Scorpions v Gladiators: detailed report
WELL, the season could have hardly started better for Attis Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions than the 56-34 over Plymouth Gladiators on Sunday afternoon in the first league match at the Eddie Wright Raceway in 623 days.
This was a no-nonsense performance by a Scorpions team firing on every one of its seven cylinders. It’s not often that every member of a team scores paid nine or more.
A brief threat to the afternoon was a shower at around 1pm. Despite the main band of rain only being predicted to arrive later in the evening, there was always the chance of a shower earlier in the day. Fortunately, it soon relented, and Scorpions’ improved drainage was immediately evident, with no puddle left on the first bend for track staff to clear.
All-in-all, the decision to move back the fixture from Friday to Sunday, taken on Thursday, proved to be absolutely the correct one, although it did cost Scorpions the services of Tero Aarnio, who had a prior commitment in Poland. Kyle Howarth proved a very adequate replacement. Gladiators brought in Leon Flint for the injured Henry Atkins.
That Scorpions meant business was immediately evident in Heat 1. Josh Auty and Simon Lambert got away, and despite Jason Crump buzzing all over him for the first couple of laps, Scunthorpe skipper Lambert held off the treble World Champion, to join Auty for a 5-1. It sometimes takes a while for the atmosphere to build up in daytime meetings, but not on this occasion, as the Scunthorpe faithful made their presence felt.
Heat 2 saw Josh MacDonald nudge the tapes in his first opening for the club. He found himself put 15 metres behind in the re-run, but quickly chased down Alfie Bowtell and passed him early on the second lap. Meanwhile, Jordan Palin tracked down Leon Flint and flew around him on the back straight of the final lap, as Scorpions took a 4-2. Although local lad Palin has been part of the club for a long time, this was the 17-year-old’s official debut for the Scunthorpe Scorpions.
Theo Pijper and Kyle Howarth took an easy 5-1 in Heat 3 and Scorpions were 14-4 to the good already.
Former Grand Prix star Bjarne Pedersen started his afternoon with a victory in Heat 4. Gladiators held a 5-1 early on, before Jorgensen passed Flint for second place on the second lap.
Howarth and Pijper popped out of the gate in Heat 5, but Crump produced a sublime second bend to shoot through the middle of them and move into the lead.
Heat 6 was the race of the afternoon. Pedersen led, but Lambert forced a way inside the Dane on the second bend of lap 2 and then Auty followed through the gap on the fourth turn. But Pedersen showed all his World Class pedigree by cutting back under both Scorpions as the three riders completed that second lap. It would be the closest Pedersen came to defeat all afternoon.
Heat 7 saw a 5-1 for Jorgensen and MacDonald. The paid win was a massive morale-booster for MacDonald and all the more deserved because Steven Goret put in a challenge for second place.
Scorpions moved 32-16 after another 5-1 in Heat 8 – as Lambert and Palin cruised home.
The next two races were shared with Pedersen winning both of them. His tactical substitute ride in Heat 10 placed him back against Auty and Lambert, but this time there was no catching the Dane.
Jorgensen made the perfect start in Heat 11. However, referee Michael Breckon deemed it was a little too perfect and hauled back all four riders, giving Jorgensen a warning in the process. Crump led all the way in the re-run, ahead of MacDonald and Jorgensen, while Zack Cook completed a miserable afternoon by falling and remounting early on.
Palin completed a very impressive first meeting for Scorpions by taking a 5-1 with Pijper in Heat 12 – and Scorpions had clinched victory with three heats to spare.
Heat 13 took a while to get going. There was some sort of kerfuffle at the tapes – apparently Crump felt Auty had been warming his tyre. But Crump made the fatal mistake of turning back to the pits and was thrown under the two-minute rule. He was re-instated on a 15-metre handicap, but not before he’d protested over his penalty. When the race got underway, it was another win for Pedersen, while Crump closed in, but never looked like passing the Scunthorpe pair.
Dillon Ruml hit the tapes in Heat 14 and went 15 metres back. He still picked up a point, after team-mate Bowtell fell around the opening bends. Howarth and MacDonald took a 5-1. There was no hiding MacDonald’s delight after the race as he finished the afternoon on 7+2.
Heat 15 saw Pedersen and Crump try to take Plymouth’s only 5-1 of the day. But Auty bustled his way under Crump. Lambert also closed in and for one moment entering the third bend of lap 3, it looked like he might have the legs on the Australian. Crump held on, but Lambert was still understandably delighted with his afternoon’s work.
Scunthorpe team manager Dave Peet said: “I was really pleased with our performance, all the way from No 1 to No 7. We were solid all the way though.
“With all the lads on paid nine or above, I had a bit of a problem picking two riders for Heat 15 because I was spoilt for choice, although that’s a nice problem to have!
“The 5-1 from Josh (Auty) and Simon (Lambert) over Jason Crump in Heat 1 set us up for the afternoon – it was nice to hear the fans cheering. Pedersen and Crump are class acts. In the end, Bjarne proved a class above, but our lads certainly went out and raced them.
“Nerves can get the better of you heading into the first meeting of the season. Josh (MacDonald) nudged the tapes in his first race – but then came back really strongly. He did exceptionally well, as did Jordan Palin. All of them did. It was just a great team performance.”
Scunthorpe skipper Simon Lambert said: “The return of Jason Crump is great for British Speedway, but I really enjoyed beating him in Heat 1. Maybe he was finding his feet in that race, but it’s something no-one can take away from me.
“Bjarne was mustard all meeting. We gave him a race at one point (Heat 6), where we passed and re-passed, but then he showed all his top-level experience. It’s an honour to be out there giving him a race, it’s the same with Crumpie.
“I’m delighted to score paid 10 and be given Heat 15. I finished last in that one, but you really could have thrown a blanket over all four of us. I was pressing Crumpie and made him look for me a couple of times.
“I’ve been having a nightmare all week – I always feel the same in the build-up to the first meeting. It’s good to get it out of the way.
“From a personal point of view, I’m chuffed to bits, while from a team point of view, we got three points on the board and hopefully there’s many more to come. It was a solid, all-around team performance. We can take away so many positives.
“People have written us off this year, especially after we lost Jake Allen, but I think this showed that we can do it.
“I was particularly pleased for Josh MacDonald. He touched the tapes in his first one but came through in that one to take a point, and then only dropped another point after that.”
ATTIS INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 56
1. Josh Auty 3 2 2 1* 2 (10+1)
2. Simon Lambert 2* 1* 3 1* 0 (7+3)
3. Theo Pijper 3 1* 2 2* (8+2)
4. Kyle Howarth (Guest) 2* 2 1* 3 (8+2)
5. Thomas Jorgensen 2 3 1* 2 (8+1)
6. Josh MacDonald 1 2* 2 2* (7+2)
7. Jordan Palin 3 0 2* 3 (8+1)
PLYMOUTH GLADIATORS 34
1. Jason Crump 1 3 3 0 1 (8)
2. Zach Cook 0 0 0 0 (0)
3. Steven Goret 1 1 R 1 (3)
4. Dillon Ruml 0 0 1 (1)
5. Bjarne Pedersen 3 3 3 3 3 3 (18)
6. Alfie Bowtell 0 0 0 F (0)
7. Leon Flint (Guest) 2 1 1 0 (4)
1: Auty, Lambert, Crump, Cook, 59.57 (5-1) (5-1).
2 (Re-run): Palin, Flint, MacDonald (15m penalty for tape touching), Bowtell, 59.34 (4-2) (9-3).
3: Pijper, Howarth, Goret, Ruml, 59.32 (5-1) (14-4).
4: Pedersen, Jorgensen, Flint, Palin, 59.31 (2-4) (16-8).
5: Crump, Howarth, Pijper, Cook, 58.80 (3-3) (19-11).
6: Pedersen, Auty, Lambert, Bowtell, 58.81 (3-3) (22-14).
7: Jorgensen, MacDonald, Goret, Ruml, 59.66 (5-1) (27-15).
8: Lambert, Palin, Flint, Cook, 59.90 (5-1) (32-16).
9: Pedersen, Pijper, Howarth, Bowtell, 59.66 (3-3) (35-19).
10: Pedersen (T/S), Auty, Lambert, Goret (ret), 59.68 (3-3) (38-22).
11 (Re-run): Crump, MacDonald, Jorgensen, Cook, 59.72 (3-3) (41-25).
12: Palin, Pijper, Goret, Flint, 59.73 (5-1) (46-26).
13: Pedersen, Jorgensen, Auty, Crump (15m penalty for exceeding two minutes), 60.00 (3-3) (49-29).
14 (Re-run): Howarth, MacDonald, Ruml (15m penalty for tape touching), Bowtell (fell), 59.69 (5-1) (54-30).
15: Pedersen, Auty, Crump, Lambert, 60.39 (2-4) (56-34).
REPORT: ROB PEASLEY
PHOTO: Jordan Palin completes his debut for Attis Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions by taking the chequered flag in Heat 12 (PIC: IAN RISPIN).
