Colts beat battling Tigers
The Belle Vue Colts recorded their first win of the season with a 46-43 win over the Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers at the National Speedway Stadium.
The Colts claimed the win in a last heat decider despite Ace Pijper being the star man on show with a superb 17 point haul for Middlesbrough whilst Belle Vue’s William Cairns top scored with 13 . Despite defeat, the Tigers can hold their heads high with rider replacement for Tom Spencer (injured last night at Plymouth) returning three points, a figure Spencer would have likely surpassed.
The Colts began positively as Cairns won, but with Ace Pijper passing Jack Shimelt for 2nd, Belle Vue had to settle with a 4-2. However, heat two saw Kai Ward win, and with Tigers debutant Charlie Southwick 2nd, the Tigers had a two point lead of their own.
Heat three saw the well supported Colts hit back as Mason Watson and Jack Kingston rode to a 5-1 maximum which re-established Belle Vue’s two point advantage.
Heat four saw Hodder lead, but with the Tigers packing the minor placings, the race looked set to be shared. However, when home reserve Billy Budd retired with mechanical problems, the visitors were not under any pressure for a share of the spoils but debutant Elliot Kelly also ground to a halt, giving Belle Vue a 3-2 advantage.
The topsy turvy nature of the meeting saw Middlesbrough yet again hit the front by a solitary point as Pijper and Southwick combined to a maximum with Watson and Kingston (off 15m due to a starting offence) unable to make any impression on the Tigers duo.
Heat six saw Belle Vue hit their second 5-1 as Cairns and the impressive Jack Shimelt combined to a comfortable maximum to give the Colts a 19-16 lead in Manchester.
Heat seven saw the hosts sat on a 5-1 as Hodder led, and with Harry Fletcher comfortably 2nd exiting the final bend of the final lap, Belle Vue looked set to go into a seven point lead. However, Fletcher suffered a breakdown, allowing Jamie Halder and Stene Pijper through for the first shared heat of the match.
Belle Vue stretched their lead to five points in heat eight as Shimelt won, but with Kelly improving to pass Fletcher, the Colts had to settle for a 4-2.
Heat nine saw Ward flip the bike out of the start, and collected Kingston in the process, causing the Colts number three to fly over the handlebars and hit the deck at speed. After Kingston was examined and thus withdrawn, Ward was excluded from the re-run.
The second staging saw Ace Pijper win convincingly, but with the Colts unopposed for the minor placings, Belle Vue maintained their five point lead. Next up we had heat 10 which Cairns won convincingly but with Halder having bike problems, Fletcher came through for 3rd which extended the hosts lead to seven points at the National Speedway Stadium.
Ace Pijper continued his sparkling afternoon with a heat 11 win, but with Kelly falling whilst in 3rd, Middlesbrough had to settle with a 3-3. Heat 12 saw Middlesbrough record a much needed 4-2 as Stene Pijper won, and with Ward 3rd, the Tigers were within five of the Colts.
Ace Pijper lowered the colours of Cairns with a strong win in heat 13, but with his brother Stene unable to pass despite a strong ride, the Tigers were still five adrift.
However, Middlesbrough were not finished just yet and sent the meeting to a last heat decider as Halder won after Fletcher packed up for the hosts, and with Southwick 3rd, (despite being 2nd until he was passed due to a bike issue) we had a last heat decider in the WSRA National Development League.
The final race saw Ace Pijper pass both Colts through the smallest of gaps on the back straight, but with Stene unable to pass either Colt despite threatening too at some stages of the race, Belle Vue secured a hard fought 46-43 win on home shale.
Belle Vue Colts = 46
1. William Cairns = 13
2. Jack Shimelt = 8+1
3. Jack Kingston = 2+1 WITHDRAWN
4. Mason Watson = 8
5. Freddy Hodder = 10+2
6. Harry Fletcher = 4+1
7. Billy Budd = 1+1
Middlesbrough Tigers = 43
1. Ace Pijper = 17
2. Elliot Kelly = 2
3. Stene Pijper = 6+1
4. Jamie Halder = 6
5. Tom Spencer = R/R
6. Kai Ward = 5
7. Charlie Southwick = 7+2