REACTION: “The team spirit with the Chargers is amazing. We all get on well with each other, we’re all really good mates and we all help each other out.”

WSRA Oxford Chargers powered by SD Timmo Car Sales moved back to the top of the National League table with a resounding 60-30 win over Berwick Bullets at Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday).

The result was the eighth successive victory for Chargers, who remain on course for a place in the top two which will earn them a place in the Grand Final in either September or October. Chargers face a stern test at second-placed Leicester – their likely opponents in the final – on Saturday evening.

Berwick may be bottom of the National League, but they showed early on that they had turned up for a contest, and the scores were level at 12-12 after four races. But Chargers then took three 5-1s and a 4-2 in the next four races to move into complete control.

All three points, including the aggregate bonus point, were in the bag with four races to go, while Chargers finished with a flurry with a hat-trick of 5-1s in the final three races, to reach sixty points for the first time in 2023.

Oxford’s dynamic duo of Henry Atkins and Jordan Jenkins were at it again. Sharp-starting Atkins scored a full 15-point-maximum, and was only once under any pressure, when chased by Steve Boxall in Heat 4.

Jenkins scored a paid maximum (13+2), working his way from third for first in a lap in Heat 1, passing Ben Trigger to win Heat 10, and flying past Boxall in the early stages of Heat 15. Jenkins shut off on the final bend of Heat 15 to allow Atkins to complete a full maximum. Jenkins had suffered a nasty fall at Peterborough on Monday night, but he bounced back last night in typical fighting style.

But last night wasn’t just about these two, as every Charger took at least one win or paid win during the evening, and every Oxford rider scored at least paid six.

Luke Killeen (6+3) reared and fell while leading Heat 2, but then collected three paid wins, the most impressive was when he thrust from fourth to second on the second bend of Heat 11 and then held off Boxall for the rest of the race. On a bruising night, Killeen also had to pick himself up from a first bend incident with Danny Phillips in Heat 14.

Three Chargers all posted an identical 7+1 score – Jacob Clouting, Jody Scott and Jason Garrad.

Clouting took an exciting paid win in Heat 1, after he passed Jamie Halder for second place on the line, as a race that Bullets led 5-1 out of the start finished as a 5-1 to Chargers. He also won Heat 8.

Scott started with a last place in Heat 3, but then only dropped one point in his remaining three races and passed Danny Phillips to win Heat 14, with Killeen following suit after thrusting inside the Bullet on the third lap.

Locally-based rider Garrad – a recent signing for Chargers – enjoyed a good meeting at Sandy Lane for the second successive week and would have scored even more had he not fell and remounted during Heat 4.

Ryan Kinsley (5+1) wasn’t he usual self out of the starts, but still won Heat 5, as he combined with a 5-1 with Scott to move Chargers in front.

For Bullets, Trigger looked pacy when out in front, but their most impressive performer was the experienced Boxall, who recently returned to speedway racing. In Heat 9, he battled past both Scott and Kinsley to win the race, while Kinsley was a late faller while attempting to hit back.

Jody Scott said: “We’ve taken all the points tonight, since we also won at Berwick earlier in the season, so we’ve collected an aggregate point.

“I’m happy to score paid eight and I’m pleased with that. That’s above my average and that’s what I want to do in each meeting.

“The track was a bit different in my first ride and I didn’t make the start. I prefer it when it’s slicker, although I really like the Oxford track. I want to take a heat win during the night and Heat 14 is my favourite race and I soon got into the front in that one.

“While it was nice for me to get a race win, of course the more important thing is the win for the team and we all rode well tonight.

“Looking forward to Leicester on Saturday, we’ve got a 50-39 lead over Leicester going into that. We’re in a good position to take the aggregate point, although hopefully we’ll take the away win as well, because we’ve won a few away meetings and we’d like to keep that going.

“The team spirit with the Chargers is amazing. We all get on well with each other, we’re all really good mates and we all help each other out. We know if we keep riding like we did tonight that we can end the season with some silverware.”

WSRA Oxford Chargers, powered by SD Timmo Car Sales 60: Jordan Jenkins 13+2, Jacob Clouting 7+1, Ryan Kinsley 5+1, Jody Scott 7+1, Henry Atkins 15, Luke Killeen 6+3, Jason Garrad 7+1.

Berwick Bullets 30: Connor Coles R/R, Jamie Halder 2, Ben Trigger 10, Danny Phillips 3+1, Steve Boxall 10, Kieran Douglas 3, Sam Woolley 2+2.

PHOTO: Jody Scott out in front in Heat 14 (PIC: STEVE EDMUNDS)