Post by bottesfordbullets on Jul 12, 2015 5:48:28 GMT
Bottesford Bullets got their season off to a fine start this week with a couple of promising early season displays in the opening Challenge matches.
An aggregate win over local rivals Hull Angels started the week off well, with the Bullets losing narrowly 47-43 in the first leg at Priory Park before reversing the result at home as they claimed a 51-38 home win over their North bank neighbours.
Kazakhstan speedster Zoltan Stepukhin was the star of the 1st leg, showing a real liking for the away track to record a paid, five ride maximum in a near faultless evening for the 19 year old from Aktau.
Stepukhin was ably supported by a solid scoring Martin Greer at Number 5 who took the chequered flag as a race winner on three occasions himself.
There was little to choose between the sides most of the meeting, in fact they sides were locked at 21-21 at the end of 7 races, with the Bullets providing 5 race winners, before the hosts started to pull away and opened up an eight point lead in the next three heats. Stepukhin and local youngster Will Stone reduced the deficit in Heat 11 with an away 4-2 heat advantage, which was swiftly followed by a similar result from the Bullets' No.1 and Greer in Heat 13 to close the gap to 4 points. Hull must have thought they were home and hosed with a big 5/1 from Tommy Davey and Brian Walton over new recruits Hamish Hamilton and Lewie 'Carnival' Carr, but the Bullets responded with a 5-1 of their own in the final heat, with Stepukhin following team mate Greer home.
Debutant Hamilton was pleased with his opening meeting return of 5+1 from his for rides, adding "After a turbulent 2014 campaign I was talked into joining the Bullets with the manager convincing me a change of environment would do me the world of good, I appreciate its very early days but Zi already feel home amongst the group and I feel I have a lot to offer the younger lads, whilst still having scope to improve my own riding and increase my average. I'd love to repay the management for their trust and faith in me as a rider and look forward to a long and successful career here at Bottesford."
Bottesford scorers were as follows :-
Zoltan Stepukhin 14+1 (from 5 rides)
Martin Greer 12 (5)
Hamish Hamilton 5+1 (4)
Mike Cartwright 4 (4)
Lewie Carr 4 (4)
Will Stone 3 (3)
Luke Patryk 1+1 (4)
The following evening the Bullets took to the newly built Bullet Arena to record their first win at this level as they triumphed 51-38 over the Hull Angels in the second leg to claim a 94-85 aggregate victory and early season bragging rights over their neighbours.
Martin Greer was the top scorer with 13 from 5 but there were also notable performances throughout the team, in particular from Hamish Hamilton who scored paid 12 and looked to have s real liking for the home track. Lewie Carr had a humdinger of a home debut, the local 15 year old was unbeaten by an opponent in three of his four races and was well placed in his third ride before he collected Hull's Nicol Urquhart in a spectacular second bend collision, that had both riders into the air fence, Lewie was correctly excluded from the re-stage as a result.
After sharing the opening couple of heats, the hosts hit Hull with two maximum heat advantages, skipper Mike Cartwright and home debutant Hamilton taking the honours in Heat 3 before Greer and Carr followed suit in the next race, Carr battling through the field after missing the gate. With Bottesford providing 11 of the 15 race winners it was a pleasing start to the season for the home fans to cheer.
Bullets team captain Cartwright was philosophical about the team's performance and the season to come, "It's always nice to claim a victory over the near neighbours, and I thought we rode solidly, personally I haven't quite got going yet, but there are certainly some signs we can become a very difficult team to beat, certainly around our own place. I was thrilled for young Lewie Carr tonight, he really excites fans and could go a long way if he develops as he is doing, young Luke Patryk also rode well despite only scoring paid 4, both he and Stoney (Will Stone) are also young lads who are learning all the time, fingers crossed we'll have a good year!"
Scores were as follows :-
Martin Greer 13 points from 5 rides
Hamish Hamilton 10+1 (5)
Zoltan Stepukhin 9 (4)
Lewie Carr 8+1 (4)
Mike Cartwright 6+1 (4)
Will Stone 3 (4)
Luke Patryk 2+2 (4)
An aggregate win over local rivals Hull Angels started the week off well, with the Bullets losing narrowly 47-43 in the first leg at Priory Park before reversing the result at home as they claimed a 51-38 home win over their North bank neighbours.
Kazakhstan speedster Zoltan Stepukhin was the star of the 1st leg, showing a real liking for the away track to record a paid, five ride maximum in a near faultless evening for the 19 year old from Aktau.
Stepukhin was ably supported by a solid scoring Martin Greer at Number 5 who took the chequered flag as a race winner on three occasions himself.
There was little to choose between the sides most of the meeting, in fact they sides were locked at 21-21 at the end of 7 races, with the Bullets providing 5 race winners, before the hosts started to pull away and opened up an eight point lead in the next three heats. Stepukhin and local youngster Will Stone reduced the deficit in Heat 11 with an away 4-2 heat advantage, which was swiftly followed by a similar result from the Bullets' No.1 and Greer in Heat 13 to close the gap to 4 points. Hull must have thought they were home and hosed with a big 5/1 from Tommy Davey and Brian Walton over new recruits Hamish Hamilton and Lewie 'Carnival' Carr, but the Bullets responded with a 5-1 of their own in the final heat, with Stepukhin following team mate Greer home.
Debutant Hamilton was pleased with his opening meeting return of 5+1 from his for rides, adding "After a turbulent 2014 campaign I was talked into joining the Bullets with the manager convincing me a change of environment would do me the world of good, I appreciate its very early days but Zi already feel home amongst the group and I feel I have a lot to offer the younger lads, whilst still having scope to improve my own riding and increase my average. I'd love to repay the management for their trust and faith in me as a rider and look forward to a long and successful career here at Bottesford."
Bottesford scorers were as follows :-
Zoltan Stepukhin 14+1 (from 5 rides)
Martin Greer 12 (5)
Hamish Hamilton 5+1 (4)
Mike Cartwright 4 (4)
Lewie Carr 4 (4)
Will Stone 3 (3)
Luke Patryk 1+1 (4)
The following evening the Bullets took to the newly built Bullet Arena to record their first win at this level as they triumphed 51-38 over the Hull Angels in the second leg to claim a 94-85 aggregate victory and early season bragging rights over their neighbours.
Martin Greer was the top scorer with 13 from 5 but there were also notable performances throughout the team, in particular from Hamish Hamilton who scored paid 12 and looked to have s real liking for the home track. Lewie Carr had a humdinger of a home debut, the local 15 year old was unbeaten by an opponent in three of his four races and was well placed in his third ride before he collected Hull's Nicol Urquhart in a spectacular second bend collision, that had both riders into the air fence, Lewie was correctly excluded from the re-stage as a result.
After sharing the opening couple of heats, the hosts hit Hull with two maximum heat advantages, skipper Mike Cartwright and home debutant Hamilton taking the honours in Heat 3 before Greer and Carr followed suit in the next race, Carr battling through the field after missing the gate. With Bottesford providing 11 of the 15 race winners it was a pleasing start to the season for the home fans to cheer.
Bullets team captain Cartwright was philosophical about the team's performance and the season to come, "It's always nice to claim a victory over the near neighbours, and I thought we rode solidly, personally I haven't quite got going yet, but there are certainly some signs we can become a very difficult team to beat, certainly around our own place. I was thrilled for young Lewie Carr tonight, he really excites fans and could go a long way if he develops as he is doing, young Luke Patryk also rode well despite only scoring paid 4, both he and Stoney (Will Stone) are also young lads who are learning all the time, fingers crossed we'll have a good year!"
Scores were as follows :-
Martin Greer 13 points from 5 rides
Hamish Hamilton 10+1 (5)
Zoltan Stepukhin 9 (4)
Lewie Carr 8+1 (4)
Mike Cartwright 6+1 (4)
Will Stone 3 (4)
Luke Patryk 2+2 (4)