Cab Direct Championship: Scunthorpe Scorpions 51-39 Stellar Monarchs
John Campbell was left to rue a slow start as Stellar Monarchs skidded to a 51-39 defeat at Scunthorpe Scorpions in the Cab Direct Championship.
A pre-meeting track soaking meant gating was key and and Monarchs were 16 points adrift after seven races and Campbell, Monarchs’ team manager, admitted: “It is always a challenge for us at Scunthorpe as it is such a specialist track with so many racing lines.
“Scorpions got off to a strong start while we were working out the set up and the lines but it was a shame we got so far behind in the first half of the match because we outscored them in the second half and it should have been closer as Josh (Pickering) definitely got third in heat 13 but the referee saw differently.”
Campbell praised Lasse Fredriksen (pictured) who raced 13 points and also collected three bonus points and the team manager added: “Scunthorpe have been doing exceptionally well this season on their own track, but we will take the positives as we move on to Oxford on Wednesday.”
The Norwegian was competitive early on but all of the first seven races were won by a Scorpion and a heavy defeat looked on the cards. A mini fight back came as the outside line dried out allowing the riders the full use of the race track.
And Pickering and Fredriksen hit the front in heat 11 to bring the gap down to six, but the hosts reasserted their dominance and another defeat on the road means Monarchs have work to do to make the play-offs.
Scunthorpe Scorpions (51): Ryan Douglas 15+0, Drew Kemp 3+0, Simon Lambert 8+1, Zack Cook 8+2, Jake Allen 7+1, Nathan Ablitt 4+0, Connor Mountain 6+0
Edinburgh Monarchs (39): Josh Pickering 10+1, Paco Castagna 0+0, Bastian Borke 5+0, Kye Thomson 3+2, Craig Cook 8+1, Dayle Wood 0+0, Lasse Fredriksen 13+3
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