NO LUCK FOR WIGHTLINK WARRIORS AS SPEEDWAY RETURNS TO SMALLBROOK

Success eluded Wightlink Warriors at Smallbrook against Cradley and Weymouth in the 1st leg of the Michael Richardson Trophy on Thursday (23rd June).

Warriors team manager Steve Piper can be proud of the efforts of his quartet, but he will be ruing the fact that his charges could only produce 4 race wins on the night. More tellingly, his riders failed to score in 8 of the 15 races.

Ben Morley and Connor King returned to the blue and yellow of the Warriors, but it was the swift Alfie Bowtell, Connor Coles, and Henry Atkins who stole the headlines with their attacking style.

With 2 legs of the competition still to go later in the summer, there is still a chance for the Warriors to strike back. It is to be hoped that the Warriors’ Alex Spooner will be fit to continue, having hurt his shoulder in a fall late on in the meeting.

Warriors 23 (Ben Morley 11, Alex Spooner 1, Danno Verge 10, Connor King 1)
Heathens 35 (Alfie Bowtell 14, Tom Spencer 6+2, Connor Coles 13, Chris Watts 2)
Wildcats 32 (George Congreve 8+3, Jacob Clouting 4, Henry Atkins 13+1, Ben Trigger 7+1)

In the development challenge between the Wightlink Wizards and newly formed Wightlink Warlocks, the meeting outcome was decided in the last of the 6 races, as the impressive Arran Butcher and James Laker combined to record a maximum 5-1 win to secure the Warlocks’ victory.

Local rider Kye Elliott made his official debut, scoring points and making many in the stadium immensely proud of his progress to date.

Wizards 17 (Jamie Sealey 3+2, Vinny Branch 7, Sam Peters 1+1, Michael Austin 6)
Warlocks 19 (James Laker 8+1, Morgan Williams 0, Arran Butcher 9, Kye Elliott 2)