Vortex Hammers march on

The Vortex Lakeside Hammers continued their recent winning home form in front of a large Good Friday crowd, with a 55-41 victory over the Eastbourne Eagles.

The Hammers, sitting at the top of the Elite League table, started in a similar fashion to recent weeks with a maximum 5-1 in the opening heat.   Danish star Mikkel Bech, riding at number 2 in the side to enable him to fly straight out after the meeting to compete in a Danish qualifier tomorrow,  partnered with Peter Karlsson to win over Pedersen and Lahti.

The Hammers then led on a 5-1 in heat 2, before young fast track star Adam Ellis shed a chain, resulting in a shared heat.  The share of points continued, as after a restart in heat 3, Hammers skipper Davey Watt lead from tapes to flag, whilst partner Lewis Bridger at the back, tried everything to pass former Hammer Joonas Kylmakorpi.

Eagles fast track reserve Daniel Hasley took a tumble on the second bend in the following heat, collecting Ellis, who dusted himself down, returning to team up with Lawson for a heat advantage in the next race.  Karlsson and Bridger combining for another another 5-1 in heat 5, extending the Hammers lead to 10, and allowing The Eagles to nominate Cameron Woodward for a tactical ride in the 6th, in which the Aussie rider saw off the close attention of compatriot Watt.

The Hammers stretched their legs and their lead in the following three races with heat advantages for Bech & Morley, then Watt & Lawson, before a further maximum 5-1 by Ellis and Morley in the second reserves race.  As the dust began to rise and the track slickened off, the Eagles staged a mini fightback with Pedersen and Michelsen slamming in a 8-1 tactical victory despite the best efforts of Bridger to pass the younger Danish star for all four laps.

The impressive Bech won heat 12, securing a paid maximum, before the spark of the Eagles fightback was well and truely extinguished in heat 13,  with the Hammers top scorer Peter Karlsson, again teaming up with Lewis Bridger for a further maximum heat advantage, sealing victory and all three league points for the Essex based team.

Scores and heat results:

Lakeside Hammers: 55
1. Peter Karlsson — 2′,3,3,3,2 = 13+1
2. Mikkel Bech — 3,3,2′,3 = 11+1 Paid Maximum
3. Davey Watt — 3,2,3,0,0 = 8
4. Richard Lawson — 3,1′,1,2 = 7+1
5. Lewis Bridger — 0,2′,1,2′ = 5+2
6. Adam Ellis — R,1,3,0 = 4
7. Ben Morley — 3,1,2′,1′ = 7+2

Eastbourne Eagles: 41
1. Bjarne Pedersen — 1,0,6!,1,3 = 11
2. Timo Lahti — 0,2,2,2 = 6
3. Joonas Kylmakorpi — 1′,1,R,0 = 2+1
4. Mikkel Michelsen — 0,2,2′,3 = 7+1
5. Cameron Woodward — 2,6!,1,0,1 = 10
6. Ben Hopwood (G) — 1′,0,0 = 1+1
7. Daniel Halsey — 2,Fx,1,1′,0 = 4+1

Heat Results

Lakeside won toss and choose in heat 15. Eagles off 1&3.

Heat 01: Bech, Karlsson, Pedersen, Lahti 5-1 (5-1)
Heat 02: Morley, Halsey, Hopwood, Ellis (R) 3-3 (8-4)
Heat 03: Watt, Woodward, Kylmakorpi, Bridger 3-3 (11-7)
Heat 04: Lawson, Lahti, Ellis, Halsey (Fx) 4-2 (15-9)
Heat 05: Karlsson, Bridger, Kylmakorpi, Michelsen 5-1 (20-10)
Heat 06: WOODWARD, Watt, Lawson, Pedersen 3-6 (23-16)
Heat 07: Bech, Michelsen, Morley, Hopwood 4-2 (27-18)
Heat 08: Watt, Lahti, Lawson, Kylmakorpi (R) 4-2 (31-20)
Heat 09: Ellis, Morley, Halsey, Hopwood 5-1 (36-21)
Heat 10: Karlsson, Bech, Woodward, Kylmakorpi 5-1 (41-22)
Heat 11: PEDERSEN, Michelsen, Bridger, Watt 1-8 (42-30)
Heat 12: Bech, Lahti, Halsey, Ellis 3-3 (45-33)
Heat 13: Karlsson, Bridger, Pedersen, Woodward 5-1 (50-34)
Heat 14: Michelsen, Lawson, Morley, Halsey 3-3 (53-37)
Heat 15: Pedersen, Karlsson, Woodward, Watt 2-4 (55-41)

Courtesy of @speedwayupdates

Image: Lewis Bridger (blue), Peter Karlsson (red) and Patrick Hougaard (yellow) – Lakeside Hammers vs Leicester Lions, Elite League Speedway at the Arena Essex Raceway  CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO