A depleted ‘West Wight Heroes’ team defied the odds to claim a dramatic and unexpected victory in last night’s Best Pairs speedway meeting at Smallbrook Stadium, with Charlie Southwick and a rotating cast of guest riders taking the top honours in the sweltering Ryde heat.
With original partner James Shanes unavailable and no replacement able to be found at short notice, Southwick was left without a teammate. However, thanks to cooperation from the other four teams and under the meeting’s unique 4-3-2-0 scoring format, one rider from each pair was loaned to the Heroes throughout the heats to keep their challenge alive.
Despite their unconventional line-up, the Heroes managed to qualify for the semi-finals with 20 points, just ahead of the Golden Duo (19), Chesil Radio Wildcats (17), Surrey Sliders (17), and Rob’s Raiders (17).
Racing was tight throughout the night, with key battles often decided by the all-important third-place finish to avoid the dreaded zero points. In Heat 2, Henning Loof (Surrey Sliders) crucially passed James Laker (Golden Duo) to steal third. The same two clashed again in Heat 4 – this time with Loof riding as a guest for the Heroes.
The Heroes’ hopes nearly came undone in Heat 7 when Southwick crashed after a tussle with Loof, but their temporary teammate went on to win the race. Meanwhile, Charlie Wood’s fall in the final qualifying heat while riding for the Sliders ended their semi-final hopes due to a lack of race wins.
In the first semi-final, Southwick and Loof made a strong start for the Heroes. A crash from Connor Coles (Rob’s Raiders), who claimed Loof had locked up in front of him, led to an exclusion that gave the Heroes a 6-3 victory in the re-run.
The second semi-final saw a tense battle between Ritchings (Wildcats) and Cluff (Golden Duo), with Cluff holding off his rival. Behind them, a fatigued Williams lost third place to a tenacious Laker, who re-mounted after a fall and chased him down on the final bend to claim the decisive point.
For the final, Southwick was joined by Nathan Hargrave (Rob’s Raiders), the only available substitute left. Cluff again flew from the start for the Golden Duo, but with Southwick in second and Hargrave holding third, the 5-4 heat win secured overall victory for the West Wight Heroes.
FINAL SCORES
Qualifying: West Wight Heroes 20, Golden Duo 19, Chesil Radio Wildcats 17, Surrey Sliders 17, Rob’s Raiders 17
Semi-final 1: West Wight Heroes 6 (Southwick 4, Loof 2), Rob’s Raiders 3 (Hargrave 3, Coles 0 – fell/excluded)
Semi-final 2: Golden Duo 5 (Cluff 3, Laker 2), Chesil Radio Wildcats 4 (Ritchings 4, Williams 0)
Grand Final: West Wight Heroes 5 (Southwick 3, Hargrave 2), Golden Duo 4 (Cluff 4, Laker 0)
In the Women’s Championship event, sponsored by Thermohome Limited and powered by Jason Waring, Yorkshire racer Rachel Hellowell successfully defended her NORA British Women’s title with three composed wins and a 2nd-place finish.
Local favourite Tia Brant was runner-up, followed by Plymouth’s Charlotte Brooks in third and Islander Anastasia Williams rounding out the field.
The next action at Smallbrook Stadium is on Tuesday (19th August), with the Wightlink Warriors set to host Cradley Heathens in the second leg of the Vince Mapley Memorial Trophy.
The Warriors will need a strong performance to overturn a first-leg deficit.
