Junior Rebels Round Up Mavericks

With the senior side taking a break from the Premier League, the track action switched focus to the Somerset Junior Rebels, and their challenge match against the Newport Mavericks Conference League outfit.

The Junior Rebels featured star of the second halves, Jordan Frampton, who impressed many on his Premier League level debut, when part of the Exeter Falcons select side two weeks ago. Matt Browne, who arrived on these shores as part of the recent touring side, "The USA Dream Team", and has stayed on to gain more experience, And Cory Gathacole, who is currently in the country on a working holiday. Gathacole is the 19 year old cousin of Swindon Robins top man, and GP rider Leigh Adams, and tonight was his last outing in Britain, before returning to Australia. They were backed up by regular Somerset second halfers, Matt Bates, Jamie Pickard, Robert Charles, and Andy Carfield.

The Mavericks septet of Karlis Ezergalis, Tim Webster, Matt Tutton, Marc Andrews. Karl Mason, Joe Reynolds, and Nicki Glanz have all seen regular Conference League action this season, and provided a good yardstick to gauge the Junior Rebels by.

If there were any thoughts that the Junior Rebels would be overawed by the Mavericks side, they were very quickly dispelled as they came roaring out of the traps. The home side quickly had there opponents under pressure, as they piled in three heat advantages, two 5-1's either side of a 4-2, without reply. Jordan Frampton started the ball rolling, although it might have been a different story if Karlis Ezergalis had not taken a fall whilst leading into the final lap of the race.

Matt Bates was another who gained from an the misfortune of the Mavericks in the reserves heat, as he took advantage of the fall of Nicki Glanz on the very last bend of the race, to take the heat from Joe Reynolds. Andy Carfield, and young American Matt Browne followed up with another 5-1 from the gate.

Heat 4 gave the crowd their first glimpse of Cory Gathacole, and he didn't disappoint. After breaking level with Karl Mason, he raced side by side with the experienced Mavericks captain for the whole of the opening lap, before easing to the front off the last bend. from then on he drew away to win in the joint fastest time of the night, 59.44. The race saw the last action of the evening from 16 year old Robert Charles, after he took a huge spill off the last bend whilst delivering a challenge on the outside of Nicki Glanz. Robert fell awkwardly, and went to hospital as a precaution, suffering from concussion. Nicki Glanz also withdrew after this race with a knee injury sustained in an earlier fall. Gathacole went on to put together an impressive string of sub 60 sec times during the evening, culminating in equalling his earlier 59.44 in Heat 13. Any of these times would have won him several races in Premier League fixtures this season.

John Weston was quick to stem the flow of points, by sending out Karlis Ezergalis on a tactical ride in Heat 5. he made light work of his task with an easy win, followed home by his partner Tim Webster for a 1-8 advantage, which brought the deficit down to only 3-points. The Junior Rebels were not phased, and quickly asserted themselves, with three more heat advantages, with wins for the impressive duo of Frampton, and Gathacole, as well as the much improved Jamie Pickard.

John Weston again had to dig out the "Black and White" in Heat 9, this time entrusting the ride to Karl Mason. Mason didn't let him down as he swept past Matt Browne off bend two, before going on to win. Browne stuck to his task, but mason was just too good for him. Andy Carfield suffered his second engine failure of the night before he had reached the first bend.

With the Mavericks back in the hunt, at 6-points down, the Junior Rebels again applied the pressure with another 5-1 from Frampton, and Pickard in Heat 10. Pickard didn't have it easy as he was led away from the tapes by Matt Tutton. Tutton showed some impressive gating all night, but was unable to sustain his advantages throughout the race. He showed enough though to suggest that this would improve with more experience.

The Mavericks suffered a huge blow to there chances, when they lost Karlis Ezergalis in Heat 11. Led from the gates by the speedy Gathacole, he was lying in second place, with Matt Bates behind him. as Bates cut inside, running into the fourth turn, his bike caught some unexpected grip, and reared high into the air, carting Bates into the side of the unsuspecting Ezergalis. Bates front wheel struck Ezergalis in the side of the head, and sent him tumbling in a tangle of machines into the safety fence. The meeting was held up for some while, as Ezergalis was attended to by John Davy, and his excellent medical team. Karlis was sent to hospital as a precaution, with concussion, and a badly bruised leg. Bates suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder. The incident was a pure racing accident, and no ones fault. the race was eventually awarded.

After that the Somerset Junior Rebels ran out easy winners with two more 5-1's in the last four heats, with a final score of 57-39. For their part the Mavericks stuck to the task, despite losing Karlis Ezergalis, and promising reserve, Nicki Glanz. Their Conference League season may not be the best they have ever had, but with a bit more experience some of their lesser lights will surely come good.

The "Diatribe Alternative Music Festivals" sponsored "Rider of the Night" Award went to Jordan Frampton for his impressive paid maximum, but he was quick to praise his fellow rider, who also scored a paid maximum, Cory Gathacole. The "Most Improved Junior Rebel" award, sponsored by Ray Dickson was won by Jamie Pickard, who has come on in leaps and bounds this season. All in all the meeting provided some good racing, and no doubt brought some promising youngsters into the limelight, and also to the eye of a few promoters.

The Somerset "Mike Manning Audio" Rebels return to track action next week, as they entertain the Mildenhall Fen Tigers in a Premier League clash at the Oak Tree Arena.