The withdrawal of the unfortunate Mark Loram, Poole's Sergey Darkin being a late replacement, made Adam's task somewhat easier. The Swindon star was head and shoulders above the rest of this attractive lineup, in going through the night's racing unbeaten.  | | Stoke's Gary Stead |
In saying that, the three other final places were keenly contested in a meeting that was full of top-quality action. Glenn Cunningham's last-to-first swoop around the outside of bend three in heat 16 was the highlight of the night, warming an excellent-sized crowd on what was a typically chilly night at the Oak Tree Arena. There were the usual heartache stories. Charlie Gjedde suffered a puncture on the final lap in his third ride whilst in a commanding lead. This was followed by an engine failure in his next race. Cunningham shedded a chain at the start of heat 20 when he needed just a single point to be assured of a place in the final. The ex-Rebel did have the consolation of picking up the Most Exciting Rider of the Night award, though. The final itself was no different to the other heats in which Leigh Adams had lined up, as he stamped his authority on the race from the off, leaving Magnus Zetterstrom to hold off a late charge by Mads Korneliussen to finish second.  | | Korneliussen, Adams, Fry and Zetterstrom |
For the home fans, Zetterstrom was his usual immaculate self, his colours only being lowered in his meetings with Adams, and was well worth his runner-up place on the podium. There were encouraging performances from both Ritchie Hawkins and Simon Walker too. In the final reckoning, however, it was Leigh Adams who walked away with the winner's cheque. The biggest winner on the night was, as it should be, the testimonial man himself, Paul Fry. | 
