ADVANTAGE ACES IN GRAND FINAL

ROWE Motor Oil Premiership leaders Belle Vue are in the box seat for a third league title in five years at the halfway stage of the Grand Final against Sheffield.

The Aces won 47-43 in the first leg at Owlerton and will look to complete the job at the National Speedway Stadium on Friday where they are unbeaten so far this season.

In a tense clash in South Yorkshire the Tigers twice opened up a six-point advantage only to be reeled in by their Roses rivals.

With three races remaining Sheffield led 39-33 but Belle Vue then produced a spectacular finish with two 5-1s from Brady Kurtz and Jason Doyle, whilst Zach Cook and key reserve Tate Zischke collected a 4-2 from Heat 14.

Kurtz (14) and Doyle (12+2) both dropped only one point for the Aces, whilst Cook (9) and Zischke (7+1) also made strong contributions. Tigers guest Max Fricke (11) won his first three rides, and reserve Jye Etheridge was next best on 9+1.

Belle Vue manager Mark Lemon said “It was a hard one to swallow on Saturday night to lose PK (Peter Kildemand), in his final year, but the boys just rallied and rode like they have done all season.

“We looked at the track beforehand, and we felt conditions were optimal for gate four early on, and credit to the track curators here because they did a great job putting on a race-strip, especially as normally you get a graveyard gate here, and there wasn’t one tonight. Then having gates one and three in Heat 13 was also a consideration.

“All of the boys as a unit feed off each other and the confidence is there to see – but the job is not done yet.

“We have a four-point lead, but I’ve been in this game too long to take it for granted. Sheffield will come out fighting on Friday, but we know what we’ve got to do.”

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Photo credit: IAN CHARLES