MATCH REPORT: Idziorek caps off great season with club win

November 3, 2014 editor

Sheffield’s outdoor season then closed with the Club Individual. Once again the event was open to the Elite second claim riders, with Pawel Idziorek (returning to defend his title – pictured right racing Ben Mould earlier in the season) and Gavin Parr both making the trip to compete.

With a few spaces to be filled Sheffield were happy to include Jason Keith, Neil Magee, Dan Thompson and Laura Watson in the fields. The thirty-three riders being split into three categories to give competitive racing.

Adam Watson looked all set to cause a major upset in the very first race of the Elite riders as he led Bobby McMillan and Gavin Parr for three laps. He crashed heavily on turn one of the last lap after a hefty challenge Bobby McMillan (who also ended up in the dirt), with Parr the grateful recipient of four points.

Watson won his second race, with Jason Burke taking a fall after having a front wheel slide when passing Kyle Holland. McMillan beat Idziorek in heat 8, to leave Parr as the only unbeaten rider. The third set of races brought wins for Jason Keith, Idziorek, McMillan and Parr (who had to hold off a strong challenge from Burke).

McMillan, Parr and Idziorek each won their next race to show that Elite form was still there. Niall Morton won his last two races to put him in a good position for the Grand Finals. Crucially he beat Watson in heat 17 to give him grid one for the under 16 final.

That race 17 brought a sublime pass from Watson on Mick Knowles. The Sheffield veteran had covered all angles, until Watson produced a superb piece of bike handling skill to pass on the inside going into turn one of the last lap. Idziorek made inside grid pay to be the first rider to beat Parr, while McMillan confirmed his place in the Open final by winning heat 20.

The Intermediate group was dominated by James Bunting, who scorched to a 20 point maximum with five jet propelled starts. Veteran’s Rob Mawhood and Adrian Brownell were clearly enjoying their racing as the recorded three wins each, while Ed Morton was also in the thick of the action with three race wins. Laura Watson punched the air as she crossed the line first in heat 14, so pleased was she to get the win after having a tough training session just last week.

Youngsters Sam Haines and Joe Twigg also recorded good wins, Haines making a great pass on Twigg in race 9. The crowd (which had been boosted by the Northumbria riders and plenty of parents and grandparents attending) were treated to a funny moment in heat 19. Youngster Evan Swaby produced a strong inside pass on veteran Lee Cottam on turn three of the third lap, Cottam crashing as the two rubbed shoulders. Then to everyone’s astonishment Swaby, who has been riding for less than eight weeks, did a u-turn to make sure the fallen rider wasn’t badly injured. He eventually took second place in the race when the referee informed him that, though commendable, his actions were not required.

The junior races also had an outright winner, with five-year-old Isaac Bridges making the most of his one lap handicap to win all five of his races. Niamh Morton had four wins, while Jack Brownell, Charlie Cottam and Northumbria’s Dan Thompson each weighed in with a couple of wins each. Kielan Burton, Shaun Fairbrother, Logan Perkins and Joe Brownell each scored one win each.

There was still plenty of racing as we went into the Grand finals to decide the outright winners of the ten categories (two were dropped due to a lack of competitors). Idziorek completed a double double by winning the Open and Under 19 titles, just as he had done in 2013. The Open final saw him streak away from grid one to hold off McMillan, who had got the better of Parr on the first corner. The same happened in the under 19 final, only this time it was Holland, Watson and Niall Morton in his wake.

Parr won the Vets title, along with the best trophy of the day, but he had to withstand a big challenge from Burke on turn three of the first lap, after the ‘home’ rider had ridden a brilliant first bend to get an inside run down the backstraight. Burke’s big crash saw him finish the day with a rather swollen knee.

The race of the day though came in the under 16 final, as Niall Morton and Watson once again clashed as they did in the Northern under 16 final. The clash at Cramlington had been a very cat and mouse affair. This time on the superfast Cookson track, the two treated the crowd to an all out four lap sprint, Watson twice looking to have got past around the outside, only for the minor of slips to allow Morton back in front. It was almost like watching motor speedway.

The under 13 final had Bunting win his sixth race of the day, holding out Rushton and Swaby after Haines crashed out. Niamh Morton won a match race with Alice Unwin for the Womens title. Jack Brownell won his second under 10 title with a tapes to flag win. The same scenario repeated in both the under 8 and under 6 finals as Logan Perkins and Isaac Bridges picked up the trophies.

In fact it was only in the clubman final that the winner didn’t lead all the way. Rob Mawhood picking up the winners trophy after passing Adrian Brownell in a re-run race. Mawhood having crashed heavily after running into the fallen Joe Twigg on the second lap.

A great year for the Sheffield Club on the track ended with life president Frank Knight making the trophy presentations.

Sheffield Club Championships Qualifying scores

Elite – Pawel Idziorek 19, Gavin Parr 19, Bobby McMillan 18, Kyle Holland 16, Jason Keith 16, Jason Burke 14, Niall Morton 14, Adam Watson 14, Luke Morton 13, Mick Knowles 12, Damian Pelaczyk 10.

Intermediates – James Bunting 20, Adrian Brownell 18, Rob Mawhood 18, Ed Morton 18, Laura Watson 16, Sam Haines 14, Neil Magee 14, Joe Twigg 14, Dan Rushton 12, Evan Swaby 11, Lee Cottam 10.

Juniors – Isaac Bridges 20, Niamh Morton 19, Jack Brownell 17, Charlie Cottam 17, Dan Thompson 16, Shaun Fairbrother 15, Logan Perkins 14, Joe Brownell 13, Kielan Burton 13, Alice Unwin 11, George Martin 10