A blockbuster night of racing at Oxford Stadium concluded with the Monarch Cheetahs confirming a tense 47-43 victory over Redcar Bears on Wednesday night.
Persistent rain through the day provided riders with the ultimate conditions to deliver an entertaining meeting – and they didn’t let us down.
Club captain Scott Nicholls starred on the night, dropping just two points, while guest Chris Harris weighed in with 11 points from four breath-taking rides before hitting the deck in a dramatic heat 15.
The Monarch Cheetahs were also in action away to Leicester Lions and Plymouth during the week. Both fixtures ended 55-35 in the hosts’ favour. Meanwhile, Oxford Chargers continued their impressive start to the season by beating Armadale Devils 42-48 in the National Development League.
Cheetahs’ Championship campaign continues tonight (Friday) with an away trip to Scunthorpe. All-action Jack Thomas is hopeful a change of equipment during the winter can inspire a positive performance.
“Scunthorpe is a testing track,” said Thomas. “Everyone feels fast when they practice there but being on track with three other riders is a completely different scenario.
“I’ve changed a few things for this season, hopefully it works and we can come away with some good points. It’s been a busy spell with three away meetings within the week plus two fixtures against Birmingham next week.
“The boys are spending a lot of time with each other consequently and we’re developing a really positive team spirit. We stayed overnight after the Plymouth match and everyone is keen to help each other out.”
The Monarch Cheetahs will again be without Troy Batchelor, who remains on the sidelines with a back injury. Fans’ favourite Chris Harris will fill in as guest while Nathan Stoneman again steps in for Josh Macdonald who continues to recover from a leg injury.
