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Post by Genghis on May 6, 2008 20:21:49 GMT
FORGET THE RESULT... THE CHEETAHS ARE BACK!
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
OXFORD 39 SWINDON 51 (Challenge, 1st leg)
WEATHER: Dry - but very nippy!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Smooth & fast.
REFEREE: Graham Reeve.
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
A very positive opening night, with only one drawback... we lost at home to Swindon! The Robins proved just a little too sharp out of the gate, especially in the closing stages, as the visitors scored 23 out of 25 points after the interval break, to end up as 12-point victors after what had been a nip-and-tuck affair for most of the meeting.
The evening started with the first broadcast of the revolutionary Planet Speedway radio programme. Congratulations to Radio Oxford on putting together an excellent programme, featuring three Speedway legends in Hans Nielsen, Ivan Mauger and Tony Rickardsson.
With people still streaming through the turnstiles, the start of the meeting was put back by 15 minutes, but the match was then run at a good pace to prevent those stood on the terracing getting too cold.
HEAT 1 saw the Robins pair of Lee Richardson and Mads Korneliussen fastest away from the tapes, but David Howe was soon pressing on the inside of Korneliussen, and on the second bend of lap 2, Howe got through. Meanwhile, Eric Andersson was riding a bit wide at the back, and towards the end of lap 3, Andersson fell and remounted. He then pulled up on the final circuit, as the Robins took an early lead (2-4).
Adam Pietraszko showed his gating prowess to hit the front in HEAT 2 ahead of the Swindon pair of Adrian Miedzinski & Seb Alden, but Miedzinski spun on the third bend, and Lubos Tomicek could not avoid him, with both riders coming down. Miedzinski was excluded from the re-run, where Pietraszko again gated to win from Alden and Tomicek (6-6).
Seb Ulamek had a footrest snap prior to HEAT 3 and he subsequently exceeded under the two-minute time allowance. Swindon team manager Alun Rossiter chose to reinstate him off 15m for the re-run, which Ronnie Correy led all the way from Adam Skornicki & Davey Watt, while the tailed-off Ulamek pulled up on the final circuit (9-9).
Tony Rickardsson made his first appearance in HEAT 4 and blasted from the tapes to win by a mile from Leigh Adams. Rickardsson's winning time? A stunning 57.99 seconds, the fastest at Sandy Lane since 2003. Meanwhile, with Tomicek in third ahead of Alden, Oxford took the lead for the first time on the night (13-11).
HEAT 5 saw two races in one, but Watt was unable to get past Richardson at the front, while Skornicki kept Korneliussen behind in the battle for third place (16-14).
Adams led all the way in HEAT 6, but there was drama behind as Andersson fell entering the third bend. Andersson remounted, but in the process he had lost third to Miedzinski, as the Robins drew back level (18-18).
Ulamek was left at the tapes with the gremlins in HEAT 7, in which Rickardsson took another convincing win. Correy held off the early challenge of Pietraszko to take second, in a 4-2 to Oxford (22-20).
HEAT 8 saw what could have been potentially a nasty first-bend accident. All 4 riders hit the bend together, and both Tomicek and Korneliussen (starting from the middle gates) found themselves with nowhere to go, and both came crashing down. Fortunately, both were fit for the re-run, where the two Robins were fastest away. However, Andersson almost split the Swindon riders on the second turn, before powering around Alden entering the third bend. Alden attempted to hit back, and drew level on the inside of Andersson on the second bend of lap 2, but Andersson saw him off and then consolidated his second position (24-24).
HEAT 9 saw the first maximum heat advantage to either side - and it went to the Cheetahs. Adams got all of 10 yards before his bike failed, and Skornicki & Watt were left to take a 5-1 (29-25).
A closely-contested start seemed to be going the way of the Robins in HEAT 10, but Andersson chopped inside Correy on the opening turns, and the American found himself relegated to the back. Meanwhile, Ulamek won the race ahead of Howe, with the Pole scoring his first points of the meeting (32-28).
HEAT 11 - the first race after the interval - had to be restarted after Korneliussen moved at the tapes, with the Swindon pair on a 5-1 at the time of the stoppage. In the re-run, Korneliussen (gate 2) again got the drop on Rickardsson (gate 1) and pinned Rickardsson to the inside entering the first bend. Rickardsson stormed inside Korneliussen on the second bend, but Richardson had already built up too much of a lead to be caught, as the Robins took a 4-2 (34-32).
Ronnie Correy gated in HEAT 12, while team-mate Miedzinski moved from fourth to second on the opening bends, after cutting back to the inside. Watt flew around Miedzinski after a lap to take second, but another heat advantage to the Robins brought them back level (36-36).
HEAT 13 left Oxford with a mountain to climb. Richardson outgated Rickardsson, then TRick went for the big blast around the outside on the second bend, but straightened up, went wide, and dropped from second to fourth, while a grateful Adams came through to join Richardson for a 5-1 (37-41).
HEAT 14 again saw some nerves at the tapes. Ulamek gated, but had moved slightly at the tapes, leading to referee Graham Reeve bringing back the four riders for another go. In the re-run, Ulamek was again fastest away and led all the way, while a battle developed for the minor positions. Third-placed Alden tried to go around Skornicki on lap 1, and almost lost third to Pietraszko as a result. However, Alden then reeled in Skornicki and stormed inside him on the back straight of lap 4, to join Ulamek for a 5-1, as Swindon clinched victory on the night (38-46).
Rickardsson completely missed the start in HEAT 15, as the Robins again proved too sharp at the tapes. Howe got level with Ulamek on lap 1, but a determined Ulamek held him off. Howe didn't give up the chase, before his pursuit finally came to an end when he touched the kerb exiting the second bend of lap 4, with Howe taking a real pearler as a result. Howe was soon to his feet, as the Robins finished with a third successive 5-1 (39-51).
So a disappointing result for Oxford, but the idea of these early season challenge matches is to blow off the cobwebs. A defeat to Swindon, even in a challenge match, always hurts, so we'll just have to win at their place instead!!
But overall a positive night. Given the clash with the football, the crowd was good, especially for such a chilly March evening, and there was a positive vibe around the stadium.
OXFORD 39
David Howe 7 (5), Eric Andersson 3+1 (4), Davey Watt 7+2 (4), Adam Skornicki 7+1 (4), Tony Rickardsson 9 (5), Adam Pietraszko 4 (4), Lubos Tomicek 2 (4).
SWINDON 51
Lee Richardson 12 (4) (FULL MAXIMUM), Mads Korneliussen 5 (4), Ronnie Correy 8 (4), Seb Ulamek 8+1 (5), Leigh Adams 10+1 (5), Adrian Miedzinski 3 (4), Seb Alden 5+1 (4).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Richardson (S), Howe (O), Korneliussen (S), Andersson (O) (fell, remounted, ret), 59.71 (2-4).
2: (Re-run) Pietraszko (O), Alden (S), Tomicek (O), Miedzinski (S) (fell, excluded), 61.20 (6-6).
3: (Re-run) Correy (S), Skornicki (O), Watt (O), Ulamek (S) (penalised 15m for exceeding two minutes) (ret), 60.30 (9-9).
4: Rickardsson (O), Adams (S), Tomicek (O), Alden (S), 57.99 (13-11).
5: Richardson (S), Watt (O), Skornicki (O), Korneliussen (S), 60.17 (16-14).
6: Adams (S), Howe (O), Miedzinski (S), Andersson (O) (fell, remounted), 59.42 (18-18).
7: Rickardsson (O), Correy (S), Pietraszko (O), Ulamek (S) (ret), 58.68 (22-20).
8: (Re-run) Korneliussen (S), Andersson (O), Alden (S), Tomicek (O), 59.59 (24-24).
9: Skornicki (O), Watt (O), Miedzinski (S), Adams (S) (ret), 60.44 (29-25).
10: Ulamek (S), Howe (O), Andersson (O), Correy (S), 60.65 (32-28).
11: (Re-run) Richardson (S), Rickardsson (O), Korneliussen (S), Pietraszko (O), 60.18 (34-32).
12: Correy (S), Watt (O), Miedzinski (S), Tomicek (O), 60.16 (36-36).
13: Richardson (S), Adams (S), Howe (O), Rickardsson (O), 60.30 (37-41).
14: (Re-run) Ulamek (S), Alden (S), Skornicki (O), Pietraszko (O), 60.86 (38-46).
15: Adams (S), Ulamek (S), Rickardsson (O), Howe (O) (fell), 60.58 (39-51).
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Post by Genghis on May 6, 2008 20:22:49 GMT
GREMLINS HIT CHEETAHS
Thursday, March 16, 2006
SWINDON 61 OXFORD 28 (Challenge, 2nd leg)
Swindon win 112-67 on aggregate
WEATHER: Absolutely freezing!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Good.
REFEREE: Mick Posselwhite
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
A miserable night for the new-look Cheetahs on an extremely cold evening. The lads were hampered by a succession of bike problems all night - which clearly wasn't needed when facing Swindon at Blunsdon. The Robins will be tough nuts to crack on their own circuit in 2006 and were in dominant mood.
Oxford's troubles began in HEAT 1. David Howe missed the gate, while Eric Andersson rode an aggressive opening bend to get into second place behind Leigh Adams. Howe started to close in on third-placed Korneliussen, but his bike then ground to a halt with a lap to go (4-2).
Seb Alden led HEAT 2 from start to finish ahead of Adam Pietraszko, while Adrian Miedzinski changed lines to sweep under Lubos Tomicek at the halfway stage of the race, to take third (8-4).
An over-eager Ronnie Correy nudged the tapes in HEAT 3. It was first announced that Correy would take his place in the re-run off a 15m handicap, but a change of mind by Swindon team manager Alun Rossiter saw Alden come in as a reserve. Seb Ulamek led the re-start all the way from Davey Watt, while an early engine failure for Adam Skornicki cost the Cheetahs a shared heat and gifted Alden a point (12-6).
HEAT 4 saw Tony Rickardsson charge from the tapes, but Lee Richardson then stormed underneath him on the third bend. The World Champion tried to hit back, but found himself pushed dangerously wide by Richardson as they continued around the bend, and Miedzinski came through into second. A mistake from Miedzinski early on lap 2 allowed Rickardsson back into second. Rickardsson's refusal of a handshake following the race demonstrated his displeasure at Richardson's race tactics (16-8).
Ulamek made it two wins out of two in HEAT 5, in which Howe was the only other finisher. Andersson stopped on the opening lap while third, then Correy, who had inherited third, pulled up at the halfway stage of the race (19-10).
HEAT 6 saw Oxford team manager Graeme Gordon nominate Rickardsson as a tactical ride. However, Rickardsson completely missed the gate, while Adams pulled away for victory. Pietraszko took second from Korneliussen early on, but the Dane charged back around him on the back straight of lap 2. With two laps to go, Rickardsson got past his team-mate into third, but Korneliussen held on for second place. Under the new rules for 2006, Rickardsson's third-placed point was not doubled, as he had failed to beat an opposing rider, so Swindon took a 5-1 and extended their lead to 11 points (24-11).
In HEAT 7, Richardson edged ahead of Watt & Skornicki around the opening bends, while Miedzinski swept around the outside, to join his team partner for a 5-1 (29-12).
A miserable succession of races continued for Oxford in HEAT 8. Andersson appeared to receive a nudge from Alden during a tightly contested first bend, which allowed Korneliussen to join his team-mate at the front. A battling Andersson nearly took second back from Korneliussen after a lap, but the Dane held on for Swindon's third successive 5-1 (34-13).
Rickardsson got his act together to win HEAT 9, becoming Oxford's first-heat winner, but a chance for a heat advantage disappeared when Ulamek charged around Pietraszko on the back straight of lap 4 to take third (37-16).
Adams continued his unbeaten run in HEAT 10, while Korneliussen blasted around Skornicki on lap 2 to take second place, as again Oxford surrendered a 5-1 against (42-17).
Howe was nominated as a tactical ride in HEAT 11, but he missed the start and then pulled up with machinery problems on lap 2. Richardson led from tapes-to-flag, while Andersson continued his impressive night by winning an early battle with Miedzinski for second place (46-19).
HEAT 12 saw some joy for the travelling Oxford support. Pietraszko gated and pinned Correy to the inside, allowing Watt to charge from third to first on the second bend. Pietraszko left a lap on his inside on the fourth bend, and Correy took advantage to take second, but nevertheless the Cheetahs took a 4-2 - a heat advantage at last! (48-23).
Rickardsson tamely surrendered a 5-1 to Adams & Richardson in HEAT 13, with Howe's misery continuing as he pulled up with yet another bike failure (53-24).
HEAT 14 was eventful. Ulamek led for all 4 laps, but there was drama behind him. Firstly, Tomicek & Miedzinski engaged in a battle for third, with Miedzinski flying around Tomicek on the back straight of lap 2, only for Tomicek to sneak back under him at the conclusion of the lap. With this battle continuing, second-placed Skornicki then ground to a halt on the second bend of the final lap, as Oxford suffered yet more gremlins. Miedzinski then went for one final charge around Tomicek, but got it completely wrong and ran into the third bend air fence. It took Skornicki a few moments to size up the situation, but he then pushed home, past the stricken Miedzinski, to take the third-placed point (56-27).
Howe came out in HEAT 15 on Andersson's bike. Ulamek won his fourth race of the evening, while Watt rocketed around Richardson on the second bend to take second, only for Richardson to get back inside the Aussie on the fourth bend. Richardson's motor started to sound sick as the race progressed, but he held on to take second to complete his paid maximum. A mistake by the start marshal saw the race last five laps - although the referee declared the result after 4 laps (with no change of position on the fifth lap anyway!) (61-28).
So the night couldn't come to a soon enough end for Oxford, although there were still some good races during the course of the evening, to warm up the crowd on a bitterly cold night. The bright spot from a Cheetahs perspective was another encouraging performance from Eric Andersson - whose five points would have been higher but for a breakdown in his second race.
Next week sees the commencement of Oxford's league campaign - and a big improvement is needed. But, at least, the two challenge fixtures against Swindon have hopefully sorted out all the gremlins, and the boys will be doubly determined to hit back after this week's disappointments - starting with next Wednesday's home match against the Ipswich Witches.
SWINDON 61
Leigh Adams 12 (4) (FULL MAXIMUM), Mads Korneliussen 8+2 (4), Ronnie Correy 4 (4), Seb Ulamek 13+1 (5), Lee Richardson 13+2 (5) (PAID MAXIMUM), Adrian Miedzinski 5+1 (5), Seb Alden 6+1 (4)
OXFORD 28
David Howe 2 (5), Eric Andersson 5 (4), Davey Watt 7 (5), Adam Skornicki 2+1 (4), Tony Rickardsson 7 (4), Adam Pietraszko 3 (4), Lubos Tomicek 2 (4).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Adams (S), Andersson (O), Korneliussen (S), Howe (O) (ret), 66.48 (4-2).
2: Alden (S), Pietraszko (O), Miedzinski (S), Tomicek (O), 68.68 (8-4).
3: (Re-run) Ulamek (S), Watt (O), Alden (S), Skornicki (O) (ret), Correy (excluded, touched tapes), 67.87 (12-6).
4: Richardson (S), Rickardsson (O), Miedzinski (S), Tomicek (O), 67.61 (16-8).
5: Ulamek (S), Howe (O), Correy (S) (ret), Andersson (O) (ret), 66.71 (19-10).
6: Adams (S), Korneliussen (S), Rickardsson (O) (TR), Pietraszko (O), 66.42 (24-11).
7: Richardson (S), Miedzinski (S), Watt (O), Skornicki (O), 68.77 (29-12).
8: Korneliussen (S), Alden (S), Andersson (O), Tomicek (O), 68.15 (34-13).
9: Rickardsson (O), Correy (S), Ulamek (S), Pietraszko (O), 67.02 (37-16).
10: Adams (S), Korneliussen (S), Skornicki (O), Watt (O), 66.61 (42-17).
11: Richardson (S), Andersson (O), Miedzinski (S), Howe (O) (TR) (ret), 68.02 (46-19).
12: Watt (O), Correy (S), Pietraszko (O), Alden (S), 68.46 (48-23).
13: Adams (S), Richardson (S), Rickardsson (O), Howe (O) (ret), 67.80 (53-24).
14: Ulamek (S), Tomicek (O), Skornicki (O), Miedzinski (S) (fell), 68.42 (56-27).
15: Ulamek (S), Richardson (S), Watt (O), Howe (O), 68.24 (61-28).
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Post by Genghis on May 6, 2008 20:23:50 GMT
CHEETAHS GO DOWN IN LEAGUE OPENER
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
OXFORD 42 IPSWICH 51
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Dry - and still cold!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Very good.
REFEREE: Mick Posselwhite
RIDER OF THE NIGHT (voted by Abingdon Beds): Tony Rickardsson
Oxford are still looking to win their first match of the new season, after the visiting Ipswich Witches septet proved to be too solid for the Cheetahs in the opening league match of 2006 at Sandy Lane.
HEAT 1 looked to be going Oxford's way, as David Howe held off a stern challenge from Chris Louis on the opening lap, while Eric Andersson occupied third place. However, Andersson dived under Louis on the opening bends of lap 2, and made a heavy contact with Louis on the way through, causing Louis to bit the dust. Referee Mick Posselwhite excluded Andersson from the re-run, while Louis took a few minutes to get to his feet. In the re-run, Howe had a slight edge on Louis from the tapes, but Louis swept around the outside on the second bend, and while Howe was attempting to hit back, Kim Jansson pushed his way under Howe on the fourth bend. Howe was unable to hit back and Oxford started the night in the worst possible fashion, when a heat advantage had seemed on the cards until Andersson's over-keen move (1-5).
HEAT 2 also resulted in a maximum heat advantage for the Witches, with Jan Jaros and Danny King heading home Lubos Tomicek and Adam Pietraszko. Pietraszko challenged King for second place early on, but soon was back in fourth place in what turned out to be a poor night for the Pole (2-10).
HEAT 3 saw Oxford hit back. Adam Skornicki led from the tapes ahead of Piotr Protasiewicz, while Davey Watt attempted to go around Protasiewicz on lap 1. Watt changed his tactics on the second lap, and swept under Protasiewicz on the third bend, in what proved to be the first of two 5-1s from the middle Oxford pairing (7-11).
Tony Rickardsson won HEAT 4 from tapes to flag, but most eyes were on an intriguing battle for the minor placings. King just beat Tomicek to the first bend, and with Tomicek trapped on the white line, Loram came through to take third. But Tomicek refused to be beaten and after getting level with Loram on the fourth bend, he muscled his way back inside the former World Champion on the second bend of lap 2. There was still plenty of work to be done by Tomicek, as he found himself slowed by King (just in front of him), while at the same time under attack from Loram, but Tomicek held on for third as he took a very notable scalp (11-13).
Chris Louis showed plenty of class to win HEAT 5. He was beaten from the tapes by Watt and under pressure from Skornicki, but a great move around the outside of the first lap took him to the front, as he steadied the Ipswich ship in a shared 3-3 heat (14-16).
HEAT 6 was the best race of the season at Oxford so far in 2006. Loram & Jaros got out in front, but Andersson made a bold move in an attempt to thrust inside Jaros on the third bend, which only failed after Andersson got himself slightly out of shape. Howe inherited third from his team-mate, and started to pressure Jaros. This continued for a couple of laps, before Howe finally got inside Jaros on the back straight of the final lap. Andersson saw his chance and also got inside Jaros on the entry of the third bend, however Andersson's momentum then took then wide and Jaros came back inside the Swede on the final turn to regain third (16-20).
Rickardsson had little trouble in winning HEAT 7, while an early surge around the outside took Pietraszko past Miskowiak and almost Protasiewicz as well. However, Pietraszko left a gaping hole on his inside on the second bend of lap 2 and a grateful Miskowiak came roaring through to regain the third-placed point (19-23).
HEAT 8 saw Ipswich re-establish an eight-point lead as King and Jansson led Tomicek and Andersson all the way (20-28), but in HEAT 9, Watt & Skornicki again produced some fabulous Speedway. Skornicki gated, while Watt went from fourth to first with an outside surge on the second bend. Loram almost got inside Skornicki at the start of lap 2, but Skornicki not only saw off that challenge but also blocked every subsequent move by Loram. In the end, Skornicki took second place by less than a bike length, ahead of Loram, who typically didn't give up until the chequered flag (25-29).
The first race after the interval, HEAT 10, was not a good one for Oxford. Howe completely missed the start, and Protasiewicz & Miskowiak took an untroubled 5-1 ahead of Andersson, with Howe a disappointing fourth (26-34).
Rickardsson made it three wins out of three in HEAT 11, while Pietraszko tamely conceded third to Louis early on, before dropping way back, as Jansson & Louis settled for the minor positions to maintain Ipswich's healthy lead (29-37).
HEAT 12 saw the gap between the sides widen to 10 points, as Protasiewicz headed home Howe, Jaros and Tomicek (31-41).
Oxford team manager Graeme Gordon introduced Rickardsson as a tactical ride in HEAT 13 and the six-times World Champion didn't disappoint. Despite being outgated by Louis, he whipped around the Englishman with the minimum of fuss on the opening lap, to maintain his unbeaten status on the night. Meanwhile, Loram only managed to get a few yards on a stricken machine, and it left Howe in third place and chasing Louis. Howe got closer & closer, but was unable to find a route inside Louis, as Louis held on, to restrict the damage to a 7-2 to Oxford (38-43).
The unpredictably of Speedway racing was again shown in HEAT 14, as Tomicek got the best of a messy start, only for team-mate Skornicki to be left trailing. Tomicek held off every move from Miskowiak, to take an impressive win, while Skornicki attempted to get past third-placed King. Entering the final two bends, Skornicki took a final gamble, thrusting himself inside King, however there wasn't a big enough gap and both riders came crashing down. Fortunately, both men were OK and soon back on their feet, while Mick Posslewhite awarded the race as a 3-3 with Skornicki's exclusion, leaving Oxford needing a miracle 5-0 from the final race to salvage a draw (41-46).
HEAT 15 rubbed salt into the wound. Louis & Protasiewicz hit the front, and with the track - which had produced such fantastic Speedway earlier in the evening - finally starting to slicken off a little, there was no way back for third-placed Rickardsson, who missed out on his maximum as a result (42-51).
So another disappointment for the Cheetahs in front of their own fans, although there were positives to be drawn from this match - Rickardsson looked back to his near-best after his poor showings against Swindon, the Watt-Skornicki pairing have sized up the Oxford track very quickly, and Tomicek rode out of his skin for his six points. And the match provided great entertainment too - the Sandy Lane circuit is quickly re-establishing itself as one of the best race tracks in the country.
However, it is a necessity for the team to start winning home meetings, and Wolverhampton must be despatched at Cowley next Wednesday, when cup action arrives at the stadium.
OXFORD 42
David Howe 4 (4), Eric Andersson 1 (4), Davey Watt 9+1 (5), Adam Skornicki 6+2 (4), Tony Rickardsson 16 (5) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), Adam Pietraszko 0 (3), Lubos Tomicek 6 (5).
IPSWICH 51
Chris Louis 12+1 (5), Kim Jansson 6+2 (4), Piotr Protasiewicz 11+1 (5), Robert Miskowiak 5+2 (4), Mark Loram 4 (4), Jan Jaros 5 (4), Danny King 8+2 (4).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: (Re-run) Louis (I), Jansson (I), Howe (O), Andersson (O) (excluded, unfair riding), 61.23 (1-5).
2: Jaros (I), King (I), Tomicek (O), Pietraszko (O), 62.58 (2-10).
3: Skornicki (O), Watt (O), Protasiewicz (I), Miskowiak (I), 61.36 (7-11).
4: Rickardsson (O), King (I), Tomicek (O), Loram (I), 59.83 (11-13).
5: Louis (I), Watt (O), Skornicki (O), Jansson (I), 61.05 (14-16).
6: Loram (I), Howe (O), Jaros (I), Andersson (O), 61.21 (16-20).
7: Rickardsson (O), Protasiewicz (I), Miskowiak (I), Pietraszko (O), 59.52 (19-23).
8: King (I), Jansson (I), Tomicek (O), Andersson (O), 61.05 (20-28).
9: Watt (O), Skornicki (O), Loram (I), Jaros (I), 61.27 (25-29).
10: Protasiewicz (I), Miskowiak (I), Andersson (O), Howe (O), 61.65 (26-34).
11: Rickardsson (O), Jansson (I), Louis (I), Pietraszko (O), 60.09 (29-37).
12: Protasiewicz (I), Watt (O), Jaros (I), Tomicek (O), 60.87 (31-41).
13: Rickardsson (O) (TR), Louis (I), Howe (O), Loram (I) (ret), 60.58 (38-43).
14: Tomicek (O), Miskowiak (I), King (I), Skornicki (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (41-46).
15: Louis (I), Protasiewicz (I), Rickardsson (O), Watt (O), 61.05 (42-51).
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Post by Genghis on May 6, 2008 20:24:46 GMT
AWAY DAY BLUES CONTINUE
Thursday, March 23, 2006
IPSWICH 60 OXFORD 30 (Elite League A)
Ipswich win aggregate point by 111-72
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Stayed dry - but again a bitter night.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Fairly slick. Only one racing line - passing difficult.
REFEREE: Paul Carrington.
Ipswich completed a quick double over Oxford, as the Cheetahs suffered a second successive heavy away loss, on a cold night at Foxhall Heath. Our riders suffered no less than four exclusions for falls, including ones for both Tony Rickardsson and David Howe while taking Oxford's two tactical riders, in a drab meeting that only came alive in the closing stages.
The meeting started with two processions. In HEAT 1, Chris Louis headed home David Howe, Kim Jansson and Eric Andersson (4-2), then HEAT 2 saw Adam Pietraszko lead all the way from the Ipswich pair of Jan Jaros and Danny King, with Lubos Tomicek bringing up the rear (7-5).
HEAT 3 provided an early talking point. Piotr Protasiewicz & Robert Miskowiak were first away, but Davey Watt blasted around Miskowiak down the back straight, despite Miskowiak moving across the track to try and block the Aussie. This left Miskowiak vulnerable to attack to Adam Skornicki, but as Skornicki came racing through on the inside on the third bend, there was contact between the two and firstly Miskowiak and then moments later Skornicki both came a cropper. It appeared that Miskowiak had tried to lean on Skornicki as he came through. But referee Paul Carrington decreed that Skornicki was at fault and excluded him for the re-run, in which the Witches gated to inflict a 5-1 over lone Oxford representative Watt (12-6).
Tony Rickardsson won HEAT 4 from Mark Loram, while Tomicek took third in what proved to be Oxford's only heat advantage of the night (14-10).
What was rapidly turning into the Foxhall Gating Championships continued in HEAT 5, as Miskowiak & Protasiewicz recorded their second 5-1 of the night, this time over Howe & Andersson (19-11).
Louis had the edge on Rickardsson from the tapes in HEAT 6, but Rickardsson thundered under him on the second bend, but quite unbelievably Rickardsson would only score a further two points on the night following this race (22-14).
Loram & Jaros produced sharp starts to take HEAT 7 from Skornicki & Watt (27-15), while HEAT 8 required a re-run with all four riders after King fell in a tightly-contested first bend. Tomicek gated in the re-run, but Jansson bombed around him on the opening bends. Two races in one then developed, with Tomicek chasing Jansson at the front, while Andersson chased King in the battle for third. Andersson fell on the final bend of lap 3, and although he was up very quickly, the referee had already stopped the race, which was then awarded. It was tough luck on Tomicek, who had been in close contention with Jansson at the time of stoppage and may have been able to steal the win had the race gone its full distance (31-17).
Oxford manager Graeme Gordon made a double change in HEAT 9, nominating Rickardsson as a tactical ride and bringing in Tomicek for a reserve ride. However, it was Protasiewicz who was quickest from the tapes, and when the chasing Rickardsson went for a big blast around the outside on the third bend, he found that there was no dirt to keep him up and the World Champion hit the deck. Rickardsson was soon to his feet, but excluded from the re-run in which the Protasiewicz / Miskowiak pairing recorded their third 5-1 of the evening (36-18).
In HEAT 10, the fans were finally treated to a pass beyond the opening lap. Watt & Skornicki got out in front, but Louis scorched around Skornicki on the back straight, and then Jansson got past Skornicki on the fourth bend. On lap 2, Louis completed his charge to the front by storming around Watt on the second bend, while simultaneously Skornicki took third back from Jansson. Jansson then spun around on the fourth bend of lap 3, although somehow he avoided falling off, and he got going away to finish in fourth place (39-21).
HEAT 11 saw David Howe nominated as a tactical ride, and Howe engaged in a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with Loram for the lead. It was hard stuff down the back straight and unfortunately as the man on the outside, Howe then found himself shoved wide entering the third bend and unable to hang onto his bike. Howe came tumbling down and was excluded. In the re-run, Andersson cut inside Loram on the back straight to take a surprise lead. It is much to the credit of Andersson that it was not until the back straight of lap 3, when Loram used the same move on Andersson that the Swede had used on him, that the former World Champion regained the lead (43-23).
Protasiewicz gated in HEAT 12, then Watt went wide on the second bend trying to make a move on him, and King came through to join Protasiewicz for a 5-1 (48-24).
Loram won his third successive race in HEAT 13, keeping the challenging Rickardsson at bay, while a very close battle for third saw Howe stay just in front of Louis throughout the race (51-27).
Skornicki was the early leader in HEAT 14, but Miskowiak came through after putting one wheel on the grass in an inside move on the second bend of lap 2. Meanwhile, Tomicek got closer & closer to Jaros, and managed to bustle under Jaros on the final bend, but Jaros closed back in as the two crossed the line, and the referee called the photo-finish for third the way of the Ipswich rider (55-29).
HEAT 15 saw Rickardsson unable to go out with a bang on his last appearance at his former track. He missed the gate, and trailed home in fourth, as Protasiewicz & Loram finished the evening with a sixth 5-1 to the Witches (60-30).
So, another away hiding for the Cheetahs. It was one of those nights when every refereeing decision seemed to go against us - but no excuses, we were well beaten. Bright spots? Eric Andersson giving Mark Loram a race in Heat 11, and the fighting spirit shown by Lubos Tomicek throughout the meeting.
IPSWICH 60
Chris Louis 8 (4), Kim Jansson 5+1 (4), Piotr Protasiewicz 14+1 (5) (PAID MAXIMUM), Robert Miskowiak 10+2 (4) (PAID MAXIMUM), Mark Loram 13+1 (5), Jan Jaros 6+1 (4), Danny King 4+2 (4).
OXFORD 30
David Howe 5+1 (5), Eric Andersson 2 (4), Davey Watt 3 (4), Adam Skornicki 4+1 (4), Tony Rickardsson 8 (5), Adam Pietraszko 4 (3), Lubos Tomicek 4 (5).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Louis (I), Howe (O), Jansson (I), Andersson (O), 60.9 (4-2).
2: Pietraszko (O), Jaros (I), King (I), Tomicek (O), 62.8 (7-5).
3: (Re-run) Protasiewicz (I), Miskowiak (I), Watt (O), Skornicki (O) (fell, excluded), 61.6 (12-6).
4: Rickardsson (O), Loram (I), Tomicek (O), King (I), 60.9 (14-10).
5: Miskowiak (I), Protasiewicz (I), Howe (O), Andersson (O), 61.5 (19-11).
6: Rickardsson (O), Louis (I), Jansson (I), Pietraszko (O), 60.3 (22-14).
7: Loram (I), Jaros (I), Skornicki (O), Watt (O), 62.0 (27-15).
8: (Re-run) Jansson (I), Tomicek (O), King (I), Andersson (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (31-17).
9: (Re-run) Protasiewicz (I), Miskowiak (I), Tomicek (O), Rickardsson (O) (TR) (fell, excluded), 62.3 (36-18).
10: Louis (I), Watt (O), Skornicki (O), Jansson (I), 61.9 (39-21).
11: (Re-run) Loram (I), Andersson (O), Jaros (I), Howe (O) (TR) (fell, excluded), 62.6 (43-23).
12: Protasiewicz (I), King (I), Pietraszko (O), Watt (O), 62.8 (48-24).
13: Loram (I), Rickardsson (O), Howe (O), Louis (I), 62.1 (51-27).
14: Miskowiak (I), Skornicki (O), Jaros (I), Tomicek (O), 62.9 (55-29).
15: Protasiewicz (I), Loram (I), Howe (O), Rickardsson (O), 62.6 (60-30).
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Post by Genghis on May 6, 2008 20:25:43 GMT
CHEETAHS GETTING CLOSER
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
OXFORD 43 WOLVERHAMPTON 47 (Elite League K.O. Cup, 1st round, 1st leg)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Dry during the meeting - hammered it down shortly afterwards.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Smooth - more grip than in previous weeks.
OXFORD MAN OF THE MATCH: Daivd Howe.
REFEREE: Chris Durno.
The Oxford Cheetahs are still searching for that elusive first win of the season - but this was the team's best performance of the season so far.
The match was won and lost on the second bend of Heat 3 - when Wolverhampton's Fredrik Lindgren ploughed recklessly into the back of Davey Watt. Lindgren was rightfully kicked out of the re-run - but the damage had been done to Watt's ankle. Watt bravely completed the rest of the meeting in great pain (he had to be lifted onto his bike for one of his races), but at full fitness, his five-point contribution would have been far higher.
HEAT 1 saw some joy at last for David Howe, who has endured a torrid start to the season. Howe resisted early pressure from Peter Karlsson, before pulling away for the race win, and with Eric Andersson tucked into third place, Oxford opened with a heat advantage (4-2).
Oxford's vulnerability at reserve was exposed once more in HEAT 2, with Ben Wilson and Christian completing a straightforward 5-1 over Adam Pietraszko and Lubos Tomicek (5-7).
Magnus Karlsson gated in HEAT 3 from Adam Skornicki & Davey Watt, but then came that moment of madness from Fredrik Lindgren on the second bend. Both Watt & Lindgren came crashing down, with Lindgren's exclusion coming almost straight on, then as so often happens in these cases, it was the guilty party - Lindgren - who got up and left the track largely unscathed. In contrast, Watt's ankle was an immediate cause for concern - with ligament damage suspected. Nevertheless, Watt re-emerged for the re-run, which was stopped after an unsatisfactory start - after the Oxford boys had popped out of the gate. This gave Magnus Karlsson another chance - and Karlsson, after bumping into Skornicki on the first turn, pulled away to win the race to keep Wolves two points ahead (8-10).
Leigh Adams, guesting for Tony Rickardsson (missing with a severe migraine) won HEAT 4 with ease from Billy Hamill in a time just outside 58 seconds, while Hefenbrock held off an ever-pressing Tomicek to take third (11-13).
Peter Karlsson & Pecyna were first away in HEAT 5, but Skornicki squeezed around Pecyna on the back straight to take second. Watt closed in on Pecyna in the closing stages of the race, but too late to make a move (13-17).
Howe's renewed confidence was illustrated in HEAT 6, as he whipped around Hamill with a fine move on the second bend, on his way to his second win of the evening. Andersson had a look at getting inside Hamill on the third turn, but after drifting wide on the fourth bend, Andersson was forced to settle for third (17-19).
Adams won HEAT 7 by a street from Lindgren and Magnus Karlsson, but with Pietraszko coming to a temporary halt after nudging the fence coming out of the second bend, the race was shared (20-22).
HEAT 8 saw some excellent Speedway on the opening lap. Pecyna & Hefenbrock led from the tapes, but Andersson went for a big swoop around the outside, quickly got past Hefenbrock, then also pulled ahead of Pecyna after a wheel-to-wheel tussle down the back straight. However, Pecyna proved he too has a great racing brain, switching lines, to swoop back around Andersson at the conclusion of the opening lap. Andersson later went wide on the second bend of lap 3, giving the air fence a knock, but he regained control and kept second place. Meanwhile, Tomicek again find himself chasing Hefenbrock after a poor start, and again was unable to come through for third place (22-26).
HEAT 9 was decided on the first corner, with Hamill just beating Skornicki to the turn, while Watt soon lost touch with the two riders in front of him, but still stayed ahead of Wilson (25-29).
HEAT 10 saw one of Andersson's trademarks dives up the inside on the third bend, which took him from fourth to second past both team-mate Howe and Magnus Karlsson. Howe then sped around Karlsson after two laps, as what had been a 5-1 to the Lindgren / Karlsson pairing from the tapes turned into a 3-3 shared heat (28-32).
Adams had the edge from the tapes in HEAT 11, but Peter Karlsson swept majestically around him on the second bend, to inflict the first defeat of the night on Oxford's guest rider. Meanwhile, Pietraszko resisted early pressure to pull away from Pecyna in the battle for third place (31-35).
HEAT 12 put Oxford right back into the match. Watt made the most of his inside starting position to enter the first bend in front, while Tomicek recovered from a poor start, to move inside Magnus Karlsson on the second bend. Meanwhile, second-placed Wilson went for a big handful around the outside of Watt and he pulled level down the back straight. However, Wilson was too wide entering the third bend, and Tomicek took full advantage, moving inside a still-wide Wilson on the fourth turn. The Oxford pair then built up a fair-sized lead, and the resultant 5-1 left the match all square heading into the interval break (36-36).
All four riders were very close on the racetrack in the early stages of HEAT 13. Peter Karlsson held off an outside challenge from Howe on the second bend, to maintain the lead, while Adams pestered Hamill on his inside and both closed in on Howe. Adams (inside), Hamill (middle) & Howe (outside) entered the third bend three abreast, but just as it looked that Hamill would get squeezed out, a terrific burst of speed from the American took him through the middle of the Oxford pair into second place. The race then settled down as a 5-1 to Wolves - and time was rapidly running out for the Cheetahs (37-41).
Lindgren gated in HEAT 14, then Skornicki went wide on the second bend while attempting a move around the outside and lost second to team-mate Pietraszko. It meant a shared heat, and Oxford needing a maximum in the final heat to snatch a draw (40-44).
Howe & Peter Karlsson battled it out for supremacy early in HEAT 15, before Karlsson (outside) took the advantage down the back straight to finish a fine night's work with 14 points. The Oxford pair of Howe & Adams filled the minor placings, with Hamill unable to repeat his Heat 13 heroics, finishing in fourth place (43-47).
So - we're getting closer! David Howe looked so much sharper than in previous meetings, while Eric Andersson again showed that he has bags of potential - and what fabulous entertainment this young man provides out on the racetrack. If team changes can be made to allow Andersson to line up from reserve, then the Cheetahs can take a real stride forward.
And Davey Watt showed what a brave lot these Speedway riders are. His effort to win Heat 12 was little short of heroic.
Wolves will feel that they have one foot in the second round of the cup, but stranger things have happened in Speedway, and the Cheetahs will be looking to spring a surprise next Monday, especially with two former Wolves (Howe & Skornicki) in the line-up.
OXFORD 43
David Howe 9+1 (5), Eric Andersson 6 (4), Davey Watt 5+2 (4), Adam Skornicki 7+1 (4), Leigh Adams (guest) 10+1 (5), Adam Pietraszko 4+1 (4), Lubos Tomicek 2+1 (4).
WOLVERHAMPTON 47
Peter Karlsson 14 (5), Krzysztof Pecyna 4 (4), Magnus Karlsson 4+1 (4), Fredrik Lindgren 8 (4), Billy Hamill 9+1 (5), Ben Wilson 4 (4), Christian Hefenbrock 4+2 (4).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Howe (O), P. Karlsson (W), Andersson (O), Pecyna (W), 59.59 (4-2).
2: Wilson (W), Hefenbrock (W), Pietraszko (O), Tomicek (O), 61.34 (5-7).
3: (Re-run twice) M. Karlsson (W), Skornicki (O), Watt (O), Lindgren (W) (fell, excluded), 60.15 (8-10).
4: Adams (O), Hamill (W), Hefenbrock (W), Tomicek (O), 58.06 (11-13).
5: P. Karlsson (W), Watt (O), Pecyna (W), Watt (O), 60.71 (13-17).
6: Howe (O), Hamill (W), Andersson (O), Wilson (W), 59.24 (17-19).
7: Adams (O), Lindgren (W), M. Karlsson (W), Pietraszko (O), 59.55 (20-22).
8: Pecyna (W), Andersson (O), Hefenbrock (W), Tomicek (O), 60.52 (22-26).
9: Hamill (W), Skornicki (O), Watt (O), Wilson (W), 60.14 (25-29).
10: Lindgren (W), Andersson (O), Howe (O), M. Karlsson (W), 61.05 (28-32).
11: P. Karlsson (W), Adams (O), Pietraszko (O), Pecyna (W), 59.77 (31-35).
12: Watt (O), Tomicek (O), Wilson (W), M. Karlsson (W), 60.99 (36-36).
13: P. Karlsson (W), Hamill (W), Adams (O), Howe (O), 59.40 (37-41).
14: Lindgren (W), Pietraszko (O), Skornicki (O), Hefenbrock (W), 61.30 (40-44).
15: P. Karlsson (W), Howe (O), Adams (O), Hamill (W), 59.71 (43-47).
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Post by schumi on Apr 4, 2009 17:14:26 GMT
5: P. Karlsson (W), Watt (O), Pecyna (W), Watt (O), 60.71 (13-17). Spot the deliberate mistake, and the bored woman. |
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Post by Genghis on Apr 4, 2009 18:40:39 GMT
5: P. Karlsson (W), Watt (O), Pecyna (W), Watt (O), 60.71 (13-17). Spot the deliberate mistake, and the bored woman. Bloody hell, Schumi, you must be bored.  ;D ;D |
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Post by schumi on Apr 4, 2009 18:41:34 GMT
I was hoping you'd tell me if Skornicki came 2nd or last.  |
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Post by Genghis on Apr 4, 2009 18:45:49 GMT
I was hoping you'd tell me if Skornicki came 2nd or last. Where you think Watt came? He was bloody useless when he rode for Oxford. |
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;D ;D