Stars Claim All 4 Points
(Posted 06/07/09)

King’s Lynn are most peoples favourites for the league and they did not disappoint on their visit to Ashfield but Glasgow can also be happy with a gritty performance that would in most other weeks have resulted in a home win.

The new teenage sensation Darcy Ward was on his first visit to the track and out in the opening heat he proved that the hype surrounding him is well justified.  An electric gate saw him lead from start to finish and although James Grieves got round Stars Linus Eklof on the opening bends into second place he was only able to threatened Ward for a couple of laps before the youngster pulled clear, his winning time equaling Shane Parkers recently set track record.

After an unsatisfactory start, the King’s Lynn pair gated in heat 2 but Mitchell Davey cut neatly inside both riders on bend two to take over the lead and open a comfortable gap. Lee had been left at the rear but picked up speed down the back straight to pass outside Graversen coming into bend three.  He chased Smith and looked as if he was going to repeat the move one lap later when Smith locked up badly on the apex of the third and fourth bend and came down, Lee doing well to miss him with Kozza’s partner not so lucky.  Smith was excluded and the race was run a third time.  This time although Graversen gated, Mitchell passed inside him going into the opening bend, Lee came up the inside of him coming out of bend one and moved him out to come through into second place.  It looked as if it was going to be a comfortable win for the Tigers paring with Mitchell well clear out front but Lee had to nurse what sounded like a rather sick bike round the last lap and a half, just managing to hold on to second place.

Sanchez was so quickly out of the gate in heat 3 there was a suspicion of a flier but it was allowed to go.  The Glasgow pairing swept round the outside of Schramm on the opening bends to fill the minor placings.  The race quickly split into two separate contests, Davey well clear of Schramm by the start of the final lap when Schramm fell and retired.  Out front the race was much closer with Lawson all over the back of Emiliano Sanchez trying to find a way through but the ex-Tiger just held on for the win in what was a good race.

After a ragged gate, Tigers guest Steve Johnston won a spread heat 4 from Topinka with Dicken claiming third spot.

An excellent gate from William Lawson saw him lead heat 5 but Ward was quickly on his tail. Mid race Lawson looked to have pulled away slightly as Ward changed tack but he reeled him in and executed an excellent outside pass down the backstraight of the final lap to claim the win.  Full credit has to be given to Lawson as well for riding an excellent race.

The visitors got back on level terms score wise in heat 6 courtesy of a good gate from Topinka followed by some astute tactical riding to hold off James Grieves in what was a very entertaining race.  Unfortunately for Glasgow, Harrison finished well off the pace at the rear.

Heat 7 was relatively mundane, Johnno winning from the gate.  Mitchell Davey was baulked on the opening bends by Schramm and was unable to recover so the spoils were shared.  It was followed by an easy maximum for the visitors from the gate in heat 8, Harrison and Dicken offering no resistance in the afternoons least competitive race.

A re run was required for heat 9 after Smith again jumped the start but when it came the fans were treated to another display of good tactical riding from Tomas Topinka as he worked hard to hold of challenge after challenge from William Lawson over all four laps. A final bend drive round the outside saw Lawson pull level but Topinka just managed to find the extra grip to edge it at the chequered flag.  At the back, after a sluggish gate Mitchell Davey managed to get by Kozza Smith to claim third spot.

Racing was all on the opening bends in heat 10, Grieves Schramm and Sanchez all in the mix of hard opening bends but it was Grieves who came out on top and won the spread heat, King’s Lynn taking a share of the spoils.

Heat 11 saw a determined Steve Johnston make the gate but Darcy Ward was all over the back of him.  Johnno worked hard to block the young Aussie’s moves but Ward made an excellent full throttle drive round the outside of bends 3 and 4 at the end of lap three to pass him and go on to claim the win. 

Another impressive gate from Lawson saw him win heat 12 easily before the eagerly awaited heat 13.  James Grieves rode an excellent opening couple of bends to ensure that not only did he come out ahead into the backstraight but that Ward was relegated to third place.  For two laps both Topinka and Ward were all over the back of Grieves who was working hard at the front to thwart every attempt to pass.  A slight error by Topinka on bend 3 lap 3 gave Grieves a little breathing space and he took the opportunity well, pulling clear and putting some distance between himself and the Stars pair.  Darcy Ward passed his partner going into lap 4 and gave chase but James was uncatchable.  Steve Johnston did not give up at the rear and it very nearly paid off on the penultimate bend but Topinka held.

Drama unfolded in heat 14 with an opening bend crash that thankfully both riders were eventually able to walk away from.  Lawson on the outside had gated but Smith in gate three appeared to forget to turn on the first bends and both riders collided very heavily with the safety fence.  Although our view of it would have meant a disqualification for Smith, the referee’s view was different and much to the disgust of the home support and promotion he called it as an all four back.  Lawson made sure he was well clear of Smith in the re-run and claimed a comfortable win.  Smith passed Davey in the early stages to claim third place and leave Tigers needing a 5-1 in the final heat to take anything from the meeting.

When it came down to it though, it was not to be.  A fairly level gate promised a good race but Grieves and Lawson went for the same bit of track into bend two and the King’s Lynn pair said thank you very much and pulled clear, taking the 1-5 and four meeting points.

King’s Lynn are a good side and will take some stopping if they are not to win the league.  Some have questioned if the hype surrounding their young Aussie Darcy Ward is justified – on yesterday’s showing its unlikely anyone present feels it isn’t.

Glasgow still deserve a lot of credit from yesterday as do our two guests. They battled hard and were certainly not disgraced.

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