Spectacular lives up to its name
BANDITS CELEBRATE 50TH SEASON
AFTER a take over by ex-riders Jamie and Scott Courtney and former World Champion Gary Havelock, the Berwick Bandits opened their turnstiles on their 50th season of racing last night at Shielfield Park with a spectacular individual event.
After two races each, Newcastle’s Steve Worrall was the leader of the 16-strong field taking two straight wins, including a decisive one over his own twin, Richie in Heat Five.
Sheffield’s Josh Grajczonec and Edinburgh’s Ricky Wells filled in the second and third positions, Wells particularly dominant in Heat Seven, scorching away from Polish international Adam Skornicki off the second bend while Skornicki himself passed the former PLRC winner, Ulrich Ostergaard from Peterborough.
Wells took a second win in Heat Nine after a restart necessitated by Aaron Summers of Glasgow going right through the tapes with reserve Paul Cooper taking his place in the re-run while Heat 10 was also stopped when Jason Garrity tangled with Dany Gappmaier on the first bend causing both to fall and in the re-run new Bandit Lewis Bridger and Ostergaard had a superb battle for the three point which went to Berwick’s number one putting him on seven points from three rides.
Steve Worrall must have felt hard done by in Heat 11 when he and Ryan Blacklock came to grief on the first bend, but the referee took the former leader out of the race leaving him on six points. In the re-run, James Sarjeant and Ryan Blacklock had a mammoth battle over the first lap, but the Berwick man went down again and ended last in the heat won by Bandit Claus Vissing, who moved onto six points.
After all the riders had completed three races the lead passed to the hands of Wells on eight points, ahead of Richie Worrall on seven, the same as Grajczonek and Bridger, with two races each to go before the semi-final.
Summers continued his rollercoaster of a night taking a huge win in Heat 13 over Blacklock to total six points, but in a fine Heat 14 Bridger bounced off the third bend fence and retired from the race as Vissing took Wells to take three point and move on to nine, one behind leader Wells.
The fifth and final round of qualifiers saw Vissing shoot himself into the favourite’s position taking Heat 17 well over Kevn Doolan to end his night on 12 points, Grajczonek and Steve Worrall finished on 10 a piece from their heat 18 exploits, but after 19 Richie Worrall moved up into second on 11 points while after the last heat 20, Wells’ second place also put him on 12 and the winner Garrity on 10.
However with two races left, the semi and the final, the weather closed in with rain falling steadily and caused the cancellation of the last races meaning the winner of the trophy was Claus Vissing with Ricky Wells second and Richie Worrall third.