Individual Glory Eludes Monarchs Pair

NEWS Sunday 15th October 2017, 0:31am

by Graham Muncie

  Edinburgh Monarchs

The season was not to end on a high for our participants in the SGB Championship Individual Riders Championship on Saturday evening as both Sam Masters and Ricky Wells were to be eliminated before the final and could make a dash back along the M8 to attend the dinner dance.

Ricky had the better night of the two as he recorded 2 heat wins on his way to a semi final place while Sam despite winning his first race was not to bother the scorers the rest of the way and finished on a disappointing 3 points.

The meeting was not one that will be remembered as one for the ages with only 4 of the 22 races providing any passing after the 3rd bend of the first lap although it has to be said that track preparation was hampered by the consistent rain in Glasgow in the run up to the event and a well done has to go to the Glasgow track staff for providing a surface that was smooth and consistent throughout.

Monarchs fans did not have long to wait to see one of their men in action as Ricky was out in heat 1. Out of the unfavourable outside gate our man did well to slot into second behind a fast starting Stevie Worrall and that was that.

Sam’s first ride was to be the highlight of the early heats as he again from the outside gate made a tremendous jump to get across the field and lead into the 1st bend. Home favourite Richard Lawson made a strong challenge coming out of the 2nd bend and into the 3rd bend but Sam kept it wound on swooping round the outside and racing to take the chequered flag by half a straight at the end of the race.

This was to be it for Sam with regards scoring as disaster struck in his second outing as he shed a chain while lining up at the start. There still appeared to be time to get a 2nd bike out in time for the start but with no machine forthcoming Sam was excluded under the 2 minutes and he completed his night by retiring while at the back in his next 2 rides before withdrawing from his last race, finishing with just that heat 3 win to his name.

Ricky fared markedly better, after his 2nd place in his first race he backed this up with a heat 8 victory over Jack Holder. While he was scoring well our American did not look like one of the main challengers picking up the points you would expect him to pickup and struggling in his harder heats this being borne out by his 3rd place in heat 12 behind Richie Worrall and Chris Harris and a last place in heat 20 behind Richard Lawson, Stuart Robson and Danny King. Wells had rocketed from the start to head home a hard charging Nick Morris in heat 16 this heat proving crucial as Paul Starke was 3rd and it was the Peterborough man that he defeated on count back to confirm his semi final place.

The semi was to take 3 goes before it was decided. The first running saw Robson and Lawson clash into the 1st bend with Robson coming off worst. Ricky had come out of the 2nd bend in front after an outside swoop but whether this would have been possible if all 4 had remained upright remains to be seen. The second running saw a further clash this time between Morris and Lawson with both going down. At the 3rd time of asking Ricky made a howler of a start and was relegated to the back and could make no impact. Up front Lawson had made a textbook start and romped to victory. It looked like Robson would join him in the final only for the Newcastle man to lock up coming out of the 2nd bend on the 3rd lap allowing Morris to sneak past and take a final spot.

The home fans will have been hopeful of victory going into the final with Lawson and the hitherto unbeaten and impressive looking Richie Worrall making up 2 of the quartet alongside Morris and Chris Harris. As it was though Morris made a fantastic start form gate 4 clamping Worrall on the inside and racing a flawless 4 laps to take victory and the title. Harris also finding his way past Worrall to take silver with the Glasgow men taking the remaining places.