A narrow first leg defeat on Thursday night (18/7) in the NORA League Cup Final for the Isle of Wight Warriors has piled on the pressure for Steve Piper’s charges as they pursue their first silverware of the 2024 Speedway campaign.
It was a truncated affair after remedial track works had to take place after just one heat’s racing and then a further delay waiting for the County ambulance after a nasty injury to one of the Kent Kings’ debutant Aussies, Dayle Wood. The cumulative result of the two lengthy breaks in racing meant curfew was reached with just nine of the scheduled 15 heats completed, with a first leg result of 26-28 called in favour of the visitors.
The lead yo-yoed between the two NORA protagonists. A heat two 5-1 by the resurgent Danno Verge and fellow comeback rider, the German Henning Loof had propelled the Warriors into an early lead once the track repairs had been completed, but the Kings hit back with a maximum from their pair of ‘Guests’ in the following race, William Cairns in the fastest time of the night and Aussie, Patrick Hamilton, 2023 FIM Oceania Championship semi-finalist, riding in his first competitive fixture here in the UK. 15-year-old William Cairns was an absolute revelation for the visitors with four dominant race wins from his four rides being effectively the difference between the two sides. The NORA rule which allows Team Managers to handicap two of their opposing riders off 15 metres produced two absolute thrillers – justifying its use on a track large enough to maximise the crowd-pleasing thrills this innovation can produce. Visiting skipper and Smallbrook track specialist, Ben Morley had swept to two heat wins when required to start 15 metres back from former team mate Verge in a crucial heat seven.
Verge had himself a win and a second from his opening salvoes and was looking very impressive. The race was a thriller – with the Kent skipper passing team mate Sam Woods and Loof before reeling in Verge and getting past him on the last bend, holding on for a memorable victory on the line. This had followed a classic heat six with the sport’s two latest teenaged sensations, World Under 16 Championship bronze medal winner Cairns and the Warriors’ Sonny Springer serving up an amazing race: both off 15 metres due to the handicap imposition in Cairns’ case and for a starting offence (failing the two minutes) by Springer. The second delay of the night though, shaped how the first leg was going to finish up when the visitors lost Dayle Wood to a bad gash on his groin (a potentially very dangerous place to suffer a significant laceration) – the result of Warriors’ youngster Morgan Williams having nowhere to go when the Kings’ racer from Wagga Wagga locked up involuntarily in front of him in heat five. A trip to hospital followed for Wood and Williams was out of the meeting too with concussion – neither rider will now be available for the deciding leg on Sunday.
With this second delay it was clear the match was not going to reach its conclusion and poised at 18-18, the final three heats were going to be vital. Morley’s narrow win in heat seven was followed by two more awesome victories for guest Cairns and with the result being declared after just heat nine, it was called as a 28-26 victory to the visitors.
Warriors team boss Steve Piper commented, “Firstly I really want to send out a special thank you to Chad Wirtzfeld who recuperating from recent injury, was practising on Thursday afternoon - funny enough at the Iwade track in Sittingbourne that is Kent’s home - when he answered our urgent call to step in to fill a sudden vacancy in our side and came immediately to our aid. It’s great to see him back. Apologies to all for the delay putting right the track which due to recent extremes in weather, lots of rain and then blazing sunshine, had somewhat caught us out. The patience of our fans was amazing and for that we send out thanks. We go to Iwade in three days’ time now two points behind but with the outcome of this League Cup Final very much still up for grabs. We will be giving it our all, of that you can be sure when the tapes rise on Sunday."
Those tapes up on the second leg of the NORA League Cup Final are at 2pm (parade at 1.45pm) Sunday 21st. at Sittingbourne Speedway Track, The Old Gun Site, Raspberry Hill Lane (off Old Ferry Road) Iwade, Kent ME9 8SP.
Isle of Wight Warriors 26
Arran Butcher 1' 1' R 2+2
Sonny Springer 2 3 2 1' 8+1
Danno Verge 3 2 2 FX 7
Henning Loof 2' 1' 2 5+2
Chad Wirtzfeld 1 1 2 4
Morgan Williams 0 0
Kent Kings 28
Ben Morley 3 3 3 9
Sam Woods 0 0 0 0
Dayle Wood 1 FX 1
Nathan Hargrave FX 2 0 2
Patrick Hamilton 2' 1 1 4+1
William Cairns 3 3 3 3 12
Image courtesy of Sportography.
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