ACES OUTPACE LIONS

BELLE Vue raced to their first league points of the season with a 51-33 victory over Leicester in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.

The meeting was curtailed one race early as persistent rain moved in from the halfway stage, but the outcome was well beyond doubt by that stage.

Aces captain Brady Kurtz scored a four-ride paid maximum (11+1), and both he and Dan Bewley recorded fast times in the opening heats when conditions were grippy.

Bewley won his first three rides before missing out in Heat 13, whilst Norick Blodorn contributed 9+1. The Lions had just three race wins, whilst Ryan Douglas picked up four second places to top-score with eight.

Belle Vue manager Mark Lemon said: “Conditions were a leveller to begin with, and in fairness to Leicester we won the toss and had the inside gates, and as the rain came down the outside gates became more favourable to getting to the dirt-line.

“I’m really chuffed, it’s points in the bag and that’s what you want when it comes to the league championship.

“I think the morale in this team is upbeat, there’s a long way to go, but we’re feeling quite happy so far.”

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “Conditions were the same for both teams, and Belle Vue rolled up their sleeves in mid-meeting and got on with it.

“It’s disappointing because I thought it looked a good fixture on paper, but the better team won. We weren’t making starts, and unfortunately we got a heavy defeat. The home team managed to adapt to conditions a bit better than what we did.”

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Photo credit: IAN CHARLES