Post by richiej95 on Mar 22, 2012 22:49:09 GMT
Birmingham vs Wolves Midland League Report
Following their Elite Shield defeat to Poole over the past week, Wolves travelled to Perry Barr to take on local rivals Birmingham in a Midlands League clash. Wolves made just one change to the line-up that faced Poole with Thomas Jorgensen coming in at reserve for Ricky Wells as he usually would on a Thursday night meeting. In front of a bumper crowd to open the season, the Brummies sent the Perry Barr faithful home happy with a comfortable 50-43 victory. However, the Wolves fans will also go home quite happy with plenty of encouraging signs, especially where new boys Pontus Aspgren and Lukas Sowka are concerned.
The meeting started eventfully as Brummies debutant Martin Smolinski fell quite heavily on a tight first turn, and was harshly excluded by the referee. In the rerun, another Brummies new boy number 1 Bjarne Pedersen got out of the gate quickest and held on all the way to the line under heavy pressure from opposite number Freddie Lindgren. Meanwhile, Wolves youngster Pontus Aspgren looked on the pace at the back despite the high calibre of opposition.
As the reserves took to the track in heat two, many predicted a possible 5-1 for the Brummies given the way 17 year old Lukasz Sowka has performed in his opening two meetings. However, for probably the first time in his Wolves career so far the Pole got out of the trap well and exited the first bend in 2nd. From there Sowka looked comfortable in second and although he was unable to catch a very quick Josh Auty he was never troubled by Brummies man Chris Mills who held on to give his side a heat advantage ahead of Thomas Jorgensen.
In the next heat Wolves looked to get their first heat advantage of the night and they looked like doing so when Nicolai Klindt and Ty Proctor got into turn one in front. As Nicolai Klindt raced ahead, teammate Ty Proctor looked far from comfortable in second and was passed by Ben Barker around turns 3 and 4 on the opening lap before Barker’s teammate and Birmingham skipper Danny King pulled off the same move one lap later to relegate Proctor to the back.
The following heat saw all four riders go tight into the first bend before Tai Woffinden fell exiting turn 2. After deliberation from the referee, Woffinden was excluded and in the subsequent rerun Sebastian Ulamek and Josh Auty comfortably raced to the chequered flag ahead of Wolves’ Thomas Jorgensen.
Having gone 6 points down, Wolves were looking for a quick response and got it in the following race. Freddie Lindgren gated well and took the victory but the main action was at the back as fellow Swede Pontus Aspgren sped clear of Danny King from the gate and hunted down Ben Barker, pushing the Great Britain international all the way to the line but eventually having to settle for a 4-2 to the Monmore men.
After his fall in heat 4, Tai Woffinden bounced back with a bang, comfortably taking victory from the gate, but partner Thomas Jorgensen failed to recover from a slow start and was held off well by Smolinski and Pedersen despite looking quite quick.
Another 3-3 followed as new boy Sebastian Ulamek cruised to his second win of the night ahead of Klindt and Proctor as partner Chris Mills trailed at the back.
The Brummies dealt a huge blow to the Wolves effort in heat 8 however, as Josh Auty and Martin Smolinski secured the second 5-1 of the night for the home side, with Aspgren and Sowka failing to recover from awful gating for Wolves.
Heat 9 saw Tai Woffinden secure back to back victories following his earlier fall but Barker and King had enough quality to prevent an on the pace Sowka from taking any points at the back.
Brummies then looked to have ended Wolves chances with their 3rd maximum in an absolute cracker of a race. Birmingham number 1 Bjarne Pedersen made a good gate and took victory but missed all of the action behind him which eventually saw teammate Martin Smolinski snatch second place from the Wolves pair Proctor and Klindt. Smolinski had initially joined Pedersen at the front but Klindt and Proctor passed him wonderfully around turn 4 on lap 1 as Proctor dived down the inside and Klindt swooped around the outside of the German. However, on the last lap Smolinski broke up the team riding of the Wolves duo as he squeezed down the inside of Proctor before hunting down Klindt and stealing 2nd place on the line following a well-timed cut back on the final corner.
If that race was a cracker, then the next really was speedway of the highest quality though. With Wolves down by 12, Freddie Lindgren took a tactical ride but both him and Aspgren were left behind from the start. Coming out of turn 2, Aspgren got some drive though, and somehow managed to get between the Brummies pair of Ulamek and Mills to take the lead. Aspgren held on superbly before Lindgren pulled off a sublime move to round both Birmingham riders at once on lap 3. From there, Aspgren and Lindgren team rode home well before Aspgren allowed Lindgren to take all 6 points on the line.
Back in the meeting and only 5 points behind after that heat 11 8-1, Wolves looked to gain even more ground in heat 12. However, that plan was stopped in its tracks as Birmingham secured yet another 5-1. Danny King made the gate and Josh Auty was left at the back, but things would not stay that way for long. Although he was held off by Sowka for 2 laps, Auty passed the Pole at the start of lap 3 before cutting under the inside of Klindt on turn 4 of the same lap to race to victory.
The superb racing late on in the meeting continued in the next race as Wolverhampton duo Lindgren and Woffinden produced more magical racing. Ulamek and Pedersen took an early lead for the Wolves side, only to have Woffinden blast all the way round the outside of both of them at the end of lap two. Next time round, partner Lindgren tried to do the very same and although he managed to pass fellow Grand Prix rider Pedersen he was unable to find a way past Ulamek and Wolves had to settle for a 4-2.
In the penultimate race of the night, Brummies secured victory with arguably their best 5-1 of the night. After making the gate, Mills and Barker withstood heavy pressure from Jorgensen and Proctor for Wolves, team riding superbly to hold their nerve to keep them at bay.
In the final race of the night, Wolves made the score line a lot more respectable with Lindgren and Woffinden leading from the gate to take a 5-1 ahead of Barker and Auty despite heavy pressure from the later.
Rider Ratings (/5)
Wolverhampton Wolves:
Fredrik Lindgren:- Looked pretty quick part of two 5-1’s for Wolves. Sublime ride in heat 11 when on double points and did what you would expect of Freddie. 4
Pontus Aspgren:- Having not beaten an opponent in his opening two meetings in the UK, Aspgren really did look like a different rider tonight. On the pace in every ride and did absolutely brilliantly to defeat Ulamek in heat 11 as part of the 8-1. 4
Nicolai Klindt:- Started very well with a win and a second but faded badly. Dropped points he certainly shouldn’t have by letting opponents through on the last lap in both heats 10 and 12. 3
Ty Proctor:- Way off the pace and threw away points just like
Klindt. Only beat Mills all night and Wolves cannot afford him to start the season as badly as in 2011. 1
Tai Woffinden:- Unfortunate to fall in his first ride but rolled off four straight wins afterwards. Looked unbeatable and certainly the quickest rider out there. 4.5
Lukasz Sowka:- Like Aspgren, much improved. A very good second place in his opening ride and although he failed to score in his later rides he was on the pace and gating much better. 2
Thomas Jorgensen:- Very poor in his first ride but looked quick riding in the dirt in his later rides. Very much in the mix and deserved more points than he got for his efforts. 2
Birmingham Brummies:
Bjarne Pedersen:- Did very well in his first three rides but beaten by both Woffinden and Lindgren in heat 13. Still a good night to start his Brummies career. 4
Martin Smolinski:- Unlucky to be excluded in his first ride but did very well afterwards. Brilliant ride in heat 10 to snatch second. 3
Danny King:- Did ok. Solid yet unspectacular from the Birmingham captain. 3
Ben Barker:- Carried on from his good 2011 form with a good meeting. Looked quick and did what expected if not more. 4
Sebastian Ulamek:- Started the meeting brilliantly and although he faded slightly in his final two rides he still had a good debut meeting. Showed signs he could do very well at Perry Barr this season. 4
Chris Mills:- Looked slightly off the pace but team rode superbly with Ben Barker in his final ride to secure the meeting for his side with a 5-1. 2
Josh Auty:- Absolutely outstanding. Not beaten by an opponent until heat 15 and looked mighty quick all night. Gated well but came from behind when needed. 5 MAN OF THE MEETING
by Richard Jones
Following their Elite Shield defeat to Poole over the past week, Wolves travelled to Perry Barr to take on local rivals Birmingham in a Midlands League clash. Wolves made just one change to the line-up that faced Poole with Thomas Jorgensen coming in at reserve for Ricky Wells as he usually would on a Thursday night meeting. In front of a bumper crowd to open the season, the Brummies sent the Perry Barr faithful home happy with a comfortable 50-43 victory. However, the Wolves fans will also go home quite happy with plenty of encouraging signs, especially where new boys Pontus Aspgren and Lukas Sowka are concerned.
The meeting started eventfully as Brummies debutant Martin Smolinski fell quite heavily on a tight first turn, and was harshly excluded by the referee. In the rerun, another Brummies new boy number 1 Bjarne Pedersen got out of the gate quickest and held on all the way to the line under heavy pressure from opposite number Freddie Lindgren. Meanwhile, Wolves youngster Pontus Aspgren looked on the pace at the back despite the high calibre of opposition.
As the reserves took to the track in heat two, many predicted a possible 5-1 for the Brummies given the way 17 year old Lukasz Sowka has performed in his opening two meetings. However, for probably the first time in his Wolves career so far the Pole got out of the trap well and exited the first bend in 2nd. From there Sowka looked comfortable in second and although he was unable to catch a very quick Josh Auty he was never troubled by Brummies man Chris Mills who held on to give his side a heat advantage ahead of Thomas Jorgensen.
In the next heat Wolves looked to get their first heat advantage of the night and they looked like doing so when Nicolai Klindt and Ty Proctor got into turn one in front. As Nicolai Klindt raced ahead, teammate Ty Proctor looked far from comfortable in second and was passed by Ben Barker around turns 3 and 4 on the opening lap before Barker’s teammate and Birmingham skipper Danny King pulled off the same move one lap later to relegate Proctor to the back.
The following heat saw all four riders go tight into the first bend before Tai Woffinden fell exiting turn 2. After deliberation from the referee, Woffinden was excluded and in the subsequent rerun Sebastian Ulamek and Josh Auty comfortably raced to the chequered flag ahead of Wolves’ Thomas Jorgensen.
Having gone 6 points down, Wolves were looking for a quick response and got it in the following race. Freddie Lindgren gated well and took the victory but the main action was at the back as fellow Swede Pontus Aspgren sped clear of Danny King from the gate and hunted down Ben Barker, pushing the Great Britain international all the way to the line but eventually having to settle for a 4-2 to the Monmore men.
After his fall in heat 4, Tai Woffinden bounced back with a bang, comfortably taking victory from the gate, but partner Thomas Jorgensen failed to recover from a slow start and was held off well by Smolinski and Pedersen despite looking quite quick.
Another 3-3 followed as new boy Sebastian Ulamek cruised to his second win of the night ahead of Klindt and Proctor as partner Chris Mills trailed at the back.
The Brummies dealt a huge blow to the Wolves effort in heat 8 however, as Josh Auty and Martin Smolinski secured the second 5-1 of the night for the home side, with Aspgren and Sowka failing to recover from awful gating for Wolves.
Heat 9 saw Tai Woffinden secure back to back victories following his earlier fall but Barker and King had enough quality to prevent an on the pace Sowka from taking any points at the back.
Brummies then looked to have ended Wolves chances with their 3rd maximum in an absolute cracker of a race. Birmingham number 1 Bjarne Pedersen made a good gate and took victory but missed all of the action behind him which eventually saw teammate Martin Smolinski snatch second place from the Wolves pair Proctor and Klindt. Smolinski had initially joined Pedersen at the front but Klindt and Proctor passed him wonderfully around turn 4 on lap 1 as Proctor dived down the inside and Klindt swooped around the outside of the German. However, on the last lap Smolinski broke up the team riding of the Wolves duo as he squeezed down the inside of Proctor before hunting down Klindt and stealing 2nd place on the line following a well-timed cut back on the final corner.
If that race was a cracker, then the next really was speedway of the highest quality though. With Wolves down by 12, Freddie Lindgren took a tactical ride but both him and Aspgren were left behind from the start. Coming out of turn 2, Aspgren got some drive though, and somehow managed to get between the Brummies pair of Ulamek and Mills to take the lead. Aspgren held on superbly before Lindgren pulled off a sublime move to round both Birmingham riders at once on lap 3. From there, Aspgren and Lindgren team rode home well before Aspgren allowed Lindgren to take all 6 points on the line.
Back in the meeting and only 5 points behind after that heat 11 8-1, Wolves looked to gain even more ground in heat 12. However, that plan was stopped in its tracks as Birmingham secured yet another 5-1. Danny King made the gate and Josh Auty was left at the back, but things would not stay that way for long. Although he was held off by Sowka for 2 laps, Auty passed the Pole at the start of lap 3 before cutting under the inside of Klindt on turn 4 of the same lap to race to victory.
The superb racing late on in the meeting continued in the next race as Wolverhampton duo Lindgren and Woffinden produced more magical racing. Ulamek and Pedersen took an early lead for the Wolves side, only to have Woffinden blast all the way round the outside of both of them at the end of lap two. Next time round, partner Lindgren tried to do the very same and although he managed to pass fellow Grand Prix rider Pedersen he was unable to find a way past Ulamek and Wolves had to settle for a 4-2.
In the penultimate race of the night, Brummies secured victory with arguably their best 5-1 of the night. After making the gate, Mills and Barker withstood heavy pressure from Jorgensen and Proctor for Wolves, team riding superbly to hold their nerve to keep them at bay.
In the final race of the night, Wolves made the score line a lot more respectable with Lindgren and Woffinden leading from the gate to take a 5-1 ahead of Barker and Auty despite heavy pressure from the later.
Rider Ratings (/5)
Wolverhampton Wolves:
Fredrik Lindgren:- Looked pretty quick part of two 5-1’s for Wolves. Sublime ride in heat 11 when on double points and did what you would expect of Freddie. 4
Pontus Aspgren:- Having not beaten an opponent in his opening two meetings in the UK, Aspgren really did look like a different rider tonight. On the pace in every ride and did absolutely brilliantly to defeat Ulamek in heat 11 as part of the 8-1. 4
Nicolai Klindt:- Started very well with a win and a second but faded badly. Dropped points he certainly shouldn’t have by letting opponents through on the last lap in both heats 10 and 12. 3
Ty Proctor:- Way off the pace and threw away points just like
Klindt. Only beat Mills all night and Wolves cannot afford him to start the season as badly as in 2011. 1
Tai Woffinden:- Unfortunate to fall in his first ride but rolled off four straight wins afterwards. Looked unbeatable and certainly the quickest rider out there. 4.5
Lukasz Sowka:- Like Aspgren, much improved. A very good second place in his opening ride and although he failed to score in his later rides he was on the pace and gating much better. 2
Thomas Jorgensen:- Very poor in his first ride but looked quick riding in the dirt in his later rides. Very much in the mix and deserved more points than he got for his efforts. 2
Birmingham Brummies:
Bjarne Pedersen:- Did very well in his first three rides but beaten by both Woffinden and Lindgren in heat 13. Still a good night to start his Brummies career. 4
Martin Smolinski:- Unlucky to be excluded in his first ride but did very well afterwards. Brilliant ride in heat 10 to snatch second. 3
Danny King:- Did ok. Solid yet unspectacular from the Birmingham captain. 3
Ben Barker:- Carried on from his good 2011 form with a good meeting. Looked quick and did what expected if not more. 4
Sebastian Ulamek:- Started the meeting brilliantly and although he faded slightly in his final two rides he still had a good debut meeting. Showed signs he could do very well at Perry Barr this season. 4
Chris Mills:- Looked slightly off the pace but team rode superbly with Ben Barker in his final ride to secure the meeting for his side with a 5-1. 2
Josh Auty:- Absolutely outstanding. Not beaten by an opponent until heat 15 and looked mighty quick all night. Gated well but came from behind when needed. 5 MAN OF THE MEETING
by Richard Jones