Speedway: Stars Shine Bright Over Belle Vue

BELLE VUE  39 - 54 KING LYNN

Monday night saw the league leaders in the Speedway Elite League in the Kings Lynn Stars shine far above a very disappointing Belle Vue side that saw King Lynn give the home side a trouncing at Kirkmanshulme Lane. The leaders shown their dominance from the start as they made the better starts and looked a very solid side and can see why they are top of the table.

Belle Vue welcomed the Norfolk side to Manchester and boasted the man who won the deciding final race this past Saturday night in Bydgoszcz, that saw the Danish national side regain the world cup from rivals Poland in the form of Niels Kristian Iversen. The Kings Lynn number one rider is gunning for a hat trick of honours this season, as he hopes to add club glory and a world championship medal along with his newly won world cup success.

The meeting started off in a sombre and somewhat reflective mood, with the Manchester club paying tribute to a former rider and captain in the Aces colours in Ron Johnson who sadly passed away down in New Zealand recently and also saw them remember the fallen soldiers as part of the 100th anniversary to the start of WWI.

In the opening race of the night it seen Niels Kristan Iversen fresh from his World Cup success and buoyed from his winning ride for his country, he took the race win ahead of Matej Zagar with fellow Dane Michael Palm Toft packing the minor places to see a shared heat.

Heat two saw the traditional reserves race and after Aces Stefan Nielsen was excluded for bringing down Lewis Rose with a hard move, it saw the King Lynn pair then collect a 5-1 in the re run and put the Stars up by four points.

The Stars increased their lead when Niklas Porsing and Lewis Rose rode to a 4-2 heat advantage and looked to be a long night ahead for the home side, with the leaders showing why they are top at the current moment. 

Despite the Aces grabbing a 4-2 race win in heat six through captain Scott Nicholls and Richie Worrall it saw the hosts unable to capitalise on the win with Robert Lambert and Niels Kristian Iversen showing some fantastic team riding as they blocked out the challenged of Michael Palm Toft with the Stars taking maximum points.

Another 4-2 race win in heat nine for Kings Lynn saw the visitors go ten points ahead in the meeting and so brought the tactical substitution out in the form of Matej Zagar, with him donning the Black and White helmet cover looking at double points. Indeed that is what happened for the Slovenian grand prix star, when the Aces number one rode right by the fence with a spectacular move on Rory Schlein and Kenneth Bjerre to get by the visiting riders and collect six points with a 6-3 heat advantage with his teammate unable to get into the points.

Kings Lynn struck right back though with their powerful squad as Iversen and Lambert took another 5-1 maximum, which was followed up the very next race in heat six when Porsing and Steve Worrall saw him take third place with Palm Toft splitting the pair but not able to get past Porsing.

Heat thirteenth saw the match up of the big guns with Matej Zagar taking the race with Iversen and Bjerre claiming the minor places as Craig Cook just floundered at the back and had a disappointing night by his standards and saw the Kings Lynn side claim victory.

For Stefan Nielsen his meeting was a case of when it rains it pours. The youngster suffering two falls in his opening two races and then not only had he been involved in two crashes during the night, but he had an expensive one too when his engine blown up earlier in the meeting and co in sided with Nielsen recording his lowest score at Kirkmanshulme Lane this season making only four points from four rides.

It go no easier for Nielsen as after he and Steve Worrall got tangled together on the first bend of the penultimate race, it saw the Aces man hit the shale once more and come off the better of the two with Worrall having to be replaced in the re run by Lewis Rose, who in turn then took the race win as he and Lambert took a 4-2 and secure the full four points for the Norfolk to extend their lead at the top.

In the final race of the night it saw Matej Zagar sign off with another sensational swoop round the fourth bend as the Aces man took the win and see the Stars crush the hosts inflicting the biggest home loss of the season on Belle Vue.

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BELLE VUE =39

1. Matej Zagar 2, 2, 6!, 3, 3 = 16
2. Michael Palm Toft 1', 1, 0, 2 = 4+1
3. Scott Nicholls 1', 3, 3, 0, 0 = 7+1
4. Richie Worrall 2, 1, 0, 2 = 5
5. Craig Cook 2, 1', 1, Fx = 4+1
6. Stefan Nielsen X, 0, 2, M, 0 = 2
7. Lee Payne 1, 0, 0, 0 = 1


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 Kings Lynn = 54

1. Niels Kristian Iversen 3, Fx, 2', 2, 1' = 8+2
2. Nicklas Porsing 0, 3, 1, 3 = 7
3. Rory Schlein 0, 3, 2, 1' = 6+1
4. Robert Lambert R, 2', 3, 1 = 6+1
5. Kenneth Bjerre 3, 2, 2, 1', 2 = 10+1
6. Steve Worrall (G) 2', 3, 3, 1 = 9+1
7. Lewis Rose 3, 1, 1, 3 = 8