BUXTON Bulls opened their team campaign with a 37-35 victory over the NDL Nomads in a challenge fixture at Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
The meeting was curtailed after twelves races with the result standing after Bulls skipper Jack Smith and Nomads captain Connor Coles crashed in heat thirteen resulting in former Potters rider Coles being taken to hospital leaving SCB referee Graeme Hunter no option but to abandon the meeting due to lack of medical cover.
The Bulls started strongly as Alfie Bowtell and partner Arran Butcher took a 5-1 in the opening heat and then extended their lead in heat four as Jack Smith and Bailey Fellows gained a 4-2 over Jack Kingston to give the home side a 15-9 lead.
The Bulls continued their strong start as Bowtell and Butcher gained their second maximum heat win of the afternoon over Ben Whalley in heat six, and Butcher continued his unbeaten run in heat eight as he defeated Sam Woods, with Bailey Fellows holding off Owen Booth for a 4-2 as Buxton had a commanding 30-18 lead at the midway point of the meeting.
Kingston and Whalley combined to gain the Nomads their first heat advantage as they kept Luke Harris at bay for a 1-5 after Jamie Etherington had been disqualified after falling, reducing the Bulls’ lead to eight points as the home side lead 31-23 after nine heats.
The Nomads continued their recovery as former Buxton Hitmen rider Jack Roberts took victory in heat ten from Butcher, lowering his colours for the first time of the afternoon, with Alex Spooner taking third place for a 4-2 heat win, leaving the Nomads trailing by just six points with five heats remaining. Connor Coles took victory for the visitors in heat eleven, and with Woods taking third place behind Bulls skipper Smith, the Nomads were coming on strong in the second half of the meeting as they trailed 35-31. Roberts and Whalley reduced the Bulls’ lead to just two points as they continue the fightback with a 4-2 over Luke Harris, with three races remaining, the visitors trailed 37-35.
Bulls team manager Laurence Rogers commented, “Firstly, our thoughts are with Connor (Coles), and we wish him a speedy recovery as no one likes to see a rider taken to hospital.
“It was a good run out for us as a team and allowed us to get any gremlins out of the way and let the riders get to know each other on track and blow away the cobwebs from the close season.”
BUXTON 37:
Arran Butcher 9+2, Luke Harris 8, Jack Smith 8, Alfie Bowtell 6, Bailey Fellows 3+1, Jack Shimelt 2, Jamie Etherington 1+1
NDL NOMADS 35:
Jack Roberts 10, Ben Whalley 7+1, Connor Coles 7, Jack Kingston 5, Alex Spooner 3, Sam Woods 3, Owen Booth 0
