HIGH-FLYING Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions took another step to the play-offs, after taking the aggregate bonus point at Oxford last night (Friday). Oxford Cheetahs won 51-39 on the evening, while Scorpions won the aggregate point by 91-89. The point keeps Scorpions joint top at the head of the Cab Direct Championship table.

It all came down by a moment of magic by skipper Josh Pickering in Heat 15. On board his second bike after suffering a blown engine while leading Heat 13, ‘Picko’ swooped brilliantly inside Oxford No 1 Sam Masters on the third bend of the third lap to win the race and ensure the extra point.

Picko’s engine failure cost him an 18-point maximum. He won his other five outings and was once more in outstanding form. 

Scunthorpe moved 17-13 ahead after five races. In addition to a 5-1 for Michael Palm Toft and new signing Jacob Hook in Heat 3, Scorpions also took a couple of 4-2s from Pickering and Connor Mountain.

Oxford then banged in four 5-1s in five races to take control in the meeting. But Scorpions hit back with a third 4-2 from Pickering and Mountain in Heat 11, and then Pickering came into Heat 12 as a tactical substitute and joined Hook for a 5-1 as the gap came down to six points.

Oxford clinched the meeting with a 5-1 in Heat 13 after Pickering’s engine failure and then a 4-2 to Cheetahs in Heat 14 left them just two points behind on aggregate, before Pickering’s superb ride in Heat 15.

Skipper Josh Pickering said: “I haven’t ridden my second bike since we had the home meeting against Oxford a few weeks ago and I had an engine failure in that meeting as well. It’s a decent engine, but it needed a bit of fine tuning. I threw everything at Sam (Masters) in the final race and fortunately it paid off. 

“If that hadn’t have happened and we’d lost the aggregate bonus point, I’d have been very disappointed, because we needed that point. We came here to win, and it was important we left with something.

“My engine blew up in Heat 13 – there’s nothing you can do about that. One thing I’ve not had before is an 18-point-maximum and that was the closest I’ve been.

“All the boys were chipping away tonight and that helped us to the aggregate point. They all deserve credit, such as who Jacob Hook came in for his first meeting of the year and made it through to Heat 15.

“I can’t thank my mechanic Luke Crang enough. He was working so hard tonight. Luke is a former rider, a good friend and an unbelievable mechanic. It’s all well and good saying I had a great night, but I couldn’t have done it without him.”

OXFORD 51: Sam Masters 11+2, Anders Rowe 11, Mitch Diarmid 9+2, Luke Killeen 8+1, Darryl Ritchings 5+2, Dayle Wood 4, Edward Kennett 3,

SCUNTHORPE 39: Josh Pickering 15, Michael Palm Toft 6, Jacob Hook 5+2, Nathan Ablitt 5, Luke Harrison 4+1, Connor Mountain 4+1, Ryan Ingram 0,

Scunthorpe win aggregate point by 91-89

* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions are currently in the middle of a four-week break in home fixtures. The next action at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway is on Friday, August 21 at 7.30pm, when they host Workington Comets in the Cab Direct Championship. In the meantime, Scunthorpe are away at Poole next Wednesday (August 12) in a top-of-the-table clash.

Photo Credits: Ian Rispin

Report by: Rob Peasley