The latest from the Lakeside Speedway Press Office…
Lakeside Hammers 44 Workington Comets 34
Match abandoned after 13 heats due to rain. Result stands.
THE weather gods rained on Lakeside’s parade as they made their bid for Championship Grand Final glory last night.
The Vortex Hammers were just easing into a potentially dominant position when the elements conspired against them.
Ten points clear with four races to go and their heat leaders in superb form – Richard Lawson, Adam Ellis and the peerless Nick Morris had dropped just a point between them at this point – they looked set to take a big lead to Derwent Park for today’s second leg.
But then the rain came – and stayed for 45 minutes.
Eventually, after plenty of track work and a lot of consultation, riding – rather than racing – was resumed.
But the result was two processional 5-1s, one for each side, with riders struggling to turn in the corners. Further discussions took place, but with a majority of riders on both sides feeling conditions unsafe, referee Margaret Vardy made the inevitable decision.
Home skipper Richard Lawson – named supporters’ rider of the year from an online poll immediately afterwards – accepted the verdict.
“Obviously towards the end there conditions got tricky,” he said.
“A 10-point lead is nice. I feel before the rain we were looking to get some big results in heats 13 and 15.
“But we can go confidently up to Workington with 10 points.
“We were feeling really good on the track. The team has gelled just amazingly to the new track. But it is what it is.
We’ll take that lead and make the best of it.”
Action before the rain was entertaining, with Morris superb in heat four to pass Nicolai Klindt and Mason Campton before the second bend of the second lap.
And Ben Morley nearly caused a sensation in heat 11, holding back Rene Bach for virtually three laps before the visitors’ number one slipped through.
But now it’s all about today.
Lakeside 44: Nick Morris 12, Richard Lawson 10+1, Adam Ellis 9, Ben Morley 5, Zach Wajtknecht 4+1, Alfie Bowtell 2+1, Kyle Newman 2.
Workington 34: Mason Campton 9, Nicolai Klindt 8+2, Rasmus Jensen 6+1, Rene Bach 6, Tero Aarnio 5+2, Kyle Bickley 0, Dan Bewley R/R.
Report by TIM HAMBLIN
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LAKESIDE team boss Will Pottinger is looking to his top order “batsmen” to hit Workington for six in the Grand Final showdown at Derwent Park tonight.
Pottinger reckons the Hammers, with their superb top three of Richard Lawson, Adam Ellis and Nick Morris, can get on the front foot and provide the race wins to protect their 10-point advantage.
“I’d like to think we’ve got the heat leaders to win the races that we need.
“We have a double-figure lead, which I wanted before the meeting. We’ve got to look to push on from that and make sure we get off to a good start at Workington.
“That’s going to be key. We don’t want Workington to get a head of steam, because then it’s going to be difficult.
“We’ve just got to try and chip away as best we can. We’ve put ourselves in a decent position; we need to try and do the business tonight.
“Everything’s going to be on the line for 15 heats. The league title’s on the line — we’ll be giving everything.
“We’ve got race winners who can go out there. Maybe we can bat it out!”
The Hammers are unchanged for the season’s big night. Workington again use Tero Aarnio as a guest, but the extra five per cent allowance for home fixtures means he replaces Dan Bewley at Derwent Park rather than Ty Proctor, as at Rye House.
Rider-replacement thus switches from Bewley to Proctor with all Comets eligible to take one of his rides.
Lakeside: Richard Lawson, Zach Wajtknecht, Adam Ellis, Kyle Newman, Nick Morris, Ben Morley, Alfie Bowtell.
Workington: Rene Bach, Ty Proctor R/R, Tero Aarnio (guest), Rasmus Jensen, Nicolai Klindt, Kyle Bickley, Mason Campton.
