REPORT: Cheetahs eclipsed by Workington Comets in their final home meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium

SD TIMMO CAR SALES Oxford Cheetahs were pipped at the post by bottom club Workington Comets, with the visitors taking a 47-43 victory in the Cab Direct Championship at the Oxford BetGoodwin Stadium last night (Wednesday). The result moved Comets to just a point behind Cheetahs in the table.

Oxford – unbeaten in their previous five meetings – experienced a frustrating night. Both Luke Killeen and Mitch McDiarmid suffered exclusions after taking falls, also involving Workington’s Drew Kemp and Max Perry, while skipper Sam Masters also had to pick himself up, after being involved in a first bend bunching incident in Heat 10. Charging Cheetahs’ reserve Darryl Ricthings fell and remounted and lost third in Heat 4 and Anders Rowe suffered an engine failure in Heat 7, and all the lost points mounted up for Cheetahs.

Workington were deserving winners on the night and very well served by their two guest riders. Jason Edwards put in another exceptional appearance at Oxford and was unbeaten until Heat 15. Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris started his evening slowly, but recovered to overtake Masters to win both Heats 13 and 15.

Oxford started brightly with a 5-1 from Killeen and Masters in Heat 1. Comets pulled level, Cheetahs re-took the lead with a 5-1 in Heat 5, after McDiarmid steamed around the outside and joined Cheetahs’ guest Jody Scott for a 5-1.

Scott, the skipper for the Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers, came in as an eleventh hour guest for Erik Riss, with the German sadly was unable to take his place due to his ongoing health problems with his vision, with Riss releasing a heartfelt statement earlier in the day. Scott ended his night with 4+2 – more than Edward Kennett had scored from the previous two home meetings combined.

Another Oxford Charger, Darryl Ritchings was in the thick of action all night and his daring outside overtake of Tate Zischke for second place in Heat 7 kept Cheetahs two points in front.

Workington took the lead with a 5-1 in an awarded Heat 9, while Rowe produced an excellent ride to keep Harris at bay in Heat 11. Ritchings and Scott both overtook Niklas Holm Jakobsen in a shared Heat 12 to keep Cheetahs in contention. While last night was the final meeting of the season for Cheetahs, both Scott and Ritchings with three home meetings left with the Oxford Chargers in the WSRA National League.

Darryl Ritchings, who scored 6+2 for Cheetahs, said: “The track had a fair amount of material at the start of the evening and I made some moves, including going around Tate Zishcke in one race. That’s the grasstrack rider in me coming out to make a move like that around the outside.

“I was just concentrating on my own evening for most of the night. It wasn’t until Pete (Schroeck, Oxford team manager) came over to me before Heat 14 that I realised how close the scores were. We did our best as a team, but Workington just got the better of us.

“It’s been tough at times this season, but I feel I’ve stepped it up in the last month or so, as I’ve adapted to riding in the Cab Direct Championship and how the track around here evolves on those evenings.

“My focus is now on the Oxford Chargers. I want to score as many points in those meetings around here so that we finish the season strongly.”

Cheetahs travel to Poole next Wednesday (August 19) in their final Cab Direct Championship fixture of the season. In the meantime, both Anders Rowe and Jody Scott will represent Oxford Speedway in the British Final (August 15) at Belle Vue in Manchester on Saturday, which is being shown live on terrestrial television on ITV4 and ITVX.

The next meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium is a week on Sunday (August 23) in an afternoon meeting at 3pm, when the Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers – including Jody Scott and Darryl Ritchings – take on Leicester Lion Cubs in the WSRA National League. Tickets will be on sale in due course on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Chargers have two other home meetings left – dates to be confirmed – against Edinburgh Monarchs Academy and Buxton Bulls.

SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs 43: Sam Masters 9+1, Luke Killeen 8, Jody Scott 4+2, Mitch McDiarmid 6, Anders Rowe 7+1, Dayle Wood 3, Darryl Ritchings 6+2.

Workington Comets 47: Chris Harris 10, Vinnie Foord 0, Tate Zischke 8, Jason Edwards 12+1, Drew Kemp 7, Max Perry 4+3, Niklas Holm Jakobsen 6+1.

PHOTO: Luke Killeen and Sam Masters take an opening 5-1 over Chris Harris in Heat 1 (pic: Steve Edmunds)