REPORT: Oxford Chargers stay in control of title fight with victory over Steelers at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium

REAL MINI COMPANY Oxford Chargers powered by AW Mobbs maintained their position at the top of the WSRA National League table with a 52-38 victory over the Steelers – the joint Scunthorpe and Sheffield side – at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium yesterday afternoon (Sunday).

It was a potential banana skin fixture for the Chargers, especially with skipper Jody Scott ruled out by the seven-day rule, after missing a meeting at Redcar on Friday through illness, plus Arran Butcher riding with a hand injury. Jordy Loftus had been due to guest for Butcher, but Loftus was then hurt in a crash at Edinburgh on Friday. Due to a dearth of other viable guest riders, Butcher responded to a request from team manager Peter Schroeck and rode for Chargers against the pain barrier.

Butcher joined Max Broadhurst for a 5-1 in Heat 2 that placed Chargers ahead, despite Sam Woods and Luke Harris buzzing all over the back wheel of Broadhurst. Woods eventually fell on the closing bends in one last attempt to pass Broadhurst.

A further 5-1 from stand-in skipper Ashton Vale and Jacob Clouting in Heat 3 put Chargers in control of the meeting, while Darryl Ritchings and Broadhurst posted a 5-1 in Heat 7 that took Chargers 12 points clear. In the absence of Scott, Ritchings was top man for Chargers. He swooped around Ben Morley in fantastic style with a lap to go to win Heat 4, and flew under Steelers’ No 1 Luke Harrison after a ,lap in Heat 11.

Chargers were without Scott and Ritchings when they travelled to Scunthorpe in June and lost 31-59. The aggregate bonus point always looked out of reach. There was a mathematical possibility that Chargers could have snatched it with three 5-1s in the final three races at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium. But with a rider of the quality of Harrison in Steelers’ ranks, that was not going to happen. Harrison passed Dayle Wood – the guest for Jody Scott – to win Heat 13, and also won the concluding Heat 15.

Ritchings lost his unbeaten tag in the exciting Heat 13, in which he moved up from fourth to second and then started to reel in Harrison, but ran out of time. Ritchings top scored for Chargers on 13 points.

Clouting scored 8+2 on his return from a scaphoid injury, while Vale (8+1), Wood (7+3) and Senna Summers (7) also scored solidly. Wood had suffered two falls at Plymouth the previous evening and had treatment to his finger in South Devon, but still fulfilled the guest booking for Chargers, and overtook Morley in Heat 1 to beat both him and Harrison in that race.

Broadhurst has his best meeting for Chargers, being involved in two 5-1s and posting 5+2, while Butcher bravely scored four points, despite a fall in Heat 8.

For Steelers, Harrison (16) and Morley (10+1) scored the bulk of their points. They were also forced into late changes, after the withdrawal of Vinnie Foord through injury and guest Mark Parker through illness.

Arran Butcher said: “I had a phone call from Pete (Schroeck) yesterday afternoon and he explained there was no guest options to cover me and asked if I could do the meeting. I was never going to say no to him, because the team comes first. It was one of those situations, because my hand still isn’t completely healed, but we won, so it’s happy days.

“I had to go the workshop and put a bike together. I’ve got three bikes, but two of them don’t work well around Oxford, while the third one was in bits after my crash at Edinburgh where I injured my hand.

“It was important for us to get the meeting to a good start and by winning Heat 2, it set the mood. The aggregate bonus point was too far away, so all we could do is make sure that we won the meeting. Everyone had a good meeting today and contributed. We’ve added more important points to keep ourselves at the top of the table in our quest to win the league.

“We don’t have dates for the meetings at Redcar or Edinburgh, so I have a bit more time to rest my hand before those. I hope it’s all good by then, and that we can wrap up the job we’ve been doing all year.”

Max Broadhurst said: “I’m really chuffed. That’s my best meeting to date, and I feel I’m improving. My first race [Heat 2] wasn’t the fastest race I’ve ridden, but I knew what I had to do – stay on the line and make the rider behind me do the hard work. I stuck to my guns and it worked and we got the 5-1.

“It was hard coming here earlier in the year and only scoring one or two points, so it’s really nice to be involved in two 5-1s and put more points on the board. Every meeting we win is another step to the championship – I’m hoping we can win it at the end of the season.

“It’s my first full season in speedway – I dabbled a little last season. I’ve had to learn a lot about the bikes. At the start of the season, we were changing the bikes all the time, but we then found a set-up that works. I’m now working on myself, rather than the bikes, and it’s going well.”

The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the BetGoodwin Oxford Spires host King’s Lynn Stars in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership this evening (Bank Holiday Monday, August 25) at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers powered by AW Mobbs 52: Dayle Wood 7+3, Senna Summers 7, Jacob Clouting 8+2, Ashton Vale 8+1, Darryl Ritchings 13, Arran Butcher 4, Max Broadhurst 5+2.

Steelers 38: Luke Harrison 16, Mickie Simpson R/R, Harrison Rogers 2, Kenzie Cossey 1, Ben Morley 10+1, Luke Harris 6, Sam Woods 3+1.

PHOTO: Darryl Ritchings passes Luke Harrison in Heat 11 (photo: Steve Edmunds)