SPEEDWAY ACE CONNOR COLES LIFTS VINCE MAPLEY TROPHY

Former Wightlink Warrior speedway ace Connor Coles again demonstrated his like for the Smallbrook oval with a stylish victory in The Vince Mapley Trophy.

Coles signalled his intentions in the 1st race of the night with a win in the fastest time of the season so far. Although he had to give 2nd best to Warriors number 1 Ben Morley in race 4, a total of 11 points for each rider put both into the semi-finals with ease.

Also reaching the semi-finals were the impressive Aaron Butcher on 10 points, continuing his excellent start to his Island career. He was joined by Trigger, who also totalled 10 points with some silky passing around the high banking in 3 of his heats. Home skipper Danno Verge also progressed to the semi-final stage – following a win in his last ride – where he was joined by the Woolley brothers, Tom and Sam, and Chris Watts.

The 1st semi-final saw Trigger take a surprise but deserved win over Coles as they secured final places. The 2nd semi-final was dominated by Morley, but a slick passing move by Butcher on the last lap got him ahead of Tom Woolley and into 2nd place, thus setting the scene for an exciting final. It did not disappoint as firstly Coles dramatically suffered machine problems on the way to tapes, and – with time rapidly ticking down – he was saved by fellow rider Sam Woolley lending him his bike at the very last minute.

Many people in the stadium thought that Coles chances had evaporated, but he shot from the inside starting position to lead throughout, the unfamiliar bike proving to be no handicap whatsoever. Behind him, Butcher had also made a good start and rode a very tidy race to keep Morley at bay.

The excitement was being served up by young Trigger, who was continually buzzing around Morley’s back wheel and – in a do-or-die effort for 3rd place on the last bend – carried too much speed into the corner and crashed heavily into the air fence on the outside of the track.

It was a stomach-churning fall with the ambulance summoned on to track immediately. After attention, he was able to take the ambulance back to the pits where the early indications were that the Devonian had suffered some knee ligament damage.

The Flat Track riders then made their 1st official appearance at Smallbrook. With brakes and gears, the racing took on a different dimension with 5 of the 6 competitors very evenly matched. Jack Bell was clearly the class act on the night, and another outing for the Flat Track boys is being planned for later in the summer.

Results

Vince Mapley Memorial Trophy – Qualification
Connor Coles 11, Ben Morley 11, Arran Butcher 10, Ben Trigger 10, Tom Woolley 8, Danno Verge 7, Chris Watts 5, Sam Woolley 4, James Laker 3, Jamie Sealey 2, Vinny Branch 0, Morgan Williams 0

Grand Final
1st – Connor Coles, 2nd – Arran Butcher, 3rd – Ben Morley, 4th – Ben Trigger (fell)

Flat Out With The Flat Trackers: Grand Final
1st – Jack Bell, 2nd – Mike Goodfellow, 3rd – Joe Banks, 4th – Sam Hirst, 5th – Jack Noble, 6th – Billy Smith