The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
One Bjerre shines but the other has a night to forget
It was a night of contrasting fortunes for the Bjerre brothers as the curtain went up on a new speedway season at the East of England Arena on Monday night.
Danish ace Kenneth, who spent a large chunk of his career as a Panthers rider, played a starring role for the visitors from Manchester but it was a night to forget for younger brother Lasse, who was part of the new-look Panthers team.
Bjerre the elder reeled off a 15-point full-house to steer Belle Vue to victory in an SGB Premiership Supporters’ Cup tie.
Australian champion Max Fricke also hit top form for the Aces and his maximum 14+1 paid haul included a new track record of 57.9 in a sizzling first heat.
It was a full half-a-second quicker than the previous best which was set by another visiting rider (Krzysztof Kasprzak of Coventry) all the way back in 2010.
In stark contrast to his brother, Lasse Bjerre failed to score a point with two of his three rides ruined by bike troubles.
Charles Wright was the star Panthers performer with a paid 12-point debut as he begins the new campaign in a rich vein of form following a couple of double-figure displays for his Championship club, Redcar, over the weekend.
But number one Rohan Tungate and short-term signing Aaron Summers were the only other home riders to win races.
Summers went tapes to flag in heat four to record Panthers’ first race win of the season, Tungate won heat six and Wright’s two successes came in heats nine and 14.