Premier League Best Pairs
Derwent Park, Workington
Saturday 8th July 2000
Workington retained their Premier League Best Pairs title after an absolutely farcical meeting at Derwent Park. Rain had been falling steadily for two hours before the meeting and it should not have started. The rain continued throughout the meeting and the track was partially waterlogged. The conditions ensured that whoever made the gate was certain to win as riders behind became splattered with wet shale and were unable to see where they were going let alone race.
There were supposed to be 20 qualifying heats, ten for each of two groups. However the group stages were curtailed after each pair had competed in two heats rather than four with the top two proceeding to the semi-finals.
The fact that Channel 5 were filming for a documentary may have had something to do with the decision to go ahead with the meeting rather than postpone it until Sunday. This was described as the worse speedway meeting of all time by one observer.
Edinburgh, Sheffield, Workington, and controversially the Isle of Wight qualified for the semi-finals. Edinburgh and Sheffield both provided semi-final winners but both lost. Workington took an easy win in the final against the Islanders.
Heat 1: Carl Stonehewer, Mick Powell, Frank Smart [68.6]
Paul Fry retired at the tapes.
(Workington 7: Swindon 2)
Heat 2: Peter Carr, Michael Coles, Robert Eriksson, Mark Simmons [69.1]
A heat advantage to Edinburgh.
(Edinburgh 6: Swindon 3)
Heat 3: Ray Morton, Chris Neath, Ben Howe [58.6]
Danny Bird retired gifting an advantage to Newport.
(Newport 5: Isle of Wight 4)
Heat 4: Garry Stead, Paul Bentley, Paul Thorp [70.3]
Alan Mogridge blinded by shale and hit the fence and was excluded. Stead took re-run.
(Hull 6: Berwick 3)
Heat 5: Frank Smart, Bjarne Pedersen, Paul Fry, André Compton [71.3]
Heat advantage to Swindon.
(Swindon 6: Newcastle 3)
Heat 6: Robbie Kessler, Sean Wilson, Mark Simmons [72.0]
Michael Coles retired with mechanical problems.
(Sheffield 7: Exeter 2)
Heat 7: Carl Stonehewer, Mick Powell, Chris Neath, Ben Howe [72.1]
Another maximum for the home pairing.
(Workington 7: Newport 2)
Heat 8: Robert Eriksson, Garry Stead, Peter Carr [73.5]
Paul Thorp was two minuted yet neither reserve, Jon Swales and Jamie Swales, was brought in.
(Edinburgh 6: Hull 3)
Heat 9: Ray Morton, Bjarne Pedersen, André Compton [71.5]
Danny Bird retired for a second time but Ray Morton won his second heat.
(Newcastle 5: Isle of Wight 4)
Heat 10: Sean Wilson, Paul Bentley, Alan Mogridge [71.0]
Robbie Kessler was hit with engine problems.
(Berwick 5: Sheffield 4)
At this point a halt was called and the top two from each Group progressed through to the semi-final.
|
Group A |
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|
Workington |
||||||
|
Carl Stonehewer |
4 |
4 |
8 |
|||
|
Mick Powell |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|||
|
Total |
7 |
7 |
14 |
|||
|
Swindon |
||||||
|
Frank Smart |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|||
|
Paul Fry |
E |
2 |
2 |
|||
|
Total |
2 |
6 |
8 |
|||
|
Newport |
||||||
|
Chris Neath |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|||
|
Ben Howe |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|||
|
Total |
5 |
2 |
7 |
|||
|
Isle of Wight |
||||||
|
Ray Morton |
4 |
4 |
8 |
|||
|
Danny Bird |
R |
R |
0 |
|||
|
Total |
4 |
4 |
8 |
|||
|
Newcastle |
||||||
|
André Compton |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|||
|
Bjarne Pedersen |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|||
|
Total |
3 |
5 |
8 |
Workington took top place in this Group with maximum points. It was a real lottery for second place with Newcastle, Swindon, and Isle of Wight locked together on 8 [points only one ahead of Newport. The Isle of Wight got the nod because they had two race wins compared to none for Newcastle and one for Swindon. This produced a farcical situation of a team qualifying for the semi-final without taking a heat advantage. So much for team riding!
|
Group B |
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|
Edinburgh |
||||||
|
Peter Carr |
4 |
2 |
6 |
|||
|
Robert Eriksson |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|||
|
Total |
6 |
6 |
12 |
|||
|
Exeter |
||||||
|
Michael Coles |
3 |
R |
3 |
|||
|
Mark Simmons |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|||
|
Total |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|||
|
Hull |
||||||
|
Gary Stead |
4 |
3 |
7 |
|||
|
Paul Thorp |
2 |
M |
2 |
|||
|
Total |
6 |
3 |
9 |
|||
|
Berwick |
||||||
|
Alan Mogridge |
X |
2 |
2 |
|||
|
Paul Bentley |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|||
|
Total |
3 |
5 |
8 |
|||
|
Sheffield |
||||||
|
Sean Wilson |
3 |
4 |
7 |
|||
|
Robbie Kessler |
4 |
R |
4 |
|||
|
Total |
7 |
4 |
11 |
There were no arguments about the two qualifiers in this Group. Edinburgh dropped only two points while Sheffield dropped only three.
Semi-final 1: Sean Wilson, Mick Powell, Carl Stonehewer, Robbie Kessler [69.9]
Sean Wilson won but Powell and Stonehewer filled the minor placings to see the home team through.
(Workington 4: Sheffield 3)
Semi-final 2: Peter Carr, Ray Morton, Danny Bird, Robert Eriksson []
Peter Carr took this race but Ray Morton and Danny Bird with his only points of the meeting ensured the outsiders a place in the final.
(Isle of Wight 4: Edinburgh 3)
Consolation final: Sean Wilson, Robbie Kessler, Robert Eriksson, Peter Carr [71.5]
Sheffield took a maximum to secure third place.
(Sheffield 7: Edinburgh 2)
Final: Carl Stonehewer, Mick Powell, Ray Morton, Danny Bird []
A comfortable win for the home team.
(Workington 7: Isle of Wight 2)
Man of the match: Sean Wilson