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Post by wantagekings on Apr 5, 2016 22:10:04 GMT
Kings off to winning start The Kings got off to a winning start dispatching Kings Lynn Ligtning by 8 points at the Ridgeway. It could have been even better as the Lightning pulled back 6 points in the last 3 heats.
Nevertheless it was a solid team performance with 6 home riders grabbing wins. Joe Finch looked quick after switching bikes after a poor first heat, and there were impressive debuts for Matty Petkovic and Rhett Hodge. Other debutant Nathan Puttman weighed in with a couple of points and showed some early promise.
Next at up is a trip down the road to visit UL new boys Milton Keynes.
Juvenile Jaunt - Kyle Atkinson Kyle Atkinson is Wantage's representative in this years Juvenile jaunt and he made a slow start in the first round with 4 points.
However rather than being disheartened Kyle is full of optimism for the season ahead. "It's great to get underway. I didn't score many points but I felt I was competitive and there's plenty of room for improvement. I've got plenty of support from everyone at the club,"
Wantage have a rich history in the competition with Jamie Airey, John Stroud and Brian Broadbank all competing at the top end of the standings in previous years. Once again Senior captain Lars Meldgaard will be in the pits when time allows to help the youngste r through the season. Hopefully he'll be able to make big strides and improves his points tallies in the future rounds.
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Post by wantagekings on Apr 16, 2016 13:02:30 GMT
Away Loss, Home win The Kings followed up the opening day victory over Kings Lynn with a disappointing away defeat at Milton Keynes before victory at home to the Canvey Island Castaways, who they meet again this week in the KO cup.
Its a case of deja but for Craig Richardson."It may be early in the season, but the pattern so far is the same as last season. Big away defeats and narrow home wins. That was the difference between winning the league and finishing 5th last season. We've talked about fighting for every single point as will be crucial in a tight league."
There were some impressive performances in the match against the Castaways with Joe Finch, Lennart Levin, and Nathan Puttman all having their best performances so far this season.
Filippe Chong Filippe Chong had his first GP as a regular and ended up with 5 points, a tally which he was eventually content with. It was looking much worse as he started with 3 lasts. "I found it really tough early on and I just couldn't get my setup right. At this level you have to have everything perfect and you get punished for the smallest mistakes. But it was great to finish 2nd, 1st and I've learnt loads in that one meeting. I'll be looking for much more next time."
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Post by wantagekings on Apr 23, 2016 6:03:48 GMT
Kings into semis
Wantage qualified for the semi finals of the KO Cup after a hard fought victory over Canvey Island which went right to the wire.
The first leg saw the Castaways fight back and with the help of tactical substitution s looked to be keeping the defecit manageable before a last heat 5 1 from Filippe Ching and Matija Petkovic extended the lead.
Second leg and Canvey Island fought back, and with a 4 2 5 1 5 1 in the middle heats saw them level with several heats to spare.
But led by Ching and Petkovic the Kings went into the final heat needing 3 points. It was Petkoviv who stood up and led the home side from tapes to flag despite immense pressure to put the Kings through for a semi with Whitby.
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Post by wantagekings on May 15, 2016 9:20:03 GMT
Kings struggling but keep same 1 to 7
The Wantage Kings are having a mixed time in the UL but are refusing to press the panic button just yet. A miraculous escape rescued a point at home to Wednesfield, although better use of tac subs may have secured an unlikely win. There was an umrpvement away to Teesside but with a dropped point at home away points will become crucial if the Kings want to look up the table rather than down.
The line up will remain unchanged and with Lard Meldgaard injured he will not complete 6 matches just yet, which could have seen him drop to reserve.
Filippe Chong has been magnificent so far and will deservedly take the number one spot. Lennart Levin, Nathan Pittman and Rhett Hodge can also be happy with their start to the season whereas the others know they need more consistency.
The management have every faith in all of the riders.
Elsewhere Filippe Ching reached his first GP final
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Post by wantagekings on May 28, 2016 19:37:25 GMT
Kings back to winning ways
Wantage got back to winning ways with a home victory over Whitby. New number 1 Filippe Chong led the way with solid back up from the rest of the team. Captain Lars Meldgaard returns in time for the 4s this week as the first trophy is on offer.
Juvenile Jaunt at the Ridgeway
The Juvenile jaunt came to Wantage and was won by series leader Ralph Whelan. Whelan had 2 consecutive 2nd places and otherwise went through the card. Micky Spence was the big series mover with an excellent performance and otherwise it was Whelans main contenders who fought it out at the top end. Elsewhere, Wantage representative Kyle Atkinson continues his steady improvement. He has continued to pick up points and looks more competitive each week.
Assets update
Around the country Kings assets are having positive impacts for their adopted teams.
Matt Le Saux is up to 3rd in the AL averages and is racking up the points for Abertillery. He added a max in his latest outing. Jamie Airey is coming on in leaps and bounds with London. Airey who was without a club before being up by the Jets has turned himself into an EL heat leader and improves every week. John Stroud is building on a solid debut season last year and is currently averaging over 6 points with new boys Reading. Brian Broadbank has settled in well in his first season up at Southside. Like all of our young lads, Brian is being well looked after and thriving as a result.
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Post by wantagekings on Jun 26, 2016 5:22:00 GMT
Home wins, away defeats, first BP
Wantage's season continues along a familiar path - home wins and away defeats, but a solid performance away to Kings Lynn sees the first bonus point picked up. That in itself is a big positive as it was the difference between the Kings sitting in middle table and challenging for the title last year. As we move into the latter stages of the season each point becomes highly important as the Kings are not in a comfortable position
Maximum for Levin
Lennart Levin secured his first max in British speedway with a magnificent 15 point haul at home to UL Champions Tunstall. Levin had been struggling of late, and his team place was in jeopardy, but a change in machinery will hopefully kick start his season. There is no doubting Lennart's talent and some would say this was overdue - hopefully more of these performances will follow.
Chong marches on
Filippe Chong continues to make waves in his first GP season. After a difficult start the Kiwi wonderkid is reguarly making semis and currently sits 4th in the standings. Its obvious he is now relaxed in the environment and has his eyes on a podium place at the end of the series. He is also firmly established now as the Kings number 1 and currently sits top 5 in the UL averages. He is certainly making th emost of his potential and continues to go from strength to strength.
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Post by wantagekings on Jul 29, 2016 18:10:20 GMT
Kings on the Up Wantage are a side on the up with an away victory at Canvey Island and a home victory over high flying Lanarkshire.
Boss Craig Richardson described the 2 performances as probably the best of the season so far and puts the team full of confidence for the run in. "I think we're finally seeing the best of this side. We've been a bit hit and miss up to now and Filippe sometimes seemed to be riding without front line support, but now we're riding right down the order and are really looking to challenge at the top of the table now. And with a cup final added to that, things are looking good."
Filippe Chong - World Under 21 Champion He may have been a clear favourite, but it was still a fantastic achievement for Filippe Chong to be crowned World Under 21 Champion. He becomes the first rider to be crowned world Champion in Kings colours. A fall for main rival Boris Kravchuk at a crucial point when the pressure was on Clinched the title, meaning Chong didn't pay for his only mistake of the night. Chong was over the moon and now sets his sights on a top 8 finish in the Grand Prix series.
Maximum man Lennart Levin Lennart Levin recorded a second maximum in the Kings home victory over Lanarkshire. It's been a remarkable turnaround for the Swede, who's place was in danger earlier in the season. A change in machinery has seen his form change remarkably a to give Filippe Chong the support he needs at the top of the order.
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Post by estuarywhales on Jul 29, 2016 21:14:33 GMT
Top Reporting Mr R
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