Vortex Hammers tame the Wolves
The Lakeside Vortex Hammers continued to push for the all important Play-Off places, with a well earned 44-46 victory away against the Wolverhampton Wolves this evening.
The Hammers started the meeting taking a maximum 5-1 after Wolves guest at Number one Chris Harris was excluded for flipping his bike, in a first heat crash which also saw Hammers Captain Davey Watt hit the air fence.
The Hammers number one dusted himself down to go out and win the re-run, following which the home team then produced three heat advantages of their own, to open up a four point lead. After shared heats in the fifth, with Harris falling for a second time, and the sixth, The Hammers then produced another maximum heat advantage with the impressive Ellis leading home Nilsson, to tie the meeting at 21 points.
Hammers guest Ben Barker registered his first win in the eight, before Wolves edged ahead again with a 4-2 in the second reserves race, after Morley fell. Mikkel Bech showed Harris the way in the 10th whilst Fricke kept Barker at the back, before Pawlicki suffered an engine failure in the following race, providing the Hammers a further 3-3.
Richard Lawson and Adam Ellis brought the scores back level with a 4-2 in heat 12, before Watt and Bech slammed in a 5-1 over Harris and Pawlicki in heat 13, as both Wolves riders struggled with their bikes. Nilsson and Ellis packed in behind Wells in the penultimate heat, leaving the Hammers four points to the good for the nominated race.
Although Bech suffered a blown engine at the start, Davey Watt top scorer for the Hammers, took second place behind Pawlicki to ensure that the Essex team left the Midlands with three important Elite League points.
Vortex Hammers Co-Promoter Jon Cook was full of praise for a terrific team effort, commenting after the meeting:
“To take the lead after heat 13 for the second time in a week speaks volumes for the teams spirit. Credit to them all. It was a great night and all the more special as the win came with Stuart Douglas with us in the pits enjoying a night with the boys before he heads to LA.”
Scores and heat results.
Wolverhampton Wolves = 44
1. Chris Harris (G) – Fx, F, 2, 0 = 2
2. Max Fricke (G) – 1, 1, 1′, 2 = 5+1
3. Jacob Thorssell – 2′, 0, 1′, 3 = 6+2
4. Ricky Wells – 3, 3, 2, 3, 1 = 12
5. Piotr Pawlicki – 3, 3, EF, 1, 3 = 10
6. Joe Jacobs – 3, 1, 3, 0, 0 = 7
7. Tom Perry – 1, 0, 1 = 2
Lakeside Hammers = 46
1. Davey Watt – 3, 2, 2, 3, 2 = 12
2. Richard Lawson – 2′, 2, 0, 3 = 7+1
3. Ben Barker (G) – 0, 2, 3, 0 = 5
4. Kim Nilsson – 1′, 2′, 1′, 2 = 6+3
5. Mikkel Bech – 1, 1′, 3, 2′, EF = 7+2
6. Adam Ellis – 2, 3, 2, 1, 1′ = 9+1
7. Ben Morley – 0, 0, F = 0
Heat Results
Lakeside win the toss and choose to pick in heat 15.
Wolves 1&3 in heat 1.
Heat 01: Watt, Lawson, Fricke, Harris (fx). 54.11 1-5
Heat 02: Jacobs, Ellis, Perry, Morley. 56.94 (4-2) 5-7
Heat 03: Pawlicki, Thorssell, Bech, Barker. 54.29 (5-1) 10-8
Heat 04: Wells, Lawson, Jacobs, Morley. 55.07 (4-2) 14-10
Heat 05: Pawlicki, Barker, Nilsson, Harris (Fell) 53.73 (3-3) 17-13
Heat 06: Wells, Watt, Bech, Thorssell. 52.27 (3-3) 20-16
Heat 07: Ellis, Nilsson, Fricke, Perry. 55.45 (1-5) 21-21
Heat 08: Barker, Wells, Thorssell, Lawson. 55.19 (3-3) 24-24
Heat 09: Jacobs, Ellis, Perry, Morley (Fell). (4-2) 28-26
Heat 10: Bech, Harris, Fricke, Barker. 54.96 (3-3) 31-29
Heat 11: Thorssell, Watt, Nilsson, Pawlicki (EF) 54.80 (3-3) 34-32
Heat 12: Lawson, Fricke, Ellis, Jacobs. 55.58 (2-4) 36-36
Heat 13: Watt, Bech, Pawlicki, Harris. 55.19 (1-5) 37-41
Heat 14: Wells, Nilsson, Ellis, Jacobs. 55.64 (3-3) 40-44
Heat 15: Pawlicki, Watt, Wells, Bech (EF) 55.16 (4-2) 44-46
Courtesy of @speedwayupdates, @lakesidelive and @sportbbcwm
Image: Davey Watt of Lakeside Hammers – Lakeside Hammers vs Eastbourne Eagles, Elite League Speedway at the Arena Essex Raceway, CREDIT: Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO