Sheffield Speedway Match Reports 2006

Key:   + = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
Sheffield PIRTEK 'Tigers' v. King's Lynn Money Centre 'Stars' Premier Final 26th October

Referee: Tony Steele

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 Tot+Bp
1. Ricky Ashworth 7.74 3 1' ef 2' 3 9+2
2. Ben Wilson 7.08 1 2 2' 1 6+1
3. Emiliano Sanchez 7.38 0 2 fx 2' 4+1
4. Kyle Legault 6.75 3 0 ef 2' 5+1
5. André Compton © 9.65 1 3 3 3 2' 12+1
6. Paul Cooper (B) 1' 1 0 - 2+1
7. Tai Woffinden (C) 2 3 3 3 3 14
Reg Wilson 4 3 3 4 2 3 4 5 0 1 3 5 5 5 5
PIRTEK 'Tigers' 4 7 10 14 16 19 23 28 28 29 32 37 42 47 52
Money Centre 'Stars' 2 5 8 10 14 17 19 20 25 30 33 34 35 36 37
Rob Lyon 2 3 3 2 4 3 2 1 5 5 3 1 1 1 1
1. Daniel Nermark 8.60 2 3 2 1 1 9
2. Trevor Harding 5.17 0 1 1 1' 3+1
3. Troy Batchelor 7.66 2 f 3 1 6
4. Kevin Doolan 8.40 1' 2 2' 1 0 6+1
5. Tomas Topinka © 9.43 r 3 3 r 6
6. Chris Mills (A) 3 2 - f - 0 5
7. John Oliver (C) 0 - 0 - 2' 0 2+1
Fastest this season; 59.5
C.Holder, 12 October 2006
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

62.5

62.9

62.7

62.4

62.6

62.8

62.6

62.2

62.6

63.3

62.4

64.0

62.9

62.6

63.1

© Class Trend Ltd.  André got us off to a good start by winning the toss. Ricky trapped from the inside to win heat 1 from Daniel Nermark. Ben Wilson followed closely for a couple of laps but was filled in every time he got too near. Chris Mills dominated heat 2 with Tai and Paul easily outpacing John Oliver for a share of the points. Kyle sped from the inside gate to a comfortable win in heat 3 but Emiliano never recovered from a poor start and it finished Americas 3 - Antipodes 3. Tai gains revenge for his heat 2 defeat by winning heat 4 from Chris Mills. The two skippers were left trailing with André making the first passing move as he went under Tomas on the third turn. Daniel and Trevor Harding were the first to show in heat 5. Emiliano and Kyle are climbing all over Trevor with Emiliano eventually making a move and holding it. Kyle keeps plugging away on the inside line but just can't get his nose ahead. Sheffield hold a slender 2 point lead.

Tomas traps to lead heat 6 and looks a completely different rider with a clear track ahead of him. André also looks much faster winning heat 7 but Paul is gifted a point when Troy Batchelor falls on the second turn. Chris Mills leads away in heat 8 but Tai finds the drive to power under him on the pits turn. Ben then wears him down and was going for the outside pass when Chris picked up unexpected drive on the apex of the 3rd and 4th turns and threw his bike into the fence. How Ben missed him I don't know! Tomas led heat 9 briefly until Emiliano fell trying the outside line to pass John Oliver on turn 3. Tomas repeats the start in the rerun and pulls away from Kyle for a couple of laps. Kyle then coasts into the pits turn at the end of lap three with a dead engine and to the consternation of the Tigers fans and track staff alike pulls off the track and parks it. It would have been a long push but who knows how important that point might become. The Star's Aussies lead away in heat 10 but Ricky scythes under Kevin Doolan into turn 3. No sooner was he past his bike expires and the Stars accept the 1-5 and move into the lead, Sheffield 29 - King's Lynn 30. The visiting fans are starting their celebrations while the rest of the stadium is very subdued.

André wins heat 11 comfortably but Paul is equally far behind at the back and the Stars maintain their slender lead. Emiliano scorches away from the inside gate in heat 12 and Tai blasts around him and into the lead on the back straight. Troy Batchelor is snapping at Emiliano's heels all the way but never gets in a serious challenge while Chris Mills seems to have bike problems at the back of the field. Heat 13 sees the big guns in contention, and André blasts around the field to join Ricky at the front on the back straight. Daniel Nermark chases forlornly while Tomas can't be bothered and retires from last place and it's the Tigers fans turn to raise the roof. Paul is replaced by Tai in heat 14 making it three Aussies and a Canadian. Kevin Doolan is the first to show but Tai makes a brilliant inside pass on the third turn to snatch the lead. Kevin then comes under pressure as Kyle goes for an inside pass on every turn. At the start of the final lap Kyle goes for broke and gambles on the outside line. It pays in trumps and he swoops past and into second place to the delight of the home contingent of the very large crowd.

Cooperman riding with a broken wrist, ("It'll be all right" - but it wasn't!), two engine failures and a fall looked like costing the Tigers very dearly. The 'Stars' didn't have it all their own way though with Chris Mills taking a heavy fall as he tried to prevent Ben Wilson passing him in heat 8 after which he was a shadow of his former action packed self. With four races to go the 'Stars' held a slender one point lead and their fans were beginning the celebrations, but they hadn't counted on the Tigers tenacity. Four consecutive 5-1's later and the Tigers go into tomorrows leg defending a fifteen point advantage which no-one could have expected half an hour earlier!

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