May 2006

[Genghis]

RESPECTABLE DEFEAT FOR SOLID CHEETAHS AT BLUNSDON

Thursday, May 4, 2006
SWINDON 56 OXFORD 38 (Elite League A)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Warm (yes, it was actually warm at Blunsdon!)
TRACK CONDITIONS: Somewhat slick - especially towards the end.
REFEREE: Frank Ebdon

Swindon are arguably the best home side in the Elite League - so an 18-point defeat at Blunsdon was not a bad result for the Cheetahs. Unlike our early season challenge defeat at the Abbey Stadium, this time the side put up a fight and were only eight points behind with three heats to go.
HEAT 1 saw Todd Wiltshire fall on the first turn. Wiltshire had been outgated by Leigh Adams, tried a little too hard to make amends on the first bend and found himself remounting in fourth place. Meanwhile, Korneliussen held back Watt to take second place as Swindon opened with a maximum heat advantage (5-1).
In HEAT 2, the Swindon pair of Adrian Miedzinski & Seb Alden had the edge from the tapes, but both Eric Andersson & Lubos Tomicek cut to the inside on the opening bends and found themselves into first and third places respectively. Second-placed Miedzinski ran out of room on the outside of the second turn, and appeared to touch the back of Andersson's bike before taking a heavy fall into the air fence. Fortunately, Miedzinski was OK, while referee Frank Edbon decided to allow all four riders in the re-start. The re-run saw Andersson made a good start from the outside, before Miedzinski got inside him on the back straight to take the lead. Meanwhile, Tomicek passed Alden for third place early on, only for Alden to move under him on the second bend of lap 2. Tomicek battled away, but was unable to regain third spot (9-3).
Seb Ulamek jetted away to win HEAT 3, while Swindon guest Stephan Katt went around Freddie Eriksson and nearly Adam Skornicki as well on the second bend. However, Katt then went wide on the third turn and Eriksson cam back through into third place (12-6).
Lee Richardson gated in HEAT 4 ahead of Andersson, Alden and David Howe, before Howe went around the outside from fourth to second on the second turn. Alden blasted around Andersson on the fourth turn, then Andersson went too wide and was a faller on the fourth bend of the second lap. Alden closed in on Howe, but Howe held him off to take second place (16-8)
HEAT 5 was something of a procession, with Ulamek leading home Wiltshire & Watt, while Katt did well to stay on in fourth place, after bouncing off the air fence on lap 3 (19-11). HEAT 6 was also all from the gate, with Adams the race winner and Howe settling behind Tomicek to ensure a 3-3 (22-14).
HEAT 7 lasted less than a lap. Miedzinski & Richardson led from the tapes, then fourth-placed Skornicki fell on the fourth turn, getting his bike wedged under the fence. The race was stopped and awarded as a 5-1 to Swindon - in apparent contradiction to the rulebook which states all riders (that is, including Skornicki) must have completed a lap before a race can be awarded (27-15).
Eric Andersson earned his first nomination as a tactical ride for Oxford in HEAT 8. Mads Korneliussen got away with a monster roller (virtually ducking under the tapes) - somehow the race was allowed to continue. Watt chased Korneliussen, but when he realised he wasn't going to get past, he slowed down and let Andersson past on the final lap. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Alden failed to finish the race (30-20).
Ulamek & Katt were first away in HEAT 9, but Howe (a tactical ride) came under Katt on the back straight to take second. Tomicek found himself unable to overhaul Katt, and the race finished as a 4-4 (34-24).
HEAT 10 looked like the killer blow as Adams & Korneliussen took a 5-1, with Skornicki unable to get past second-placed Korneliussen (39-25).
However, then came a mini-Oxford revival. Wiltshire & Watt gated in HEAT 11, while Miedzinski showed his inexperience as he held up team-mate Richardson for a lap. Richardson, once into third, starting to close in on Watt, but not quickly enough and the Cheetahs took a 5-1, with Wiltshire becoming Oxford's first heat-winner of the night. Meanwhile, Miedzinski pulled up at around half-distance (40-30).
HEAT 12 looked like it could be another Oxford 5-1. Skornicki & Tomicek got in front, then combined to hold back Miedzinski. After two laps, Miedzinski found a route inside Tomicek, then held off a strong counter-challenge from the Czech. Nevertheless, with a 4-2, Oxford had closed the gap to just 8 points with three heats remaining (42-34).
Adams & Richardson are an almost unstoppable combination in HEAT 13 around Swindon and so it, yet again, proved in this meeting. Adams rode a clever opening bend to out-position Wiltshire, and Adams & Richardson then powered away to a comfortable 5-1 (47-35).
Ulamek continued his unbeaten run with a tapes-to-flag win in HEAT 14, while Andersson & Eriksson were denied a 3-3 when Miedzinski ran straight into Eriksson on the fourth bend of lap 2. Eriksson did exceedingly well to stay on and avoid hurtling into the fence, but Miedzinski had got through into third, and unusually for strict referee Ebdon, Miedzinski escaped without punishment (51-37).
HEAT 15 was a 5-1 to Swindon all the way, with Ulamek completing a full maximum and Adams finishing with a paid maximum (56-38).
So a solid performance from the Cheetahs. Despite providing only two heat winners, we kept in the match until the closing stages where Swindon's top-end strength proved too great. But the team kept on fighting and battling all night, and you can't ask for much more than that. Another sign that things are slowly, but very surely, turning around. .

SWINDON 56
Leigh Adams 13+2 (PAID MAXIMUM), Mads Korneliussen 7+2 (4), Stephan Katt (guest for Renat Gafurov) 1 (3), Seb Ulamek 15 (5) (FULL MAXIMUM), Lee Richardson 9+1 (4), Adrian Miedzinski 9 (5), Seb Alden 2 (4).

OXFORD 38
Todd Wiltshire 6 (5), Davey Watt 5+2 (4), Adam Skornicki 6 (4), Freddie Eriksson 2+1 (4), David Howe 8+1 (5) (incl. 4-point tactical ride), Lubos Tomicek 3 (4), Eric Andersson 8 (4) (incl. 4-point tactical ride).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Adams (S), Korneliussen (S), Watt (O), Wiltshire (O) (fell, remounted, ret), 65.30 (5-1).
2: (Re-run) Miedzinski (S), Andersson (O), Alden (S), Tomicek (O), 66.93 (9-3).
3: Ulamek (S), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), Katt (S), 66.30 (12-6).
4: Richardson (S), Howe (O), Alden (S), Andersson (O) (fell), 66.52 (16-8).
5: Ulamek (S), Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Katt (S), 66.12 (19-11).
6: Adams (S), Tomicek (O), Howe (O), Korneliussen (S), 65.77 (22-14).
7: Miedzinski (S), Richardson (S), Eriksson (O), Skornicki (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (27-15).
8: Korneliussen (S), Andersson (O) (TR), Watt (O), Alden (S) (ret), 65.96 (30-20).
9: Ulamek (S), Howe (O) (TR), Katt (S), Tomicek (O), 66.59 (34-24).
10: Adams (S), Korneliussen (S), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), 66.65 (39-25).
11: Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Richardson (S), Miedzinski (S) (ret), 67.52 (40-30).
12: Skornicki (O), Miedzinski (S), Tomicek (O), Alden (S), 67.90 (42-34).
13: Richardson (S), Adams (S), Wiltshire (O), Howe (O), 67.02 (47-35).
14: Ulamek (S), Andersson (O), Miedzinski (S), Eriksson (O), 67.80 (51-37).
15: Ulamek (S), Adams (S), Howe (O), Wiltshire (O), 66.21 (56-38).

[Genghis]

BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE FROM LUBOS AT BELLE VUE

Monday, May 8, 2006
BELLE VUE 56 OXFORD 38 (Elite League A)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Fortunately, bar a little light drizzle, the rain held off until after the meeting.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Very slick.
REFEREE: Dave Dowling.

Well done Lubos Tomicek! The 20-year-old Czech, a crowd favourite at Oxford since his debut for the club in a British League Cup match at Cowley in 2003, put in his best-ever performance for the Cheetahs at Belle Vue, scoring a well-deserved paid 15 points to top the Oxford scorechart, and thus repaying the faith shown in him by promoter Aaron Lanney.
Unfortunately, with the exception of Davey Watt and, in the latter stages, Todd Wiltshire, back up for Tomicek was a little thin on the ground, and a golden opportunity to place the Cheetahs in a good position for the bonus point for the return fixture on Wednesday was lost. A poor refereeing decision in Heat 14 which turned what looked like a 5-1 to the Cheetahs into a 5-1 to the Aces didn't help either.
Oxford did have an element of good luck in HEAT 1. Kenneth Bjerre gated, while Joe Screen tucked inside Todd Wiltshire and Dave Watt on the second bend to move into second place. With Watt challenging, Screen ground to a halt with a lap remaining, and Watt & Wiltshire came through to take the minor placings (3-3).
HEAT 2 was massively encouraging from an Oxford standpoint, with Cheetahs reserves Eric Andersson (on his debut at Belle Vue) and Lubos Tomicek (on only his second appearance at the track) romping away to take a comfortable 5-1 from the much more experienced pair of Phil Morris and Tom P Madsen (4-8).
But Belle Vue were then to dominate the next few heats. Firstly, Simon Stead and James Wright levelled matters by heading Adam Skornicki & Freddie Eriksson in HEAT 3, with Eriksson's early attempts to go around Wright resulting in him going too wide and slipping out of contention (9-9). Then Jason Crump won HEAT 4 with ease, with Andersson unfortunately making a mistake on the second bend that took team-mate David Howe wide, and allowed Madsen under both of them into second place (14-10).
HEAT 5 was all settled by the second turn, with Stead heading home Watt, Wright and a struggling Wiltshire (18-12). Tomicek was forced to change helmet colours before HEAT 6, after mistakenly coming out in green. Screen took the lead, but had to withstand real pressure from Tomicek in the early stages of the race. Meanwhile, Howe appeared to have done enough to keep Bjerre behind, only for Bjerre to storm around him on the final bend to snatch third (22-14).
Crump was again untroubled in HEAT 7, while Morris took third from Eriksson on the second bend after a mistake by the Swede, then Morris swept inside Skornicki after a lap after Skornicki left too much of a gap on the inside. After a positive start, Oxford had scored just 7 points in 5 races (27-15).
Watt was nominated as a tactical ride in HEAT 8, but missed the gate. Screen led all the way, while Andersson again misjudged the infamous Kirky Lane second corner and dropped from second to fourth. Watt bombed around Madsen after a lap, but then went wide on the second bend of lap 2 and Madsen regained second. Watt was not to be denied, and went back around Madsen again after 2 laps, and this time held his position to secure a 4-4 (31-19).
Tomicek produced a dream gate in HEAT 9, with Howe in second place early on, until Stead overhauled him on the opening lap. However, there was nothing Stead could do to catch the flying Tomicek, and Stead suffered his first defeat of the evening. Meanwhile, Tomicek took his tally to paid 8 from three rides - what a night he was having! (33-23).
Tomicek's reward was to be placed straight back out in HEAT 10, as a replacement for the off-colour Eriksson. Bjerre gated, but Tomicek nearly got under him on the second lap. Meanwhile, Screen & Skornicki were having a rare old battle for the third placed point, with Skornicki briefly past Screen on the second lap, only for Screen to hit back almost immediately. Skornicki continued to chase and almost got around Screen on the final bend of the race (37-25).
Crump won HEAT 11 from Watt, with Wiltshire withstanding pressure from Morris in the early stages to ensure a 3-3 (40-28).
Tomicek received a deserving nomination as a tactical ride in HEAT 12. He couldn't repeat his win over Stead from Heat 9, but nevertheless settled into second place, to double his two points to four. Meanwhile, third-placed Skornicki nearly paid dear for going wide on the second bend of the final bend, with the chasing Madsen getting level, only for Skornicki to hold him off (43-33).
HEAT 13 decided the match, with Crump reeling off win No. 4, while Wiltshire produced his best ride of the night so far to take second place after holding a charging Bjerre at the end of the race (47-35).
With the bonus point still to aim for, Tomicek & Eriksson hit the front in HEAT 14. Eriksson got out of shape on the fourth bend and lost second place as Morris moved inside, and Morris kept on going to get inside Tomicek after a lap to take the lead. However, Eriksson then hit back, charging up the inside on the first bend of lap 2 to move from third to first. This seemed to distract Morris, who then fell halfway around the corner, with Tomicek taking prompt action to lay his bike down to avoid Morris. Referee Dave Dowling stopped the race and somehow decided it was Eriksson's fault, excluding him from the re-start. In the re-run, Tomicek again gated but lifted entering the first bend, and Wright & Morris took advantage to move into the lead. Tomicek tried hard to hit back, but the Aces held on. So Belle Vue took an extremely lucky 5-1 - in a race that could have a major bearing on the bonus point come the end of Wednesday night (52-36).
HEAT 15, in contrast, was much less eventful. Crump had no problems in completing a faultless full maximum, while Wiltshire beat Stead out of the second bend and then rode a line that allowed the Englishman no way to hit back (56-38).
So a fabulous performance from Lubos Tomicek, that silenced his critics and showed he is capable of mixing it with the big boys in the Elite League - taking the notable scalps of Stead, Screen & Bjerre on a tricky circuit he's hardly ever ridden before!
The meeting was similar to the Swindon away match four days earlier in some respects (with an identical scoreline!!) in that Oxford held their opponents fairly close, despite a lack of heat winners (just two - from Tomicek & Andersson), before falling slightly away in the final few heats. However, this was much less of an all-round team performance - with four riders scoring just 8 points between them.

BELLE VUE 56
Kenneth Bjerre 8 (4), Joe Screen 7 (4), Simon Stead 12 (5), James Wright 6+1 (4), Jason Crump 15 (5) (FULL MAXIMUM), Phil Morris 5+2 (4), Tom P Madsen 3+1 (4).

OXFORD 38
Todd Wiltshire 6+2 (5), Davey Watt 10 (5) (incl. 4-point tactical ride), Adam Skornicki 2+1 (4), Freddie Eriksson 1 (3), David Howe 2 (4), Lubos Tomicek 14+1 (6) (incl. 4-point tactical ride), Eric Andersson 3 (3).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Bjerre (B), Watt (O), Wiltshire (O), Screen (B) (ret), 59.0 (3-3).
2: Andersson (O), Tomicek (O), Morris (B), Madsen (B), 61.4 (4-8).
3: Stead (B), Wright (B), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), 60.2 (9-9).
4: Crump (B), Madsen (B), Howe (O), Andersson (O), 60.8 (14-10).
5: Stead (B), Watt (O), Wright (B), Wiltshire (O), 60.7 (18-12).
6: Screen (B), Tomicek (O), Bjerre (B), Howe (O), 60.7 (22-14).
7: Crump (B), Morris (B), Eriksson (O), Skornicki (O), 61.0 (27-15).
8: Screen (B), Watt (O) (TR), Madsen (B), Andersson (O), 61.4 (31-19).
9: Tomicek (O), Stead (B), Howe (O), Wright (B), 60.9 (33-23).
10: Bjerre (B), Tomicek (O), Screen (B), Skornicki (O), 60.2 (37-25).
11: Crump (B), Watt (O), Wiltshire (O), Morris (B), 60.4 (40-28).
12: Stead (B), Tomicek (O) (TR), Skornicki (O), Madsen (B), 60.7 (43-33).
13: Crump (B), Wiltshire (O), Bjerre (B), Howe (O), 60.6 (47-35).
14: (Re-run) Wright (B), Morris (B), Tomicek (O), Eriksson (O) (excluded unfair riding), 61.8 (52-36).
15: Crump (B), Wiltshire (O), Stead (B), Watt (O), 60.2 (56-38).

[Genghis]

CHEETAHS SUFFER HOME SETBACK

Wednesday, May 10, 2006
OXFORD 43 BELLE VUE 50 (Elite League A)
Belle Vue win aggregate point by 106-81

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Big downpour just before 6.00pm - fortunately, it lasted just a few minutes.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Heavy - but those who attacked the track were rewarded.
REFEREE: Tony Steele.

A disappointing result for the Cheetahs, who went into this meeting hopeful of a third successive home win. However, Belle Vue's top-end strength proved too much for a side Oxford without Monday night's hero Lubos Tomicek (recalled by his Czech club to ride in his home country), with Jason Crump recording one of the most emphatic maximums you'll ever see.
The stadium was hit by a torrential shower just before 6.00pm. It only lasted a few minutes, but it did enough to leave the track much wetter than intended. The Belle Vue riders seem to relish the conditions much more than the home riders, and from about Heat 5 onwards, only one result looked likely.
Todd Wiltshire led all the way in HEAT 1 from Kenneth Bjerre, while Davey Watt closed in on Joe Screen, but was unable to relieve him of third place (3-3).
Eric Andersson lifted at the start in HEAT 2, but was still first into the first bend. Phil Morris occupied second place, while Tom P Madsen looked very cautious in third. However, Oxford guest Krister Marsh was unable to pass Madsen and the race finished as a 3-3 (6-6).
Adam Skornicki produced an aggressive first bend in HEAT 3 to take the lead. But team-mate Freddie Eriksson looked unhappy in the heavy conditions, and Wright moved inside him on the fourth bend after being presented with a massive gap on the inside. Second-placed Stead then closed in on Skornicki, and Stead got very close coming off the final corner, but a determined Skornicki held on to take the verdict (9-9).
The Crump masterclass began in HEAT 4, with the first of five tapes-to-flag wins. Meanwhile, David Howe withstood pressure from Madsen to lap 1, then settled in third behind Andersson to ensure the fourth successive shared heat (12-12).
In HEAT 5, the Aces broke the deadlock, despite Screen having to switch to a Stead machine after his own bike failed him as he prepared to come up to the tapes. After a race against the clock, Screen just made in time on board his alternative steed. Bjerre gated, while Skornicki drifted wide on the fourth bend, allowing Screen to come through into second to join his team-mate for a 5-1. Meanwhile, Eriksson looked like a novice at the back - another shocking race from the Swede (13-17).
Crump was the winner of HEAT 6, with Watt & Wiltshire in second & third and Morris a distant last, in a race where the four riders were very spaced out by the end of the 4 laps (16-20).
Stead took the lead in HEAT 7, while Wright produced an impressive second bend to sail around Howe into second place. However, Wright made a mistake on the fourth bend, and Howe took him back. Wright hadn't given up and was still chasing on the final lap, but he went well wide on the final bends to did well to stay on. Race-winner Stead was another near faller, on lap 3, while Marsh was well off the pace in fourth place (18-24).
HEAT 8 saw Screen out on Crump's bike. Watt & Andersson gated, and Andersson then rode a determined opening lap to hold off Screen. But Watt then got in Andersson's way and Screen sailed around both Cheetahs on the opening bends of lap 2 in spectacular fashion as a golden opportunity for an Oxford heat advantage went begging (21-27).
Crump won HEAT 9 very easily from Skornicki, while there was a close battle between Eriksson & Morris on the opening lap. The two went down the back straight side-by-side, before Morris (on the outside) gained a slight advantage going into the third bend. However, a moment later he was off with Eriksson doing well to avoid also falling. Morris left the track and the race continued, but after the race, it became clear that Morris was in some pain, and he withdrew from the rest of the meeting with a knee injury (24-30).
Wiltshire & Watt were first away in HEAT 10, but Stead raced around Watt on the back straight into second place. Stead then started to close in on Wiltshire, but Wiltshire held firm and had enough of a lead to pull a mini-wheelie across the finishing line, as the Cheetahs headed into the interval with a four-point deficit (28-32).
HEAT 11 was decided by the second turn, with Screen - again on Crump's bike - the winner from Howe, Bjerre and Marsh (30-36). In HEAT 12, Madsen was the early leader, before Skornicki & Stead swept around the opening bends. As a result, Andersson found himself taken wide into the deep stuff on the outside and he fell. It was a clear first bend-bunching incident, and Tony Steele's decision to exclude Andersson from the re-run was a rare mistake from Britain's leading referee. In the re-run, it looked like Skornicki would minimise the damage as he shot into the lead. However, Stead was a man on a mission, and he flew under Skornicki on third bend of the second lap as the Aces edged further ahead (32-40).
Andersson came into HEAT 13 as a replacement for Howe, who was suffering from a heavy cold. Crump was the convincing leader ahead of Wiltshire and Bjerre, when Andersson took a heavy fall entering the third turn of lap 3, coming off the wrong side of the bike. It looked nasty, but a shaken Andersson eventually walked off, while the race was awarded as a 4-2 to Belle Vue (34-44).
Oxford needed an 8-1 from HEAT 14 to stay in the match. Eriksson was nominated as a tactical ride, while Andersson bravely came in for Marsh, just minutes after a heavy fall in the previous race. Wright & Madsen were first away, but Eriksson then finally came alive, blasting in between the two Aces on the back straight to move into the lead. Andersson, on board his spare machine, then tried everything he could to try to pass Madsen, but the experienced Dane held off and the resultant 6-3 to Oxford clinched the match for Belle Vue (40-47).
There was a rather unnecessary delay before HEAT 15, while Belle Vue manager Ian Thomas tried to field an ineligible rider in Simon Stead. The rules over who can be included in the final race are a little strange, but Thomas should know the rulebook inside out and was it worth holding up a meeting that his team had already won? Eventually Screen appeared on Stead's bike, to partner Crump. Crump just beat Wiltshire to the first turn, but then won easily, while Watt rounded Screen on the second bend to take third place (43-50).
So a night to forget from a Cheetahs perspective. There's no doubt that Lubos Tomicek was badly missed, while after providing the heat winner in the opening three races, an Oxford rider won only a further two races (Heats 10 & 14). Belle Vue moved to the top of the Elite League by the virtue of winning this meeting.

OXFORD 43
Todd Wiltshire 11+1 (5), Davey Watt 6+1 (5), Adam Skornicki 8 (4), Freddie Eriksson 7+1 (4) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), David Howe 5+1 (3), Krister Marsh (guest for Lubos Tomicek) 0 (3), Eric Andersson 6+1 (6).

BELLE VUE 50
Kenneth Bjerre 7 (4), Joe Screen 9+2 (5), Simon Stead 10 (5), James Wright 4+1 (4), Jason Crump 15 (5) (FULL MAXIMUM), Phil Morris 2 (3), Tom P Madsen 3+2 (5).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Wiltshire (O), Bjerre (B), Screen (B), Watt (O), 59.55 (3-3).
2: Andersson (O), Morris (B), Madsen (B), Marsh (O), 61.80 (6-6).
3: Skornicki (O), Stead (B), Wright (B), Eriksson (O), 59.92 (9-9)
4: Crump (B), Andersson (O), Howe (O), Madsen (B), 58.74 (12-12).
5: Bjerre (B), Screen (B), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), 60.33 (13-17).
6: Crump (B), Watt (O), Wiltshire (O), Morris (B), 58.27 (16-20).
7: Stead (B), Howe (O), Wright (B), Marsh (O), 60.52 (18-24).
8: Screen (B), Watt (O), Andersson (O), Madsen (B), 60.11 (21-27).
9: Crump (B), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), Morris (B) (fell), 59.80 (24-30).
10: Wiltshire (O), Stead (B), Watt (O), Wright (B), 59.89 (28-32).
11: Screen (B), Howe (O), Bjerre (B), Marsh (O), 59.46 (30-36).
12: (Re-run) Stead (B), Skornicki (O), Madsen (B), Andersson (O) (fell, excluded), 59.14 (32-40).
13: Crump (B), Wiltshire (O), Bjerre (B), Andersson (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (34-44).
14: Eriksson (O) (TR), Wright (B), Madsen (B), Andersson (O), 61.68 (40-47).
15: Crump (B), Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Screen (B), 59.52 (43-50).

[Genghis]

CHEETAHS LOSE OUT IN FINAL THREE RACES

Monday, May 29, 2006
WOLVERHAMPTON 53 OXFORD 37 (Elite League A)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: The track had been hit by a heavy shower in mid-afternoon, leading to a 20-minute delay in the start time. There was a brief burst of rain just after 7.30pm, but the rain stayed off during the actual match, as Oxford got in their first meeting - home or away - for 19 days!!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Understandably, quite heavy and grippy.
REFEREE: Chris Durno.

A spirited fight from Oxford saw the side stay within touching distance of Wolverhampton for most of this match - only for Wolves to pull away in the final stages, with three successive 5-1s at the close of the match.
With the unfortunate Lubos Tomicek unable to make it from Poland to the UK in time for this meeting thanks to the inadequacies of RyanAir, former Oxford Academy rider and current Cowley second-half regular Sam Martin found himself pressed into action for his Elite League debut.
HEAT 1 was an absolute sizzler. Todd Wiltshire emerged from the second bend in front of Peter Karlsson, Davey Watt and Magnus Karlsson. Karlsson thrust inside Wiltshire on the third bend, only for Wiltshire to steam back around on the fourth bend. Karlsson came back under again as they completed the first lap, but an intelligent cut-back by Wiltshire off the second bend took him back inside Karlsson up the back straight of lap 2. Karlsson wasn't finished, and got back inside Wiltshire as they entered the final lap. Wiltshire attempted to go back around him on the back straight, but Karlsson shut the door and Wiltshire had to settle for second place. A magnificent battle considering the track was not at its best at this point, following all the rain. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Magnus Karlsson failed to complete the race (3-3).
HEAT 2 was a nightmare start to the meeting for Sam Martin. His bike packed up as he prepared to be pushed from the pits, and he was excluded under the two-minute time allowance. He was reinstated off a 15m handicap, but without the offer of an alternative bike, he had to go out on track on his own machine. It packed up again shortly before the start, and this time he was completely out of the race. As he was not replaced, it counted as one of his rides under the three-ride minimum rule, although the ride will not count when it comes to calculating averages. The race then took place, with the Wolves reserves Christian Hefenbrock and Ben Wilson first away, but Eric Andersson cut under Wilson on the second bend to take second place. Andersson then looked a little uneasy on the grippy track, but Wilson was unable to find a way past (7-5).
HEAT 3 was all settled by the second bend, with former Wolf Adam Skornicki heading home Fredrik Lindgren and Ronnie Correy, while fourth-placed Freddie Eriksson got completely filled in, and pulled up with a lap to go, apparently due to lack of vision (10-8).
HEAT 4 saw a Wolves maximum for Billy Hamill & Hefenbrock over David Howe & Andersson (15-9), but Oxford hit back with a 5-1 of their own of Wiltshire & Watt headed Lindgren & Correy all the way in HEAT 5 (16-14).
HEAT 6 looked like a 4-2 to Wolves, but David Howe slowed on the second lap before pulling out with machinery problems, and Magnus Karlsson came through to join elder brother Peter for a 5-1. Meanwhile, Howe's misfortune allowed Sam Martin to take his first-ever point at EL level (21-15).
There hadn't been much racing since Heat 1, and HEAT 7 proved to be another procession. Hamill took his second successive heat win from Skornicki & Eriksson, while fourth-placed Wilson came to a halt on the final lap (24-18).
A feature of HEAT 8 was the wide-riding of Davey Watt. It took Watt around Magnus Karlsson on the back straight of lap 2, but despite a chase, Watt was unable to overhaul race-leader Hefenbrock as Wolves extended their lead to eight points (28-20).
Sam Martin's bike failed as he came to the tapes for HEAT 9 and he was again excluded under the two-minute time allowance, and Eric Andersson replaced him. This worked to Oxford's advantage as Howe & Andersson popped out of the gate, with Lindgren then all over Andersson but unable to find a route past, as the Cheetahs hit back with a 5-1 (29-25).
Peter Karlsson had no troubles making it three wins out of three in HEAT 10, but Skornicki pushed inside Magnus Karlsson on the second bend to move into second place. For a split-second, it looked like Eriksson could follow through the lap, but moments later Eriksson's bike had died as Wolves took a 4-2 (33-27).
Hamill won a shared HEAT 11 from Wiltshire & Watt, with Hefenbrock losing his unbeaten tag after trailing in last (36-30).
Eriksson & Martin looked up against up after Wilson & Correy gated in HEAT 12, but Eriksson swept around Correy on the second bend, and then Wilson lifted on the back straight and dropped from first to third as Eriksson took over the lead of the race. Wilson failed to regain his composure and fell on the fourth bend, allowing Martin into third place. Wilson remounted and started to chase Martin, but there was too much ground to recover, and Wilson gave up on the final lap and pulled out of the race. Oxford took a 4-2 and closed to just four points behind, while Martin finished his night's work with a highly commendable two points after some sensible riding (38-34).
HEAT 13 looked a tough one for the Cheetahs and so it proved. Wiltshire did bustle into second place early on, but Peter Karlsson swept under him on the fourth bend and joined Hamill for a 5-1, as both riders maintained their unbeaten status (43-35).
Oxford needed to hit back with a 5-1 of their own in HEAT 14, but instead Wolves wrapped up the match with a maximum heat advantage by Hefenbrock & Lindgren over Skornicki & Andersson. Bizarrely, this race saw the two Oxford riders both out in the yellow helmet colour, leading to a somewhat confusing opening lap! (48-36)
HEAT 15 was slightly delayed by a malfunction to the air fence. Once it got underway, it was Hamill & Peter Karlsson who swept into the lead, as both completed maximums - a full maximum for Hamill and a paid one for Karlsson. Skornicki did briefly challenge on lap 1, but the immaculate Wolves pair who soon pulled away (53-37).
So this match followed the recent trend in our away matches, where we managed to keep it close for most of the meeting, only to fall away at the end. A fairly solid Cheetahs performance, but a lack of consistency from ride-to-ride for some of the side proved costly, as did a number of engine failures.

WOLVERHAMPTON 53
Peter Karlsson 13+2 (5) (PAID MAXIMUM), Magnus Karlsson 4+1 (4), Ronnie Correy 3+1 (4), Fredrik Lindgren 6+1 (4), Billy Hamill 15 (5) (FULL MAXIMUM), Ben Wilson 1 (3), Christian Hefenbrock 11+1 (5).

OXFORD 37
Todd Wiltshire 8 (5), Davey Watt 6+3 (4), Freddie Eriksson 4+1 (4), Adam Skornicki 9 (5), David Howe 4 (4), Sam Martin 2 (2), Eric Andersson 4+1 (5).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: P. Karlsson (W), Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), M. Karlsson (W) (ret), 60.00 (3-3).
2: Hefenbrock (W), Andersson (O), Wilson (W), Martin (O) (excluded, two minutes), 61.25 (7-5).
3: Skornicki (O), Lindgren (W), Correy (W), Eriksson (O) (ret), 60.48 (10-8).
4: Hamill (W), Hefenbrock (W), Howe (O), Andersson (O), 59.84 (15-9).
5: Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Lindgren (W), Correy (W), 60.86 (16-14).
6: P. Karlsson (W), M. Karlsson (W), Martin (O), Howe (O) (ret), 59.76 (21-15).
7: Hamill (W), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), Wilson (W) (ret), 59.59 (24-18).
8: Hefenbrock (W), Watt (O), M. Karlsson (W), Andersson (O), 60.79 (28-20).
9: Howe (O), Andersson (O), Lindgren (W), Correy (W), Martin (O) (excluded, two minutes), 59.56 (29-25).
10: P. Karlsson (W), Skornicki (O), M. Karlsson (W), Eriksson (O) (ret), 59.97 (33-27).
11: Hamill (W), Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Hefenbrock (W), 59.22 (36-30).
12: Eriksson (O), Correy (W), Martin (O), Wilson (W) (fell, remounted, ret), 61.37 (38-34).
13: Hamill (W), P. Karlsson (W), Wiltshire (O), Howe (O), 59.45 (43-35).
14: Hefenbrock (W), Lindgren (W), Skornicki (O), Andersson (O), 60.61 (48-36).
15: Hamill (W), P. Karlsson (W), Skornicki (O), Wiltshire (O), 59.83 (53-37).

[Genghis]

CHEETAHS RETAIN HARLEY DAVIDSON TROPHY

Wednesday, May 31, 2006
OXFORD 47 SWINDON 43 (Elite League A)
Swindon win aggregate point by 99-85

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Warm and sunny - no really!!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Superb - with terrific racing right until Heats 14 & 15.
RIDER OF THE NIGHT (Voted by Harley Davidson): Todd Wiltshire.
REFEREE: Mick Bates.

What a night!! Not only did the Cheetahs defeat the old enemy, Swindon, for the first time in 2006, but also they did it on a night of tremendous racing and excitement at Oxford Stadium. And as well as picking up two precious Elite League points, the Cheetahs also won their first piece of silverware of the season by retaining the Oxford Harley Davidson trophy, presented to the winners of this match.
HEAT 1 saw Todd Wiltshire make a customary fast start to lead from Leigh Adams with Davey Watt threatening to go around Adams on the second bend. Adams saw off Watt, who was a little too wide entering the third bend and ended up taking a tumble. Adams then blasted around Wiltshire on the fourth turn to take the lead, but with Watt down, the race was stopped and Watt excluded. In the -re-run, Wiltshire again led from the gate, but he hit a patch coming out of the second bend and drifted wide allowing both Adams and Mads Korneliussen through. Wiltshire was soon back on Korneliussen's tail, and eventually repassed Korneliussen with an outside swoop with a lap remaining (2-4).
Seb Alden was put back 15m for touching the tapes in HEAT 2, but team-mate Adrian Miedzinski rode a determined opening couple of bends to take charge of the re-run and head home Eric Andersson and Lubos Tomicek in a shared race (5-7).
Miedzinski was straight back out in HEAT 3, taking a rider replacement ride for the injured Russian Renat Gafurov, and he shot out of the tapes alongside team-mate Seb Ulamek. The Robins pair then combined to shut out the challenge of Adam Skornicki, and took a 5-1 that moved their side into an early six-point lead (6-12).
The Cheetahs hit back in HEAT 4, with a tapes-to-flag 5-1 for Eric Andersson and David Howe, with Lee Richardson looking very subdued in third place (11-13).
HEAT 5 saw a fantastic race from the "Donut King" Adam Skornicki. He gated, and then held off a mounting challenge from Adams. In a last throw of the dice, Adams tried to get inside Skornicki off the final bend, but Adams lifted and Skornicki held on for a brilliant victory. Meanwhile, Freddie Eriksson moved over Korneliussen after a lap to take third, as the Cheetahs levelled the scores (15-15).
HEAT 6 finished a seemingly uneventful 5-1 to Wiltshire & Watt over the struggling Richardson. However, a stone had flown up from Wiltshire's back wheel during the race and hit Watt in a very delicate area and Oxford promoter Aaron Lanney was quick to get medical aid for Watt after the race (20-16).
Swindon hit back in HEAT 7. Howe gated, but left slightly too much room on his inside on the second bend, and Ulamek and Alden bustled through to take a 5-1 for the Robins (21-21).
Watt was withdrawn from HEAT 8 and replaced by Tomicek. Alden & Korneliussen took the lead, but Andersson moved under Korneliussen on the third bend with a typically plucky move. Andersson then seemed to lift slightly halfway around the bend, and he drifted wide, with a distracted Korneliussen falling off behind him. The race was stopped with Alden leading from Tomicek & Andersson, while Korneliussen was excluded from the race. Alden won the re-run, leading from start to finish, to keep the scores level (24-24).
Richardson gated in HEAT 9, but within half a lap both Skornicki (outside) and Eriksson (inside) had passed him. Eriksson then resisted pressure from firstly Richardson and then Miedzinski to join Skornicki for a 5-1 as the Cheetahs retook the lead (29-25).
It was announced that Watt had pulled out of the meeting with his groin injury and Eric Andersson replaced him in HEAT 10. Andersson was first from the tapes, while Wiltshire moved around Ulamek on the second bend to join Andersson at the front. With Ulamek looking a shadow of the rider who had won his opening two rides, Korneliussen moved into third place, but Korneliussen then fell on the third turn of lap 3. The race was stopped and awarded as a 5-1 to Oxford, as the Cheetahs took an 8-point lead into the interval break (34-26).
David Howe was massively unlucky in HEAT 11. He led the race and had Adams beaten, when he lost his chain on the first bend of the final lap, turning a 4-2 to Oxford into a 2-4 to the Robins. Tomicek took second place in this race, having won an opening lap battle with Seb Alden for third place and then being promoted after Howe's misfortune (36-30).
The luck swung the other way in HEAT 12. Miedzinski gated, while Ulamek shot around Skornicki on the second bend, as Swindon briefly held onto a 5-1. However, Ulamek drifted wide on the fourth bend, clouted the air fence and damaged his bike. Skornicki & Andersson moved through into second & third, while Ulamek crawled around for another lap or so, before pulling up. Skornicki nudged the fence coming out of the final corner, but regained control to finish in second place (39-33).
The tapes failed to go up properly at the first attempt to stage HEAT 13, leading to Wiltshire going straight through them. The ref allowed all 4 riders in the re-run. Wiltshire seemed to have a very slight advantage from the tapes, but it was Adams who took the lead going into the first turn and Richardson then pushed inside Wiltshire on the second turn. Wiltshire battled back, squeezing between Richardson and the fence on the fourth turn, to regain second place. Howe, on his No.2 machine following his stoppage in Heat 11, threatened Richardson but was unable to get through, as Swindon reduced the deficit to four points with two heats to go (41-37).
Seb Ulamek led HEAT 14 all the way, but behind him, there was a great battle for third place. Eriksson thrust himself inside Miedzinski on the back straight of lap 1, but Miedzinski battled back around on the fourth turn. Onto the second lap, and Eriksson moved inside Miedzinski on the second bend, but his momentum took him wide and Miedzinski struck back on the back straight. Eriksson was still chasing entering the final lap, but nearly ran into Miedzinski on the second bend and lost ground. Miedzinski then looked at a way past second-placed Tomicek on the final two bends, but Tomicek held firm and the Cheetahs took a slender two-point lead into the final race (43-41).
HEAT 15 was, quite simply, a classic. Oxford won the toss and chose gates 1 & 3, with Skornicki off the inside and Wiltshire off gate 3, and their opponents were Ulamek (gate 2) and Adams (gate 4). Skornicki led from the tapes, while Wiltshire belted around Ulamek down the back straight to take second place. However, Adams then made his move, thrusting inside Wiltshire on the third bend. Coming out of the fourth bend, Wiltshire looked to hit back, but Adams shut the door in an unusually aggressive style. Adams then closed in on Skornicki, while still being under pressure himself from Wiltshire. Wiltshire did actually regain second place with an inside move on the second bend of lap 3, but Adams had the greater momentum and flew back around Wiltshire down the back straight. On the final lap, Adams was very close to Skornicki and he went for one final blast around the outside on the final bend, but Skornicki saw it coming and moved across enough to halt Adams's run and hold on for a magnificent race win (47-43).
And so finished an almost perfect night from an Oxford viewpoint. Adam Skornicki was just brilliant and has never ridden the Oxford racetrack so well, while Todd Wiltshire was as solid as ever around Cowley, he's now scored double figures in all three of his appearances at Cowley since his return from retirement. David Howe was so unlucky to stop while leading Heat 11, while Freddie Eriksson's efforts deserved more than paid four. And the reserves were sensational - 16 paid 20 was a fabulous combined return from Eric Andersson & Lubos Tomicek.
Swindon were also well served by their reserve pairing, while a dreadful performance from Lee Richardson went a long way to costing them the match.

OXFORD 47
Todd Wiltshire 11 (5), Davey Watt 2+1 (2), Adam Skornicki 12 (5), Freddie Eriksson 3+1 (4), David Howe 3+1 (4), Lubos Tomicek 7+1 (5), Eric Andersson 9+3 (5).

SWINDON 43
Leigh Adams 13 (5), Mads Korneliussen 1 (4), Renat Gafurov R/R, Seb Ulamek 10 (6), Lee Richardson 3 (4), Adrian Miedzinski 10+1 (6), Seb Alden 6+1 (5).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: (Re-run) Adams (S), Wiltshire (O), Korneliussen (S), Watt (O) (fell, excluded), 59.62 (2-4).
2: (Re-run) Miedzinski (S), Andersson (O), Tomicek (O), Alden (S) (penalised 15m for tape touching), 59.96 (5-7).
3: Ulamek (S), Miedzinski (S), Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), 60.52 (6-12).
4: Andersson (O), Howe (O), Richardson (S), Alden (S), 60.73 (11-13).
5: Skornicki (O), Adams (S), Eriksson (O), Korneliussen (S), 59.96 (15-15).
6: Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Richardson (S), Miedzinski (S), 59.68 (20-16).
7: Ulamek (S), Alden (S), Howe (O), Tomicek (O), 60.33 (21-21).
8: (Re-run) Alden (S), Tomicek (O), Andersson (O), Korneliussen (S) (fell, excluded), 60.21 (24-24).
9: Skornicki (O), Eriksson (O), Miedzinski (S), Richardson (S), 60.40 (29-25).
10: Wiltshire (O), Andersson (O), Ulamek (S), Korneliussen (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (34-26).
11: Adams (S), Tomicek (O), Alden (S), Howe (O) (ret), 60.80 (36-30).
12: Miedzinski (S), Skornicki (O), Andersson (O), Ulamek (S) (ret), 60.83 (39-33).
13: (Re-run) Adams (S), Wiltshire (O), Richardson (S), Howe (O), 60.21 (41-37).
14: Ulamek (S), Tomicek (O), Miedzinski (S), Eriksson (O), 61.05 (43-41).
15: Skornicki (O), Adams (S), Wiltshire (O), Ulamek (S), 60.92 (47-43).