REPORT: Cheetahs commence season with victory over Coventry Bees

LED by a paid maximum from skipper Sam Masters, SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs started their 2026 season with a 52-38 victory over a Coventry Bees Select in a challenge match at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium last night (Wednesday).

Cheetahs flew into a 14-4 lead after successive 5-1s from new signing Dayle Wood and guest Max Perry in Heat 2, and Luke Killeen and another new signing Anders Rowe in Heat 3, with Killeen recording the fastest time of the evening.

Coventry cut the lead to six points after team manager Hans Nielsen placed his skipper Chris Harris into Heat 9 as a tactical substitute and he joined Dan Thompson for a 5-1.

Heat 10 was the race of the evening. Luke Harrison and Leon Flint hit the first bend in front for Bees. But Masters forced a path inside Flint on the third bend. Riss followed his route and by the fourth turn, all four riders were abreast. The end result was that Riss and Masters both swept through for a 5-1, as Cheetahs restored their lead to ten points.

The same pair of Riss and Masters overhauled Harris in the early stages of Heat 13, with Riss moving around Harris on the back straight, followed by Masters after a lap. That further 5-1 put Cheetahs out of sight at 47-31.

Masters scored a 13+2 paid maximum, while Riss scored 13 in his first outing at Cowley since last June – before illness forced him to miss the second half of the season for Oxford Spires.

Both Rowe and Wood scored 8+1 on their Oxford debuts, while Perry – currently without a berth in the Cab Direct Championship – showed what he is capable of at this level with 6+3.

Erik Riss, who won Rider Of The Night, said: “I haven’t raced since June last year. I had my first meeting in Germany on Sunday and then rode tonight.

“When you haven’t been racing, it’s quite daunting to ride again. On top of that, I’ve had a pretty bad cold, so I didn’t feel energized and felt weak going into tonight. That placed even more doubts into my head, but I was fine once I got my first race out of the way.

“I can be happy with 13 points, even though I am still a bit rusty out of the starts. I did my first five starts since June last Sunday and did another five tonight, so I will get there. From next week, we head into the serious stuff against Plymouth and I’ll be ready for it.

“It was nice to take two 5-1s with Sam (Masters). I was particularly pleased to win Heat 13, because that’s one of the hardest races of the whole night. I enjoyed two or three years with Sam at Edinburgh. Ever since then, we’ve been on different sides as opponents. I feel we have a good understanding and it was fun to ride with him tonight.

“I was very impressed with a few of the boys today and I feel there’s a really good vibe about our team at Oxford.”

The next meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs at home to Plymouth Gladiators in the BSN Series next Wednesday (April 8). Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs 52: Sam Masters 13+2 (paid maximum), Mitch McDiarmid R/R, Anders Rowe 8+1, Luke Killeen 4, Erik Riss 13, Max Perry 6+3, Dayle Wood 8+1.

Coventry Bees Select 38: Chris Harris 11+1, Jody Scott 6, Leon Flint 5, Luke Harrison 5+1, Dan Thompson 9+1, Ashton Vale 0, Senna Summers 2.

PHOTO: Riders from the start in Heat 13 (pic: Steve Edmunds)