Fen Fours - Sunday 3rd April 3.30pm - Mildenhall

[PhilK 150]

From Mildenhall Speedway -

‘Fen Fours’ extravaganza all set for lift off!

After a disappointing opening day where rain unfortunately was the only winner, it is now all systems go for next Sunday’s (3rd April 3.30pm) extravaganza of speedway in the eagerly awaited ‘Fen Fours’.

The final sponsor is now in place as Palmers ‘Panthers’ complete the four teams, with sponsors D Palmer & Sons continuing their support of the Fen Tigers. Father and son Derek and Greg were behind the successful 40th Anniversary Palmer Trophy last season and suggested this meeting during the close season. Derek was heavily involved in the early years of Mildenhall Speedway and his interest has been rekindled as his son Greg’s interest in the sport has grown over the past year.

The four teams have been named and the meeting will be run using the twenty heat World Team Cup format including ‘Jokers’ and the Team Manager’s choosing the rider order in the last four heats.

The teams will line-up as follows -

In Red - ‘Haylocks’ Hurricanes – Danny Halsey, Joe Jacobs, Luke Ruddick & Ryan Terry-Daley – Sponsors Team Manager Philip Haylock assisted by Phil Kirk

In Blue - ‘Palmer’s’ Panthers – Alfie Bowtell, Scott Campos, Connor Coles and Simon Lambert – Sponsors Team Manager Derek Palmer assisted by Tony 'Shrimp' Davey

In White - Assured ‘Aces’ – Layne Cupitt, Connor Dwyer, Connor Mountain and Stefan Nielsen – Sponsors Team Manager Lee Chipchase assisted by James Easter

In Yellow - ‘Mighty Manchetts’ – Jon Armstrong, Josh Bates, Ryan Kinsley and Rob Parker – Sponsors Team Manager Gemma Manchett assisted by Robert Henry

Club promoter Kevin Jolly acknowledged the help the club has received from the Palmer family – he said -

“We are very lucky as a club to have Derek and Greg Palmer supporting us as they do. As well as today’s meeting they have worked during the winter improving and replenishing our track equipment and already we are reaping the benefits. Greg has worked tirelessly seeking sponsorship for this meeting and his drive has rubbed off on everybody at the club. It is great to see him and his father involved and enjoying themselves so much, they are true friends the of Mildenhall speedway and I am very grateful for all they do for us.

I feel the field assembled will ensure an excellent meeting and one worthy of the excellent sponsorship we have received. As a club we thank Assured, Manchetts Rescue and Recovery, J & P Haylock Farms and the Palmer Family and hope they and their guests have a day to remember with us. I hope that with plenty of local rider interest that a big crowd will descend on West Row to witness some very exciting racing with plenty of track specialists on show”

[Pob 545]

Well after tonight's rain off at Ipswich can't wait to get to West Row tomorrow for some speedway action . Please weather forecast be kind for this one.

[PhilK 150]

Forecast if looking just fine for tomorrow

 

One change Alex Davies replaces Simon Lambert

[Pob 545]

Line up looks like a cracking meeting all four teams very even .

[TurnTwo 317]

Surely Alex Davies cannot ride as he isn't British and in the NL It is now only Brits meaning mildenhall is an NL only club so you cannot have foreign riders?

[adz_mft 230]

Surely Alex Davies cannot ride as he isn't British and in the NL It is now only Brits meaning mildenhall is an NL only club so you cannot have foreign riders?

It's a challenge meeting lol.Nothing official about it.None of this counts towards averages or anything like that.Riders from the PL have always been able to ride in challenges such as this.We aren't using him for any league fixtures don't worry haha

[TurnTwo 317]

It doennt bother me that's just the reasoning behind Eastbourne programme issue last year in their championship of sussex, Dawid Wiwatowski or someone was in the programme but was stopped riding due to not owning a British passport or British hereditary it would be quite a farce if Davies turned up and the bspa put a stop to it

[adz_mft 230]

I have no idea about that 1 but I'm 99.9% sure If NL clubs want to have a PL rider who doesn't ride in NL.The NL club has to pay a fee to the bspa to use that rider,so I'd assume it's all been cleared

[PhilK 150]

‘Fen Fours’ proves a roaring success!

With a bright April day, a well prepared track, a full to the brim sponsors area and a big crowd on the terraces everything was set fair for Mildenhall’s delayed opening fixture of 2016, and the assembled cast certainly didn’t fail to deliver the goods to their expectant audience!

With the 2016 ‘KJM’ Fen Tigers on show for the first time, plus Joe Jacobs, Stefan Nielsen and Josh Bates from the 2012 Grand Slam team the cast was overflowing with West Row track experts, add in Scunthorpe’s Alex Davies and a little Italian spice with Paco Castagna and the crowd were left wanting more after 20 heats of non-stop action.

Palmer’s ‘Panthers’ were the early pace setters with Davies immediately showing a liking to the West Row circuit, with the other three teams picking up the pieces, although ‘Mighty’ Manchetts Josh Bates reminded supporters of the style and pace that made him such a popular rider in his time with Mildenhall with two early wins.

Heat Ten will remain long in the memory as Nielsen and Jon Armstrong duelled for the victory, Nielsen sweeping round Armstrong before Armstrong rolled back the years with a stylish inside pass that showed he still is a master of the Mildenhall track. Heat Twelve saw the first tactical joker used with Jacobs responding with a fine ride to claim the six points for Haylocks ‘Hurricanes’ and bring them right back into the competition. After a fourth impressive win from Bates in Heat Thirteen as a tactical substitute it was the turn of Assured ‘Aces’ to play the joker in Heat Fourteen with Nielsen responding to the challenge with a fine win from the hard chasing Danny Halsey. Halsey was back out in Heat Fifteen were he beat fellow Fen Tigers Armstrong, Mountain and Coles in fine style before another scintillating ride from the effervescent Bates in Heat Sixteen set up the final four nominated heats with just nine points separating the four teams.

The meeting went down to the final heat with ‘Mighty’ Manchetts leading Palmers ‘Panthers’ by just one point. With Coles (Palmers Panthers) at the back and Bates (Mighty Manchetts) in third the victory was secure but Bates wasn’t for cruising round in third and the crowd held its breath as he first passed Jacobs and set off after Nielsen, it wasn’t to be as Nielsen held off all Bates challenges to inflict his first defeat of the afternoon, but second place was enough to win the meeting for the ‘Mighty’ Manchetts!

Fen Tigers promoter Kevin Jolly was bubbling at the end of the afternoon – he said –

“What a great start to our season, it was so pleasing to see a good crowd, an excellently prepared track and all today’s sponsors enjoying the racing on show and I think we may have a few converts amongst the highly enthusiastic sponsors who joined us today!

The racing was good, the track rode well and the meeting moved along at a pace, this is exactly how we want to present speedway at Mildenhall and this is the template for the rest of our season. All the riders helped today by joining in the fun and interacting with the sponsors which is great to see. I must thank again all today’s sponsors for their support and the feedback we have received from them has been excellent. From a Mildenhall point of view our riders looked good out on the track and now I can’t wait for next Sunday and our opening National Trophy meeting against Kent. It should be a cracker of a meeting and hopefully everyone will be back for some more quality speedway”

‘Fen Fours’ Result

1st place – ‘Mighty’ Manchetts – 36 points – Josh Bates 17, Jon Armstrong 12, Ryan Kinsley 6 & Rob Parker 1

2nd place – Palmers ‘Panthers’ – 33 points – Alex Davies 13, Connor Coles 7, Scott Campos 7 & Alfie Bowtell 6

3rd place – Assured ‘Aces’ – 29 points – Stefan Nielsen 13, Connor Mountain 9, Paco Castagna 7 & Layne Cupitt 0

4th place – Haylock’s 'Hurricanes' – 28 points – Danny Halsey 13, Joe Jacobs 13, Luke Ruddick 2 & Ryan Terry-Daley 0