Despite a host of off-track activities, it was the on-track action that took centre stage at the Andew Younie Smallbrook Stadium last night (Thursday) as the Wightlink Warriors tamed the visiting Weymouth Wildcats, outclassing them by 63 points to 37 and sending them back to Dorset with their pride well and truly dented.
Despite the scoreline, the 15 heat challenge match provided thrills, spills, great racing and the right result that the Wightlink Warriors were determined to provide the big crowd, who cheered them on every inch of the way.
Warriors number 1 Joe Jacobs and skipper James Cockle both went through the meeting unbeaten by a Weymouth rider, but all 7 members of the home side did what was expected of them in a match that saw them provide 14 of the 15 heat winners.
The only Wildcat to take the chequered flag was ex-Isle of Wight star Ben Hopwood who did so in heat 5 when he and Warrior Mark Baseby battled for supremacy from start to finish, passing and re-passing each other with Hopwood winning by less a bike length.
FINAL SCORE WIGHTLINK WARRIORS 63 WEYMOUTH WILDCATS 27
Warriors Scorers: Joe Jacobs 14+1, Lee Smart 12+2, James Cockle 12, Mark Baseby 9+2, Georgie Wood (deputising for Kelsey Dugard) 7+2, Tyler Govier 6, Matt Saul 3+1
Wildcat scorers: Ben Hopwood 9, David Mason 6+2, Luke Priest 6, Shaun Tedham 4_+1, James Purchase 1 Layne Cupitt 1
