Heat by Heat Results - August 1981

The Dukes returned to home league action at the start of August with the visit of Wimbledon, and ran out easy winners. Both Carter and Richardson broke down in heat 1, although the visitor was able to push home for a point. The racing was close until Wyer and Carter pulled Halifax six points clear in heat 6, and the Dons never recovered, although Simmons and Jancarz tried hard. But solid scoring from the Dukes, saw the hosts home, with only Baker struggling for points. Pyszny was away on domestic duty in Poland, so Dave Trownson was called upon to deputise.

Halifax stole the bragging rights after winning the Cock of the North challenge courtesy of a final race 4-2 by Louis and Cartwright. 12 points down from the first leg at Sheffield, the Dukes looked as though it was too much to make up, but a 5-1 from the unbeaten Carter, and Steve Baker in heat 12 levelled the aggregate scores, and Louis and Cartwright edged Moran in the last race to grab an aggregate win. Steve Baker had his best score for the Dukes so far, with paid 10 from 5 starts, although Wyer struggled. Pendlebury won heat 2, but had another fall in heat 8. Louis' maximum was his first since joining the Dukes.

A superb 15 point maximum from Carter inspired the Dukes to their first - and only - away point of the season in a thriller at the Boulevard. Halifax slumped to a 10 point deficit after only 6 races, and any hope of a positive result looked to have gone. But 5-1 results from Cartwright and Pendlebury in heat 7, Carter and Cartwright in heat 10, and then Carter and Pyszny in heat 11 edged the Dukes into an unlikely lead. Although Mauger and Beaton took the Vikings back into the lead, the Dukes took advantage of Sanders' tape exclusion in the decider to snatch a draw.

With both Kenny Carter and Hans Nielsen away on World Team Cup Final duty in Germany, both sides opted to fill the side at the bottom end, rather than employ guests - and the Dukes suffered as a result. The Brummies remaining top 3 of Niemi, Koponen and Andy Grahame were all unbeaten by a Duke, as only Louis and Pyszny offered any resistance. Halifax managed only one race winner and one heat advantage all night, through Louis and Cartwright in heat 8, but that aside, a handful of second places was all they could manage, with Wyer, Baker and Pendlebury well off the pace.

The night after the defeat at Birmingham the Dukes returned to action at home to Eastbourne. Like the Dukes, the Eagles were missing their top rider (Kennett), but save for Kelly Moran, they had little to trouble the Dukes, several of whom had some confidence-building scores. Louis was unbeaten for a second home match in a row, while Cartwright dropped his only points in a heat 9 exclusion, which many thought should have seen Woods excluded instead. Although the scores were close up until halfway, the Eagles could only muster 6 points from the last 4 races, as the Dukes pulled away.

Skipper Ian Cartwright turned on the magic as the Dukes easily disposed of the Vikings at The Shay. A faultless 12 point maximum, resulting in 4 heat advantages for his side meant the result was never in doubt. Solid backing from Carter, Louis and Steve Baker left Halifax in control from the start. Only a poor night for Doug Wyer was a cause for concern. The visitors lost Graham Drury after his bike seized in heat 1, and with Mauger and Sanders only offering brief resistance, Hull were swept aside. The score would have been even bigger but for Pyszny suffering a puncture whilst leading heat 8.

Halifax ran the reigning champions close, but ultimately could not pull off a shock result. Although the Dukes were consistent, the closeness of the match was probably aided by Reading's inability to get their men home in various races, 5 times they had non-finishers, with Schwartz winning 2 races and being excluded from his other 2! Carter and Louis were impressive for the Dukes, and a little more depth to their scoring might have seen a different outcome.

The Dukes lost away by only 2 points for the second time in a week, this time falling to arch rivals Belle Vue. The previous year, Halifax were heavily beaten around Hyde Road, so it showed how far the Dukes had now come. Carter and Louis won 7 heats between them, and Cartwright added another, but again, the weakness at the base of the team was their undoing - just 4 points from Pendlebury, Baker and Wyer combined, as the Aces stayed in front by packing the minor places.

The Warburtons Challenge was won by Halifax this time, the 1981 version of the event taking place over a single match. The Aces led early on through Neil Collins and Peter Ravn in heat 2, but the Dukes fought back to grab the lead in heat 5 through Cartwright and Pendlebury, and they did not look back. Victory would have been even more emphatic but for Louis suffering mechanical issues in the final race. Carter warmed up for the World Final the following Saturday with a faultless maximum, whilst Cartwright only dropped a single point to Larry Ross in heat 3.