RESULT: POOLE V RYE HOUSE

16/05/18

DESPITE providing the fewer number of race winners the Volvo Cars Poole Pirates "brought the House down" to end their run of league defeats with a 47-43 win over Rye House.

Struggling against heavy track conditions early on, the effects of afternoon rain that hit the Poole area, the Pirates found themselves all too often in the minor placings as Krzysztof Kasprzak, Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls each won their opening two rides. Only Pirates' reserve Stefan Nielsen was able to had his name to the list of race winners by taking victory in heat 2, the Pirates banking a lead-taking 5-1 after Kevin Doolan had been disqualified for bring Szczepaniak down on the opening lap.

Nielsen played a key support role in heat 8 to Linus Sundstrom's race win as Poole regained the advantage that had slipped away from them when fast-trapping Chris Harris and Aaron Summers improved on their opening 4-2 when they combined forces for a second time in heat 5.

The Pirates were desperately unlucky not to extend their lead in the ninth. Exciting Pole Kacper Woryna rode the wall of death round the pit-turn as he tried to relegate birthday boy Nicholls in to third place whilst Josh Grajczonek was ahead. Unable to see the move through Woryna looked setttled in third place until an engine failure beset him on the final turn allowing Doolan to sneak home for a heat share.

The crowd erupted in heat 10 when Kurtz and Sundstrom had the beating of Kasprzak and Poole edged into a six point lead. Grajczonek had to be on full alert to deal with Summers in heat 11 whilst Harris made it three from three, the Rockets trimming a couple of points off the deficit, Poole clinging on to four point advantage by sharing heat 12 as Kaszprzak returned to winning ways.

Heat 13 was delayed as the expected rider replacement, Stefan Nielsen, failed to meet the time allowance and Szczepaniak being called upon to cover as reserve. His team-mate Kurtz made the early running but 40 year old Nicholls used all his experience to outwit the Pirate number one and a lap later Kurtz dropped further back as Harris picked him off. With Rye looking set to level the meeting Harris fell on the final lap giving the Pirates a major let-off.

Nielsen and Grajczonek clinched the victory with a 5-1 in heat 14 but Harris and Nicholls salvaged the consolation point with a similar score in the final race.

POOLE 47
B. Kurtz 0,2,3,2,0=7
L. Sundstrom 2,1',3,2',1=9+2
K. Woryna 2,1,1',R,2=6+1
J. Grajczonek 1',0,3,2,2'=8+2
R. Replacement =0
M. Szczepaniak 2',1',2,0,1'=6+3
S. Nielsen 3,2,2',1',3=11+2

RYE HOUSE 43
C. Harris 3,3,3,FD,3=12
A. Summers 1,2',1,1=5+1
K. Kasprzak 3,3,1,3=10
E. Kennett R,0,0,1=1
S. Nicholls 3,3,2,3,2'=13+1
K. Doolan XD,0,1',0=1+1
M. Clegg 1,0,0,0=1

Ht 1: C. Harris, L. Sundstrom, A. Summers, B. Kurtz 2-4 2-4 [61.13]
Ht 2: S. Nielsen, M. Szczepaniak, M. Clegg, K. Doolan (D/Q) 5-1 7-5 [61.81]
Ht 3: K. Kasprzak, K. Woryna, J. Grajczonek, E. Kennett (Rtd) 3-3 10-8 [61.25]
Ht 4: S. Nicholls, S. Nielsen, M. Szczepaniak, M. Clegg 3-3 13-11 [61.28]
Ht 5: C. Harris, A. Summers, K. Woryna, J. Grajczonek 1-5 14-16 [61.09]
Ht 6: S. Nicholls, B. Kurtz, L. Sundstrom, K. Doolan 3-3 17-19 [60.96]
Ht 7: K. Kasprzak, M. Szczepaniak, K. Woryna, E. Kennett 3-3 20-22 [60.97]
Ht 8: L. Sundstrom, S. Nielsen, A. Summers, M. Clegg 5-1 25-23 [61.09]
Ht 9: J. Grajczonek, S. Nicholls, K. Doolan, K. Woryna (Rtd) 3-3 28-26 [61.59]
Ht 10: B. Kurtz, L. Sundstrom, K. Kasprzak, E. Kennett 5-1 33-27 [61.47]
Ht 11: C. Harris, J. Grajczonek, A. Summers, M. Szczepaniak 2-4 35-31 [61.41]
Ht 12: K. Kasprzak, K. Woryna, S. Nielsen, K. Doolan 3-3 38-34 [61.66]
Ht 13: S. Nicholls, B. Kurtz, M. Szczepaniak, C. Harris (Fell d/q) 3-3 41-37 [awd]
Ht 14: Nielsen, J. Grajczonek, E. Kennett, M. Clegg 5-1 46-38 [62.87]
Ht 15: C. Harris, S. Nicholls, L. Sundstrom, B. Kurtz 1-5 47-43 [61.81]

Gates: RYE HOUSE won toss and chose gates 1&3 | Poole chose gates 1&3 in heat 15
Referee: Margaret Vardy
League Points POOLE 3 RYE HOUSE 1