PREVIEW: Cheetahs seek revenge against arch-rivals in BSN Series opener
SD TIMMO CAR SALES Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies are looking to sink their oldest rivals, the Poole Pirates, in the BSN Series at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium on Wednesday evening (April 16) at 7.30pm.
The two sides met eight times last season. Although it ended four victories apiece, it was the Pirates who defeated Cheetahs on aggregate in both the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final and Knockout Cup final, on their way to the treble.
The ruthless riding of the Poole riders in the second leg of the Grand Final at Wimborne Road left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Oxford supporters, and the fans would love to see victory over the Pirates on Wednesday evening.
Cheetahs started their season with a resounding 55-35 victory over Scunthorpe Scorpions in the MAXiCab Knockout Cup at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium last week, with both Jordan Jenkins and new signing Dan Gilkes posting 10+2 paid maximums, and skipper Sam Masters dropping a single point on his way to a 14-point tally.
Western Australian State Champion Mitch McDiarmid will make his British Speedway debut at reserve for Cheetahs – since his visa has now cleared, allowing him to race.
The BSN Series is divided into three regional groups, with both Poole and Plymouth joining Cheetahs in the Southern group. The group winner progresses to the semi-finals, with the best runner-up across the three groups also advancing. Cheetahs also travel to Poole on Good Friday, followed by a trip to Plymouth on Saturday.
Team manager Peter Schroeck says: “The meeting against Poole is a test for the Cheetahs. The Pirates have a very professional set-up and you can’t deny their success over the years. To me, we’re going to approach the meeting exactly as we did last week, because Scunthorpe aren’t a bad team either.
“But, at the same time, we’re all aware of the rivalry between Oxford and Poole, especially after how last season ended. It’s an eagerly anticipated clash, and, of course, we’d love to get a little slice of revenge over Pirates, as well as putting out a statement to the rest of the Cab Direct Championship.
“Cheetahs are involved in three BSN Series meetings this week. We are always looking at progression in competitions – but we won’t get too excited, we will just treat it one meeting at a time.”
Tickets are already on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/
Admission is available at the early bird price of £21 for all adults, which increases to £23 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. Spectators are also reminded that they will need to pay £2 if they are planning to park in the Unipart car park.
Teams:
SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies: Sam Masters (C), Jonas Knudsen, Jordan Jenkins, Dan Gilkes, Cameron Heeps, Mitch McDiarmid, Luke Killeen.
Poole Wessex Marine Pirates: Richard Lawson, Tobias Thomsen, Anders Rowe, Zach Cook (C), Lewis Kerr, Paul Starke, Matt Marson.
PHOTO: Oxford vs Poole Grand Final action from last season (pic: Steve Edmunds)