Main Man

prices for admission and programme were set by Leicester. It was the same price as the England v Australia programme which had less content the week before.

The inaugural staging of the Midland Development League Riders’ Championship proved to be a rip-roaring success. 23 races plus 4 demonstrations from Under 16 Double Champion Nathan Greaves were slickly run. Despite losing 15 minutes when the paramedic was treating a rider the whole meeting was completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes without a sense of rush and even had the luxury of allowing the four finalist to be walked around to choose their starting gate positions. With sponsorship backing for every race plus fuel and supplementary sponsors the riders were able to receive a voucher each to spend on the spares van , had a gallon of fuel each and Lucas Oils provided them with chain spray. The main meeting sponsors provided prizes for the final whilst three hand carved superb trophies in gold, silver and bronze were presented by Mick Chapman Trophies. D-Star Racewear provided special race jackets for the meeting that the riders kept as a keepsake along as providing vouchers for their products to the four finalists whilst medals were sponsored by FB RacePlates who also gave out prizes to all four finalists. The racing got better and better as the evening progressed with the good sized crowd enjoying the action. Heat 1 saw just two finishers with both Michael Neale and Lee Springthorpe retiring with Oliver Greenwood taking the first of four wins on his way to 14 points. Dan Greenwood started off with three wins before lifting coming out of the gate in heat 15 before working his way past Tommy Fenwick and a determined Martin Wrathall but Andy Braithwaite raced on for the win giving the Coventry-Mercia Viking his only defeat of the night. The Greenwoods –who are not related despite the announcer claiming they were brothers!! –met in a delayed heat 17 with the Viking who races in the National League for Dudley getting the better of the MK Knights’ Oliver inflicting his only defeat in the qualifying heats. The battle for places in the semi-finals heated up in the closing stages with several riders vying for the eight spots so it was cut and thrust right to the end with Max Clegg ousting Tom Woolley in the end on count-back for the final position. Semi one saw Dan Greenwood coming up against Liam Rumsey, Chris Widman and Shaun Tedham whilst in Semi two Oliver Greenwood met Max Clegg, Andy Braithwaite and Lee Geary. It was both Greenwoods taking their semis being joined in the final by Braithwaite and Rumsey. In the end it was Dan Greenwood who triumphed ahead of Oliver with Rumsey third in a great end to a well run night. 1. Ollie Greenwood 3,3,3,3,2 = 14 2. Michael Neale 0,0,2,1,0 = 3 3. Martin Wrathall 2,0,1,1,0 = 4 4. Lee Springthorpe 0,0,0,1,0 = 1 5. Andy Braithwaite 0,2,1,3,3 = 9 6. Chris Widman 2,2,2,3,2 = 11 7. Lee Geary 3,2,2,1,3 = 11 8. Dan Phillips 1,1,3,0, ret = 5 9. Liam Rumsey 2,1,2,2,2 = 9 10. Dan Greenwood 3,3,3,2,3 = 14 11. Tom Woolley 0,1,1,3,2 = 7 12. Shaun Tedham 1,3,0,2,3 = 9 13. Nick Laurence 2,0,1,2,1 = 6 14. Martin Knuckey 3,1,0,0,1 = 5 15. Max Clegg 0,3,3,0,1 = 7 16. Tommy Fenwick 1,2,0,0,1 = 4 17. David Holt (res) 0 = 0 18. Adam Kirby (res) did not ride H1 O.Greenwood, Wrathall, (Neale fell), (Springthorpe ret) 67.69 H2 Geary, Widman, Phillips, Braithwaite 67.88 H3 D. Greenwood, Rumsey, Tedham, Woolley 67.38 H4 Knuckey, Laurence, Fenwick (Clegg ret) 66.91 H5 O. Greenwood, Braithwaite, Rumsey, Laurence 67.50 H6 D. Greenwood, Widman, Knuckey, Neale 65.97 H7 Clegg, Geary, Woolley, Wrathall 67.31 H8 Tedham, Fenwick, Phillips, Springthorpe 68.41 H9 O. Greenwood, Widman, Woolley, Fenwick 67.28 H10 Clegg, Neale, Braithwaite, Tedham 67.72 H11 Phillips, Rumsey, Wrathall, Knuckey 68.72 H12 D. Greenwood, Geary, Laurence, Springthorpe 66.43 H13 O. Greenwood, Tedham, Geary, Knuckey 67.50 H14 (Awarded) Woolley, Laurence, Neale, (Phillips fell) NO TIME H15 Braithwaite, D. Greenwood, Wrathall, Fenwick 67.50 H16 Widman, Rumsey, Springthorpe, (Clegg fell) 67.81 H17 D. Greenwood, O. Greenwood, Clegg, Holt 65.31 H18 Geary, Rumsey, Fenwick, Neale 67.75 H19 (Re-run) Tedham, Widman, Laurence, (Wrathall fell, excl) 67.62 H20 Braithwaite, Woolley, Knuckey, Springthorpe 69.88 SF1 D. Greenwood, Rumsey, Widman, Tedham 66.29 SF2 O. Greenwood, Braithwaite, Clegg, Geary 67.47 FINAL D. Greenwood, O. Greenwood, Rumsey, Braithwaite 65.53

well its MDLRC day !! Body colours have arrived ---they look superb ...thanks Chris Johnson at D-Star Racewear. Forecast is for a dry night, partly cloudy and 11 degrees ....but plenty of hot action out on the track. Don't forget Jan O Pedersen will be available by the entrance for autographs and photos with a min £1 charge for these which will donated to the Rico Fund .....and for this we will also be having an auction in the bar after the meeting with a special Rico Race jacket signed by all the riders plus Jan O and two MDLRC medals. Gates open 6pm .

well finishing touches done tonight for preparation for MDLRC tomorrow. Rider heats, name cards and team names for pits all done, envelopes with sponsorship vouchers done, envelopes for final ready , medals all put together , race cards copied, marker pens packed for signing the Rico body colour for the auction packed. Body colours being delivered in morning .....have I forgotten anything ??? Hope not!! Let's look forward to a great night for the MDL lads plus Nathan Greaves ...see you there!!

In addition to the 23 heats there will be 4 demo races by 14 year old British Under 16 double champion (250 + 500cc ) Nathan Greaves ......

Was trying to get Dan to do it !! Yes it is David Holt

MDLRC 2012 Countdown to MDLRC begins !! The Midland Development League’s big night is just days away and the countdown to the big event is on. On Friday night the first ever MDL Riders’ Champion will be crowned at Leicester after a Grand Prix style 23 heats . All the planning is in place and the event has gained considerable sponsorship support from fans and businesses alike to back the heats, rider’s fuel and prizes and trophies for the Grand Final. At this level these riders cannot receive points or travel money but travel the length and breadth of the UK just for the opportunity of competitive rides and to put themselves in the shop window aiming for initially a National League place. Who knows a future British World Champion may be starting off in this league and make it to the top ? The meeting has all seven MDL clubs represented by two riders nominated by their clubs plus two wildcards , one of which will carry the colours of the Halifax Dukes who were unfortunately forced into withdrawing from the league mid-season. The riders will all receive medals sponsored by FB Raceplates who are also providing the four finalists with their clutch plates whilst from the proceeds of the sponsorship raised every rider is being presented with a voucher to spend on the Cov-Comp spares van plus receiving a gallon of racing fuel. Lucas Oils are providing chain sprays for each rider. D-Star Racewear have produced a set of race jackets specially for the MDL Final which each rider will keep as a momento whilst also donating each finalist with a voucher to be used on D-Star Products. They have made a special 19th race jacket dedicated to Lee Richardson which will be signed by all the riders plus guest of honour Jan O Pedersen and this will be auction off along with two MDLRC medals in the bar after in aid of the Rico Fund. Jan O will also be by the turnstiles to sign autographs and have pictures taken by VQ Photography with a minimum £1 charge with proceeds again going to the Rico Fund. Mick Chapman Trophies of Ashford , Kent have hand made and sponsored the trophies in gold, silver and bronze for the first three in the final. The line up in riding order is : 1 Ollie Greenwood (MILTON KEYNES) 2 Michael Neale (BELLE VUE) 3 Martin Wrathall (STOKE) 4 Lee Springthorpe (WILDCARD –HALIFAX) 5 Andy Braithwaite (SHEFFIELD) 6 Chris Widman (WILDCARD—LONG EATON) 7 Lee Geary (LONG EATON) 8 Dan Phillips (SCUNTHORPE) 9 Liam Rumsey (LONG EATON) 10 Dan Greenwood (COVENTRY-MERCIA) 11 Tom Woolley (SHEFFIELD) 12 Shaun Tedham (STOKE) 13 Nick Laurence (MILTON KEYNES) 14 Martin Knuckey (COVENTRY-MERCIA 15 Max Clegg (BELLE VUE) 16 Tommy Fenwick (SCUNTHORPE RESERVES : 17 David Holt (BELLE VUE) 18 Adam Kirby (SCUNTHORPE Admission prices : Adult/Concessions - £10 Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) - £20 Children (ages 10-16) £5.00 Under 10's free Admission valid for Season ticket holders On rain-off or abandonment tickets only valid for re-staging of event . If called off before heat 10 reduction of 50p a race staged for the re-staging MDLRC Heat Sponsors 2012 No. Sponsor 1 Sue Cox 2 Jim West 3 Long Eaton Supporters Group 4 @ridgwaac and @paxtonboy –MK Knights fans 5 Clean Cut Sports –filming tonight’s action 6 Steve Cook 7 Gordon Ridgway Carpets, Milton Keynes 07802313581 8 www.powerslidespeedwayschool.com 07976424145 9 Nigel Nattrass –Long Eaton 10 TEDHAM Construction 11 Renaissance Property Management 12 Team K-P , Female Speedway Riders 13 Glen Belcher’s L.A.F.S. (Leicester Amateur Fun Skidders' ) 14 Cov-Comp 15 Castleford Speedway 16 Leicester Speedway Supporters Club 17 Direct Digital Controls Ltd –sponsors of Dan Greenwood 18 BOB HUMPHREYS 19 MBK 2004 Ltd 20 Jim + LINDA SANDERSON SF1 Ali Gator SF2 V Q photography Final Pete Seaton –Buckingham Van Centre www.buckinghamvancentre.com 01280 817276 FUEL + SUPPLEMENTARY SPONSORS Jim West Art and Stitch http://www.artandstitch.co.uk Phone: 01733 230898 Fax: 01733 394127 Bob Humphreys ---ex-rider Kings Lynn (1971-1974) Reading (1975-1979) ,Milton Keynes (1978-1981), Swindon (1980, 1981, 1984), Arena Essex (1984, 1985) Team K-P Female Speedway Riders Sheffield Speedway www.speedwayridenslidedayz.com 01438 355009 Alpine Commercial Refrigeration . 0115 9870732 sales@alpine-uk.com Lee Morris –DJ’s Pantry. Hot+ Cold Sandwiches & Breakfasts. 46 Market Street, Kingswinford, West Mids. 01384 287419 Richie “Rosco” Ross And “Dudley” Dave McDougall Stuart + Rebecca Parnaby (Scunthorpe Speedway) www.speedwayridenslidedayz.com 01438 355009

here's to wishing young Jack a swift recovery so he is back on a bike asap.

The aim will be for the MDLRC to have a smooth run meeting and this is something already discussed with the Leicester promotion with plans in place ....parade will be at 7.15 and first race at 7.30.

MDL Grand Final – Knights vs Colts The 2012 MDL title will be decided in a 2-legged Grand Final between MK “Alpine Cooling” Knights and Belle Vue Colts after the Knights secured an 18-18 draw against Cov-Mercia Vikings at Brandon Stadium in their last league meeting of the season. Venues & dates will be confirmed shortly www.mkknightsspeedway.co.uk

agreed but Dan held off Terry-Daley who was pressing for 2nd and let Lee ride his own race and get the vital 3 points but the 5-1 was all important to the scorelines

VIKINGS MISS OUT ON CHANCE TO REACH MDL PLAY-OFF FINALS. The Coventry-Mercia Vikings , sponsored by CITY GEARBOXES (COVENTRY) Ltd , have just missed out on a second successive Midland Development League play-off Final. Chasing a victory over table-topping Milton Keynes Knights , the Vikings had the worst possible start to the meeting when initially Andy Braithwaite was disqualified for a tape offence and was handicapped 15 metres . Then in the re-run No. 1 Dan Greenwood , captaining the side in the absence of Martin Knuckey , fell going into the pits bend with MK Knights guest Jack Kingston crashing heavily into the fence and sustaining a suspected broken collarbone. The Knights replaced Kingston with Shaun Tedham in the second re-staging and he and Adam Sheppard gave MK the best possible start with a 5-1. They then followed this up with a 4-2 with another Tedham victory leaving the home side 9-3 down and staring defeat in the face. Then in heat 3 skipper Greenwood rode a great captain’s race shepherding home Lee Geary for a vital 5-1 to bring the scores to 8-10. Andy Braithwaite recovered from his first race problems to take the win in heat 4 with Cam Hoskins outwitting Adam Shepherd to pass him on the last bend and get his side a much needed 4-2 to level it all up at 12 apiece. Dan Greenwood again showed great maturity and played the captain’s role to almost perfection allowing Andy Braithwaite to hold the lead whilst he held off a determined Ryan Terry-Daley. A maximum 5-1 looked on the cards to strengthen their chances of a win but Braithwaite went into the last bend first and came out of it third as he ran out of steam and the advantage was down to two instead of what should have been four at 16-14. Lee Geary and Cam Hoskins knew the task ahead of them to get at least a drawn heat to secure the win but Hoskins race was over on the first bend with a snapped chain. Shaun Tedham got the better of Geary with an outside burst coming out of bend two and as hard as the home man chased him it was all in vain and the 2-4 meant the honours were shared at 18 apiece. Although maintaining the unbeaten home record this second home draw of the season meant that the Vikings hopes of pipping Belle Vue to the Final were all over but third place in the 2012 MDL was assured. Those two draws were ironically against the two teams who have finished above them. Team bosses Kelvin Lapworth and Laurence Rogers were gracious in defeat despite their disappointment , “ Congratulations to MK Knights and Belle Vue on making the Final. Naturally we , the riders and our team sponsor City Gearboxes (Coventry) Ltd all are disappointed we have done the best we could have. We must thank the riders who have graced our colours in 2012 for their efforts and continue our planning for 2013. A big thank you to all our sponsors for their valued support this season especially Gary Drinkwater at City Gearboxes and the Nunaeton Speedway Supporters Club.” The Vikings travel again to Manchester on Wednesday for what will be the fifth attempt at staging the clash with the Belle Vue Colts. You have to feel for the riders and team manager Laurence Rogers who have had two wasted journeys there in the last two weeks and hopefully the sun will shine there for a meeting that will proceed without incident so that the Vikings can conclude their fixtures. CITY GEARBOXES Mercia Vikings 18 Dan Greenwood F/x 2’ 3 5+1 Andy Braithwaite 1 3 1 5 Cam Hoskins 0 1 R 1 Lee Geary 2 3 2 7 MK Knights 18 Jack Kingston f/n n n 0 Adam Sheppard 2’ 0 0 0 2+1 Ryan Terry-Daley 1 1 2 1 5 Shaun Tedham 3 3 2 3 11 Ht 1 : Tedham Sheppard Braithwaite (15m) Greenwood (f/x) Kingston (f/n) 1-5 1-5 68.2 2 : Tedham Geary Terry-Daley Hoskins 2-4 3-9 65.9 3 : Geary Greenwood Terry-Daley Sheppard 5-1 8-10 66.3 4 : Braithwaite Tedham Hoskins Sheppard 4-2 12-12 65.0 5 : Greenwood Terry-Daley Braithwaite Sheppard 4-2 16-14 67.2 6 : Tedham Geary Terry-Daley Hoskins (ret) 2-4 18-18 64.7

It should be Mike ....you never know it might be you in the meeting in 12 months time!!

wrecked bike and blown engine plus a sore arm

Paul is injured> most of our squad members were unavailable and this was a Dev League Challenge

Martin is super keen . He lives in Cornwall and travels all over for rides --rememeber without points or travel money at this level. We used him at Newport at the end of last season for the Hornets.

Inter- Development League Challenge : Saturday 14th September : Rye House Pocket Rockets 16 Coventry Mercia-Vikings 20 Pocket Rockets : 1. Connor Coles 3 3 3 9 max 2. Jake Hallett 0 0 R 0 3. Danno Verge 1 1 1’ 3 +1 4. Joe Exley 0 2’ 2 4+1 Team Manager : John Sampford Mercia Vikings : 1. Tom Fenwick 1’ 1 2’ 3 7+2 2. R/R 3. Martin Knuckey 2 3 r 1’ 6+1 4. Max Clegg 2’ 3 2 N 7+1 Team Manager : Laurence Rogers A three man Vikings side won the Inter-Development League Challenge at Rye House on Saturday night 20-16. The victory would have been by a slightly bigger margin but for skipper Martin Knuckey losing a superb race win over Connor Coles in heat 3 when his plug lead came adrift in what was his third ride in succession !! The Vikings captain looked quick and impressive and coupled with the Scunthorpe duo of guests gave Coventry-Mercia sufficient firepower to take the win. Max Clegg was forced to miss his last outing after he sustained a blown back tyre in heat 5 when chasing Connor Coles but he held on to the vital second place to put the side 17-13 up. Young Scot Tommy Fenwick knew his task in heat 6 was to finish at least second to get the win but he powered to victory to make sure his side was victorious. Heat 1 : Coles Knuckey Fenwick Hallett 3-3 3-3 2 : Knuckey Clegg Verge Exley 1-5 4-8 3 : Coles Exley Fenwick Knuckey (ret) 5-1 9-9 4 : Clegg Fenwick Verge Hallett 1-5 10-14 5: Coles Clegg Knuckey Hallett (ret) 3-3 13-17 6 : Fenwick Exley Verge Clegg (ns) 3-3 16-20

MDL Riders Championship Friday 28th Sept at Leicester . 7.30pm D-Star Racewear Sponsorship for MDLRC The Midland Development League Riders Championship at Leicester on Friday September 28th has received a major boost with a sponsorship deal reached with D-Star Racewear of Hayling Island, Hampshire, The Kevlar and accessories manufacturer run by former rider Chris Johnson are providing a complete set of body colours in the club colours of the competing riders that they will be able to keep as a personal souvenir of the inaugural staging of the event, D-Star are also giving the four finalists in the Grand Prix run meeting vouchers to get substantial discounts on the range of D-Star products. MDL Co-ordinator Kelvin Lapworth is really pleased with the backing , “ Each club were going to bring their normal race jackets but these wouldn’t have had their race numbers on for the meeting. Now we will have a smart brand new set of 1 to 18 race jackets that will add to the professionalism of the meeting.” “We have had an amazing response to the backing of the meeting with every race backed along with associate support that has allowed us to provide each rider with a gallon of fuel along with a voucher to be used on the Cov-Comp spares van , which will be a great help to every rider. At this level they are not paid for points or travel money and speedway is an expensive sport so any level of backing is much appreciated.” “The Final , in addition to the D-Star sponsorship, will also have all four riders receiving products from FB Race plates and for the first three there are hand sculptured trophies in gold, silver and bronze made and donated by Mick Chapman Trophies of Ashford Kent.” “All in all it is going to be a superb night and with former World Champion Jan O Pedersen as the guest of honour and making himself available near the turnstiles for photos with a donation payable which will be sent to the Rico Fund, I just can’t wait.” There is one change to the line-up with the unfortunate injury sustained by Milton Keynes skipper Conor Dwyer in the British Under 19 Final at Sheffield . His season is over with a badly broken right upper arm and he misses the MDL title play-offs as well. His place is taken by former Rye House and Mildenhall rider Nick Laurence. MDLRC Line-Up : 1 Ollie Greenwood (MILTON KEYNES) 2 Michael Neale (BELLE VUE) 3 Martin Wrathall (STOKE) 4 Lee Springthorpe (WILDCARD –HALIFAX) 5 Andy Braithwaite (SHEFFIELD) 6 Chris Widman (WILDCARD—LONG EATON) 7 Lee Geary (LONG EATON) 8 Dan Phillips (SCUNTHORPE) 9 Liam Rumsey (LONG EATON) 10 Dan Greenwood (COVENTRY-MERCIA) 11 Tom Woolley (SHEFFIELD) 12 Shaun Tedham (STOKE) 13 Nick Laurence (MILTON KEYNES) 14 Martin Knuckey (COVENTRY-MERCIA 15 Max Clegg (BELLE VUE) 16 Tommy Fenwick (SCUNTHORPE RESERVES : 17 Dan Holt (BELLE VUE /) 18 Adam Kirby (SCUNTHORPE MDLRC at Leicester admission prices : Adult/Concessions - £10 Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) - £20 Children (ages 10-16) £5.00 Under 10's free Admission valid for Season ticket holders On rain-off or abandonment tickets only valid for re-staging of event . If called off before heat 10 reduction of 50p a race staged.

Sorry didn't get it!! Don't do race times normally but try to get them off the scoreboard so I could include in report ..have asked on facebook if anyone got it and will amend when I get it.

RAMPANT MERCIA-VIKINGS KEEP PLAY-OFF HOPES ALIVE The Coventry-Mercia Vikings hopes of pipping Belle Vue to the Play-Off Finals to meet MK Knights were kept alive with a resounding win over a depleted Sheffield side at Coventry on Friday night. In front of new team sponsors , CITY GEARBOXES (COVENTRY) LTD , the Vikings were in rampant form and dished out five maximum heat wins in the six heats to take victory by 28 points to 8. This strengthened their for and against overall scores for the season to give them a glimmer of hope of overhauling Belle Vue. The first race was full of action with Tiger Cub’s number one Andy Braithwaite , who is also a Vikings squad member , gating ahead of Vikings number one Dan Greenwood and skipper Martin Knuckey. It took the home pairing almost the whole race to overhaul the Coventry born rider and secure a vital opening maximum heat win. Braithwaite came out in heat 2 to take victory from home pair Lee Geary and Cam Hoskins. After that the home side dominated with four successive 5-1 heat wins as they maintained their unbeaten home record in the Midland Development League. Knuckey and Hoskins had to fight hard for their maximum heat points in heat 4 overcoming a tiring Braithwaite taking his third ride in four heats. Dan Greenwood posted his fourth full maximum of the campaign whilst Martin Knuckey recorded his first ever paid maximum in British Speedway. Both Lee Geary and Cam Hoskins , who came in to replace broken arm victim Conor Dwyer , notched paid eight scores which for Hoskins was his best ever return. A superb night all round but team bosses Kelvin Lapworth and Laurence Rogers are keeping their feet firmly on the ground , “ We know tonight has boosted our position but we realistically know that we still only have an outside chance of sneaking in to the Final. Monday’s clash at Belle Vue where we are without our regular riders due to work and personal commitments is going to be a difficult one. Even so we are still going for it and hope to take it to the wire.” “We complete our league fixtures with the toughest one possible on Wednesday at Brandon facing table topping Milton Keynes Knights who are out to dent our undefeated home record. We are though proud of the lads who have graced our colours this year and done us proud.” CITY GEARBOXES (COVENTRY) Ltd Vikings 28 1. Dan Greenwood 3 3 3 9 max 2. Martin Knuckey 2’ 3 2’ 7+2 paid max 3. Cam Hoskins 1’ 2’ 2’ 5+2 4. Lee Geary 2 2’ 3 7+1 Sheffield Tiger Cubs 8 1. Andy Braithwaite 1 3 1 N 5 2. Ben Holloway 0 R 0 0 3. Lee Springthorpe 0 1 1 1 3 4. Jordan Tyrer R/R Ht 1 : Greenwood Knuckey Braithwaite Holloway 5-1 5-1 65.6 2 : Braithwaite Geary Hoskins Springthorpe 3-3 8-4 67.1 3 : Greenwood Geary Springthorpe Holloway (ret) 5-1 13-5 63.2 4 : Knuckey Hoskins Braithwaite 5-1 18-6 65.7 5 : Greenwood Knuckey Springthorpe Holloway 5-1 23-7 63.5 6 : Geary Hoskins Springthorpe 5-1 28-8

Had txt off his dad that unfortunately he has a shattered upper right arm ending his season ---and he misses out on the MDLRC and the MDL play-offs for MK Knights plus the few Mercia-Vikings matches he was going to do.

Stoke will now be represented by Martin Wrathall in place of Andy Mellish.

Stoke Spitfires 14 (Shaun Tedham 4r 10, Trevor Bebbington 4r 4+1, Liam Carr 1r 0 ,Emerson Jones 1r 0.) Belle Vue Colts 22 (Max Clegg 3r 6 , David Holt 3r 6+1 Adam Kirby 3r 4+1, Michael Neale 3r 6+1.) 1. Holt, tedham, bebbington. Clegg.f awd 2.neale,kirby,bebbington. 69.7 3.tedham,kirby, holt 67.8 4.clegg, neale, bebbington 66.9 5.tedham, holt, bebbington. Kirby ns. 67.6 6.clegg, tedham, neale 66.9

MK Knights 28 – Sheffield Tiger Cubs 8 MK “Alpine Cooling” Knights secured top-spot of the 2012 MDL table with a comfortable win against Sheffield Tiger Cubs @ Rye House speedway on Saturday night, with a Grand Final against either Belle Vue Colts or Mercia Vikings to decide the Championship still to be arranged On a very busy weekend for junior & amateur racing, Sheffield struggled to find 4 riders for the meeting and to ensure it went ahead drafted in Mercia Vikings Martin Knuckey, Sean Phillips & Rye House youngsters Brad Tokley & Joe Exley Knights were forced into a late change, with Ross Walter replacing Conor Dwyer who had sent his engine away in preparation for his appearance in the British U-19 Championship @ Sheffield on Thursday. Niall Strudwick replacing Shaun Tedham who was riding for his “parent team”, Stoke Spitfires Heat 1 saw 3 of the 4 riders hit the dirt on the first turn, all 4 back in for the re-run which saw Walter lead Knuckey from the tapes with Sheppard claiming 3rd for an opening 4-2 to the home side Consecutive 5-1’s in heats 2 & 3 saw the Knights open up 10pt lead before Joe Exley split Greenwood & Sheppard in heat 4 to restrict MK to a 4-2 Heats 5 & 6 saw the Knights pairings of Walter & Sheppard and Greenwood & Strudwick record maximum heat advantages and secure a 28-8 win which keeps the Knights top of the pile, 3 points clear of Belle Vue with both teams having 1 meeting left MK “Alpine Cooling” Knights Ross Walter 3 2* 3 = 8+1 Adam Sheppard 1 1 2* = 4+1 Oliver Greenwood 3 3 3 = 9 Niall Strudwick 2*3 2* = 7+2 Sheffield Tiger Cubs Martin Knuckey 2 F 1 = 3 Sean Phillips 0 1 1 = 2 Brad Tokley 0 0 dns = 0 Joe Exley 1 2 0 = 3 H1 Walter, Knuckey, Sheppard, Phillips (re-run) 4-2/4-2 63.0secs H2 Greenwood, Strudwick, Exley, Tokley 5-1/9-3 61.8secs H3 Strudwick, Walter (fell, remounted), Phillips, Tokley 5-1/14-4 63.0secs H4 Greenwood, Exley, Sheppard, Knuckey (fell) 4-2/18-6 60.4secs H5 Walter, Sheppard (fell, remounted), Phillips (fell, remounted), Tokley (DNS) 5-1/23-7 62.6secs H6 Greenwood, Strudwick, Knuckey, Exley 5-1/28-8 60.7secs www.mkknightsspeedway.co.uk

Young Aussie lad staying with Nick Morris