Aces claim 15th Premiership title

Brilliant Belle Vue are the Premiership Champions for the third time in five years after sealing the title with a comfortable 53-37 win over Sheffield on Friday.

A packed National Speedway Stadium saw the Aces follow up their 47-43 away win at Owlerton last week to clinch an aggregate 100-80 win and lift the Premiership trophy in front of their own fans.

The record-extending fifteenth top-flight title keeps the Aces five clear of Wembley and Poole, while the third title in five years firmly cements Belle Vue’s place as the most successful club of the modern era.

But it also ends a 54-year wait to lift the trophy on home shale, with every title win since 1972 having happened either on an away circuit or off-track.

Injury victims Peter Kildemand and Dan Bewley were both present to share in the celebrations, with Bewley jumping into the driver’s seat of the parade truck to drive his teammates around the track on the victory lap of honour.

There was a very brief scare for the Aces in the opening two heats with Sheffield clinging to faint hopes of springing a massive surprise.

Heavy afternoon showers left the track unpredictable, and while Norick Blodorn was quickly away to win heat 1 in a sub-60-second time, skipper Brady Kurtz was unable to make progress from the back.

And when Sheffield’s reserve pairing of Luke Killeen and Jye Etheridge romped away for a 5-1 in the second race, the visitors were four points up and back level on aggregate.

But the Aces were quickly back on terms when Zach Cook and guest rider Nicolai Klindt – on his way to a superb paid maximum score – hit back with a 5-1 of their own.

Sheffield kept things level through another good ride from Killeen in heat 4, but Belle Vue were soon on their way to the title when Klindt and Cook recorded a 5-1 in the next, followed by another maximum from Kurtz and Blodorn in heat 6.

With the Aces now dominating race wins, they were taken to the brink of victory with another Kurtz / Blodorn 5-1 in heat 10, meaning that just one more heat advantage was needed for the title.

Max Fricke delayed the celebrations by claiming only Sheffield’s second heat win of the night in the eleventh, but the National Speedway Stadium burst into party mood as Klindt crossed the line, completing his unbeaten night’s work in heat 12 and putting the tie beyond doubt.

Kurtz and Jason Doyle produced a party piece by going either side of Tigers’ skipper Josh Pickering on the first lap as they stormed away to take heat 13 to the delight of the capacity crowd.

Sheffield took a consolation 5-1 in the final heat 15, which ended Blodorn’s unbeaten night, but by then the title was already safely back in Manchester, and Belle Vue were Premiership Champions again.

A jubilant team manager Mark Lemon said: “It’s been a magic night. The fans have waited 54 years for this moment, to win a league championship at home, and I’m delighted that they didn’t go home disappointed!”

“It’s been a stunning year. Normally you look for certain riders to improve their average over the course of the season, but this year the entire 1-7 have all improved their averages.”

Skipper Brady Kurtz added: “I think it’s been a massive effort from the whole club – from Lemmo to the fans, the team, the volunteers, the track staff, everyone has put a massive effort in to get this over the line.

“I’m super happy to be a part of it with a good bunch of guys, and it’s been a great season for us, and nice to win a trophy in our own stadium.”

BELLE VUE 53: Nicolai Klindt 11+1, Jason Doyle 11, Norick Blodorn 10+2, Zach Cook 10+1, Brady Kurtz 8+1, Tate Zischke 3+1, Will Cairns 0.

SHEFFIELD 37: Josh Pickering 8+1, Luke Killeen 7+2, Max Fricke 6+2, Chris Holder 6, Anders Rowe 5, Jye Etheridge 3+2, Leon Flint 2.