Heat by Heat Results - May 1980

May started badly. Despite a perfect start from Carter & McKeon, heat 3 proved the turning point. Carter and Knudsen clashed, sending the young Duke crashing. Popular consensus was that the Dane was to blame - however the referee saw differently, and excluded Carter. Not only was he out of the race, but he was unfit to continue. The remaining Dukes rallied to lead by 6 - but crucially this enabled tactical substitute Olsen and Molyneux to grab a 5-1, and then a 4-2 for the Bees in heat 9 levelled the scores. With Dukes running out of options, the Bees edged 6 in front in heat 12 to take the points. Haugvaldstad debuted for the Dukes at reserve in the absence of Pyszny, away on international duty, but failed to score in 4 outings.

Halifax travelled to London on May Day in depleted fashion. With Carter nursing leg injuries from his crash on Saturday, the Dukes were forced to shuffle the pack - and new recruit Haugvaldstad filled in at number 1. Pyszny was expected to be back after his trip to the continent - but as start time approached, he was nowhere to be seen. Already operating R/R for Langli, the Dukes took to the track, effectively a 4-man team - and were heavily beaten as a result. Mick McKeon was the star performer, scoring paid 13, including the Dukes only race win of the night. With Janke and Cartwright both suffering falls, and Pendlebury again troubled by bike problems, Halifax suffered two 5-0 heat reverses.

After 2 difficult defeats, the Dukes bounced back in the most convincing fashion, comprehensively beating a lacklustre Wolves side. With both Carter and Pyszny returning to action, the Dukes raced into a 20-4 lead after 4 races, and never looked back. For the visitors, Dave Morton and Jimmy McMillan (and guest Frank Auffret, in for the absent Nielsen) eventually steadied the ship, and amazingly, no Duke went through the card unbeaten, despite the match being over as early as heat 9. Halifax had the luxury of giving number 8 Haugvaldstad a ride in heat 6, but he failed to score.

The Dukes travelled down to Sussex on the back of their demolition of Wolves - but had no answer to former World number 2 Gordon Kennett. Ably backed by Paul Woods, the Eagles always led the match, although Carter, McKeon and Cartwright kept the Dukes in the match, ultimately forcing a last-heat decider. Halifax made good use of tactical substitutions, with those 3 combining for a pair of 5-1s and a 4-2. Carter and McKeon needed a further 5-1 in the final heat to salvage a point, but Kennett romped to his 15 point maximum to secure the points for the Eagles.

The Dukes capitalised on off-nights for Ivan Mauger, Frank Auffret and John Cook to register a comfortable second win of the season at the Boulevard. Mauger was excluded in heat 1 for crossing the inner white line, and the Dukes took control from there, opening up a lead they would never relinquish. The win was sealed when the impressive Cartwright won heat 11, and further heat victories in the final 2 races put a gloss on the final score. Only Pyszny failed to get among the points, his only point coming in heat 2. Haugvaldstad was named as number 8 but did not ride, and having failed to score in his previous 4 matches, was subsequently released.

The Dukes battled hard to overcome a stubborn King's Lynn side, who were boosted by a 15 point maximum from Dave Jessup. A further 11 from Hellsen kept the Stars in the meeting throughout, and the Dukes may have lost the match if Michael Lee had not run 3 last places. Halifax took the lead with a 5-1 from Pyszny and Janke in heat 2 and although they were ahead throughout, could only provide 4 heat winners, but packed the minor places in all but 3 races.

Halifax went to Hyde Road on Whit- Sunday minus Ian Cartwright who had been injured in a grass-track meeting, and already using R/R for Langli, were always going to find it tough. As it transpired, those remaining battled hard to keep the defeat to 10 points, although the outcome was never in doubt. Former Duke Lohmann was excluded after a clash with McKeon in the final race, and the pair crashed again in the second half - this time with more serious consequences. Lohmann was hospitalised with, initially, life-threatening injuries, although fortunately he recovered to return to the saddle in 1981. McKeon suffered broken ribs and would be out of the saddle until July.

On Bank Holiday Monday, the Dukes took on Sheffield in a Challenge match they could probably have done without. Already missing Langli, both Cartwright and McKeon were now missing with injuries, and Pyszny was away in Bulgaria for a World Championship round. Sheard, Stansfield and Westwell were all called into action, and contributed 10 points to a comfortable Halifax win. Carter dropped one point to Wilson in heat 1, but the star of the show was Merv Janke, who took a superb 15 point maximum. Sheffield again lacked top-end power, managing only 3 race winners all night.