Who did win in the end? And did you all have a good night?
Leigh Adams won after a run-off with Scott Nicholls. Charlie Gjedde was third.
1. Tai Woffinden - 3 2 0 3 3 = 11
2. Kevin Doolan - 2 3 2 2 1 = 10
3. Ricky Ashworth - 1 2 1 0 1 = 5
4. Jason Crump - EF 3 3 3 2 = 11
5. Joe Screen - 3 1 3 2 1 =10
6. Billy Forsberg - 2 2 1 1 3 = 9
7. Nick Simmons - 0 1 1 0 0 = 2
8. Jason Lyons - 1 1 2 EF DNR = 4
9. Leigh Adams - 3 3 3 2 3 = 14 (WINNER)
10. Lewis Bridger - 0 0 X 1 2 = 3
11. Scott Nicholls - 2 3 3 3 3 =14 (SECOND)
12. James Wright - 1 0 1 2 2 = 6
13. Jurica Pavlic - 0 R 2 1 0 = 3
14. Ben Wilson - 1 1 0 1 0 = 3
15. Patrick Hougaard - 2 R 0 0 1 = 3
16. Charlie Gjedde - 3 2 2 3 2 = 12
17. Ben Hopwood - 0 = 0
18. Ben Taylor - DNR
A great day from start to finish. Didn't see why they opened the car park at 4 though as there was nothing on. Nick Barber had a stall set up outside the main stand though. Massive queues built up from 4.30 onwards and I'm glad I wasn't at the back of them. Programme was a decent affair for a fiver and we got a limited edition keyring with them. Limited edition until they go on sale on Monday.
Track was well watered and in decent nick considering the sun was beating down on it. The Blast from the Past races didn't do much for I'm afraid...nostalgia just ain't my thing and I feel one of the reason British Speedway is in the mess it's in is because it all too often likes to look back at the Glory Days but that's for another thread.
Jason Garrity and Montana Jowett did a couple of demonstration races. The track was too grippy for them (they are used to riding the ultra slick after a meeting has finished) and they both took a fall but were both ok. We had some U-12 demo races, one on a speedway bike who has a few laps on his own before the start of every Aces meeting, and the other two on Grasstrack bikes. The kid on the speedway bike was going twice as fast as the others but it's all a learning curve for them at the end of the day.
The parade for once was decent at Belle Vue. All riders were brought onto parade on the back of Harley Davidsons carrying their respective country's flag (though I feel it should have been the flag of the club they were riding for). Sub's favourite son, the Golem Flint, was in charge of proceedings and, for once, didn't mess things up.
Heat 1 saw Crump fly from the start only for it to be pulled back as Doolan and Woffinden hit the deck on the first turn. In the re-run Tai made a flyer, Crump didn't and tangled with Ricky Ashworth coming out of the second bend. This caused Crump to retire from the race seeing his chance of winning the PCMT gone in less than half a lap. Comfortable win for Tai.
Heat 2 was a good race. Lyons flew from gate 4 and went round everyone to lead down the back straight. I thought the race was done and dusted then but Messrs Screen and Forsberg had other ideas. Screen dived up the inside of Mr Belle Vue on the first bend of lap 2 and Forsberg did the same a lap later. This was all the more remarkable as Joe and Billy had a bit of a coming together on bend 3 of the first lap. Billy just took too much going into the corner and barged into Joe.
Heat 3 was won easily from the gate for Mr Clean. Lewis Bridger made an almost identical first bend to the one he did when the Aces rode Eastbourne back in June. Just straightened up going into the bend almost wiped Nicholls and James Wright out.
Heat 4 had to be rerun as both Gjedde and Pavlic did 180's on the first turn. It was funny seeing it as Pavlic was riding Charlies bikes last night. Charlie won from the gate in the rereun whilst Jurica struggled at the back.
Heat 5 and Pavlic made a great start and did a Nicki Pedersen. Headed straight for the dirt only to see Adams cut back to lead down the back straight. This flustered Pavlic a little as Woffinden then passed him going into bend 3 lap 1. Pavlic blocked the run of Joe Screen and a good battle was on until Pavlic went wide on bend 2 lap 2 and had to lay it down. Credit to him for getting up and getting his bike off the track.
Heat 6 was a gate and go affair although Doolan almost caught Forsberg on the line.
Heat 7 was an easy from the gate win for Nicholls.
Heat 8 was as easy as you like for Crump. Gjedde went round the outside of Lyons on bend 4 lap 1 for second. Becoming quite used to seeing Charlie do that at Belle Vue.
Heat 9 saw Woffinden clatter into the fence on the second bend and almost end up on the dog track. Gjedde gated in the rerun and rode really well to hold off Nicholls off for 3 laps before Scottie went round the outside of him on bend 2 lap 4.
Heat 10 was a comfy win for Screen from the gate
Heat 11 was another easy win for Adam over Lyons, Ashworth and Wilson.
Heat 12 was a talking point. Crump gated and went. Simmons gated last but got some good drive coming out of the second bend and went through the middle of Bridger and Pavlic. Lewis didn't like this and blatantly took Simmons out on the third bend. There was no need to do this as Lewis would have easily passed Nick later in the race. He just dived up the inside, clattered into him and sent him to the ground. Lewis excluded. Crump must have been bored up front on his own in the rerun as he was just tootling round.
Heat 13 saw Woffinden gate and go.
Heat 14 was another from the gate win for Scottie.
Heat 15 was a great race from Joe Screen. Missed the gate completely and was last for 2 laps. Sailed past Ashworth on second bend of lap 3 then did the same Bridger a lap later. Joe made a good last bend and almost passed Gjedde on the line.
Heat 16 should have been a great race. Crump Vs Adams. Sadly it was anything but. Crump gated and clamped Leigh on the inside before speeding off for an easy win.
Heat 17 was won easily from the gate by Woffinden.
Heat 18 saw Adams win easily from the gate whilst Gjedde and Doolan had a good scrap for second with Charlie getting it on the line.
Heat 19 saw Forsberg produce the pass of the night as he went through the middle of Ashworth and Wright down the back straight to take a comfortable win.
Heat 20 and Screenie gates in front. Crump in second with Nicholls third. Nicholls needed to win to force a run off. Scott just threw the bike into the third and fourth bends to go round both Crump and Screen. Crump then passed Screen and tried every which way to pass Scott but just couldn't manage it.
Run Off and Adams gates and goes for the dirt. Scott stays low and leads going down the back straight. Scott goes wide on bends 3 and 4 of lap 1. Leigh follows but cuts back and shoots down the home straight to pass Scott going into bend 1 lap 2. Scott battled hard but couldn't catch Leigh.
Best rider on the night won.
Good evenings entertainment was had by all. Pity the crowd for our next match will only be 1/4 of what it was last night.
