Key:+ = from 15m handicap,  * = Tactical ride for double points,  ! = Tactical substitution from 15m
SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY MATCH REPORTS 2014
SHEFFIELD WINDOW CENTRE 'Tigers' v Workington 'Comets' PL 7th August

Referee: Jim McGregor

0102030405 0607080910 1112131415 Tot+Bp
1. Simon Stead © 9.43 3 3 3 2 3 14
2. Andre Compton r/r 5.20 - - - - (3+1)
3. Ben Wilson 5.81 2' x2 0 1 3 6+1
4. Ashley Birks (g) 6.27 2' 3 3 0 8+1
5. Kevin Wolbert (g) 6.49 3 2 3 1' 2' 11+2
6. Taylor Poole 4.32 1' 3 0 0 1 - 2' 2 9+2
7. Josh Bates 3.53 2 2' f fx - 4+1
Joe Screen 5 3 5 5 3 3 2 1 4 3 3 5 3 2 5
Sheffield 'Tigers' 5 8 13 18 21 24 26 27 31 34 37 42 45 47 52
Workington 'Comets' 1 4 5 6 11 14 18 23 25 28 31 32 35 39 40
Tony Jackson 1 3 1 1 5 3 4 5 2 3 3 1 3 4 1
1. Josh Grajczonek 9.13 1 *4 2 3 1 11
2. Kyle Howarth 6.28 0 1' 3 1' 0 5+2
3. Rene Bach © 7.79 1 3 2 1 7
4. Mason Campton 5.17 0 1 1' 3 5+1
5. Ricky Wells 7.80 1 2 2 0 5
6. Nicki Barrett (g) 4.31 3 1' 2' - 0 1 7+2
7. Benji Compton 3.06 0 0 - 0 - 0
Track record: 59.1
R.Ashworth, 14 Oct '10
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

61.0

61.5

61.2

62.5

62.1

61.2

62.6

63.3

63.4

62.7

62.5

64.4

62.8

64.2

63.0

Top scorer We get the inside gates again!! Steady flies into the lead and Ben Wilson's inside line is good for second place as they hit the back straight. I expected Josh Grajczonek to power past him but he elected to follow for a couple of laps and then allowed Ben to pull clear. Nicki Barrett led heat 2 from Josh Bates and Taylor Poole eased past Benji Compton on the first lap for a shared heat. Ben drops a chain at the starting gate with just seconds remaining an is replaced by Taylor Poole in heat 3. Taylor flies into an untouchable lead with Ashley Birks riding a perfect line in second place leaving Rene Bach no opportunity to pass. Kevin Wolbert is straight onto the fast line in heat 4. Josh Bates is a distant second and looking more relaxed on the bike while Ricky Wells demonstrates again that he cannot pass and will not try the outside line. Josh G is a on a tactical for heat 5 but Ashley gets another dream start and is off and away. Kyle Howarth is second ahead of Josh G until the last bend and Ben never managed to get on terms after a poor gate. Sheffield lead by ten points!.

Ricky Wells leads away in heat 6 but manages to find the only bump on the entire track (no-one else found one all night) allowing Steady into the lead off the fourth bend. Taylor was climbing all over Nicki but the visitors guest just held on for the odd point. It's a blanket start to heat 7 with Rene easing ahead onto the back straight hotly persued by Kevin. Mason and Taylor have their own battle going for the minor places. Taylor rounds Mason out of the pits turn on the second lap but Mason fights back and passes him on the inside at the same spot on lap three. Nicki and Kyle trap to lead heat 8. Taylor (on his third consecutive ride) and Josh B give chase. They both try to pass Kyle inside and out on the second lap but Kyle hangs on. Taylor drives under Josh into turn 3 and Josh ends up in the fence, but quickly clears the track. Taylor then seems to try too hard and just loses ground allowing the Comets to close to just four behind. Ashley wins heat 9 ahead of the closely following Ricky while good mates Ben and Benji trade places for a couple of laps. Steady makes no mistake to lead heat 10 from Rene with Mason and Josh B disputing third place. Josh tries the Peter Carr line into turn three but tangles with Mason, is straightened up and goes headlong full throttle into the air fence. An horrific looking crash but Josh was trying to shrug it off telling the paramedics he had another ride to take but he left the track on a back board straight to the hospital. Fingers crossed. Steady won the rerun from the tapes and the Tigers lead by just six points.

Kevin is the sole Tiger in heat 11 as Taylor is running out of rides. He flies into the lead and looks supremely comfortable yards ahead of the Comets pair. Ben and Taylor (collectively one point from their last four outings)  face Rene and Nicki (eight paid ten from their last four). Rene traps ahead but the Tigers are on his tail. Rene locks up out of turn two on the second lap and Ben drives past on the inside, Taylor powers around him into turn three and the Tigers claim a giant 5-1. Simon and Kevin are both unbeaten so it is a bit of a surprise when Josh G makes a lightning start and just holds Steady out to win heat 13. Mason and Taylor have a tremendous scrap in heat 14 with the lead changing several times before Mason eases ahead at the end of the third lap. Ashley trails home a surprising last but with smoke billowing from possibly his clutch. It's Steady and Kevin against Josh G and Kyle but the Tigers pair make no mistake extending the winning margin to twelve points.

The raffle winner's 'man of the match' was Ashley Birks. I enjoyed seeing Ashley back in the Tigers colours but my nomination would have gone to the highly impressive Kevin Wolbert. Mason Campton and Justin Sedgmen are our guests at Berwick on Saturday. Hope Justin does better then the last time he guested for us...

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