The victorious Devils Image Credit: Steve Brock

Plymouth Win After A Memorable Weekend

NEWS Sunday 24th July 2016, 6:03pm

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The new-look Fours weekend proved to be a big success for everyone, organisers, fans and most of all the excellent winners the Plymouth Devils.

Sunday's action started with the individual event, a little bit of an anti-climax perhaps as it featured riders from the losing teams in Saturday's semis. Nevertheless there was some good racing.

Our representatives were Erik Riss and Ryan Fisher who got off to a good start in heat three, Erik passing Ryan to win against the Somerset pair. It was an odd format, individual but in three groups with team pairings sticking together.

Erik didn't add to his three points but Ryan totalled eight, including one good win when he swept round the Redcar pair. Ryan was eliminated when he came third in the first semi-final.

The individual winner was Scunthorpe's Ryan Douglas,  just ahead of Steve Worrall and Ben Barker. Richie Worrall was excluded for knocking his brother off!

The early stages of the final strangely enough provided some of the most processional racing of the weekend with the re-prepared track proving quite tricky.

At the half way stage the scores stood Peterborough 14, Plymouth and Workington 12, Berwick 10. The Bandits faded though leaving the Comets and Devils to do battle with the home boys.

The racing improved and the scores were enthrallingly close, until we reached the final heat with Plymouth and Workington both on 27 and Peterborough 25. So the home team could not win unless Kevin Doolan headed both Brady Kurtz and Kenneth Hansen behind Ulrich Ostergaard.

It proved to be Aussie champ Kurtz who went like a rocket round the outside line to win, with Hansen (one of the stars of the weekend) stuck behind Ostergaard for a bit before taking second.

So Plymouth were popular winners on 30, Workington 29, Peterborough 25 and Berwick 12.

The crowd lapped up the action, fans of all clubs in true speedway style standing or sitting together while cheering on their teams. Monarchs stars Sam Masters and Kevin Wolbert stayed to watch the event but they along with Ryan Fisher will shortly head for Vastervik, Sweden for their World Cup event on Tuesday.