Glasgow had started well in the opening two heats where they were always going to be strong but with Edinburgh losing Matthew Wethers due to injury in heat 3, the meeting quickly became one sided.

Michal Rajkowski only juts made it to the gate for the opening heat after late adjustments to his bike.  The tapes went up and Kalle Katajisto was left a the back with the other three more or less level going into the opening bend.  Joe quickly pulled ahead whilst Michal got the better of Kevin Wolbert out of bend 2. The action was between Rajkowski and Wolbert, Michal holding off Edinburgh’s no 1 for all 4 laps to give the Tigers an opening 5-1.

 The Glasgow pairing made the better gates in heat 2 although Howarth went round the outside of Adam McKinna on bend 2.  Adam tried to hit back right away and came very close to finding a way through on the inside line on bend four.  McKinna kept trying to press Howarth whilst keeping Bekker at bay and although Howarth looked to have pulled clear mid race, Adam pressed him on the final lap without really looking as if he could get through.  Nick Morris won the race by a mile.

Then came the heat 3 crash.  Michal Rajkowski came in as rider replacement and made a decent start but Tully came inside him lap 1 bend 2.  On the third bend, Michal made his move round the outside of Tully, Tully seemed to panic a little and lost control, locking up.  Unfortunately Matthew Wethers was so close behind him he had no time to react, he slammed into his team mate and was sent flying over the top and out towards the fence. It was clear from the second it happened that it was a bad one for Matthew and we wish him a speedy recovery.

For the re-run, Tully was naturally excluded as the primary cause of the stoppage and Byron Bekker had to come in as a reserve replacement for Wethers to face the Tigers on his own.  He actually did not a bad job, making sure that the Tigers pairing did not have it easy and pressed all the way, albeit a couple of bike lengths down.  However, Michal Rajkowski had gated well with Richard Sweetman settling in behind him and went on to secure the heat maximum.

James Grieves gated well in heat 4 and was to lead from start to finish in what quickly became a spread heat, Edinburgh taking a share of the spoils with Adam McKinna stuck at the rear.

Edinburgh chose to bring Kevin Wolbert out on a TR in heat 5 with Nick Morris stepping in to take the rider replacement ride.  Richard Sweetman can feel a bit aggrieved about the start as when the tapes went up they were far from level, the outside gate, with Richard, being badly disadvantaged.  However the referee did not notice and the race was allowed to continue.  Nick Morris had made a good gate and rode well into the opening bend to lead.  Richard was at the back but worked hard to close down Kalle Katajisto, passing him with what is becoming his trademark wide outside swoop round bend four of the second lap.  Katajisto slid off on bend two of lap 3 whilst Richard tried to close on Wolbert in second place.  The heat was to finish shared however, due to Wolbert's double points as a tactical, Nick Morris again winning comfortably.

Craig Cook gated in heat 6 but Joe powered up the inside of him on the opening bend.  Cook then locked on the apex of the bends allowing Michal Rajkowski to come through the inside to join his captain out front. The Tigers duo were quickly comfortable clear but Howarth came a cropper on the apex of bends 3 and 4 on lap 2 and although he managed to get off track he was unable to move his bike and the race was stopped to be re run.  The re run saw Cook gate again but this time he held off Joe’s early challenges and attempts to go round the outside at the end of laps 1 and 2 and went on to win the race.

Another good gate from the Glasgow pairing followed in heat 7 with Nick Morris going very wide on the opening bends to head James Grieves down the back straight. Nick was flying and despite a bit of a wobble the end of the opening lap, he rode through it and the Glasgow pair were soon well clear.

With Kyle Howarth now also ruled out of the meeting, Heat 8 was to be the first of three rider only races with Katajisto the lone Monarch. Nick Morris came in for Adam McKinna and it was the Glasgow pair who gated with Nick initially in front but Michal Rajkowski sweeping outside him coming into the back straight of the opening lap.  One lap later however Nick repaid the compliment and with Katajisto well back it was an easy 5-1 for the Tigers.

Edinburgh chose to bring their second tactical out in heat 9, Craig Cook donning the black and white.  When the tapes went up, rider replacement Adam McKinna was left behind after rearing at the gate whilst Cook shot to the front followed by Richard Sweetman.  Byron Bekker in third slid off on the opening bends of lap 2, Adam McKinna coming through into third spot.  Craig Cook had appeared to have a winning lead by the end of lap two but on the third lap Richard Sweetman started to close him down, trying a wide swoop round the outside on bend four which didn’t quite come off.  However Richard continued to close and as they came into the final bend of the race he again went wide, found the drive and executed a superb pass to take the chequered flag.

After a level gate, Joe Screen took the lead coming out of the opening bends of heat 10 and quickly pulled clear.  Tully was in second with Michal in third and that was how it was to finish in an uneventful heat.

Glasgow made a reserve switch for heat 11 bringing McKinna in for Morris and it was Kevin Wolbert who was to gate to lead out of the opening bends.  Partner Kalle Katajisto rode the outside line down the back straight to come through into second spot and although James Grieves tried to hit back by going wide on lap 2 bend 2 but he lost ground. With Wolbert well clear and Katajisto comfortably in second, the visitors recorded a heat maximum.

Sweetman and Morris were the Tigers pairing in heat 12, the heat that was to see then end of Nick’s hopes for a maximum in his final outing at reserve. In the initial running, the Edinburgh pairing made the gate but Morris came through in between them to lead into the opening bend only for the red lights to come on.  The race was called back as an unsatisfactory start with Tully publicly warned for moving. In the rerun, Tully made a clean gate to lead and quickly pulled clear.  Nick in second spot never stopped trying to close but Tully was uncatchable.  With Sweetman easily getting the better of Bekker for third, the spoils were shared.

After a level gate in heat 13, Joe edged Craig Cook wide on the opening bends to leave a gap up the inside for James Grieves but James was just unable to capitalize and Cook split the Tigers pairing going down the back straight.  James tracked Cook all the way but was unable to mount a serious challenge, Joe winning the race comfortably.

Heat 14 was to be the second three rider race, Bekker coming in as a reserve switch in yellow to go off gate 4 rather than as rider replacement off gate 2 which had provided almost 50% of race wins. The Tigers pair gated with Sweetman on his favourite outside line but Bekker slipped inside McKinna out of bend 2 to sit in second.  Richard was quickly well clear and won a mundane heat easily.

With Joe still having problems with his elbow, he declined the chance to race in heat 15 whilst Nick Morris was ineligible.  Richard Sweetman and Michal Rajkowski therefore teamed up to take on the Monarchs top two of Wolbert and Cook. Edinburgh were off the more favourable 2 and 4 with Sweetman surprisingly off 1.  When the tapes went up it was the Edinburgh pair who gated, Wolbert was quickly well clear and with Cook comfortable in second spot and Sweetman in third unable to make any in roads into his lead, the visitors finished with a heat maximum.

If you were to be brutally honest, this meeting would not go down as one to encourage any newcomers to speedway.  Tully and Wethers were always expected to provide the main opposition to the Tigers and when Edinburgh lost Wethers in heat 3 with Tully no doubt rather second hand after the crash, the meeting as a competition was more or less over.  You can only beat what is in front of you however and again the Tigers showed focus and stuck to the task as a team to make sure the points were in the bag.

Nick Morris now moves into the main body of the team and it will be interesting to see Tigers new line up although the changes made by Stewart yesterday make it looks as if he is looking at a straight replacement with Nick coming in to partner Richard Sweetman.

Another step closer…

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Glasgow Tigers Speedway Unofficial Website Glasgow Tigers Speedway Ashfield Stadium Glasgow Tigers Speedway Joe Screen Michal Rajkowski Josh Grajczonek Theo Pijper Christian Henry Nick Morris James Grieves