British Elite League Riders’ Championship win for former South Australian Champion
October 23 2013 by Gillman Media
Four-times South Australian Solo champion Rory Schlein conquered a strong line-up and difficult track conditions to race to his second Elite League Riders’ Championship in just three years at Swindon on Saturday night.
Schlein fended off his King’s Lynn team-mate, and the World #3 Niels-Kristian Iversen, to repeat his sensational triumph at the Abbey in 2011, whilst British star Craig Cook bagged a well-deserved third place.
Home track favourite Hans Andersen rounded off the finalists but after losing his seat in the decisive race he was unable to take a rostrum spot.
Anderson’s Swindon team-mate, the current South Australian champion, Troy Batchelor, also put in a solid showing but was unable to advance past the semi-final stage.
Riders were forced to deal with tricky track conditions throughout the meeting after heavy afternoon rainfall.
Despite some sterling work from the Swindon track staff, the number of qualification heats was cut down to 16 with each rider taking four rides rather than the five originally planned.
After a retirement in his opening ride, Schlein reeled off three straight wins with some determined racing to book his place in the semi-final alongside Andersen, Batchelor and another Aussie, Jason Doyle, whilst Iversen and Cook went straight to the Grand Final.
In the semi-final, with the first two qualifying for the final, Schlein passed Doyle on the second lap to gain the vital second place behind Andersen, then gained the upper hand over Iversen in a tense final to claim a memorable victory.
Schlein missed out on the rostrum last year after being excluded following a tangle with Chris Holder in the final. But he got the verdict this year after a brilliant burst around Iversen on turn one to seal the trophy and end the season on a superb high.
He said: “It could’ve been three out of three. But the move I pulled off last year was a bit balls to the wall and I ended up in the fence. That’s part and parcel of it. I took a chance and it didn’t pay off.
“This year I pulled off a similar move, but I was a little bit more in control. I had a bit more speed and I’m over the moon.
“That’s the third year running I’ve made the final. That’s not too bad, and to do it with some of the guys here is fantastic.
A number of riders struggled with the surface and meeting favourite Darcy Ward withdrew after two retirements to protect a wrist injury.
ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP, Swindon
Heat points: Niels-Kristian Iversen 10, Craig Cook 9, Rory Schlein 9 (R-3-3-3), Jason Doyle 9 (3-3-2-1), Hans Andersen 8, Troy Batchelor 7 (2-3-FX-2), Scott Nicholls 7, Peter Kildemand 7, Fredrik Lindgren 6, Grzegorz Zengota 6, Chris Harris 6, Davey Watt 2 (2-0-R-N), Kenneth Bjerre 2, Krzysztof Buczkowski 2, Oliver Greenwood (res) 2, Bjarne Pedersen 1, Paul Starke (res) 1, Darcy Ward 0 (R-R-N-N).
Semi-Final: Andersen, Schlein, Doyle, Batchelor
Final: Schlein, Iversen, Cook, Andersen
PHOTO: Rory Schlein and Darcy Ward in action at Gillman Speedway