Vortex Hammers secure Eagles win

August 9, 2013

The Vortex Hammers secured victory over their arch rivals Eastbourne to take all three Elite League points on offer in a meeting that saw both Sebastian Ulamek and Kim Nilsson carted off the hospital after a hear six crash.

Polish star Ulamek and former Hammer Nilsson were involved in a nasty spill after Eagles’ Cameron Woodward and Ulamek had hit the deck. Nilsson was unable to avoid the fallen riders and after a lengthy spell on the deck both Nilsson and Ulamek were taken away in ambulances. For Nilsson it marked an abrupt end to his return to the track he started the season at and upon which he had made a decent start with five points from his first two rides.

With both sides depleted and with the Eagles struggling to make an impact in their upper to middle order, it was ultimately turned out to be a comfortable victory for the home side. Eagles’ reserve Timo Lahti endured a superb evening, collecting a very impressive sixteen points haul from the number seven berth including a winning tactical ride in heat eight.

The Vortex Hammers produced a solid showing all the way through their order with Lewis Bridger again to the fore in the entertainment stakes. Riding against his old club, Bridger was involved in the race of the night in heat nine when he and Piotr Swiderski chased down Lahti.

That race saw Eagles’ second tactical ride Woodward trail in last and the away side never recorded from that, finishing the evening on the end of consecutive 5-1 advantages as the Vortex Hammers took victory.

Lakeside Hammers = 56

1. Peter Karlsson 3, 3, 2, 2, 3 = 13
 2. Sebastian Ulamek 2* = 2+1
 3. Lewis Bridger 1, 3, 2, 3, 2* = 11+1
 4. Piotr Swiderski 3, 2*, 1*, 2* = 8+3
 5. Davey Watt 3, 3, 3, 0 = 9
 6. Kevin Doolan 2, 2*, 1*, 0, 0, 3 = 8+2
 7. Richard Lawson 0, 2*, 0, 2, 1* = 5+2

Eastbourne Eagles = 37

1. Bjarne Pedersen 1, 1, 2, 3, 1 = 8
 2. Mikkel Michelsen 0, 0, 0, 0, 1* = 1+1
 3. Simon Gustafsson 0, 1, R, 1*, 0 = 2+1
 4. Rider Replacement
 5. Cameron Woodward 0, 1*, 0, 3, 1, 0 = 5+1
 6. Kim Nilsson 3, 2 = 5
 7. Timo Lahti 1, 1, 2, 6^, 3, 2, 1 = 16

Heat Results

Heat 01: Karlsson, Ulamek, Pedersen, Michelsen (5-1) (5-1) 59.4
 Heat 02: Nilsson, Doolan, Lahti, Lawson (2-4) (7-5) 59.6
 Heat 03: Swiderski, Nilsson, Bridger, Gustafsson (4-2) (11-7) 58.9
 Heat 04: Watt, Lawson, Lahti, Woodward (5-1) (16-8) 59.4
 Heat 05: Bridger, Swiderski, Pedersen, Michelsen (5-1) (21-9) 59.3
 Heat 06: Karlsson, Lahti, Woodward, Lawson (3-3) (24-12) 59.7
 Heat 07: Watt, Doolan, Gustafsson, Michelsen (5-1) (29-13) 60.4
 Heat 08: Lahti, Lawson, Doolan, Michelsen (3-6) (32-19) 59.7
 Heat 09: Lahti, Bridger, Swiderski, Woodward (3-3) (35-22) 59.9
 Heat 10: Woodward, Karlsson, Lawson, Gustafsson (ret) (3-3) (38-25) 59.8
 Heat 11: Watt, Pedersen, Michelsen, Doolan (3-3) (41-28) 58.9
 Heat 12: Bridger, Lahti, Gustafsson, Doolan (3-3) (44-31) 59.8
 Heat 13: Pedersen, Karlsson, Woodward, Watt (2-4) (46-35) 60.7
 Heat 14: Doolan, Swiderski, Lahti, Gustafsson (5-1) (51-36) 60.2
 Heat 15: Karlsson, Bridger, Pedersen, Woodward (5-1) (56-37) 60.2

Picture: Peter Karlsson celebrates victory for the Hammers (Ray Lawrence/TGSPHOTO)