SPEEDWAYWightlink Islanders 50, Weymouth 43
WIGHTLINK Islanders remain on top of the National Trophy table, after being made to work hard for victory by a dogged Weymouth side at Smallbrook on Tuesday.
The visitors took a 5-1 lead in the opening heat after Paul Starke got stuck in no man’s land and Lee Smethills appeared to slow after a good start. The Islanders levelled things up with a 5-1 of their own in heat two and by the sixth heat, they had opened up a 21-15 lead.
Weymouth narrowed the gap to four points by the ninth heat but again Islanders streaked away, Starke and Felton securing another 5-1 to make it 34-26.
Simmons won his third race in heat eleven with a pillar to post victory, in a shared heat, while in a re-run 12th heat — after Dean Felton fell initially — Warwick made no mistake, winning comfortably to make it 40-32.
Simmons missed the start in heat 13 but used all his track craft as he switched back to pass everyone. Starke, not to be outdone, then swooped around Cockle for a match-wining 5-1.
Weymouth threw in Karl Mason for double points which he managed to secure, although in the same heat Brendan Johnson came to grief and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Any hopes Weymouth may have had of snatching a point from this match ended when Simmons completed his maximum after a tremendous final heat, eventually passing Cockle to take the win, with Warwick taking third for a final score of 50-43.
Rye House 49, Wightlink Islanders 41
Islanders came so close to causing a major upset in this National league match in Hertfordshire on Bank Holiday Monday.
Against a team challenging for a play-off spot, the Islanders took to the tiny circuit with real belief. By two-thirds of the match had passed, they were looking good for victory.
Rye took an early lead when the super fast Kyle Hughes won heat one from Paul Stake, with Jo Jacobs taking third for a 4-2. The visitors responded when veteran Dean Felton shot from the start and was backed up by Tom Hill for a comfortable 1-5 victory to take the lead.
Things were tight over the following heats and by the seventh heat, things were all square at 21-21.
The visitors then slammed in a 1-5 win, as Lee Smethills shot from the start, with Felton again showing his experience to come through to second.
Rye then turned up the heat with 16 year old Marc Owen, Hughes, Strudwick and home skipper David Mason all winning and being backed up by their lower order riders, for a 39-33 lead.
Starke then produced the performance of the day as he held Hughes into second place for his only defeat of the day, while Simmons took third to give the visitors’ hope of taking home at least a point at 41-37.
A disappointing ride from Felton and Johnson, who it was fair to say was not having a good day, saw the home duo of Owen and Hazelden take a match winning 5-1 and a 46-38 lead.
There was still a chance of the bonus point but in the final heat Hughes gained revenge over Starke and Warwick with Owen in last place, but the shared heat was enough to give the home side all three league points.