MATCH REPORT: Marchant the magnificent wins Vets title
The original schedule should have seen two pre-qualifiers to produce the semi-finalists, but due to a series of withdrawals the pre-qualifiers were not needed.
The first semi saw Craig Marchant, Brad Hoppo, Paul White, Lee Lawrence, Mark Winwood, Paddy Wenn, Steve Hodgkinson and Martyn Hollebon all book their places in the final, the latter after a run-off with Mick Knowles who was in a unique heat 1 as that featured 3 riders who are also referees, Bob Prince and Steve Copping being the other two.
Neither Prince or Copping qualified for the final, with Prince’s cause not helped by two exclusions, which included a heavy fall in heat 19. Copping featured in a good race with John Murphy in heat 20 for the win. With Mark Winwood having suffered a gate exclusion, Copping led for most of the race but a lack of race-fitness allowed Murphy to take the win.
The second semi was the harder of the two as the top 3 in the World going into the event all featured, namely Steve Harris, Mark Whitehead & Norman Venson. It was Harris & Venson who advanced to the final along with Gavin Parr, Kevin Burns, Jason Burke, Jason Keith, Paul Dyson and Chris Turner with Whitehead qualifying as 1st reserve but subsequently not taking up the position.
In the final itself Leicester’s Marchant was never seriously challenged as he reeled off five straight wins for a faultless maximum. Parr will have been pleased to have taken second place, having lost once to Marchant. Leicester rider Kevin Burns claimed the final spot on the podium, no doubt watched down on by his late father Wilson Burns.
Craig Marchant crosses the line to take the title. Photo by Mark Phillips.
Harris will rue heat 18 as he came down in what most people saw as 1st bend bunching, but referee Bob Prince let the race continue as Harris failed to finish. Paul White was the best of the Australian riders finishing tied for 4th with Harris and Jason Burke. Unluckiest rider in the final was Lee Lawrence who suffered a heavy fall in heat 3, finishing in last place in some discomfort in the re-run. He managed 1 more ride before admitting defeat and pulling out of the meeting.
Congratulations to one of the nicest podiums you’ll ever see, with Marchant, Parr and Burns all a credit to our sport. Many thanks also to Steve Copping for this report as well as the others he has sent in to us.