Steady Ride for Senior Cyclists
16.02.09
The Senior A grade riders took it steady for the first five laps of the 15 lap heart starter on Friday night before Paul Berkett lifted the pace. While doing his turn at the front this quicker speed was maintained for the rest of the race.  Ryan Ware's participation in a school sports day took its toll and he started to slip slightly off the back of the bunch with just three laps to go but wasn't able to get back on. Rhyse Carpenter, Ben Young and Malcolm Clasohm were watching each other to see who was going to make the first move as they came to get the last lap bell, however it was Berkett who was first to go surprising the others. He held onto the lead for the whole lap and although the others chased him down closing the gap Berkett had too big a lead and took out the event from Young, Clasohm, R Carpenter and Ware.

Hayden Gill started to lose contact with the bunch as the speed increased after the first three laps of the Senior B Grade 10 lap scratch race while it was Gary Carpenter who led Peter Werner, Adrian Wilson, Neil Paterson, Jarrod Hamilton and Gill into the final lap. He was not able to hold them off with the lead changing as they came down the back straight for the last time and Werner first to cross the line ahead of Wilson, Paterson, G Carpenter, Hamilton and Gill.

In the junior B grade six-lap scratch race Jessica Shore made her move two laps from the finish to have a handy lead as they got the bell and held it to the line with Justin Burke second just ahead of his brother Ethan.

Tegan Wood took off on the bell in the Junior B Grade 6 lap scratch race with Dana Prater chasing after her but she could not catch her before the line.

In the junior C grade four-lap scratch race Jacob Hughes led Bailey Kesby, Corey Gibbons and Chloe Hellowell into the final lap with Gibbons putting in a strong sprint closing the gap. Hughes held him off to be first across the line followed by Gibbons, Kesby and Hellowell

Solo BMX rider Hannah Wilson had a timed 1 lap sprint and in her first race posted her fastest for the season completing the lap in 1 minute 28.71 seconds which was also her quickest time for the night.

In the Senior A Grade 3 lap handicap Berkett (0m) and Young (10m) joined forces early to try to reel in the rest of the field however R Carpenter (25m) and Clasohm (35m) made the most of their handicaps and they only managed to reel in Ware (80m). Clasohm was first to the line ahead of R Carpenter, Young, Berkett and Ware.

In the senior B grade three-lap handicap Hamilton (80m) showed his improving form by catching Gill (180m) and then holding off the rest of the field to take out the event from Gill, Werner (0m), Wilson (20m), G Carpenter (10m) and Paterson (15m).

E Burke (55m) made the most of his handicap and put in a strong effort for the Junior A Grade 2 lap handicap to cross the line first followed by Shore (0m) and J Burke (40m).

Prater (15m) held the lead over Wood (0m) for the whole of the junior B grade two-lap race while in the junior C race it was Hellowell (60m) who was first ahead of Hughes (0m), Gibbons (10m) and Kesby (40m).

In their final race of the night, a six-lap scratch race Shore had a comfortable win over J Burke and E Burke while Prater won the junior B four-lap scratch race from Wood.

In the junior C grade four-lap scratch race Hughes led Gibbons, Kesby and Hellowell into the last lap and the riders were still in this order as they crossed the finish line.

Paterson made his move from about mid field as they got the bell in the senior B grade 10-lap scratch race getting the jump on the rest of the field although they responded straight away. Paterson looked like he could hold off a fast approaching Werner but it was not to be with Werner passing him to take the lead and cross the line first followed by Paterson, G Carpenter, Wilson, Hamilton and Gill.

The final event of the night was a 25-lap point score with the first three riders across the line in the five sprint laps gaining points and Young finishing on 21 points, Clasohm (15), R Carpenter (10) and Ware (9).