REPORT: Wonder ride by Sam Masters, as Cheetahs win thriller at Berwick

SD TIMMO CAR SALES Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies received a timely boost to their play-off hopes with a nail-biting 46-44 victory at Berwick’s Shielfield Park last night (Saturday). The victory places Cheetahs back into the key fourth place in the Cab Direct Championship table.

The win also sealed the aggregate bonus point, since Cheetahs had already beaten Berwick Bandits by 55-35 at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium last month.

Oxford built-up an eight-point lead after seven races, but Berwick had levelled at 36-36 after Heat 12.

Cheetahs’ skipper Sam Masters produced an outstanding ride in Heat 13. Peter Kildemand swooped around him on the second turn, and he was left behind Kildemand and Nick Morris in third place. The Berwick track is a particular challenge with its long, narrow straights and tight turns – producing spectacular high-speed racing. Masters threw caution to the wind and produced a storming ride, using the banking to storm around Kildemand on the fourth bend, and then squeezing between Morris and the fence on the back straight of lap two. His bravery ensured a 3-3 that keep the scores level.

Mitch McDiarmid suffered a heavy fall when his bike gave up the ghost in Heat 10. He was okay, but the machine was damaged. He borrowed a bike from guest rider Jonatan Grahn in Heat 14 and joined Jonas Knudsen for a key 5-1 that moved Cheetahs four points ahead with one race remaining.

In Heat 15, Kildemand again burst around Masters on the second bend. This time around, Masters only needed second place to ensure victory for his side, and he made sure he stayed comfortably ahead of Jonas Jeppesen to ensure Cheetahs won by 46-44.

Earlier, Cheetahs had swept into the lead with a 5-1 from Masters and Cameron Heeps in Heat 1. Berwick then moved 13-11 ahead, before a 4-2 from Masters and McDiarmid in Heat 5 levelled the scores.

Cheetahs took full control with back-to-back 5-1s – from Luke Killeen and Heeps in Heat 6, and McDiarmid and Grahn in Heat 7.

Cheetahs also trapped on a 5-1 in Heat 8. Sam Hagon passed Knudsen for second place, while race-leader Masters ground to a halt with an engine failure on the final lap, as Bandits stole a 4-2.

Killeen was lively throughout and repassed Berwick Drew Kemp skipper in Heat 9, to restrict Bandits to a 4-2.

Bandits levelled with a 5-1 in Heat 10, but Masters produced a great team-ride in Heat 11, to settle behind Knudsen, fend off Kildemand, and ensure the 5-1. Berwick again levelled the scores with a maximum of their own in Heat 12.

Masters scored 13+1, while the contribution of reserves Killeen (10) and Knudsen (9+1) was crucial to Cheetahs’ victory. McDiarmid scored 7+1 on his first-ever visit to Shielfield Park, while Heeps (4+2) was involved in two 5-1s to Cheetahs. Grahn (3+1) showed plenty of fight and the Oxford management were very grateful of his loan of his bike to McDiarmid in Heat 14. It was an evening where Cheetahs overcome machinery problems both on and off the track.

Skipper Sam Masters said: “I feel that we deserved the three points from this meeting. We had a couple of breakdowns – if not, we could have sealed it up before Heat 15.

“All the boys dug deep. It’s always tough coming to Berwick – their riders are very strong around here. I’m stoked with the result.

“You only seem to breakdown when you’re in front, and that happened to me in Heat 8. I was pretty frustrated with that – but I made sure that I made up for it in Heat 13, coming from third to overtake both the Berwick boys. I didn’t like riding that close to the fence around here to be honest, but it had to be done. Sometimes you have to go for it, and fortunately I didn’t stick the bike through an air bag.

“Overall, my bike was working well. When it’s doing that, you can do different things on the track, such as when I could settle behind Jonas in Heat 11. It’s never easy to team ride, especially when you’ve got someone as good as Peter Kildemand behind you, but I held him off and made sure we got the 5-1 in that one.

“We’ve had strong reserves in a lot of meetings recently and Luke and Jonas went a lot way to winning us the meeting. It’s a team effort and everyone’s points helped us win tonight. A win’s a win and I’m happy!”

The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies host the Redcar Bears in a crucial clash in the Cab Direct Championship on Wednesday (August 6) at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Berwick Bandits 44: Nick Morris 6+1, Sam Hagon 6, Jonas Jeppesen 10, Drew Kemp 6+1, Peter Kildemand 9+1, Dayle Wood 0, Jack Smith 7+1.

SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies 46: Sam Masters 13+1, Jordan Jenkins R/R, Jonthan Grahn 3+1, Mitch McDiarmid 7+1, Cameron Heeps 4+2, Luke Killeen 10, Jonas Knudsen 9+1.

PHOTO by Steve Edmunds