REPORT: Impressive display by depleted Chargers at Leicester

DEFENDING champions Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers powered by SD Timmo Car Sales lost their first meeting of the season with a 41-47 defeat in the WSRA National League at leaders Leicester yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.

Both sides went into the clash with a 100% record in the top of the table encounter, and Chargers did well to keep it so close, despite losing both reserves, Senna Summers and Sam Woods, through wrist injuries.

Woods crashed out in Heat 6 and Summers in Heat 9, and Chargers only had one representative in Heats 12 and 14.

Skipper Luke Killeen scored 14 points for Chargers, including two very impressive wins over Leicester skipper Joe Thompson in Heats 6 and 15, with Thompson in turn stopping Killeen’s maximum in Heat 13.

Jody Scott was also very impressive for Chargers and only dropped points to Thompson on his way to a 10+1 scoreline. With Jason Garrad sustaining injuries while riding for Berwick on Saturday, Connor Coles came in to guest for Chargers and picked up nine points.

During an eventful afternoon’s racing, Lion Cubs moved 12-6 ahead, but Chargers pegged them back and were just two points behind after seven races.

A lengthy track grade between Heats 7 and 8 did the circuit few favours and there were only two finishers in both Heats 8 and 9.

A bizarre Heat 8 saw both Chargers, Jacob Clouting and Summers, fall in separate incidents. Both Lion Cubs, Sonny Springer and Vinnie Foord slowed to a standstill, expecting a stoppage, but both Chargers were off the track. The announcer told the Leicester riders to start racing again, which the rulebook seems to forbid, while Leicester took a 5-0 in a race over eight seconds slower than Heat 7.

Skipper Luke Killeen said: “We fought hard all afternoon and everyone played their part and we held our own. We send get well soon wishes to both Senna and Sam.

“It was good to beat Joe Thompson twice, especially around here, since it’s his own track and he’s done a lot of laps around here. I can beat anyone on my day, but it’s not always my day, but today was.

“With a six-point gap, the aggregate bonus point is definitely not out of our reach when Leicester come to our place later in the season and hopefully we’ll have a full team by then.”

Team manager Peter Schroeck said: “The boys got stuck in and I couldn’t have asked for more from them. We even lost a 5-0, so to only lose by six points was some achievement. We lost some points in other races too, while losing both reserves meant we were very restricted in what we could do. When you consider everything that happened, we did so well to keep the gap to six points.

“The track had a bit too much water on it after the track grade and it took just a few races to settle back down. But it’s always tough to run daytime meetings, especially when the sun comes out, like it did today.

“It was a hot and difficult day, but overall we came drive away with our heads up high and we’ve definitely got a chance of the aggregate point when Leicester come back to our place in August.”

The next meeting at Oxford Stadium is on Wednesday (June 26), when Monarch Oxford Cheetahs host the Workington Comets in a top-of-the-table Cab Direct Championship clash.

Tickets are already on sale at https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Leicester Lion Cubs 47: Joe Thompson 13, Sonny Springer 5+1, Tom Spencer 8, Luke Crang 3, Max James 5+1, Jacob Fellows 2+1, Vinnie Foord 11+2.

Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers powered by SD Timmo Car Sales 41: Jody Scott 10+1, Jacob Clouting 3+1, Connor Coles (guest) 9, Ashton Vale 4, Luke Killeen 14, Senna Summers 1, Sam Woods 0.

PHOTO: Luke Killeen (pic: Steve Edmunds)