Heat by Heat Results - June 1985

Halifax's first match with their new look didn't end according to plan, as Coventry took a last heat 5-1 to grab the points. The Dukes trailed for most of the match, and were unable to turn it around due to their inability to provide heat winners, with only a heat 2 win for Willmott and a heat 9 win for Ross supporting Carter's 3 heat wins. The Bees provided 4 separate heat winners, including the fast Tommy Knudsen who eased to a 12 point maximum. Carter and Rod Hunter drew the Dukes level in heat 12 to set up the last heat decider, but it was Knudsen and Steve Bastable who pulled away from Ross and Willmott, after Evitts, who had been sluggish all night, was excluded for touching the tapes.

This one was messy. Ipswich, already using rider replacement for the late Billy Sanders, had drafted in Kai Niemi as well - but with both Niemi and John Cook away on World Championship duty, the Witches applied for guest facilities for both - and after Halifax appealed, were denied. The visitors subsequently filled their team with junior riders - and were beaten as a result on a muddy track. Carter took another 12 point maximum, but all the Dukes contributed, whilst Ipswich were over-reliant on Richard Knight and Jeremy Doncaster. Carter relieved Doncaster of the Golden Helmet immediately afterwards...

With the top riders en route to Poland for the World Pairs Final, Sheffield staged a 3 Team Tournament involving the Dukes and Belle Vue. The fixture turned out to be a predictable affair, with the hosts comfortably taking the win, and the Dukes coming last. The pleasing aspect of the match was the seeming return to form of Larry Ross, who won 2 heats in his 10 points - half the Dukes' score - albeit aided by a Chris Morton engine failure. The remainder of the Dukes could only add sporadic 2nds and 3rd however, as an early lead over Belle Vue disappeared in the last 3 races.

Even without Kenny Carter, the Dukes eased to a comfortable win over Reading in their first British League match of the season. With Andersson and Jonsson both missing for the Racers, both teams used their number 8 - with Doug Wyer returning for a rare outing, and top scoring! Hunter, Willmott and Ross all had their best meeting of the season as the Racers - completely reliant on John Davis - were swept away, with Halifax romping to their biggest win of the season to date.

Halifax slipped to a comprehensive defeat at Reading - and lost the bonus point - as the Racers reserves ran riot - scoring 22 points between them. The Dukes were hampered by Carter's van failing to arrive, and the Dukes' number 1 was forced to used bikes and leathers borrowed from Kelvin Tatum's brother Neville. And they lost Kurt Hansen with a suspected broken wrist after a heat 1 crash, which also ruled out Tim Hunt. Carter won his first 2 outings, but then faded, whilst Larry Ross and Neil Evitts tried to keep the Dukes in contention, but they had no answer to Malcolm Holloway and Jan Andersson who were both unbeaten. Andersson then defeated Carter in the Golden Helmet immediately afterwards.

Kenny Carter put the loss of his equipment behind him to lead the Dukes to a famous victory at Coventry. Halifax took the lead in the first heat courtesy of Carter and Wyer, and led by 8 points after 5 heats, prompting a Bees fightback as two 5-1s levelled the scores. The sides were locked together until Carter and Wyer scored their 3rd 4-2 of the match, only for Knudsen and Miller to give the Bees the lead with one race left. But Carter teamed up with Evitts for a fabulous 5-1 as the Dukes stole the victory. Carter's Pairs team-mate Kelvin Tatum was clearly affected by the loss of his bikes - winning heat 7 but struggling in his other races.

24 hours on from their win at Coventry, the Dukes were brought crashing down to earth as they suffered their heaviest defeat of the season at Ipswich. The events of the first match at The Shay clearly left the Witches determined to make amends, and after Halifax opened up a 4 point lead, the hosts moved up a gear and left Halifax with little to show. Doug Wyer and Larry Ross failed to make any impression, whilst reserves Hunter and Willmott failed to beat a home rider after heat 2. Even Carter was struggling, given his hectic week, and was excluded in the final race for bringing Niemi down after battling for third place.

The Dukes filled an open date with a 3 Team Tournament, held on the same format as the recent match at Sheffield. The Tigers and Coventry provided the opposition, although Dukes riders Wyer and Whitaker made up 50% of the Bees side, with Carter, Tatum, Knudsen etc all away for the World Team Cup Intercontinental Final in Denmark. Halifax were always in the lead, with all 4 riders contributing, although Wyer had the best score of the night for the Bees with a superb 11 points, only beaten by Peter Carr.

Halifax crashed out of the Knockout Cup after surrendering their 18 point lead to Wolverhampton in the final race. There seemed little concern early on - Carter won heat 1, and although Wolves opened up a 6 point lead, Carter was out again in heat 5 - but was down on power as the Wolves won the heat. Now down by 10, Carter was drafted in as a tactical substitute for Hunter in the next heat, only to run 3rd again. With their leader not firing, the rest of the Dukes wilted, with only a handful of second places keeping them in the hunt. A Carter win in heat 13 would have clinched a draw - but Eriksen gated to clinch his maximum and with Doncaster heading Evitts, the Wolves were through.

The Dukes' bad run continued as they ran into an Oxford team headed for the League Cup final - and were blown away. The Cheetahs operated rider replacement for Andy Grahame, and even had the luxury of giving number 8 Nigel Sparshott 3 of the rides. Marvyn Cox at reserve broke the track record in the reserve race, whilst Hans Nielsen was able to shepherd Mel Taylor home in 2 of their 3 races together. Evitts and Carter took the Dukes' only heat win in heat 5, but with Carter still struggling, and Hansen, back from injury, lacking sharpness, the result was never in doubt.

Halifax held their nerve to register a narrow home win against would-be title rivals Oxford - courtesy of team riding by Larry Ross and Neil Evitts in the deciding heat 13. Oxford ominously moved into an early 6 point lead, but the Dukes pulled level in heats 6 and 7 through Carter/Hansen and then Ross/Hunter. And despite never looking like being able to head Hans Nielsen, Halifax edged into a 2 point lead going into the last race. Nielsen disappeared into the distance but Ross and Evitts kept Cox at bay to seal the points.