Cockle Third in Young Guns
Young Guns at Exeter 27th Sept
James Cockle has finished a very creditable third in the Young Guns Championship at Exeter. As expected, Nick Simmons was the winner on race wins with Simon Walker second.
Ironically, James would have won but slid of in his last race whilst winning and unbeaten.

The following report, typed out from the Exeter Western Morning News, has been sent to me by a friend in Devon: -

Young Guns Championship

What may or may not be the last ever speedway meeting staged at the County Ground, the Young Guns Championship, was won in entertaining fashion by Exeter Falcons Nick Simmons last night in front of an appreciative crowd.

Simmonds finished level on points after four rides with Somerset’s Simon Walker but won the meeting by having beaten Walker when the two riders met in heat one.

The meeting began over an hour late due to the non-arrival of a vital piece of medical equipment, something which, to be fair, nobody in the County Ground last night had any control over, and meant a slightly curtailed meeting.

Junior individual meetings often become shop windows and Glasgow’s James Cockle in particular took the eye, winning three races and leading in his fourth until falling, eventually finshing third overall and collecting the Most Entertaining Rider of the Night for his efforts.

After recent criticism of the track, it was also worth noting that there was no grading of the track last night, with no real discernable difference in the quality of the racing as a result, something some older and allegedly wiser riders may wish to take notice of.

Meanwhile Exeter Falcon Graeme Gordon, who crashed at the County Ground last week, breaking one vertebrae and fracturing another, is reported to be comfortable after undergoing an operation in hospital yesterday and hopes are that he will make a full recovery.

Scorers; N Simmons (Exeter) 11 points, S Walker (Somerset) 11, J Cockle (Glasgow) 9, K Ezergailis (Newport) 9, B Compton (Sheffield) 7, J Frampton (Weymouth) 7, L Smart (Mildenhall) 6, D Warwick (Poole) 4, S Martin (Oxford) 2, A Jackson (Wolves) 2, M Cambridge (Sheffield) 2, D Hooper (Exeter) 1.