Good things come to those who wait as 13 years after his Laurels debut (at Wimbledon Stadium in 2003) and having twice been runner-up since the event transferred to Central Park, Steve Boxall finally got his hands on the famous WJ Cearns Trophy awarded to the winner of one of the sport’s most enduring titles.
The former Kent Kings favourite had his sights set not just on the silverware but also on regaining the track record he’d held for nigh on three years and he did come close in heat one, a second fastest ever four lap time at Central Park not quite achieving that aim. And when Tom Bacon – in sizzling form – headed the Premier League invitee home in heat six it did seem that the Canterbury-born Boxall’s progress towards the Laurels title too may not be the procession many predicted. Indeed the Birmingham Brummie Bacon, who bucks the current trend by being inordinately popular among the Central Park faithful, was certainly the outstanding racer in the qualifiers – lightning fast out of the traps. Three wins suggested he was going to go through the card unbeaten but then in a topsy-turvey heat 10 the previously ineffectual Eastbourne man Georgie Wood and a resurgent Dan Halsey got the better of him rather dimming the threat. It was too late for Wood to progress but saved the Fen Tiger’s, er, bacon and Halsey was not one to turn down the second chance he’d won himself.
Boxall was untroubled in the first semi but James Shanes will have breathed a sigh of relief that he managed to avert the most unlikely of scenarios when team mate Jack Thomas almost took him around the outside. The only homester in the other semi was a rather below par Danny Ayres and so Bacon and Halsey proceeded. The Final saw Boxall dominate but Bacon would’ve been disappointed that Shanes overtook him to deny him a rostrum berth – it all ending in a heap on the final bend for the young man who did in truth deserve rather more.
S. Boxall 3 2 3 3 11 T. Bacon 3 3 3 1 10 J. Shanes 2 3 3 1 9 D. Ayres 1 3 1 2 7 J. Thomas 2 1 2 2 7 D. Ritchings 1 R 2 3 6 D. Verge 2 2 2 0 6 D. Halsey 3 F 0 2 5 G. Wood 0 1 R 3 4 L. Clifton 0 2 1 1 4 C. Coles 1 1 1 0 3 T, Brennan 0 0 0 0 0
