Swindon Robins v Poole Pirates

For the second time this season the No.1 Carpet Cleaning Pirates came away from the new Swindon track with a draw, taking their tally of league points for the day to five from a possible seven.

Poole slipped behind to an eight point deficit as early as heat three, a sequence of races that saw three Pirates - Jack Holder, Nico Covatti and Josh Grajczonek - fail to finish their respective rides. 

But rather than dwell on the problems the Pirates began to rally and a runaway win by Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen in heat four, his second of the night, backed up by Nicolai Klindt as the mechanical gremlins crept into the Robins' camp, allowed Poole to close the gap. Holder and Richie Worrall did the same in heat five after a period of extensive track grading, but then for the second time of the night Swindon's guest Rasmus Jensen, soon to be permanent team member, warmed himself to the Robins fans as he paired up with Jason Doyle for a 5-1 result.

With heat seven shared when Klindt and Grajczonek followed home Troy Batchelor the Pirates set about trying to reduce another eight point deficit, Worrall doing exceptionally well to lower Jensen's colours for the first time whilst Busk Jakobsen was never too far out of the action. Covatti made a superb start in heat nine and found himself being partnered to a 5-1 by Holder who cleverly fended off Batchelor. Two heats later it was another Holder victory over Batchelor that enabled Poole to level the meeting Worrall picking up the point for third. 

So, 11 heats done. Scores square at 33 a piece, the Pirates were looking for something from heat 12 but after a false start caused by Adam Ellis was called back it was the Robins who broke the deadlock. Ellis trapped fairly and squarely and it took some determination by Klindt to get by Perks thus minimising the damage.

Holder's personal battle with Batchelor went his way again when they met in heat 13, Jason Doyle having pulled out of the heat wih a shoulder injury, but both Aussies had to pass early leader Richie Worrall, and again, with a Poole 4-2 squaring the meeting we were left facing a crucial last heat decider.

Holder responded to the cause with yet another win over Batchelor, who followed home Jensen but Klindt lost out on an early third place, eventually pulling up on the last lap, as the meeting drew to a close amidst the rain.
 

SWINDON 45
J.Doyle 2',2',1'=5+3
R.Jensen 3,2',3,2,2,2=14+1
R.Replacement 
A.Ellis 3,2,0,3,3=11
T.Batchelor 2,3,1,2,2,1'=11+1
Z.Wajtknecht 2,0,0,0,0=2
E.Perks 1',R,0,1,0=2+1

POOLE 45
J.Holder R,3,2',3,3,3=14+1
R.Worrall 1,1,3,1,1=7
N.Klindt 1,1,2,3,2,R=9
J.Grajczonek R,1',0,2=3+1
R.Replacement 
N.Covatti R,0,3,0=3
N.Busk Jakobsen 3,3,1,1,1'=9+1

Ht 1:  R.Jensen,  J.Doyle,  R.Worrall,  J.Holder  (Rtd) 5-1  5-1 |62.24]
Ht 2:  N.Busk Jakobsen,  Z.Wajtknecht,  E.Perks,  N.Covatti  (Rtd) 3-3  8-4 [63.11]
Ht 3:  A.Ellis,  R.Jensen  (RR),  N.Klindt,  J.Grajczonek  (Rtd) 5-1  13-5 [62.58]
Ht 4:  N.Busk Jakobsen,  T.Batchelor,  N.Klindt  (RR),  E.Perks  (Rtd) 2-4  15-9 [62.68]
Ht 5:  J.Holder,  A.Ellis,  R.Worrall,  Z.Wajtknecht  (RR) 2-4  17-13 [63.21]
Ht 6:  R.Jensen,  J.Doyle,  N.Busk Jakobsen  (RR),  N.Covatti 5-1  22-14 [62.52]
Ht 7:  T.Batchelor,  N.Klindt,  J.Grajczonek,  Z.Wajtknecht 3-3  25-17 [63.24]
Ht 8:  R.Worrall,  R.Jensen,  N.Busk Jakobsen,  E.Perks 2-4 27-21 [63.61]
Ht 9:  N.Covatti,  J.Holder  (RR),  T.Batchelor  (RR),  A.Ellis 1-5  28-26 [62.86]
Ht 10:  N.Klindt,  R.Jensen,  J.Doyle,  J.Grajczonek 3-3  31-29 [63.36]
Ht 11:  J.Holder,  T.Batchelor,  R.Worrall,  Z.Wajtknecht 2-4  33-33 [62.61]
Ht 12:  A.Ellis  (RR),  N.Klindt,  E.Perks,  N.Covatti 4-2  37-35 [62.21]
Ht 13:  J.Holder,  T.Batchelor,  R.Worrall  (RR),  E.Perks 2-4  39-39 [63.64]
Ht 14:  A.Ellis,  J.Grajczonek,  N.Busk Jakobsen,  Z.Wajtknecht 3-3  42-42 [63.08]
Ht 15:  J.Holder,  R.Jensen,  T.Batchelor,  N.Klindt  (Rtd) 3-3  45-45 [63.62]
Gates: SWINDON won toss and chose gates 1&3 | POOLE took gates 2&4 in heat 15
Referee Graham Flint
League Points SWINDON 1 POOLE 2
Rider of the Night: Jack Holder
 

Midland and South Development League 

Reading 20
Nick Laurence 2,2' = 4+1
Sam Norris Fx, 3,3 = 6
William O'Keefe 3,2 = 5
Rhys Laker 2',1',2' = 5+3

Weynouth 10
James Laker 3,3 = 6
Sam Peters 1,0,1 = 2
James Jessop 1,1 =2 
Francesca Kirtley-Paine 0,0,0 = 0

1. J.Laker, N.Laurence, S.Peters, S.Norris (fell exc) 2-4 2-4 (74.24)
2. W.O'Keefe, R.Laker, J.Jessop, F.Kirtley-Paine 5-1 7-5 (80.24)
3. S.Norris, N.Laurence, J.Jessop, F.Kirtley-Paine 5-1 12-6 (75.55)
4. J.Laker, W.O'Keefe, R.Laker, S.Peters 3-3 15-9 (84.26)
5. S.Norris, R.Laker, S.Peters, F.Kirtley-Paine 5-1 20-10 (75.08)
6. Meeting Abandoned - Result Stands