EXCITEMENT is mounting around the club after the Belle Vue ‘ATPI’ Aces secured a massive 18-point lead in the first leg of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final at home.
Despite the threat of rain spurring on racing, the ATPI Aces got stuck right in against their title hopeful opponents Leicester who, initially, held them to ransom in a deadlock.
But it was guest Niels-Kristian Iversen and Jaimon Lidsey who made the first move to break the deadlock with a superb display in Heat 3 to put the home team ahead.
Momentum only continued to grow for the ATPI Aces as race after race they bagged vital advantages and further increasing their lead to 8 points.
But the Lions were stubbornly clinging on and, for a time, were able to prevent the home team from establishing any further ground, until the rain started to come down.
Faced with a choice, the ATPI Aces knuckled down and got stuck in and, despite conditions deteriorating, made full use of their track knowledge to make things work to their advantage.
Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz served up two inspirational performances in Heats 13 and 15 to ramp up the pressure on the Lions for the second leg, as they put away the ATPI Aces 18-point lead.
Bewley was in sparkling form, securing a 15-point maximum, closely followed by Kurtz with 10+2 and Jaimon Lidsey added 10+1 of his own.
Bewley said: “It was a good night for me but more importantly a good night for the boys, but the job’s not finished yet. We go again in a couple of days at Leicester and that’s a big one.
“They’re good at their place just as we are here and they kept us honest for a time. The track was really good, it’s just a shame the rain came when it did but we knew we’d have to make it work.
“Brady and myself had a plan ahead of Heat 15. We knew what lines we wanted and we made it work. We take 18 points into the next leg. Hopefully it’s enough but we’ll see what we can do.”
The ATPI Aces hope to finish the job on Thursday, September 26 against Leicester when they travel to the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena for leg two of the ROWE Motor oil Premiership Grand Final.
The Cool Running Colts then close the racing calendar in Manchester on Monday, September 30 when they face Sheffield/Scunthorpe at the National Speedway Stadium.
Meeting tickets, race day programmes and south stand parking are available to pre-book online at bellevue-speedway.com/events.
RESULT – BELLE VUE v LEICESTER – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 @ 7:30PM.
Belle Vue ‘ATPI’ Aces 54: Dan Bewley 15, Brady Kurtz 10+2, Jaimon Lidsey 10+1, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8+1, Norick Blodorn 6, Antti Vuolas 3, Jake Mulford 2+1
Leicester ‘Watling JCB’ Lions: 36 Ryan Douglas 7+1, Richard Lawson 6+2, Sam Hagon 6, Sam Masters 5+2, Luke Becker 5+1, Max Fricke 4+1, Lewis Kerr 3
Image: ©Belle Vue Speedway