RESULT: POOLE 56 COVENTRY 34 - ELITE SHIELD

Elite Shield holders Poole took a major stride towards a successful defence of the title with a 22 point opening home win against Coventry.

Local lad Kyle Newman weighed in with an impressive unbeaten performance  and Australian Champion Brady Kurtz made a solid and progressively improving debut, but the star of the show was returning Dane Hans Andersen.

Against his former club Andersen went unbeaten in his programmed rides and could well have made it a full house had his move on Coventry debutant Kacper Woryna been less clumsy.  In driving through a gap Andersen took out the young Pole who had looked lively in his first appearance at the track where his grandfather Antoni became a favourite.

Poole had to work their way back into the meeting after a slowish start, with Coventry getting the better of the early exchanges although they were given a helping hand when Adam Ellis miscounted the laps in heat 2. He and Newman were sitting on a sure-fire 5-1 but having passed the yellow and black flag Ellis mistook it for the last lap , slowed up , allowing Sarjeant and Bates to pass him.

Ellis though soon made amends with two good race wins to his credit, his heat 5 victory  with Kryzsztof Buczkowski backing up in third after Bates had been left at the tapes, enabled Poole  to level the meeting  as it came on the back of an Andersen & Newman 5-1.  

Poole were untroubled hereafter and a with the Bees failing to make inroads with their tactical use option when Chris Harris ran a rare last place the meeting very much became a one-sided affair.

Only skipper Dave Watt failed to collect either a win or a paid win admitting afterwards "I was on a new engine tonight but I just could not figure how to get it to stop spinning up so much. For me personally it was a frustrating night. Adam had a problem in heat 2 and I had problems from about seven o'clock but the team did a good job around me. I have to say I was pretty much as nervous as I ever have been. It wasn't the start to a season I wanted but the team did really well, there were some very good signs out there tonight."

Newman's opening paid maximum of the season came aboard an engine he had purchased from Darcy Ward and claimed afterwards "I don’t normally get off to good starts but everything pretty much dialled in for me from the off. I was happy with the motor and it is good to think that Darcy is still a factor in our success."

The meeting concluded with the inaugural staging of the Pete Ansell Memorial Race with new boy Krzysztof Buczkowski writing his name into the club's history by winning the battle of the four Pirates, heading home Watt (2nd), Brady Kurtz (3rd) and Newman.

The Pirates travel to Coventry on Friday looking to defend that 22 point advantage and keep the Elite Shield at Wimborne Road for the third successive season.


POOLE 56
C. Holder 2,2',3,2,3=12+1
B. Kurtz 0,1,3,2'=6+1
D. Watt 0,1,2,1=4
H. Andersen 3,3,2',3,Dq=11+1
K. Buczkowski 1,3,1',1'=6+2
A. Ellis 0,3,1,3=7
K. Newman 3,2',3,2'=10+2
Coventry 34
R. Replacement =0
J. Garrity 1,2,0,0,0=3
D. King 2',0,3,1,0=6+1
K. Woryna 1,0,1,2,2,1'=7+1
C. Harris 3,3,2,0,3,2=13
J. Sarjeant 2,0,1,0=3
J. Bates 1',R,0,1=2+1

Ht 1 C. Harris C. Holder J. Garrity B. Kurtz 2-4 (2-4) (60.09)
Ht 2 K. Newman J. Sarjeant J. Bates A. Ellis 3-3 (5-7) (61.12)
Ht 3 C. Harris D. King K. Buczkowski D. Watt 1-5 (6-12) (60.56)
Ht 4 H. Andersen K. Newman K. Woryna J. Bates (Rtd) 5-1 (11-13) (60.75)
Ht 5 A. Ellis J. Garrity B. Kurtz J. Sarjeant 4-2 (15-15) (61.06)
Ht 6 H. Andersen C. Harris D. Watt K. Woryna 4-2 (19-17) (60.22)
Ht 7 K. Buczkowski C. Holder K. Woryna D. King 5-1 (24-18) (60.75)
Ht 8 K. Newman H. Andersen J. Sarjeant J. Garrity 5-1 (29-19) (61.21)
Ht 9 B. Kurtz K. Woryna A. Ellis J. Bates 4-2 (33-21) (60.41)
Ht 10 D. King D. Watt K. Buczkowski J. Garrity 3-3 (36-24) (61.16)
Ht 11 C. Holder B. Kurtz D. King C. Harris (TR) 5-1 (41-25) (60.68)
Ht 12 A. Ellis K. Newman J. Bates J. Sarjeant 5-1 (46-26) (61.59)
Ht 13 C. Harris C. Holder K. Buczkowski J. Garrity 3-3 (49-29) (61)
Ht 14 H. Andersen K. Woryna D. Watt D. King 4-2 (53-31) (61.13)
Ht 15 C. Holder C. Harris K. Woryna H. Andersen(D/Q) 3-3 (56-34) (61.53)

Ht 16: Pete Ansell Memorial Race: K.Buczkowski, D.Watt, B.Kurtz, K.Newman

Referee Dave Robinson
Gates:   Poole win toss and take gates 1&3, Coventry took gates 1&3 in heat 15

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