LEICESTER completed a 100 per cent home record in the WSRA National Development League with a 47-41 win over title rivals Oxford on Sunday.
In a hugely eventful encounter the Lion Cubs always maintained the advantage to make it six wins out of six so far in 2024, and their overall destiny will now be decided in the coming away matches.
The victory was the most important outcome on a difficult day which saw the Cubs lose the services of Arran Butcher, whose FIME Grasstrack event in France on Saturday was rained-off on Saturday and moved to Sunday, meaning unattached rider Jacob Fellows had to step in at short notice.
And whilst the Chargers suffered a blow beforehand with Jason Garrad ruled out after a crash at Berwick on Saturday, the visitors were able to bring in track specialist Connor Coles as a guest.
That meant the Lion Cubs had to dig in against a visiting side with plenty of race winning potential provided by Jody Scott and the excellent Luke Killeen.
But skipper Joe Thompson managed to neutralise that threat by passing Scott to win Heat 1, and he also got the better of Killeen in a vital Heat 13.
There were other key performances from the ever-spectacular Vinnie Foord who took a race win over Coles in Heat 12 and was desperately unlucky to suffer chain failure when leading Heat 14.
And Tom Spencer opened his meeting with a fine win over Coles in Heat 3 as well as giving Killeen a real run for his money in Heat 9.
The decisive moments came in two unusual races, firstly in Heat 2 when Foord and Fellows raced clear whilst Chargers reserves Sam Woods and Senna Summers both hit trouble on turn two, allowing the Lion Cubs to take a 5-1.
Woods was eventually withdrawn after a total of four falls in three races whilst Summers was involved in more drama in Heat 8 when both he and team-mate Jacob Clouting fell in unconnected incidents.
Lion Cubs duo Sonny Springer and Foord both slowed expecting a race stoppage, but with no red lights they continued and recorded a 5-0 albeit with a much slower winning time.
Summers then crashed heavily in Heat 9 and was withdrawn with a suspected broken wrist, leaving the Chargers with only one representative in Heats 12 and 14, whilst Ashton Vale was another to come to grief for the visitors in Heat 10.
In the circumstances they will be relatively satisfied with the result as it leaves the aggregate point in the balance ahead of the return fixture, but the Lion Cubs got the job done and have the chance for more away points at Middlesbrough and Sheffield before they visit Cowley in August.
Thompson said: “It was a good result, and it’s nice to be winning meetings so I enjoy captaining this side.
“There’s a good team spirit in this side, they are all great people and they’re a pleasure to work with.
“This was a very important meeting for us to win, and we did it, so we have to be pleased with that.”
LEICESTER 47: Joe Thompson 13, Vinnie Foord 11+2, Tom Spencer 8, Sonny Springer 5+1, Max James 5+1, Luke Crang 3, Jacob Fellows 2+1.
OXFORD 41: Luke Killeen 14, Jody Scott 10+1, Connor Coles 9, Ashton Vale 4, Jacob Clouting 3+1, Senna Summers 1, Sam Woods 0.
Picture: STEVE DIXON
