Speedway: Record breaking Shane Parker steers Glasgow Tigers to victory

Aug 10 2009

GLASGOW TIGERS reclaimed Scottish bragging rights with a comprehensive beating of rivals Edinburgh Monarchs at Ashfield on Sunday.

The 55-38 triumph makes it five wins on the bounce for Stewart Dickson's side who are steadily climbing the league table after their horror start.

And it was the old double act of James Grieves and Shane Parker who blazed a trail for the Tigers.

Grieves top scored with 14 points while skipper Parker set a new track record in the opening heat, racing home in an astonishing 56.2 seconds to knock three hundredths of a second off the previous best.

It really was a sweet encounter for the Tigers.
 
Having been on the losing side in all eight derby clashes in 2008, the Tigers had already managed to start redressing the Scottish speedway balance by winning the season opener challenge clashes back in March.

However the taste of grabbing all three league points was exactly what the manager ordered.
 
The heat leader trio of Parker, James Grieves and William Lawson were immense for the Tigers, whilst Pole Makael Rajkowski and skipper Matthew Wethers ploughed a lonely furrow for the visitors.

Soon after Parker's opening heat heroics a heavy rain shower left the circuit greasy and tricky which made life difficult for both teams.

But as the race circuit began to generate some more grip it was the home side who performed best, racking up a total of six 5-1 heat scores to ease to a comfortable win.
 
Edinburgh’s No.1 Ryan Fisher took a spectacular fall in heat 11 whilst on a tactical ride, his withdrawal from the meeting all but ended any prospects the visitors had of staging a comeback.
 
The derby win improves the club’s prospects of climbing the league table and earning an end of season cup play-off place.

Next Sunday sees the annual staging of the Ashfield Classic Individual which will feature 16 of the league’s best racers – including riders from Glasgow and Edinburgh – competing for the winner takes all first prize and trophy.
 
Tigers scorers V Edinburgh: Grieves 14, Parker 12, Lawson 12, Davey 6, Dicken 6, Grajczonek 5