Speedway and Motorsport

As you would expect from two teams vying for a top four play off slot, this was a meeting of the highest quality with no quarter being asked or given by either side, and although the ‘Sharp’ Rebel ran out the winners, they almost managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory after building up a healthy lead with just six heats remaining.

Keen to exact revenge for their home defeat at the hands of the Rockets in the Premier Trophy back in March, the Rebels hit their visitors hard from the off, building up a fourteen point lead after just six heats.

In an attempt to stem the Somerset onslaught, heat 7 saw Woffinden come out on a tactical ride, but the move looked to have back-fired as the youngster was pegged back in last place from the tapes.

Simon Walker

Up front however, Allen’s eagerness to get into the lead saw the Rocket’s number four bring down Hawkins, suffering an exclusion for his troubles. 

Having received a reprieve, Woffinden made no mistake in the re-run to take the six points, but with no partner to back him up, many would have forgiven the Somerset camp for thinking that they had seen off the best the Rockets could offer, especially as the Rebels further increased their lead to fifteen points over the next two heats.

Speedway, however, has the reputation of coming back to bite you when you least expect it, and so it proved for Somerset in heat 10.

As the crowd eagerly awaited the match-up between Zetterstrom and Woffinden, their groans could probably have been for miles around as Zetterstrom never made it off the start line as his engine cut-out came adrift. The resultant 5-1 for Rye seemed to galvanise the Rockets as they repeated the feat in the following heat and from apparently cruising to victory, the Rebels suddenly had a fight on their hands.

If Zetterstrom’s retirement in heat 10 was a blow to the Rebels, then it was matched for the Rockets two races later as Woffinden, trying to make up for a poor start, fell on the first turn and was promptly excluded by referee Margaret Vardy.

The Rebels took full advantage of this piece of good fortune and settled any nerves that might have crept in by posting a maximum heat win of their own.

This was followed by another win in the next heat as they made light of Hawkins exclusion for a tapes offence, Danny Warwick came in to replace and secure his fourth heat win of the night to post his best ever score in Somerset colours.

With Zetterstrom easily holding off the disappointing Neath and Boxall, both having probably their poorest meetings at the Oak Tree Arena, the Rebels were at last assured of the victory.

Rye House, however, were not going to go down without a fight, especially with the two teams due to reconvene the following night at Hoddesdon. They managed to clawed back what could well prove to be six crucial points in the final two heats, as heat 15 saw Tommy Allen sweep past Zetterstrom to head Zorro to the chequered flag- a feat that has only been achieved by three previous visiting riders this season.

For Somerset, it was, once again, a solid all round performance.

Danny Warwick especially caught the eye with four wins from five rides. Rye House, on the other hand, must be ruing their poor start to the meeting and will be thankful for the impressive Woffinden and Roynon, who scored over half of the Rockets’ points between them and Allen who came good in his latter races for keeping the score close for the return fixture at Hoddesdon.