Peterborough Panthers second best to Belle Vue again

The Crendon Panthers did fare substantially better than on their visits to the National Speedway Stadium in 2022, but it was still a thoroughly convincing double from the Aces following their victory at the Showground last week.

There was no shortage of effort from the Panthers but the bottom line was that they were limited to just one race win, that coming from lively reserve Ben Cook when he combined with guest Chris Harris for a 5-1 in Heat 12.

Contrasting that was the Belle Vue display with the home riders seemingly having speed to spare as Dan Bewley stormed to a 15-point maximum, whilst skipper Brady Kurtz and former Panther Charles Wright were only denied full houses in their final rides.

Panthers shared the first two races with Rising Star Jordan Jenkins getting the better of his counterpart Jake Mulford in Heat 2, but a spectacular Heat 3 saw both Wright and Tom Brennan come from the back for the first 5-1 of the night for the home side.

Cook and Niels-Kristian Iversen looked to have a chance of responding in Heat 6 as they outgated the flying Bewley, but the British Champion quickly cleared Iversen before moving inside Cook at the end of the first lap.

The Aces then took full control of the meeting with three 5-1s in the next four races with Wright’s strong first bend against Iversen in Heat 9 enabling Brennan to follow him through.

Harris broke the run of 5-1s by just holding off the rapid Jaimon Lidsey on the run to the line in Heat 11, and the former Panthers man then played a starring role in the next race to protect Cook out-front and re-pass Brennan for second place as Panthers took a welcome maximum advantage.

Iversen did well to split Bewley and Kurtz in Heat 13 as Harris hit mechanical trouble, before another Aces 5-1 in Heat 14 courtesy of Wright and Lidsey.

The final race was one of the best of the night with Iversen doing everything he could to end Bewley’s maximum hopes – but the Belle Vue No.1 wound up the outside line as the race went on and pulled off a spectacular pass on the last lap.

Panthers manager Rob Lyon said: “It was pretty much a similar story to what it has been for most of the season so far really, but fair play to Belle Vue, they were the better team on the night.

“We held them in the early part of the meeting and squared the heats off, but mid-meeting they pulled away and that was the difference.

“Jordan Jenkins is doing his job, and Ben Cook is coming on nicely, Niels got going at the end and Bomber did a good job as guest - but I don’t think there are too many positives, and one race winner tells its own story really.”

Panthers face another tough away test on Thursday as they visit last year’s other Grand Finalists Sheffield, who were big KO Cup winners at King’s Lynn on Monday.

Result

BELLE VUE 56: Dan Bewley 15, Charles Wright 12+1, Brady Kurtz 10, Jaimon Lidsey 9+1, Tom Brennan 5+2, Norick Blodorn 5+1, Jake Mulford 0.

PETERBOROUGH 34: Ben Cook 8+1, Chris Harris 8+1, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8, Jordan Jenkins 4+2, Hans Andersen 3+3, Benjamin Basso 3, Richie Worrall r/r.