Mike's Jottings:

Mike

In total contrast to last weeks horrendous weather, when a torrential hail storm brought the meeting to a halt, the Somerset ‘Dickies’ Rebels finally got their home Premier Trophy campaign underway on a pleasant spring evening. The visitors this week were the Kings Lynn Stars, who can always be relied on to provide stern opposition wherever they go.
The Rebels came to the tapes without Steve Boxall, who was suffering with a migraine, and recent injury victim Jay Herne. They operated rider replacement for the absent Boxall, and re-introduced the experience Californian, and member of the Rebels 2008 KO Cup winning side, Brent Werner, into the line up in place of Herne. The visitors boasted a strong top section, boosted by the return of Kevin Doolan, who spent last season with the Workington Comets, in addition to the experienced Tomas Topinka, and exciting youngsters Linus Eklöf and Joe Haines.

The Stars showed right from the start that they were going to provide the Rebels with a difficult task, as the pairing of Topinka and Eklöf blasted from the line to leave Rebels top man, Shane Parker, and Brent Werner toiling in their wake. Although Parker closed down Eklöf in the latter stages, he could never get in a blow as the Stars opened their account with a full house.

The Rebels did not let the grass grow under their feet striking back immediately. Brent Werner’s introduction into the septet had facilitated the move to the reserve berth for Ritchie Hawkins, giving the Rebels more power in that department. Hawkins was quickly into his stride, followed closely by team partner Tommy Allen. Although the pair were beaten out of the gate they soon swept passed the fast starting Darren Mallet to pull clear and tie up the scores.

The Rebels established a small lead in Heat 3 as Cory Gathercole, in for Boxall, took the win. Breaking alongside Sam Masters he led into the first turn. Masters was soon under pressure from Kozza Smith, losing out to his fellow Australian on the back straight. As Gathercole pulled clear, Joe Haines was soon harrying Masters, and it was all the exciting Masters could do to hold him off until the line.

The Stars levelled again in the next heat as Kevin Doolan opened his account with a blindingly fast 56.96 seconds, to produce the fastest time of the season. His task was made easier when Cory Gathercole ploughed through the tapes and was replaced by Tommy Allen. Ritchie Hawkins put in a strong challenge through the opening two turns, but once in front there was no catching the flying Doolan. Tommy Allen was unfortunate to lock up on the first turn, gifting third spot to Casper Wortman.

Hawkins was soon to make up for the losing battle with Doolan as he reappeared in the very next heat, and rode a tough first bend to force the battling Tomas Topinka to take a wide line. He muscled his way to the front as the field entered the back straight, and left Topinka to fight off the close attentions of Sam Masters. Masters and the experienced Czech battled it out side by side for a couple of laps, before Topinka’s experience came to bear. Linus Eklöf was left a virtual spectator as he trailed at the back of the field.

Brent Werner has scored some important points for the Rebels in the past, but none more so than the three he picked up in Heat 6. Breaking level, he powered around the outside of the rapid Doolan, to lead going onto the back straight, with Shane Parker back in third. Doolan was soon hunting him down. Climbing all over the back of Werner’s machine, Doolan tried everything to snatch the lead away, but no matter where he attempted to pass, Werner had his measure, so much so that it allowed Parker to close up the gap, and produce a stunning inside pass off the final turn of the race to take the Rebels second full house of the evening, much to the delight of the loudly cheering Rebels supporters.

The Stars never let the Rebels get too far away, as they shared the next two heats. Cory Gathercole made up for his tapes indiscretion, as he held off a battling Joe Haines, with the pair swapping places over the first two laps of Heat 7. Once he had shaken of the Bolton born youngster he pulled away to an easy win. Tommy Allen gave chase to Kozza Smith for third, but could never quite get on terms, despite putting everything into the task.

Ritchie Hawkins continued his busy night with a fast start in Heat 8, but he could not hold off the outside charge of Linus Eklöf on the second turn. Brent Werner took and easy third place, after seeing off a brief challenge from Casper Wortman. Hawkins had no time to rest as he was back out in the following heat. Having already seen off the Stars top man, Tomas Topinka in Heat 5, he repeated the dose by eclipsing the extremely fast Kevin Doolan in this one. As the tapes rose it looked all over that the Stars would take all the points, as Doolan and Darren Mallet flew from the line. Hawkins was having none of it, and came charging through as they exited the second bend. Producing a power packed run he took both Stars in the same move, but had to hold off a determined challenge from Doolan over the opening lap. Sam Masters battled hard, and was rewarded with a late pass on Mallett to grab third place as they went into the final lap.

The Stars looked as though they might eat into the Rebels 8-point lead as Joe Haines made a flying start in Heat 10 to lead. He was soon under pressure from Rebels skipper, Shane Parker, and Brent Werner as the pair pounced to grab the lead. Haines stuck to his task, as the Rebels pair ran wide. He regained the lead from Parker, but Werner was the main sufferer, as he was shuffled to the back. Parker kept Haines under the gun, and produced his second wonder move of the night as he powered through the narrowest of outside gaps coming into to the closing stages of the second lap. Werner could not recover from his first bend excursion, and never got in a blow on Kozza Smith, no matter how hard he tried.

After a level break, Cory Gathercole put down a tremendous burst to lead off the opening bend of Heat 11. Once in front he coasted to a bloodless victory, leaving Linus Eklöf, and Tomas Topinka in his wake. With the Rebels looking pretty comfortable carrying an 8-point lead, fans could have been forgiven for thinking that they would cruise home to an easy victory. However history has shown that the Stars do not give teams easy victories if they can help it, as many witnessed in last seasons televised offering from the Oak Tree Arena. They came storming back, taking advantages in both of the next two heats.

Firstly Kozza Smith opened his win account with a hard fought victory in Heat 12. Sam Masters had changed his machinery, having been suffering a flat engine in his earlier rides, and it was he who provided Smith with his greatest problems. Masters was all over the back of Smith for all four laps, and never gave his fellow Antipodean a moment’s peace. Although he looked faster than Smith, Masters could not find an opening, as the Stars man held him off. For once Ritchie Hawkins missed the gate, and was soon all over Darren Mallett at the rear, but couldn’t find a way passed. After his earlier heroics the Rebels faithful would forgive him a minor hiccup in an otherwise fine evenings work.

In Heat 13 it was that man Doolan who took the honours again. Starting quickly from gate 4 he was soon in command from Shane Parker, who led until the second turn, where Doolan’s powerful run carried him to the front. Cory Gathercole never got into the hunt, and the Stars took the advantage to cut the Rebels lead to just 4-points.

Joe Haines finally picked up a deserved win in Heat 14, but not before holding off a rejuvenated Sam Masters. The opening turn was a tight affair with Haines just shading it from Masters, but the former Australian U16 Champion was in no mood to let him take an easy win, and harried him the whole way. Despite this it was Haines who just prevailed, with the hard working Ritchie Hawkins ending his night back in the points in third.

So once again the Stars had forced the match to a last heat decider, needing a 5-1 to tie the match, with the Rebels needing the same to take all the points on offer. For the record Kevin Dolan took his third win of the night, but not before he prevailed in a hard tussle with Cory Gathercole, as the pair swapped places a couple of time over the opening lap. Tomas Topinka, who had initially lead the race with Doolan had to make do with third place, seeing off Shane Parker, to give the Stars a 4-2 advantage, as they took one point towards their Premier Trophy total.

It had been a superbly entertaining and exciting meeting, with some fantastic racing, stunning passes, and downright hard work from both teams. For the Stars the main man was without doubt the fantastic Kevin Doolan, whose speed over the meeting just had to be seen to be believed, illustrated by his blazing 56.96 victory in Heat 4. The star for the Somerset ‘Dickies’ Rebels, without any argument, was Ritchie Hawkins. He gave everything to the cause; fast starting, tough hard riding, two particularly tremendous opening bends, and above all two fantastic victories over the Stars top two men. His all round performance deservedly earned him the meeting sponsors ‘Spearpoint Construction’ Rider of the Night award.

Report courtesy: Dave Thompson