Tuesday 2 September 2014 00:36, UK
Lakeside Hammers kept alive their hopes of making the Elite League playoffs with a 35-26 victory over Poole Pirates at a sodden Arena Essex Raceway on Monday night.
The Hammers – who need results to go in their favour if they are to finish the regular season in the top four places in the table – were comfortably ahead when the meeting had to be abandoned after 10 heats.
A heavy downpour interrupted proceedings after six completed races and although the two teams battled on to make sure a result could be recorded, track conditions were not fit to race.
Lewis Bridger led the way for the hosts with an 8+1 while Kim Nilsson recorded two wins from three rides to record eight points as they never trailed after a 5-1 result in the opener.
Poole did at one stage only trail by two points but found themselves 22-14 behind when racing was halted due to the arrival of rain, although not before Pirate Adam Ellis had come off his bike in a seventh heat that had to be halted.
When the re-run eventually happened after a lengthy break it soon became clear that despite the best efforts of the staff at the venue, it was nigh-on impossible for the riders to race.
They carried on to get through 10 heats to make the result official, though afterwards both teams admitted it was far from a satisfactory outcome.
"It's not ideal," said Lakeside boss Neil Vacther, despite seeing his Hammers secure a crucial result in their quest to make the playoffs. "It was turning out to be a great tussle between two good sides.
"It doesn't really seem fair. The track is improving but the riders' visibility is the problem. We've spoken to both team managers and everyone has come to the agreement it isn't ideal."
Opposite number Neil Middleditch agreed the right decision was made, with his team not keen to carry on in such tough conditions and with their place in the playoffs already secure.
"My boys don't particularly want to ride," he said. "If they were told they had to ride, they would have done so.
"Common sense prevails. I think it's the right decision, I really do."
In the other Elite League fixture to take place on the same night, Wolverhampton picked up a three-point haul thanks to a 50-42 win over Leicester, despite Simon Stead's 16-point effort for the beaten Lions.
