REPORT: Erik Riss brilliant, as Spires push league favourites

ERIK RISS registered the highest score by an Oxford rider in 34 years, as BetGoodwin Oxford Spires gave title favourites Ipswich a major fright, before Witches registered a 48-42 victory at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium last night (Thursday).

Riss totted up 20 points from seven rides – a second place to 2017 World Champion Jason Doyle in Heat 1 followed by six victories.

Not since the legendary Hans Nielsen scored a 21-point maximum at Reading in 1991 has an Oxford rider scored as many points in the top-flight on a single evening.

The 29-year-old German’s herculean effort including a victory over Russian superstar Emil Sayfutdinov in Heat 6. Dan Thompson was the early leader of that race, but Riss passed him at the halfway stage.

Spires would have been even closer, if not for a controversial exclusion for young Rising Star Luke Killeen.

The 19-year-old showed his undoubted talent in Heat 8, when he surged around former British Champion Danny King on the third lap to join Riss for a 5-1.

In Heat 11, the Ipswich pair of Thompson and Doyle showed first, with Killeen threatening on the outside. At the end of the first lap, Doyle glanced over his shoulder and moved across to block his young opponent. But, just as Killeen looked he had the run on the former World Champion, there was contact between the two riders. Doyle was first to lose control and ploughed into Killeen, as both tumbled on the first bend and race-leader Thompson also received a nudge and crashed down.

Fortunately, all three riders got back to their feet, while the Oxford fans were a little mystified at Killeen’s exclusion by referee Gary Allen, since while it was a racing incident, Doyle looked far more at fault. However, the referee seemingly did not want to exclude the senior rider.

Ipswich took a 4-2 in the re-run to move six points ahead at 36-30. Oxford team manager Peter Schroeck wasted no time and introduced Riss as a tactical substitute in Heat 12. Riss passed Thompson on the third bend, and also created a gap for team-mate Charles Wright. Wright won a subsequent battle for second place, as this pairing took their second 5-1 on the night and reduced the gap to just two points.

Witches then won the meeting with two heat advantages in Heats 13 and 14, before Riss completed a brilliant night’s work in Heat 15. He led Sayfutdinov, when the Russian came down trying a big sweep around the outside and Riss then headed home Tom Brennan in the re-run.

Erik Riss said: “I had a good feeling about today. Last week wasn’t so good for me, but I learned some things that I had to do. I also had some issues with my clutch, so I spent the weekend practicing and trying out different things. It all paid off, because tonight my starts were good and the bike set-up was just right.

“Our performance tonight was okay because Ipswich are a strong team. But we know we are capable of more as a team. Once we all get going, we can beat anyone around here – and that includes Ipswich.

“I have lost weight over the winter. I’ve always been quite muscular and over the winter, I’ve sacrificed some of those muscles to reduce my weight, because it does help as a speedway rider – the less weight, the quicker you are. I want to progress in speedway. I’m now 29 and time is running away, so I want to make it count and do everything in my capabilities to be where I want to be.”

The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the first outing of the season for the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies, who host the Scunthorpe Scorpions in the MAXiCab Knockout Cup next Wednesday (April 9) at 7.30pm.

Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

BetGoodwin Oxford Spires 42: Rohan Tungate 1+1, Erik Riss 20, Charles Wright 9+2, Peter Kildemand R/R, Maciej Janowski 8, Francis Gusts 2, Luke Killeen 2+1.

Ipswich Witches 48: Jason Doyle 11+1, Danny King 2, Adam Ellis 4+1, Tom Brennan 8+1, Emil Sayfutdinov 9+2, Dan Thompson 10, Jordan Jenkins 4+1.

PHOTO: Jason Doyle (white) loses control in Heat 11, bringing down both himself and Luke Killeen (blue) – Killeen was somehow the rider excluded from the re-run! (pic: Les Aubrey)