Sunday, April 20, 2025
OXFORD SPEEDWAY
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REPORT: Great comeback by Cheetahs at Plymouth

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LED by a superb maximum from skipper Sam Masters, SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies recovered from seven points down to record a 48-41 victory at Plymouth last night (Saturday), as they moved to the top of the BSN Series southern group.

Cheetahs showed plenty of spirit, with both Dane Jonas Knudsen (7+2) and Australian teenager Mitch McDiarmid (6+2) impressing on their first-ever visits to the Plymouth Coliseum, the smallest and tightest track in British Speedway. Knudsen was only denied a paid maximum by a fall in Heat 1, while on a 5-1 with Masters.

Oxford dropped points with a number of early mishaps, including conceding a 5-0 in Heat 3, after falls for both Dan Gilkes and Jordan Jenkins. While Gilkes’ exclusion was fairly straightforward, the exclusion for Jenkins in the re-run was much more debatable – he was left with nowhere to go, after Mitchell Cluff left him no racing room.

Cheetahs twice found themselves seven points down, at 15-8 after four races and 24-17 after Heat 7.

Knudsen and Luke Killeen clawed back a 4-2 in Heat 8, while Gilkes showed bouncebackability to win Heat 10 after two pointless outings, as he and Jenkins pegged back another 4-2 – with Plymouth No 1 Nicolai Klindt relegated to the back.

Cheetahs took the lead for the first time in Heat 11 at 33-32, after Masters and Knudsen took their second 5-1 of the evening (the previous one occurred in Heat 5), and inflicted the first defeat of the evening on Plymouth skipper Ben Barker in the process. Barker had won his first two outings from behind, but faded as the meeting progressed.

Two races later, and Cheetahs took complete control with a further 5-1 in Heat 13, this time from Masters and Cameron Heeps.

Lasse Fredriksen and Joe Thompson attempted to pull Plymouth back into the contest in Heat 14. But Gilkes and McDiarmid both overtook Thompson on the opening lap and the race was shared.

Cheetahs just needed a finisher in Heat 15 to secure victory, and Masters and Heeps further opened the gap with a closing 4-2, as Masters completed his full house. Heeps also had a good evening and collected 8+2.

Cheetahs’ skipper Sam Masters said: “We were on the backfoot early on, with the 5-0 against us. But the boys continued to battle and to get the win from where we were was a big effort.

“We’ve got a young team this season and everyone is digging deep. Everyone was trying 100 per cent every race and didn’t let things get the better of them. That’s the reason we won. It’s not easy to come to Plymouth for the first time – we had a couple of guys in Jonas and Mitch who hadn’t seen the place before, but they still had a good night.

“Mitch doesn’t have much experience of British Speedway at all yet. But he’s a talented kid and he was getting stuck in – the future is bright for him.

“Fifteen-point-maximums don’t come easy and I’m really happy to get one away from home this early in the season. I made life easier for myself, because I was making good starts, and I can’t complain.

“It’s early in the season. We’ve got to keep on battling away and we’ve got the team to do that.”

Cheetahs are unbeaten so far in 2025, with two victories and one draw.

The next action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the Oxford Spires take on the Leicester Lions in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership on Easter Monday, a meeting with a 1pm afternoon start. It’s the first of a double-header of action that day, since the same two sides also meet at Leicester at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the home meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

Plymouth Gladiators 41: Nicolai Klindt 6, Alfie Bowtell 6+1, Mitchell Cluff 2+1, Joe Thompson 7, Ben Barker 7, Lasse Fredriksen 12, Ben Trigger 1.

SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies 48: Sam Masters 15 (full maximum), Jonas Knudsen 7+2, Jordan Jenkins 5, Dan Gilkes 5, Cameron Heeps 8+2, Mitch McDiarmid 6+2, Luke Killeen 2+1.

PHOTO: Sam Masters and Jonas Knudsen in action at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium last week. Masters scored a full maximum at Plymouth, while Knudsen was only denied a paid maximum at the Coliseum with a Heat 1 fall (pic: Steve Edmunds)