Scorpions’ boss unhappy after defeat
SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 44 IPSWICH WITCHES 46 (SGB CHAMPIONSHIP)
SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey didn’t mince his words, after seeing the Henderson Insurance Scunthorpe Scorpions lose 44-46 to Ipswich Witches in a thriller at the Eddie Wright Raceway yesterday (Sunday).
In a meeting where no more than two points ever separated the two sides, the visitors took the honours after a final-heat 4-2 from British Champion Danny King and Rory Schlein, after Schlein passed Lewis Kerr for third place on the second lap.
King was in imperious form and completed a brilliant 15-point maximum, sweeping from third to first in Heat 11 in spectacular fashion.
Meanwhile, Scorpions used Sheffield’s Kyle Howarth as a guest for ‘flu bug victim Michael Palm Toft, with Howarth scoring 8 points.
Kerr (pictured leading Heat 3) ended as Scunthorpe’s top man on 11 points, while new signing Tero Aarnio had a busy meeting – after Scorpions suffered three tape penalties – and ended up with 8+1 points from seven rides.
The meeting was superb entertainment, with terrific racing, but it was little consolation to Godfrey.
He said: “I guess we did have a bit of bad luck during the meeting, but I’m not going to make excuses any more.
“Some of my riders need to take a look at themselves. I’ve been loyal to them – maybe too loyal. But we just cannot continue losing home meetings.
“We’re having a tough season for a third year in succession, and I’m not happy with that.
“In terms of cost, my commitment to the team has been greater than ever this season, and I expected more from this team.
“I don’t want to change any of the team. But it’s going to reach a point where I’m going to have to do that – it’s as simple as that.”
HENDERSON INSURANCE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS 44
1. Kyle Howarth (Guest) R 2 3 1 2 (8)
2. Carl Wilkinson TX 1* 2 0 (3+1)
3. Lewis Kerr 3 2 3 3 0 (11)
4. Ryan Douglas 1 1* TX 3 (5+1)
5. Josh Auty 2 3 1* 0 (6+1)
6. Tero Aarnio 2 0 2* 1 2 R 1 (8+1)
7. Josh Bailey 3 0 0 (3)
IPSWICH WITCHES 46
1. Danny King 3 3 3 3 3 (15) FULL MAXIMUM
2. Cameron Heeps 1 0 3 0 (4)
3. Justin Sedgmen 0 0 2 2 (4)
4. Kyle Newman 2 1 1* 2 (6+1)
5. Rory Schlein 3 3 2 2* 1 (11+1)
6. Connor Mountain 1* 0 FX (1+1)
7. Nathan Greaves 2 1 1 1* 0 (5+1)
1: (Re-run) King, Aarnio, Heeps, Howarth (ret), Wilkinson (excluded, tape touching), 57.67 (2-4) (2-4).
2: (Re-run) Bailey, Greaves, Mountain, Aarnio, 59.56 (3-3) (5-7).
3: Kerr, Newman, Douglas, Sedgmen, 57.87 (4-2) (9-9).
4: Schlein, Auty, Greaves, Bailey, 57.75 (2-4) (11-13).
5: King, Kerr, Douglas, Heeps, 56.31 (3-3) (14-16).
6: Schlein, Howarth, Wilkinson, Mountain, 58.06 (3-3) (17-19).
7: Auty, Aarnio, Newman, Sedgmen, 59.06 (5-1) (22-20).
8: (Re-run) Heeps, Wilkinson, Greaves, Bailey (penalised 15m for tape touching), 58.31 (2-4) (24-24).
9: (Re-run twice) Kerr, Schlein, Aarnio, Mountain (fell, excluded), Douglas (excluded, tape touching), 58.34 (4-2) (28-26).
10: Howarth, Sedgmen, Newman, Wilkinson, 58.13 (3-3) (31-29)
11: King, Aarnio, Auty, Heeps, 58.19 (3-3) (34-32).
12: Kerr, Sedgmen, Greaves, Aarnio (ret), 58.63 (3-3) (37-35).
13: King, Schlein, Howarth, Auty, 57.44 (1-5) (38-40).
14: Douglas, Newman, Aarnio, Greaves, 58.56 (4-2) (42-42).
15: (Re-run) King, Howarth, Schlein, Kerr, 57.31 (2-4) (44-46).
