REPORT: ‘Magic’ secures last-heat victory for Spires at Birmingham
BETGOODWIN Oxford Spires took their fourth win of the season out of four against Birmingham Brummies, with a victory for skipper Maciej ‘Magic’ Janowski in Heat 15 sealing a 47-43 victory in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership at Perry Barr last night (Monday).
The evening was poignant, since it was the last time that an Oxford side will visit Birmingham’s Perry Barr Stadium, before the venue shuts at the end of the season. Perry Barr has been a happy hunting ground for Oxford – between them, Cheetahs and Spires have recorded six away league wins out of six at the circuit between 2022 and 2025.
Spires went into the meeting tracking three guests in addition to regulars Janowski, Rohan Tungate, Charles Wright and Luke Killeen. There were threatening clouds up above before the meeting, but the rain held off.
Janowski set out his stall in Heat 1, roaring past Paco Castagna and pulling away to victory.
Reserves Jason Edwards and Killeen both enjoyed a good evening and they placed Spires ahead with a 4-2 in Heat 2, after Killeen passed Sam Hagon for third place in the early stages. Killeen again overtook opposing Rising Star Hagon in Heat 4, with Tungate also finding a way past Hagon, as Spires salvaged a 3-3, despite being beaten out of the start.
With the scores at 12-12, Janowski and Zach Cook placed Spires back in front with a 5-1 in Heat 5.
Killeen took a well-deserved race win in Heat 8, with Spires close to another 5-1, but Castagna passed Cook for second place on the last lap. Nevertheless, it was the first of two successive 4-2s for Spires.
Wright won his second successive outing in Heat 10, changing lines to sweep under Castagna on the final lap. Meanwhile, a stellar effort from Killeen saw him miss out in a battle with Brummies’ No 1 Tobiasz Musielak.
Matej Zagar inflicted Janowski’s only defeat in Heat 11, with the Pole almost forcing his way under Zagar on the second lap.
Edwards kept Spires four points ahead by winning Heat 12. Wright held third at one point, but headed wide looking to make another passing manoeuvre and instead dropped back to fourth.
In Heat 13, Tungate cut back on the second bend and emerged to join Janowski for a 5-1 that placed Spires eight points clear. There was a slight delay to this heat starting, due to the air fence deflating, and Zagar decided to entertain the crowd with a pre-race wheelie, but was left with egg on his face, when he pulled up at the back on the second lap with a machinery failure. Meanwhile, the already well-beaten Musielak suffered a puncture on the final lap and had to push home for a point.
Musielak came into Heat 14 as a tactical substitute and Brummies pulled back a 5-1 to take the meeting to the final race.
Janowski and Tungate trapped in the decisive Heat 15. Tungate drifted slightly wide on the second bend, and Musielak and Keynan Rew came through. But Janowski held on for the race win, to clinch victory for the Spires. Janowski pulled celebration wheelies, which were lapped up by the healthy visiting support congregated on the first turn.
Janowski scored 14 points, dropping just a single point. He was well-backed by Tungate (8+2) and Wright (8), while Edwards (7) and Killeen (6) outscored Brummies’ reserves by 13 points to five. Ironically, Edwards was the Rising Star for Brummies until just a few weeks ago, but they released him while he was injured.
Skipper Maciej Janowski said: “I was very pleased with my performance from the beginning of the meeting. I was able to make some good starts and that was key. I’m very happy to score 14 points on an away track.
“The whole team went well today. We believed we could win before the meeting, and it was a good night for us. We enjoyed our evening.”
Spires’ manager Peter Schroeck said: “Birmingham are a good side, especially around their own track, but we worked hard, got stuck in and took the victory.
“Before the meeting, I reminded the lads that we’ve never lost in a league meeting at Birmingham. Sadly, it’s our last visit to this track and we didn’t want to lose our record in our last meeting here.
“We were consistent tonight, and the reserves did really well and that made a big difference. Both Jason (Edwards) and Luke (Killeen) won important races for us.
“It was fantastic that we had so many fans here tonight, getting behind the Spires. Their support was a bit special and really lifted us. That’s what we’re looking for, for the rest of the season with Spires. We know we can’t reach the play-offs, but we want a good run towards the end of the season and finish the year on a high. We want the fans to come along to Oxford and enjoy the remaining meetings for Spires.
“We needed this result tonight – we did a good job. If we’d have lost, the rest of the season for Spires would have dragged on. But tonight lifts the whole club – the riders, the fans and the management – and we’re now looking forward to the rest of the year.”
The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies host Plymouth Gladiators in the Cab Direct Championship tomorrow (Wednesday, July 23) at 7.30pm. The meeting is highly anticipated, since it features the return of former Cheetahs’ skipper Scott Nicholls to Sandy Lane, after missing nine months due to a shoulder injury. Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/
Birmingham Brummies 43: Tobiasz Musielak 11+2, Paco Castagna 7, Jonas Jeppesen 3, Keynan Rew 9+2, Matej Zagar 8, Zaine Kennedy 5+2, Sam Hagon 0.
BetGoodwin Oxford Spires 47: Maciej Janowski 14, Zach Cook 3+1, Charles Wright 8, Kye Thomson 1, Rohan Tungate 8+2, Jason Edwards 7, Luke Killeen 6.
PHOTO: Luke Killeen and Zach Cook ahead of Paco Castagna in Heat 8 (pic: Ian Wagstaff)