FANTASTIC performances from skipper Josh Pickering and 16-year-old Ryan Ingram helped Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions to a 49-41 Cab Direct Championship victory over the Glasgow Tigers at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday).

On the hottest day of the year, the Scunthorpe track staff produced a circuit that produced top-notch racing and also only a little dust.

While it was a team performance from Scorpions against a Glasgow side who are again tipped for honours this season, the performances of Pickering and Ingram stood out.

Pickering was sheer class, registering his second successive 15-point full maximum at the EWR. He only trapped once, in Heat 6. In his other four outings, he not only came through the field, but also team-rode with his team-mates, ensuring both a 5-1 with Michael Palm Toft in Heat 10 and Ingram in the concluding Heat 15. A key race was Heat 13, when Pickering overtook both Kyle Howarth and Chris Harris to keep Scorpions two points in front.

The closest Pickering came to defeat was when Glasgow skipper Harris led him for over three-and-a-half laps in Heat 1. But the Australian star built up his speed and then flew under Harris on the third bend of the last lap. Harris moved wide to attempt to hit back, but hit the deck, allowing Dan Gilkes to come through for an opening 5-1 for Scorpions.

Ingram started his evening with an exclusion after a second bend fall in Heat 2. But he looked more-and-more competitive as the evening progressed, and he passed former British Grand Prix winner Harris in fantastic style on the second lap of Heat 11 to join Palm Toft for a second successive 5-1 to Scorpions.

With the scores close at 40-38, Ingram won Heat 14, with Connor Mountain joining him for a 4-2 that increased Scorpions’ lead to four points.

In Heat 15, Ingram trapped from the inside. Former Scorpion Kyle Howarth had been in potent form for Glasgow and seemed to be lining up Ingram for a move, when Pickering – who had been last from the gate – charged around the outside of Howarth, blocking off the move of the Glasgow man and joining Ingram for a 5-1 that will give Scorpions an eight-point lead for the aggregate bonus point when the two teams met in Scotland on June 19.

Meanwhile, Ingram defeated both Howarth and Leon Flint in Heat 15, so he bested all three Glasgow heat-leaders on the night. Ingram’s 11+2 tally was one less than the 12+2 he picked up in the landslide victory over Berwick the previous week, but this was an even more impressive performance from the youngster since it came in a tougher meeting.

Gilkes – in just his second home meeting for Scorpions after a year on the sidelines with a knee injury – started the evening in fine form, being unbeaten in Heats 1 and 2, and finished his evening on 7+1.

Mountain also picked up some important points, including winning Heat 5, after Harris fell trying to overtake him in the original staging. Harris had something of a nightmare meeting for Glasgow, scoring just three points.

Palm Toft was involved in successive 5-1s in Heat 10 and Heat 11 that turned a topsy-turvy meeting back in Scorpions’ favour. Scunthorpe had led 21-15 after six races, before Tigers led 28-26 after a 5-1 in Heat 9. Scorpions then led by six points again, before Howarth came into Heat 12 as a tactical substitute to help Tigers close in once more.

There was no lack of effort from Nathan Ablitt, who scored three points, including overtaking Glasgow’s trump-card guest reserve Jack Smith in Heat 8.

16-year-old Ryan Ingram said: “After my exclusion in Heat 2, I hoped it wasn’t going to be one of those nights. I thought the exclusion was quite harsh and it could have been all four back.

“It took me a ride or two to get back into the meeting. But I then found a set-up that was working. It was quite hot and humid this evening, and that seemed to work in my favour, plus I really got dialled into the track once it got a little bit slicker after the interval.

“At the start I do tend to nice a little look who is next to me, so that I knew it was Bomber (Chris Harris) in Heat 11. I managed to get level with him on the third bend, but he turned slightly later than I anticipated. I thought I might go over the camber, but instead I hit a nice piece of dirt which levelled me back up with him and I got around him and then rode a smooth race on the outside of Tofty (Michael Palm Toft) and we got the 5-1.

“Picko (Josh Pickering) is pretty unstoppable around here and he was likely to win Heat 15, but it was nice to be out there and back him up. We’re now firing as a team and giving him some support.

“David (Howe) and Rob (Godfrey) contacted me at the end of last season and offered me a place at Scunthorpe and it wasn’t something I could turn down. I wasn’t expecting it to go this well, and I’m not really sure how I’m doing it. It’s nice they put their faith in me, while they don’t really put any pressure on me – they just let me go out there and ride my bike.

“There’s a good team spirit. We play football before the meeting, just a little kick-about, for team bonding and all that. It’s a good atmosphere, we look out for each other on track, and we’re aiming to reach the play-offs at the end of the season.”

While Scorpions were defeating Glasgow, Luke Harrison scored a dozen points for Great Britain in the SON2 (World Under-21 Pairs Championship) in Prague. GB finished fourth, missing out on a bronze medal only on countback.

SCUNTHORPE 49: Josh Pickering 15, Ryan Ingram 11+2 Dan Gilkes 7+1, Connor Mountain 7, Michael Palm Toft 6+2, Nathan Ablitt 3, Luke Harrison r/r

GLASGOW 41: Kyle Howarth 13+1, Kevin Juhl Pedersen 7, Leon Flint 6+1, Sam Hagon 6, Jack Smith 5+1, Chris Harris 3, Freddy Hodder 1+1

* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions now have a six-week break in home fixtures, before they host Plymouth Gladiators at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway on Friday, July 3 at 7.30pm. In the meantime, Scorpions are involved in four away meetings, commencing at Redcar and Workington next weekend.

Photo Credits: Ian Rispin

Report by: Rob Peasley