Legault helps out with paid 6 points!!

Elite League Challenge Friday 25th March 2011

The doors opened on the 2011 season at the home of the Lakeside Hammers as the Essex men put on a strong display to run out comfortable winners against Swindon.
With both teams hit by the dispute over Polish participation due to the new silencer introduction, the visiting Robins had a somewhat makeshift look to them with both Maciej Janowski and Tomasz Chrzanowski missing and the Hammers themselves minus Piotr Swiderski.
Nonetheless, it was a very determined performance from the home team that was spearheaded by a masterful display from Lee Richardson, who stormed to a paid maximum from his five rides.
It was a commanding display from the Hammers skipper, who formed a potent partnership with Kauko Nieminen as the pair were paid for 5-1 advantages in each of their three programmed rides together.
The highlight of this dynamic duo’s outings was in heat ten, when first Nieminen and then Richardson stormed past fast starting Simon Stead to steal another 5-1. Equally, Lewis Bridger proved a very useful stand-in for the home side, storming to three victories including an impressive from the back win over Stead in heat nine.
Despite the commanding scoreline, there was some close racing to savour, particularly in the latter stages of the meeting. Nieminen was again in the thick of the action in heat eight, driving past former Hammer Leigh Lanham to take victory and prevent the Robins’ guest from tasting tactical ride success.
Visiting number one Scott Nicholls had a mixed night, opening the meeting on the wrong end of a 5-1 and touching the tapes in heat thirteen. Things came good in the last race, though, as Nicholls put on a spectacular effort to chase down Richardson and narrowly missed out on final heat glory by half a bikes length.
Comfortable this may have been, but it proved a good warm-up for both sides and the Hammers now look to next week and an eagerly awaited clash against track specialists Wolverhampton.

Lakeside Hammers = 56
1. Lee Richardson (C) 3 3 2' 3 3 = 14+1
2. Kauko Nieminen 2' 2' 3 3 0 = 10+2
3. Adam Shields 2' 3 1 3 =9+1
4. Lewis Bridger (G) 3 0 3 3 =9
5. Peter Ljung 2 3 3 0 =8
6. Robert Mear 2 0 0 0 =2
7. Kyle Legault 1' 1' 1 1 =4+2
Team Manager: Jon Cook
Swindon Robins = 38
1. Scott Nicholls 1 2 4^ T 2 =9
2. Leigh Lanham (G) 0 1 1' 4^ 1' =7+2
3. Tomasz Chrzanowski R/R
4. Cameron Woodward (G) 0 1' 0 0 2 =3+1
5. Simon Stead (C) 0 1 2 1 2 1' =7+1
6. Justin Sedgmen 3 0 2 0 2 1' =8+1
7. Josh Grajczonek 0 3 F 1' =4+1
Team Manager: Ronnie Russell
Heat Results
Heat 01: Richardson, Nieminen, Nicholls, Lanham 58.4 (5-1) (5-1)
Heat 02: Sedgmen, Mear, Legault, Grajczonek 59.6 (3-3) (8-4)
Heat 03: Bridger, Shields, Lanham, Woodward 59.3 (5-1) (13-5)
Heat 04: Grajczonek, Ljung, Legault, Stead 59.6 (3-3) (16-8)
Heat 05: Shields, Nicholls, Lanham, Bridger 58.4 (3-3) (19-11)
Heat 06: Richardson, Nieminen, Stead, Sedgmen 59.4 (5-1) (24-12)
Heat 07: Ljung, Sedgmen, Woodward, Mear 58.8 (3-3) (27-15)
Heat 08: Nieminen, Lanham (tactical ride), Legault, Grajczonek (fell, exc) awarded (4-4) (31-19)
Heat 09: Bridger, Stead, Shields, Sedgmen 59.2 (4-2) (35-21)
Heat 10: Nieminen, Richardson, Stead, Woodward 59.7 (5-1) (40-22)
Heat 11: Ljung, Nicholls (tactical ride), Lanham, Mear 59.0 (3-5) (43-27)
Heat 12: Shields, Sedgmen, Legault, Woodward 58.8 (4-2) (47-29)
Heat 13: Richardson, Stead, Sedgmen, Ljung 59.4 (3-3 )(50-32)
Heat 14: Bridger, Woodward, Grajczonek, Mear 60.0 (3-3) (53-35)
Heat 15: Richardson, Nicholls, Stead, Nieminen 59.6 (3-3) (56-38)

Kyle is pictured above leading Robins heat leader Cameron Woodward during the meeting.