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GARRITY WINS HANDICAP
Saturday May 04, 2013
After recent near misses in the British U-21 Championship and Ipswich’s Star of Anglia event, Silver Ski Rocket Jason Garrity made amends by going through the card in the American Invasion Handicap individual meeting staged at Rye House on Saturday.
After recent near misses in the British U-21 Championship and Ipswich’s Star of Anglia event, Silver Ski Rocket Jason Garrity made amends by going through the card in the American Invasion Handicap individual meeting staged at Rye House on Saturday.
The 19 year old made light of the 15 metre starting handicap imposed in each of his programmed rides to roar to a 15 point maximum, before clinching the title in the Grand Final, which was run off scratch. In a couple of instances, Heats 4 and 5 were perhaps stand-outs as Garrity picked off his victims one by one before claiming victory on the last lap, although he later also managed two fourth-to-first performances inside the first circuit!
Main rival and fellow Rocket Tyson Nelson opened with four consecutive wins, only to spin and fall on the second bend of lap two when chasing Garrity in Heat 19. The same fate befell the Aussie in what proved an awarded Final. Like his rival, Nelson had produced some thrilling riding from the back, with Heat 9 the most last gasp as he nipped inside Steve Boxall off the very last bend to take the chequered flag.
Former Rocket Boxall was the third rider allocated a 15 metre handicap, and quickly dispelled the race rust built up from a year of inactivity to finish his programmed outings with 13 points, with his only defeats suffered at the hands of Garrity and Nelson. Unfortunately for the new Kent Kings No.1, he then hit bike problems in the pits and was forced to withdraw from the Grand Final.
Boxall’s misfortune opened the door for Ben Morley and Danny Halsey to join Garrity on the rostrum. Morley overcame a 10 metre starting handicap to rack up 12 points with some powerful riding, and also won his semi-final heat, while former Raider and Cobra Halsey pitched in points consistently to make the cut.
The one black spot came when the highly rated Gino Manzares crashed out of the meeting after running out of room in a tight third bend in Heat 15. The American U-21 Champion was taken to hospital, leaving Rocco Scopellite to effectively fly the flag for the United States. The 16 year old didn’t disappoint, with a Heat 20 victory taking him to the Semi-Final stage.
Rider scores (handicap main programme; 5 rides unless stated):
Jason Garrity 15, Steve Boxall 13, Tyson Nelson 12, Ben Morley 12, Scott Campos 10, Gino Manzares 8 (4 rides), Rocco Scopellite 8, Dan Halsey 7, Sam Woods 6, Hayden Sims 6, David Mason 6, Connor Coles 5, Jack Kingston 4, Chris Thomas 3, Adam Kirby 3, Jamison Dilkey 1.
Semi-Final (off scratch):
Ben Morley, Danny Halsey, Scott Campos, Rocco Scopellite (ret) (60.0)
Grand Final (off scratch):
Jason Garrity, Ben Morley, Danny Halsey, Tyson Nelson (fex) (awarded)
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