BRITISH hotshot Tai Woffinden led the Young Lions & Euros to a seven-point victory in last night's challenge meeting at Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich.Woffinden, who has already signed for Wolverhampton to ride in next year's Elite League, was in fine form and was ably supported by fellow Brit James Wright and young Swede Linus Sundstrom as the Lions & Euros took control from heat three and were never behind.

Mike Bacon

BRITISH hotshot Tai Woffinden led the Young Lions & Euros to a seven-point victory in last night's challenge meeting at Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich.

Woffinden, who has already signed for Wolverhampton to ride in next year's Elite League, was in fine form and was ably supported by fellow Brit James Wright and young Swede Linus Sundstrom as the Lions & Euros took control from heat three and were never behind.

This proved an entertaining meeting and there was plenty of effort and no little skill from many of the riders on show, some of whom had never seen Foxhall before.

In the end the Eagles & Roos relied too much on Swindon's Travis McGowan and only the use of two tactical rides kept them in the meeting.

With only the 16 Lap Classic to come at Foxhall next week, this meeting provided a good show of some of Europe's young talent and they didn't disappoint.

Woffinden got the Young Lions & Euros off to a good start in heat one as Marcin Liberski rode a fine race to make a good early impression.

McGowan held off Sundstrom in the next after a good first and second turn battle and then Ipswich-born Jeran Hart was a faller on the second bend in the next and was excluded.

At the time Chris Schramm was behind Tom Madsen but Schramm made the most of his second chance, winning comfortably.

Leon Madsen, who had blown an engine in his first race, flew from the start in heat four with partner Woffinden alongside as the Lions & Euros opened up a six-point lead.

And that was extended to ten in heat five with James Wright flying from third to first in style.

Krzysztof Stojanowski had a tactical ride in heat six but he could do nothing to catch Schramm as the racing began to warm up on a bitterly cold night.

Woffinden and Wright were impressing now and they won the next two heats as the Lions & Euros took control.

Special dispensation gave McGowan another tactical ride in heat nine, the Eagles & Roos already having enjoyed one tactical ride three heats earlier.

McGowan won well, holding off Schramm, and when Sonke Petersen packed up while in third place, the Eagles & Roos made the score closer at 33-26.

Woffinden made it four wins out of four in heat 10 and Wright won his third consecutive race in the next before Schramm inexplicably raced partner Leon Madsen in heat 12, crashing to the ground on the final turn with third place seemingly secure.

With three races to go the Lions & Euros were seven points ahead. Sundstrom, the 17-year-old Swede, was impressing and he finished with a good win in heat 13 with partner Petersen joining him for a match winning 5-1.

Schramm hit the deck once more in the penultimate heat before McGowan lowered Woffinden's colours in the final race of the night to end up as top points scorer on the evening.

Scorers

Young Lions & Euros: T Woffinden 13+1, L Madsen 8, J Wright 10+1, L Sundstrom 9+1, C Schramm 8, S Petersen 3+1

Young Eagles & Roos: K Stojanowski 10+1, M Liberski 6+1, T McGowan 16, T Leverington 3+1, T Madsen 8, J Hart 1.