Home Form Continues Against Rebels
(Posted 04/08/08)

Title contenders Somerset put up a good showing at Ashfield but Tigers recently found form and sterling displays from in particular Josh Grajczonek and Trent Leverington saw the home side claim victory.

For the first time in weeks however, Glasgow conceded a 5-1 in the opening heat with Doyle and Kroger comprehensively beating Dicken and Stonehewer from the gate.  There was a suspicion that Kroger, on his first visit, may have been rolling at the start but in all honesty it is unlikely to have made much difference.

Brent Werner made an excellent gate for the visitors in heat 2 with Mitchell Davey and Josh Grajczonek in his wake.  Mitchell seemed a little too keen to mount a challenge resulting in an erratic opening lap and a rash wide drive at the start of lap two seeing him come a cropper and slide off.  Left as the sole Tiger, Josh took up the chase and reeled Werner in over the next two laps, before passing up the inside of the rebel at the start of the final lap and going on to claim victory.

Leverington and Ksiezak won heat 3 easily from the gate to level the scores but Robert had to be at the top of his game to hold off an early challenge from Kramer who threatened to pass inside him at the end of the opening lap.

Unfortunately the Tigers gating once again deserted them in heat 4, Frampton winning by a distance and Josh trying hard but unable to make any impression on Brent Werner in second place.

The referee appeared to have the same doubts about Kroger in the opening heat as he held the tapes slightly longer at the start of heat 5 and the Rebels rider duly hit the tapes.  He went off 15m in the re run but it was the impressive Jason Doyle who won in style from the gate with Leverington and Ksiezak filling in the minor placings.

The Stonehewer/Dicken partnership were back to form in heat 6, Stoney making the gate and Lee sweeping round the wide line on the opening bends to join him in second. They quickly pulled clear of the opposition for the unchallenged 5-1.

Stewart Dickson took the decision to bring in-form Josh Grajczonek out in heat 7 in place of Anders Andersen who appeared to be having bike problems.  It was a move that certainly paid off with Josh claiming the victory after a competitive race with Jordan Frampton.  Frampton never gave up and was ready to pounce on any minor mistake all race but Josh never gave him the opportunity.

Josh came out for his second race in a row and after a level gate he hit the front coming out of the second bend and went on to win in style.  For once though all eyes were on the other riders in the race with Brent Werner, Lee Dicken and Mattias Kroger providing some excellent racing. For much of the race you could throw a blanket over all three, Lee challenging Werner hard for 2nd with Kroger putting him under pressure for 3rd. Placings changed frequently throughout the four laps and Lee was actually at the rear coming out of bend two on the final lap.  He got back ahead of Kroger on the third bend and rode an excellent final bend to thwart Kroger's attempt to come back through, driving towards the line and almost catching Werner for second.

Trent and Robert gated in heat 9 but a slightly out of control inside drive saw Frampton cut across Trent, actually clipping his front wheel and causing the Glasgow captain to shut off slightly.  It gave Frampton the advantage needed to secure second place although Trent never gave up trying.  Robert was well clear at the front of the field. Trent and Jordan had words in the pits afterwards but everything was sorted out very civilly between the two.

Emil Kramer was first out of the gate in heat 10 but Stoney cut sweetly up the inside on bend two to take over the lead.  Lee Dicken passed inside Brent Werner on bend 3 into third place but only held it briefly as Werner used the grip on the outside of bend four to reclaim the third spot. Lee worked hard behind him looking for ways through before driving passed him on the outside at the end of the third lap.  Never one to give up, Lee then mounted a challenge on Emil Kramer in second place and very nearly caught him on the line but Kramer held on.

The impressive Jason Doyle once again won from the tapes in heat 11. Kroger looked a bit out of control on the opening lap although he passed Mitchell Davey cleanly on the inside of bend 3.  Kroger was all over the back of Anders Andersen for the rest of the race and clearly had more speed but clever riding from Anders, including a pretty good block on the inside of the final bend, saw the Glasgow youngster claim second spot.

Unfortunately the initial running of heat 12 saw Emil Kramer take a hefty fall towards the end of the second lap.  After treatment he was taken back to the pits in the ambulance as a precaution and was able to return to the pits shortly afterwards.  As not all riders had completed two laps, the race had to be re run but Josh and Robert once again dominated the opening bends and quickly pulled clear for another 5-1.

Carl Stonehewer made an excellent gate in heat 13 but any hopes of beating Jason Doyle were quickly shattered as the impressive Doyle was ahead before the second bend and went on to win another race.  Anders Andersen passed inside Jordan Frampton on bend 2 but Frampton’s bike already appeared to have given up the ghost and Somerset had the shared heat they needed to give them the opportunity to bring out a Tactical Substitute in heat 14.

It was no surprise that Somerset elected to do this and as expected Jason Doyle came out in the black and white helmet for what was to be a decisive heat 14.  Josh Grajczonek came in as a reserve switch to partner Trent Leverington and the Tigers pairing made the gate ahead of Somerset’s Mattias Kroger.  Trent seemed to drop back a little coming out of bend 2, slowing the race up a but and allowing Josh to pull clear.  Trent held off Kroger who in turn actually impeded his partner Doyle for two laps before Doyle came through into third.  Doyle then pressed Trent very hard and possibly most of the crowd thought he would get the better of Glasgow’s captain.  Coming into the penultimate bend, Doyle had the outside line and it looked as if he had the slight advantage.  However, Trent on the inside drifted wide, taking Doyle out towards the fence on the fourth bend.  There was feeling that there may even have been contact between the two although from our angle it was not evident. Trent then held Doyle off on a run in to the line and beat him by the smallest of margins to win the meeting.

After a false start with Doyle slightly jumping the start, he once more showed his class by winning heat 15 easily despite being outgated by Robert Ksiezak.  Josh Grajczonek cut inside Jordan Frampton on the opening bends into third place and once again worked hard for just over a lap to hold Frampton at bay before pulling clear and the meeting finished with a share of the spoils.

After an erratic start it was a hard worked for victory that the Tigers deserved although with Jason Doyle in their side and a well balanced middle order it is clear to see why Somerset are challenging for the league.

Glasgow were not overawed by that however.  Obviously Josh’s performance was the talking point of the afternoon but there were also sterling performances from Trent, Robert, Lee and Stoney.  Anders seemed to have bike problems again but worked hard for the points he got.

Carl Stonehewer made what is expected to be his last guest appearance for the Tigers today with Shane expected to return next week.  Over the past couple of months Carl has been a popular hard working guest when pulling on the Tigers no 1 race jacket and it has been a pleasure to have him racing for us – cheers Stoney!

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