After being disappointed at the fact that I lost my best bike and I had to jump on my 2nd bike in the first meeting, in the 1st race of the second meeting I just got more confident because I had got the setup right by the end of the first meeting and I became more focussed and, although I didn't quite make a good start to start off (it was an unsatisfactory start and the ref called all four back), in the re-run I made a very good start and was feeling much better and won the race. In the 2nd race I came 2nd after close racing for 2nd place. I nearly made a costly mistake after I took the wrong line for about 2 laps, but luckily I held it after I passed two riders into the 3rd and 4th bends. In the 3rd race it was a shame that I didn't quite make the start and I got blocked in as I came out of the 2nd bend because the away rider nearly came off and I was trying to keep the bike in tight to stop running into him and I slowed down and was getting ready to drop it but he managed to stay on the bike but by then I had dropped back to last and I just couldn't find a way to pass the away riders after they were team riding well. In the 4th race they put me out too soon and I just couldn't hold on to the bike as I was getting tired and I couldn't pass the away rider for a win and didn't get much luck to stay 2nd so I finished 3rd. In the 5th race I made a mistake and broke the tape. I went back out in the re-run 15 metres back. I managed to pick up 2nd but I just wasn't sure what to do to battle for 1st place while I was having to make sure that the away rider in 3rd place didn't pick up 2nd place from me. In the final race again I didn't have a good start but I was battling for 3rd spot but I couldn't get much luck and started to ride differently in the hope that the away rider would make a mistake but he didn't and I finish last.
It wasn't a bad meeting and I won Man of the Match - thank you to John Shearing of the Waterwitch Public House, Didcot - but I am still slightly disappointed and I didn't really make any starts except in the first race which was really by luck.
Derek Simms and John Shearing, representing the Waterwitch Public House, Didcot
Picture: Les Aubrey
Wayne Carter - R 2 3 0 = 5
James Purchase - 1 1* 0 0 = 2+1
Steve Braidford - R/R
Danny Warwick - 3 3 2 6 1 = 15
Simon Walker - 1* 3 3 2 = 9+1
Jordan Frampton - 1 0 R F 0 = 1
Nathan Irwin - 3 2 0 1 2 0 = 8
Marc Andrews (No. 8) - 1 0 = 1
Oxford - 52
Chris Mills - 3 2 2 1 = 8
Ricky Scarboro - 2* 1* 3 1* = 7+3
Danny Norton - 0 2 2 3 2* = 9+1
Ben Barker - 2 1* 1* 1* = 5+3
Chris Schramm - 3 3 3 3 3 = 15
Jason Newitt - 0 0 1 = 1
Jamie Courtney - 2 0 2* 1 2 = 7+1