Injury Overshadows Close Meeting
(Posted 14/10/07)

The first part of a double header to finish off the seasons league meetings will unfortunately be remembered for two horrific accidents which left David McAllan and Robert Ksiezak injured.

By the end of heat 15 the score may have been low down in people’s thoughts but credit should be given to Birmingham who came out on top by three points to finish second in the league in their first season back in competitive speedway.

David McAllan started off the afternoon in fine form, winning the opening heat. After a tight opening bend, Chris Schramm hit the front coming into the back straight but McAllan passed inside on the fourth bend and pulled clear to win easily, although unfortunately for Tigers Robert was anchored at the rear.

The reserve race belonged to Craig Branney who was untroubled from the gate. Michael Coles came inside Lee Smart on the second bend to split the Birmingham pairing but although he challenged for two laps Lee Dicken was unable to follow suit giving the visitors a heat advantage.

The opening lap of heat 3 was very competitive, Tacey neatly moving Nieminen wide on the opening bends sending him to the back but all four riders were in the mix for the opening lap. Robert Ksiezak hit the front and for four laps Jason Lyons was all over him trying to find a way through but the youngster did well to block his attempts. Nieminen meantime had passed on the inside of Tacey on lap 2, Tigers getting the heat advantage to level the scores.

Chris Schramm won a well spread out shared heat 4 from the gate although Lee Smart did well to stay on his bike when clipping the fence going too wide out of bend 2 before an excellent pass by Jason Lyons through the smallest of gaps on the outside line of bend 2 helped him to a comfortable heat 5 win with Nieminen and Ksiezak taking the minor placings.

Kauko was out again in heat 6 and won from the gate. There was an excellent battle for second between McAllan and Schramm. McAllan had come round the outside of the opening bends into second but Schramm edged him wide on the third bend to come through. David hit back immediately powering inside on bend four and into the lead. Schramm tracked him for two laps before making an outside pass on the final bend of lap 3 to reclaim second spot and hold it to the finish.

Birmingham had an easy 5-1 in heat 7 after Lyons and Tacey gated and settled in to team ride. By the second lap however they were clear and the Tigers pair offered no challenge. It was then down to the in form Tiger David McAllan to win heat 8 from the gate, Lee Dicken finishing at the rear after trying hard to pass Lee Smart but looking as if he took the wrong line at the end of lap 3.

It took 3 attempts to run heat 9, firstly Chris Schramm being excluded for bringing down Ksiezak at the start of the second lap whilst the Tigers wee on a 5-1 and then in the first re-run John Branney sliding off on the third bend trying too hard to challenge Ksiezak. Under the rules, Ksiezak and Nieminen had to come out in a two man ‘race’, Nieminen winning in the slowest time of the afternoon.

David McAllan outgated Jason Lyons in heat 10 but Lyons came round the outside into the lead off the second bend. David remained in contention for a couple of laps but the Brummies captain then pulled clear, Trent finishing at the back after a surprisingly poor gate.

Although Leverington passed inside Morris coming into the back straight of the opening lap of heat 11, Morris moved him wide with a hard but fair pass on the fourth bend and with team mate Shaun Tacey already clear, the Brummies went on to claim another 5-1.

There was a frantic rush in the pits to sort out a problem with Jason Lyons bike in the lead up to heat 12 but it did not stop Lyons from recording another victory. The opening lap and a half however was very closely contested between him and Kauko Nieminen. At the back, Lee Smart pressured Lee Dicken for a couple of laps before Dicken pulled clear for a comfortable third place.

Heat 13 certainly got the emotions going amongst fans and riders with Tigers fans, management and riders all aiming their anger at Phil Morris after what can only be described as a very ill judged and reckless move which in resulted David McAllan leaving the track in an ambulance. Leverington was out front but there was a good race going on between Morris and McAllan with the advantage changing hands a couple of times before Morris, about a bike length behind David, came through on the inside line at speed coming off the final bend of lap 3. Whether a misjudgment, a rush of blood to the head or loss of control, Morris went straight into David, t-boning him and sending him very heavily into the safety fence. The referee was left with no choice but to exclude Morris from the re-run and indeed from the rest of the afternoons racing. David was taken from the track by ambulance and transferred to hospital.

The track staff did a sterling job, rebuilding a significant section of the safety fence in remarkably quick time given the extent of the work involved. Lee Dicken came out in David’s place for the re-run and was to finish third with his bike packing up crossing the finishing line. In front, there was a good battle between Trent and Chris Schramm, Schramm this time getting the better of Trent courtesy of an inside pass on bend 2 of the penultimate lap.

Heat 14 was well spread out and shared, Shaun Tacey taking his third chequered flag of the afternoon leaving Tigers needing a 5-1 in heat 15 to avoid defeat.

It looked as if Tigers would get that 5-1 when Kauko Nieminen and Robert Ksiezak gated, Kauko settled in to protect Robert for 3 laps and it looked to be all over. Coming off the final bend Robert was well ahead when he reared up for no apparent reason and was unable to rescue the situation. He went straight into the fence and was catapulted over the top of it in a sickening looking accident. There was a general air of disbelief and relief when he was able to walk back to the pits after a short spell of treatment. At the time everyone was mystified as to how it happened but it appears from comments made later on in the evening that Robert perhaps could have had a problem with his throttle jamming open.

It mean that instead of the 5-1, the race was awarded as a 3-3 but it was a very subdued Birmingham team who were declared victors, Jason Lyons in particular having looked very shaken by Robert’s spill.

Taking the accidents out of the meeting, it had actually been a close competitive affair with no team ever being any more than 3 points ahead. The Birmingham team rode well as a team for their win and it is a remarkable achievement for a side in their first season back who have been so decimated with injuries themselves to finish second in the league.

However, the thoughts of everyone at the meeting will be with David McAllan and we wish him a speedy recovery and can only hope that his injuries are not as bad as first feared.

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