BUXTON Ductair Bulls gained their first victory since returning to the sport at Hi-Edge Raceway with a 49-39 victory over former local rivals Stoke Potters Select on Sunday afternoon.
Stoke took the lead in the opening heat with a 4-2 from skipper Simon Lambert and Eli Meadows over Luke Harris after Alfie Bowtell retired with engine issues.
That’s where things went downhill for the visitors after both Potters riders were disqualified for falls in separate heats, resulting in the Bulls gaining a 5-0, putting the home side into the lead, and they extended their lead in heat four with skipper Jack Smith and Bailey Fellows gaining a 4-2 over Mickie Simpson, giving the Bulls a 14-9 lead after four heats.
Two 4-2 heat advantages and a 5-1 gave Buxton a commanding 30-17 lead after eight races before Simpson took victory for the Potters in heat nine to stem the tide for a drawn 3-3 race with Smith and Bowtell combining for a 4-2 over Ben Whalley to give the Bulls a 37-22 lead.
Lambert and Meadows combined for a maximum 5-1 for the visitors in heat eleven over Jack Shimelt, after home skipper Smith failed to beat the two-minute time allowance, resulting in his being replaced by Bailey Fellows. Stoke then gained a 4-2 in the following heat from Whalley and Will Boraston over Luke Harris, reducing the Bulls’ lead to just nine points with the scores 40-31.
The Bulls gained a 5-1 in heat thirteen from Bowtell and Smith over Simpson in the rerun of the race after Potter’s captain Lambert and Smith clashed going into the first turn, resulting in both riders falling. At the same time, referee Dave Watters called for all four riders to return. Lambert had to withdraw from the meeting with a shoulder injury. A further 4-2 for Buxton in heat fourteen from Shimelt and Spooner over Sam Woods extended the home side’s lead to fifteen points.
The final heat proved a disaster for the Bulls, though, as the Potters took a 5-0 from the race after Smith and Whalley crashed on the back straight, with Smith being disqualified, and then in the rerun, Bowtell pulled up with engine issues.
Bulls skipper Jack Smith commented, “It was a tough meeting, but it was nice to get our first win since our return as a club. There were some decent performances from the lads this afternoon, and we look forward to getting a few more wins under our belts.”
BUXTON 49:
Jack Smith 11+1, Jack Shimelt 10+1, Luke Harris 9+1, Alex Spooner 8+2, Alfie Bowtell 7, Bailey Fellows 4+1, Jamie Etherington R/R.
STOKE POTTERS SELECT 39:
Ben Whalley 11, Simon Lambert 9, Mickie Simpson 8+1, Eli Meadows 5+1, Sam Woods 3, Will Boraston 3, Max Broadhurst 0.
