Swindon 56 Ipswich 36 

The Robins take their biggest victory of the season

Under the watchful eye of Robins’ legend Barry Briggs, Swindon produced a power-packed second-half performance as they successfully saw off Ipswich.

Briggs got proceedings underway by completing a lap of the Blunsdon circuit and received a very warm welcome from he Abbey Stadium faithful.

 

 

On track, the Robins produced an impressive second-half display as Ronnie Russell’s side romped to a twenty-point margin of victory. Swindon held a slender two-point lead after the conclusion of the first eight races, but turned on the style in the latter stages and repelled Ipswich's tactical advances.

 

A thirteen point contribution from Robins’ skipper Leigh Adams topped Swindon’s score-chart. The Australian was well supported by a full flawless twelve-point maximum from the spectacular Simon Stead, who rode majestically throughout.

 

Meanwhile Mads Korneliussen notched a well-deserved paid eleven, whilst riding partner Grzegorz Zengota amassed a useful paid nine score. Riding at the No.2 position, Cory Gathercole recovered from a slow start as he carded paid five whilst Morten Risager accrued a decent paid six haul from the reserve berth.

 

 

Thomas H. Jonasson recovered from a frightening heat four spill which saw the Swede leave the track in an ambulance. However, the youngster showed great tenacity to complete his remaining two rides and concluded the night with a hard fought paid seven
Ipswich operated the rider replacement facility for Olly Allen who was absent due to injury.

 

The Witches were dealt a further blow when Polish heat-leader Robert Miskowiak was forced to withdraw after his first ride collision with Thomas H.Jonasson.

 

A paid thirteen score from Scott Nicholls headed the Ipswich scoring, whilst lively reserve Dawid Stachyra acquired an entertaining nine points.

 

A comfortable tapes-to-flag Leigh Adams victory secured an opening heat points share. The Robins’ skipper rode an intelligent first corner to gain the ascendancy, whilst the Ipswich pairing of Scott Nicholls and Ales Dryml filled the minor placings.

 

Ipswich No.6 Dawid Stachyra took victory in the ensuing encounter and successfully fended off a race long challenge from Swindon’s Morten Risager. Stachyra’s victory ensured a second successive 3-3 as the aggregate score shuffled to six apiece.

 

The Robins moved ahead with a 4-2 from Mads Korneliussen and Grzegorz Zengota in the third. Korneliussen conjured a lightening quick start to register, whilst Zengota grabbed the solitary point.

A horrific second bend, heat four incident involving Thomas H. Jonasson and Robert Miskowiak saw the two riders collide heavily. Both received medical attention on-track before Miskowiak was able to walk back to the pits area unaided, whilst Jonasson was escorted back to the pits by ambulance.

 

Thankfully after some medical attention both riders made the decision to continue with the meeting, however Miskowiak did later officially withdraw from the meeting . In the re-run, Simon Stead registered a comfortable victory as Swindon maintained their two-point cushion.
Ipswich’s Scott Nicholls engaged in a close fought battle with Grzegorz Zengota in the fifth, with the British rider eventually prevailing.

 

 

Leigh Adams rode to an untroubled victory in the sixth, whilst Cory Gathercole fell on the second bend of lap one and was forced to retire.

 

A crackerjack heat seven ensued as Simon Stead delivered a Blunsdon master class by charging through the field to gain first place on the concluding lap.

 

The Robins’ No.5 recovered from a sluggish start to first pass Daniel King and then forged a route underneath Ales Dryml. Stead’s exploit.ts invoked the famous Blunsdon roar from the Abbey Stadium terraces
The all-action Dawid Stachyra notched a heat eight victory and came under concerted pressure from a hard charging Cory Gathercole throughout.

 

Drama ensued in the ninth as Swindon notched their first 5-1 of the evening and moved six points ahead. The Robins’ pairing of Mads Korneliussen and Grzegorz Zengota looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory until Korneliussen lost power on the third lap.

 

The Dane was passed by Ipswich’s Stachyra, before re-gaining top speed and dramatically charging past Stachyra on the fina bend,
A second successive Swindon 5-1 in the tenth race moved Ronnie Russell’s side into a 10-point lead. The Milduran duo of Leigh Adams and Cory Gathercole rode strong first corners to repel Ipswich’s charge as Ronnie Russell’s septet turned on the style.

 

Ipswich team-manager Pete Simmons nominated Scott Nicholls for a tactical outing in heat eleven and the British International conjured a strong start. However, a spectacular lock-up in the second turn scrubbed off the speed of the Ipswich riders and allowed the Swindon duo of Stead and Risager through. A frantic Nicholls chased followed and the Witches’ No.1 was able to forge a route past Risager to secure a 4-4 result.

 

A 5-1 from the youthful Robins’ duo of Grzegorz Zengota and Thomas H. Jonasson saw Swindon move into a commanding 14point lead.

A fast-paced heat thirteen saw Simon Stead continue his fantastic run of form by notching a super classy victory. Further back, Ipswich’s Scott Nicholls engaged in a terrific scrap with Robins’ skipper Leigh Adams with Nicholls eventually prevailing.

 

A penultimate race 5-1 from the Danish duo of Mads Korneliussen and Morten Risager moved Swindon into an impressive twenty-point lead before a points share in the heat fifteen brought proceedings to a close.

"This is marvellous victory and I’m very pleased with the performance," commented Swindon team-manager Ronnie Russell.

"I said to the lads before the meeting that they shouldn’t take Ipswich for granted and the Witches kept the score very tight in the early part of the meeting. We dialled in to the track as the meeting reached the half-way point and then broke away from them.

 

"Teams currently in the play-off berths are now starting to look over their shoulder as our charge gathers momentum. For a while we weren’t in the mix for the end-of-season play offs, but now we very much are.

"Throughout July I want the team to continue doing what they are doing now – simply to keep on aiming for league points at every single meeting we race in."