HIGH-FLYING Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions maintained their unbeaten home record in the Cab Direct Championship after a thrilling 45-45 draw with defending champions at the Eddie Wright Raceway last night (Friday) in perhaps the best race meeting that British Speedway will produce in 2026.

Scunthorpe headed into the meeting top of the table, while Pirates had a 100 per cent record in their previous three league matches.

The meeting was everything that was good about British Speedway, with excellent racing from the moment that Nathan Ablitt and William Cairns engaged in a highly-committed battle for third place in Heat 1.

Scunthorpe went into the meeting using rider replacement for Connor Mountain, who withdrew on the morning of the meeting with illness. The R/R rides yielded just 3+1, while Poole’s best rider was their reserve guest Edward Kennett. The 39-year-old former British No 2 rolled back the years and collected 12+2 in place of the injured Fraser Bowes, who had scored just two points in the cup match at the EWR in April.

Those two factors – together with a complete off-night for Michael Palm Toft – should have swung the match in favour of Pirates, but that didn’t allow for the fighting spirit shown by Scunthorpe skipper Josh Pickering – who took a paid 14+1 maximum – backed up by a trio of exciting British youngsters in Luke Harrison, Nathan Ablitt and Ryan Ingram.

Scorpions took a 4-2 in Heat 1, but Pirates took a lead with a 5-1 in Heat 5. Remarkably that was the first of six times that the lead switched hands, while the teams stay locked together, with no more than two points separating them at any point.

Even on an evening where the racing was excellent all night, Heat 10 stood out. Lewis Kerr ruthlessly pushed Pickering out on the third bend and Pirates held a 5-1. But the Scunthorpe skipper was not to be denied. He flew under both Kerr and Cooper Rushen on the second bend of lap two, but his move left him vulnerable to counter-attack on the back straight and he was pegged back to third. On the fourth bend, ‘Picko’ created a small gap on the inside and gained full revenge in a move as hard as that by Kerr on the opening lap. With both Pirates pushed wise, suddenly Scorpions were on a 4-2, with Ingram then fending off Rushen for third place.

Pirates moved two points ahead in Heat 12, with trump-card Kennett trapping and Kerr overtaking Ingram and Ablitt in the opening stages.

When Richard Lawson and Zach Cook also held a 5-1 for Pirates early on in Heat 13, it looked game over. But teenager Harrison burst through, with Pickering following through the gap. By the time Harrison and Pickering both pushed inside Lawson on the second lap, it was Scorpions who held the 5-1. Lawson wasn’t finished, and it took some gutsy team-riding by Pickering to ensure the maximum heat advantage for Scorpions.

Ablitt led for most of Heat 14, but Kennett flew around him on the closing lap as Poole levelled the scores at 42-42.

In Heat 15, Pickering soon took control of the race from the outside gate. Harrison was in a match-winning third place at one point, but eventually it was Poole skipper Cook who won the battle for third, as the two teams ended the night locked at 45-45.

Glasgow moved top of the Cab Direct Championship with victory last night, but Scorpions remain in second place, just one point behind the Tigers. Scunthorpe – along with Glasgow and Poole – still appear to be in a healthy situation when it comes to claiming one of the four play-off spots, although Scorpions cannot afford to rest on their laurels, since there is still work to be done.

Scorpions’ team manager David Howe said: “I think the draw was a fair result. A draw is better than losing, although of course a win is better. Of all the home meetings, this fixture was the one I was most concerned about and we’ve come out of it with another league point and we’ve remained unbeaten around here in the league.

“Fair play to Edward Kennett, who was fantastic for Poole at reserve, while it was hard for us to cover for Connor (Mountain). Rider replacement scored three points for him and I can’t remember the last time that Connor scored just three points around here. There’s always plenty of ifs and maybes in a close meeting, but I’m happy that the boys battled to a draw.

“Josh (Pickering) was phenomenal again, while Luke (Harrison) really stepped up at No 5 and showed he can hold down that position. Luke doesn’t need to worry about his last place in Heat 15 – someone has to win that race and someone has to finish last.

“The reserves were busy. I tried to move Nathan (Ablitt) and Ryan (Ingram) about to make sure both could score the maximum available to them and give them the gate positions they needed. Ryan took a last place in Heat 2, but I gave him Heat 4 from the inside gate so that he could get his night going and he won that race. Both Nathan and Ryan scored vital points for us – for example, Ryan produced a great ride to beat William Cairns in Heat 11 to keep us in it. The reserves, once again, earnt their money.

“The entertainment was great again tonight – no-one could have gone home disappointed after watching that level of racing.” 

SCUNTHORPE 45: Josh Pickering 14+1 (paid maximum), Luke Harrison 11+1, Nathan Ablitt 9+1, Ryan Ingram 6, Dan Gilkes 4, Michael Palm Toft 1, Connor Mountain R/R.

POOLE 45: Edward Kennett 12+2, Richard Lawson 9+1, Zach Cook 8+1, Lewis Kerr 6+1, Will Cairns 6, Cooper Rushen 3+1, Kyle Newman 1.

* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions are back in action next Friday (July 24) at 7.30pm, when they host Redcar Bears at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway in further Cab Direct Championship action.

Photo Credits: Ian Rispin

Report by: Rob Peasley