Mildenhall Fen Tigers 57 Buxton Hitmen 36

After heavy overnight rain the Mildenhall track was a quagmire early Sunday morning, but the hard work of experienced track curator Bob Ellis ensured both sides had an excellent surface to race on by tapes up!

Although in the main an inexperienced septet the Hitmen provided competitive opposition and held the Fen Tigers to only seven points after nine heats.

Highly experienced number one, the 48 year old Tony Atkin and team Captain Liam Carr were proving a thorn in the Fen Tigers side with Ryan Blacklock also providing good early support. A fine 5-1 in Heat 8 from Connor Coles and a rejuvenated Jack Kingston saw the Fen Tigers go into a ten point lead, only for the Hitmen management to play the Tactical Ride card with Liam Carr being called on to defeat Dan Halsey and Connor Mountain to reduce the deficit.

In a fine race Carr held the ever charging Halsey at bay to reduce the Fen Tigers lead to seven.

That though was as good as it got for the Hitmen as three 5-1’s and a 4-2 in the last six heats saw the Fen Tigers pull away for a convincing 21 point victory. Number one Joe Jacobs scored his third fifteen point maximum in only four meetings this season and he received fine support from the rest of the team with every rider being paid at least seven points.

Club Chairman and Team Manager for the day Kevin Jolly was in a relaxed mood after proceedings –

“The lads made it all very easy for me today from a Team Manager point of view, all I really had to do is decide the riders for Heat 15. After the disappointment of the Cradley meeting last week everyone put in a good shift. Joe was immaculate and scored another fine maximum and the lads not getting regular meetings at the bottom end all showed well. I don’t like to single out individuals, but young Connor Mountain is really impressing with the progress he is making. He is an intelligent young rider and certainly one who I feel will keep improving, there is nothing flash about him, he just quietly goes about his business and listens all the time and takes the information onto the track. I had a few words with Josh during the week and he was back on it today, he was unlucky not to score more and his race with Tony Atkin was a cracker.

It is full steam ahead now to the Kent meeting next Sunday, we know it will be difficult but with the lads all firing I am confident of another victory”

Scorers –

Mildenhall 57 – 1.Jacobs 15(5) 2.Coles 6+1(4), 3.Halsey 11(5) 4.Mountain 5+2(4), 5.Bates 8(4), 6.Johnson 7+1(4), 7.Kingston 5+3(4)

Buxton 36 – 1.Atkin 9(5), 2.Phillips 0(4), 3.Blacklock 5(4), 4.Woolley 3+1(4), 5.Carr 14+1(5 incl 6pt TR), 6.Farnaby 2+2(4), 7.Extance 3(4)