On paper two teams evenly matched, and this proved so throughout the meeting on Sunday afternoon at the Hi-Edge Raceway with the Buxton Hitmen taking a narrow 5 point advantage over the CTA Fire Kings.
In doing so the first point was chalked up on the board by the Kent club for keeping the score within the 6 point away losing margin.
The Kings supplied the first three race winners Boxall, followed by Kirby with his first taking of the chequered flag for the Kent side and in heat 3 it was Morley with the honours before deadlock was broken by the Hitmen. In heat 4, reserve Williamson and experienced Atkin kept the Kings pair of debut man Compton and Kingston pegged back. The CTA Fire Kings took a heat advantage with Boxall winning and Woods 3rd in a re-run heat 5. Shared heats followed until Kirby took his 2nd heat win after being brought in to replace Kingston in heat 8, while Woods took 3rd to level the points 24-24.
Again the Hitmen lived up to their name, McKinna and Compton the only finishers in heat 9 and a 1 point advantage for the Derbyshire side. With a heat advantage in the following heat they extended their lead to 3 points. A shared heat 11 with Boxall taking the flag, while the unfortunate Kirby who had only dropped a point at this stage blowing an engine and unable to add to his tally. Morley and Kingston combined for maximum points in heat 12 to give the CTA Fire Kings the lead!
This was unfortunately short lived for the Kent side with Boxall having to settle for 2nd spot behind the Hitmen's top man Wright and with Compton failing to score after taking a fall and remounting the Hitmen took a slender 1 point advantage. With everything getting rather tense for Trophy points and just two heats remaining more bad luck for Kirby with the cap coming off his spark plug in the penultimate heat while Coles fell and remounted to take a solitary point. A shared final heat won by Boxall with Morley failing to score. Up to this heat Morley had only dropped a single point, but the difference between the two sides was kept to 5 points therefore giving the CTA Fire Kings their first point in the competition.
Tomorrow all roads lead to Central Park Stadium for the National Trophy meeting against Mildenhall Fen Tigers which starts at 3.00pm while gates open at 1.30pm. Some hard work over night with machinery but a confidence boosting meeting for the Kent side sets up for a cracking afternoon of racing against the Fen Tigers who are used to track success over recent seasons.
BUXTON HITMEN 1. Charles Wright 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, = 13 2. Tyler Govier 1', 0, 1, = 2+1 3. Ryan Blacklock 1', 2, FX, = 3+1 4. Adam McKinna 2, FX, 3, 3, 2', = 10+1 5. Tony Atkin (C) 2', 2, 2, 1, = 7+1 6. Tom Woolley 2, 1', 2, 1', 1, 2', = 9+3 7. Matt Williamson 1', 3, F, F, = 4+1 Team manager: Jack Lee
KENT CTA FIRE KINGS 1. Steve Boxall (C) 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, = 14 2. Sam Woods R, 1, 1, = 2 3. Ben Morley 3, 3, 2, 3, 0, = 11 4. Connor Coles 0, 0, R, 1, = 1 5. Benji Compton 1, 1', 2, 0, = 4+1 6. Adam Kirby 3, 2, 3, R, R, = 8 7. Jack Kingston 0, 0, FX, 2', = 2+1 Team manager: Will Pottinger
