Aces close in on Premiership title

Belle Vue defied the weather to put themselves in the driving seat going into tonight’s (Thursday) second leg of the Premiership play-off Grand Final at Leicester.

As the rain fell at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday evening, the Aces top two of Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz smashed home two maximum 5-1 wins in the last three heats, to give Belle Vue a 54-36 first-leg victory, and take them tantalisingly close to their second Premiership title in three years.

The Aces had pulled off an incredible performance in the semi-final at Sheffield last Thursday, going down 50-40 to secure an aggregate 91-89 win, taking them into their third Grand Final in four years, but they hardly had chance to catch breath before they were thrust into the first leg of the final at home on Monday.

With Ben Cook injured in an horrific crash at Sheffield, Belle Vue were forced to draft in guest rider Niels-Kristian Iversen in his place. The Aussie star thankfully suffered no broken bones, but is required to sit out a mandatory 9-day concussion suspension after being knocked out in the spill.

Skipper Brady Kurtz lifted violently out of the start of Monday’s first heat, but teammate Norick Blodorn was quickly away to take the victory, as the home side started strongly to open a 19-11 lead after five heats, with Dan Bewley, Jaimon Lidsey and guest Iversen all taking heat wins.

Kurtz landed his first win in heat 6, but as Bewley flew around the outside for his second win in the next race, rain started to fall.

The deteriorating conditions proved to be a leveller, with the inside gate becoming advantageous, and the visitors making some quick starts to foil the Aces every attempt to increase their lead.

Seven heats in a row were shared 3-3 with Leicester either making use of gate 1, or packing the minor places to keep the Aces out.

With just three races left, Belle Vue went into heat 13 still only holding a fragile 8-point lead at 40-32.

But then up stepped Bewley and Kurtz. Although Leicester skipper Max Fricke made the start from gate 1, Bewley flew around the outside of the second bend, with Kurtz simultaneously nipping through on the inside to romp away to a maximum win.

Any thoughts that track conditions were becoming unsafe in the continuing rain were dispelled in the next as Iversen pulled off an incredible ride.

Lions’ Luke Becker led from Antti Vuolas, but Iversen went wide into the dirt to generate enough speed to fly past Vuolas down the back straight and power underneath Becker going into the third bend.

That 4-2 moved the Aces into a much healthier 14 point lead, but they still weren’t finished.

Bewley and Kurtz were the Aces nominated pairing for the final race.

Again it was Leicester who made the best gate through Ryan Douglas, but in a carbon copy of heat 13, Kurtz was able to find a way through the inside of the second bend with Bewley storming round the outside to join him in a 5-1 maximum, bringing the packed grandstand to its feet.

An 18-point lead puts Belle Vue in a powerful position going into tonight’s second leg but they will be mindful that their two previous visits to Leicester this year resulted in 53-37 and 55-35 losses, so there is still work to do if they are to bring the Premiership title back to Manchester again.

Monday’s Aces scorers: Dan Bewley 15, Brady Kurtz 10+2, Jaimon Lidsey 10+1, Niels-Kristian Iversen 8+1, Norick Blodorn 6, Antti Vuolas 3, Jake Mulford 2+1.

The Belle Vue Colts finish their season on Monday at the National Speedway Stadium when they host the combined Sheffield/Scunthorpe side.

A victory by more than 5 points will see the Colts finish as National League runners-up.