REPORT: Spires miss out in Manchester

BETGOODWIN Oxford Spires played their part in an enthralling meeting at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester last night (Monday), but it was the home side, the Belle Vue Aces, who ran out as 53-37 victors.

Oxford conceded a 5-1 in Heat 1, before Spires’ Latvian reserve Francis Gusts won Heat 2, the first of four shared races.

Belle Vue edged further in front, while some of the racing on display was out of the top draw. In Heat 10, Spires held a 5-1 at one point, which switched to a 5-1 to Aces, before the race was eventually shared, after Charles Wright and guest Dan Thompson repassed Norick Blodorn on either side.

Skipper Maciej Janowski came into Heat 12 as a tactical substitute, but the race was only shared, while Aces clinched victory with a 4-2 in another stellar race in Heat 13 which saw Belle Vue skipper Brady Kurtz race around Rohan Tungate for victory.

Spires’ Achilles Heel was not providing enough heat winners, and Thompson became only the second Spire to take the chequered flag in Heat 14, after overhauling Tate Zischke on the opening lap. Wright almost became a third in the concluding Heat 15, but was overtaken by the flying Kurtz on the final lap. Wright did have the consolation of holding off Jaimon Lidsey on the line and denying Lidsey from joining Kurtz on a paid maximum.

Wright top-scored for Spires for a second successive meeting, scoring consistently for a 9+1 tally. Every Spire scored points, and Luke Killeen’s four-point return in the No 7 Rising Star position was particularly pleasing, as Killeen twice bested opposite number Jake Mulford.

Belle Vue’s Dan Bewley withdrew after one race for Aces with a back injury, but his team-mates covered for his absence well, with Injury Rider Replacement scoring seven points from three rides.

Charles Wright said: “It’s a shame that we lost as a team, but I was pleased with my own performance.

“If you don’t have the speed around this track, you will soon be overtaken. But I picked the right motor tonight. It was hard in my first one, but I then got it dialled in.

“It was a shame I couldn’t hold on in the last race in Heat 15. I just missed a rut on the final lap and I ended up getting overtaken. But overall I was satisfied with my night.”

The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies take on their biggest rivals, the Poole Pirates in the BSN Series on Wednesday (April 16) at 7.30pm, with Cheetahs gunning for revenge after defeat to Pirates in both the play-off final and Knockout Cup final last October.

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

Belle Vue Aces 53: Brady Kurtz 14+1, Norick Blodorn 8, Jaimon Lidsey 16, Zach Cook 7+1, Dan Bewley 3, Tate Zischke 3+1, Jake Mulford 2+1.

BetGoodwin Oxford Spires 37: Rohan Tungate 6, Erik Riss 3+2, Charles Wright 9+1, Dan Thompson 7+2, Maciej Janowski 4+2, Francis Gusts 4, Luke Killeen 4.

PHOTO: Charles Wright and Erik Riss prepare for a race at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium (pic: Ian Wagstaff)