|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:39:24 GMT
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
CHEETAH CUBS 13 USA DREAM TEAM 10 (Challenge)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
What had proved to be a highly eventful second half event was brought to a premature halt, after the Dream Team's Tim Gomez collided with the air fence in Heat 4, causing damage that could not be fixed before the 10.00pm curfew.
HEAT 1 saw Kyle Hughes lead all the way, while Jordan Frampton lifted at the start, but was still second out the second bend, heading home Buck Blair & Neil Facchini in an opening maximum heat advantage to the Cheetah Cubs (5-1).
In HEAT 2, Sam Martin was an easy winner, while team-mate Marc Andrews fell while in fourth place on the third bend. The Americans took the minor positions, despite Matt Brown's bike smoking well and Tim Gomez slowing with mechanical problems (8-4).
After Heat 2, came the first reserve race, consisting of three Americans and Oxford second-half regular Jay Pickard. This was full of incident, with Dale Facchini suffering a somewhat harsh exclusion after falling on the first turn. In the re-run, Adam Mittl got out in front ahead of Michael Hull and Jay Pickard, only for Hull to fall on the third bend and Pickard to lay down to avoid him. With Hull also excluded, Mittl headed home Pickard at the third time of asking.
HEAT 3 saw another tapes-to-flag win for Sam Martin, while Neil Facchini bounced off the safety fence on the second bend of lap 2. Facchini remained onboard, and although he lost second to team-mate Matt Brown, he kept ahead of Marc Andrews to take third (11-7).
HEAT 4 took a number of attempts to run. Firstly, Kyle Hughes fell in a first bend bunching incident, with all four allowed back. In the re-run, Buck Blair gated, with the Oxford pair in hot pursuit. Jordan Frampton misjudged the third corner, running wide into the path of team-mate Hughes, and Hughes came down, with Tim Gomez also falling after taking avoiding action. Hughes was excluded from the race and picked up a few hundred pounds worth of damage to his bike. Frampton was then excluded under the two minute time allowance, and Oxford team manager Bryn Williams selected Sam Martin to replace him. Blair & Gomez beat Martin from the tapes and looked all set to bring the Dream Machine back level, when Gomez lifted on the second bend of lap 3 and ran into the air fence. The race was stopped and awarded as a 3-2 to the Dream Machine, while Gomez eventually got to his feet (13-10).
With a 15-minute repair time for the air fence and the 10.00pm curfew approaching, referee Ronnie Allan brought the meeting to a premature end, with one reserve race and two heats of the match not completed.
CHEETAH CUBS 13: Kyle Hughes 2+1 (2), Jordan Frampton 3 (1), Sam Martin 8 (3), Marc Andrews 0 (2).
USA DREAM TEAM 10: Buck Blair 4 (2), Neil Facchini 1+1 (2), Tim Gomez 1+1 (2), Matt Brown 4 (2).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Frampton (O), Hughes (O), Blair (U), Facchini (U), 64.05 (5-1).
2: Martin (O), Brown (U), Gomez (U), Andrews (O) (fell), 63.68 (8-4).
Reserve Race A: (Re-run twice) Adam Mittl, Jay Pickard, Michael Hull (fell, excluded), Dale Facchini (fell, excluded), 67.42.
3: Martin (O), Brown (U), Facchini (U), Andrews (O), 63.86 (11-7).
4: (Re-run twice) Blair (U), Martin (O), Gomez (U) (fell, excluded), Hughes (O) (fell, excluded), Frampton (O) (excluded, two minutes), awarded - no time (13-10).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:39:56 GMT
GRESHAM ACADEMY OFF TO A FLYER
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 26 EASTBOURNE 10 (Southern Area Junior League)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Still hot & humid!
TRACK CONDITIONS: Slick.
REFEREE: Dave Watters.
The Oxford Gresham Academy were convincing winners of their opening SAJL fixture of 2006, easily defeating the Eastbourne Eaglets by 26 points to 10.
Sam Martin had bike problems before HEAT 1, but sorted these out and was an easy winner of the race, with Oliver Gay taking second place after holding back Niall Strudwick, while James Walker was left on the starting line with an engine failure (5-1).
Lee Smart & James Purchase led all the way from Nick Laurence & Sam Heath in HEAT 2 (10-2), and Martin & Smart had no problems in taking a further Academy 5-1 in HEAT 3 (15-3).
Purchase gated from Walker & Laurence in HEAT 4, but Gay fell on the second turn and the race had to be stopped, with Gay excluded. Purchase was a convincing winner of the re-run (18-6).
Martin completed a full maximum in HEAT 5, while Purchase lifted on the final bend, but controlled it and finished second, to end his evening on a paid maximum (23-7).
The final race of the evening saw Heath off to a very slow start, but he inherited third after Gay fell on the second bend. Smart won from Walker, with Smart the third Academy member to finish the night unbeaten. Heath finished third in the race, after bouncing off the air fence on the final corner (26-10).
So, great to see a return of proper second half action at Cowley. Sam Martin, Lee Smart & James Purchase all looked untouchable, and it was nice to see Purchase riding competitively for an Oxford team - having been the Cheetahs mascot between 1998 & 2002.
GRESHAM ACADEMY 26
Sam Martin 9 (3) (full maximum), Oliver Gay 2+1 (3), Lee Smart 8+1 (3) (paid maximum), James Purchase 7+2 (3) (paid maximum). Team manager: Bryn Williams.
EASTBOURNE 10
James Walker 4 (3), Niall Strudwick 2 (3), Nick Laurence 3+1 (3), Sam Heath 1+1 (3). Team manager: Mick Corby.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Martin (O), Gay (O), Strudwick (E), Walker (E) (ret), 64.02 (5-1).
2: Smart (O), Purchase (O), Laurence (E), Heath (E), 64.80 (10-2).
3: Martin (O), Smart (O), Strudwick (E), Heath (E), 64.28 (15-3).
4: (Re-run) Purchase (O), Walker (E), Laurence (E), Gay (O) (fell, excluded), 64.64 (18-6)
5: Martin (O), Purchase (O), Laurence (E), Strudwick (E), 64.90 (23-7).
6: Smart (O), Walker (E), Heath (E), Gay (O) (fell), 64.84 (26-10).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:42:18 GMT
GRESHAM ACADEMY PICK UP IMPRESSIVE AWAY WIN
Thursday, August 3, 2006
SWINDON 13 OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 23 (Southern Area Junior League)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Fine.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Slick & bumpy.
REFEREE: Robbie Perks.
The Oxford Gresham Academy made it two wins out of two, after ending up as convincing 23-13 victors at Swindon, despite the non-arrival of Australian Tai Woffinden.
James Purchase led HEAT 1 from the tapes, while Gresham Academy team-mate Sam Martin missed the gate but then flew around both Nathan Irwin & Nicki Glanz on the opening half-lap, to join Purchase at the front. The Sprockets then raced each other for third place, while the Academy opened up with a maximum heat advantage (1-5).
The Academy tracked just one rider in HEAT 2, but it didn't stop Lee Smart from leading the race from tapes-to-flag ahead of the Sprockets pair of Kyle Hughes & Billy Legg (4-8). Purchase won HEAT 3, while Martin chased second-placed Irwin. Martin tried the inside several times, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Hughes trailed in last, suffering from a sick bike (6-12).
There was plenty of jostling for position on the opening bends of HEAT 4, with the result that Smart led from Glanz & Legg with Martin in fourth. Martin raced around Legg on the back straight of lap 2, and then closed in on Glanz. When Glanz made a mistake and drifted wide on the second bend of lap 3, Martin switched to the inside and was through like a shot. Both Sprockets then had anxious moments, as they struggled with a badly rutted track (7-17).
Smart & Purchase gated in HEAT 5, but Irwin blasted around Purchase on the second turn, then Legg forced his way under Purchase on the third turn. Purchase then slowed, before coming to a stop on the final lap (10-20).
Smart completed a fine 12-point maximum by winning HEAT 6 from Hughes. Martin went around Glanz on the second bend to take third, but then shed a chain on the second bend of lap 3 and narrowly avoided colliding with the air fence. Martin did well to get his bike off the track in time, to allow the race to continue, while Glanz inherited third (13-23).
So, a straightforward win for the Gresham Academy. Oxford had wrapped up the meeting after just 4 of the 6 races, and all three Academy riders put in strong performances.
SWINDON SPROCKETS 13: Nathan Irwin 5 (3), Nicki Glanz 2+1 (3), Kyle Hughes 4 (3), Billy Legg 2+2 (3). Team manager: Malcolm Holloway.
GRESHAM ACADEMY 23: Sam Martin 5+2 (4), James Purchase 6 (3), Lee Smart 12 (4) (maximum), Tai Woffinden DNR. Team managers: Bryn Williams / Martin Satchell.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Purchase (O), Martin (O), Irwin (S), Glanz (S), 72.43 (1-5).
2: Smart (O), Hughes (S), Legg (S), three riders only, 71.74 (4-8).
3: Purchase (O), Irwin (S), Martin (O), Hughes (S), 72.12 (6-12).
4: Smart (O), Martin (O), Glanz (S), Legg (S), 71.74 (7-17).
5: Smart (O), Irwin (S), Legg (S), Purchase (O) (ret), 71.93 (10-20).
6: Smart (O), Hughes (S), Glanz (S), Martin (O) (ret), 72.30 (13-23).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:42:51 GMT
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
POOLE 12 OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 24 (Southern Area Junior League)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: OK.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Pretty slick by this time.
REFEREE: Daniel Holt.
The Gresham Academy picked up a win at league leaders Poole by a convincing 24-12 margin, to maintain the Academy's 100% record. Both Lee Smart and debutant Andrew Bargh picked up maximums for the victorious Oxford team.
HEAT 1 saw Shane Waldron win from the Academy pair of Sam Martin & James Purchase, with Bob Charles bringing up the rear in a shared opening race (3-3).
Lee Smart (gate 1) & Matt Bates (gate 2) were very close to each other on the starting grid in HEAT 2, with Smart & Bargh going on to take a untroubled 5-1 for the Academy. Meanwhile, fourth-placed Rob Smith failed to complete the final lap (4-8).
Purchase gated in HEAT 3, to lead from Waldron & Bargh. Bargh flew around the outside on the second bend of lap 2, to move from third to first, and the Academy held first and second. However, Purchase came under increasing pressure from Waldron, and Waldron edged inside Purchase on the back straight of the final lap. Purchase, looking to hit back, misjudged his entry to the third bend, and went wide and slid off, allowing Bates to inherit third place (7-11).
Smart led all the way in HEAT 4, with Martin flying around Smith on the back straight to join Smart for a 5-1, as the Academy homed in on another victory (8-16).
Waldron was the early leader in HEAT 5, but Smart charged around him in no uncertain style on the fourth bend and went on to win with some ease. Purchase pulled up from fourth place on the final lap, but the 3-3 clinched the match for the visitors (11-19).
Bates gated in HEAT 6, but Bargh moved around him on the second bend and pulled away to his complete his paid maximum. Sam Martin, having missed the gate, then did his stuff, moving inside Charles on the second bend of lap 2 to move into third, then powering around Bates down the back straight of lap 3 to take a paid win and finish his night with a paid 8 tally (12-24).
So, another no nonsense win for the Academy, at the start of a busy run of fixtures for the team. Lee Smart, not far off the pace in the preceding Elite League match, was in a class of his own in the second half, with Andrew Bargh & Sam Martin also putting in good performances, while the unlucky James Purchase had one of those nights where it all went wrong.
POOLE 12
Shane Waldron 7 (3), Bob Charles 0 (3), Matt Bates 3+1 (3), Rob Smith 2+1 (3).
Team manager: Mike Golding.
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 24
Sam Martin 6+2 (3), James Purchase 1+1 (3), Lee Smart 9 (3) (maximum), Andrew Bargh 8+1 (3) (paid maximum).
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Waldron (P), Martin (O), Purchase (O), Charles (P), 63.41 (3-3).
2: Smart (O), Bargh (O), Bates (P), Smith (P) (ret), 63.06 (4-8).
3: Bargh (O), Waldron (P), Bates (P), Purchase (O) (fell), 63.95 (7-11).
4: Smart (O), Martin (O), Smith (P), Charles (P), 63.06 (8-16).
5: Smart (O), Waldron (P), Smith (P), Purchase (O) (ret), 62.85 (11-19).
6: Bargh (O), Martin (O), Bates (P), Charles (P), 64.47 (12-24).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:43:33 GMT
Thursday, September 7, 2006
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 24 POOLE 12 (Southern Area Junior League)
Oxford win aggregate point by 48-24
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Fine.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Good.
REFEREE: Margaret Vardy.
The Gresham Academy completed a quick-fire double over league leaders Poole, to move within five points of the Junior Pirates at the top of the Southern Area Junior League table.
Shane Waldron & Rob Smith beat Sam Martin & Oliver Gay from the tapes in HEAT 1. Martin moved inside Smith on the fourth bend to take second, then Smith got into trouble on the final bend of lap 3, but Gay was unable to take advantage, as Poole started the night with a heat advantage (2-4).
In HEAT 2, Lee Smart & James Purchase took a 5-1 from Marc Andrews & Bob Charles (7-5). Smith, suffering from machinery problems, withdrew from the meeting, and Poole tracked just one rider in HEAT 3. Charles led from the tapes, but within half a lap, both Smart and Martin had flown around him, as the Academy took another maximum heat advantage (12-6).
Purchase won a shared HEAT 4 from Waldron & Andrews, with Gay in fourth place. It proved Andrews's final race of the evening, as he too had problems with the machinery, and Poole were reduced to just two riders for the final two races (15-9).
Martin & Purchase took an easy 5-1 over Charles in HEAT 5, as the Academy secured all three league points (20-10).
Waldron gated in HEAT 6, but Smart flew past him on the second bend and then pulled away, while Gay resisted pressure from Charles on his way to third place (24-12).
So, Lee Smart made it four maximums out of four for the Academy, while James Purchase bounced back from the previous night's disappointment, with a well-deserved paid maximum. Sam Martin produced good entertainment (as always!), while Oliver Gay put in plenty of effort and well deserved his point from the final race.
And, perhaps uniquely, Bryn Williams was the team manager of both teams. With Mike Golding forced to miss the meeting in order to catch a flight, Williams took over the reins for the Poole Juniors in addition to his normal job as Academy boss!
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 24
Sam Martin 7+1 (3), Oliver Gay 1 (3), Lee Smart 9 (3) (maximum), James Purchase 7+2 (3) (paid maximum).
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
POOLE 12
Shane Waldron 7 (3), Rob Smith 1 (1), Marc Andrews 2+1 (2), Bob Charles 2 (4).
Team manager: Er... Bryn Williams (no really!).
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Waldron (P), Martin (O), Smith (P), Bargh (O), 63.77 (2-4).
2: Smart (O), Purchase (O), Andrews (P), Charles (P), 64.08 (7-5).
3: Smart (O), Martin (O), Charles (P), three riders only, 62.95 (12-6).
4: Purchase (O), Waldron (P), Andrews (P), Gay (O), 65.38 (15-9).
5: Martin (O), Purchase (O), Charles (P), three riders only, 64.33 (20-10).
6: Smart (O), Waldron (P), Gay (O), Charles (P), 63.80 (24-12).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:44:14 GMT
ACADEMY MAINTAIN 100% RECORD
Saturday, September 9, 2006
EASTBOURNE EAGLETS 14 OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 19 (Southern Area Junior League)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Nice evening.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Good.
REFEREE: Dave Robinson.
The Oxford Gresham Academy maintained their 100% record, after coming through their toughest test yet in an incident packed-match at Arlington.
With Lee Smart and Andrew Bargh both riding in the Conference League Riders' Championship at Rye House (where Smart finished third), Oxford team manager Bryn Williams gave another opportunity to Oli Gay, and also gave Lewis Blackbird, the son of former rider Carl Blackbird, his first competitive outing in British Speedway.
HEAT 1 saw both Oli Gay and Niall Strudwick fall independently on the second bend. In a sensible decision, referee Dave Robinson (former mechanic of 1995 Cheetah David Steen) allowed all four riders in the re-run. Sam Martin, leading at the time of the stoppage, was again first away in the re-run and headed home James Walker, while Gay (in third) again took a tumble on the second bend, allowing Strudwick into third place. Gay remounted to finish the race (3-3).
In HEAT 2, James Purchase gated ahead of Sam Heath, then Lewis Blackbird tried to go around Heath on the second bend, but misjudged the move and ended in the air fence. The race was stopped, with Blackbird excluded. Purchase was untroubled in the re-run, while Nick Laurence and Heath took second and third respectively for the Eaglets (6-6).
HEAT 3 was highly eventful to say the least. Blackbird led from Walker, Gay and Laurence from the tapes, with Laurence then going wide and falling halfway around the opening bends. The race was stopped with Laurence gaining an exclusion. In the re-run, Walker gated, but behind him Gay fell on the second bend and was unable to get his bike going again, then Blackbird fell and remounted on the fourth bend. Blackbird got into trouble again on the second bend of lap 3, again falling, and with Walker approaching, the referee stopped the race and awarded the race as a 3-0 to Eastbourne (9-6).
Purchase & Martin took an untroubled 5-1 from HEAT 4, as the Gresham Academy edged in front for the first time on the evening (10-11).
Gay had damaged his bike in his Heat 3 fall and was forced to withdraw from the meeting. Sam Martin came into HEAT 5 in his place. Purchase was first away, while Martin flew around Walker on the opening bends to join his team-mate at the front. Walker then lifted coming out of the second bend of lap 2 and took a real pearler into the fence. Fortunately, Walker was OK, while the race was awarded as a 5-1 to Oxford (11-16).
Martin & Blackbird gated in HEAT 6, but Blackbird lost control and did a 360 degree turn on the second turn, before falling. He was excluded from the re-run, which Martin won with ease as the Academy ran out as 5-point winners (14-19).
So, a match full of incident, although, fortunately no-one was hurt. Sam Martin & James Purchase both showed their class with untroubled maximums, while both Oli Gay & the fast-starting Lewis Blackbird put in plenty of effort and both will have gained from the experience of riding the testing Arlington circuit.
EASTBOURNE 14
James Walker 5 (3), Niall Strudwick 3+2 (3), Nick Laurence 4 (3), Sam Heath 2+1 (3).
Team manager: Mick Corby.
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 19
Sam Martin 10+2 (4) (PAID MAXIMUM), Oliver Gay 0 (2), James Purchase 9 (3) (FULL MAXIMUM), Lewis Blackbird 0 (3).
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: (Re-run) Martin (O), Walker (E), Strudwick (E), Gay (O) (fell, remounted), 61.2 (3-3).
2: (Re-run) Purchase (O), Laurence (E), Heath (E), Blackbird (O) (fell, excluded), 62.0 (6-6).
3: (Re-run) Walker (E), Blackbird (O) (fell, excluded), Gay (O) (fell), Laurence (E) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (9-6).
4: Purchase (O), Martin (O), Strudwick (E), Heath (E), 61.4 (10-11).
5: Purchase (O), Martin (O), Heath (E), Walker (E) (fell, excluded), awarded - no time (11-16).
6: (Re-run) Martin (O), Laurence (E), Strudwick (E), Blackbird (O) (fell, excluded), 60.9 (14-19).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:45:02 GMT
ACADEMY STORM TO THE TOP
Sunday, September 17, 2006
SITTINGBOURNE YOUNG CRUSADERS 6 OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 30 (Southern Area Junior League)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: A highly pleasant Sunday afternoon.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Well prepared for a daytime meeting.
REFEREE: Christina Turnbull.
The Oxford Gresham Academy stormed to the top of the Southern Area Junior League table, after not dropping a single point on their way to a maximum 30-6 victory at the Old Gun Site.
With Andrew Bargh without a working bike, the Academy were reduced to just three riders, but Lee Smart, Sam Martin and James Purchase shared Bargh's rides between them and all were untroubled by the gallant but outclassed Sittingbourne side.
HEAT 1 saw Sam Martin & James Purchase take a 5-1 over Lee Lingham, with Carl Martin's race cut short by an engine failure on the second bend (1-5).
Christina Turnbull, the leading female referee in the business had a largely exemplary afternoon, handling a 28-race programme, but she had a temporary blip when putting the riders for HEAT 2 immediately on two minutes, despite the fact James Purchase had also been in the previous heat! She soon cancelled the two minutes to give Purchase a little extra time, and the race resulted in a comfortable 5-1 for Lee Smart & Purchase over Rikki Mullins & Chris Glanville, with Smart winning in 60.2 seconds, a time 2.2 seconds outside Paul Hurry's track record.
Purchase & Martin took Oxford's third successive 5-1 in HEAT 3, despite one interesting moment when Purchase locked up, resulting in the Academy lads getting a little too close for comfort. Meanwhile, third-placed Lingham took a tumble on lap 2, and Mullins came through to take third (3-15).
Smart & Martin took a very comfortable maximum from HEAT 4, with Smart chipping a further 0.1 seconds off Heat 2 time in the fastest time of the whole afternoon (4-20). Purchase made a poor gate in HEAT 5, but still beat Lingham & Glanville to the first turn, to follow home team-mate Smart (5-25).
HEAT 6 saw Smart & Martin again untroubled on their way to a 5-1, as the Academy emulated Rye House's feat at Eastbourne of recording a win by the maximum margin. Strangely, the two maximum scores in this league have been achieved away from home! (6-30).
In a packed afternoon of Speedway, Oxford's SAJL championship challengers, Rye House, also took on Sittingbourne, emerging as 23-13 victors in an incident-packed match, in which the Sittingbourne pair of Lee Lingham (hand) and Carl Martin (unsure of injury sustained) were unfortunately hurt.
And Bryn Williams also team managed "Strong's Stallions" to a 50-46 win over "Golding's Knights", in a match consisting of riders who are members of the Sittingbourne Speedway Club, with a mixture of young and not-so-young riders. James Purchase took two rides in this meeting as a replacement rider, lapping 70-year-old Norman Hornblow on his way to winning his first race, before suffering an engine failure while leading his second outing.
All-in-all, a pleasant afternoon of grass roots Speedway, with 12-year-old Mark Owen catching the eye on a 250cc bike in his demonstration races.
SITTINGBOURNE 6
Lee Lingham 2 (3), Carl Martin 2 (3), Rikki Mullins 2 (3), Chris Glanville 0 (3).
Team manager: Stuart Lee-Amies.
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 30
Sam Martin 9+3 (4) (PAID MAXIMUM), James Purchase 9+3 (4) (PAID MAXIMUM), Lee Smart 12 (4) (FULL MAXIMUM), Andrew Bargh DNR.
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: S. Martin (O), Purchase (O), Lingham (S), C. Martin (S) (ret), 61.8 (1-5).
2: Smart (O), Purchase (O), Mullins (S), Glanville (S), 60.2 (2-10).
3: Purchase (O), S. Martin (O), Mullins (S), Lingham (S) (fell), 62.7 (3-15).
4: Smart (O), S. Martin (O), C. Martin (S), Glanville (S), 60.1 (4-20).
5: Smart (O), Purchase (O), Lingham (S), Glanville (S), 60.8 (5-25).
6: Smart (O), S. Martin (O), C. Martin (S), Mullins (S), 60.6 (6-30).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:46:43 GMT
GRESHAM ACADEMY ONE WIN AWAY FROM GLORY
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 23 SWINDON SPROCKETS 13 (Southern Area Junior League)
Oxford win aggregate point by 46-26
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: Quite a warm September night.
TRACK CONDITIONS: Very slick by the second half.
REFEREE: Dave Watters.
The Oxford Gresham Academy moved to just one victory away from winning the inaugural Southern Area Junior League title, after defeating Swindon Sprockets by 23-13.
HEAT 1 saw Swindon's Nathan Irwin first from the tapes, but his lead was short-lived as Andrew Bargh flew around him down the back straight and then Sam Martin swooped under him on the third bend, as the Academy started with a maximum heat advantage. Ben Reade pulled up with machinery problems in what was his only outing of the evening (5-1).
Lee Smart & James Purchase were quick from the tapes in HEAT 2, but Kyle Hughes (a popular member of last year's Oxford Conference League winning side) showed he still knows a few tricks around Cowley, by hugging the inside coming out of the second bend and taking second from Purchase. The race then settled down as a 4-2 to the Academy, with another former Oxford junior, Marc Andrews, coming home in fourth for the Sprockets (9-3).
Smart, having scored maximums in his previous five matches in SAJL, finally tasted defeat in the competition in HEAT 3. Irwin (from gate 4) just got the drop to the first bend, and then fended off pressure from both Smart and Martin. Smart make a mistake on the final bend of lap 3, lost ground and had to settle for third, while a last-ditch effort on the outside by Martin coming out of the final bend just failed to pay dividends as Irwin held on (12-6).
A hard-fought opening bend in HEAT 4 saw Purchase squeezed out by Irwin & Hughes, but Bargh got a perfect run around the outside to move clear into the lead. The race appeared to have settled down as a 3-3, but Irwin shut off too early and Purchase nearly caught him at the death (15-9).
Martin & Purchase hit the front in HEAT 5, with Hughes then inching closer & closer to Purchase on the racetrack, until the two riders were almost on top of each other by the final lap. With most eyes on this battle, many people (myself included) didn't see race-leader Martin slide out wide and come to grief halfway around the final bends. Meanwhile, Purchase held Hughes back, as the Academy gained the three points required to clinch the match. Martin was soon back on his feet and more annoyed with himself than anything else (18-12).
Bargh gated and completed a full maximum by winning HEAT 6, while Smart showed just what a classy rider he is (surely a Premier League side must snap him up for 2007). After missing the gate, Smart roared past Andrews down the back straight, then flew inside Irwin after a lap, to take a paid win, as the Academy ended the evening with a 10-point winning margin (23-13).
So another comfortable win for the Academy, although the Sprockets pushed the home side hard and almost took the match to a last-heat decider. Both Oxford's remaining fixtures in this competition are against second-placed Rye House, and a win against the Rye House Juniors at Sandy Lane next Wednesday will clinch the league title.
The Academy's final meeting is then at Rye House, on a date yet to be decided in October.
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 23
Sam Martin 4+1 (3), Andrew Bargh 9 (3) (FULL MAXIMUM), Lee Smart 6+2 (3), James Purchase 4 (3).
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
SWINDON SPROCKETS 13
Nathan Irwin 6+1 (4), Ben Reade 0 (1), Kyle Hughes 6 (3), Marc Andrews 1+1 (4).
Team manager: Malcolm Holloway.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Bargh (O), Martin (O), Irwin (S), Reade (S) (ret), 63.77 (5-1).
2: Smart (O), Hughes (S), Purchase (O), Andrews (S), 63.61 (9-3).
3: Irwin (S), Martin (O), Smart (O), Andrews (S), 64.61 (12-6).
4: Bargh (O), Hughes (S), Irwin (S), Purchase (O), 63.89 (15-9).
5: Purchase (O), Hughes (S), Andrews (S), Martin (O) (fell), 65.40 (18-12).
6: Bargh (O), Smart (O), Irwin (S), Andrews (S), 63.80 (23-13).
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:49:15 GMT
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 8 RYE HOUSE JUNIORS 4
(Southern Area Junior League)
The Gresham Academy's decisive Southern Area Junior League clash with Rye House was washed out by heavy rain after two races, with the Academy leading 8-4.
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 8
Sam Martin 2+1 (1), Andrew Bargh 3 (1), Lee Smart 0 (1), James Purchase 3 (1).
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
RYE HOUSE JUNIORS 4
Harland Cook 2+1 (2), Lewis Galloway 0 (1), Gary Cottham 2 (1), Robert Mear DNR.
Team manager: Luke Bowen.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Bargh (O), Martin (O), Cook (R), Galloway (R), 64.21 (5-1).
2: Purchase (O), Cottham (R), Cook (R), Smart (O) (fell, excluded), Galloway (R) (excluded, two minutes), awarded - no time (8-4).
MEETING ABANDONED - HEAVY RAIN.
Result later declared as 0-0 draw.
|
|
|
|
Post by Genghis on May 7, 2008 19:50:45 GMT
GRESHAM ACADEMY CLINCH LEAGUE TITLE!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
RYE HOUSE JUNIORS 21 OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 15 (Southern Area Junior League)
REPORT BY: Rob Peasley
WEATHER: A fine October evening.
TRACK CONDITIONS: OK.
REFEREE: Tony Steele.
The Oxford Gresham Academy secured the inaugural Southern Area Junior League title, despite a six-point defeat in their final match at Rye House. With both teams finishing on 21 match points, it came down to race points difference, with Oxford finishing on +99 compared to Rye House's +78.
The Gresham Academy went into the match missing both Sam Martin, currently in the Czech Republic, and Andrew Bargh, riding in the Lincolnshire Trophy at King's Lynn. Lewis Blackbird and Dan Blake were due to cover for their absence, but with Blackbird forced out of the match after crashing at Coventry the night before, Oxford went into the meeting with three riders.
James Purchase led for half-a-lap in HEAT 1, before he was overhauled by Harland Cook. Dan Blake held third place, but came under increasing pressure from Lee Strudwick. On the final lap, Strudwick got level with Blake down the back straight, but Blake stood his ground and pushed Strudwick wide on the closing bends, to ensure a shared heat (3-3).
In HEAT 2, Lee Smart again showed what a classy rider he is. Beaten from the tapes by Daniel Halsey and Gary Cottham, Smart flew around Cottham on the fourth bend of the opening lap, and then bided his time, before bursting under Halsey on the third bend of the final lap. Halsey then tried to cut back under Smart on the final bend, but Smart held on, in a second successive 3-3 (6-6).
The deadlock was broken in HEAT 3. Again, Halsey gated with Smart in pursuit. Smart closed in, and went for the outside on the third bend of the final lap, but Halsey moved across and blocked Smart's path. With Strudwick in third ahead of a down-on-power Purchase, it meant a 4-2 to Rye House (10-8).
Cottham & Cook took an easy 5-1 over Purchase & Blake in HEAT 4, although the single point for the Gresham Academy was enough to make mathematically certain of the SAJL title, as even with two 5-0 results in the final two races, Rye House could not achieve the 17-point win that they required (15-9).
Smart, sluggish from the tapes in his opening two rides, gated in HEAT 5 and then withstood pressure from Cook to ruin Cook's chance of a maximum (18-12). HEAT 6 then saw Smart come out on top after a battle with Halsey on the opening bends, as Smart finished his evening with a well-deserved 11-point tally. Meanwhile, Cottham took third ahead of Purchase, who was still struggling with his machinery (21-15).
The Gresham Academy riders plus team manager Bryn Williams were then presented with medals by the Oxford Speedway Supporters' Club.
The Southern Area Junior League has proved to be a successful experiment, providing meaningful second halves and giving extra opportunities to youngsters. Hopefully the league will be expanded in 2007.
RYE HOUSE JUNIORS 21
Harland Cook 7+1 (3), Lee Strudwick 2+1 (3), Daniel Halsey 7 (3), Gary Cottham 5+2 (3).
Team manager: John Sampford.
OXFORD GRESHAM ACADEMY 15
James Purchase 3 (4), Lewis Blackbird DNR, Dan Blake 1+1 (4), Lee Smart 11 (4).
Team manager: Bryn Williams.
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Cook (R), Purchase (O), Blake (O), Strudwick (R), 61.3 (3-3).
2: Smart (O), Halsey (R), Cottham (R), Blake (O), 62.2 (6-6).
3: Halsey (R), Smart (O), Strudwick (R), Purchase (O), 62.3 (10-8).
4: Cottham (R), Cook (R), Purchase (O), Blake (O), 61.1 (15-9).
5: Smart (O), Cook (R), Strudwick (R), Blake (O), 61.6 (18-12).
6: Smart (O), Halsey (R), Cottham (R), Purchase (O), 61.7 (21-15).
|
|
