Mercia Vikings 18 Castleford Kings 17 Mdl Chall Fri Oct 12

[Main Man]

MERCIA VIKINGS MAINTAIN UNBEATEN HOME RECORD –JUST!!

 

The Coventry Mercia Vikings just about maintained their unbeaten home record in a MDL Challenge encounter at Brandon on Friday night edging out the new club Castleford Kings by 18 to 17.

The Kings are tabling an application to join the MDL in 2013 basing themselves at Scunthorpe with prospective Promoter Peter Hibberd actively searching to find a piece of land to revive the Castleford Kings.

From June 1979 to July 1980, Castleford had its own Speedway racing team, The Kings, based at the Greyhound Stadium in Whitwood. The circuit was very short (just 202 yards) and the team never entered the league – only challenge matches were staged.

Their revival almost proved a successful one but the home side held out for a one point victory led superbly by MDL Riders’ Champion Dan Greenwood who raced to a three ride 9 point maximum. The 6 heat format used though saw another unbeaten rider on the Kings side in 15 year old Max Clegg with the duo never meeting !

The first heat saw a true maximum home heat win with Greenwood and Cam Hoskins recorded a 5-0 after Chris Widman pulled up with bike trouble and partner Adam Shepherd fell but remounted but was lapped by Greenwood.

The scores then were topsy-turvy with 4-2 heat results , two to each side leaving the scores at 17-12 going in to the final heat . Connor Coles , coming in as a late replacement in the Vikings side had a torrid night ending in a fall on the first bend in the final heat. He was carrying a knee injury from a crash on the Wednesday but battled on with little reward.

Clegg completed his nine point max followed home by Chris Widman with Andy Braithwaite , who had been baulked by Coles’ fall on the second bend, completing the four laps for the vital point that saw the home edge home to victory.

The Vikings still have their five times cancelled away trip to Belle Vue remaining .

 

Meeting sponsored by : Gary Drinkwater –CITY GEARBOXES (Coventry) Ltd

 

MERCIA VIKINGS 18 :

 

1. Dan Greenwood 3 3 3 9max

2. Cam Hoskins 2’ 0 1 3+1

3. Andy Braithwaite 2 2 1 5

4. Connor Coles 0 1 F 1

 

 

Castleford Kings 17 :

 

1. Chris Widman R 1 2’ 3+1

2. Adam Sheppard X F F 0

3. Niall Strudwick 1 2 2 5

4. Max Clegg 3 3 3 9 max

 

 

Ht1 : Greenwood Hoskins Sheppard (exc-lapped) Widman (ret) 5-0 5-0 66.1

2 : Clegg Braithwaite Strudwick Coles 2-4 7-4 66.2

3 : Greenwood Strudwick Coles Sheppard (fell) 4-2 11-6 67.4

4 : Clegg Braithwaite Widman Hoskins 2-4 13-10 64.8

5 : Greenwood Strudwick Hoskins Sheppard (fell) 4-2 17-12 Awarded

6 : Clegg Widman Braithwaite Coles (fell) 1-5 18-17 65.1

Edited October 13, 2012 by Main Man