Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2006

 The track had suffered a wet stock car meeting 3 days previously but had been rebuilt and received a good watering after a long hot sunny day. Then minutes before the start it got drenched by a localized cloudburst. After the parade there was a long delay while the prima-donnas attempted to get the meeting cancelled. It was bad enough to keep the crowd kicking their heels and watching tractor dressage, but imagine the repercussions of sending them all home in the sunshine. Why do some riders have such a poor attitude towards their employers?

Ricky trapped to win heat 1 with Ben content to follow Daniel Nermark home with the three of them well spaced out due to visibility trouble. Trevor Harding's migraine must have been triggered by the starting gate as he was suffering double vision by the time he reached the first turn. John Oliver (first time at Owlerton?) fell on the second turn but climbed back on just as Paul Cooper lifted coming out of the pits bend in the lead (trying too hard?) and lost control on the greasy surface. Benji won the rerun from a disinterested Chris Mills. Kyle trapped and looked in full control as he won heat 3 from Troy Batchelor and Kevin Doolan but Emiliano rode some weird lines at the rear of the field. Tom Topinka's didn't even make the first turn in heat 4 and the Tigers claimed their first 5-1 with Benji attacking the track and keeping up with his big brother. Trevor Harding was packing his bike away by the time heat 5 started and this time Emiliano made the start with Kyle trailing the field. Potty looked happier when he could see where he was going, and Kyle looked to be erring on the side of caution (he has a big meeting this weekend). Having said that he showed what a competitor he is by riding some experimental wide lines out in the thick stuff over the last two laps and very nearly picked up third place.

Ricky and Ben were untroubled in heat 6 ahead of Tom Topinka, and André outpaced Doolan and Batchelor in heat 7. Ben and Benji took another well earned 5-1 in heat 8 as track conditions continued to improve, and Kyle won heat 9 with Tom Topinka actually making a race of it. Ben trapped to lead heat 10 with Ricky blasting around the field to join him at the front. Troy Batchelor pulled over to let Kevin Doolan through (on a tactical ride) and then retired.

André scorched away to win heat 11 but Daniel Nermark picked up double points for second place ahead of Cooperman. Chris Mills trapped and led the field in heat 12 with Benji right on his exhaust. Emiliano cut under Troy Batchelor on the second turn of lap two after which Troy pulled onto the centre green. Benji dived past Chris on turn three but Chris calmly powered around him back into the lead on the pits turn for the Stars first and deserved win of the evening. Troy Batchelor showed us his colours by burning up his rear tyre on the concrete in-field, evidently not much wrong mechanically then! Tom Topinka went for an early shower after nudging the tapes in heat 13, won by Ricky who was so fast even André couldn't match his pace. Kyle was dominant winning heat 14 but Paul was a dreary last again lacking any pace. Benji deserved his heat 15 nomination although he found the Stars nominees too hot to handle while Ricky scorched around matching his fastest time of the night from heat 1.

OK it was a challenge meeting at a busy time of the season, and the track conditions were dire at the start of the meeting, but the attitude of some of the riders was appalling. The Stars were whupped at the Isle of Wight on Tuesday, and didn't want to know at Owlerton tonight, but rattled up 70 points against Redcar on their home strip the day in-between. And they say the Tigers don't travel well!

Good luck to Paul in Germany for a World Longtrack round, and to Kyle for his World U21 qualifier here on Sunday. James Wright put in some post meeting laps in the company of New Zealand's Andrew Aldridge, and the lad on Ricky Ashworth's bike was American Skyler Greyson. Jan Zabik will be back at Owlerton on Sunday, 26 years after he last rode for us, advising his lad Karol.

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