HSBC | UK ELITE GP: Titles up for grabs in final round
The fourth and final round of the HSBC UK | Cycle Speedway Elite Grand Prix Series takes place at Astley and Tyldesley on Saturday.
It is set to be a three-way battle for the title in the elite men’s class, while the elite juniors will have a two-rider head to head, taking the best three results from the four rounds to decide the winner.
There are a number of possible outcomes that could decide the final standings in the elite competition. Ben Mould currently leads the elite men’s standings, but it’s Josh Brooke who is in the driving seat with two wins to Mould’s one. This means if Brooke finishes second or higher, he will be the champion. If Mould wins and Brooke finishes 4th or below, Mould will be the champion, and there could be a run off if Brooke finishes third and Mould first.
Coventry’s Myke Grimes is currently lying in third place in the standings, with a second and third place as his best results. If Grimes wins round four and Mould finishes third or below, he will claim the silver, unless Brooke also finished seventh, which would mean Grimes would win the series. If Brooke finishes sixth it would force a run off, which could turn out to be a three man shoot out for the title if Mould was second to Grimes, as all three riders would be level on 63 points.
Mould and Grimes will be hoping Brooke slips up, as he did in round one at East Park, where a gate exclusion saw his campaign get off to a difficult start. Brooke has since made few mistakes, after winning the following rounds at Swindon and Great Blakenham, but in the crazy world of cycle speedway, you never know what the luck of the draw and each heat might throw up!
In the elite juniors category, a strong run of results will give Pierce Bacon the advantage over Ed Morton; Bacon has with two wins and a fourth place, while Morton has one win and two third place finishes to his name.
This means anything but a win and 25 points won’t be enough for Morton. If Morton succeeds in topping the standings, Bacon must finish second to clinch the title. If he finishes third there will be a run off between to the two riders.
It will be spreadsheets at the ready for the organisers at Gin Pit as they work out final outcomes. The top six in the standings receive medals with trophies for the winners, as well as prize money for the top five of the round.
The HSBC UK | Cycle Speedway Elite Grand Prix starts at 12 noon at Astley and Tyldesley Cycling Club, M29 7DW.