ROCKETMAN 'BOMBED' OUT OF FINAL

Poole Wessex Marine Pirates' number one Richard Lawson, dubbed the 'Rocketman' lost out on a chance of racing in the final of the SGB Championship Riders Championship on Sunday at Scunthorpe after a terrific battle with Chris 'Bomber' Harris in the semi-final.

Richard had made good headway by first getting by Harris and setting chase on leader Kyle Howarth, with places in the final waiting for the first two home, but as is his reputation, Bomber is never beaten until the chequered flag and he managed to make a telling retaliatory pass on the final lap to secure that valuable second place.

Lawson who had totalled nine points in the qualifying heats, all accumulated from his first four rides, with a shed chain on his way to the start for his final outing costing him dearly as he failed to beat the two minute time allowance, spoke most candidly afterwards, claiming "I felt like I was riding all right but it was just one of those meetings. I got into second by getting by Bomber and then I just made a mistake, hit a bit of a greasy bit and I knew coming out of that fourth turn I was vulnerable as I had given him that line and he got me on the last lap, so, that was all she wrote! Possibly if I hadn't had missed my last heat ride and had scored in it I might have been in a better position, either direct in the final if I had got first or second, or even a better pick in the semi if I had only scored a point. You never know do you, but I did get myself in a qualifying position and then threw it away, so it doesn't matter in the end really does it."

Harris went on to win the final from his Glasgow team-mate Howarth whilst, back from an early finish to his 2024 season through illness Steve Worrall who had been the top qualifier finished third, with Charles Wright in fourth.

Ht 1 B.Barker,J.Allen,D.Kemp,J.Sedgmen (59.13)
Ht 2 S.Worrall,S.Masters,D.King,K.Howarth (58.85)
Ht 3 R.Lawson,S.Lambert,D.Thompson,K.Thomson (58.07)
Ht 4 C.Harris,A.Vuolas,C.Wright,T.Zischke (59.24)
Ht 5 D.Kemp,A.Vuolas,S.Masters,K.Thomson (59.97)
Ht 6 C.Harris,K.Howarth,R.Lawson,J.Allen (58.8)
Ht 7 D.King,C.Wright,J.Sedgmen,D.Thompson (rtd) (57.94)
Ht 8 S.Worrall,T.Zischke,S.Lambert,B.Barker (58.55)
Ht 9 K.Howarth,D.Kemp,D.Thompson,T.Zischke (fell) (61.3)
Ht 10 S.Masters,C.Wright,S.Lambert,J.Allen (59.84)
Ht 11 S.Worrall,J.Sedgmen,C.Harris,K.Thomson (59.25)
Ht 12 R.Lawson,A.Vuolas,B.Barker,D.King (59.18)
Ht 13 D.King,C.Harris,S.Lambert,D.Kemp (rtd) (61.37)
Ht 14 S.Worrall,J.Allen,D.Thompson,A.Vuolas (60.11)
Ht 15 J.Sedgmen,R.Lawson,S.Masters,T.Zischke (59.34)
Ht 16 C.Wright,K.Howarth,B.Barker,K.Thomson (59.37)
Ht 17 C.Wright,S.Worrall,L.Harrison (Res),D.Kemp,R.Lawson (dq2mins) (62.89)
Ht 18 T.Zischke,J.Allen,D.King,K.Thomson (60.76)
Ht 19 K.Howarth,A.Vuolas,J.Sedgmen,S.Lambert (60.13)
Ht 20 B.Barker,D.Thompson,S.Masters,C.Harris (59.95)
Ht 21 (semi final) K.Howarth,C.Harris,R.Lawson,B.Barker (61.32)
Ht 22 (final) C.Harris,K.Howarth,S.Worrall,C.Wright