STOKE gained a quick fire double over local rival Buxton in the National Trophy at Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday afternoon.
Potters number one Max Clegg raced through the card to remain unbeaten as he clocked up his second 18-point maximum within the space of twenty-four hours and he was well supported by skipper Tony Atkin (13) and Paul Burnett (9+1).
The unbeaten Clegg commented “It’s been a fantastic weekend for both the club and myself personally and you could say that the season started at Loomer road last night. Buxton are a similar side in strength to us and it’s been more of a level playing field and it has showed in these couple of performances that the confidence is coming. Tony (Atkin) and Paul (Burnett) were solid and Joe Alcock had an impressive ride in heat two you wouldn’t have known it was the first time he ridden here and he was leading heat fourteen and perhaps just tried a little to hard and came off the bike but he did his job winning heat two and he was backed up by Luke Whitehead who has come in and done a job for us and got on the scoresheet so things are looking up and everyone is scoring which is what we need and brings confidence.”
The A.R. Richard Potters started the meeting with a couple of 4-2 advantages from Clegg and Burnett and then Alcock and Whitehead to give the Potters an early lead. A couple of exchanged heats with both sides gaining 4-2 heat wins left the Potters in front by a narrow two-point margin before Stoke gained a couple of 4-2’s from Atkin and Adam Extance and then Burnett and Whitehead to give the Potters a six-point lead at the mid meeting point with Stoke leading 21-27.
Buxton reduced the lead to four points as former Potter Ben Wilson and Lewis Whitmore teamed up for a 4-2 in heat ten, but the Potters then extended their lead with a 5-1 from Clegg and Burnett over Anders Rowe to give the Potters a 29-37 lead. Atkin and Clegg pushed on to win the next couple of races before Alcock and Whitmore were excluded for fall in separate incidents leaving home skipper tom Woolley to take victory over Extance for a Hitmen 3-2. Clegg completed his maximum in the final heat and sealed all four points for winning by seven or more points away from home resulting in a maximum return for the Loomer Road club.
BUXTON 41: Ben Wilson 14, Tom Woolley 10+3, Anders Rowe 9+1, Lewis Whitmore 5+1, Kieran Douglas 2, James Chattin 1, Connor Coles r/r. STOKE 48: Max Clegg 18, Tony Atkin 13, Paul Burnett 9+1, Adam Extance 3, Joe Alcock 3, Luke Whitehead 2, Rob Shuttleworth r/r.