Stead wins super semi

SHEFFIELD’S Simon Stead was the winner of a thrilling British Semi-Final at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday).

Stead could have clinched the meeting with a win in Heat 18 and set the early pace. But Robert Lambert, needing a victory to guarantee qualification after losing three points due to a sick bike in Heat 2, produced a brilliant ride to storm to work his way through the field and pass Stead on the third lap.

Either Josh Auty or Jason Garrity could have matched Stead on 13 points by winning Heat 19, but Leigh Lanham popped out to win the race, despite Auty’s best efforts in the latter stages.

Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpion Auty was still a happy man after finishing second in the meeting. In a wheel-to-wheel battle for second place with Kyle Howarth in Heat 16 (behind Stead), Howarth accidentally took away Auty’s front wheel on the final bend, with Richard Hall unable to avoid the stricken rider in front of him, and Auty and Hall came down in a tangle of man and machinery. Fortunately, both men were OK and soon to their feet.

Remarkably, given the highly competitive action, that was the only crash of the night. After his exclusion from that race, Howarth won Heat 20 to book his place in the final at Belle Vue on June 13.

Three riders finished on 11 points, with Howarth taking third on countback due to three heat wins, while the all-action Garrity was awarded fourth on the basis of finishing ahead of all equally all-action Chris Harris in a thrilling three-way battle in Heat 13, which saw Garrity just hold off a charging Lambert, with Harris having to settle for third after a titanic battle.

Hall was the shock qualifier. Recently released by Sheffield, he won his opening two rides, and then defeated Tigers’ Josh Bates in a run-off for the seventh and final qualifying place. It prevented all four Sheffield riders from qualifying, as Stead, Howarth and Garrity finished first, third and fourth respectively, although arguably Bates would be highly deserving of one of the final wildcard slots for the final.

Worth a mention is Scorpion Carl Wilkinson, who finished just short on 7 points after coming fourth in Heat 20, but was involved in some thrilling speedway.

The surprise elimination was Edward Kennett. On a track where there was simply no hiding and multiple passing in most races, the Rye House No 1 found himself often picked off by the opposition and finished with just four points.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “I want to thank all 16 riders on display for playing their part in a simply brilliant speedway meeting.

“The action out there was simply World Class. You can’t pick out a single great race, because there were so many of them. The racing reminded me of a World Final, it was that good.

“Congratulations to Simon Stead for winning the meeting. Of course, I’m chuffed Josh Auty came second, and well done to the other qualifiers as well.”

RESULT:

Qualifiers:
1. Simon Stead 3 3 2 3 2 (13)
2. Josh Auty 3 2 3 2 2 (12)
3. Kyle Howarth 3 3 2 X 3 (11)
4. Jason Garrity 2 2 3 3 1 (11)
5. Chris Harris 2 3 3 1 2 (11)
6. Robert Lambert 0 2 3 2 3 (10)
7. Richard Hall 3 3 0 1 2 (9)

Reserve for British Final:
8. Josh Bates 2 1 1 2 3 (9)

Other scorers:
9. Lewis Kerr 1 0 2 3 1 (7)
10. Carl Wilkinson 1 1 2 3 0 (7)
11. Leigh Lanham 0 0 0 2 3 (5)
12. Simon Lambert 1 2 1 0 1 (5)
13. Edward Kennett 2 1 1 R 0 (4)
14. Stuart Robson 1 1 1 1 0 (4)
15. Robert Mear 0 0 0 1 1 (2)
16. Ashley Morris 0 0 0 0 0 (0)
Reserve: Danny Phillips (did not ride)

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Howarth, Kennett, S Lambert, Lanham, 56.19.
2: Auty, Bates, Kerr, R Lambert, 56.81.
3: Stead, Garrity, Wilkinson, Morris, 56.50.
4: Hall, Harris, Robson, Mear, 56.57.
5: Stead, Lambert, Robson, Kerr, 57.00.
6: (Re-run) Harris, Auty, Kennett, Morris, 57.31.
7: Hall, R Lambert, Wilkinson, Lanham, 57.62.
8: Howarth, Garrity, Bates, Mear, 57.37.
9: Auty, Wilkinson, S Lambert, Mear, 56.82.
10: Garrity, Kerr, Kennett, Hall, 57.25.
11: Harris, Stead, Bates, Lanham, 57.75.
12: R Lambert, Howarth, Robson, Morris, 56.69.
13: Garrity, R Lambert, Harris, S Lambert, 57.82.
14: Wilkinson, Bates, Robson, Kennett (ret), 58.13.
15: Kerr, Lanham, Mear, Morris, 58.31.
16: Stead, Auty, Hall, Howarth (excluded), no time – awarded.
17: Bates, Hall, S Lambert, Morris, 58.75.
18: R Lambert, Stead, Mear, Kennett, 58.12.
19: Lanham, Auty, Garrity, Robson, 58.21.
20: Howarth, Harris, Kerr, Wilkinson, 58.43.
Run-off for 7th: Hall, Bates. 59.00.