Youngsters put on a great show
SCUNTHORPE STAGS 51 BUXTON HITMEN 40 (NATIONAL LEAGUE CHALLENGE MATCH)
RIDERS from both sides put on a great show in the second half at the Eddie Wright Raceway yesterday afternoon (Easter Monday), with the Scunthorpe Stags eventually prevailing by taking a 51-40 victory over the Buxton Hitmen in a National League challenge match.
The Stags took a 5-0 from an eventful Heat 3 to take the lead and didn’t look back from there.
Martin Knuckey scored a fine maximum, while all the top five for the Stags weighed with healthy contributions, with both Conor Dwyer (11+3) and Adam Kirby (11) also posting double-figure scores. Scunthorpe asset Sam Chapman, this year riding for Plymouth in the Premier League and Birmingham in the National League, would have scored paid 10, but for a last bend fall in Heat 13, while holding a 5-1 with Knuckey.
Alex Wilson, Amateur Winter Series Open Champion at the Eddie Wright Raceway, rode at No 2 for the Stags and scored paid 8. Wilson is also riding for the Birmingham Brummies this season.
The Stags lined up two riders from the Amateur meetings at reserve, Bradley Seal and Lloyd Ditchburn, and both gained valuable experience.
Stags’ team boss Richard Hollingsworth said: “For the senior riders, such as Sam Chapman and Martin Knuckey, it was a chance to test and try things out, so they benefitted from the track time that way.
“The rest of the team are relatively inexperienced, but the riders in the top five had a really good afternoon, and didn’t drop that many points between them.
“It was good experience for the two reserves, Bradley Seal and Lloyd Ditchburn. I have to thank Lloyd for making a five-hour journey across to the Eddie Wright Raceway, after a last-minute booking as a replacement rider. It was brilliant he stepped in, and it shows his commitment to speedway.
“Bradley looked fast, but was having problems with the third bend. We’ll persevere with him and hopefully get him out of that habit.
“This sort of meeting is one step up from one of our Amateur meetings. There’s some stiff competition in there, so it’s great to see riders stepping up to the challenge and gaining in confidence.”
SCUNTHORPE STAGS 51
1. Sam Chapman 3 1 3 F (7)
2. Alex Wilson 0 3 2 2* (7+1)
3. Adam Kirby 3 3 2 3 FX (11)
4. Conor Dwyer 2* 2* 1* 3 3 (11+3)
5. Martin Knuckey 3 3 3 3 (12)
6. Bradley Seal FX FX F F (0)
7. Lloyd Ditchburn 2 0 0 1 (3)
BUXTON HITMEN 40
1. Ben Hopwood 2 4# 2 (8)
2. Tom Woolley 1* 1 3 1* 1* (7+3)
3. Cameron Hoskins FX 2 1 FX (3)
4. Paul Bowen FX1* 0 2 (3+1)
5. Adam Extance 2 2 3 1* 2 (10+1)
6. Sam Darroch 1 0 0 (1)
7. Kev Whelan 3 1* 0 1 2 1* (8+2)
# = tactical ride
1: Chapman, Hopwood, Woolley, Wilson (fell, remounted), 64.93 (3-3).
2: Whelan, Ditchburn, Darroch (fell, remounted), Seal (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (2-4) (5-7).
3: (Re-run) Kirby, Dwyer, Hoskins (fell, excluded), Bowen (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (5-0) (10-7).
4: Knuckey, Extance, Whelan, Ditchburn, 66.32 (3-3) (13-10).
5: Kirby, Dwyer, Woolley, Darroch (fell, remounted), 65.18 (5-1) (18-11).
6: Wilson, Extance, Chapman, Whelan, 64.45 (4-2) (22-13).
7: (Re-run) Knuckey, Hoskins, Bowen, Seal (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (3-3) (25-16).
8: Woolley, Wilson, Whelan, Ditchburn, 62.81 (2-4) (27-20).
9: Extance, Kirby, Dwyer, Darroch (fell, remounted), 62.25 (3-3) (30-23).
10: Chapman, Wilson, Hoskins, Bowen, 61.50 (5-1) (35-24).
11: Knuckey, HOPWOOD (TR), Woolley, Seal (fell), 60.81 (3-5) (38-29).
12: Kirby, Whelan, Ditchburn, Hoskins (fell, excluded), awarded – no time (4-2) (42-31).
13: Knuckey, Hopwood, Extance, Chapman (fell), 60.50 (3-3) (45-34).
14: (Re-run) Dwyer, Bowen, Whelan, Seal (fell), 61.64 (3-3) (48-37).
15: (Re-run) Dwyer, Extance, Woolley, Kirby (fell, excluded), 61.69 (3-3) (51-40).
* The Stags’ opponents for their next Bank Holiday clash, on Monday, May 4, will be the Halifax Dukes.
