Swindon grab the points
This gripping match had thrills, spills and plenty of determination from both sides – but sadly for the Vortex Hammers it ended with the wrong result as the Swindon Robins overturned a deficit to run out winners by 47 points to 43.
It was a case of disappointment for the Hammers as they had led the match from the outset until heat twelve when the Robins pulled the scores level. A combiniation of faster starting and a real “match winner” in Australian Nick Morris who reeled off a couple of vital wins in heats 10 and 14.
It had looked reasonably comfortable for the Hammers early on in the meeting as the Robins’ top two of Hans Andersen and Peter Kildemand struggled ; Andersen started with a first race blob and was on the end of a Seb Ulamek / Piotr Swiderski 5-1 in heat five whilst Kildemand suffered a fall in his first outing. The telltale signs for the Hammers, though, were when these two started to get among the points and their renewed rigour combined with the points of Morris and the lively outings of reserve Kyle Howarth spelt doom for the home side.
Having lost Peter Karlsson to injury last week, Hammers drafted in Grand Prix superstar Tai Woffinden. The British star couldn’t match the home performances of Karlsson however and struggled to a seven points haul.
The star man for the Hammers was Lewis Bridger, who reeled off a brace of early wins in spectacular style. His first came in the very opening race when he came from behind to pass Morris for the win. He repeated the feat in heat 6, driving past Kildemand on the inside of the first turn after a sluggish start. His finest move came in heat eight when rode a wall of death style move around the first and second corners and through the narrowest of gaps to claim the win.
It was a stuttering last place from Ulamek in heat twelve – having led briefly at one point but seemingly suffering engine trouble – that opened the way for the Robins, a fine win for Howarth over the returning Richard Lawson drawing the away side level. Home hopes rested on Woffinden in heat thirteen but he trailed in last as an Andersen / Kildemand 4-2 put the Wiltshire team in front for the first time.
A win for Morris in the penultimate race sustained the lead for his side before a bizarre start to the final race saw Bridger caught out completely at the start and Andersen seal the away win and three league points for his side.
Image: Heat 15: Lewis Bridger (red) and Piotr Swiderski (blue) – Lakeside Hammers vs Belle Vue Aces, Elite League Speedway at the Arena Essex Raceway CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO
Lakeside Hammers = 43
1. Tai Woffinden (G) 1 3 X 1′ 0 2 =7+1
2. Lewis Bridger 3 3 3 2 2 0 =13
3. Sebastian Ulamek 0 2′ 2 2 R =6+1
4. Piotr Swiderski 3 3 1′ 1 2 =10+1
5. Davey Watt RR (TW:3, SU:2, PS:1, LB:2)
6. Kevin Doolan 2 0 0 =2
7. Richard Lawson 1′ 1 0 2 1′ =5+2
Swindon Robins = 47
1. Hans Andersen 0 1 2 2′ 3 3 =11+1
2. Troy Batchelor RR (NM:2, PK:0, HA:2, EK:3)
3. Eddie Kennett 2 3 0 3 1 =9
4. Nick Morris 2 1′ 1 3 3 =10+1
5. Peter Kildemand X 0 2 3 1 1 =7
6. Lewis Kerr (G) 0 1′ 0 =1+1
7. Kyle Howarth 3 2 1′ 3 0 =9+1
Heat Results
Heat 01: Bridger, Morris, Woffinden, Andersen 58.9 4-2 (4-2)
Heat 02: Howarth, Doolan, Lawson, Kerr 60.3 3-3 (7-5)
Heat 03: Swiderski, Kennett, Morris, Ulamek 58.7 3-3 (10-8)
Heat 04: Woffinden, Howarth, Lawson, Kildemand(X) 60.4 4-2 (14-10)
Heat 05: Swiderski, Ulamek, Andersen, Kildemand 59.3 5-1 (19-11)
Heat 06: Bridger, Kildemand, Kerr, Woffinden(X) 59.2 3-3 (22-14)
Heat 07: Kennett, Ulamek, Morris, Doolan 59.3 2-4 (24-18)
Heat 08: Bridger, Andersen, Howarth, Lawson 59.3 3-3 (27-21)
Heat 09: Kildemand, Ulamek, Swiderski, Kerr 59.6 3-3 (30-24)
Heat 10: Morris, Bridger, Woffinden, Kennett 60.0 3-3 (33-27)
Heat 11: Kennett, Andersen, Swiderski, Doolan 59.8 1-5 (34-32)
Heat 12: Howarth, Lawson, Kennett, Ulamek(R) 60.2 2-4 (36-36)
Heat 13: Andersen, Bridger, Kildemand, Woffinden 60.2 2-4 (38-40)
Heat 14: Morris, Swiderski, Lawson, Howarth 60.8 3-3 (41-43)
Heat 15: Andersen, Woffinden, Kildemand, Bridger 60.2 2-4 (43-47)