Poole Pirates v Kings Lynn Stars

12/09/19

Poole returned to winning ways at Wimborne Road and moved to within a point of league leaders Swindon and still have a match in hand on the Robins, as the quest for top spot seems set to go the distance.

The victory over a seriously weakened King's Lynn side was never in doubt, the Stars going into the meeting without number one Robert Lambert who had missed a flight back to the UK and were only entitled to use a National league rider as cover. One-time Poole mascot Chad Wirtzfeld stepped into the breach as he was on-hand as part of the Isle of Wight Wizards quartet who were taking on Weymouth in the second half.

It was always going to be a big challenge for the youngster who has only recently turned 16, but he was far from disgraced , particularly in the first race when he worked his way to third place around the first turn. But Brady Kurtz fought back to the give chase to the Stars' second guest Chris Harris, the 2018 Pirate however holding out for victory.

Lewis Kerr made it two successive race wins for the Norfolk side but the Pirates then began to get on top, providing the next four race winners, the first three of which were converted into heat advantages to give Poole an eight point lead. Craig Cook and Lewis Kerr, victims of a the first 5-1 of the night in heat four, balanced out the points in heat six at the expense of Nico Covatti with Kurtz winning.

King's Lynn intended to use Harris as a tactical substitute in heat seven but he failed to beat the time allowance, but his replacement Nicklas Porsing played a part in the visitors trimming the deficit as he held off Thomas H Jonasson for a point as the 2019 Championship Riders' winner Erik Riss led home Jack Holder. An impressive ride from Poole's guest, Ryan Douglas, supported by Covatti in heat eight enabled Poole to charge into a double figure lead, 32-22, a margin that was maintained in heat nine despite Craig Cook claiming his only race win of the night after he clearly jumped the start (and even picked up a post-race warning for it) to gain an advantage over the previously unbeaten Nicolai Klindt, with skipper Josh Grajczonek backing up in third.

Poole totally dominated over the final six heats, dropping just four points and avoiding last places in each of them to run out eventual 58-32 winners, registering their biggest win of the season and their biggest since beating King's Lynn by 32 points in August last season.

POOLE 58
B. Kurtz,2,3,3,1=9 (4)
N.Covatti,1',0,2',2'=5+3 (4)
N.Klindt,3,3,2,3,1=12 (5)
J.Grajczonek,1,1,1',3=6+1 (4)
J.Holder,3,2,3,3,3=14 (5)
T.Jonasson,1',0,1,2'=4+2 (4)
R.Douglas,2,2',3,1=8+1 (4)

KING'S LYNN 32
C.Wirtzfeld,0,0,0,NS=0 (3)
C.Harris,3,2,E,1,0,2=8 (5)
E.Riss,2,3,1,2,1,0=9 (6)
Rider Replacement
C.Cook,1,2,3,2,2=10 (5)
L.Kerr,3,0,1',0,RS,0,0=4+1 (6)
N.Porsing,0,0,RS,1,0,0,RS=1 (5)

Ht 1: C.Harris, B. Kurtz, N.Covatti, C.Wirtzfeld 3-3 3-3 [60.5]
Ht 2: L.Kerr, R.Douglas, T.Jonasson, N.Porsing 3-3 6-6 [60.63]
Ht 3: N.Klindt, E.Riss, J.Grajczonek, N.Porsing 4-2 10-8 [61]
Ht 4: J.Holder, R.Douglas, C.Cook, L.Kerr 5-1 15-9 [60.1]
Ht 5: N.Klindt, C.Harris, J.Grajczonek, C.Wirtzfeld 4-2 19-11 [60.5]
Ht 6: B. Kurtz, C.Cook, L.Kerr, N.Covatti 3-3 22-14 [60.09]
Ht 7: E.Riss, J.Holder, N.Porsing, T.Jonasson 2-4 24-18 [61.19]
Ht 8: R.Douglas, N.Covatti, C.Harris, N.Porsing 5-1 29-19 [61.34]
Ht 9: C.Cook, N.Klindt, J.Grajczonek, L.Kerr 3-3 32-22 [60.22]
Ht 10: B. Kurtz, N.Covatti, E.Riss, C.Harris 5-1 37-23 [60.87]
Ht 11: J.Holder, C.Harris, T.Jonasson, C.Wirtzfeld 4-2 41-25 [60.75]
Ht 12: N.Klindt, E.Riss, R.Douglas, N.Porsing 4-2 45-27 [61.56]
Ht 13: J.Holder, C.Cook, B. Kurtz, L.Kerr 4-2 49-29 [61.19]
Ht 14: J.Grajczonek, T.Jonasson, E.Riss, L.Kerr 5-1 54-30 [61.22]
Ht 15: J.Holder, C.Cook, N.Klindt, E.Riss 4-2 58-32 [61.28]

REFEREE Mr Ronnie Allan

GATES KING'S LYNN won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE choses gates 1&3 in heat 15

League Points: POOLE 3 KING'S LYNN 0

WEYMOUTH 16
J.Clouting,3,3,2=8 (3)
S.Peters,0,0,0=0 (3)
C.Kirtley-Paine,0,0,0=0 (3)
J.Laker,3,2,3=8 (3)
Isle of Wight 20
C.Wirtzfeld,2,3,3=8 (3)
M.Williams,1',1,1'=3+2 (3)
J.Sealy,1',1',1=3+2 (3)
C.Watts,2,2,2=6 (3)

Ht 1: J.Clouting, C.Wirtzfeld, M.Williams, S.Peters 3-3 3-3 [64.91]
Ht 2: J.Laker, C.Watts, J.Sealy, C.Kirtley-Paine 3-3 6-6 [66.81]
Ht 3: J.Clouting, C.Watts, J.Sealy, S.Peters 3-3 9-9 [64.62]
Ht 4: C.Wirtzfeld, J.Laker, M.Williams, C.Kirtley-Paine 2-4 11-13 [64.65]
Ht 5: J.Laker, C.Watts, M.Williams, S.Peters 3-3 14-16 [66.97]
Ht 6: C.Wirtzfeld, J.Clouting, J.Sealy, C.Kirtley-Paine 2-4 16-20 [64.84]