MATCH REPORT: Last heat drama as Kesgrave win first title

Kesgrave held the British Over 40’s team championships on Saturday 5th July. With the withdrawal of Wednesfield leaving just six teams, a straight 30 heat final was held. Reining champions Leicester have retained the title for the last three years and were the team that all title contenders wanted to beat. Kesgrave, Norwich, Sheffield and Birmingham were all in the hunt, with only nine points seperating them at the end.

On the tight banked track some exciting racing was on display to the small but enthusiastic support around the circuit. The meeting was well refereed by Terry Ashford, with the usual tough decisions having to be made at crucial points, during such a close meeting.

Mick Skinner of Leicester was excluded for moving at the tapes in heat 15 immediately prior to the interval, leaving top three team scores at the half way stage Kesgrave 31, Leicester 31 and Norwich 29.

Jason Ashford and Norman Venson for Leicester each won their next rides. It was heat 17 that turned into a disaster for the home team. Dan Zagni, off gate 4, could find no where to pass Norwich’s Alan Parkins and Birmingham’s Mark Winwood, despite several re-starts. On the final back straight, Zagni gave it the big one and looked to be coming around Winwood on the last bend, but perhaps on the verge of using excessive force, Zagni was sent crashing into the safety fence – eventually walking his bike over the line to gain the 1 point and at this stage trail Leicester by 4 points, the same as Norwich.

Colby won heat 20 for Norwich, as did Wenn in heat 22. After an exciting race, Leicester’s Skinner, lost control around bends 1 and 2, after some hard riding with Kesgrave’s Brinkhoff, who then came in second. Now Leicester and Norwich were level, leading by two points, with Kesgrave in third.

Zagni won heat 23 ahead of Leicester’s Dave Frith, with Norwich finishing in fourth position. The next heat, at this late stage in the meeting was massive to Kesgrave as Peter Ingram from gate 4, was trailing in last with Sheffield’s Jason Burke in the lead. Ingram, watching the battle in front of him between Parkins and Whitehead swept under the two riders as they tangled and drifted slightly wide. This scored Kesgrave an important three points and put them in the lead by one, over Leicester, with Norwich a point behind. Four rides were left for each team.

With Ray Pyke scoring 2 points for Kesgrave, Leicester’s Dave Frith 3 and Norwich’s Parkin’s 3 in the following 3 rides as none of the team’s met each other. It was Sheffield who had hauled them self back into the mix with five straight wins in a row.

Heat 28, saw Gary Brown of the home club on gate one and Leicester’s Jason Ashford on three. Gary gated, but as Ashford went for the pass on turn three both riders came down heavily, in what was termed a racing incident. Both riders brushed themselves down for the re-run. Ashford this time got the better of Brown, putting Leicester back into the lead by a single point.
In the penultimate heat Leicester brought in their tactical reserve Norman Venson for Skinner. He gated around Ingram on gate one, but was not concerned that Birmingham’s Mark Winwood would go on to win the race. Giving them a two point lead over Kesgrave and five over Norwich.
With the leading four teams going onto the last race with none of the positions decided disaster struck for Leicester. Zagni lead from the gate, but Norwich’s Steve Copping pulled out one of his best ever gates from the inside to go into the first bend in second position. Whitehead was in fourth at this point. He then went past Copping and charged into Mick Knowles of Sheffield on the 3rd turn with both riders falling. Whitehead was excluded from the re-run, Zagni went on to win and clinch the first ever Veterans title for Kesgrave. Leicester had done enough to secure the runners up position, with Norwich gaining the two points required to finish third, one point in front of Sheffield.

Ex England and Ipswich speedway international rider Jeremy Doncaster presented the medals to the top 4 teams. The meeting was sponsored by Optimum Control Services.

Kesgrave 59
D.Zagni 17, P.Ingram 15, G.Brown 15, R.Pyke 6, P.Brinkhoff 6

Leicester 57
J.Ashford 17, N.Venson 14, D.Frith 13, M.Whitehead 9, M.Skinner 4.

Norwich 54
A.Parkins 16, P.Wenn 16, G.Colby 14, S.Copping 6, S.Dyball 2

Sheffield 53
C.Turner 19, L.Morton 13, J.Burke 11, M.Nowles 10.

Birmingham 51
M.Winwood 18, P.Timms 12, B.Prince 11, S.Hodgkinson 10

Ipswich 24
I.Johnson 7, D.Mitchell 6, P.Clarke 6, M.Debman 5 .