Summer Championship opens in style

Last Sunday 67 riders competed over 98 races in the opening round of Scunthorpe Speedway’s Summer Championship. In the Open Class it was 2011 and 2014 Summer Champion Mirek Daniszewski who claimed the honours whilst rising star Jamie Halder pushed him all the way in the ‘A’ Final whilst claiming also claiming the Support Class title.

After the Meeting Organiser Richard Hollingsworth explained “Whilst the improved opportunities in the National League and Midland Development League may have reduced the entrants in the Open Class the rule changes have finally given British riders the encouragement they need and there were strong entries in the other classes suggesting that there will soon be riders coming through to backfill the higher classes.

“It always encouraging to see plenty of young riders entering the meetings because it is a measure of how the sport might be faring in five years time. There may be problems with the sport but we are getting more and more youngsters interested in riding and that can only be a good thing. We have over fifty riders in next Sunday’s British Youth Championship round and I don’t think that figure has been achieved before. It should be a great afternoon’s speedway.

The other adult class winners were Luke McKenna (Novice Class) and Gary O’Hare (Upright Class). O’Hare is a three time winner of the Open Class but has switched to the increasingly popular upright class which see riders using old-style engines that are mounted in an upright position rather than in the modern laydown position. The youth class winners were Jack Parkinson-Blackburn (500cc), Ben Woodhull (250cc) and Jolyon West (125/150cc) whilst there was a very strong non-speedway entry. Alan Birtwhistle (Flat Track), Alfie Collett (Adult Pit Bikes) and Luke Harrison (Junior 110cc) were the class winners.

The next meeting is on Sunday 31st May and will once again be split into two halves to ensure riders aren’t waiting too long between rides. The first half will start at 11am with the Open, Support, Youth 500, Youth 250, Flat Track and Junior 110 classes followed by the Novice, Uprights, Youth 125/150 and Adult Pit Bike classes at 2pm. Places can be reserved in the meeting by texting Richard Hollingsworth on 07832-402167 whilst further rounds of the Summer Championship will take place on 12th July, 23rd August and 4th October.

The first round of the British Youth Championship takes place at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway this Sunday (10th May) with a 3pm start time. There are 55 races scheduled and entry is just £5 for adults with free entry for anyone aged 16 and under.

Open / Support Classes:
Open Class Qualifying scores:
Mirek Daniszewski 12, Andrew Blackburn 9

Support Class Qualifying scores:
Jamie Halder 14, Craig Hancock 9, John Gaskell 8, Mike Hancock 7, Stoian Stoianov 6, Glyn Picken 6, Damon Hall 4 (2 rides), Matthew Sewell 3 (4 rides)

C Final: Stoianov, Picken, 71.8
B Final: Stoianov, M. Hancock, C. Hancock, Gaskell, 69.1
A Final: Daniszewski, Halder, Stoianov, Blackburn, 66.6

Summer Championship points
Open Class: Daniszewski 20, Blackburn 19
Support Class: Halder 20, Stoianov 19, M. Hancock 18, C. Hancock 17, Gaskell 16, Picken 15, Hall 14, Sewell 13.

Qualifying heat winning times: 1. Gaskell 72.6, 2. Stoianov 66.2, 3. Halder 64.2, 6. C. Hancock awarded, 9. Halder 64.4, 12. Daniszewski 63.4, 15. Halder 65.7, 18. Halder 65.4, 21. M. Hancock 68.2, 24. Daniszewski 64.8, 27. Picken 70.0, 30. Daniszewski 64.2, 33. Daniszewski 64.5, 36. C. Hancock 68.3.

Novice Class:
Qualifying Scores: Tim Antill 13, Luke McKenna 12, Lloyd Ditchburn 11, Tom Miles 6, Francesca Kirtley-Paine 6, Jake Isherwood 6, Jeff Robinson 3, John Sunderland 3.

C Final: Robinson, Sunderland, 80.0
B Final: Isherwood, Miles, Robinson, Kirtley-Paine, 78.1
A Final: McKenna, Isherwood, Ditchburn, Antill, 75.0

Winter Series points: McKenna 20, Isherwood 19, Ditchburn 18, Antill 17, Miles 16, Robinson 15, Kirtley-Paine 14, Sunderland 13.

Qualifying heat winning times: 59. Antill 82.1, 63. McKenna 80.2, 66. McKenna 69.6, 71. Ditchburn 82.7, 74. Isherwood 79.3, 78. Antill no time, 81. Isherwood 78.0, 86. McKenna 77.5, 92. McKenna 80.3, 96. Antill 77.0.

Upright Class (for upright engines):
Qualifying Scores: Gary O’Hare 15, Dave Harvey 11, Ian Leverington 9, Glen Belcher 8, Lee Coleman 5, Scott Cook 4.

A Final: O’Hare, Coleman, Leverington, Harvey (fell, remounted), 63.5

Winter Series points: O’Hare 20, Coleman 19, Leverington 18, Harvey 17, Belcher 16, Cook 15.

Qualifying heat winning times: 60. O’Hare 66.6, 65. Belcher 80.0, 68. O’Hare 68.0, 72. Harvey 73.6, 75. O’Hare 65.9, 80. O’Hare 66.4, 83. O’Hare 66.4, 88. Leverington 71.0, 94. Harvey 70.8

Youth 500:
Qualifying scores: Jack Parkinson-Blackburn 15, Sam Woolley 10, Sam Chapman 8, William O’Keefe 5.

A Final: Parkinson-Blackburn, Woolley, Chapman, 65.6

Summer Championship points:
Parkinson-Blackburn 20, Woolley 19, Chapman 18, O’Keefe 17.

Qualifying heat winning times (Parkinson-Blackburn unless stated): 4. 61.2, 10. Woolley 71.4, 16. 61.4, 22. 62.7, 28. 62.6, 32. O’Keefe 69.1, 35. 64.4

Youth 250:
Qualifying scores: Kyle Bickley 15, Luke Woodhull 9, Ben Woodhull 5.

A Final: B. Woodhull, L. Woodhull, Bickley, 68.9

Summer Championship points:
B. Woodhull 20, L. Woodhull 19, Bickley 18

Qualifying heat winning times (all Bickley): 8. 64.1, 14. 62.8, 20. 63.9, 26. 64.4, 34. 65.0

Youth 125/150:
Qualifying scores: Jolyon West 15, James Hitchen 14, Sam Stead 13, Lewis Millar 12, Jordan Palin 11, Jack Wright 7, Bailey Fellows 6, Ryan Morris 6, Kieran McCoy 6, Corben Pavitt 6, Mickie Simpson 4, Jack Bell 3, Jack Shimelt 2 (4 rides), Jay Farish 2 (3 rides).

C Final: Morris, Fellows, Pavitt, Bell, 74.9
B Final: Palin, Millar, Morris, Wright, 68.9
A Final: West, Stead, Hitchen, Palin, 66.3

Summer Championship points:
West 20, Stead 19, Hitchen 18, Palin 17, Millar 16, Morris 15, Wright 14, Fellows 13, Pavitt 12, Bell 11, McCoy 10, Simpson 9, Shimelt 8, Farish 7.

Qualifying heat winning times: 56. Stead 76.2, 57. Hitchen 73.0, 58. West awarded, 61. Simpson 81.2, 64. Millar 73.9, 67. Palin 73.0, 70. Stead 71.3, 73. Millar 71.8, 76. Hitchen 68.9, 79. West 66.7, 82. Stead 70.9, 85. Morris awarded, 87. Hitchen 69.7, 89. West no time, 91. Hitchen 68.7, 93. West 65.1, 95. West 64.9, 97. Palin 69.4

Flat Track:
Scores: Alan Birtwhistle 53, Ross Herrod 49, Mike Johnson 39, Mike Hill 32, Connor Jackson 30, Ben Hunter 25, Isaac Hunter 21, Jack Pitt 13, Ryan Quickfall 1 (2 rides)

Summer Championship points:
Braithwaite 20, Herrod 19, Johnson 18, Hill 17, Jackson 16, Hunter 15, Pitt 14, Quickfall 13.

Qualifying heat winning times (Birtwhistle and six laps unless stated): 5. 104.4, 11. 103.5, 17. 107.1, 23. Herrod 93.1 (five laps) 29. 107.9, 42. 108.2

Adult Pit Bikes:
Scores: Alfie Collett 48, Adam Lovesey 39, Simon Ellis 35, Lee Carter 26, Freddie Hales 23, Adam Waller 23, Colin Willerton 13 (5 rides), Craig Smith 8.

Summer Championship points:
Collett 20, Lovesey 19, Ellis 18, Carter 17, Hales 16, Waller 15, Willerton 14, Smith 13

Qualifying heat winning times (all Collett): 62. 81.3, 69. 81.1, 77.80.5, 84. 80.5, 90. 77.0, 101. 78.2

Junior 110:
Scores: Luke Harrison 18, Maddy Fellows 12, Joe Burden 0 (0 rides)

Summer Championship points:
Harrison 20, Fellows 19, Burden 18.

Qualifying heat winning times (all Harrison): 7. 91.9, 13. 101.2, 19. 88.5, 25. 88.2, 31. 85.1, 45. 84.8

Northern Junior League match:

Halifax Dukes 20 (Sam Stead 8+1, John Gaskell 6, Jordan Palin 4, Luke Whitehead 2+2)

Workington Meteors 16 (Jamie Halder 9, Kieran McCoy 3+1, Jay Farish 3, David Morgan 1)

Heat 38 – Halder, Gaskell, Whitehead, Morgan, 67.4
Heat 39 – Stead, Farish, McCoy, Palin (fell, excluded), awarded
Heat 43 – Halder, Gaskell, Whitehead, Morgan, 67.9
Heat 44 – Palin, Stead, Farish, McCoy, 71.3
Heat 49 – Halder, Gaskell, Morgan, Whitehead, 68.3
Heat 50 – Stead, McCoy, Palin, Farish, 71.5

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