June 2006

[Genghis]

WILTSHIRE IN VINTAGE FORM, BUT CHEETAHS LOSE OUT

Wednesday, June 7, 2006
POOLE 55 OXFORD 40 (Elite League A)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Hot and sunny.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Well prepared - with a nice amount of dirt.
REFEREE: Dave Dowling.

Todd Wiltshire turned back the clock to register his best score for the Cheetahs since his return from his retirement, clocking up 15 points around Wimborne Road, which always was one of his favourite tracks. But, sadly, back-up for the veteran Aussie in this match was somewhat sparse, and the Cheetahs will need to put in their best performance of this season to clinch the bonus point in the return fixture at Sandy Lane tonight.
No. 8 Matt Tressarieu made his debut for the Cheetahs - replacing Lubos Tomicek, on domestic duty in the Czech Republic.
Wiltshire showed that he meant business in HEAT 1. He gated from the inside, then pushed the Poole pair wide on the first turn. Freddie Eriksson was left with a large hole on the inside, but failed to take advantage as Bjarne Pedersen fended him off for third place, while Boyce threatened Wiltshire on the back straight of lap 1, only for Wiltshire to then pull away to win the race (3-3).
HEAT 2 saw a pretty even break; it looked like the Pirates may be edging ahead, but Andersson bombed around the outside on the second bend and he & Matt Tressarieu relegated Jonas Davidsson to the rear. Andersson then chased race-leader Shaun Tacey and shot around him on the fourth bend of lap 2 to get his evening off to a very impressive start, while Tressarieu resisted pressure from Davidsson to keep in third, as Oxford took an early lead in the match (5-7).
Antonio Lindback gated in HEAT 3, while Poole team-mate Greg Walasek blasted around the outside on the opening bends to join him at the front. Davey Watt chased them hard, and made some ground up on Lindback at one point, but could not prevent the 5-1 to the Pirates, while David Howe pulled up on the third lap while a long way behind (10-8).
Adam Skornicki & Eric Andersson had the slight edge from the tapes in HEAT 4, but Boyce flew around them on the opening bends, then Tacey moved inside Andersson coming off the second bend. Andersson moved back around Tacey down the back straight, and the race then settled down as a 3-3 (13-11).
Lindback & Walasek were first away in HEAT 5, but Wiltshire rounded Walasek on the back straight of lap 1. But there was no catching Lindback, though, who won in 57.43 seconds, the fastest time of the season at Wimborne Road (17-13).
Skornicki led for a short time in HEAT 6, but both Pedersen & Boyce had passed him by the time half-a-lap had been completed as the Pirates slammed in a maximum heat advantage. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Tressarieu pulled up on the final lap (22-14).
In HEAT 7, Lindback's supremacy was briefly challenged when Howe went around him on the back straight of lap 1, but the Brazilian-Swede charged back under Howe on the third & fourth bends and then won easily. Meanwhile, Howe lacked speed and it required Watt to settle behind his team captain to shut out Davidsson's challenge (25-17).
Shaun Tacey's signature for the Pirates raised a few eyebrows, but judging by HEAT 8, Tacey may perform a lot better than many expect. He gated alongside Boyce, and despite a final lap challenge from Eriksson, Tacey held on for second spot to join Boyce for a 5-1 (30-18).
Lindback & Walasek were first to show in HEAT 9, but Skornicki bustled under Walasek on the second bend and pushed Walasek wide, who dropped to fourth place. Walasek went under Tressarieu on the back straight of lap 2, but the Frenchman showed plenty of fight and went back around Walasek on the fourth turn (still on lap 2). Walasek continued to press, but Tressarieu held him off for an impressive third place (33-21).
Pedersen & Boyce led all the way in HEAT 10, with Watt going for a blast around the outside coming out of the second bend, only to clout straight into the air-fence. Watt was lucky to stay on - it could have been a nasty accident (38-22).
Wiltshire was nominated as a tactical ride in HEAT 11. He and Pedersen were side-by-side around the opening bends, before Pedersen (on the inside) took a slight advantage coming out of the second bend. However, Wiltshire kept the power on and had edged back around Pedersen by the end of the lap. Pedersen continued to chase, but a last-ditch effort to get inside Wiltshire on the third bend of the final lap was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Eriksson was struggling in third place and almost caught on the line by Davidsson, in what was a very tight finish for the odd point (40-29).
HEAT 12 saw two races in one. At the front, Walasek had to withstand a lot of pressure from the ever-pressing Watt, in what was a tactical ride for the Oxford rider. Similarly, Andersson held off the constant attentions of Tacey to keep hold of third place, as the Cheetahs closed back to within 9 points with a 5-3 (43-34).
Wiltshire edged both Walasek & Pedersen from the tapes in HEAT 13, then held off a stern challenge from Walasek to win the race (46-37).
Howe & Andersson made good starts in HEAT 14, but there was no stopping Lindback who charged around the outside on the opening bends to take the lead. Andersson then started to slow with a puncture, losing third to Davidsson on lap 1 (who was gifted his only point of the evening), before pulling up on lap 2 (50-39).
In HEAT 15, Pedersen & Wiltshire battled it out for the lead on the opening bends, but Lindback chopped under Wiltshire coming out of the second bend, with Wiltshire then relegated to third place, as the Pirates finished the evening with a 5-1 and Lindback completed a six-ride paid maximum (55-40).
So a fantastic effort from Todd Wiltshire, who defeated World No. 6 Bjarne Pedersen three times out of four around his own circuit. Eric Andersson also tried hard and his paid seven tally would have been higher but for his Heat 14 puncture, while Matt Tresarrieu showed potential in heading home Greg Walasek in Heat 9.
But the Pirates will be pleased by the performances of Lindback, Boyce & Tacey, and again Oxford struggled to provide heat winners away from home - with a Cheetah taking the chequered flag just four times (three from Wiltshire).

POOLE 55
Bjarne Pedersen 13+2 (6), Craig Boyce 12+2 (5), Greg Walasek 9 (5), Antonio Lindback 16+2 (6) (PAID MAXIMUM), R/R for Krzysztof Kasprzak, Jonas Davidsson 1 (4), Shaun Tacey 4+1 (4).

OXFORD 40
Todd Wiltshire 15 (5) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), Freddie Eriksson 2 (4), Davey Watt 6+1 (5) (incl. 4-point tactical ride), David Howe 5 (4), Adam Skornicki 5 (4), Matt Tresarrieu 2+1 (3), Eric Andersson 5+2 (5).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Wiltshire (O), Boyce (P), Pedersen (P), Eriksson (O), 59.50 (3-3).
2: Andersson (O), Tacey (P), Tresarrieu (O), Davidsson (P), 60.79 (5-7).
3: Walasek (P), Lindback (P), Watt (O), Howe (O) (ret), 59.38 (10-8).
4: Boyce (P) (R/R), Skornicki (O), Andersson (O), Tacey (P), 59.56 (13-11).
5: Lindback (P), Wiltshire (O), Walasek (P), Eriksson (O), 57.43 (17-13).
6: Pedersen (P), Boyce (P), Skornicki (O), Tresarrieu (O) (ret), 59.58 (22-14).
7: Lindback (P) (R/R), Howe (O), Watt (O), Davidsson (P), 58.51 (25-17).
8: Boyce (P), Tacey (P), Eriksson (O), Andersson (O), 59.64 (30-18).
9: Lindback (P), Skornicki (O), Tresarrieu (O), Walasek (P), 58.43 (33-21).
10: Pedersen (P), Boyce (P), Howe (O), Watt (O), 59.66 (38-22).
11: Wiltshire (O) (TR), Pedersen (P) (R/R), Eriksson (O), Davidsson (P), 59.83 (40-29).
12: Walasek (P), Watt (O) (TR), Andersson (O), Tacey (P), 58.65 (43-34).
13: Wiltshire (O), Walasek (P) (R/R), Pedersen (P), Skornicki (O), 59.40 (46-37).
14: Lindback (P), Howe (O), Davidsson (P), Andersson (O) (ret), 58.79 (50-39).
15: Pedersen (P), Lindback (P), Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), 58.44 (55-40).

[Genghis]

HOWE'S THAT!

Thursday, June 8, 2006
OXFORD 50 POOLE 43 (Elite League A)
Poole win aggregate point by 98-90.

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: A very hot and sunny evening.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Racing right until Heat 15.
REFEREE: Jim Lawrence.

David Howe put in his best performance of the season for Oxford against the Pirates, as the Cheetahs won their second successive home match and gained revenge for the previous night's defeat at Wimborne Road. And Oxford almost secured their first bonus point of the season, only for Poole's Brazilian-Swede Antonio Lindback to produce a little bit of magic in the final two races.
HEAT 1 saw Bjarne Pedersen the early leader, but Wiltshire shot around him down the back straight, then resisted Pedersen's challenge later in the race. Meanwhile, Craig Boyce held off Freddie Eriksson to take third, as the race ended as a shared opening heat (3-3).
All four riders were close together early in HEAT 2, with Lubos Tomicek holding the advantage at the front of the field, ahead of the Poole pairing of Shaun Tacey & Jonas Davidsson. However, Eric Andersson weaved around Davidsson on the back straight, before charging inside Tacey on the third bend, as he came through to join Tomicek for a 5-1 (8-4).
Perpetual creeper Antonio Lindback moved at the tapes in HEAT 3, but messed himself up and the Oxford pair got away. However, the referee deemed it an unsatisfactory start and brought all 4 riders back for another go - should it would have made more sense to let the race continue. In the re-run, David Howe gated ahead of Lindback, while Davey Watt blitzed around Dean Barker down the back straight. Watt then spent three laps on Lindback's tail, but was unable to pass Poole's young GP rider (12-6).
HEAT 4 was not a good one for Oxford. Pedersen and Tacey were first away, then Andersson went wide on the second bend, messing up the following Skornicki into the bargain. Andersson then showed a little inexperience in not letting Skornicki through, indeed he accidentally took Skornicki wide a couple of times. Andersson was close to coming under Tacey with a lap to go, but Tacey held on as the Pirates hit back with a 5-1 (13-11).
Watt & Howe charged from the tapes in HEAT 5, and although Pedersen was not far from Howe early on, Pedersen then made a mistake towards the end of the second lap and the Oxford boys pulled clear to take a 5-1 (18-12).
Lindback, in for a R/R ride, again moved at the tapes in HEAT 6, but this time he got away with it and won with ease from Wiltshire. Meanwhile, Eriksson took third ahead of Davidsson, despite Davidsson pressing hard on the first couple of laps (21-15).
Skornicki had the edge from the tapes in HEAT 7, but Lindback charged around him on the second bend and pulled away for a second successive heat win (23-19).
Andersson made a good start from gate 1 in HEAT 8, however he went into the first bend with too much speed and drifted wide, getting in the way of Eriksson and also taking him wide. What had been a 4-2 to Oxford turned quickly into a 5-1 for the Poole pair of Boyce & Tacey, and to make matters worse for the Cheetahs, Eriksson lost his steel shoe. It meant although Eriksson got into a position to get under Tacey after a lap, he was unable to execute the move, and indeed an uncomfortable looking Eriksson pulled out of the race on the third lap, as the Pirates levelled the scores (24-24).
Barker moved inside Howe on the second bend of HEAT 9 to take the lead, but a pumped Howe went back around Poole's guest rider on the third & fourth bends. Watt was then left in pursuit of Barker, and after trying the inside, Watt switched lines and powered around a bewildered Barker with a lap to go, as Oxford reopened a four-point lead (29-25).
Wiltshire & Eriksson gated in HEAT 10, while Barker held back Lindback on lap 1. Lindback then got into third and immediately started to close the gap on Eriksson. Eriksson tried his best to stop Lindback coming through, but Lindback was in a determined mood and produced a brave move to sweep around Eriksson on the second bend of lap 3, as the Cheetahs took a six-point lead into the interval (33-27).
Boyce briefly lead HEAT 11 after getting past Skornicki on the opening bends, but Skornicki pushed back though on the exit of the second bend, and moments later Boyce had dropped to fourth place behind Pedersen & Tomicek. Pedersen then showed his class, hunting down Skornicki and charging inside the Pole with a lap remaining, to salvage a 3-3 to the Pirates (36-30).
HEAT 12 was called back after an unsatisfactory start - with Watt heading Barker, Tacey and Andersson at the time of stoppage. In the re-run, Watt again gated, while Andersson nearly went through the middle of Barker & Tacey on the second bend, before Andersson powered around Tacey at the end of the first lap to take third place (40-32).
Wiltshire gated in HEAT 13, then Skornicki cut under Pedersen on the opening turns to take second place. However, moments later, fourth-placed Boyce ran straight into back of Pedersen, and both Poole riders came down with a mighty thud. It could have been nasty, but the riders were fortunate and escaped injury, while Boyce was excluded from the race. In the re-run, Wiltshire resisted pressure from Pedersen as Oxford took a further 4-2 (44-34).
Lindback was nominated as a tactical ride in HEAT 14, and Howe & Tomicek needed a 5-1 over him to keep alive Oxford's hopes of the bonus point, while the Pirates needed an 8-1 to stay in the match. Tomicek & Howe hit the front, but Lindback was soon ominously poised, before charging under Howe on the third bend of lap 2. However, Lindback then tried to go around Tomicek, and Howe got back inside him on the second bend of lap 3 to regain second place. Lindback pressed on, and when Tomicek lifted on the exit of the fourth bend of lap 3, causing Howe to momentarily slow, Lindback was through like a flash to take over the lead of the race as it entered its final lap. The resultant 6-3 to Poole resolved all issues, with Oxford clinching the match and Poole securing the bonus point (47-40).
HEAT 15 was slightly delayed, after Pedersen & Lindback lined up on each other's gate position and had to be swapped over. Howe led from the tapes from Pedersen, but Lindback swept inside Wiltshire & team-mate Pedersen on the second bend, then whizzed around Howe on the fourth bend, to go from fourth to first in less than a lap. Wiltshire came inside Pedersen, also on the fourth bend of lap 1, then Wiltshire stayed behind Howe to ensure a 3-3 and a final gap of seven points between the two sides (50-43).
So another solid home performance from the Cheetahs to overcome what was largely a two-man Poole outfit. It was great to see David Howe riding with so much more confidence - his full gating skills returned in this match and he also looked much more assertive out on the racetrack.
Todd Wiltshire, who took over the captaincy from Howe from this match, continued his fantastic form over from the previous night, while Davey Watt was another who, like Howe, enjoyed his best meeting of the season for the Cheetahs. But only four lasts places in 15 heats show that the whole team was pulling its weight - and Oxford's record of four wins in the last five home matches is a far cry from our dismal start to the season.

OXFORD 50
Todd Wiltshire 12+1 (5), Freddie Eriksson 2+1 (4), Davey Watt 9+1 (4), David Howe 12+1 (5), Adam Skornicki 5 (4), Lubos Tomicek 5+2 (4), Eric Andersson 5+1 (4).

POOLE 43
Bjarne Pedersen 11 (6), Craig Boyce 3+2 (5), Dean Barker (guest for Greg Walasek) 4 (5), Antonio Lindback 19 (6) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), R/R for Krzysztof Kasprzak, Jonas Davidsson 0 (3), Shaun Tacey 6+1 (5).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Wiltshire (O), Pedersen (P), Boyce (P), Eriksson (O), 59.73 (3-3).
2: Tomicek (O), Andersson (O), Tacey (P), Davidsson (P), 60.58 (8-4).
3: (Re-run) Howe (O), Lindback (P), Watt (O), Barker (P), 59.89 (12-6).
4: Pedersen (P) (R/R), Tacey (P), Andersson (O), Skornicki (O), 60.77 (13-11).
5: Watt (O), Howe (O), Pedersen (P), Boyce (P), 59.80 (18-12).
6: Lindback (P) (R/R), Wiltshire (O), Eriksson (O), Davidsson (P), 59.02 (21-15).
7: Lindback (P), Skornicki (O), Barker (P), Tomicek (O), 60.14 (23-19).
8: Tacey (P), Boyce (P), Andersson (O), Eriksson (O) (ret), 62.46 (24-24).
9: Howe (O), Watt (O), Barker (P) (R/R), Davidsson (P), 61.15 (29-25).
10: Wiltshire (O), Lindback (P), Eriksson (O), Barker (P) (ret), 60.56 (33-27).
11: Pedersen (P), Skornicki (O), Tomicek (O), Boyce (P), 61.05 (36-30).
12: (Re-run) Watt (O), Barker (P), Andersson (O), Tacey (P), 61.17 (40-32).
13: (Re-run) Wiltshire (O), Pedersen (P), Skornicki (O), Boyce (P) (R/R) (fell, excluded), 60.87 (44-34).
14: Lindback (P) (TR), Howe (O), Tomicek (O), Tacey (P), 62.02 (47-40).
15: Lindback (P), Howe (O), Wiltshire (O), Pedersen (P), 61.02 (50-43).

[Genghis]

BRAVE CHEETAHS CLOSE TO CAUSING MAJOR UPSET

Monday, June 12, 2006
READING 50 OXFORD 42 (Elite League B)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Blazing hot.
TRACK CONDITIONS: As good as you're going to get at Smallmead!
REFEREE: Daniel Holt.

What a difference two months can make!! Oxford, given such a thumping at Reading in the A fixture on Good Friday evening, showed how much they have improved since then, and came close to what would have been a sensational win.
The Cheetahs recovered from 13-23 down to level the scores at 37-37 after 12 races, only for Greg Hancock, Matej Zagar and Sam Simota to rally in the final three races to see the Bulldogs home. Oxford's top men were former Reading Racer Todd Wiltshire, Davey Watt and Lubos Tomicek, with these three scoring 34 between them.
Wiltshire led all the way in HEAT 1, and with Greg Hancock & Travis McGowan filling the minor positions ahead of Freddie Eriksson, the race was drawn (3-3).
Lubos Tomicek & Eric Andersson gated in HEAT 2, only for referee Dan Holt to stop the race and bring all four riders back - an unsatisfactory start apparently, although there looked little wrong. In the re-run, Andersson again made a superb start to lead from Sam Simota, Tomicek & Andy Smith, but again the referee brought a halt to the proceedings, much to the growing frustration of the Oxford fans. At the third time of asking, Tomicek gated, while a tightly contested opening half lap saw Andersson battle through the middle of the two Bulldogs to take second place. However, Smith got back under Andersson after a lap, and he then pushed Andersson wide on the opening bends of lap 2, to allow Simota into third. Simota made a couple of mistakes, but held onto third and the scores remained level (6-6).
HEAT 3 saw Zagar take the lead, while Gjedde swept around Howe on the second bend to move into second place. Watt took up the chase of the Bulldogs pair, but Reading seemed all set for a 5-1, until Zagar's bike failed on the final corner and Gjedde could not avoid ploughing into him as both came crashing down. Watt laid down his bike very quickly to avoid the fallen riders, while the race was awarded as a 3-3 with Zagar's exclusion. Zagar was up on his feet first, while Gjedde eventually hobbled off with an ankle injury (9-9).
Hancock & Simota broke the deadlock with a 5-1 all the way over Adam Skornicki & Eric Andersson in HEAT 4, while there was a delay after this race while Gjedde received medical attention, and it was then announced Gjedde had withdrawn from the meeting, reducing Reading to five riders (14-10).
Wiltshire led for most of the way in HEAT 5, with Zagar getting closer and closer. Zagar rode largely a wide line, but on the final bend, Zagar switched to the inside and snatched a hard-fought win. With Smith having passed Eriksson on the opening lap, it meant a 4-2 to the Bulldogs (18-12).
A poor run of races for Oxford continued in HEAT 6, with McGowan & Hancock heading home Tomicek & Skornicki (23-13). However, the Cheetahs hit back in style in HEAT 7. Watt was nominated as a tactical ride, and with Simota lasting less than a lap on a sick motor, Watt & Howe were left to take a relatively straightforward 8-1 over Smith (24-21).
HEAT 8 proved to be eventful. Firstly, Andersson suffered an engine failure and pulled up from fourth place. Then, with McGowan & Simota all set to take a 5-1, McGowan's bike failed going into the third bend of the final lap and McGowan took a pearler into the fence, leaving Simota & Eriksson as the only two finishers (27-23).
Tomicek made a determined start from the outside in HEAT 9, but Zagar powered inside on the back straight to take the lead. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Smith had fallen and remounted on the opening bends, leaving Skornicki to take third place as the gap between the teams remained at four points (30-26).
Hancock won HEAT 10, while Watt & Howe concentrated on keeping McGowan at the back (33-29). In HEAT 11, a battle developed for second place behind race leader Wiltshire. Firstly, Simota stormed around Tomicek after a lap, then Tomicek almost came back under Simota on the final bend of lap 2. Tomicek continued to chase for the rest of race, while also holding off fourth-placed Zagar, who looked somewhat subdued in this race (35-33).
Watt & Tomicek gated in HEAT 12, but Simota edged around Tomicek down the back straight. Tomicek tried to get back under Simota on the fourth bend, but the race then settled down as a 4-2 and the Cheetahs levelled the score with just three heats remaining (37-37).
Hancock was fastest away in HEAT 13, and as Wiltshire looked at rounding him, McGowan slotted into second place coming off the second bend. However, Wiltshire wasn't beaten, and riding the outside line to perfection, he shot around McGowan on the back straight of lap 3 to move into second place and avoid the loss of a 5-1 (41-39).
HEAT 14 looked like it could go either way, but critically it was Simota who led from the tapes, followed by Tomicek, while Zagar flew around Howe on the opening bends to move into third. Zagar then moved in closer & closer on Tomicek, and blasted around Tomicek on the final bend of lap 2, to join Simota for a 5-1 as the Bulldogs secured the two league points (46-40).
In HEAT 15, Wiltshire gated, but Zagar was again flying, and a switch to the inside on the second bend of lap 2 took Zagar into the lead. Hancock then moved level on the inside of Wiltshire after 2 laps, but Wiltshire held him off, as the evening ended with a 4-2 to Reading (50-42).
So an entertaining match, with Oxford capitalising on Reading's misfortune to stay right in the match until the final stages and proving wrong the pundits who predicted another landslide win for the Bulldogs. Todd Wiltshire showed that he hasn't forgotten his way around Smallmead, while Davey Watt and Lubos Tomicek also had good nights.
And, given the extreme heat during the day, the Reading track staff did well to prepare a track that only turned slick towards the end of the meeting.

READING 50
Greg Hancock 14+1 (6), Travis McGowan 5+1 (5), Charlie Gjedde 3 (1), Matej Zagar 11+1 (6), R/R for Janusz Kolodziej, Andy Smith 4 (5), Sam Simota 13+2 (7).

OXFORD 42
Todd Wiltshire 12 (5), Freddie Eriksson 2 (3), Davey Watt 13 (5) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), David Howe 4+3 (4), Adam Skornicki 2+1 (4), Lubos Tomicek 9 (6), Eric Andersson 0 (3).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Wiltshire (O), Hancock (R), McGowan (R), Eriksson (O), 59.65 (3-3).
2: (Re-run twice) Tomicek (O), Smith (R), Simota (R), Andersson (O), 60.71 (6-6).
3: Gjedde (R), Watt (O), Howe (O), Zagar (R) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (9-9).
4: Hancock (R) (R/R), Simota (R), Skornicki (O), Andersson (O), 61.06 (14-10).
5: Zagar (R), Wiltshire (O), Smith (R), Eriksson (O), 60.21 (18-12).
6: McGowan (R), Hancock (R), Tomicek (O), Skornicki (O), 61.14 (23-13).
7: Watt (O) (TR), Howe (O), Smith (R), Simota (R) (R/R) (ret), 61.08 (24-21).
8: Simota (R), Eriksson (O), McGowan (R) (fell), Andersson (O) (ret), 61.27 (27-23).
9: Zagar (R), Tomicek (O), Skornicki (O), Smith (R) (fell, remounted), 60.85 (30-26).
10: Hancock (R), Watt (O), Howe (O), McGowan (R), 61.52 (33-29).
11: Wiltshire (O), Simota (R), Tomicek (O), Zagar (R) (R/R), 61.15 (35-33).
12: Watt (O), Simota (R), Tomicek (O), Smith (R), 61.05 (37-37).
13: Hancock (R), Wiltshire (O), McGowan (R) (R/R), Skornicki (O), 61.61 (41-39).
14: Simota (R), Zagar (R), Tomicek (O), Howe (O), 61.11 (46-40).
15: Zagar (R), Wiltshire (O), Hancock (R), Watt (O), 60.71 (50-42).

[Genghis]

BRILLIANT WILTSHIRE CAN'T SAVE CHEETAHS

Wednesday, June 14, 2006
OXFORD 44 COVENTRY 51 (Elite League B)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Another lovely evening!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Good - again, racing right until the end of the night.
RIDER OF THE NIGHT: Todd Wiltshire.
REFEREE: Chris Gay.

37-year-old Australian Todd Wiltshire put in a breathtaking performance for Oxford, defeating England No. 1 Scott Nicholls three times, but Wiltshire's heroics could not prevent the Coventry Bees avenging their late April defeat at Cowley.
The Bees were consistently faster from the gate than their Oxford counterparts, and while Wiltshire won 4 of his 5 rides, Oxford's other six rides could muster just one heat winner between them (David Howe in Heat 3).
HEAT 1 saw Wiltshire start his evening with a comfortable win over Nicholls, but Martin Smolinski had little trouble in getting inside Freddie Eriksson on the back straight of lap 1 to take third to ensure a shared opening heat (3-3).
Lubos Tomicek & Oliver Allen were battling for the lead around the opening bends of HEAT 2, but Allen (on the outside) pulled ahead coming out of the second turn. Tomicek then put in maximum effort to try to get inside Allen, and when Allen left the smallest of gaps on the second bend of lap 3, Tomicek didn't need a second invitation. Unfortunately, though, Tomicek lost control as he tried to dive through, and the Czech rider ended in a heap on the track, seemingly making contact with Allen's bike on his way down. The race was halted with Tomicek's exclusion, and awarded as a 5-1 to Coventry - as Martin Smolinski had been heading Eric Andersson at the time of stoppage (4-8).
In HEAT 3, Davey Watt & David Howe gated, only for Rory Schlein to fall entering the first bend after a brush with Howe. Referee Chris Gay allowed all 4 riders in the re-run, and although Howe again gated, this time Watt was left at the back behind Billy Janniro & Schlein. Watt tried to get around Schlein, but Schlein blocked his every move and the race ended as a 3-3 (7-11).
Allen was quick away in HEAT 4, and then withstood a challenge from Andersson, who tried to push inside Allen on the second bend. Andersson wasn't looking smooth, and Chris Harris didn't have much trouble in swooping around him after a lap to join Allen for a Bees 5-1. Meanwhile, Adam Skornicki opened his evening with a disappointing last place, and things were already looking ominous for the Cheetahs (8-16).
HEAT 5 looked like another 5-1 to Coventry. Smolinski gated, then Nicholls charged around Watt on the second bend to move into second place. However, on the third bend of second lap, Smolinski slowed dramatically and Watt & Howe came through for a somewhat fortunate share of the spoils. Smolinski then got going at full speed again, suggesting that maybe he had forgotten to turn his fuel on before the race (11-19).
Wiltshire trapped in HEAT 6, while team-mate Eriksson made a dreadful start. Eriksson kept to the inside, and got past Allen into third on the second bend, with Allen then dropping right out of contention. Meanwhile, Harris performed a quite superb outside pass on Wiltshire on the back straight of lap 2, to move into a first place he did not surrender (14-22).
There was movement at the tapes in HEAT 7, and Tomicek just caught them, earning himself an exclusion. Andersson came into the race in Tomicek's place for the re-run. Skornicki seemed to have the edge after a tight first bend, but it was Schlein on the outside who led exiting the second bend, with Andersson bustling inside Janniro on the opening bends to take third. And that's how the race finished - as a third successive shared race (17-25).
HEAT 8 saw some great racing. At the front, Allen raced around Tomicek on the back straight of the opening lap, then Tomicek tried to get back inside Allen on the second bend of lap 2, nearly running into him in what was almost a repeat of the Heat 2 incident. Allen then consolidated his lead, but a fine tussle then ensued for third place. Eriksson (having again made a dreadful start) came under Janniro at the completion of the second lap, but Janniro then battled back around on the back straight of lap 3. Eriksson kept the pressure on, but Janniro seemed to have done enough to take third. However, Janniro seemed to switch off coming off the final bend, and a grateful Eriksson (on the inside) took advantage of Janniro's lack of concentration to snatch third place from his rival on the line (20-28).
HEAT 9 saw Howe hold an early advantage, only for Harris to power inside him on the back straight, while Watt held off an early challenge from Smolinski for third. Howe tried to regain the lead, but Harris - in irresistible form - was not going to be caught as Coventry provided a sixth successive race winner (23-31).
HEAT 10 saw Oxford finally take their first heat advantage on the night. Wiltshire & Eriksson gated, and although Schlein went around Eriksson on the back straight of lap 1, Eriksson stayed in third ahead of Janniro and the Cheetahs took a 4-2, to reduce the deficit to six points heading into the interval (27-33).
HEAT 11 was not a good one for Oxford. Nicholls & Allen got out in front, and although Skornicki had closed in on Allen towards the end, Allen maintained his second place and the Bees took a 5-1 (28-38).
Watt was nominated as a tactical ride in HEAT 12, but lifted out of the start and was left trailing. Andersson allowed him into third place, then Watt started to challenge second-place Smolinski. Smolinski held him off and seemed to have done enough, but one final blast around the outside by Watt on the final bend took him past Smolinski, turning a 5-1 to the Bees to a shared 4-4 heat in one fell swoop (32-42).
Harris & Nicholls had dropped only one point between them going into HEAT 13, however this proved to be the race that got Oxford back into the meeting. Wiltshire (nominated as a TR) charged from the tapes, then a fantastic run around the outside by Skornicki saw him storm past Nicholls on the back straight and take second place. Harris almost hit back immediately, nearly getting under Skornicki in the third bend, then Harris switched to the outside and tried to pass Skornicki that way. However, Skornicki held off everything that was thrown at him, and there was a massive roar from the Oxford fans as Skornicki crossed the line in second place to join Wiltshire for an 8-1. Suddenly the Cheetahs were just 3 points behind and the match was again wide open (40-43).
In HEAT 14, it went all wrong for the Cheetahs. Janniro & Allen beat Tomicek & Howe from the start, and although Tomicek dived inside Allen entering the third bend of lap 1, Allen went back around Tomicek at the end of the lap. Allen took over the lead from his team-mate, and it was Janniro that Tomicek then started to chase. Tomicek closed in, and coming off the final bend went for the gap on the inside. However, he started to lift and crossed the line in third place, but on one wheel and out of control. He finished in a heap on the first bend after what had been a nasty looking crash. It was a few minutes before Tomicek left the track, and he was then whisked away to the JR Hospital, suffering from concussion and damage to his shoulder. Meanwhile, the 5-1 to Coventry clinched the match for the visitors (41-48).
Wiltshire had the edge on Nicholls from the tapes in HEAT 15, but after a wheel-to-wheel battle up the back straight, Nicholls (on the inside) took the lead entering the third bend. In an equally fierce battle for third, Harris charged inside Skornicki on the back straight, and the two were still close entering the third bend. Skornicki, on the outside, continued to race despite a diminishing gap, but there wasn't room and he took a heavy fall into the race. The race was stopped with Skornicki's exclusion, although fortunately the Pole escaped with nothing more than a few bruises. In the re-run, Wiltshire gated, then held off a persistent challenge from Nicholls. The Englishman was close to passing Wiltshire three times (on the inside on the second bend of lap 1, on the outside on the back straight of lap 3 and then on the inside coming off the final bend), but the wily Aussie blocked his every move and ended his evening with a magnificent 17-point tally (44-51).
So Coventry ended the night as deserving winners, having provided 10 out of 15 heat winners and with Oliver Allen in great form at reserve - hard to believe he failed to score at Cowley in the A match!
It looked like the Cheetahs might be able to "mug" the Bees at the death after the unexpected 8-1 from Heat 13, but on the whole, this match only highlighted the lack of consistent back-up to Todd Wiltshire and the need for a second heat-leader. A disappointing night from an Oxford perspective, although the crowd were again entertained by some thrilling racing with the likes of Lubos Tomicek giving it the usual 100%. Hopefully Lubos will be fit for next Wednesday's clash at Sandy Lane against Reading, as the Cheetahs aim to return to winning ways and also land their first bonus point of the 2006 season.

OXFORD 44
Todd Wiltshire 17 (6) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), Freddie Eriksson 3+2 (4), Davey Watt 7+1 (4) (incl. 4-point tactical ride), David Howe 6+1 (4), Adam Skornicki 5+1 (5), Lubos Tomicek 3 (5), Eric Andersson 3+1 (4).

COVENTRY 51
Scott Nicholls 10 (5), R/R for Morten Risager, Rory Schlein 9+1 (4), Billy Janniro 4+1 (5), Chris Harris 10+2 (5), Martin Smolinski 4+2 (5), Oliver Allen 14+1 (6), Sam Martin (No.8) DNR.

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Wiltshire (O), Nicholls (C), Smolinski (C) (R/R), Eriksson (O), 59.87 (3-3).
2: Allen (C), Smolinski (C), Andersson (O), Tomicek (O) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (4-8).
3: (Re-run) Howe (O), Janniro (C), Schlein (C), Watt (O), 60.33 (7-11).
4: Allen (C), Harris (C), Andersson (O), Skornicki (O), 60.77 (8-16).
5: Nicholls (C), Watt (O), Howe (O), Smolinski (C) (R/R), 60.15 (11-19).
6: Harris (C), Wiltshire (O), Eriksson (O), Allen (C), 59.45 (14-22).
7: (Re-run) Schlein (C), Skornicki (O), Andersson (O), Janniro (C), Tomicek (O) (excluded, tapes), 60.83 (17-25).
8: Allen (C), Tomicek (O), Eriksson (O), Janniro (C) (R/R), 61.52 (20-28).
9: Harris (C), Howe (O), Watt (O), Smolinski (C), 60.73 (23-31).
10: Wiltshire (O), Schlein (C), Eriksson (O), Janniro (C), 60.30 (27-33).
11: Nicholls (C), Allen (C) (R/R), Skornicki (O), Tomicek (O), 60.89 (28-38).
12: Schlein (C), Watt (O) (TR), Smolinski (C), Andersson (O), 61.05 (32-42).
13: Wiltshire (O) (TR), Skornicki (O), Harris (C), Nicholls (C), 60.64 (40-43).
14: Allen (C), Janniro (C), Tomicek (O), Howe (O), 61.92 (41-48).
15: (Re-run) Wiltshire (O), Nicholls (C), Harris (C), Skornicki (O) (fell, excluded), 61.05 (44-51).

[Genghis]

DRYML RETURNS IN STYLE, BUT DEPLETED CHEETAHS MISS OUT

Wednesday, June 21, 2006
OXFORD 39 READING 54 (Elite League B)
Reading win aggregate point by 104-81

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Dry - and slightly less humid than it's been recently.
TRACK CONDITIONS: OK.
RIDER OF THE NIGHT: Adam Skornicki.
REFEREE: Mick Posselwhite.

Ales Dryml's first appearance in Oxford colours since 2002 was a huge success - and ended with a top-notch 12 point score from the Czech rider, including a win over top GP star Greg Hancock.
With Davey Watt & Lubos Tomicek missing through injury and Eric Andersson riding in the Swedish Championships, the remaining Cheetahs fought bravely, but did not have enough firepower to contain a powerful Reading side, who went to the top of the table following this win. Watt was replaced by rider replacement, No. 8 Matt Tresarrieu covered for Andersson, while Somerset's Stephan Katt was called up to guest in place of Tomicek.
Todd Wiltshire flew from the tapes to win HEAT 1, but Reading took a share of spoils, after the wily Hancock pushed the chasing Katt wide up the back straight of the opening lap, allowing a path for Travis McGowan to come through into third place (3-3).
HEAT 2 was highly ominous for Oxford, with Sam Simota & Andy Smith taking an untroubled maximum over stand-in reserves Tresarrieu & Katt (4-8).
HEAT 3 saw a near repeat of the incident in the same race at Smallmead. Adam Skornicki was leading from the Reading pair of Matej Zagar & Charlie Gjedde, when Zagar lost control and locked up badly entering the third bend. Zagar avoided falling, but Gjedde was left with nowhere to go and came down, with David Howe taking very prompt action to lay his machine down to avoid the fallen Gjedde. Both riders were OK and soon back on their feet, while Zagar was thrown out of the race as the cause of the stoppage. In the re-run, Skornicki again gated, while Howe thrust himself around Gjedde on the second bend to take second. Gjedde was still in close contention for a couple of laps, before Howe finally shook him off to join Skornicki for a 5-1 and level the scores (9-9).
HEAT 4 looked like a 3-3 early on, but Tresarrieu lacked speed and Simota had little difficulty in blasting around him on the last bend of the second lap to take third place. Meanwhile, Ales Dryml's comeback ride for Oxford was a solid second place behind Hancock (11-13).
McGowan led HEAT 5, while Hancock started a race-long pursuit of Skornicki. Hancock got level on the inside of Skornicki twice on the back straight (on the first & third laps), but each time Skornicki saw off his challenge entering the third bend. On the last lap, Hancock switched to the outside, but Skornicki saw the move coming, and moved wide off the final bend to put a stop to Hancock's charge and restrict the Bulldogs to a 4-2. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Howe looked down on power and failed to complete the final circuit (13-17).
Howe was placed straight back out in HEAT 6 as the rider replacement rider, but only just beat the two-minute buzzer. Howe, Gjedde & Wiltshire went into the first bend together, Gjedde gained a slight advantage around the opening bends, but Wiltshire powered around the outside down the back straight in fearless fashion to take the lead. Meanwhile, Howe looked very slow and was clearly lacking power, and he pulled out of the race shortly after Smith powered around him after a lap (16-20).
HEAT 7 was a 4-2 to Reading all the way, with Dryml taking another solid second, this time just behind Gjedde, but some way in front of Gjedde (18-24).
Skornicki took his R/R ride in HEAT 8, but starting off the unfavourable gate 4, it looked like a tough task for the Pole. And so it proved as Simota & McGowan beat him from the tapes, then McGowan put a stop to Skornicki's outside run on the second bend, and the Bulldogs pair then settled for what was a comfortable 5-1 (19-29).
Oxford team manager Graeme Gordon wasted no time in nominating Skornicki for double points in HEAT 9, and a determined Skornicki seemed to clash with Zagar as they battled for the lead entering the first turn. Skornicki pulled ahead, while Zagar pulled out with machinery trouble, allowing Howe into third as the Cheetahs hit back with a 7-2 heat advantage (26-31).
Wiltshire failed to make it from the unfavourable outside gate in HEAT 10, and then found himself pushed high & wide around the opening bends, as Zagar & Gjedde hit back to re-establish a 9-point lead for the Bulldogs (27-36).
Dryml then demonstrated what a massive asset he will be to the Cheetahs in HEAT 11. A lightning gate, was followed by a pacey 4 laps, that gave McGowan & Hancock no chance to catch him (30-39).
HEAT 12 saw competition for all four places. Howe was first away, while Tresarrieu attempted to bustle under Gjedde on the opening bends to take second. As Smith gained ground on the inside, Tresarrieu found himself sandwiched and dropped to the back coming out of the second bend. Gjedde than powered around Howe after a lap to move into first place, but Howe moved back inside him on the second bend of lap 2. However, Gjedde seemed to have far more speed in his bike than his opponent and he charged around Howe again on the back straight in what proved to be a decisive move. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Tresarrieu fell on the first bend of the final lap, to complete an unhappy night for the young Frenchman (32-43).
Wiltshire was nominated as a tactical ride in HEAT 13, but the move backfired as Hancock outgated him, then McGowan cut up the inside of Wiltshire & Dryml around the opening bends. Dryml recovered second place with an outside move on the exit of the second bend, but Wiltshire had been squeezed to the back in the early manoeuvres and could not recover. Meanwhile, second-placed Dryml seemed to have one eye out for Wiltshire, and it nearly cost him as McGowan closed in. However, McGowan bounced off the air fence on the final bend and Dryml held on (34-47).
In a final throw of the dice, Graeme Gordon brought Ales Dryml into HEAT 14 as a tactical substitute off a 15m handicap. The idea was for Skornicki to gate and hold up the Reading pair to help Dryml, however it was Zagar who shot from the tapes, and with Simota then edging inside Skornicki on the back straight, the race was not going to plan for Oxford. However, Skornicki then shot back around Simota on the fourth bend (still on lap 1) to regain second place, then Dryml gradually reeled in Simota. He had caught him up after three laps, and Dryml then spent the last lap trying to pass Simota, but to no avail, as Reading took a third successive 4-2 (36-51).
HEAT 15 saw Reading engineer reserve Andy Smith into the line-up by nominating Hancock and then allowing Hancock to be excluded under two minutes Dryml gated ahead of the Bulldogs, but McGowan closed in and seemed to have the speed to get past. However, Dryml blocked McGowan's outside move on the pits bend of lap 3, then Smith got briefly in McGowan's way to allow Dryml to pull clear, to finish his night on a high (39-54).
It's rare that many positives can be taken from a 15-point home defeat. But this meeting was an exception, because although visitors Reading had little trouble in taking advantage of a badly weakened Oxford side (for whom, R/R and the two reserves picked up a paltry two points - a far cry from what Davey, Lubos & Eric would have scored!), there were definite signs that, once the Cheetahs are back up to full strength, they will be a force to be reckoned with around Sandy Lane.
A top five of Wiltshire, Dryml, Skornicki, Howe & Watt, plus Tomicek & Andersson at reserve, looks like a very solid line-up, and expect the Cheetahs to upset the title aspirations of a few sides in the coming weeks, while Arena Essex and Eastbourne remain as realistic targets that Oxford can overhaul in the Elite League table in the remainder of the season.

OXFORD 39
Todd Wiltshire 7 (4) (incl. 0-point tactical ride), R/R for Davey Watt, David Howe 5+1 (5), Adam Skornicki 14 (6) (incl. 6-point tactical ride), Ales Dryml 12 (6) (incl. 0-point T/S off 15m), Stephan Katt 0 (4), Matt Tresarrieu 1 (5).

READING 54
Greg Hancock 10+1 (5), Travis McGowan 11+2 (6), Charlie Gjedde 11+1 (5), Matej Zagar 7 (5), R/R for Janusz Kolodziej, Andy Smith 7+3 (5), Sam Simota 8 (4).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Wiltshire (O), Hancock (R), McGowan (R), Katt (O) (R/R), 59.61 (3-3).
2: Simota (R), Smith (R), Tresarrieu (O), Katt (O), 60.46 (4-8).
3: (Re-run) Skornicki (O), Howe (O), Gjedde (R), Zagar (R) (excluded, cause of stoppage), 60.65 (9-9).
4: Hancock (R) (R/R), Dryml (O), Simota (R), Tresarrieu (O), 60.46 (11-13).
5: McGowan (R), Skornicki (O), Hancock (R), Howe (O) (ret), 60.33 (13-17).
6: Wiltshire (O), Gjedde (R) (R/R), Smith (R), Howe (O) (R/R) (ret), 60.52 (16-20).
7: Gjedde (R), Dryml (O), Zagar (R), Katt (O), 60.80 (18-24).
8: Simota (R), McGowan (R), Skornicki (O) (R/R), Tresarrieu (O), 60.65 (19-29).
9: Skornicki (O) (TR), Smith (R), Howe (O), Zagar (R) (R/R) (ret), 61.96 (26-31).
10: Zagar (R), Gjedde (R), Wiltshire (O), Tresarrieu (O) (R/R), 60.93 (27-36).
11: Dryml (O), McGowan (R), Hancock (R), Katt (O), 61.18 (30-39).
12: Gjedde (R), Howe (O), Smith (R), Tresarrieu (O) (fell), 61.55 (32-43).
13: Hancock (R), Dryml (O), McGowan (R) (R/R), Wiltshire (O) (TR), 61.24 (34-47).
14: Zagar (R), Skornicki (O), Simota (R), Dryml (O) (T/S - 15m), 61.55 (36-51).
15: Dryml (O), McGowan (R), Smith (R), Skornicki (O), Hancock (R) (excluded, two minutes), 61.77 (39-54).

[Genghis]

LUCKLESS CHEETAHS LOSE TO TITLE FAVOURITES

Wednesday, June 28, 2006
OXFORD 41 PETERBOROUGH 49 (Elite League B)

REPORT BY: Rob Peasley

WEATHER: Dry.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Fine - though, it got a bit slick towards the end.
RIDER OF THE NIGHT: Ales Dryml.
REFEREE: Chris Durno.

Peterborough's top three riders proved too strong, on a night when nearly all the bad luck seemed to go Oxford's way - not what's needed when you're taking on the side that many have tipped to win the 2006 Elite League!
What looked like a difficult task for the Cheetahs become significantly harder after Lubos Tomicek aggravated his shoulder injury and was forced to pull out of the meeting after just one ride in Heat 2. Nevertheless, the Cheetahs hauled back an 8-point deficit to level the scores, although they were denied the chance of taking the lead in a controversial Heat 12 - which took 4 attempts to stage! Hans Andersen & Niels-Kristian Iversen then combined for 5-1s in Heats 13 & 15 to steer the Panthers to victory.
Hans Andersen gated in HEAT 1, while Todd Wiltshire held off Ulrich Ostergaard on the second bend before almost squeezing around Andersen on the back straight, only for the gap to disappear with Wiltshire then content to settle with second place. Meanwhile, Davey Watt (returning from his wrist injury) closed in on Ostergaard and swept inside the young Dane on the back straight of lap 3, to ensure the evening started with a shared race (3-3).
HEAT 2 was a disaster for the Cheetahs. It started off with great promise, with Tomicek gating in front of Richard Hall, then Eric Andersson bombing around the outside on the second bend to move from third to first, to join Tomicek up front. However, Andersson was a little too fast into the third bend and took a tumble, remounting in fourth place, then moments later, Hall took the lead after racing around Tomicek on the fourth bend. It soon became apparent that Tomicek was not looking comfortable on his bike, and Mark Thompson started to close in. By the final bends, Thompson was right up with Tomicek. Thompson appeared to be looking for a blast around the outside, but as Tomicek drifted off the white line, Thompson was quick to cut to the inside and the two crossed the finishing line together, with referee Chris Durno's verdict going the way of Thompson, as the Panthers reserves took a 5-1 (4-8).
Peterborough extended their lead with another 5-1 in HEAT 3. Ryan Sullivan led from start to finish, while Niels-Kristian Iversen flew around Adam Skornicki on the back straight of lap 1, then held off Skornicki as the Pole attempted to hit back. Meanwhile, David Howe started his evening with a last place (5-13).
Eric Andersson was the early leader in HEAT 4, but he locked up on the second bend and dropped from first to third, as Sullivan and Ales Dryml passed him in close proximity on either side. Sullivan took a second successive heat win, while Dryml and Andersson stopped the rot by packing the minor placings in a 3-3 shared heat (8-16).
Howe & Skornicki gated in HEAT 5, but in a moment of brilliance, man-of-the-moment Hans Andersen sliced between them on the second bend in spectacular style, although he ran Skornicki a little closer to the air fence on the exit of the corner than was actually required. Andersen's win kept the Panthers eight point in front (11-19).
A determined first bend from Wiltshire & Watt allowed Oxford to claw back the deficit with a 5-1 in HEAT 6 (16-20), and the Cheetahs were unlucky not to take another maximum in HEAT 7. Andersson (in for Tomicek, who had withdrawn on medical advice by this time) & Dryml rode a determined opening bend to shut out Sullivan, then Iversen came charging around the outside on the back straight. However, there simply wasn't enough room for Iversen to get around Andersson, and the Dane's footrest appeared to jam in the fence, propelling him from his bike and down the track. It could have been nasty but after a couple of minutes, Iversen got up and walked off. Iversen was excluded from the re-run, while a fortunate Sullivan was given a second chance. Sullivan made no mistakes and led all the way, as a potential Oxford 5-1 turned into a shared heat (19-23).
Mark Thompson had clutch problems which dragged him into the tapes in HEAT 8, and he was excluded and replaced by Hall. Eric Andersson gated, while Watt took the inside line around the opening bends and had passed both Ostergaard & Hall by the completion of half a lap. Hall nearly pushed off his own team-mate Ostergaard in able to get into third, then Hall - riding like a man possessed - caught up quite a lot of distance to get level with Watt down the back straight of the final lap. However, Hall tried to go through a gap on the outside which didn't exist and lost momentum after seemingly coming into contact with the fence. So the Oxford pair took a 5-1 and the Cheetahs levelled the scores (24-24).
Andersen won an uneventful HEAT 9 from Skornicki & Howe (27-27), while Wiltshire won his second race of the evening in HEAT 10, becoming the first man to defeat Sullivan who came second with Iversen third. Watt finished last, after being unable to take advantage of the favourable inside grid, with Watt seemingly feeling the effects of his wrist injury by this time (30-30).
Hans Andersen had looked unbeatable in his opening three rides, but Ales Dryml outgated him in HEAT 11. Andersen took up pursuit, but Dryml is a difficult man to catch once he's out in front. With Dryml riding the outside, Andersen twice tried to get under on the fourth bend on the final two laps, and for one frightening moment on the final bend of lap 3 it appeared that Andersen was going to ride straight into Dryml, but the Czech rider had too much speed and held on for a terrific heat win. Unfortunately, though, any chance of a heat advantage had disappeared after Eric Andersson fell and remounted trying to pass Ostergaard for third place on the opening lap, so the deadlock remained (33-33).
HEAT 12 was hugely controversial, to say the least. Howe (gate 2) beat Sullivan (gate 3) from the tapes, then Sullivan appeared to lose control entering the first bend and came down, also bringing down Andersson, who was on the outside of him. Sullivan was somehow allowed in the re-run, where Howe again gated, only for Sullivan to charge into the side of Andersson on the first bend. Andersson showed lightning reflexes and was hardly affected, but Sullivan had completely messed himself up and was relegated to fourth. The Oxford fans were becoming more astonished and irate by the second, as firstly the race was stopped again with Howe leading from Hall & Andersson and then it was announced that all four would again be allowed back in the race!! At the third time of asking, Sullivan gated ahead of Howe, while third-place Hall left a hole on the inside on the second bend. Andersson needed no second invitation and raced through the gap, however as he did so, Hall realised his mistake and moved across, leading to the two riders tangling and coming down, with Hall in particular taking a nasty fall. Despite the fact that the video replay showed that Andersson was clearly in front of Hall by the time contact was made, referee Chris Durno excluded the young Swede from the re-run - a decision that infuriated the Cheetahs faithful. Meanwhile, Hall eventually got to his feet and was able to take his place in the third re-run. Howe was now out for the Cheetahs by himself, but made the gate and then held off Sullivan, to keep the scores level. However, from an Oxford viewpoint, with Sullivan somehow staying in the race and then Andersson being, in most people's eyes, unfairly excluded, a golden opportunity for a 5-1 had been lost (36-36).
.HEAT 13 saw the Panthers take a major step towards winning the meeting. Wiltshire gated ahead of Andersen, then Dryml drew level with Andersen on the second bend. But then, in the blink of an eye, it all changed. Andersen found an extra gear as he moved inside Wiltshire coming out of the second bend, then Iversen produced a trademark sweep around the very outside to blast around both Oxford riders on the back straight in what was a very brave move, considering what had happened to Iversen in similar circumstances in Heat 7. Suddenly the Oxford boys were left chasing, and although Wiltshire moved briefly back ahead of Iversen early on lap 2, Iversen had the far greater momentum on the outside and regained second place again on the back straight, this time for keeps (37-41).
Iversen was back out to win HEAT 14, with Skornicki & Andersson filling the minor placings in the ninth 3-3 of the night (40-44).
HEAT 15 saw the four riders from Heat 13 back on track, and the only difference was that Dryml & Wiltshire had swapped gates, with Dryml this time off gate 1. Andersen gated, while Iversen edged around Dryml down the back straight, with these two remaining in close contention in the early stages of the race. Dryml briefly regained second place on the second bend of lap 2, but Iversen (as in Heat 13 with Wiltshire) - on the fast outside - soon regained the position down the back straight. So the Panthers took the 5-1 and ended up as eight-point victors (41-49).
So the Cheetahs had fought bravely, but Tomicek's withdrawal plus some bad luck and some inconsistent refereeing proved too much in the end. Peterborough were without the unfortunate Jesper B Jensen, but with Andersson, Sullivan & Iversen all in devastating form, they covered well for him and the Panthers still look like one of the favourites - if not THE favourites - to clinch the 2006 Elite League title.

OXFORD 41
Todd Wiltshire 9 (5), Davey Watt 5+3 (4), David Howe 6+1 (4), Adam Skornicki 6+1 (4), Ales Dryml 8 (5), Lubos Tomicek 1 (1), Eric Andersson 6+3 (7).

PETERBOROUGH 49
Hans Andersen 17 (6), Ulrich Ostergaard 2+1 (5), Ryan Sullivan 13 (5), Niels-Kristian Iversen 10+4 (6), R/R for Jesper B. Jensen, Richard Hall 5+1 (5), Mark Thompson 2+1 (4).

HEAT DETAILS:
1: Andersen (P), Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Ostergaard (P), 59.24 (3-3).
2: Hall (P), Thompson (P), Tomicek (O), Andersson (O) (fell, remounted), 62.21 (4-8).
3: Sullivan (P), Iversen (P), Skornicki (O), Howe (O), 60.12 (5-13).
4: Sullivan (P) (R/R), Dryml (O), Andersson (O), Thompson (P), 59.74 (8-16).
5: Andersen (P), Howe (O), Skornicki (O), Ostergaard (P), 59.74 (11-19).
6: Wiltshire (O), Watt (O), Ostergaard (P) (R/R), Hall (P), 60.05 (16-20).
7: (Re-run) Sullivan (P), Dryml (O), Andersson (O), Iversen (P) (fell, excluded), 60.90 (19-23).
8: (Re-run) Andersson (O), Watt (O), Hall (P), Ostergaard (P), Thompson (P) (excluded, tape touching), 61.99 (24-24).
9: Andersen (P) (R/R), Skornicki (O), Howe (O), Hall (P), 59.67 (27-27).
10: Wiltshire (O), Sullivan (P), Iversen (P), Watt (O), 60.21 (30-30).
11: Dryml (O), Andersen (P), Ostergaard (P), Andersson (O) (fell. remounted), 60.18 (33-33).
12: (Re-run three times) Howe (O), Sullivan (P), Hall (P), Andersson (O) (fell, excluded), 61.24 (36-36).
13: Andersen (P), Iversen (P) (R/R), Wiltshire (O), Dryml (O), 60.55 (37-41).
14: Iversen (P), Skornicki (O), Andersson (O), Thompson (P), 61.43 (40-44).
15: Andersen (P), Iversen (P), Dryml (O), Wiltshire (O), 61.11 (41-49).