SPEEDWAY: Troy is paid for overtime (From Swindon Advertiser)

SPEEDWAY: Troy is paid for overtime

8:43am Friday 11th April 2008

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THEY say practice makes perfect, and Troy Batchelor came breathtakingly close to proving the old adage at Blunsdon last night.

Having spent the afternoon fine-tuning his bikes around the Abbey shale, Batchelor produced a performance to savour, collecting paid 14 to inspire the Robins to a 53-40 triumph over Lakeside Hammers.

After steering Swindon to a comfortable 13-point win, Batchelor was eager to share the secret of his impressive early season form.

He said: "If there's something you're bad at you need to go out and practice it.

"I've got two new engines and I was down here practising all afternoon.

"James Wright did a lot better tonight too, and he was also down here today.

"Speedway looks so easy when you're out on the track but it can be very hard. That's why we've been practising.

"I'm very happy with tonight but I have to keep working hard. I want to get better every meeting."

Batchelor's magnificent haul was not enough to earn him the man-of-the-match award however. That honour went to Mads Korneliussen, who also notched paid 14 from five high-octane rides.

Together the pair were almost unstoppable, collecting three 5-1 maximums, and only missing out on the chequered flag in the very last heat of the night.

"Me and Mads both got 14 points tonight which is great," said Batchelor afterwards.

"We have developed a bit of a thing on the track. We are both good riders, having a good run this year, so we need to keep doing what we're doing.

"I'm making good starts and picking up good points, so I'm very happy. Tonight is the beginning of something."

Captain Leigh Adams led from the front with a tapes to flag victory, before Ricky Kling flew out of the traps in heat two to notch Hammers' first win of the night.

Then it was the Batchelor and Korneliussen show, the Aussie leading home the Dane for a 5-1 in three.

Seb Alden looked set for a heat win in four before a spectacular crash into the fence. Lakeside took full advantage to hit back with a 5-1, Jonas Davidsson leading substitute Ricky Kling home from a disappointing Travis McGowan. But the Korneliussen/Batchelor combination thrilled again in five, as Robins opened up a 18-12 lead.

Adams then produced a superb piece of team riding to nurse James Wright to victory in six, the Aussie crossing the line second for yet another Swindon maximum.

Lakeside used the tactical ride in heat seven, Shields donning the black and white helmet for double points. The ploy worked perfectly as Cory Gathercole stalled on the tapes and Joonas Kylmakorpi passed McGowan on the opening bend to set up a crucial 8-1 for the visitors.

The points were shared in eight, but Swindon stormed ahead in a re-run heat nine, Davidsson struggling to make any impression from 15 metres back after touching the tapes first time round.

The meeting was all but over as a contest after heat 12, Alden and Batchelor riding superbly in tandem to produce yet another Robins maximum, as Shields and Kling were left chasing shadows.

Another 5-1 followed in 13, Adams guiding fellow Aussie McGowan to a morale-boosting heat victory.

Shields finally managed to eclipse Korneliussen and Batchelor in heat 15, but it was too little too late as Robins kept their 100 per cent home record safely intact.

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