Congratulations to Ben Clarke, Kai Macguire, Charlie Johnson and Gemma Hill for their 3rd place at Astley and Tydlesley today, after a heat by heat scrap with Sheffield for the bronze position.

Congratulations also to our friends and neighbours Kesgrave, who retained the U10 team title after their own head to head with the hosts.

Final scores:
Kesgrave, 72 points
Astley and tyldesley, 70 points
Ipswich, 47 points
Sheffield, 45 points
Wednesfield, 40points
Poole, 20 points

Ipswich’s young team, all 8 years old, resisted the temptation to look sideways at the gate and reaped the dividends. After 6 heats and a ride each Ipswich were third on 11 points – well off the Kesgrave Speedway Machine’s 15 but only a point from Astley and Tyldesley,and maybe dreaming about a Suffolk 1-2.

Astley and Tyldesley asserted themselves up to the interval dropping only 1 point to bring the battle for the lead to 36-35, creating daylight over Sheffield now in third on 25 with Ipswich close behind on 23.

After the interval things started to go Ipswich’s way, beating Sheffield riders 2-1 and 4-3 to close the gap. With one ride each to go after heat 24 it was 37 points each. Ipswich rode in heats 25-28, leaving Sheffiled heats 29 and 30 to close any gap. Kai came 3rd behind Kesgave and A&T, then Charlie & Gemma 2nd behind A&T. Ipswich’s last rider Ben got off to a bad start, 4th behind a Sheffield rider, but on the very last bend the Sheffield rider slipped a pedal as Ben made his move, giving Ipswich the point advantage by a tyre width.

Ipswich finished on 47, leaving Sheffield needing 7 from 2 heats to draw. Heat 29 included Kesgrave’s Alfie and A&T’s eventual 20-point man Max, the Sheffield rider chased them hard and finished 3rd. Sheffield took second in the final heat leaving them two points behind Ipswich overall.