STOKE A.R. Richards Potters gained their first victory of the season as they comprehensively beat the Buxton Hitmen 55-35 at the D&P Raceway (Hi-Edge) in the National Trophy on Sunday afternoon.
The Potters restricted the Hitmen to just four race winners as skipper Tony Atkin and Ben Wilson romped to comfortable 12 point maximums.
The Potters struck early on as youngster Joe Lawlor headed home partner Paul Burnett for a 5-1 over Lee Geary and the Potters followed that up with two successive 4-2 heat wins from Atkin and Danny Phillips and then Wilson and Burnett to lead 8-16 after four heats.
A further 4-2 in heat six from Wilson who was in a rampant mood dispatching the challenge of Hitman number one Oliver Greenwood with Lawlor taking third place for the Potters and this was added to by Atkin and Phillips as well as Shaun Tedham and Burnett as the Potters took maximum heat advantages in the next two races to lead 15-33 after eight heats.
Atkin and Greenwood tussled in heat ten, but it was the veteran racer who took the chequered flag with Phillips taking third place. Ben Hopwood got back to winning ways as he won heat eleven before the Potters extended their lead with Atkin completing his maximum beating Shelby Rutherford with Lawlor taking third. A further 4-2 from Wilson and Hopwood over Greenwood saw the Potters confirm their first victory of the campaign with two races remaining.
Buxton did get a consolation 5-1 in the final heat as Greenwood and Jade Mudgway took victory over Hopwood and Phillips.
Potters skipper Atkin commented “It actually surprised me this afternoon, I expected to win by four points, but everything fell into place today and I’ve been saying all along that we just needed everyone to fire and we did and it’s a great fillep for the club. I said we have a top five that can compete with most teams, Saturday night was a bit of a strange one the track was funny, but today everything clicked. We beat Buxton at Hi-Edge fifteen years ago that would have meant nothing but this is the league we are in and it’s really boosted everyone at the club the riders, management and it’s been really good to give the supporters something to shout about.”
BUXTON 35: Jade Mudgway 12+1, Oliver Greenwood 12, Shelby Rutherford 4+1, Ryan Blacklock 4, Lee Geary 3+1, Ryan Burton 0, Steve Jones r/r. STOKE 55: Tony Atkin 12, Ben Wilson 12, Ben Hopwood 8+1, Paul Burnett 6+3, Danny Phillips 6+1, Shaun Tedham 6+1, Joe Lawlor 5.
