Heat by Heat Results - April 1980

The Dukes returned to action on Easter Saturday with their first home match in the Northern Trophy against Sheffield. The match resulted, ultimately, in a comfortable win for Halifax, although the Tigers kept matters close for the first 8 heats. Kenny Carter scored his 3rd maximum on the trot, and was well supported throughout the team. The Tigers relied heavily on Reg Wilson, but despite a team including former Dukes Klaus Lohmann and Henny Kroeze, and former World-Finalists Ales Dryml and Doug Wyer, they lacked the strength in depth to seriously trouble Halifax. All the top 6 Dukes won at least one heat, the contest effectively being over by heat 10.

The Dukes had an immediate return to action with an Easter Monday local derby with Belle Vue Aces. But the match was marred by the non-arrival of Norwegian heat-leader Tormod Langli, who, it was reported had been injured whilst hang-gliding earlier that day. The Dukes used rider replacement to cover his absence, but a solid return from the remaining 5 seniors saw Halifax home. Carter's run of victories was ended with an uncharacteristic spill in heat 3, covering for Langli. Although the Aces led after 4 races, a 5-1 from Pendlebury and McKeon in heat 5 put the Dukes in front, and although the scores remained close, the Aces could not get back in front. Peter Collins once again showed his form with a 15 point maximum (and he won both his second-half races too).

Halifax's final away match in the Northern Trophy saw them take the short trip down the M1 to Sheffield. Having already beaten the Tigers at The Shay, the Dukes were confident of more success, and so it proved. Operating R/R for Langli, the top 4 of Carter, McKeon, Cartwright and Pendlebury were far too good for the home side, scoring paid 40 points from their 20 rides. With solid support from Janke at reserve, the Dukes were home and dry when Pendlebury won heat 12, before he repeated the feat in heat 13 ahead of Carter. Sheffield clearly lacked an out-and-out number one rider, only managing 3 race winners all night.

The Dukes rounded off the Northern Trophy campaign at home to the Hull Vikings - and in a thriller, turned around an 8 point deficit to snatch the points in a last heat decider - and ultimately to win the competition! The Vikings edged ahead through young reserve Shawn Moran in heat 2, and when both McKeon and Pendlebury suffered mechanical problems the next race, the Dukes found themselves 6 points down. It took until a 5-1 in heat 9 from Pendlebury and Cartwright to finally take the lead, but the scores were levelled the following race. When Sigalos fell and was excluded in heat 11, the Dukes took a vital 4-2 to edge in front, and 2 shared races saw the home side home by the narrowest of margins!

Foxhall Heath had never been a happy hunting ground for the Dukes - but their first away league encounter resulted in an embarrassing 34 point defeat to the rampant Witches. The Dukes simply had no answer, as the home side rattled up five straight 5-1 wins from the start, to leave the Dukes out of the running. Carter top-scored with 9 points from 6 outings, but even that was marred by 2 falls. Skipper Cartwright managed a heat win in a solid 8+1, but the rest of the side could only muster 5 points between them, not managing to beat a single home rider in the process. For Ipswich, Davey, Louis and Eriksen were all unbeaten by a visitor.

Halifax responded to their Ipswich humiliation with a hard-fought victory against the Poole Pirates, despite the efforts of former world number 2 Malcolm Simmons, and Peter Prinsloo. The Dukes were boosted by the arrival of Piotr Pyszny, although the Pole failed to beat a visitor. Carter had a rare off-night, registering his only victory in a vital heat 12, which clinched the win. Cartwright and McKeon were always in the points, and were ably backed by Janke and Pendlebury, as the Dukes eased home having been ahead throughout the meeting.

Despite some niggling injuries and riders nursing mechanical issues, Halifax fulfilled an engagement at Cradley Heath in a challenge match on a Thursday night at the end of April. The Heathens were missing number 1 Bruce Penhall, back on a US home visit, and relied heavily on their remaining senior trio of Grahame, Gundersen and Collins. The Dukes were 10 points behind early on, but managed to pull to within 4 points and force a last-heat decider. Carter only scored 4 points from his first 3 outings, but rallied to win heat 12 and the deciding heat 13, however Gundersen and Collins packed the minor places shutting out Pyszny to ensure the win.

Halifax rounded off April with a disappointing defeat away at King's Lynn. Despite fielding arguably their strongest available line-up, with Pyszny down at reserve, the 6 Dukes had no answer to the Stars' heat-leader trio of Jessup, Lee and Hellsen, failing to take a point from any of them. Halifax took an early lead, courtesy of a 5-1 from Janke and Pyszny in heat 2 - but that was the sole race win and heat advantage all evening. The Stars took four 5-1 heat wins, 3 of them relegating Carter into 3rd place. Pendlebury had an off-night, failing to score in 3 outings, before being replaced by Pyszny in his last ride, the Pole scoring in every one of his rides.