REPORT: Cheetahs go top of the table, despite concluding Super Heat controversy

MONARCH Oxford Cheetahs rose to the top of the Cab Direct Championship, after fighting back from eight points behind to tie the scores at 45-45 at Redcar last night (Friday), although Cheetahs missed out in the concluding Super Heat in highly controversial circumstances, after skipper Scott Nicholls was penalized for a second starting offence.

Cheetahs were never in doubt of picking up the aggregate bonus point, having beaten Bears by 53-36 at Oxford in May, while the 45-45 result meant both teams picked up at least a point on the night.

There was still an extra point for grabs for the winners of the Super Heat, with Cheetahs involved in their second such race in three evenings, with victory over Poole at Oxford Stadium on Wednesday night. When Sam Masters and Nicholls trapped, it all looked good for the visitors.

However, the next moment referee Gary Allen stopped the race, having deemed that Nicholls have moved at the start. He’d already given him a previous warning in Heat 9 and therefore Nicholls took his place in the re-run of the Super Heat off a 15-metre penalty. While Masters led all the way, Nicholls could not make up ground on Danny King and Charles Wright, and with the 4-3-2-0 scoring for this race, Redcar won the Super Heat by 5-4.

The Oxford camp were left furious – since Nicholls did not appear to move for at least one of his two warnings if not both. It was a shame that such an entertaining meeting – in which teams had given their all on a challenging track – end in controversy.

Cheetahs moved 17-13 ahead after Masters and Cameron Heeps took a 5-1 in Heat 5, although Bears levelled the scores in Heat 7 after race-leader Luke Killeen hit a patch on the track on the final lap and fell.

Redcar moved ahead with a 5-1 in Heat 10, and then the previously unbeaten Masters touched the tapes in Heat 11. He went off 15 metres in the re-run, but shed a chain, as Bears took a second successive 5-1.

Nicholls came out in Heat 12 as a tactical substitute and joined Killeen for a 4-2. Nicholls also won Heat 13, while Masters won a battle for second place, repassing Danny King, as Cheetahs took a 5-1.

Jordan Jenkins finished a productive night’s work by winning Heat 14, while Adam Roynon passed Ben Trigger on the third bend to take third place, as Cheetahs levelled the scores with a 4-2.

Roynon – making his debut for Cheetahs in place of the injured Henry Atkins – carried on riding, despite hurting his shoulder in Heat 2, when taking avoiding action after team-mate Jody Scott had slid off the back of the bike in front of him.

Heat 15 saw Bears on a 4-2, with King out in front, and Masters under pressure from Wright. But Masters produced a great ride to overhaul King and share the race and take the meeting to a Super Heat.

Masters was unbeaten the whole evening, except for his mishap in Heat 11, and won both Heat 15 and the Super Heat. Nicholls was also outstanding, scoring 14 points from his first five outings and did not deserve his evening to end as it did.

Oxford team manager Peter Schroeck said: “It’s not the first time we’ve had problems with this particular referee and we will be taking the matter further. People should be talking about what a great meeting it was, not the performance of the referee. It’s less about the winning or losing the Super Heat, but more about the public being robbed of a race by the referee.

“It was a shame that the night ended like that, because they were so many positives. You do get a point for forcing the draw and taking the race to a Super Heat and that point, along with the aggregate bonus point, has taken us to the top of the table. We’ve taken four out of five points from two tough meetings this week, and the efforts of the boys have taken us top.

“We showed a lot of spirit in coming back from eight points down tonight. Jordan and Cam did a great job in backing up Sam and Scott, while Luke was unlucky not to score more points. The track was a bit choppy and it caught him out in one race while he was leading.

“Jody was on the pace and gave it a go. Adam hurt his shoulder quite badly, but still got a key point in Heat 14, and without that, we wouldn’t have got 45 points and we wouldn’t be top.”

Monarch Cheetahs host the Workington Comets at Oxford Stadium next Wednesday (June 26) in a Cab Direct Championship clash between two teams currently in the play-off places.

Tickets are already on sale for next Wednesday’s home meeting at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Redcar Bears 45: Charles Wright 9+2, Connor Bailey 4+1, Dan Gilkes 3, Jason Edwards 5+1, Danny King 9+1, Ben Trigger 7+2, Jake Mulford 8+1.

Monarch Oxford Cheetahs 45: Sam Masters 11+1, Cameron Heeps 7+1, Luke Killeen 2, Jordan Jenkins 8, Scott Nicholls 14, Jody Scott 0, Adam Roynon 3+1.

Redcar win Super Heat by 5-4. Super Heat result: Masters, King, Wright, Nicholls.

PHOTO: Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls – scored 25 points between them (pic: Steve Edmunds)