REPORT: Cheetahs lose out in curtailed clash at league leaders

SD TIMMO CAR SALES Oxford Cheetahs are determined to hit back at Berwick tonight (Saturday), after a loss in an abandoned meeting at Glasgow last night (Friday). Heavy rain called a halt to proceedings after Heat 11, with the result standing as a 43-23 victory for top-of-the-table Glasgow Tigers.

While glorious weather continues across most of the rest of the UK, the largest city in Scotland was subjected to a day of inclement weather, although it had halted in time for the start-time of the meeting. The track was in reasonable condition, but the meeting far from a classic around a circuit that usually produces excellent racing.

Oxford threatened to go ahead with a 4-2 in Heat 1, but guest Max Perry fell at the start of the final lap, shortly after Vinnie Foord burst underneath him. Skipper Sam Masters won the race for Cheetahs.

Heat 2 was also shared, with Dayle Wood and Darryl Ritchings packing the minor positions, before Glasgow took the lead with a 4-2 in Heat 3, with Edward Kennett second for Cheetahs. Anders Rowe pulled up at the back with a fuel problem.

Heat 4 was also shared, with Wood and Luke Killeen following home Glasgow’s Leon Flint, as the scoreline moved to 13-11.

But fast-starting Glasgow then took three successive 5-1s to move decisively in the lead. Perry came off worst in a first bend collision with Foord in Heat 8, with all four back in the re-run, where Wood passed Foord with a lap remaining to stop the run of 5-1s to Tigers.

Glasgow were almost out of sight after another 5-1 in Heat 9, but Cheetahs then registered two 3-3s, with Masters winning his second race in Heat 11, and ending the unbeaten status of both Flint and Sam Hagon.

The rain then returned with a vengeance and intensified, and both teams agreed conditions were no longer suitable for racing and the meeting was abandoned.

Cheetahs’ manager Peter Schroeck said: “We started off alright, but got caught out with the set-ups at one point of the meeting and Glasgow pulled ahead. Glasgow are a good team and they are sharp around here.

“It was the right decision to call a halt to the meeting. I spoke to Glasgow manager Cami Brown and we agreed that the track had deteriorated too much due to the rain. If it had gone any further, then Sam Masters was coming out as our tactical substitute in Heat 12.

“Glasgow had more-or-less won both the meeting and the aggregate bonus point, and it wasn’t worth carrying on. I didn’t want us to wait until somewhere crashes and then have a headache for Berwick tomorrow.

“There’s no point dwelling on this result. I told the boys to forget about the meeting and now focus on Berwick. We’ve got Mitch (McDiarmid) back tomorrow and we’re back to our usual line-up. We’ve travelled a long way north this weekend, and the meeting at Berwick is a chance for us to go home with something to show for our efforts.”

The next meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium is next Wednesday (July 8) at 7.30pm, when the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs take on Plymouth Gladiators in Cab Direct Championship action. Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Glasgow Tigers 43: Dan Thompson 8, Vinnie Foord 4+2, Chris Harris 8+1, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 6+1, Leon Flint 7+1, Sam Hagon 10+1, Freddy Hodder 0.

SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs 23: Sam Masters 7, Max Perry 0, Edward Kennett 4+1, Anders Rowe 2, Luke Killeen 3+1, Darryl Ritchings 1+1, Dayle Wood 6.

PHOTO BY STEVE EDMUNDS