REPORT: Cheetahs lose out in decider at Poole
SD TIMMO CAR SALES Oxford Cheetahs missed out at Poole’s Wimborne Road in their concluding qualifying meeting in the Southern Section of the BSN Series last night (Wednesday). Poole Pirates eventually won 52-37 on the evening and also won 91-88 on aggregate.
As group winners, Poole have qualified for the semi-finals of the BSN Series. Cheetahs concluded the Southern Section in second place on four points, with a race points difference of minus eight. The highest-scoring runner-up across the three groups will qualify for the semi-finals and both the Northern and Scottish groups are due to be concluded this weekend.
Oxford fought all the way at Wimborne Road. They suffered an early moment of misfortune when Sam Masters had an engine failure in Heat 1. The race finished as a 3-2, after a final lap fall for Poole’s Kyle Newman on a wet surface.
Cheetahs were hard done by in an eventful Heat 3. Anders Rowe nudged the tapes and was put back into the race from 15 metres. Mitch McDiarmid was in front, when Poole’s Lewis Kerr’s suffered machinery problems, resulting in a fall for team-mate Fraser Bowes. Rowe sailed through past the stricken Kerr into second place and Cheetahs were holding a 5-1 at the time of stoppage. Bowes was excluded for his fall, and with Kerr clearly not under motive power, it should be presented Cheetahs with a gift 5-0. But Kerr was allowed back into the re-run, and he took advantage of his second chance and won the race.
Cheetahs continued to battle and Masters squeezed between the fence and the fast-starting Kerr after a lap to win Heat 5, with Luke Killeen joining him for a 4-2. Cheetahs scrapped for every point, with Darryl Ritchings falling in a battle for third place with Newman in Heat 6. Newman’s tactic in pushing Ritchings towards the fence was a little overzealous and there were words between the two riders as they returned to the pits.
Oxford also took a 4-2 in Heat 7, after Anders Rowe used the inside line on the second bend to beat Zach Cook, while McDiarmid won a battle for third place with William Cairns.
Cheetahs were only three points behind, but then conceded a couple of 5-1s, as Pirates started to turn up the heat. Poole No 1 Richard Lawson produced a quality ride in Heat 10, to move from last to first and join Newman for a maximum heat win.
Killeen flew around the other three riders on the opening lap to win Heat 11, with Masters settling behind him to ensure the 5-1, as Cheetahs moved back within seven points.
But Poole then took 5-1s from both Heats 12 and 13 to win on the evening and also place themselves three points ahead on aggregate. Two 3-3s followed in the concluding races. Lawson clinched the bonus point for Pirates by winning Heat 15, and completed a full maximum in the process, while Killeen and Masters pegged back Kerr into last place.
Luke Killeen scored nine points and said: “Everyone gave it their all. Obviously, we came down here hoping to win, which is what we’ve done a couple of times in recent years.
“But tonight the track was different to normal – you either set the bike up for the inside or the very outside of the track, there was no in-between. There was more material than usual, but it was so loose it was difficult to use it.
“In Heat 8, I tried the dirt line on the outside and it didn’t work a race after the track grade. But by Heat 11, it did work and I got around everyone. Thanks to Sam (Masters) for setting behind in that one and joining me for a 5-1.
“Last season, we didn’t have the heat-leader support for Sam in Heat 15. This season, we do, so it’s nice that I’ve still gone well enough to be rewarded with that race a couple of times and beat the likes of Danny King and Lewis Kerr in that race.
“This year, we’ve got a good team. We’ve got two solid second strings in Mitch and myself, and Dayle Wood and Darryl Ritchings are battling at reserve and really committing to the first bend. On top of that, we’ve got three good heat-leaders. The big focus for us now is the league campaign in the Cab Direct Championship and we’re ready for that.”
The next scheduled meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium is on Wednesday, May 13 at 7.30pm, when the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs take on Edinburgh Monarchs in their opening meeting in the Cab Direct Championship. Tickets will be on sale in due course on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/
In the meantime, the Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers are in action in the WSRA National League at Middlesbrough on Friday evening (May 1).
Poole Pirates 52: Richard Lawson 15, Kyle Newman 5+2, Lewis Kerr 10+1, Fraser Bowes 0, Zach Cook 8+1, William Cairns 6, Cooper Rushen 8+1.
SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs 37: Sam Masters 9+2, Luke Killeen 9, Anders Rowe 6+1, Mitch McDiarmid 5, Jason Edwards (guest) 4+2, Daryl Ritchings 1, Dayle Wood 3+1.
PHOTO by Steve Edmunds