A BLOWN engine proved expensive for in-form Troy Batchelor – and Peterborough!
The Australian ace faces a hefty repair bill and his blow-up cost the Readypower Panthers their chances of a vital point.
Batchelor was comfortably in front in Heat 8 as Peterborough were holding King’s Lynn to just six points.
But a shared heat was turned into a maximum for the Stars and they went on to take all three points with a 55-41 victory. Batchelor said: “It's a really tough track to come to and the Polish dudes haven't been here before so obviously they struggled.
“I rode here for two years and passed on some information but it doesn't make it any less hard. Kings Lynn had the right set-up and we didn't get to grips with the track.
"I blew up an engine and that cost us some points, and after that I had to set-up my second bike the same way so it was frustrating. Me and Nicki scored some good points and a couple of the other guys chipped in but we didn't have any consistency and it cost us.
“We have to put it down as a bad day at the office and make sure that we live and learn from it. We didn't do well but we have to forget about it and make sure that next time we come here we ride better.
"The key now is bouncing back it and that means getting three points on Friday against Belle Vue. We have to keep winning at home and hopefully we'll do the job on Friday, but it'll be another tough meeting. I've had some pretty good meetings at Peterborough recently but I want the full 15, hopefully Friday will be the day!"
King’s Lynn were so worried about Peterborough’s threat they arranged a special afternoon practice and it paid off.
Already missing Linus Sundström – qualifying for the Swedish Final from tonight’s semi in Stockholm – the Panthers struggled to cover for his absence with rider replacement.
They picked up only two points from his four programmed rider and that made as big a difference as Batchelor’s mechanical misfortunes.
Peterborough also threw away three points on the last bend in three successive races.
Norbert Kosciuch was pipped on the line by Lasse Bjerre in Heat 10; in the following race Kozza Smith led Filip Sitera until the final few yards and then, amazingly, he was again involved in a virtual photo finish as Tomas Topinka overtook him within sight of the last lap flag.
Peterborough provided only four race winners – two of them worth double points as Nicki Pedersen and Batchelor cashed in on tactical rides – and too many last places to pick up the point that would have lifted them into fifth place in the Elite League table.
In Sweden Sundström booked his place in the Swedish Final, finishing fifth on 10 points, just one point off top spot.
He won two of his five rides but a last place Heat 14 cost him top spot with the first eight going straight through to the final at Målilla on August 17.
KING’S LYNN 55: Niels-Kristian Iversen 13:1, Kenneth Bjerre 11:1, Oliver Allen 8, Lasse Bjerre 7, Mads Korneliussen 6:1, Tomas Topinka 6:1, Filip Sitera 4:3.
PETERBOROUGH 41: Troy Batchelor 15, Nicki Pedersen 13:1, Kozza Smith 4:1, Norbert Kosciuch 4:1, Richard Lawson 3, Krzysztof Buczkowski 2:1, rider replacement for Linus Sundström.
