LEICESTER moved to within a point of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership play-off places with a 55-35 victory over Belle Vue for their biggest win of the season.
The result puts the Watling JCB Lions only just behind Oxford, who took nothing from their trip to Sheffield, and Leicester still have four matches in hand over the Spires.
It was another convincing home display from the Lions, albeit the match was marred by Belle Vue and GB star Dan Bewley crashing out in Heat 6.
Bewley was chasing Lions duo Richard Lawson and Max Fricke into the third bend when Fricke suddenly lost the back end of his bike, and as he spun he was clipped by Bewley who went heavily into the fence.
Fricke was quickly up and able to continue, but a dazed Bewley was withdrawn with a laceration to his arm, and all at Leicester wish him a speedy return to action.
It was Brady Kurtz who then carried the fight to the Lions, who had raced into a 13-5 lead after three races with two 4-2s followed up by a 5-1 from Sam Masters and Luke Becker in Heat 3.
The eight-point margin was maintained through a run of six successive shared races as Kurtz took wins in Heats 5 and 9, backed up by victories for Ben Cook and Norick Blodorn in Heats 7 and 8.
Kurtz’s second victory came as a tactical substitute which initially looked set to glean greater rewards, but Masters and Becker both rounded Blodorn off the second bend to secure a 3-3.
Lions then took full control with Fricke recovering from his earlier crash by blasting between Cook and Jaimon Lidsey on the back straight of Heat 10 to join Richard Lawson for a 5-1.
A tremendous Heat 11 followed with Craig Cook and Ryan Douglas holding a 5-1 for the first half of the race before a strong pass by Kurtz on Douglas, who was then just unable to catch Cook on the run to the finish line.
Lions added another 4-2 from Masters and Sam Hagon in Heat 12 to go 16-points up, and more good action followed in Heat 13 with Ben Cook making the start for the Aces whilst Kurtz was kept at the back by Douglas and Fricke with the Lions skipper twice passing his opposite No.1 on the inside.
Becker and an impressive Craig Cook took Leicester 20 points clear with a 5-1 in Heat 14 before Masters raced to his third win of the night in a shared Heat 15 after a tough first bend with Kurtz.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “Losing Dan did impact them a bit, but I don’t think it takes anything away from us. It might have been 14 or 16 points rather than 20, but I can only look at it from my point of view.
“For me, the plus points were Luke Becker now finding the consistency we want, and Craig Cook now getting the hang of the track, and that’s coming. He’s getting there.
“We’ve got a good collective feeling about us now, and even Sam Hagon scoring three paid four is a big swing, it’s a six-point swing.
“We have now got a bit of momentum. I think we’ve had it for the last couple of weeks in fairness, but you can feel it, and folk are beginning to buy into what we’re doing.
“It was a bit slick tonight so I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with the track, but there was still some good racing and the boys are pleased.
“We did what we needed, which was to get three points, but we’re still behind Oxford – they have the points on the board, and so we need to keep on going.”
Lions’ next two fixtures are on the road, as they travel to Sheffield next Thursday (August 1) before a trip to King’s Lynn the following Monday.
LEICESTER 55: Sam Masters 13, Craig Cook 10+1, Richard Lawson 9, Luke Becker 7+3, Ryan Douglas 7+1, Max Fricke 6+2, Sam Hagon 3+1.
BELLE VUE 35: Brady Kurtz 12, Ben Cook 10+1, Jaimon Lidsey 4, Jake Mulford 3+1, Norick Blodorn 3, Dan Bewley 2, Antti Vuolas 1+1.
Leicester win the aggregate point
