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Post by Administrator on Jun 7, 2011 20:56:44 GMT
Hawks Get Set For Pairs Shane Hazelden and Barrie Evans have been named as the Hackney representatives in the first major event of the National League season, the Pairs Championship, which will be staged at Newport on Saturday, June 18th.
Hazelden has shown tremendous improvement to climb from a reserve berth to the Hawks’ No.1 position in the new averages, effective this Saturday, while Evans – who now is the team’s No.2 – has won this event before when riding for Wimbledon in 2004. The duo have been drawn in Group “A” alongside pairs from Belle Vue, King’s Lynn, Newport and Scunthorpe, with each tandem meeting the others on a round-robin basis. Group B, meanwhile, will comprise pairs from Buxton, Dudley, the Isle of Wight, Mildenhall and Stoke. The first placed finishers in each group will meet in a final head-to-head at the end of the night to settle the title. The full line-up has been announced as: Group A
Belle Vue (Jason Garrity and Kyle Howarth) Hackney (Barrie Evans and Shane Hazelden) King’s Lynn (Jake Knight and Scott Campos) Newport (Jay Herne and Todd Kurtz) Scunthorpe/Sheffield (Richie Worrall and Steve Worrall)
Group B Buxton (Adam Allott and Robert Branford) Dudley (Jon Armstrong and Kyle Newman) Isle of Wight (Nick Simmons and Rob Smith) Mildenhall (Jack Hargreaves and Lewis Blackbird) Stoke (Simon Lambert and Tim Webster)
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Post by Administrator on Jun 12, 2011 7:35:12 GMT
Hawks Slither Out of Cup Hackney 42 Mildenhall 50 (agg: 74-110) (Knock-Out Cup, Saturday June 11th 2011) Hackney’s involvement in this season’s National League Knock-Out Cup ended at the first stage, as a dominant Fen Tigers outfit completed a home and away double to qualify for the next round by a hefty 36 point margin. The Hawks needed a strong opening surge to give themselves any hope of pulling back a 28 point first leg deficit, but it was Mildenhall who shot into the lead with a 5-1 from James Brundle and Aaron Baseby to quickly kill the tie. The Fen Tigers rapidly pushed their advantage up to eight points and had the aggregate victory mathematically assured as early as Heat 8. Former League Riders Champions David Mason and Barrie Evans did their best to stem the tide, with five wins and 28 paid points between them. The two Bens - Hopwood and Morley - offered fairly solid support, although Morley’s evening brought to a premature end with a swollen knee suffered when falling outside Jack Hargreaves in Heat 9, while it proved a troubled night for the rest of the team as the Hawks finished with a long tail. Five race wins out of fifteen at home - and just one on-track heat advantage - does not make for pretty reading. Mildenhall, in contrast, looked solid throughout, and fielded the individual stars of the match in James Brundle and Joe Jacobs, who shone at either end of the visitor’s spectrum. No.1 Brundle lived up to his reputation for lightning starts and was beaten only by Barrie Evans in Heat 13, with the Hackney No.5 striking again to inflict Jacobs’ only loss of the night when surging past the 17 year old in the final race. The Fen Tigers’ reserve then fell on the last bend to gift Evans and partner Mason a consolation 5-1. Mildenhall will now meet the Isle of Wight in the Semi-Finals. The other tie will be between Dudley and Stoke. Hackney scorers: Shane Hazelden 2+1 (4 rides) Ben Hopwood 6 (4) David Mason 14+1 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR) Marc Owen 1 (3) Barrie Evans 12+1 (5) Brandon Freemantle 2+2 (5) Ben Morley 5+1 (4) Mildenhall scorers: James Brundle 11 (4 rides) Aaron Baseby 4+1 (4) Daniel Halsey 10+1 (5) Lewis Blackbird 5+2 (4) Jack Hargreaves 6+1 (4) Adam Portwood 2+1 (4) Joe Jacobs 12 (5) Hawks on the Road The Hackney Hawks will re-focus their attention on the race for the National League play-offs when they head south on Tuesday (June 14th)…. and keep going. Their destination is Ryde and a clash against the Isle of Wight. The Islanders will return the favour on Friday (June 17th) in the return clash at the Hawks’ Lakeside nest, which will bring into play the likes of 2010 Rocket and 2011 British U-21 British Finalist Paul Starke, 7th year Islander and former Exeter Falcon Nick Simmons, two year Cobra Rob Smith and British U-18 Champion Brendan Johnson. The action at the Arena-Essex Raceway gets underway at 8pm. New Date for Hackney vs Buxton A revised date for the Hackney Hawks’ home match at Lakeside against Buxton has now been agreed. The Hitmen will visit the Arena-Essex Raceway on Friday, July 15th (8pm start). Bring ‘Em On: Redcar The Silver Ski Rockets return to centre stage on Saturday (June 18th) as the focus swings back to the Premier League with the visit of Redcar. The Bears are currently nudging toward mid-table, having dropped a draw (against front-runners Ipswich) and a defeat (against fellow title-chasers Glasgow) on Teesside but also won at Newcastle. They will be bringing with them a side headed by double Overseas Champion and World Cup winner Jason Lyons, who has headed north following Birmingham’s winter elevation to the Elite League. Also in the mix are Czech national titlist Matej Kus and 2008 treble winner with Edinburgh, Aaron Summers, plus – of course – Gary Havelock, whose lengthy resume includes the British League Riders crown, two British titles and the little matter of the 1992 World Championship. The action starts at 7pm. Forthcoming Fixtures at Rye House Saturday, June 18th Rockets vs Redcar (Premier League) 7.00pm Saturday, June 25th NO MEETING AT RYE HOUSE Sunday, June 26th Rockets vs Berwick (Premier League) 2.00pm Saturday, July 2nd Hawks vs Newport (National League) 7.00pm ENDS
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Post by Administrator on Jun 15, 2011 7:25:35 GMT
Hawks Take Islanders to the Limit Isle of Wight 47 Hackney 43 (National League, Tuesday June 14th 2011) It’s been a tough few weeks for the Hackney Hawks, who have already suffered two narrow defeats against Dudley, and also sunk without trace both home and away against Mildenhall in the Cup. The Hawks slipped to a fifth straight defeat here, but only after pushing their hosts all the way to a last race decider. Positively speaking, and after Saturday’s poor showing against Mildenhall, there was a far more even look to the spread of the Hawks’ workload this time around, with no less than five Hackney riders paid for at least one race win. Equally important, Hackney showed great character and resolve in rebounding from an early 6 point deficit to take the lead at Heat 9. Former Islander Ben Hopwood and Shane Hazelden sparked the recovery with a maximum result in Heat 5, and a further surge from Hopwood against Rob Smith in Heat 8 - with Ben Morley picking up a point - brought the Hawks level at 24-24. Another 4-2 quickly followed as Barrie Evans outpaced Brendan Johnson and 15 year old Brandon Freemantle finished third ahead of the vastly experienced Lee Smethills, to put the visitors in front by two points. The home side immediately replied with a 5-1, with Paul Starke fending off David Mason to join Smith at the front, only for the Hawks to draw level once again with just three races remaining. The two teams then traded maximums, with Ben Morley coming through against Gary Cottham to finish behind Marc Owen for the 5-1 in Heat 14 that took the score to 42-42. Ultimately, the Hawks were edged out by the greater consistency of the Islanders’ top two, Nick Simmons and Paul Starke, who combined for a total of 29 points out of a possible 30 and clinched the match with a 5-1 over Evans and Hopwood in the last race. Hackney at least had the consolation of returning home with a well earned match point for restricting their hosts to a margin of less than six points. The two teams face a quick-fire return as they meet again at Lakeside this Friday (June 17th @ 8pm). Hackney scorers: Shane Hazelden 4+2 (4 rides) Ben Hopwood 8 (5) David Mason 5+1 (4) Marc Owen 5 (4) Barrie Evans 10 (5) Brandon Freemantle 2 (3) Ben Morley 9+1 (5) Isle of Wight scorers: Paul Starke 13+1 (5 rides) Rob Smith 8+2 (4) Lee Smethills 6 (4) Brendan Johnson 3 (4) Nick Simmons 13+2 (5 rides, maximum) Ross Walter 0 (3) Gray Cottham 4 (5) Match points: Isle of Wight 2 Hackney 1 ENDS
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Post by Administrator on Jun 16, 2011 14:25:06 GMT
Thursday 16th June 2011 FRIDAY'S MATCH RESCHEDULED The Hackney Hawks fixture with the Isle of Wight at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers, has been moved back to the 8th July from tomorrow in view of the current wet track conditions and with a very poor weather forecast for Friday. The Lakeside Promotion are mindful of the fact that many of the riders involved in the meeting have to take time off of work, college or school as do their parents and by making an early call we hope to have caused the least inconvenience to them and to our fans. It now means a full calendar of weekly events in July and August for Speedway fans at the Arena Essex Raceway. The next home Speedway meeting at the Arena-Essex Raceway will now be on Friday 1st July when the Lakeside Hammers face the Belle Vue Aces in the Elite League.
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Post by Administrator on Jun 19, 2011 7:15:00 GMT
Hawks Grounded in Pairs National League Pairs Championship (Newport, Saturday June 18th 2011) 1st Stoke (Simon Lambert, Tim Webster) 2nd Newport (Todd Kurtz, Jay Herne) 3rd Scunthorpe/Sheffield (Richie Worrall, Steve Worrall) 4th Mildenhall (Jack Hargreaves, Lewis Blackbird) The Hackney duo of Barrie Evans and Shane Hazelden failed to make progress in the first of the National League’s “Big Night” events, the Pairs Championship at Newport. The tandem blasted King’s Lynn with a 7-2 under the 4-3-2-0 scoring formula, with Evans winning a further race when pitched against Belle Vue, but both the Hawks’ other two races saw them on the wrong end of 7-2 results to leave them fourth out of five teams in their round-robin group. The title was won by Stoke’s Simon Lambert and Tim Webster, with Lambert claiming his third Pairs crown after previous successes with Boston in 2007 and 2008. Group A Newport 26 (Todd Kurtz 15+1, Jay Herne 11+1) Scunthorpe/Sheffield 22 (Richie Worrall 14+1, Steve Worrall 8) Belle Vue 17 (Jason Garrity 9+1, Adam McKinna 8+1) Hackney 15 (Barrie Evans 8, Shane Hazelden 7+1) King’s Lynn 10 (Jake Knight 7, Lewis Kerr 3) Group B Stoke 23 (Simon Lambert 14+1, Tim Webster 9+2) Mildenhall 21(Jack Hargreaves 12+1, Lewis Blackbird 9+2) Dudley 20 (Kyle Newman 11+1, Jon Armstrong 9+1) Buxton 13 (Adam Allott 8, Luke Priest 5+1) Isle of Wight 13 (Nick Simmons 9, Rob Smith 4+1) Grand Final: Stoke 5 Newport 4 (Kurtz, Webster, Lambert, Herne) Rockets on the Road: Redcar and PL Pairs The Silver Ski Rockets will be hoping for better weather – and a positive result – when they trek up to Teesside on Thursday (June 23rd) to face Redcar. The Rockets bested the Bears 51-42 on their last trip to the venue, after a previous string of near misses, and will clearly be targeting something positive to go with the away wins they have already gained this season at Newport and Plymouth. Jordan Frampton and Chris Neath will remain on the highway – albeit at the other end of the country – for the following night’s Premier League Pairs Championship at Somerset. The Rye House duo will compete in Group 1 alongside pairs from Glasgow, Leicester, Newcastle and Workington. Each side will meet each other on a round-robin basis, with the races scored 4-3-2-0 in order to stress the team element of the competition. The top two finishers in each of the two groups will then progress to the sudden death semi-finals, with the winners of each of those heats then colliding in the final race of the night. Parade time at the Oak Tree Arena will be 7.15, with the first race starting at 7.30. The revised line-up for the event is: Group 1
Rye House (Jordan Frampton, Chris Neath) Glasgow (Joe Screen, James Grieves) Leicester (Richard Sweetman, Richard Hall) Newcastle (Derek Sneddon, Stuart Robson) Workington (James Wright, Rusty Harrison)
Group 2
Somerset (Sam Masters, Cory Gathercole) Sheffield (Ricky Ashworth, Shane Parker) Ipswich – who replaced Plymouth earlier this week (Kevin Doolan, Taylor Poole) Edinburgh (Andrew Tully, Craig Cook) Redcar (Jason Lyons, Aaron Summers) Bring ‘Em On: Berwick There is no action at Rye House next Saturday; instead all roads lead to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and the British Grand Prix. However, the Silver Ski Rockets will be back in home action the following afternoon (Sunday the 26th) with a 2pm start time – as they tackle the Berwick Bandits in the Premier League. The Borders side is currently mid-table, having lost just once at home in a 46-44 squeaker against title-chasing Glasgow, but also snagged a draw from their travels at Leicester. Their roster is centred on former Elite League Swindon Robin Sebastian Alden, who has swooped into the Bandits to replace Charlie Gjedde, and 2003 GP Wildcard and 2004 World Championship Semi-Finalist Josef Franc. But there is also ammunition further down the pack, courtesy of three year King’s Lynn Star Kozza Smith, former Sheffield and Stoke mainstay Lee Complin and Alex Edberg, who has been signed as injury cover for Hynek Stichauer. The Bandits are rounded out at reserve by Anzacs Jade Mudgway and Mitchell Davey. Forthcoming Fixtures at Rye House Saturday, June 25th NO MEETING AT RYE HOUSE Sunday, June 26th Rockets vs Berwick (Premier League) 2.00pm Saturday, July 2nd Hawks vs Newport (National League) 7.00pm Saturday, July 9th Rockets vs Scunthorpe (Premier League) 7.00pm ENDS
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Post by Administrator on Jun 20, 2011 16:01:26 GMT
Fixtures Update Following the postponement of last Saturday’s home fixture against Redcar, the Silver Ski Rockets Premier League match against the Bears has been quickly re-scheduled for Saturday, August 6th (7pm start). This new date necessitates the re-scheduling of Hackney’s home National League fixture against Mildenhall, which was originally slated for this same slot. The Fen Tigers clash will now move to Saturday, August 27th.
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Post by Administrator on Jun 23, 2011 7:09:54 GMT
Young Guns Race For The Title THE list of competing riders for the re-named British Under-19 Championship at Rye House on July 23 has been announced.
Isle of Wight star Brendan Johnson will defend the title he won at Somerset at Under-18 level last season, with the age group modified to allow British speedway to fall in line with FIM/UEM set-ups.
There will be three ‘home’ riders in the meeting with National League Hackney staging half of their meetings at Rye House, so Ben Morley, Shane Hazelden and Marc Owen will all hope to benefit from local knowledge.
GB youth coach Phil Morris said: “The field looks very open with Kyle Howarth heading the list of qualifiers after his impressive start to the season in the National League with Belle Vue, and in the Premier League with Edinburgh.
“The three home men all look likely to be in the mix as they have lots of Rye House knowledge, and I’m sure Brendan Johnson will be working very hard to hang on to the title he won last year. He does seem to raise his game for the bigger events.
“There are four Dudley boys in the line-up which shows they have a great British youth policy which I commend. The four are all showing up well this season, and Ashley Morris and Tom Perry were selected to race in the European Under-19 semi-finals in Germany and Poland.
“Also, Jason Garrity of Belle Vue is a rare breed and he’s a pleasure to watch on a bike, and Mildenhall’s Joe Jacobs has recently hit the form we know he’s capable of, and he’ll be looking to emulate last season and make the podium.
“But going down the list there are so many talented young riders, and they will all feel they have a chance of being amongst the front-runners.”
The draw for riding order will take place a fortnight before the meeting, and Morris’s colleague Neil Vatcher says the youngsters will provide a terrific night of racing.
He added: “This is now the middle tier of the British Young Lions, in between the Under-21s and the Youth programme. We have had great success with the other two sections and we’re sure the the Under-19s will prove just as exciting.
“I’m sure when race-day comes and they all pull on the Young Lions race-jacket they will be all-out to emulate the senior boys and put on a first-class show of hard and exciting racing.
“We need the fans to get behind the riders and lift them as this is a very big meeting in their calendar, and we’re extremely grateful to Len Silver at Rye House for agreeing to stage the event. Len has always been a big supporter of youth development and we thank him for his help.”
BRITISH UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP, Rye House, July 23: (not in riding order) Kyle Howarth (Belle Vue/Edinburgh), Jason Garrity (Belle Vue), Ashley Morris (Dudley), Ben Morley (Hackney), Shane Hazelden (Hackney), Jake Knight (King’s Lynn), Brendan Johnson (Isle of Wight), Tom Perry (Dudley), Marc Owen (Hackney), Joe Jacobs (Mildenhall), Richard Franklin (Dudley), James Sarjeant (Stoke), Oli Rayson (King’s Lynn), Tom Stokes (King’s Lynn), Darryl Ritchings (Dudley), Richard Andrews (Newport). Reserves: Danny Stoneman (Dudley), Brandon Freemantle (Hackney).
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Post by Administrator on Jun 23, 2011 7:13:53 GMT
Fixtures Update Following the postponement of last Saturday’s home fixture against Redcar, the Silver Ski Rockets Premier League match against the Bears has been quickly re-scheduled for Saturday, August 6th (7pm start). This new date necessitates the re-scheduling of Hackney’s home National League fixture against Mildenhall, which was originally slated for this same slot. The Fen Tigers clash will now move to Saturday, August 27th.
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Post by Administrator on Jun 26, 2011 19:19:59 GMT
Bring ‘Em On: Newport Hornets (July 2nd @ 7pm) The Silver Ski Rockets face a quick return fixture against Berwick as they head to the Borders this Saturday (July 2nd), but there will still be action at Rye House that night as the Hackney Hawks take centre stage to face Newport in the National League. The Hornets – Championship Play-Off Finalists last year – include the duo that finished as runners-up in the recent League Best Pairs Championship. Former Somerset, Birmingham and Edinburgh man Jay Herne was nearly a 2010 Rocket until being over-ruled as a late season replacement for Robbie Kessler. The 2009 Bronze Helmet meeting winner, he also finished third in that season’s NLRC. Best Pairs colleague Todd Kurtz, meanwhile, is also a five point Wasp in the Premier League. There are no less than four Newport-born riders in the Hornets’ line-up – Tom Young, Jamie White-Williams, David Gough and Richard Andrews. The latter is enjoying a major jump on last season’s 3 point average with Weymouth, already posting high scores of paid 11 against both Buxton and the Isle of Wight, and will feature in the forthcoming British U-19 Championship at Rye House on July 23rd. The Welsh side is rounded off by Matt Bates, who was previously a National Trophy winner with Plymouth. Forthcoming Fixtures at Rye House Saturday, July 2nd Hawks vs Newport (National League) 7.00pm
ENDS
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Post by Administrator on Jul 3, 2011 6:42:31 GMT
Hawks Give Hornets the Sting Hackney 59 Newport 35 (National League, Saturday July 2nd 2011) The Hawks powered to their biggest National League win of the season against an outmatched Hornets side, with all seven of their riders securing at least one race win. Barrie Evans managed much more than that, going through the card with a full 15 point maximum, and was nearly matched by David Mason, who was beaten only by Jay Herne in a hard-fought Heat 5. Elsewhere, Ben Morley enjoyed a strong night marred only by a mechanically troubled Heat 8, while Marc Owen bounced back to form with a win in Heat 3 and a later last bend storm past Tom Young for second place in Heat 14. The biggest plus, however, was probably at reserve, where Ben Hopwood looked white hot in scorching to paid 13 and Brandon Freemantle delivered a highly encouraging paid 7 that included paid and full wins in Heats 2 and 14 respectively, and would have been even higher but for a last lap fall when holding third place in Heat 7. Poor Shane Hazelden had to endure a string of misfortune, being excluded for touching the tapes in Heat 1 and later suffering two falls when on for 5-1s in Heats 6 and 13. He still managed a race win alongside Ben Morley in his other outing of Heat 10. The Hornets, in contrast, were effectively a two man side. The Premier League experienced Jay Herne looked stylish, and received solid support from Matt Bates, but the Welsh side certainly missed Todd Kurtz, who was on doubling-up duty with the senior Wasps. The rest of the side managed just 10 points between them. Hackney scorers: Shane Hazelden 3 (4 rides) Ben Morley 7+1 (4) David Mason 11+3 (5) Marc Owen 6+1 (4) Barrie Evans 15 (5 rides, maximum) Brandon Freemantle 6+1 (4) Ben Hopwood 11+2 (5) Newport scorers: Jay Herne 16+1 (6 rides, inc 6 as a TR) Todd Kurtz R/R Jamie White-Williams 2+1 (4) Tom Young 5 (5) Matt Bates 9 (6 rides, inc 4 as a TR) Richard Andrews 1 (5) David Gough 2+1 (4) Match points: Hackney 3 Newport 0 Coming Up For Hawks The Hackney Hawks will be out for revenge for their recent narrow defeat across the water when they host the Isle of Wight at their “other” nest of Lakeside on Friday (July 8th @ 8pm). They will be facing an Islanders team that offers a strong Rye House connection, courtesy of 2010 Rocket Paul Starke, two year Cobra Rob Smith and former Raider Gary Cottham. The visitors also include 7th year Islander and former Exeter Falcon Nick Simmonds and newly signed Danny Warwick, otherwise known as “The Dreaded One”. The Hawks will also be in action at Lakeside the following Friday (July 15th @ 8pm) when they host defending champions Buxton. The next Hackney fixture at Rye House – the Hawks’ final regular season action at that venue – will be on Saturday, August 27th, against the Mildenhall Fen Tigers.
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Post by Administrator on Jul 6, 2011 13:51:10 GMT
HAMMERS TAKE BREATH FOR FINAL PLAY OFF PUSH
Speedway action at the Arena-Essex Raceway this Friday, 8th July, sees the young Hackney Hawks take centre stage as the senior team take their final break due to the Speedway World Cup before a season defining last six weeks of action until the end of August by which time the Club hopes to qualify for the end of season Play Offs. The Hawks match this Friday is against the Isle of Wight Islanders and gets underway at the Arena-Essex Raceway at the usual first race start time of 8pm. The admission prices are £12 for Adults, £10 for all concessions with Children aged 6 to 16 inclusive just £2. Current Hammers Season Ticket holders will need to pay just half of these prices to watch this National League match.
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Post by Administrator on Jul 9, 2011 6:20:02 GMT
Hawks Halt Islanders, as Ref Halts Play Hackney 58 Isle of Wight 35 (at Lakeside) (National League, Friday July 8th 2011) A delayed start due to the late arrival of the match referee following major traffic delays in the area served only to temporarily postpone what proved to be a comfortable victory for the Hawks – and what proved a personal night to remember for 15 year old Brandon Freemantle. Once racing finally got underway half an hour late, the home side edged into a 17-13 lead before 5-1s from the pairing of Bens Morley and Hopwood in both Heat 6 and Heat 8 quickly bumped the score to 30-18. Paul Starke’s 6 point Tactical ride in the next race raised brief concerns, but any minor nerves were rapidly quelled when Barrie Evans and Brandon Freemantle combined for a 4-2 in Heat 10, and David Mason and Hopwood maxed out in the following race to push Hackney to a 45-30 cushion. A further 5-1 from Evans and Freemantle – riding a superb race against the Islanders’ big guns of Nick Simmons and Starke – wrapped things up with a couple of races to spare, although there was still room for the youngster to add another victory in what was the best night of his fledgling National League career. Freemantle aside, the match provided another sparkling display from Ben Hopwood, who has definitely rediscovered his form at reserve, while David Mason and Ben Morley also blasted into double figures, and Barrie Evans and Marc Owen were not far off that mark. The one negative from the evening unfortunately came at the expense of Shane Hazelden. The British U-19 Finalist had soldiered through relentless misfortune against Newport the previous week, and exited this match after suffering a hand injury in the very first race. With the six other Hawks all gaining full or paid race wins as early as Heat 7, however, there was never a problem in terms of sharing the workload. Joint Team Manager John Sampford was delighted with the Hawks’ display. “Everyone rode well and gave 100% effort, and that effort showed in the final score. “If there was a man of the match, though, it had to be Brandon (Freemantle). He rode so well to win Heat 2 and Heat 14, but to see him out-gate the Islanders’ top two in Heat 13 was something else. It has taken time for him to find his feet in the National League: it’s fair to say that it’s been a baptism of fire. But we have persevered; he has persevered and the last two or three meetings have seen that effort pay off”. Regarding Shane Hazelden’s injury: “He’s had two fingers taped up, and he’s likely to go for hospital tomorrow morning for an x-ray. We’ll have to wait to see how things go from there.” Hackney scorers: Shane Hazelden 0 (1 ride) Ben Morley 10+1 (5) David Mason 13 (5) Marc Owen 5+3 (4) Barrie Evans 9 (4) Brandon Freemantle 9+1 (5) Ben Hopwood 12+4 (6) Isle of Wight scorers: Nick Simmons 7 (5 rides, inc 1 as a TR) Gary Cottham R/R Danny Warwick 1+1 (4) Rob Smith 9 (5) Paul Starke 12 (5 rides, inc 6 as a TR) Rhys Naylor (guest) 1 (5) Luke Chessell 5 (7) Match points: Hackney 3 Isle of Wight 0 Next Up For Hackney: Buxton (Home and Away) The Hackney Hawks are rapidly re-building momentum, with tonight’s victory over the Isle of Wight joining a last week’s prior success against Newport to erase memories of that troubled run of five defeats. The next week sees the Hawks continue their chase of the end-of-year play-offs with home and away matches against Buxton. The Hawks travel to Hi Edge tomorrow (Sunday), before hosting the Derbyshire side at Lakeside’s Arena-Essex Speedway next Friday (July 15th @ 8pm) in the return. The Hitmen are currently re-building following last season’s treble of the National League, Cup and Trophy crowns, although that broad-brush summary may be lost on highly rated Mildenhall after Buxton stunned the Fen Tigers by bagging a match point at West Row two weeks ago and then shocked them even more with a follow-up victory at Hi Edge. Heading up the Hitmen’s firepower is former Sheffield and King’s Lynn star Adam Allott, who can expect backing from doubling-up Redcar Bear Robert Branford, Luke Priest, former Birmingham Brummie Ben Taylor and veteran Dean Felton, whose lengthy career has taken in Premier League runs with Berwick, Stoke and Long Eaton.
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Post by Administrator on Jul 9, 2011 16:13:53 GMT
Hazelden Injury Update Following his fall during last night's victory over the Isle of Wight - one that took the Hawks level on points with leaders Dudley at the top of the National League table - Shane Hazelden has visited his local hospital for further examination this morning. This has unfortunately revealed that he has suffered a dislocated and fractured finger. The injury will rule him out of tomorrow's (Sunday's) trip to Buxton, with Hackney quickly naming 2010 Rocket Paul Starke as a guest replacement at No.1. ENDS
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Post by Administrator on Jul 10, 2011 21:49:20 GMT
Hawks Shoot Down Hitmen Buxton 40 Hackney 50 (National League, Sunday July 10th 2011) The Hackney Hawks celebrated their first away win of the new season in stunning style, with their ten point victory taking them to the top of the National League table for the first time, some four match points clear of previous leaders Dudley. Despite the late withdrawal of captain David Mason, who was forced out on the morning of the match for family reasons, the Hawks were in control from the very first race. A 4-2 from guest Paul Starke and Ben Morley set them on their way, and further successes built the advantage to 16-8 by Heat 4. Buxton briefly threatened with a 5-1 in Heat 10 that pulled the progressive score back to 32-28, but a maximum from Barrie Evans and guest Paul Starke over Adam Allott and Robert Branford in Heat 13 effectively clinched the win, and the same pair secured a 4-2 in the last race to make sure of the final match point. Evans dropped just a single point all afternoon in finishing with a magnificent 17. A delighted Joint Team Manager John Sampford reviewed the Hawks success shortly after Heat 15. “The team really took the match by the scruff of the neck from the word go. That early 8 point advantage could have been even bigger, but for Ben Morley suffering a broken chain when holding third place on the last lap of Heat 5 and Brandon Freemantle falling on the last bend of the next race when in a similar position. “There were a few tense nerves, at 38-34, when Barrie (Evans) and Paul (Starke) – who was a great guest – were off the unfavoured outside gates in Heat 13. But they totally controlled the start of the race and led all the way.” “As we said at the start of the season, this is a team that will improve as the campaign progresses. We’ve turned the corner in the last week or so. Now it’s a question of building for the run-in to the play-offs.” Hackney scorers: Paul Starke (guest) 10+1 (5 rides) Ben Morley 5+1 (5) David Mason R/R Marc Owen 3+1 (4) Barrie Evans 17 (6) Brandon Freemantle 5+1 (4) Ben Hopwood 10+2 (6) Buxton scorers: Adam Allott 6 (4 rides) Dean Felton 7+2 (4) Luke Priest 8 (4) Ben Taylor 9+1 (5) Robert Branford 8 (5) Paul Burnett 2+1 (3) Ryan Blacklock 0 (5) Match points: Buxton 0 Hackney 4
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Post by Administrator on Jul 11, 2011 10:02:07 GMT
Monday 11th July 2011
HAWKS GO TOP OF THE LEAGUE
The Hackney Hawks take centre stage again at the Arena-Essex Raceway this coming Friday, 15th July, when they face the Buxton Hitmen in National League action. The Hitmen are the current League Champions having won the Trophy in 2010, a year that also saw them win the Knockout Cup. The Hawks are currently top of the National League having beaten the Isle of Wight Islanders at the Raceway last Friday and followed that up with a fantastic win at Buxton on Sunday. The seven vital League points gained from these two victories currently place the Hawks four points clear at the top of the table.
Second placed side, the Dudley Heathens, do have two matches this week, one at their Wolverhampton home on Tuesday and then away at Belle Vue on Wednesday, so by Friday the Hawks could find themselves back in second place but a win at the Arena-Essex Raceway against the Hitmen would ensure that they would move back up to at least joint top of the table. Ultimately a top four position at the conclusion of the League campaign will be required for a place in the end of season Play Offs.
A successful weekend started on Friday with the Hawks beating the Isle of Wight 58-35 at the Arena-Essex Raceway, the home of the Lakeside Hammers. This win was gained despite them losing their No.1 Shane Hazelden, following a fall in the opening heat. This resulted in the young Hawks rider dislocating and breaking a finger. The remainder of the team covered for the loss of Hazelden by roaring to the 23 point victory. All the remaining six riders performed well and were led by their captain, David Mason, who amassed a total of 13 points from his five rides. Barrie Evans failed to score in his opening ride due to machine problems with his own bike and eventually came out on Ben Morley’s machine. After that Evans won his remaining three races. With Hazelden out of the match his remaining three rides had to be taken by the reserves with both Ben Hopwood and Brandon Freemantle responding magnificently with Hopwood scoring paid 16 points from his six rides and Freemantle claiming paid 10 points from his five rides. The Isle of Wight Islanders top scorer was Paul Starke who scored 12 points from his five rides, which included six points for a race win whilst on a ‘Tactical Ride’.
Up at Buxton on Sunday the Hawks brought in Paul Starke to cover for the injured Shane Hazelden. The Islanders rider continued his good form from Friday by scoring paid 11 points for the Hawks. However, Barrie Evans top scored with 17 points, dropping just one point in his six rides. These two riders combined in heats 13 and 15 to ensure the win for the Hawks. The final score of 50-40 ensured the Hawks claimed all four of the available League points. Once again the Hawks reserves performed well with Ben Hopwood having to take additional rides as David Mason missed the match. Hopwood amassed paid 12 points from his 6 rides whilst Brandon Freemantle scored paid six points from his four rides.
The Hawks remaining two riders, Ben Morley and Mark Owen, also got amongst the points with Morley totalling a paid 17 points and Owen paid 11 in the two matches over the weekend.
The Lakeside Hammers Co Promoter Jon Cook commented on the Hawks performances over the weekend saying: "The effort of our fans to beat a horrendous day and beat the traffic was rewarded with the best Hawks display to date at our Raceway and it’s great they took that on to Buxton. This Friday’s match at our Arena-Essex Raceway that sees the Hawks take on Buxton will probably be our last home meeting for the youngsters ahead of the Play Offs so we are hoping those fans yet to sample this exciting level of racing will take this opportunity and get behind the boys to keep them top of the League and firmly in sight of the Play Offs."
The match between the Hawks and Buxton, the reigning League Champions, takes place at the Arena-Essex Raceway this Friday, 15th July, and will see the opening race start at 8pm. The admission prices are: - Adults £12, Concessions £10 and children aged 6 to 16 inclusive £2 with children under 6 free.
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