Elite League Riders Pairs

[double_0]

Enjoyed the meeting with some good racing, especially towards the end.

Have to say I am impressed with the way the Norfolk Arena is looking now. Facilities are far better than most Elite tracks and was good to see Chapmans efforts rewarded with a big crowd.

Congrats to Crump and Pedersen on their win also.

Ps. Agree with ST in that Jesper B was the most entertaining rider

Edited April 9, 2007 by double_0

[Steve Turner]

My post on this event, copied from elsewhere...

 

Not a bad meeting, but hardly a classic either...

 

It started well for the crowd as Poole, the massive favourites, looked rubbishe a bit dodgy in their first two rides...but they got it together and ruined everyone's fun by the end, oh well

Very few Poole fans there to celebrate...strange as there's so many sites close by that you could safely land helicopters on !

 

Anyway...the 2 most entertaining riders were Travis and Jesper B, they rode their little socks off...shame they weren't a Pair !

 

Track wasn't at it's best, but it's early April...so it's fair enough.

A good enough night...not a bad effort from the Norfolk posse. Still a shockingly bad place to take someone with any personal hygiene standards though !

 

Lovely, relaxing afternoon spent in Hunstanton...thanks to the posh good quality company

[Gemini]

Scott Nicholls was a bit of a let down though - what's up with him?!

Perhaps he has other things on his mind. It can't be long now to the birth of baby Nicholls.

[a61]

Perhaps he has other things on his mind.  It can't be long now to the birth of baby Nicholls.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I knew someone was going to say that

[bigcatdiary]

Enjoyed the meeting with some excellent races, especially towards the end.

Have to say I am impressed with the way the Norfolk Arena is looking now. Facilities are far better than most Elite tracks and was good to see Chapmans efforts rewarded with a big crowd.

Congrats to Crump and Pedersen on their win also.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Not so sure I agree with all of that

 

1. The racing wasnt to bad

2. Spectating at this place is still dire, their are very few seats and if you stand on the bends you end up wearing half the track by the end of the meeting.

One of the Lynn fans told me they are doing up the place, I have been going since 1970 it shouldnt take 37 years, I dont like standing on uneven earth banks.

3. If you are not allowed to take your own food and drink into the place, then it should be clearly advertised on the media releases.

4. £3 for a programme is fair enough for this sort of event, but it should have included the Consolation Final and space for the many changes.

 

And whilst on the subject of changes if these events are to be taken seriously again someone should remind the competing riders to be more professional.

Five changes to the riding order is a total disgrace, David Norris, Kris Kasprzak, Janusz Kolodziej, Ales Dryml and Robert Miskowiak all failed to show and were replaced with a variety of second strings and reserves.

 

Yes I am quite sure some of those missing were genuine, I am also quite sure some of them were not.

 

Lastly well done to Bjarne Pedersen did very well to pass McGowan in the final, especially as he received absolutely no help whatsover from his partner Jason Crump who was out of the gate and gone.

[Leo]

Yes scraped through because of an engine failure. Saw off Coventry with ease when they met.

 

Just think, if Bjarne had not had that EF, Coventry would probably have qualified for the semis in place of Reading!

 

Happy days!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Just think if McGowan hadn't made a mistake on the fourth bend, Reading would of won this meeting.

[Steve Shovlar]

Todays Echo.

BJARNE Pedersen paid tribute to Jason Crump's motivational powers after they swept to the Elite League Best Pairs' title at King's Lynn.

 

Pirates' skipper was on a low after his engine blew up on the start line of their first race when they conceded a 6-3 to Reading.

 

That immediately looked as though it would rule strong pre-meeting championship favourites Poole Castle Cover out of a semi-final place.

 

But the Dorset club stormed back to win all five of their remaining heats, including a revenge 6-3 beating of Reading duo Greg Hancock and Travis McGowan in the final.

 

It was the first time Pirates had bagged the trophy, plus the £6,000 first prize.

 

And Pedersen said: "Full credit to Jason because he was lifting me up.

 

"I really thought it wasn't going to be our night when my engine blew up at the tapes and I had to switch to my second bike.

 

"I didn't really have the speed on that one but everything worked out in the end because Jason really got me going when he spoke to me in the pits between races."

 

Pedersen, who snatched third place off McGowan on the third lap of the final while Crump led from the front, added: "This was one of my goals for this year.

 

"I have never won this meeting before and I knew I had a great chance with Jason. I knew I wouldn't get a better chance, so I'm delighted.

 

"I was hungry, and I didn't really want to let Jason down because I'm a rider who doesn't want to let anyone down.

 

"It means a lot to us to win this trophy and it was great to see the Poole fans celebrating with us at the end of the meeting."

 

Looking back on his trophy-clinching manoeuvre past McGowan, Pedersen said: "Jason was slowly the race down a bit and Travis and Greg were slowing each other down.

 

"They were in and out of each other and I managed to take advantage, I found a gap to dive up inside Travis.

 

"After my engine blew, we recovered well, but still knew we would be out if Coventry beat Reading 6-3 or 7-2 in their final group race.

 

"Fortunately, Coventry only won 5-4 and we went through by the narrowest of margins.

 

"Everyone was telling us before the meeting that we were the favourites, but you still have to go out and win five or six races and the engine blowing up showed what could happen.

 

"So we're delighted to have won this trophy for Poole at last."

 

IT was, perhaps, poetic justice that Bjarne Pedersen shot from behind in the final to secure Pirates their first victory in the Elite League Best Pairs' Championship on Saturday.

 

There looked to be no way through from the back for Poole Castle Cover's skipper as he tried everything to pass either second and third-placed Travis McGowan or Greg Hancock in the climax of the competition.

 

Pedersen, who had chosen gate one after winning the toss for starting positions, had already been left at the gate in the Dorset club's first race in front of a 4,000 crowd at King's Lynn.

 

The engine on his number one machine blew up as the tapes rose in heat three leaving virus-affected Jason Crump to work hard to split Hancock and Mc-Gowan as Reading recorded a 6-3.

 

That mishap quickly put Poole on the back foot. But Crump isn't the world champion for nothing.

 

And his inspirational leadership in the pits, combined with team manager Neil Middleditch's wily input, pumped up Pedersen, who rode his not-quite-so-good number two bike from then on.

 

Pirates recovered to squeeze into the semis, courtesy, ironically, of Reading, who held Coventry to a vital 5-4 defeat in race 17.

 

Coventry and Poole finished level on 21 points in their group, but Pedersen and Crump went through because they had won their tussle with the Bees 6-3.

 

The Pirates pair combined for a 6-3 triumph over Peterborough in the semi-final, with Hans Andersen losing for the first time on the night.

 

Then, while Crump expertly slowed the race from the front, Pedersen dived inside McGowan into third on the straight at the end of the third lap to seal Poole's 6-3 victory in the final much to the glee of the 200 travelling Pirates fans on the first turn terracing.

 

It meant Pedersen, who has served Pirates with distinction since 2002, has completed a clean sweep of top-flight honours with the club.

 

He added the Best Pairs' crown to the Elite League title, Elite League Knockout Cup, British League Cup, Craven Shield and Elite League Riders' Championship.

 

That's six pieces of different silverware while wearing a skull and crossbones race jacket, possibly a club record, and nine in total. There wasn't much passing at King's Lynn, mainly because of the quality of riders on view. So Pedersen's trophy winning move was even more impressive.

 

Looking back on the final, Crump said: "We won the toss for gate position and I said to Bjarne take what gate you want'.

 

"He wanted gate one. I was a bit surprised and if he had the choice again I'm pretty sure he would probably take two or four.

 

"But he rode a terrific race. Travis and Greg were trying to keep him out but he found a gap somewhere and got through.

 

"I only realised as I went over the line at the end that he had got it, and it feels great because we worked hard for this."

 

Crump, who had lifted the title at Swindon alongside his former Belle Vue team-mate Simon Stead last year, added: "Person-ally I needed to win tonight. I needed to get into a big meeting like this, blow the cobwebs out and kind of go okay again.

 

"I'm probably not 100 per cent well because of the virus I've had, but I think I rode well later on in the meeting when I had got everything working.

 

"It is a big boost for me for us to come here and win, and it is good for everyone connected with the club."

 

"I hope it is the first of many trophies for Poole this year."

 

 

Happy Days.

[Steve Turner]

Yes, Crumpy's team-riding skills (which he most definitely attains) were sadly lacking (slowed the race, my arse)(200 Poole fans my arse, also ! )...but even he wasn't quite as bad as Leigh Adams !

I'd love to hear his reasons for disappearing out front and not giving a single thought to what was going on behind him.

I know speedway rider's aren't the brightest pennies in the purse but surely someone can drum it into them between each of their heats

[Starman2006]

Very surprised with the meeting with Poole being lucky to scrape through on count backs, fancy scoring the same amount of points as rubbish old coventry.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

you said it!!

[Gemini]

I knew someone was going to say that 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Glad I didn't disappoint you.

[Pollyanna]

I heard a new rule is coming in as of immediate effect whereby Poole fans are limited to one post each an hour whilst the gloating is at its highest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Sour grapes !!

[crazysue]

And here is my post copied from the BSF back up.

 

Well I managed to find the track no problems at all...in fact I allowed so much time in case I did get lost, that we got there extra early!

 

I enjoyed the whole thing, the kids loved the stunt bikes (and the dirt they stood on, talk about Time Team revisted).

 

My feet were jolly painful by the end though, by that point I had been on them, either standing, walking or dancing for nearly 6 hours, so it was a quick exit to the car before the fireworks (watched from the car while waiting to get out the car park) so didn't join in the celebrations on the centre concrete.

 

What fun we had getting out of the car park....20 minutes it took us but I am not moaning, I did expect some delays getting out and we did have a laugh at some of the very weirdly parked cars...oh and the people trying to edge out into the queue (I did let a few in, I am not that mean)

 

To complete my day, I then drove to my parents caravan in Great Yarmouth, a trip that my auntie said would take 2 hours (and the AA 1 hour 40) but which took me just over the hour!

[Eastie]

Seen better meetings.

Not a lot of overtaking but the stadium has improved.

On balance though I thought that the Peterborough and Reading pairings had the best rides

[Bagpuss]

Spectating at this place is still dire, their are very few seats and if you stand on the bends you end up wearing half the track by the end of the meeting.

One of the Lynn fans told me they are doing up the place, I have been going since 1970 it shouldnt take 37 years, I dont like standing on uneven earth banks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thats hilarious coming from a P'boro fan

 

And before you bark back at me I love watching speedway at the EoES, and getting a covering of shale is part of the experience, at least it makes you feel close to the action unlike Lakeside or the Foxhole for instance

 

And the 'doing up of the place' only really started properly three or four years ago, so give them a chance (although the car parks really ought to have been sorted by now). I don't particularly like standing on uneven grass banks but hey, what can you do

Edited April 9, 2007 by Bagpuss

[Steve Shovlar]

Seen better meetings.

Not a lot of overtaking  but the stadium has improved.

On balance though I thought  that the Peterborough and Reading pairings had the best rides

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So you are not going to congratulate Poole on their superb win then Eastie?

 

I bet your teeth were gnashing when Bjarne managed to squeeze past McGowan on the final lap, eh?

[bazaar3]

2. Spectating at this place is still dire, their are very few seats and if you stand on the bends you end up wearing half the track by the end of the meeting.

One of the Lynn fans told me they are doing up the place, I have been going since 1970 it shouldnt take 37 years, I dont like standing on uneven earth banks.

 

 

And whilst on the subject of changes if these events are to be taken seriously again someone should remind the competing riders to be more professional.

Five changes to the riding order is a total disgrace, David Norris, Kris Kasprzak, Janusz Kolodziej, Ales Dryml and Robert Miskowiak all failed to show and were replaced with a variety of second strings and reserves.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

A bit like the Peterborough back straight then.

 

 

3 poles missing...are you sure.

 

Agree it's a poor show from Norris. Mind you Bridger is the better rider anyway.

 

Now if Lindback had failed to show, we would have never of heard the end of it, eh Eastie.

[Max the rebel]

i was there and WHAT A WIN,

 

easy easy easy

Edited April 9, 2007 by Andy Valente

[mckenna]

i loved the pairs thought it was a great meeting! Lovely sunshine and seeing all my fave riders what more could i want

[ianh]

i was informed that the reason the meet was held so early in the season,was cos the riders dont seem to give a damn at the end of the season.

 

seems it doesnt matter when you hold it.

 

well done poole,but,like bazaar said, it would've been a shock if you didnt win it.

[Shortcrust]

2. Spectating at this place is still dire, their are very few seats and if you stand on the bends you end up wearing half the track by the end of the meeting.

One of the Lynn fans told me they are doing up the place, I have been going since 1970 it shouldnt take 37 years, I dont like standing on uneven earth banks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Bit like at JBJ's testimonial at the EOES where I stood on first bend, back straight and third bend and got a face full of shale everytime.

 

Funny thing tho, I didn't find there to be much shale on the track on Sat night at all, slick as a badgers ar$e springs to mind.

 

Did you need to be told by that Lynn fan that the place was being done up especially seeings you've been 'going since 1970'? Surely that would have been obvious to you!

 

Enjoyed the meeting, rider of the night for me was Travis, great to see him back at the NA, and such a shame he couldn't have held off Bjarne in the final to see Reading deservedly take the honours.