Mike's Jottings:

Mike

Not for the first time this season the Somerset ‘Dickies’ Rebels had to run rider replacement, this time for the absent and in form Cory Gathercole. Gathercole was in Italy for the Grand Prix Qualifier, after finishing fifth in last winter’s Australian Championship. Against a strong Birmingham side, containing two of last year’s Rebels, it was always going to be a big ask to take all the points on offer.

The Rebels task was eased after the first race, with the unfortunate withdrawal of Jason Lyons. Lyons had a huge crash after he tangled with Lubos Tomicek on the second bend. Tomicek and Lyons were lying third and fourth, when Tomicek came hard under Lyons running into the second lap. He drew alongside Lyons, just as Lyons turned into the second bend. The pair came together at high speed, which resulted in Lyons being straightened up, and sent headlong into the fence. Tomicek was excluded for his part in the crash.

Lyons was down for several minutes before walking into the ambulance, but eventually had to withdraw from the meeting. The re-run was won by a quick starting Ritchie Hawkins, breaking in front of Aaron Summers, before pulling clear to win easily.

The Brummies took an early lead as they took Heat 2 by the maximum margin. Kyle Newman got the better of an early tussle with James Holder to lead from the second turn. Holder looked comfortable in second until Jerran Hart appeared on the scene. Hart came with a big run to sweep round Holder on the third turn of Lap 3. Holder fought back, but couldn’t get back on terms.

Heat 3 took two attempts to start after Justin Sedgmen and Lubos Tomicek came down in the first turn. None the worse for their falls, both took part in the second running. Sedgmen emerged from the second bend with a lead over the Rebels pair, leading all the way to beat the hard chasing Sam Masters. Surprisingly Richard Sweetman never got into the race, finishing a long way last.

The Rebels closed the gap in Heat 4, with a 4-2 advantage. Mark Baseby made a great start to join Shane Parker in the lead at the first turn. Steve Johnston was soon on his wheel, but Baseby manfully held off the former Rebel, until the very dying stages. In the end Johnston’s experience told, as he sold Baseby a dummy, challenging hard up his inside late on lap 3, before switching wide, a sweeping round the outside of the second bend on the final lap, to just lead of the final bend and grab second and foil the Rebels full house.

Sam Masters made up for his earlier second spot by barrelling around the outside of Ritchie Hawkins and Aaron Summers in the opening turns of Heat 5. Masters then pulled well clear of Summers, with Ritchie Hawkins in third, pulling out all the stops, but just failing to pass Summers. The resulting advantage levelled the scores at 15-15.

Hawkins was out again in the next, and took the win with an outside run, and cut back on the second bend underneath, to lead Steve Johnston, after the pair had accounted for Lubos Tomicek in the first turn. Once at the front Hawkins had the measure of Johnston, as the Rebels took the lead for the first time.

Heat 7 saw them increase their lead by a further 2-points, but it could have been more as Shane Parker and James Holder trapped out to lead on a 5-1. As they moved to the first bend, Holder ran very wide, giving Justin Sedgmen the only chance he needed to grab a place. Sedgmen shot through on the inside of the second bend, giving chase to a fast disappearing Parker. As much as he tried, Sedgmen could not close the gap, as Parker powered away to take the win, with Holder holding a comfortable third place.

The Brummies struck back immediately with a 4-2 of their own, as Aaron Summers took his first win of the meeting. He broke level with Mark Baseby, but was soon in front as the Rebels man caught a huge lift after the start. Baseby was shuttled to the back, as Ritchie Hawkins gave chase to first to Newman, who he passed on the outside of the opening turns of lap 2. He was then on Summers in a flash, and threw in a strong challenge on the final turn of the lap. He couldn’t find a way through, despite exploring every line for the rest of the race.

Heat 9 arrived, and looked to be the ideal opportunity for the Rebels to increase their lead, as Shane Parker took the rider replacement ride alongside Sam Masters. In the event, Steve Johnston made a great start and ran Parker wide, blocking his run in the process. Sam Masters was well away, and looked to have second spot nailed on, until Jerran Hart produced a superb run and outside pass to steal away the points from the Rebels, on the second lap.

Heat 10 was another race were the points seemed destined for the home team, but once more fate dealt a heavy blow. The start looked perfect for the Rebels as Richard Sweetman appeared to move, and then miss the break. However the referee called them back, and warned the luckless Lubos Tomicek for moving. In the restart Ritchie Hawkins made the best of a level break, only to be swallowed up by Justin Sedgmen on the back straight. Hawkins challenged back on the opening turn of the next lap, but could not improve his place. Hawkins held what looked like an easy second place, but was mugged at the last turn, as Richard Sweetman stuck his back wheel in the dirt, and came powering round the final bend to sreal second place right on the line for a second successive Brummies 5-1.

Heat 11 was called back after Aaron Summer moved at the start. In the second running, Shane Parker broke alongside Jerran Hart, before outpacing him to the first turn. James Holder recovered from a slow start, and came blasting between the Brummies pair on the run to the third bend. He made it through, only to be caught and passed by Summers on the second bend of the next lap. Although Jerran Hart gave chase, he could not get back on terms with Holder, who held him for the minor point.

Heat 12 was another opportunity for the Rebels to close the gap on Birmingham, as they sent out Sam Masters and James Holder, against Sedgmen and Newman, but once again things did not go to plan. Masters broke quickly alongside Newman, but was caught out with an enormous lift on the way to the first turn, and was then clamped to the kerb by Newman. Meanwhile Sedgmen cruised around the outside to lead off bend two. Masters was shuffled to the back, only being able to recover enough to pass Holder in the latter stages, as the Brummies powered in another full house and opened up an 8-point lead.

The Rebels hit back immediately, and gave themselves a chance of taking a win in the match. Shane Parker and Lubos Tomicek blasted from the gate to lead every yard of the way from Jerran Hart. Steve Johnston was also well away, but got no further than the first lap as his machine expired when in last place. With only Hart to beat the Rebels pair ran out easy 5-1 winners, bringing the deficit back to just 4-points.

With two heats to go the home side needed to take an advantage in both to take the win, but it all went wrong in Heat 14. Richard Sweetman catapulted out of the gate to lead at the opening bend, with Sam Master and James Holder in hot pursuit. Whilst a 3-3 all would not give the Rebels a win, it did at least guarantee a share of the points if the Rebels hit the maximum in the last heat. Shared points looked the order of the day, until late in the race the Rebels pair appeared to get in each other’s way, with Holder being the worst effected. He lost control and was forced wide, and by the time he recovered he was well in arrears. The resulting 5-1 advantage gave the Brummies the match.

Whilst Heat 15 was effectively a dead rubber it did provide the crowd with an exciting, entertaining conclusion to the night. Ritchie Hawkins blasted off the line to lead alongside Steve Johnston, and the pair put on a thrilling display of side by side racing, before Hawkins made the decisive break on the final lap. He pulled out a small but telling lead to break the former Rebels skipper’s resistance and take a thoroughly deserved win. Behind them Justin Sedgmen got the better of Shane Parker, who had been run wide in the first turn by Johnston, to share the points, making a final score of 42-48 in the Brummies favour.

It was a disappointing end to a match that the Somerset ‘Dickies’ Rebels appeared to have well in their grasp at the halfway stage.

Report courtesy Dave Thompson