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Report: Drew Jackson Memorial - Sandwell v Wednesfield v Stockport

20th March 2010 | Report & Images: Andy Whitehouse

Sandwell retained their grasp on the Andrew Jackson memorial Trophy on Saturday beating Wednesfield and hosts Stockport in the third annual running of this early season friendly.

The three team contest has been run over the last three years as a tribute to Drew Jackson who rode for all three teams and who sadly passed away in 2007. Whilst having only been involved in cycle speedway for a relatively short time, Drew's palmares is more than impressive - British U15, U18, U19 and U22 Individual champion, British Senior podium on five occasions, 1991 Junior World Champion and World Team Champion in 1996.

The format of the racing runs slightly different to regular racing - the heats split into threes - ie: three senior heats, three junior heats and so on - the winners being the team with the higest aggregate score. Even though the meeting is a friendly, there is no love lost between the teams on the track - the trophy is held in high esteem for the winners.

The riders and managers were presented as always to Drew's parents Roy and Joyce and wife Evett before the racing got underway on a wet and cold afternoon.

The first three heats were contested by the senior riders, with Wednesfield one point in the lead in that competition by the end of the first stage of the meeting. Sandwell, fielding a strong junior team, weren't going to let the trophy go without a fight and with heat wins from Matt Haddock and Matt Smith, Stockport and a weak Wednesfield junior team were no match for the boys in red and yellow. Fine heat wins from Wednesfield's Lee Aris and Matt Beharrel ensured the Aces went into the senior interval firmly in control on 24 points, with both Sandwell and Stockport trailing on 18 points apiece. Two heat wins in the junior competition from Sandwell's Ricky Johnson and Scott Millward were keeping the young Sandwell side firmly in control of the junior tussle with their interval total on 23 points to Stockport's 18, with Wednesfield on 12.

A fine drizzle introduced the second half of the meeting and with an impressive looking Matt Beharrel taking the win from Chris Jewkes in heat seven, kept the Wednesfield senior team well on-track for the trophy. However,  Sandwell were having none of it and, with another four points from both Lee Smith and Jamie Ball, kept the Black Country side only six points adrift by heat nine.

Sandwell's junior riders had, by their heat nine, pretty much done what was needed and with two more heat victories they had one hand on the trophy.

The final three heats in the senior match once again saw Wednesfield pretty much dominate proceedings with wins for Mark Griffiths and Chris Jewkes ensuring the Aces took the senior title with 48 points to Sandwells 41, with Stockport trailing on 31.

Sandwell's juniors rode well as a team all day and had decided early on in the day the trophy was going back to Rowley Regis, ending the day with 47 points, 12 ahead of Stockport and 19 ahead of a weakened Wednesfield side. With a senior/junior combined point total of 88, Sandwell rode to a well deserved victory on the day

RESULT

SANDWELL:  SENIORS 41, JUNIORS 47,  TOTAL 88

WEDNESFIELD: SENIORS 48,  JUNIORS 28, TOTAL 76

STOCKPORT: SENIORS 31, JUNIORS 35, TOTAL 66