = 6+2
2. Richard Lawson – 2 , 3 , 0 , 3 = 8
3. Davey Watt – 3 , 2 , 3 , 1 , 2 = 11
4. Lewis Bridger – 2 , 1′ , 2′ , 1 = 6+2
5. Mikkel Bech – 0 , 2 , 0 , 0 = 2
6. Ben Morley – 1′ , 0 , 3 , 2′ = 6+2
7. Adam Ellis – 2 , 2′ , 2′ , F/X = 6+2

King’s Lynn Stars = 47

1. Niels Kristian Iversen – 3 , 3 , 6^ , 3 , 3 , 3 = 21 MAX
2. Nicklas Porsing – 0 , 3 , 0 , R , 0 = 3
3. Rory Schlein  – 1′ , 3 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 = 8
4. Robert Lambert – 2 , 0 , R , 2′ , 3 = 7+1
5. R/R for Kenneth Bjerre – (RL – 1′, NP – 0, NKI – 6^, RS – 1 = 8)
6. Darren Mallett (Guest) – 0 , F/X , 0 , (LK – 2′) = 0
7. Lewis Kerr – 3 , 1 , 1 , 2′ , 1 = 8+1.

Heat Results

Heat 01: Iversen, Lawson, Karlsson, Porsing 3-3 Time: 59.40
Heat 02: Kerr, Ellis, Morley, Mallett 3-3 6-6 Time: 60.20
Heat 03: Watt, Lambert, Schlein, Bech 3-3 9-9 Time: 59.70
Heat 04: Porsing, Bridger, Kerr, Morley 2-4 11-13 Time: 59.90
Heat 05: Schlein, Bech, Karlsson, Lambert 3-3 14-16 Time: 59.20
Heat 06: Iversen, Watt, Bridger, Porsing 3-3 17-19 Time: 59.00
Heat 07: Lawson, Ellis, Lambert – Retired 5-0 22-19 Time: 60.90 (Mallett – Fell / Excluded)
Heat 08: Watt, Bridger, Schlein, Porsing – Retired 5-1 27-20 Time: 59.60
Heat 09: Morley, Ellis, Kerr, Mallett 5-1 32-21 Time: 60.50
Heat 10: Iversen – Tactical Ride, Karlsson, Schlein, Lawson 2-7 34-28 Time: 59.80
Heat 11: Iversen, Lambert, Watt, Bech 1-5 35-33 Time: 60.40
Heat 12: Lawson, Morley, Kerr, Porsing 5-1 40-34 Time: 60.40
Heat 13: Iversen, Karlsson, Schlein, Bech 2-4 42-38 Time: 59.70
Heat 14: Race Awarded: Lambert, Kerr, Bridger, Ellis – Fell / Excluded 1-5 43-43 NO TIME
Heat 15: Iversen, Watt, Schlein, Karlsson 2-4 45-47 Time: 59.80

Courtesy of @speedwayupdates

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