The Berwick Bandits and Glasgow Tigers went to battle at Shielfield Park on Saturday in both sides opening BSN Series fixture.
Glasgow reserve Lee Complin has had his racing licence suspended by the Speedway Control Bureau after producing a non-negative result to a routine pre-meeting drugs and alcohol test.
The 39-year-old Yorkshireman was withdrawn from Saturday’s meeting following the random test and in his absence the Tigers slipped to a six-point defeat at a Berwick side inspired by number one Lewi Kerr.
Kerr led from the front with 13 points as a Bandits which scored solidly throughout maintained its unbeaten start to 2024, inflicting three emphatic defeats on opposite number Chris Harris in the process.
Kerr set the tone on a track which produced some excellent racing despite the appalling weather in the build up to Saturday’s meeting with a tapes to flag victory over Glasgow’s former GP star in the opening heat of the BSN Series qualifier.
Freddy Hodder and Bastian Borke took full advantage of Complin’s absence for a heat two 5-1 and Bandits fans, who had suffered 13 consecutive defeats to the Tigers, were in dreamland.
They were brought swiftly back down to earth as former Bandits Paul Starke and Leon Flint showed they still know the fastest way around Shielfield Park and then Steve Worrall kept Rory Schlein at bay and Ace Pijper pipped Borke for third place to level the scores.
Danyon Hume ended a string of drawn heats by roaring under James Pearson and with Borke comfortably third Berwick were in front again.
They were battling hard to keep it too, first Drew Kemp and Jye Etheridge
Harris masterfully created an opening for Pearson to join him for a match-levelling 5-1 in heat 11 and Berwick fans, who had seen their side lose the last 13 matches against Glasgow, began to get an unpleasant feeling of impending déjà vu.
But Etheridge and Borke had other ideas and powered from the gate in 12, Flint’s determined efforts making no impression on the Berwick duo.
Kerr and Schlein then roared clear in the crucial 13, Harris producing a trademark cutback to find his way past the Australian but Kerr was off into the distance and Berwick fans began to believe.
Tigers’ boss Cami Brown threw his skipper into heat 14 as a tactical sub and the Cornishman obliged with a comfortable win.
Behind him Kemp tucked in for second place but the real action was at the back as Borke buzz-bombed Starke and was just half a wheel from catching him at the chequered flag.
Kerr settled any nerves the home fans may have had by passing Harris and roaring off into the distance in heat 15.
Edinburgh are next at Shielfield before the Bandits take to the road in the remaining BSN qualifiers.
Bandits: Lewis Kerr 13+1, Danyon Hume 6, Jye Etheridge 7, Drew Kemp 6+1, Rory Schlein 8, Freddy Hodder 2+1, Bastian Borke 6+1
Tigers: Chris Harris 15, James Pearson 4+1, Leon Flint 8+2, Paul Starke 5+1, Steve Worrall 6+1, Lee Complin withdrawn, Ace Pijper 4
Referee Scorecard
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Words by Berwick Speedway George Dodds – Images by Taz McDougall
