REPORT: Magic formula as Spires win a classic

OXS Oxford Spires snatched an exciting 46-44 victory over Leicester Lions in a classic meeting in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership at Oxford Stadium last night (Monday).

All but one meeting featuring the Spires at Oxford so far this season has been a last-heat decider and it happened yet again, with Spires’ Australian No 1 Rohan Tungate and revitalised Polish superstar Maciej ‘Magic’ Janowski both passing Sam Masters in the final race to secure a dramatic victory.

The results moves Spires back into the top four and the play-off places at the expense of Lions.

Spires took the lead with a 5-1 from Tungate and Charles Wright over high-flying Max Fricke in Heat 1 and led 28-20 after eight races, with Lions having already used their tactical substitute when Fricke came into win Heat 7.

On Sunday at Glasgow, 16-year-old Ashton Boughen became the youngest rider to finish on the rostrum of the British Under-21 Championship since treble World Champion Tai Woffinden in 2007. Last night, he scored six points, including three victories over Sam Hagon – the newly-crowned British Under-21 Champion – in Heats 2, 4 and 8.

But Lions then edged back into the meeting and reduced the deficit to just two points in Heat 12. That race saw Lewis Kerr and Erik Riss emerge in front, only for the referee to stop the race and warn Leicester’s Craig Cook for moving at the start. As so often happens, it was Cook and team-mate Luke Becker who took a 5-1 in the re-run.

Fricke ended the unbeaten run of Tungate after a fierce battle in the opening exchanges of Heat 13, while crucially Oxford skipper Chris Harris took third, after bombing under Sam Masters on the third bend of the final lap in trademark style. Harris had earlier passed Hagon in Heat 4 and Fricke in Heat 11 – both times in the latter half of the race.

Spires maintained their two-point lead when Janowski used the outside line to move from third to first in Heat 14, snatching the verdict from Ryan Douglas in a photo-finish to the delight of the home support.

Lions made the quickest starts in Heat 15 and could have snatched victory with a 5-1. When Tungate thrust himself under Masters at the start of the second lap, it looked like the match could be heading for a Superheat.

But Janowski again used the outside line to great effect and roared under Masters on the final bend of the third lap to a deafening roar from another bumper crowd for Spires.

Rohan Tungate top-scored for Spires with 13 points, while the key overtakes by Janowski in Heats 14 and 15 proved vital to the outcome.

Maciej Janowski, who scored 9+2 and was awarded Rider Of The Night, said: “I’m very happy that we won today, because Leicester have some very good riders in their team, so we did well to beat them.

“I’m happy to score more points for the team and I have trained hard. I’m still looking to score more points, but I helped the team today and that’s good.

“I want to be more sure about what I’m doing. The starts over here are very different than in Poland, and it’s getting used to those again and making sure I have bikes that work for me over here. It’s also about changing my technique to get off the starts.

“I felt good today. I felt the bike that I now have was working well. The support of the fans when they were cheering for me is really motivating and I thank them and I want to do well for them.”

The next action at Oxford Stadium takes place on Wednesday (7.30pm) when Oxford Cheetahs take on the Scunthorpe Scorpions in the Cab Direct Championship. Tickets are already on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Admission is available at the early bird price of £20 for all adults, which increases to £22 on Race Day. All under-16s go free. A reminder that Oxford Speedway is online ticket sales only – tickets remain on sale on the website until the start-time of the meeting.

Supporters are reminded to bring back the programme and insert combination that serves both meetings this week and save themselves £3. Fresh programmes – which will include the insert – will still be on sale on Wednesday evening for £3.

OXS Oxford Spires 46: Rohan Tungate 13, Charles Wright 8+2, Lewis Kerr 2, Maciej Janowski 9+2, Chris Harris 6+2, Erik Riss 2+1, Ashton Boughen 6.

Leicester Lions 44: Max Fricke 14, Richard Lawson 6+2, Luke Becker 2+1, Ryan Douglas 7, Sam Masters 7, Craig Cook 6+2, Sam Hagon 2.

PHOTO: Maciej Janowski after the key overtake on Sam Masters in Heat 15 (pic: Steve Edmunds)