Birmingham 45 Stoke 45

 STOKE Easy Rider Potters took a point from their Premier Trophy encounter with West Midlands rivals Birmingham at Perry Barr in the Premier Trophy last night.  

The Easy Rider Potters got off to the worst possible start when Tom P Madsen and Lee Complin crashed into the Perry Barr safety fence with bikes landing on top of the riders, Madsen being excluded by referee Jim Lawrence as the primary cause of the stoppage. Both riders got up and in the rerun Complin made the perfect start to take the flag ahead of the home pairing. 

Jesper Kristiansen and Klaus Jakobsen teamed up for a comfortable 5-1 over the Brummies pairing of Daniel Halsey and Ben Taylor who retired on the first turn to give the Potters a 8-4 lead. 

Birmingham struck back with a 4-2 heat advantage in heat four as Tomasz Piszcz took victory from Klaus Jakobsen with Daniel Halsey took third after Kristiansen fell while challenging Piszcz on the first turn Kristiansen getting up to complete the race to his credit making sure he was there should anyone fall.

The Brummies went in front in heat five as Ludvig Lindgren and Robert Ksiezak gained a 5-1 over Complin and Madsen to put the Brummies 16-14 in front.

 Klaus Jakobsen got in front in heat six and was being challenged by home skipper Jason Lyons, Lyons over cooking the third turn causing him to fall. Lyons being excluded from the rerun. Jakobsen and Kristiansen made the start but Sweetman tussled with Kristiansen with eventually getting past the Dane but the Potters gained the 4-2 heat advantage to level the scores up at 18-18.

 The Easy Rider Potters edged themselves back in front with a 4-2 from Jason Bunyan and Glen Phillips over Tomasz Piszcz in heat seven leaving the Potters two points in front at the halfway stage 22-20.

 Scores where level after heat eight as Jakobsen suffered an engine failure on the first turn when leading to allow Richard Sweetman to take a comfortable victory from Madsen with Taylor taking third place for a 4-2 to the Brummies to level the scores at 24-24.

 Jesper Kristiansen high sided off his bike after he clipped the back of Robert Ksiezak causing the Dane to fall heavily. Jakobsen makes the start and takes a comfortable victory in the rerun. 

Easy Rider Potters edged back in front with a 4-2 from Bunyan and Phillips in heat ten home skipper Jason Lyons managing to get passed Phillips down the home straight of the second lap. 

Birmingham got themselves back in front in heat thirteen, Complin made the start before Piszcz went outside the Potters skipper down the home straight with Lyons diving up the inside, Complin then dived up the inside of Lyons only for Lyons to return the compliment on the next turn to give the Brummies a 5-1 and a 40-38 lead with two heats to go. 

The Potters levelled the scores in the penultimate heat as Bunyan completed his fourth unbeaten ride to take victory Lindgren overhauling Kristiansen for a Stoke 4-2 to level the scores at 42 all to give a last heat decider.

Lyons came to grief in heat fifteen as Bunyan gave Piszcz a shove, Piszcz then ran into Lyons with Lyons hitting the safety fence hard.

In the rerun Piszcz managed to get ahead to Bunyan to spoil Bunyan’s maximum, Lyons got into third place but went wide on the third turn and fell allowing Jakobsen to take third for a drawn heat as the Potters grabbed a 45 all draw.

 Birmingham 45: Tomasz Piszcz 14, Robert Ksiezak 8+2, Ludvig Lindgren 8+1, Richard Sweetman 7, Jason Lyons 5+2, Daniel Halsey 2, Ben Taylor 1

 Stoke 45: Jason Bunyan 14, Klaus Jakobsen 12+3, Lee Complin 7, Jesper Kristiansen 5, Glen Phillips 4, Tom P Madsen 3+1, Phil Morris R/R