MATCH REPORT: Yorkshire League Round 6 at Hull

Report by Rob Mawhood, Photo by Diane Bellis

Hull sailed to victory in Round Six of the 2023 Yorkshire League season at the Hessle Raceway, lifting the title for the fourth successive season.

Hull and Sheffield entered the fixture in the knowledge that if either won they would be champions. In the unlikely event of a tied score, Sheffield held a slight race points advantage that would give them the title. As it was Hull were clinical on the track as they scored 64 points to Sheffield’s 58, with Heckmondwike on 34. Nathan Everett, making a seasonal debut, won the opening race with Jack Lister sitting in second to put the home team directly in command of the match. Sheffield had their number one available in Ed Morton. Morton won heat Two with a well executed pass on Lewis Foxley, though Richard Gibson kept Kieran Hale at the back for a 5-5 drawn heat. Heckmondwike, having won the Northern League Division Two title last week, had only three riders (four after borrowing Kacey Bennett for the day) and would become spectators to the big two slugging it out. Darren Kent, the Heckmondwike stalwart, has a never say die spirit. He had the one joy of the day for Heckmondwike when winning heat 8 from Sheffield pairing of Oliver Banyard (reserve rider) and Kieran Hale. Every other race for Heckmondwike resulted in a 3-7 heat result.

The defining race results were heats six and nine, when the Jack Lister/Nathan Everett pairing raced to 7-3 maximum race wins over the Sheffield pairings. Sheffield’s one race success over Hull came in heat 12, when Kielan Burton and Jack Brownell recorded a 6-4 over Lewis Foxley and Richard Gibson. Morton, Hale and Burton won three of the final four heats to bring Sheffield within six points when the match concluded.

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Scorers

Hull – Jack Lister 16+3, Nathan Everett 15+1, Lewis Foxley 17+1, Richard Gibson 13+2, Liam Bennett 3.
Heckmondwike – Darren Kent 12, Kacey Bennett 6, Justin Naylor 10, Lee Warhurst 6.
Sheffield – Ed Morton 9, Kieran Hale 12+2, Kielan Burton 15+2, Jack Brownell 15, Oliver Banyard 7.

Referee – Andy Schofield

The individual Grand Prix followed the team match, with the junior ladder (under 13’s) first. Some of the titles were already decided, but there were still battles on for minor placings. Eleven Hull riders lined up, with Sheffield’s Oliver Banyard the solitary visiting rider. The ladder format providing some very close racing, with the Hull juniors putting on an exhibition of great racing with plenty of passion and passing in the qualifying races. Spencer Glenton the stand out rider, winning three of his four races.
The three age related finals were all won by Hull riders, under 13 (Spencer Glenton), under 10 (Elwood Harrison) and under 8 (Alexis Woodcock).
Woodcock’s win meant she was the overall under 8 champion. Harrison’s win moved him into runner up in the under 10’s. Glenton’s win brought him to level points with Oliver Banyard, resulting in a run-off required to see who would be runner up to Bury’s Jayden Hancock in the under 13’s.
Banyard won the race from grid two with Spencer pushing all the way after coming off grid 4.

Round 6 scores

Under 13

1st Spencer Glenton, 2nd Oliver Banyard, 3rd Harry Gibson, 4th Harvey Mclachlan, 5th Will Hollich, 6th Josh Gearing.

Under 10

1st Elwood Harrison, 2nd Jayden Bennett, 3rd Sophia Temple

Under 8

1st Alexis Woodcock, 2nd Daniel Tanton, 3rd Fletcher Glenton.

Season scores (best 4 to count)

Under 13

1st Jayden Hancock 80, 2nd Oliver Banyard 74, 3rd Spencer Glenton 74, 4th Harvey Mclachlan 66, 5th Harry Gibson 62, Elliott Long 56, Will Hollich 51, Joseph Green 37, Josh Gearing 14, Mason Gleadhall-Brown 11, Alfie Tasker 9.

The senior GP, as with the juniors had several titles already decided. The only one to be decided on the day was the under 18’s where Hull’s Liam Bennett or Noah Lyon could be champion. An interesting bystander from the team match was persuaded to take to the track again with Leon Wild lining up in Sheffield colours. Leon, who last rode for Sheffield in 2010, was ninth in the 2009 World Junior Individuals in Australia. Placing the second best GB rider on the day, scoring more than the likes of Paul Heard and Ben Mould. He would go on to win two races and place third in the Open Final.
The intriguing battle for the under 18 title saw all the contenders race in the top group of the ladder and some part during the qualifying races. When the dust settled it was Jack Brownell who had finished highest, giving him inside grid for the final.
Brownell won from Lyon and Bennett, the second place for Lyon meant Bennett was champion, with Brownell and Lyon now in a run-off for second overall. Brownell had the benefit of the inside grid with the two riders fittingly racing at full speed for four laps in the run-off (none of this cat and mouse racing). Brownell taking the win by less than a bikes length, giving him second overall with Lyon having to be content with third.

Round 6 results

Open – 1st Jack Lister, 2nd Kielan Burton, 3rd Leon Wild, 4th Kieran Hale, 5th Ryan Tompkinson.
Under 18 – 1st Jack Brownell, 2nd Noah Lyon, 3rd Liam Bennett.
Women – 1st Kacey Bennett
Vet 40-54 – 1st Wil Banyard, 2nd Justin Naylor, 3rd Lee Warhurst, 4th Richard Gibson.
Vet 55+ – 1st Darren Kent, 2nd Adrian Brownell, 3rd Rob Mawhood

Seasons scores (best 4 to count)

Open – 1st Jack Lister 80, 2nd Kielan Burton 71, 3rd Kyle Holland 69, 4th Ryan Tompkinson 59, 5th Kieran Hale 47, 6th Lewis Foxley 20, Ed Morton 20, 8th Leon Wild 17, 9th Niall Morton 14.
Under 18 – 1st Liam Bennett 75, 2nd Jack Brownell 74, 3rd Noah Lyon 74, 4th Sam Stansfield 38, 5th Joe Brownell 31.
Womens – 1st Kacey Bennett 80, 2nd Laura Watson 40, 3rd Ellise Metcalfe 34, 4th Lacey Ackroyd 18.
Vet 40-54 – 1st Wil Banyard 78, 2nd Richard Gibson 70, 3rd Justin Naylor 68, 4th Warhurst 60, 5th Jason Keith 58, 6th Dariusz Pilas 20, 7th Mick Knowles 16, Mark Rushby 16.
Vet 55+ – 1st Darren Kent 80, 2nd Pat Beacock 78, 3rd Rob Mawhood 66, 4th Stuart Hardaker 51, 5th Adrian Brownell 33, 6th Barry Ashton 14.