It had been admitted that there had been problems getting a field together, the meeting only being confirmed as running on Thursday and unfortunately two of the 12 rider field pulled out. In addition, you have to feel for Martin Rathbone whom made a late dash from the Middlesborough area to step in as a late replacement only to be prevented from riding as a license could not be sorted out.
As a result, only 9 riders started the meeting and there numbers were to be depleted further with a couple of incidents that left riders unable to continue, the first one coming it he opening heat.
James McBain had gated and James Cartmell tried a wide line round the opening bends looking for speed. Unfortunately he went too wide however and ended up riding along the boards either side of the pits gate and being thrown heavily off his bike on the back straight, the bike being catapulted across the track onto centre green with various bits, including the chain, flying off it. It was a very heavy fall and the sparse crowd were relieved when a somewhat groggy looking Cartmell eventually got back to his feet and walked back to the pits but he was naturally withdrawn from the meeting. James McBain wont he re run by a good distance.
There was another hefty 'off' in heat 2 when Rachel Hellowell, keen to make a good start, reared badly off the gate and could not get the bike back down, Rachel coming off the back with the bike flipping over the top. She reacted quickly to get herself and her bike off the track to allow the race to continue although initially Paul Starke was the only rider not to slow expecting the race to be halted. Starke went on to win easily with Rachel deemed fit to continue after medical treatment.
We got our first glimpse of 15 year old Liam Carr on track in heat3. The youngster rode sensibly to win the heat and obviously learned quickly from the experience as he was to shine in his remaining races.
In heat 4 Carr made a good start but James McBain passed him on the outside of the opening bends and put a little space between the two. Carr never gave up however and made a decent attempt to pass inside McBain off the final bend, James just managing to hold him off
Heat 5 was one of the rare heats that was to have 4 riders in it but was to result in two further riders withdrawing from the meeting after a lap two fall. Paul Starke made an electric gate and was well clear by the end of the opening lap. Rachel Hellowell had been a bit more tentative at the gate this time and as a result was in last place out of the gate. However, lap 1 bend 4 she passed Jimmy Culbert on the outside line to move into third. Coming out of bend 2 however, she wobbled, was unable to control it and came off. Jimmy Culbert, only a couple of bike lengths behind, did his best to take avoiding action but clipped her foot and then her bike, sending him crashing to the floor. Jimmy was able to return to the pits under his own steam after a short while although Rachel took a trip back in the ambulance and both riders were withdrawn from the remainder of the meeting. Referee Willie Dishington awarded the heat.
With all the withdrawals, Ricky Anderson came out on his own for heat 6 to do the four laps to get all 3 points before James McBain easily got the better of Steven Morris in a two man heat 7.
Similarly heat 8 was a two man race between Starke and MacPhail. MacPhail gated but Starke came neatly inside him off bend 2 to take over at the front and go on to win comfortably. Liam Carr then came out to win the two man heat 9 quite comfortably, again riding a very sensible race, picking his line carefully and looking quite smooth.
Two of the top scorers came head to head in heat 10 but Paul Starke was caught out by the tapes going up quickly, James McBain timed his start perfectly and led out of the opening bends. Starke nearly passed outside lap 1 bend 3 and got close again crossing the line in to lap 2. For a couple of laps the pattern was repeated but Starke seemed to have problems with bend 3 and on lap 3 this allowed James to pull clear and go on to win.
Heat 11 had to be scrapped as none of the programmed riders were still in the meeting so it was straight on to heat 12 and a four rider race. MacPhail gated in front with Carr in second spot followed by Anderson and Morris. Anderson passed outside Morris out of bend 2. MacPhail went too wide out of bend 3 and Carr quickly seized his opportunity to come through the inside on bend 4 into the lead. The heat then quickly became well spread with Carr looking more confident with every lap.
The win in heat 12 meant that Liam Carr went straight through to the final alongside James McBain with the remaining four riders in the semi final competing for the remaining two spots. As it turned out, the semi was only to have 3 riders with Paul Starke failing to make it to tapes. John MacPhail made the gate and went on to win a spread heat with Steven Morris retiring with what looked like an expensive engine failure whilst well at the back on lap 3 bend 4.
The final therefore lined up with Anderson in red, McBain in blue, Carr in white and MacPhail in yellow. James McBain gated with MacPhail in second place challenging him on the opening bends but McBain held. Liam Carr was paying the price for a poor gate as he actually looked the quicker rider but he was being held up by John MacPhail in second who in turn was trying to challenge James McBain. The front three were to remain in close contention all the way, there was probably about 4 bike lengths from 1st to 3rd as they entered the final lap. Off the final bend, Carr finally managed to pass up the inside of MacPhail for second spot but James was out of reach and crossed the line a couple of bike lengths ahead to claim the title.
A copy of the scorecard from the meeting can be viewed here.
