Stoke Easy Rider Potters 48 King’s Lynn Stars 42

 STOKE Easy Rider Potters gained a hard fought victory over the King’s Lynn Stars in the Premier Trophy at Loomer Road on Saturday night.

On a track made difficult after some heavy showers in the afternoon the Potters edged in front after four heats with a 4-2 heat advantage from Phil Morris and Klaus Jakobsen over impressive King’s Lynn youngster Darcy Ward who overhauled Jakobsen coming off the final bend to take second place from the Potters rider, but Stoke were in front 13-11. Stoke extended their lead in heat six with a 5-1 from Glen Phillips and skipper Lee Complin over former Potter Emiliano Sanchez to give the Potters a six point lead. A 4-2 in heat seven from Potters reserve Jesper Kristiansen and Phil Morris over Christian Henry helped the Potters edge further in front and build up a 25-17 lead at the halfway stage of the meeting.

King’s Lynn then started a mid meeting revival in heat eight. Stoke’s Phillips lead the race for three laps before the Stars teenager Ward who had stalked him for those three laps dived up the inside of Phillips going down the back straight to take the lead and on the final lap and the chequered flag ahead of Phillips. Sanchez kept Jakobsen at bay for a King’s Lynn 4-2 advantage reducing the Potters lead to six points with the scores at 27-21. In heat nine Jan Graversen who had previously ran three last places took a surprise victory and he was followed home by Sanchez who passed Kristiansen on the third lap to give the Stars a 1-5 heat advantage and a further 2-4 race win for the Stars in heat ten levelled the scores at thirty points all after Christian Henry and Chris Schramm managed to get the better of Complin and Phillips.

Phil Morris bagged his second race win of the evening in heat eleven as the Potters regained the lead with a 5-1 as Jesper Kristiansen followed his partner home in second place ahead of Stars skipper Tomas Topinka to give Stoke a 35-31 lead. In heat twelve Tom P Madsen put the mechanical problems he had suffered earlier in the meeting behind him as he took a comfortable victory over Ward and Henry to maintain the Potters lead of four points.

Morris sealed Stoke’s victory in heat fifteen as he bagged his fourth victory of the night defeating Topinka into second place with Stoke’s Bunyan third to give the Potters a 48-42 victory.

Potters manager John Woolridge said “It was a hard fought victory over a good King’s Lynn side.” He continued “Tom P had a few problems with his engine early on and that is why we replaced him with Jesper in heat nine, but the lad got the problem sorted and got a vital victory in heat twelve for us. “They had come back at us well in the middle of the meeting but our lads dug in and got their noses back in front and it was pleasing to see.”

Scorers : Stoke 48: Phil Morris 13, Jason Bunyan 9, Jesper Kristiansen 8+3, Glen Phillips 7, Lee Complin 5+2, Tom P Madsen 3, Klaus Jakobsen 3.

King’s Lynn 42: Darcy Ward 14+1, Tomas Topinka 9+1, Christian Henry 7+2, Emiliano Sanchez 6+1, Jan Graversen 3, Chris Schramm 3, Kozza Smith R/R.