Caledonian Riders' Championship
Friday 6th July 2018
Intermediate Individual - Armadale Stadium
1st: Max Ruml, 2nd: Nathan Greaves, 3rd: Jordan Stewart
1. William Lawson 0 0 2 2 4
2. Dale Lamb 1 1 1 R 3
3. Ryan MacDonald 3 0 1 0 4
4. Lewis Millar 2 0 1 0 3
5. Coty Garcia 3 2 3 3 11
6. Jacob Buckhave 0 1 0 1 2
7. David Wallenger 1 2 0 1 4
8. Ellis Perks 2 2 3 1 8
9. Jordan Stewart 0 3 2 2 7
10. Tom Bacon 3 3 2 2 10
11. Nathan Greaves 2 1 0 3 6
12. Max Ruml 1 3 3 3 10
13. Blair Smith 0
Heat 1
Time: 57.5
9. Jordan Stewart  
0
10. Tom Bacon  
3
11. Nathan Greaves  
2
12. Max Ruml  
1
Heat 2
Time: 57.8
5. Coty Garcia  
3
6. Jacob Buckhave  
0
7. David Wallenger  
1
8. Ellis Perks  
2
Heat 3
Time: 61.3
1. William Lawson  
0
2. Dale Lamb  
1
3. Ryan MacDonald  
3
4. Lewis Millar  
2
Heat 4
Time: 58.5
11. Nathan Greaves  
1
1. William Lawson  
0
12. Max Ruml  
3
5. Coty Garcia  
2
Heat 5
Time: 60.7
2. Dale Lamb  
1
3. Ryan MacDonald  
0
9. Jordan Stewart  
3
7. David Wallenger  
2
Heat 6
Time: 59.4
8. Ellis Perks  
2
5. Coty Garcia  
3
11. Nathan Greaves  
0
3. Ryan MacDonald  
1
Heat 7
Time: 58.7
6. Jacob Buckhave  
1
7. David Wallenger  
0
1. William Lawson  
2
10. Tom Bacon  
3
Heat 8
Time: 59.3
4. Lewis Millar  
0
8. Ellis Perks  
3
2. Dale Lamb  
1
9. Jordan Stewart  
2
Heat 9
Time: 59.9
10. Tom Bacon  
2
4. Lewis Millar  
1
5. Coty Garcia  
3
2. Dale Lamb  
R
Heat 10
Time: 59.2
12. Max Ruml  
3
6. Jacob Buckhave  
0
8. Ellis Perks  
1
1. William Lawson  
2
Heat 11
Time: 59.6
3. Ryan MacDonald  
0
7. David Wallenger  
1
10. Tom Bacon  
2
12. Max Ruml  
3
Heat 12
Time: 60.2
11. Nathan Greaves  
3
9. Jordan Stewart  
2
4. Lewis Millar  
0
6. Jacob Buckhave  
1
Semi 1
Time: 60.1
1. William Lawson  
0
5. Coty Garcia  
3
9. Jordan Stewart  
2
10. Tom Bacon  
1
Semi 2
Time: 58.4
11. Nathan Greaves  
2
8. Ellis Perks  
1
3. Ryan MacDonald  
0
12. Max Ruml  
3
Final
Time: 60.2
11. Nathan Greaves  
2
5. Coty Garcia  
0
9. Jordan Stewart  
1
12. Max Ruml  
3

It was an important meeting for Max Ruml at Armadale tonight, as he needed to prove against some useful Championship-level opposition that he is settling in and making progress in the UK. He managed it in style with a convincing and deserved victory in the Caledonian Riders' Championship.

The American said afterwards "Coming into this meeting I hadn't been scoring big points at Armadale. I made some good times and good starts, gained come confidence and I feel it will do a lot for me in the weeks to come.

"I don't know what went on behind me in the final, I was busy looking forward! It will be one to remember, my first Trophy in Great Britain."

Tom Bacon may have started the meeting best, Coty Garcia may have gated best (until the Final), and Nathan Greaves may have pulled off the best pass (on Jordan Stewart in the last qualifying heat) but in the end Max Ruml was the main man. After a third place in a tough opening race who dominated his three remaining qualifiers followed by the semi-final and final.

He didn't just win these last five heats, he absolutely owned them and there was never any doubt about the outcome of any of his heats.

Coty Garcia was the top qualifying scorer on 11, with Ruml and Tom Bacon scoring 10. Garcia and Jordan Stewart went through from the first semi-final, in which Bacon was eliminated, and from the second it was Ruml and Nathan Greaves who went through.

It hadn't been a great night early on for Greaves who is a Wolverhampton regular – he had an unlucky fall in heat 6 thanks to a mechanical defect after going inside Garcia. However he bounced back with a last gasp win in heat 12 and a second place in the final. Jordan Stewart was third with Coty Garcia fourth, missing the gate for the first time.

Amongst the Scots, Ryan MacDonald won his first ride which was enough to win him the pair of Scott Goggles donated by Bert Harkins. That prize might have gone to William Lawson had he not lifted and fallen in his first heat. By heat 10 William had remembered enough about riding Armadale to pass Ellis Perks impressively. Each of the younger Scots looked like they had made progress since the previous event.

It was a pleasant evening in the sunshine, and the racing was interesting if not brilliant. The riders certainly gave their all and early crashes by William Lawson and Jacob Bukhave didn't slow things down too much – the meeting was well under two hours which is the norm at Armadale.

It might have been a "Caledonian" event, but the happiest man was definitely American.

Final Result: Ruml, Greaves, Stewart, Garcia.

Its pressure off for the Staggs Bar Monarchs tonight as most of the team takes a breather and Armadale hosts the Caledonian Riders Championship in association with Bert Harkins and Linlithgow Tyres and Exhausts.

An exciting field of names new and old leads to a competitive evening of racing ahead with many capable of taking the spoils and becoming the second ever CRC winner after Max Clegg's triumph last year.

Looking at the 12 man field assembled it could realistically be argued that as many as 7 or 8 can lift the trophy and as always with a strong Scottish contingent adding to the field each race is sure to throw up intrigue.

Sure to be among the title contenders are former Monarch Coty Garcia not to mention championship stalwarts, Tom Bacon, Nathan Greaves, Ellis Perks and Jordan Stewart.

From a Monarchs point of view Max Ruml will look to build on his excellent performance in last week's KO cup tie against Berwick and gain the extra confidence that further heat wins will surely bring and the Californian would be a very popular home winner.

A further dose of interest comes in the form of William Lawson. This will be the 3rd time in the last 4 weeks we have seen the former world under 21 finalist back at Armadale and after impressing in a tough field in the Golden Jubilee Fours event a fortnight ago. It will be watched on in intently how he performs against this calibre of field where he will be expected to mix it more readily.

One of the main aims of a meeting like this is always to give more competitive track time to the current crop of young Scots with Dale Lamb, Ryan MacDonald and Lewis Millar all looking to impress.

The field is rounded out by potential surprise packets Jacob Bukhave and David Wallinger who steps in as a late replacement for Luke Ruddick.

So all in all a fantastic night of action lies ahead with the added bonus of continued good weather. Who will come out on top? There is only one way to find out and that's to get yourself trackside to cheer on your favourite.

See you there!

Episode 11: Caledonian Riders' Championship

Heat Final