STOKE Easy Rider Potters gained their second victory in as many days as they gained a 47-42 victory over the Kent Kings in the City Gearboxes National League at Central Park on Monday evening.
The Potters got off to a good start with a 4-2 in the opening heat from Jon Armstrong and Chris Widman over Kings skipper Ben Morley and this was followed up with a second 4-2 heat advantage in heat two from Ryan MacDonald and Paul Burnett over Danno Verge to open up a four point lead for the Potters with Danny Phillips and Ryan Terry-Daley taking the minor placings in heat three and Lee Payne taking victory in the fourth race the Potters lead the Kings 14-10 after the opening four heats.
Kent gained a 3-2 heat advantage in heat five after Danny Ayres failed to beat the two minutes time allowance and having to go off 15 metres. Potters skipper Armstrong led the way until he suffered an mechanical failure Widman was then passed by Ayres but the lone Potter then fell from the challenge of Ayres and referee Dan Holt disqualified Ayres for bringing down Widman with Aaron Baseby taking the victory. The Kings gained a further 4-2 in heat six as Morley took the chequered flag ahead of Payne with Jamie Couzins taking third with the Potters holding a narrow 1 point lead after six heats.
Stoke hit back though in heat eight as Widman and Paul Burnett combined for a maximum 5-1 heat advantage after Verge had made a mistake allowing Burnett to take advantage and join his partner.
The Kings immediately struck back with a 4-2 from Baseby and Ayres over Payne and Morley and Couzins gained a second 4-2 race win over Danny Phillips with the Potters leading 30-29 at the interval stage of the meeting.
The Potters fell behind for the first time of the evening as Baseby and Verge took a maximum 5-1 over Ryan Terry-Daley, but it was a short lived lead as the Potters struck back with a maximum of their own as Armstrong and Payne took the flag ahead of Morley and James Shanes to lead 39-38 with two heats remaining.
With just a single point separating the sides going into the final heat the Potters gated in heat fifteen and were on a 5-1 but Morley dived under Payne but Morley’s partner Baseby lays his bike down to avoid Morley and is disqualified from the rerun. In the rerun the Potters made no mistake as Payne and Armstrong took a maximum 5-1 advantage over Morley to gain a 47-42 victory over the Kings as the Potters take three huge points in the league moving the Potters off the foot of the table.
A delighted Potters team manager Malcolm Vasey commented “I’m absolutely delighted for the team and supporters. This was a brilliant victory and both Lee (Payne) and Jon (Armstrong) were awesome for us in heats thirteen and fifteen as they gained maximum heat wins in both races. It was a team effort from the start and the team ethic is team effort and this was proven tonight as everyone rode hard for every point. It’s been a great weekend for us on the track with two wins in successive days and we are now off the bottom of the table and are on the up.”
KENT 42: Ben Morley 10, Aaron Baseby 9, James Shanes 8, Danny Ayres 7, Danno Verge 6+2, Jamie Couzins 2, Adam Sheppard 0. STOKE 47: Lee Payne 12+1, Jon Armstrong 10+1, Chris Widman 7+1, Danny Phillips 7+1, Paul Burnett 4+2, Ryan Terry-Daley 4+1, Ryan MacDonald 3. National League points: Kent 0 Stoke 3
