Tigers Go Down Fighting
(Posted 13/09/07)

The Norfolk Arena is not the easiest of tracks to go to at the moment but for the second time this season Tigers impressed and took part in a very entertaining meeting with the aggregate point only decided in heat 15.

Tigers were without the services of Craig Watson, whose wife had been involved in a road traffic accident and naturally we wish her well. Whilst many Stars fans felt this would work in their favour, it certainly did not give them the walkover some expected.

The opening heat took three attempts to run, David McAllan being warned for moving in the first, Mills excluded in the second after he brought down Leverington at the start of the third lap with David McAllan doing well to lay his bike down quickly. Surprisingly as Topinka was well ahead at the time, the referee ordered another re-run although it was academic as Topinka won it comfortably from the gate.

The action in heat 2 was for the minor placing's with Coles doing well to hold off everything that Compton could throw at him to claim third place with partner Lee Dicken in second.

Nermark shot from the gate in his first battle of the night with Shane Parker in heat 3 and although Shane tried to give chase in the early stages it was clear there would be no way back. Glasgow’s captain therefore dropped back to team ride Robert Ksiezak who was struggling to hold off Paul Lee to secure the 3-3.

After two heats of managing to win the minor placing's battle, Lee Dicken succumbed in heat 4 to an outside pass from Compton on the third lap. However Tigers had their first heat winner of the evening with Trent Leverington winning comfortably from the gate and once again the heat was shared.

The shared heats had to come to an end sometime and it brought Tigers down to earth with a bump with the Stars recording an easy 5-1 from the opening bends in heat 5 before the fans were treated to an entertaining race between Leverington, Mills and Coles a heat later. Topinka was well clear and Trent settled back to team ride with Coles to try and keep Mills out. Coming into the backstraight of lap 3, Mills went through into third in bizarre fashion. He looked as if he had locked up but Michael Coles went very wide, Mills picked up drive and managed to drive up the inside of the Glasgow reserve.

Tigers responded with a 5-1 of their own in heat 7. Robert Ksiezak led from the gate, Shane Parker passed Harding to slot in beside his team mate and team ride him in the way only Shane can, frustrating Harding’s attempts to split them.

It looked briefly as if Stars would hit back immediately when Mills and Compton gated in heat 8 but David McAllan passed Compton at the end of the backstraight on the opening lap.

Trent and Michael gated for the Tigers in heat 9 but were quickly passed by Nermark on the opening bend with Lee also going past Coles coming out of the second bend and Tigers dropped another two points, going 6 points down.

Nermark was first out of the gate in heat 10 and although Shane was breathing down his neck for the entire race he was unable to find a way through. Ksiezak and Mills were having their own battle for third place and it was Mills who was to come out on top courtesy of a last gap race to the line.

Shane Parker came in as r/r for Wato in heat 11 and duly won although Brundle made it difficult for him, leading until Shane came under him on the third lap. He was back out again in heat 12 and made the gate on Nermark. Unfortunately Nermark then made a rash move on the opening bend, clattering into Coles, with the referee calling all four back – although a certain Grand Prix referee would not have! It looked as if Nermark was quicker out of the trap in the re run but Shane was ahead coming out of bend two and stayed there.

The only action in heat 13 was at the start, Trent Leverington passing Trevor Harding to claim second place and with the Tigers now 8 points down and the aggregate point in the balance they took the brave – but correct – gamble of bringing Shane Parker in off 15m as a Tactical Substitute in heat 14. Unfortunately for Glasgow his partner Robert Ksiezak missed the gate and it looked as if the gamble might not pay off but as usual Parker never gave up and was able to pass inside Brundle on the third lap. Lee was already too far ahead to catch but at least it ensured his ride would count for double points and took the battle for the aggregate to the final heat.

Tigers won the toss for heat 15 and elected to take gates 2 and 4. Just as that happened however, out came the graders for some ‘tactical’ grading. Most tracks do it but the way it was done before heat 15 and after the toss made it rather blatant. However it did the job for the home side as the added grip on the inside gave Topinka the chance to clamp down on Parker on the opening bends and with Nermark on the inside powering from the gate it was basically game over.

It is to the credit of the Tigers that the Stars had to use every ounce of nous to secure the aggregate points – including last minute re-grading - and for the second time this season the King’s Lynn fans were appreciative of a Glasgow side who went and gave it a go.

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