Edinburgh Monarchs 62: Berwick Bandits 28
Premier National Trophy
Lothian Arena, Armadale
Friday 4th April 2001
Peter Waite, the Berwick promoter, has spent a lot of time and money assembling their team. Three new Czech riders plus one South African, a local favourite form the basis of the team. There were suggestions of average manipulation to enable two new heat leaders to be fitted in. Having seen the performance of the recast team at Armadale, most will be wondering why he bothered.
Berwick were outclassed in every department as Monarchs picked up the easiest win they are likely to have this year. Monarchs took an early grip and never looked in any danger. The match was all but secured by heat 10. At this point four Edinburgh riders were still unbeaten by the visitors.
The weather was fine and the track was dry. Many riders experienced some problems on the fourth bend while Bandit's South African reserve also had problems on the first bend and the second bend.
Edinburgh were at full strength while Berwick included new signings Scott Robson and Scott Lamb.
Gate position B was used with Berwick off 1 and 3 in heat one
Heat 1: Robert Eriksson, Blair Scott, Michal Makovsky [58.1]
Eriksson gated with Rymel in close attendance. Blair Scott was at the back going into the third bend and swept around Makovsky. Rymel fell on the fourth bend. Blair Scott avoided Rymel but Makovsky was baulked allowing Scott to build a big lead. Makovsky had a go at catching up but fell short.
(5-1) (5-1)
Heat 2: Christian Henry, Josef Franc, Derek Sneddon [59.6]
Bevan Compton made a quick start but fell on the first bend. Franc was leading up the back straight but was passed by Henry in good style.
(4-2) (9-3)
Heat 3: Peter Carr, Scott Robson, René Aas, David Meldrum [58.2]
Peter Carr won without any difficulty from Scott Robson. René Aas held off David Meldrum after a strong challenge.
(4-2) (13-5)
Heat 4: Jan Andersen, Derek Sneddon, Scott Lamb [59.3]
Bevan Compton shot out of the gate and lasted as far as the second bend when he fell. Jan Andersen and Derek Sneddon established a lead and Scott Lamb could make no impression.
(5-1) (18-6)
Heat 5: Peter Carr, Michal Makovsky, René Aas, Adrian Rymel [58.2]
Peter Carr was comfortably ahead of Rymel and Makovsky until Rymel made a mistake on the fourth bend allowing Aas to get past on the home straight. Subsequently both Carr and Makovsky have problems on the fourth bend.
(4-2) (22-8)
Heat 6: Robert Eriksson, Scott Lamb, Josef Franc, Blair Scott [58.9]
Robert Eriksson led from the gate with Blair Scott at the back. Scott then tried a Peter Carr style second bend cutback but nearly lost control. Blair slipped a long way back and was unable to catch up with Franc.
(3-3) (25-11)
Heat 7: Jan Andersen, Christian Henry, Scott Robson [59.4]
Jan Andersen gated ahead of David Meldrum who fell on the fourth bend. Christian Henry chased Scott Robson all the way. There was some good team-riding from Andersen to slow things down and block Robson's path to given Henry a chance to make a dramatic pass on the line.
(5-1) (30-12)
Heat 8: Blair Scott, Michal Makovsky, Derek Sneddon [60.5]
Scott Robson came in as a tactical substitute for Bevan Compton. Blair Scott gated from Makovsky. Scott Robson fell on the fourth bend and Derek Sneddon did a good job avoiding him. Robson restarted but later withdrew.
(4-2) (34-14)
Heat 9: Peter Carr, Scott Lamb, René Aas, Josef Franc [58.9]
René Aas made the start but Carr cutback on the second bend to take the lead. It looked like another Monarchs' 5-1 until Scott Lamb passed René Aas on the back straight.
(4-2) (38-16)
Heat 10: Robert Eriksson, Scott Robson, David Meldrum [59.3]
Eriksson and Scott gated and led the race. Scott Robson never gave up pressing Scott. Blair seemed capable of holding his position until he fell on the last bend.
(3-3) (41-19)
Heat 11: Jan Andersen, Michal Makovsky, Christian Henry, Scott Lamb [59.6]
Scott Lamb came in as a tactical substitute for the struggling Rymel. Jan Andersen won as he pleased with most attention focussed on a battle for second place between Christian Henry and Makovsky. It appeared that Henry would pass to secure second place and maintain his paid maximum but the wild looking Czech held him off. On one lap, Henry was nearly put into fourth bend fence and then almost driven into the back straight fence. Following that, Henry wisely backed off and settled for third place.
(4-2) (45-21)
Heat 12: Peter Carr, Scott Robson, Derek Sneddon [Awarded]
Scott Robson and Josef Franc gated but Carr cutback on the second bend to lead. Derek Sneddon produced an outside sweep to pass Josef Franc also on the second bend. Franc later fell on the fourth bend of the third lap. The race was stopped and awarded.
(4-2) (49-23)
Heat 13: Jan Andersen, Robert Eriksson, Scott Lamb, Adrian Rymel [59.4]
Andersen and Eriksson won easily from the gate.
(5-1) (54-24)
Heat 14: Michal Makovsky, Christian Henry, René Aas, Bevan Compton [59.9]
Michal Makovsky replaced Meldrum as a tactical substitute. Makovsky gated and held on to win despite the attentions of Christian Henry on Peter Carr's bike. Henry tried some PC like second bend turns but couldn't get in touch with the Czech. Bevan Compton somehow managed to finish the race a long way behind third placed René Aas.
(3-3) (57-27)
Heat 15: Robert Eriksson, Peter Carr, Scott Robson, Michal Makovsky [58.6]
This heat was an all-too-predictable home maximum with Peter Carr joining Robert Eriksson for the 5-1. When Peter Carr makes a heat 15 appearance with nothing on it, he is clearly enjoying himself!
(5-1) (62-28)
|
Edinburgh Monarchs |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Robert Eriksson |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2* |
3 |
|
|
14+1 |
|
Blair Scott |
2* |
0 |
3 |
F |
|
|
|
5+1 |
|
Peter Carr |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2* |
|
|
14+1 |
|
René Aas |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1* |
|
4+1 |
||
|
Jan Andersen |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
12 |
|
|
Christian Henry |
3 |
2* |
1 |
2 |
|
|
8+1 |
|
|
Derek Sneddon |
1 |
2* |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
5+1 |
|
Berwick Bandits |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Adrian Rymel |
F |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
|
Michal Makovsky |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
|
10 |
|
Scott Robson |
2 |
1 |
R |
2 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
|
|
David Meldrum |
0 |
0 |
1* |
|
|
|
|
1+1 |
|
Scott Lamb |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
6 |
|
|
Josef Franc |
2 |
1* |
0 |
X |
|
|
|
3+1 |
|
Bevan Compton |
F |
F |
0 |
|
|
|
|
0 |
It was all too easy for the Edinburgh heat leaders who all took maximums. It looked for a time as if Christian Henry would pick-up his first maximum until he was edged out by Michal Makovsky in his last two rides. Derek Sneddon had a good meeting with a fine win over Scott Lamb in heat 4.
Only Blair Scott and René Aas were disappointing. Scott was hit and miss and although he had two good (paid) wins he was the only Edinburgh rider to fail to score in a heat. René Aas was steady but showed none of his characteristic explosive gating and time may be running out.
For Berwick there were few, if any, plus points. Makovsky was their most competitive rider if arguably their scariest. Adrian Rymel again struggled at Armadale as last year with the Jawa Czech touring team. Josef Franc certainly didn't look like the number six in the World Under-21 Championship.
Scott Robson was competitive with the home second strings and reserves but never troubled the heat leaders. Scott Lamb improved slightly as the match went on but was nowhere near his best. David Meldrum toiled and only collected a gifted point in heat 10. As for Bevan Compton, he was certainly sharp from the gate and aggressive but his control was on a par with that of Scott Smith on a bad day!
The statistics say it all. Edinburgh riders won 14 out of 15 heats, tactical substitute Michal Makovsky breaking the run in heat 14. Berwick riders took 13 last places or non-scoring rides. Monarchs collected five 5-1 maximums, seven 4-2 heat advantages, and three 3-3 tied heats.
John Lowe