|
www.grasstrack.net |
|---|
| Sidecar
Speedway by Colin Martin |
|---|
2009 British Sidecar Speedway Championship: Round One. The Oak Tree Arena, Edithmead, Highbridge, Somerset. Report by Colin Martin (Soton): Flying BSSC opening for Team Cossar… A brilliant opening meeting to the BSSC at Somerset saw Mark Cossar / Andi Wilson stamp their authority on the event in the Grand Final. A
troubled opening heat for Matt Tyrrell / Shaun Yates, in the defence
of their title, earned a 15 metre penalty for touching the tapes
in a moment’s lapse in concentration. Away
from the start, Craig Cheatham / Dave Hogan had Tris Winterburn / Liam
Brown on their tail as Tyrrell made up the ground, eventually slipping
passed Winterburn into second. Gary Jackson / Carl Blyth had a score line of three wins but heat 5 produced a duck against Cheatham, Ivor Matthews / Rick McAuley and Rod Winterburn / Gareth Winterburn. Matthews was in the wars when pushed wide, overturning in heat 9 despite a hard knock, the heroic Team Matthews, after a check over by the paramedics, took their place in the re-run to finish third. Rod Winterburn / Gareth Winterburn experienced the Oak Tree Arena track for the first time and battled in the only way they know how for a semi final place and five points proved just enough but bowed out at the semi-final stage as did Cheatham, Rich Moore / Rob Winspear: and Roy Spreadbury / Gareth Little. As the deep track began to change, the race times got quicker as Cossar proved in the first semi final ‘We’ve become so used to slick tracks that tonight caught us out trying to find the right set up’ said Andi Wilson. But find the bike setup needed they did as Cossar / Wilson flew away from gate 2 with a clear lead exiting turn two from Jackson, Tyrrell and Matthews. Gary realising it was a forlorn chase settled for second after the leaders pulled away, lap after lap, to take victory with a comfortably margin. Heat results: Heat 1: Heat 2: Heat 3: Heat 4: Heat 5: Heat 6: Heat 7: Heat 8: Heat 9: Heat 10: Heat 11: Heat 12: Semi-Final One: Please note the semi-finals do not count towards the championship points wise: 1st: Mark Cossar / Andi Wilson: 2nd: Matt Tyrrell / Shaun Yates: 3rd:
Rod Winterburn / Gareth Winterburn: Semi-Final Two: 1st: Gary Jackson / Carl Blyth: 2nd: Ivor Matthews / Rick McAuley: 3rd:
Rich Moore / Rob Winspear: Grand Final: 4, 3, 2 and 1 points scoring basis 1st: Mark Cossar / Andi Wilson: 2nd: Gary Jackson / Carl Blyth: 3rd:
Matt Tyrrell / Shaun Yates: After the action, they said: Mark Cossar / Andi Wilson: ‘Over the moon with tonight’s performance but we did struggle to get the bike to work in the early races, waiting until heat seven for our first heat win. Once Gary had gone for gate one in the final, there was no hesitation in selecting two because it worked well for us in semi one. We did make a mistake, on lap two, on the pits turn which allowed Gary to get closer, however, the drive was in the dirt which was close up to the fence, so I had to let the bike drift wide, maybe just a little too wide!’ Championship points after Round One: Mark Cossar / Andi Wilson: 13:
|
|---|