Post by admin on May 6, 2008 16:15:06 GMT 12
Mixed fortunes for the Kiwi pairing of Andrew Aldridge and Alex Cunningham at the Hertfordshire track, Rye House as the two travellers made their UK Speedway competitive debuts on Saturday May 3rd. (writes DEREK BARCLAY).
Three times Under 21 NZ champion Aldridge was appearing for the home side, the Rye House Cobras against Cunningham’s club, the Sittingbourne Crusaders. Aldridge clearly showed the enormous benefit he’s gleaned from second half practice over the past couple of weeks and, more so, the one-on-one tuition he’s been getting from the Rye House Premier League side’s skipper, Chris Neath – as he recorded a sensational paid 18 points maximum!
It was one of the best-ever Conference League debuts (certainly from a rookie) and was achieved in quite sensational style, coming from behind in both of his last two rides to pip English starlet, Jerran Hart on the line!
On this showing Aldridge is poised to be both a real star on the CL tracks in the UK and a massive crowd-pleaser too.
Out in heat one taking a Rider Replacement slot, Andrew held off the determined challenge of GB under 21 finalist Harland Cook, riding for the Crusaders, to record a debut race win. It was a win again for Aldridge in heat three: the first of three consecutive 5-1 maximums with partner Lee Strudwick, who like the Kiwi, was to go through the card unbeaten by an opponent. Aldridge was to tuck in behind Strudwick in each of those maximums in heats five and nine; before the real fireworks and the first significant tests for the Christchurch racer came in heats 12 and 15.
The Kent club’s Hart is a very highly rated prospect and his sponsor is indeed looking after Alex Cunningham at his Suffolk base. Hart it was who lead heat Aldridge in heat 12 – for a full three and three-quarter laps; but the Kiwi was not to be denied: exercising a superb final bend pass and holding on to pip Hart on the line.
This meant the only thing separating Aldridge from an unprecedented six-ride paid maximum on his debut was whoever the plucky Crusaders put out against Andrew and partner Strudwick in the nominated riders heat. No surprise that this was the two riders who’d run him closest: Cook and young Jerran.
Strudwick stormed clear from the tapes but again it was Hart in the ascendancy over Aldridge. A near carbon-copy last bend manoeuvre followed; but this time Andrew’s efforts weren’t quite enough, as it seemed clear to all in the healthy-sized crowd that Hart had held on to deny Aldridge his full house.
Not so, declared referee Chris Gay, who to the astonishment of all (but delight of the home fans) gave the second place – and with it the honour of that maximum – to an exuberant Aldridge.
No-one was really going to begrudge Andrew this little bit of luck at the end of such a superb showing..
But it would’ve been nice if just some of that good fortune could’ve been dished out in his countryman Alex Cunningham’s direction..!
Having taken possession of his new machine and had a first few laps on it at his new home track at Sittingbourne on only the previous Thursday, it was always clear that Cunningham was going to be some distance behind his compatriot when it came to preparedness. But what no-one could’ve anticipated were the mechanical mishaps that were to blight the Oreti Park speedster’s UK debut.
At the starting-gate all fired up to go in heat two, the clutch bearing went without warning causing Alex to mark his arrival with a red face inducing demolition of the tapes: a red light too, followed by his helmet colour of green denoting that for his first ride Alex was going have to do it all with the handicap of starting 15 metres back. A solitary point was the result and indeed this – as the fates continued to conspire against the Invercargill racer – was to turn out to be his total for his evening’s efforts.
For the clutch was destined to fail again with a repeat result in heat nine (when he would otherwise have been up against Aldridge) and it was clear that his bike was not going to be able to be patched up. Cue a hastily obtained replacement machine: but one not set up at all for the somewhat idiosyncratic Rye House track: this really giving the HSR Match-race holder little to no chance of taking further points off very strong opponents in the rest of a difficult evening for the 20-year-old.
There were to be some extra and rather more positive in terms of confidence-building rides for Alex though: courtesy of a late call-up to a short-handed Poole side taking on the home club's juniors in an Academy League match which followed the main action.
Wearing the Pirates Academy race jacket, Cunningham managed paid four from his two opening rides, qualifying for the top scorers heat where unfortunately he crashed out on what was now a bare and rather treacherous track surface.
More dirt on the track is likely to be the order of the day next Sunday (May 11th.) when Aldridge and Cunningham (long with their new team-mates) meet up again at the Old Gun Site track in Sittingbourne for the second leg of this Knock-out Cup tie.. Alex is sure to be looking to set the record straight on that occasion!
Three times Under 21 NZ champion Aldridge was appearing for the home side, the Rye House Cobras against Cunningham’s club, the Sittingbourne Crusaders. Aldridge clearly showed the enormous benefit he’s gleaned from second half practice over the past couple of weeks and, more so, the one-on-one tuition he’s been getting from the Rye House Premier League side’s skipper, Chris Neath – as he recorded a sensational paid 18 points maximum!
It was one of the best-ever Conference League debuts (certainly from a rookie) and was achieved in quite sensational style, coming from behind in both of his last two rides to pip English starlet, Jerran Hart on the line!
On this showing Aldridge is poised to be both a real star on the CL tracks in the UK and a massive crowd-pleaser too.
Out in heat one taking a Rider Replacement slot, Andrew held off the determined challenge of GB under 21 finalist Harland Cook, riding for the Crusaders, to record a debut race win. It was a win again for Aldridge in heat three: the first of three consecutive 5-1 maximums with partner Lee Strudwick, who like the Kiwi, was to go through the card unbeaten by an opponent. Aldridge was to tuck in behind Strudwick in each of those maximums in heats five and nine; before the real fireworks and the first significant tests for the Christchurch racer came in heats 12 and 15.
The Kent club’s Hart is a very highly rated prospect and his sponsor is indeed looking after Alex Cunningham at his Suffolk base. Hart it was who lead heat Aldridge in heat 12 – for a full three and three-quarter laps; but the Kiwi was not to be denied: exercising a superb final bend pass and holding on to pip Hart on the line.
This meant the only thing separating Aldridge from an unprecedented six-ride paid maximum on his debut was whoever the plucky Crusaders put out against Andrew and partner Strudwick in the nominated riders heat. No surprise that this was the two riders who’d run him closest: Cook and young Jerran.
Strudwick stormed clear from the tapes but again it was Hart in the ascendancy over Aldridge. A near carbon-copy last bend manoeuvre followed; but this time Andrew’s efforts weren’t quite enough, as it seemed clear to all in the healthy-sized crowd that Hart had held on to deny Aldridge his full house.
Not so, declared referee Chris Gay, who to the astonishment of all (but delight of the home fans) gave the second place – and with it the honour of that maximum – to an exuberant Aldridge.
No-one was really going to begrudge Andrew this little bit of luck at the end of such a superb showing..
But it would’ve been nice if just some of that good fortune could’ve been dished out in his countryman Alex Cunningham’s direction..!
Having taken possession of his new machine and had a first few laps on it at his new home track at Sittingbourne on only the previous Thursday, it was always clear that Cunningham was going to be some distance behind his compatriot when it came to preparedness. But what no-one could’ve anticipated were the mechanical mishaps that were to blight the Oreti Park speedster’s UK debut.
At the starting-gate all fired up to go in heat two, the clutch bearing went without warning causing Alex to mark his arrival with a red face inducing demolition of the tapes: a red light too, followed by his helmet colour of green denoting that for his first ride Alex was going have to do it all with the handicap of starting 15 metres back. A solitary point was the result and indeed this – as the fates continued to conspire against the Invercargill racer – was to turn out to be his total for his evening’s efforts.
For the clutch was destined to fail again with a repeat result in heat nine (when he would otherwise have been up against Aldridge) and it was clear that his bike was not going to be able to be patched up. Cue a hastily obtained replacement machine: but one not set up at all for the somewhat idiosyncratic Rye House track: this really giving the HSR Match-race holder little to no chance of taking further points off very strong opponents in the rest of a difficult evening for the 20-year-old.
There were to be some extra and rather more positive in terms of confidence-building rides for Alex though: courtesy of a late call-up to a short-handed Poole side taking on the home club's juniors in an Academy League match which followed the main action.
Wearing the Pirates Academy race jacket, Cunningham managed paid four from his two opening rides, qualifying for the top scorers heat where unfortunately he crashed out on what was now a bare and rather treacherous track surface.
More dirt on the track is likely to be the order of the day next Sunday (May 11th.) when Aldridge and Cunningham (long with their new team-mates) meet up again at the Old Gun Site track in Sittingbourne for the second leg of this Knock-out Cup tie.. Alex is sure to be looking to set the record straight on that occasion!