VICTORY for Belle Vue in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership, on a challenging night in Manchester, saw the ATPI aces triumph over Leicester 51-33 to secure two precious league points.
A fluctuating forecast caused minor frustrations for club bosses in the build-up to the action, but true to its unique form the National Speedway Stadium still delivered exciting action.
Earlier rain through the week left its mark on conditions, with the circuit yielding a very grippy surface and generating some exceptionally fast races from the start.
In the early stages of the night it even appeared that Dan Bewley’s long-standing 58.18 track record could well be broken, with the man himself clocking a time of 58.81in Heat 4.
The home team were truly at home having adapted to the conditions, and soon established dominance over the visitors, which they struggled to respond to.
At the midway point, though, the heavens opened once again, drenching the track as the night went on, but both teams, to their credit, soldiered on to Heat 14.
A unanimous decision was made by the referee and team managers to call the meeting without staging Heat 15, with the rain getting heavier and safety compromised, and the ATPI Aces having already sealed a significant win.
Rising Star Connor Bailey said: “It was a fantastic meeting until the weather came in heavy, but we can be proud of what we achieved against a strong Leicester side.
“Track conditions were a lot different to how we’re used to and early on. The amount of grip in the track was significant compared to normal and we were generating a lot of speed as a result.
“I think I was a bit ambitious with my setups in my first couple of rides so I made some tweaks and I found something that worked to finish the night off.
“It does put us in a great position for the return leg at Leicester. We’ve got two points for our trouble tonight but we would like to continue to build on that when we go to Leicester.”
The ATPI Aces head to King’s Lynn’s Adrian Flux Arena on Thursday, April 11 to continue their pursuit of Premiership points against the Stars.
They return home to the National Speedway Stadium on Monday, April 15 for the return leg against the Norfolk side, tapes up at 7:30pm.
RESULT – BELLE VUE V LEICESTER – MONDAY, APRIL 8 @ 7:30PM [P1]
Belle Vue ‘ATPI’ Aces 51: Brady Kurtz 11+1, Norick Blodorn 9+1, Dan Bewley 9, Jaimon Lidsey 6+2, Ben Cook 6+1, Connor Mountain 5, Connor Bailey 5.
Leicester ‘Watling JCB’ Lions 33: Ryan Douglas 8, Sam Masters 7+1, Luke Becker 5+1, Richard Lawson 5, Max Fricke 4+2, Drew Kemp 3, Joe Thompson 1.
Abandoned after Heat 14 – Track waterlogged – Result Stands
