ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions put in an encouraging away performance in the Cab Direct Championship at Plymouth last night (Saturday), before home side Plymouth Gladiators took a 49-41 victory.

Scorpions – fresh from a 59-31 home victory over Berwick on Friday night – were highly competitive in South Devon and have put themselves in a good position for the aggregate bonus point when the two sides meet at the Eddie Wright Raceway on July 3. Although for much of the meeting at Plymouth, an away win looked a possibility.

The meeting started in light rain which lasted for the first two or three races. Scorpions almost took a heat advantage in Heat 3, but Connor Mountain was pipped on the line for the race win by Ben Barker.

But Michael Palm Toft and recent signing Dan Gilkes put Scorpions 14-10 ahead with a 5-1 over seven-times British Champion Scott Nicholls in Heat 4, who was celebrating his 48th birthday.

Plymouth levelled the scores in Heat 6, while the scores were still locked together at 24-24 after eight races. A body blow for Scorpions was conceding back-to-back 5-1s in Heats 9 and 10.

Palm Toft trapped in Heat 11, and Scorpions’ skipper Josh Pickering then steamed around Nicholls, as Scorpions held a 5-1. But Nicholls continued to chase and overhauled Palm Toft with a lap remaining to restrict Scorpions to a 4-2.

Pickering came into Heat 12 as a tactical substitute. This race was the first after the interval, during which there had been a quick downpour, and Nathan Ablitt slid off on the second lap and was excluded. Pickering overtook Plymouth guest Alfie Bowtell in the re-run – making it nine wins out of nine for the Australian star in league outings for Scunthorpe.

Pickering had to settle for second place in an eventful Heat 13. Nicholls flew around the outside in the early stages and Gladiators held a brief 5-1, before Pickering forced a route into second place past Danny King. King headed wide, to try to hit back, but instead bounced off the air fence and collided with Palm Toft,  as the Dane came through into third place in a 3-3.

Gladiators clinched victory on the night in a shared Heat 14, in which Barker won a battle for first place with Mountain. Despite his victory, the often-temperamental Barker was not happy and words were exchanged after the race, with officials needing to part the two riders to prevent any further flare-up.

Gladiators took a 4-2 in the concluding Heat 15, with Pickering overtaking Barker on the opening lap to restrict the damage.

Pickering had another outstanding night with 16 points, only dropping points to the evergreen Nicholls in Heats 13 and 15.

PLYMOUTH 49: Scott Nicholls 12, Ben Barker 11+1, Joe Thompson 10+1, Danny King 6+2, Alfie Bowtell 6+1, Anze Grmek 3+1, Tom Spencer 1+1.

SCUNTHORPE 41: Josh Pickering 16, Dan Gilkes 7+3, Michael Palm Toft 7+1, Connor Mountain 7, Nathan Ablitt 4+2, Ryan Ingram 0, Luke Harrison r/r.

* ELLIE ROSE TRAVEL Scunthorpe Scorpions next race at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway next Friday (May 22) at 7.30pm, when they entertain Glasgow Tigers in further Cab Direct Championship action.

Photo Credits: Ian Rispin Report by: Rob Peasley