Glasgow 41 Somerset 51 Premier League Sunday 17th August
With Dimitri Berge and Theo Pijper both missing due to injury and World Longtrack Championship respectively, Tigers had their backs to the wall and knew they would need everyone going well if they had any chance of defeating the current league champions.
Unfortunately it proved too much of a handicap in the end.
Kevin Wolbert was the R/R in heat 1 and he made the start with Victor Palovaara also with him at the first corner. Charles Wright passed Palovaara on the second bend and Nick Morris attempted the same thing on the third bend but went wide and fell off. He cleared the track and Tigers started with a 4-2.
Heat 2 saw Tigers guest Alex Edberg gate with the Somerset duo behind. What followed was a superb 4 laps despite no one passing!! With Edberg not going all that quickly, Paul Starke and Todd Kurtz were right on his exhaust, while Kasper Lyyke was buzzing behind them for the entire race. The proverbial blanket could’ve covered them for the entire race.
Brady Kurtz quickly took to the Ashfield track with a swift win in heat 3. Pontus Aspgren followed him, holding off Anders Thomsen to take the 5-1 and a 10-8 lead for the visitors.
Oliver Allen lead the way in heat 4 with Rusty Harrison right behind, Edberg, despite making a good start, was quickly passed by Starke. Rusty had a few nibbles at Allen but in the end had to settle for second.
After a re-run when Thomsen fell and then missed the re-start with a time exclusion, it was Wolbert who won heat 5. Morris and Wright easily sharing the race ahead of Edberg.
Allen took heat 6 without any real problem, Lyyke in as R/R passed Todd Kurtz for third with Palovaara tailed off at the back.
Brady Kurtz took another easy victory in heat 7 with the Tigers taking the minor positions to share the race.
Both Tigers made the start in heat 8 but disappointingly both were swallowed up by the second bend and the Rebels extended their lead to 10.
The inevitable TR came out in heat 9 with Wolbert but he just failed to get inside Allen down the back straight and had to settle for second. Lykke was passed by Wright on the third bend of lap 2 only to repass him coming out of the 4th bend as Tigers took a 5-3.
The unbeaten Brady Kurtz was out in heat 10 but he missed the start and it was Palovaara and Harrison who lead into the first corner. Harrison blocked off Aspgren’s run on the back straight allowing his partner to lead while he sat behind him. Both Rebels hit trouble on the 4th bend, allowing an easy, if unexpected 5-1. Score now 29-33
Tigers sensed a chance and it was Harrison who showed first in heat 11, Morris second with Lyyke passing Wright for third. He then chased Morris whilst holding off Wright behind him. Into the last two bends, it looked like Tigers would cut the gap to two, only for Morris to find speed from somewhere to pass Harrison coming out of the last bend.
Tigers opted to keep Edberg in heat 12 and he was the victim of a hard first bend, with Brady Kurtz rounding Wolbert on the second bend before the race was stopped. All four were back in the re-run and again Brady Kurtz rode around Wolbert and Edberg hopelessly missing the start allowing Todd Kurtz an easy third.
Allen was away again in heat 13 with Harrison and Palovaara behind. Morris eventually got passed Palovaara at the end of the second lap and that’s how it finished with Somerset now 8 up.
They duly wrapped up the win in the next with Aspgren just holding off Lyyke, who had passed Starke earlier in the race. Thomsen was nowhere and another 2-4 took the score to 38-48
Heat 15 saw Allen protect his maximum, with Somerset needing a second place from either Brady Kurtz or Morris for all 4 points. All 4 riders were together coming out of the second bend and that was never going to end well, Kurtz the one taking a tumble.
Suddenly the pressure was on Morris to avoid a 5-1 but he rode a good inside line on the opening bends to pass Wolbert and take the 3-3 and a 51-41 victory.
Somerset duly took all 4 points with their solid side having no passengers. Allen took an easy maximum, whilst Brady Kurtz impressed on his first visit.
Tigers certainly missed their captain, who had scored a maximum in his last appearance, although R/R scored a respectable paid 9. Only 4 heat wins told its own tale with too many last places. Victor Palovaara took his first win and looked competitive in his other rides and could be a useful reserve next month, once he gets his new average.
Despite the score it was an entertaining match but the Rebels fully deserved their win, while Tigers can only look to next week against the Diamonds to get back to winning ways.
Tigers scorers: Kevin Wolbert 14, Rusty Harrison 11, Kasper Lykke 7, Victor Palovaara 4, Alex Edberg 3, Anders Thomsen 2.
Match report by Derek Watson