It wasn’t exactly a meeting for the purists – no fewer than nine 5-1’s in the meeting and the majority of the action from the gate speaks for itself but you can only beat what is in front of you and it is always sweet to beat your local rivals so easily.

The opening heat was the first of many from the gate.  Tigers pair gated well and consolidated on the opening bends.  Although Wolbert chased for the visitors he was never realistically a threat, even when Franc went far too wide on the pits bend of the final lap, allowing Theo through to take the victory. The visitors Katajisto pulled up lap 2 bend 3 whilst at the back.

It was a very ragged start in heat 2, Nick completely missing the start but that did not stop him coming through into second spot on the opening bends to join Michal Rajkowski up front.  Kyle Howarth tried hard for the visitors but it was to be an easy 5-1 again for the Tigers pairing.

The 5-1 went the other way in heat 3, courtesy of Tully and Wethers. Both visiting riders made good gates with Wethers quickly pulling clear and the heat becoming well spread but Glasgow hit back in similar style in heat 4.  Despite being outgated, good opening bends from Nick Morris moved the Edinburgh pair wide, allowing guest Claus Vissing plenty of room on the inside to come through into second place behind Morris as they came into the back straight.  By the end of the second lap, Glasgow were well clear while the Edinburgh pair seemed to battle each other for third spot some distance back.

Finally there was a split heat in heat 5.  Kevin Wolbert gated and was gone, helped slightly by Sweetman accidentally getting in Pijper’s road on the opening bends, sending Theo to the back with Katajisto round the outside into third. Katajisto did close in on Sweetman towards the end of the race but Richard held to limit the damage.

Craig Cook was excluded for the visitors after trying to jump the start and destroying the tapes in heat 6, Edinburgh electing to put Howarth in rather than send Cook off 15m. A good gate from Franc was accompanied by an outside run from Pijper to take over the lead out of bend 2 and again Tigers quickly pulled clear.  Howarth spun and came off lap 3 bend 4 and although he tried hard he was unable to clear the track in time and the race was awarded.

With the visitors now 10 down it was no surprise to see the black and white helmet in heat 7, Matthew Wethers on the outside gate being trusted with it.  When the tapes went up, there was a superb start and blocking move from Nick Morris off gate three to clamp the Edinburgh rider to the wide line. It allowed Tully ahead of Nick into the opening bends but Nick had done his job well, Vissing storming from the gate to claim the win.  Nick had to settle for third, Tully holding him off in the latter stages but his opening bends had ensured the Monarchs TR was pointless.

It was back to the 5-1 in heat 8, the Tigers pairing of Pijper and Morris edging out the Monarchs on the opening bends and it was heat over.

There was some rare passing in heat 9 after Craig Cook hit the front out of the gate but it was to be short lived.  Michal Rajkowski made that trademark drive round the outside of the opening bends to pass Cook as they came down the back straight and shortly after on the fourth bend Richard Sweetman passed easily round the outside of Cook and the Tigers yet again had another easy 5-1 with no real opposition coming from the visitors.

Andrew Tully and Matthew Wethers were not the easy pickings that their team mates seemed to be however and made the Tigers pay for some sloppy gating in heat 10.  Wethers was electric from the tapes and the impressive Tully used the Rajkowski line on the opening bends to come through into second spot.  Franc tried hard in the early stages to challenge but the Edinburgh pair pulled clear for the heat win.

As expected Edinburgh brought Kevin Wolbert out as their second tactical ride in heat 11 but an excellent gate from Claus Vissing took him to the front with Nick Morris riding good opening bends to come round the outside and take over the lead coming into the back straight. Katajisto hit the inside of bend 4 on the opening lap and pulled up leaving TR Wolbert to try and battle back on his own against the Tigers.  Wolbert did come close and never gave up trying.  However Vissing was equal to the task and when Wolbert tried the inside cut back off the final bend, Claus just managed to hold off his drive to the line ensuring that yet again the TR was ineffective.

In the opening bends of heat 12, Andrew Tully muscled his way to the front and comfortably won the heat with the Tigers pairing equally comfortably filling the minor placing's in what was yet another uneventful heat.

Although technically it was still possible for the visitors to get something out of the meeting, they came to tapes in heat 13 with only 1 rider.  There was no sign of Craig Cook as the heat came to tapes and as he had already been pulled out of one of his programmed ride for tape touching, no replacement option was available for the Monarchs and Kevin Wolbert was again left to do battle on his own. The three riders gated level with the Tigers pairing just edging it out of bend 2.  Wolbert however kept it wound on and went round the outside of Pepe Franc going down the back straight.  Wolbert got close to the impressive Claus Vissing at the end of lap 2 when Vissing locked slightly but it was to be a brief challenge as Vissing quickly pulled a couple of bike lengths clear.  The final lap saw Wolbert again catch up on Vissing but Claus rode a clever line to make sure the German was unable to get a smooth line and grip to realistically challenge.

Wethers gated well in heat 14 and held off an inside challenge from Nick Morris on bend 2.  Nick challenged for a lap before locking slightly on lap 2 bend 2 and allowing Wethers to get that little bit of breathing space between them and it was follow my leader from then to the chequered flag.

Glasgow had plenty of choice and went for Claus Vissing and Nick Morris in heat 15 whilst the Monarchs pairing was really inevitable with Tully and Wethers being the only riders living up to their billing.  Claus gated and although Nick didn’t he rode good opening bends to cut from outside to inside on the middle line on bend two to come from last to first into the back straight.  Claus went round the outside of him on the back straight and quickly pulled clear but Wethers was challenging Morris hard for second post. Wethers got his reward lap 3 bend 2 when a lapse of concentration saw Nick leave him room on the inside and Matthew was quick to capitalise coming through into second. Nick showed good determination however to fight back and tried an inside drive up the inside of bend 4, pulling level with him on the home straight and driving slightly ahead into the opening bend of lap 4.  Despite his momentum pushing him a little wide on the apex of the bends, Nick turned the bike well to catch the drive and maintain second spot into the back straight and there was no way he was going to let Wethers back into it, claiming second spot for the 5-1 in what was the best race of a poor afternoon’s racing.

Beating Edinburgh is always good for a Glasgow fan but few if any would have expected it to be so easy.  Tully and to a lesser extent Wethers were good opponents with Howarth’s effort not reflected in his points score but with no real challenge from the Monarchs it was a one sided meeting.

That should not deflect however from the professional way the Tigers went about their business, from Stewart Dickson who obviously had them wound up for the meeting all the way through the team – no mean feat when you consider we were using two guests and operating rider replacement. 

The guests themselves more than played their part.  Special mention really has to be made of Claus VIssing.  How much has he developed as a rider in the last couple of years!  He might have relished more competitive opposition but he was superb as he recorded a paid maximum and you could see the passion he has for the sport in his riding and his post heat celebrations – in all a joy to watch.

Nick Morris has had a mixed weekend but was excellent today, ironically his third place probably being his most important ride, the way he ensured Matthew Wethers was prevented from capitalising on the TR at a crucial time in the meeting.

As already stated, you can only beat what is put out against you and the Tigers certainly did that comfortably.  No doubt the Monarchs will be smarting after being so easily dispatched and will look for revenge on Friday but that is another day.  For now, Glasgow can rightly celebrate the comprehensive win

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