SCORPIONS FUME AFTER SUPER HEAT

SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey felt his side hadn’t enjoyed the rub of the green in their heartbreaking Grand Final defeat at Poole.

The second leg of the Cab Direct Championship decider went down to a controversial Super Heat where Scorpions skipper Josh Pickering tactically slowed in a bid to help his team-mate Michael Palm Toft into the points.

Poole captain Zach Cook passed Pickering on the inside with the Scorpions claiming he had breached track limits on the inside as he did so.

However, the race result stood with Richard Lawson keeping Palm Toft at the back to ensure the title for the Pirates.

Godfrey said: “I went into the meeting pretty relaxed, but it’s hard to get away from the fact that we’ve lost out on a league title due to two instances of referees not using the technology available to them.

“We had the tyre-warming situation at Scunthorpe where William Cairns should have been disqualified from Heat 8, and then tonight Zach Cook put both wheels over the white line in the Super Heat. Both referees have chosen to do nothing about it, when both rules are clearly in the rulebook.

“We protested even while the Super Heat was still in progress. We put in the protest in good time and then it’s up to referee to check the video evidence. There were two angles and the one from the rear was the most conclusive. It showed Zach Cook had put both wheels across the line.

“The team are absolutely gutted. If we’d have been beaten comprehensively, we’d have no complaints. Congratulations to Poole, but it’s a bitter pill to swallow losing like this.” 

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Photo credit: TAYLOR LANNING