Monarchs' top rider, Peter Carr denied suggestions that he was to quit the club after his 20-year Testimonial. Peter is alleged to have had a bust up with Monarchs promoter John Campbell after the final heat defeat by Newcastle at Armadale.
Peter was leading heat 15 and appeared to have ensured at least a draw for Edinburgh. James Grieves was battling to get past the team riding Newcastle pair when he fell and caused the heat to be rerun.
Peter was feeling the pressure in the rerun and hit the tapes. Blair Scott came in and Newcastle won the heat 5-1 to take the match. It was alleged that Peter was blamed for the loss and that Carr had to be calmed down by Kenny McKinna in the pits afterwards.
Peter said "John made a couple of comments which he's entitled to do, he can say what he wants as I did break the tapes. I don't think he actually said that I had cost the the club the title. I'm not saying what he said. I don't want to get into a slanging match which might cause bad feeling until the end of the season. I'm not planning to call it a day and I think I will see out the season."
John Campbell denied blaming Carr saying: "There were other candidates for that. There was no comment passed on the tape breaking incident. Peter broke the tapes because he had no chance of coming from the back as the track was slick. I told him the track would be deep and wet for this weeks visit by Sheffield. Peter doesn't like the way I want the track to be which is why I told him before he left the stadium to give him a week to think about it."
More controversy hit Carr on Saturday when the Sun carried a piece about Peter's brother Louis, who is co-promoter at Sheffield. This contained the hoary old allegations that Peter has been involved in tyre tampering. Two years ago, Peter was subject to a whispering campaign to the effect that he was riding with a 'big' engine. When Peter's engine was subjected to a routine examination, it came out at 498cc! Some riders and their apologists find it hard that a 36 year old who was dismissed as past it five years ago continues to beat them.
Peter Carr has an amazing record at Armadale this year with five full maximums and seven paid maximums in fifteen matches. He has dropped only ten points in ten home Premier League matches. Three of these ten points were lost due to an engine failure against Workington and another three due to the tape tuching against Newcastle. Only three visiting riders have finished in front of Peter on the track in Premier League matches at Armadale: Brent Werner, David Walsh, and Robert Eriksson.
He has yet to drop a point after three home Premier National Trophy matches and has missed out on only two points in two home Premier League Cup matches. Both these points were lost to Carlos 'the peterbeater' Stonehewer.
This is very much a continuation of his Armadale form ever since he came out of retirement in 1997. His first match was against Sheffield and after falling when well ahead in his first two rides, he finished with three easy wins. Ever since then he has continued to beat the opposition out of sight. The difference is that, this year, he has eliminated the falls that reduced his average in 1997 and the engine problems that bedevilled his 1998 season.
The comments from Louis Carr may indicate that Sheffield are far from confident about the two leg Premier League Cup tie against Monarchs over the next week given Sheffield's recent away form. He is probably off at least one Christmas card list!
Peter is unsure what effect the recent problems will have on team spirit especially in view of the defeat at Berwick on Friday. Peter said: "I don't want to say whether the events of Friday effected my performance or not. I didn't make good starts and the track was a bit heavy and my bike is set up for the smaller circuits."