Biggest Win of the Season So Far
(Posted 27/07/08)

It was a canter in the sunshine for the Tigers this afternoon as they easily disposed of an off form Reading side by 60-32, recording an impressive SEVEN 5-1's in the process.

 

Lee Dicken's recent tendency to dominate the opening heat continued as he comfortably won the opener from the gate. Partner Magnus Karlsson had gated alongside him but Tom P Madsen passed on the inside of him as they came out of bend two. With Magnus still trying the wide line, Mark Lemon took advantage to pass inside him on bend three and although Magnus came close to getting inside Lemon on the fourth bend, the Australian shut the door and he was left at the back.

The first of many warnings for moving at the start came in heat 2, Mitchell Davey being the guilty party and the race being called back with Tigers on a 5-1. The re-run saw a level gate but Jamie Smith got the grip coming out of the second bend and quickly opened up a lead that he was never going to loose. Josh Grajczonek did not give up but made an error on the final lap pits bend which saw him drift very wide and into the fence. Strangely the referee chose to put the stop lights on and award the race rather than let it reach its natural conclusion but the result was the same - the Racers had a heat advantage and took the lead for what was to be the only time in the meeting.

Kevin Doolan seemed a little lucky to get an all four back decision in heat 3 with many feeling he 'did a Nicki Pedersen' sliding off at the back after missing the gate. All four back it was though, the Glasgow pairing of Ksiezak and Leverington once again gated, Robert quickly establishing an unassailable lead whilst Trent rode an excellent race thwarting every attempt Doolan made to pass before the latter seemed to give up on the final lap and Tigers had their first 5-1 of the day.

Tigers added to that with another 5-1 in heat 4, once again from the gate, with Grajczonek winning easily whilst Andersen held off the challenges of Mills for two laps before pulling clear.

Heats 5 and 6 were well spread and uneventful, both resulting in a 5-1 for the home side with the visitors in both cases being surprisingly far off the pace.

Reading took the decision to put guest Kevin Doolan out in heat 7 on a TR. Doolan duly came out but partook of a bit of gardening and it took a full 30 seconds to persuade him to come to tapes properly. As soon as he was there, the start marshall took up position between lanes 2 and 3 and Lemon once again pulled back. The referee's patience finally went and Doolan can have no real complaint about the exclusion for delaying the start.

Understandably the visitors brought Doolan out off 15m for the re-run. Anders Andersen and Mitchell Davey made the gate ahead of Tomas Suchanek, Anders quickly pulling clear. It only took Kevin Doolan until the end of the opening lap to pass round the outside of his team mate Suchanek and chase down Mitchell Davey. If anyone thought that he would get passed Mitchell as easily however they were quickly proved wrong. Mitchell rode an excellent race to hold Doolan off, particularly at the end of the second lap when it looked as if Doolan had found a way through only for Mitchell to close the door on him. He eventually succumbed when Doolan passed inside him on the third bend of lap 3 but Mitchell had done enough to make sure that he could not catch Anders who claimed the win.

Nicki Glanz made the gate in heat 8 but Lee Dicken was quickly round him on the opening bends to go on and claim his third win of the afternoon. Josh Grajczonek was having a bit of a mixed afternoon and had badly missed the gate. He put in a brief challenge on Madsen on laps 2 and 3 but finished at the back.

Robert Ksiezak looked to have rolled at the start of heat 9 but got away with it and he and Trent recorded another easy 5-1 from the gate.

Kevin Doolan thwarted Lee Dicken's hopes of a paid maximum in heat 10. Karlsson won the heat from the tapes for the Tigers, Doolan gating ahead of Dicken. Lee passed inside Doolan coming out of bend 2 and held onto second place in a tough battle down the back straight.. Unfortunately for 'The Lee' however, Doolan had the better line and more speed which enabled him to pass inside the Glasgow man on bend 4. Doolan then picked up speed and chased Karlsson all the way but Magnus held firm.

Lemon and Madsen gated in heat 11 but both Andersen and Davey passed inside Madsen coming out of bend 2. Any action in this race was at the back with Andersen working to hold off Madsen, Lemon and Davey both comfortably holding first and second respectively. Madsen seized on an error by Andersen at the end of the third lap to slip through the inside into third and although Anders tried to make amends it was to no avail.

Robert Ksiezak became the latest rider to be warned for moving at the start in heat 12 but it didn't stop him making the gate in the re-run. Grajczonek came inside Jamie Smith on the opening bends into third whilst Kevin Doolan made an excellent inside pass on Ksiezak as they crossed the line at the end of the opening lap. From then on the heat was quickly spread out and the points shared.

Heat 13 took three attempts to run, firstly Mills anticipating the start and then Anders being dispatched into the fence after some first bend bunching. When it finally got underway, Karlsson won from the gate. Anders was at the back but made a superb inside pass on both Reading riders as they came out of bend 2. Mark Lemon hit straight back however, passing inside of Anders on bend three and then blocking Anders attempt to come through on bend 4. After that the race was well spread with Tigers gaining a heat advantage.

Leverington won heat 14 at a canter from the gate although Mitchell Davey was last to trap. An error by Jamie Smith on the opening bends saw him drop to the back, Mitchell taking full advantage and coming through on a tight inside line past both Smith and Glanz. Although he had a few little wobbles, Mitchell was not going to give up his second place and he held on well to give the Tigers another 5-1.

Heat 15 really was very much a formality with Robert and Trent winning from the gate, Kevin Doolan's bike packing up on the opening bends and Mark Lemon suffering a puncture on the final bends. It gave the Tigers their biggest win of the season and possibly their easiest whilst Trent claimed a well deserved paid maximum.

Overall, it certainly wasn't a great meeting and Reading were surprisingly poor. With Ostergaard returning to their line up and today's score still fresh in their minds it will surely be a much stronger Racers side Glasgow face tomorrow night.

Glasgow Tigers speedway - posted on glasgow speedway dot com, an unofficial glasgow tigers speedway website.