Robins' stop-start season continues after another washout (From Swindon Advertiser)

Robins' stop-start season continues after another washout

9:38pm Thursday 14th June 2012 in Speedway By Andy Warren

SWINDON Robins were left frustrated again as their 11th meeting of a stop-start season fell victim to the weather.

Steady rain in the hours leading upto last night’s scheduled meeting with Wolverhampton left the Blunsdon track unraceable, and it was abandoned just before 6.30pm.

Co-owner Gary Patchett was hopeful of getting the meeting on but was frustrated to have to call it off although the meeting has already been rearranged for June 28.

“We were told the rain was going to pass and that there was a dry window between seven and nine, but we did know there was rain about,” he said.

“Sometimes you have to wish it passes you by, but this time it didn’t unfortunately.

“The good thing is we didn’t get the meeting started and then have to call it off, and we hadn’t opened the gates to allow people to start coming in.

“It is also good that we had a ready-made date as a reserve, and Wolverhampton have agreed to come on the 28th now.”

Team manager Alun Rossiter was also left to rue the bad weather which is costing his side valuable track time.

“It is very frustrating because it is one of those things you can’t control,” he said.

“There is nothing you can do because you can not argue with God, because he is the one who decides when it comes or not.

“We are just not able to get a run together, and when riders get in a good run of form they are not able to keep it going.

“All of the riders were here and were ready to race, but then the water started to lay on the track and there was nothing we could do.

“A lot of the riders were getting straight off to other countries, so a lot of them went straight to their hotels before getting their flights in the morning.”

Wolverhampton are currently operating rider replacement for the injured Tai Woffinden, but Rossiter is hopeful the Brit will be fit for the rearranged meeting.

“We are fortunate to have the ready made date, but we can’t afford to have too many more,” he said.

“I would rather we raced Wolverhampton at a time when they were at full strength so it is more of a meeting.

“That is what it is all about and we need to be racing full teams, otherwise people will be saying we are lucky.”