Post by Genghis on Aug 4, 2007 11:11:45 GMT
Friday, August 3, 2007
OXFORD CHEETAHS 50 RYE HOUSE RAIDERS 43
(Conference League)
Oxford Cheetahs won their fifth successive home match, but only after overcoming stiff resistance from a spirited Rye House Raiders outfit.
It was another night of terrific racing at Sandy Lane - and you won't see many better races this season than Heat 13 of this clash, when Lee Smethills and Andrew Bargh went either side of a bewildered Karlis Ezergailis.
Oxford used rider replacement for Jordan Frampton, in action for Somerst, while the Rye House used R/R for the absent Ben Powell.
The Raiders gave the Cheetahs plenty to think about in the opening races. Luke Bowen shot out from the tapes to beat Lee Smethills in Heat 1, while Danny Betson lost third to Karlis Ezergailis after falling twice on the second bend.
Gary Cottham was then a clear winner of Heat 2. Brendan Johnson and George Piper quickly overhauled Nick Lawrence to occupy the minor positions, but Piper lost third after a tumble on the fourth turn as the Raiders took another 4-2.
Andrew Bargh & Sam Martin restored order for the home side with a 5-1 in Heat 3, but Bargh couldn't catch the flying Cottham in Heat 4, and with Bowen soon past Johnson into third, the Raiders moved back into the lead at 13-11.
Heat 5 was stopped after a highly ragged start. In the re-run, Betson won the race, while Martin took advantage of a last lap engine failure for Robert Mear to take second place and join Betson for a 5-1. With Ezergailis having pulled up earlier in the race, Mear pushed home for a point to the warm applause of the home fans.
Smethills & Betson produced sharp starts in Heat 6, and Bowen's pursuit eventually took him into the air fence on the final bend. Oxford's second successive 5-1 took them into a six-point lead.
Bargh won a shared Heat 7, while Ezergailis was the early leader in Heat 8, but lifted on the fourth bend and Betson moved though. On the second lap, Cottham moved inside Johnson on the third bend and the race finished as a 3-3.
Oxford eked out a 4-2 in Heat 9 courtesy of Smethills & Martin, with Bowen inside Martin early on to take second place and avoid a maximum heat advantage for the Cheetahs.
Daniel Halsey was a surprise but deserving winner of Heat 10, resisting pressure from Smethills on the opening lap, while Betson fended off Mear to take third.
A no-holds barred battle between Bargh and Halsey on the opening lap of Heat 11 came to an end after Halsey fell on the third turn. The subsequent 4-2 to the Cheetahs took them into a 38-28 lead.
Mear, having done little previously, was nominated as the tactical ride in Heat 12. He gated alongside team-mate Cottham, but Martin then rode the outside to great effect, shooting around Cottham on the back straight of lap 2, and closing in on Mear. Mear held on, though, and the Raiders took a 7-2 to reduce the deficit to five points. Meanwhile, referee Robbie Perks commended fourth-placed Johnson on quickly remounting after falling on the second lap, therefore allowing the race to continue.
Heat 13 is often built up to be the race of the night, and on this occasion, it was just that. Ezergailis gated, but found himself quickly under pressure from the wide-riding Smethills, while Bargh resisted early pressure from Bowen. Bargh then also started to close in on Ezergailis, who now had a Cheetah pressing him from either side. Coming out of the fourth bend of lap 2, Bargh pushed inside Ezergailis, at the same time that Smethills made his move around the outside. Both Cheetahs went past a stunned Ezergailis at the same time - while the enthusiastic Oxford crowd roared their appreciation. The race wasn't quite over yet, as Bowen took over chase of the Oxford riders, and his last bend blast around the outside nearly snatched second place from Bargh. The 5-1 took the Oxford lead to 45-36 and the last two races became all about the battle for what could be a crucial aggregate bonus point.
If Heat 13 was spectacular, then Heat 14 wasn't far behind. Halsey & Cottham gated, but Martin roared inside Cottham down the back straight of lap 1. Martin then pursued Halsey, but as he looked for a way around his opponent, Cottham found the space to move back inside Martin on the third bend of lap 2. With Martin still in hot pursuit of the Raiders pair, race leader Halsey locked up on the second bend of lap 3, and it wasn't for the faint-hearted down the back straight as Cottham and Martin moved either side of Halsey, who was relegated to third. Martin remained right on Cottham's exhaust, and was pressing him right up until the finishing line. A 4-2 to the Raiders, but Martin had really fought for that second place.
Smethills & Bargh gated in Heat 15, but Luke Bowen showed just why he is in Rye House's Premier League team, moving from third to first with a dash of speed up the inside coming off the second bend. The ensuing 3-3 leaves the Cheetahs with a seven-point advantage when they travel to Hoddesdon on Saturday, August 25.
After the meeting in the upstairs bar, young George Piper received a cake from promoter Allen Trump to celebrate Piper's 16th birthday, with fellow riders, pit crew and fans joining in singing "Happy Birthday".
OXFORD CHEETAHS 50
Lee Smethills 2 3 3 2 3 2 (15)
Danny Betson F 3 2* 3 1* (9+2)
Rider replacement - Jordan Frampton
Sam Martin 2* 2* 1 2 2 (9+2)
Andrew Bargh 3 2 3 3 2* 1* (14+2)
George Piper 0 0 1 0 (1)
Brendan Johnson 2 0 0 0 (2)
Team manager: Peter Oakes
RYE HOUSE RAIDERS 43
Karlis Ezergailis 1 R 2 2 R (5)
Rider replacement - Ben Powell
Robert Mear 1 1 1* 0 6! (9+1)
Daniel Halsey 0 2 3 F 1 (6)
Luke Bowen 3 1 F 2 1 3 (10)
Nick Lawrence 1 1 0 (2)
Gary Cottham 3 3 1* 1 3 0 (11+1)
Team manager: John Sampford
Referee: Robbie Perks
! = tactical ride
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Bowen (R), Smethills (O), Ezergailis (R), Betson (O) (fell, remounted then fell), 61.55 (2-4).
2: Cottham (R), Johnson (O), Lawrence (R), Piper (O) (fell, remounted), 63.59 (4-8).
3: Bargh (O), Martin (O), Mear (R), Halsey (R), 64.08 (9-9).
4: Cottham (R), Bargh (O), Bowen (R), Johnson (O), 63.45 (11-13).
5: (Re-run) Betson (O), Martin (O), Mear (R), Ezergailis (R) (ret), 62.55 (16-14).
6: Smethills (O), Betson (O), Lawrence (R), Bowen (R) (fell), 63.46 (21-15).
7: Bargh (O), Halsey (R), Mear (R), Piper (O), 62.86 (24-18).
8: Betson (O), Ezergailis (R), Cottham (R), Johnson (O), 64.02 (27-21).
9: Smethills (O), Bowen (R), Martin (O), Lawrence (R), 63.27 (31-23).
10: Halsey (R), Smethills (O), Betson (O), Mear (R), 63.49 (34-26).
11: Bargh (O), Ezergailis (R), Piper (O), Halsey (R) (fell), 63.42 (38-28).
12: Mear (R) (tactical ride), Martin (O), Cottham (R), Johnson (O) (fell, remounted), 63.18 (40-35).
13: Smethills (O), Bargh (O), Bowen (R), Ezergailis (R) (ret), 64.48 (45-36).
14: Cottham (R), Martin (O), Halsey (R), Piper (O), 64.02 (47-40).
15: Bowen (R), Smethills (O), Bargh (O), Cottham (R), 63.81 (50-43).
All the best
Rob
OXFORD CHEETAHS 50 RYE HOUSE RAIDERS 43
(Conference League)
Oxford Cheetahs won their fifth successive home match, but only after overcoming stiff resistance from a spirited Rye House Raiders outfit.
It was another night of terrific racing at Sandy Lane - and you won't see many better races this season than Heat 13 of this clash, when Lee Smethills and Andrew Bargh went either side of a bewildered Karlis Ezergailis.
Oxford used rider replacement for Jordan Frampton, in action for Somerst, while the Rye House used R/R for the absent Ben Powell.
The Raiders gave the Cheetahs plenty to think about in the opening races. Luke Bowen shot out from the tapes to beat Lee Smethills in Heat 1, while Danny Betson lost third to Karlis Ezergailis after falling twice on the second bend.
Gary Cottham was then a clear winner of Heat 2. Brendan Johnson and George Piper quickly overhauled Nick Lawrence to occupy the minor positions, but Piper lost third after a tumble on the fourth turn as the Raiders took another 4-2.
Andrew Bargh & Sam Martin restored order for the home side with a 5-1 in Heat 3, but Bargh couldn't catch the flying Cottham in Heat 4, and with Bowen soon past Johnson into third, the Raiders moved back into the lead at 13-11.
Heat 5 was stopped after a highly ragged start. In the re-run, Betson won the race, while Martin took advantage of a last lap engine failure for Robert Mear to take second place and join Betson for a 5-1. With Ezergailis having pulled up earlier in the race, Mear pushed home for a point to the warm applause of the home fans.
Smethills & Betson produced sharp starts in Heat 6, and Bowen's pursuit eventually took him into the air fence on the final bend. Oxford's second successive 5-1 took them into a six-point lead.
Bargh won a shared Heat 7, while Ezergailis was the early leader in Heat 8, but lifted on the fourth bend and Betson moved though. On the second lap, Cottham moved inside Johnson on the third bend and the race finished as a 3-3.
Oxford eked out a 4-2 in Heat 9 courtesy of Smethills & Martin, with Bowen inside Martin early on to take second place and avoid a maximum heat advantage for the Cheetahs.
Daniel Halsey was a surprise but deserving winner of Heat 10, resisting pressure from Smethills on the opening lap, while Betson fended off Mear to take third.
A no-holds barred battle between Bargh and Halsey on the opening lap of Heat 11 came to an end after Halsey fell on the third turn. The subsequent 4-2 to the Cheetahs took them into a 38-28 lead.
Mear, having done little previously, was nominated as the tactical ride in Heat 12. He gated alongside team-mate Cottham, but Martin then rode the outside to great effect, shooting around Cottham on the back straight of lap 2, and closing in on Mear. Mear held on, though, and the Raiders took a 7-2 to reduce the deficit to five points. Meanwhile, referee Robbie Perks commended fourth-placed Johnson on quickly remounting after falling on the second lap, therefore allowing the race to continue.
Heat 13 is often built up to be the race of the night, and on this occasion, it was just that. Ezergailis gated, but found himself quickly under pressure from the wide-riding Smethills, while Bargh resisted early pressure from Bowen. Bargh then also started to close in on Ezergailis, who now had a Cheetah pressing him from either side. Coming out of the fourth bend of lap 2, Bargh pushed inside Ezergailis, at the same time that Smethills made his move around the outside. Both Cheetahs went past a stunned Ezergailis at the same time - while the enthusiastic Oxford crowd roared their appreciation. The race wasn't quite over yet, as Bowen took over chase of the Oxford riders, and his last bend blast around the outside nearly snatched second place from Bargh. The 5-1 took the Oxford lead to 45-36 and the last two races became all about the battle for what could be a crucial aggregate bonus point.
If Heat 13 was spectacular, then Heat 14 wasn't far behind. Halsey & Cottham gated, but Martin roared inside Cottham down the back straight of lap 1. Martin then pursued Halsey, but as he looked for a way around his opponent, Cottham found the space to move back inside Martin on the third bend of lap 2. With Martin still in hot pursuit of the Raiders pair, race leader Halsey locked up on the second bend of lap 3, and it wasn't for the faint-hearted down the back straight as Cottham and Martin moved either side of Halsey, who was relegated to third. Martin remained right on Cottham's exhaust, and was pressing him right up until the finishing line. A 4-2 to the Raiders, but Martin had really fought for that second place.
Smethills & Bargh gated in Heat 15, but Luke Bowen showed just why he is in Rye House's Premier League team, moving from third to first with a dash of speed up the inside coming off the second bend. The ensuing 3-3 leaves the Cheetahs with a seven-point advantage when they travel to Hoddesdon on Saturday, August 25.
After the meeting in the upstairs bar, young George Piper received a cake from promoter Allen Trump to celebrate Piper's 16th birthday, with fellow riders, pit crew and fans joining in singing "Happy Birthday".
OXFORD CHEETAHS 50
Lee Smethills 2 3 3 2 3 2 (15)
Danny Betson F 3 2* 3 1* (9+2)
Rider replacement - Jordan Frampton
Sam Martin 2* 2* 1 2 2 (9+2)
Andrew Bargh 3 2 3 3 2* 1* (14+2)
George Piper 0 0 1 0 (1)
Brendan Johnson 2 0 0 0 (2)
Team manager: Peter Oakes
RYE HOUSE RAIDERS 43
Karlis Ezergailis 1 R 2 2 R (5)
Rider replacement - Ben Powell
Robert Mear 1 1 1* 0 6! (9+1)
Daniel Halsey 0 2 3 F 1 (6)
Luke Bowen 3 1 F 2 1 3 (10)
Nick Lawrence 1 1 0 (2)
Gary Cottham 3 3 1* 1 3 0 (11+1)
Team manager: John Sampford
Referee: Robbie Perks
! = tactical ride
HEAT DETAILS:
1: Bowen (R), Smethills (O), Ezergailis (R), Betson (O) (fell, remounted then fell), 61.55 (2-4).
2: Cottham (R), Johnson (O), Lawrence (R), Piper (O) (fell, remounted), 63.59 (4-8).
3: Bargh (O), Martin (O), Mear (R), Halsey (R), 64.08 (9-9).
4: Cottham (R), Bargh (O), Bowen (R), Johnson (O), 63.45 (11-13).
5: (Re-run) Betson (O), Martin (O), Mear (R), Ezergailis (R) (ret), 62.55 (16-14).
6: Smethills (O), Betson (O), Lawrence (R), Bowen (R) (fell), 63.46 (21-15).
7: Bargh (O), Halsey (R), Mear (R), Piper (O), 62.86 (24-18).
8: Betson (O), Ezergailis (R), Cottham (R), Johnson (O), 64.02 (27-21).
9: Smethills (O), Bowen (R), Martin (O), Lawrence (R), 63.27 (31-23).
10: Halsey (R), Smethills (O), Betson (O), Mear (R), 63.49 (34-26).
11: Bargh (O), Ezergailis (R), Piper (O), Halsey (R) (fell), 63.42 (38-28).
12: Mear (R) (tactical ride), Martin (O), Cottham (R), Johnson (O) (fell, remounted), 63.18 (40-35).
13: Smethills (O), Bargh (O), Bowen (R), Ezergailis (R) (ret), 64.48 (45-36).
14: Cottham (R), Martin (O), Halsey (R), Piper (O), 64.02 (47-40).
15: Bowen (R), Smethills (O), Bargh (O), Cottham (R), 63.81 (50-43).
All the best
Rob
