Rob shares this latest report from Island Speedway. Ed
Wightlink Warriors 47 Kent Kings 43
The speedway Warriors ended their barren run with a hard earned victory over Kent Kings in last night’s National League meeting at the Andrew Younie Smallbrook stadium taking a maximum heat advantage in the final race to secure the victory and all three league points.
It was an action packed night of drama right from heat one when the Warriors Kelsey Dugard and Kent’s guest Liam Carr tangled at the fastest point of the track throwing both riders and machines into the air barrier at alarming speed. Miraculously after some medical help both riders were able to gingerly make their way back to the pits with Dugard limping heavily and Carr in obvious discomfort from arm and shoulder injuries. Both rider’s bikes appeared to be completely wrecked.
Rider disqualified
What happened next was almost unheard of. Initially referee Dishington excluded Dugard as the cause of the stoppage, however to his external credit and whilst in extreme pain, Liam Carr contacted the referee to say that the incident was not Dugard’s fault and that he (Carr) accepted responsibility.
As a result the Warrior was reinstated and Carr accepted the decision that he should be the rider disqualified. A truly remarkable piece of sportsmanship warmly applauded around the stadium.
Withdrawn on medical grounds
The re-run of heat one saw Dugard finish third and it was no surprise to hear shortly afterwards that both Carr and Dugard had been withdrawn from the meeting on medical grounds. From there on it was nip and tuck between the sides with the home heat leaders in a rich vein of form and the Kings countering by filling the minor places.
As the meeting moved to its climax heat twelve saw a ding dong battle between James Cockle and Ben Hopwood with the Kent man slipping passed the Warriors skipper to reduce the Kent deficit to just two points.
Engine failure
Then in the next race it was a Warrior one two for three laps until Connor Coles suffered an engine failure that threw partner Ben Wilson off line and allowed last year’s Island favourite Nathan Stoneman a chance to grab the lead.
It was short lived as Stoneman span off on the next bend and the resulting shared heat kept the sides just two points apart. Heat fourteen was a tapes to flag win for Jack Thomas of Kent and with his partner Anders Rowe in third place it meant that both sides were level with one heat to go.
It was no surprise when Warriors elected to track the unbeaten Ben Wilson alongside skipper Cockle for the last race and those two made searing starts to lead the Kings riders home with Hopwood falling as he gave everything to reel the Warriors in.
Lady Luck
All the Warriors riders received warm applause on their victory parade lap and for once this season Lady Luck smiled on the home side.
Warriors: Ben Wilson 15, Kelsey Dugard 1, James Cockle 12+2, Chris Widman 6, Connor Coles 9, Jamie Sealey 0, Alex Spooner 4.
Kings: Liam Carr 0, Bradley Andrews 8, Ben Hopwood 8+1, Jack Thomas 8+2, Nathan Stoneman 7+1, George Hunter 7+1, Anders Rowe 5+2.
Warriors now embark on two away trips to Plymouth tomorrow and Lakeside on Sunday before returning to the Andrew Younie stadium next TUESDAY for the re-staging of the rained-off meeting with Cradley Heathens.
Image: © Ian Groves
