Plymouth Gladiators produced a superb team performance to secure a hard-fought 45-43 victory over Workington Comets on Saturday afternoon in a meeting packed with drama, crashes and crucial late-race heroics.
Gladiators boss Garry May praised the collective effort from his side after they battled through difficult conditions and several setbacks to come away with the win.
“Everyone did their bit today,” said May.
“It was tough at times and we had to stay on top of things, but we managed to get it done. I’m really proud of the team and the togetherness as one unit.”
Workington started strongly in Heat 1 as Jeppesen swept around Danny King and Joe Thompson on the opening bends before racing clear for victory.
Plymouth quickly settled into the meeting though, with Daniel Klima producing a solid Heat 3 victory after gating sharply alongside Ben Barker. Workington’s Zischke split the pair with an aggressive move under Barker on the opening lap, but Klima held firm out front.
Anze Grmek continued his impressive form in Heat 4 with a determined ride against former Grand Prix star Troy Batchelor. The Plymouth reserve stayed right on Batchelor’s tail throughout the race and kept the pressure on all four laps.
Heat 5 brought early drama for the Gladiators when Danny King lost control and crashed on the opening lap of the first staging. In the re-run, Thompson looked set to secure second place before Zischke snatched the position on the line after an intense four-lap chase.
Plymouth hit back in Heat 6 in dramatic fashion. Workington looked set for a maximum before Jeppesen suffered mechanical trouble on the final lap while comfortably leading, allowing Scott Nicholls and Tom Spencer to capitalise with a vital 4-2 heat advantage to level the scores.
Grmek then produced one of the rides of the afternoon in Heat 8, storming clear of the field to take an emphatic victory as the scores remained locked.
The meeting swung repeatedly and Heat 10 delivered one of the best races of the day. Klima and Jakobsen traded places several times in a thrilling battle for second with passing and re-passing over the opening laps before Klima eventually secured the position.
Danny King then produced a sensational ride in Heat 11. After a dramatic stoppage following a heavy fall for Grmek, King chased down Batchelor in the re-run and brilliantly swept past him off the final bend to snatch a crucial race victory.
The decisive moment arrived in Heat 13 as Plymouth delivered a massive 5-1. King surged past Batchelor on the back straight of lap one before Nicholls completed the maximum with a superb pass of his own late in the race to put the Gladiators ahead.
There was further controversy in Heat 14 when Ben Barker was handed a 15-metre penalty after being judged to have warmed his tyre before the start. Despite the setback, Barker battled brilliantly from the handicap to reel in and pass Cluff on lap three after Grmek had earlier challenged hard for the lead.
The Gladiators then held firm in Heat 15 to secure victory. Although Jeppesen took the win, King and Nicholls combined superbly for Plymouth, expertly team-riding to keep Zischke behind during the closing laps and seal a memorable away success for the visitors.
