Speedway: Monarchs lose as rider goes AWOL

Published on Thursday 4 June 2009 09:35

EDINBURGH Scotwaste Monarchs crashed to a 50-40 Premier League defeat at Somerset Rebels last night after being forced to track a junior rider when Thomas Jonasson failed to turn up.

Jonasson missed two flights from Sweden and his future with the Capital speedway outfit is now on the line.

Monarchs director Mike Hunter said: "This is a very serious situation and we need to find out from Thomas what exactly happened before we decide on what course of action we take."

Without Jonasson, Monarchs were considerably weakened as a result. They drafted in junior rider Matthew Bates who only lasted one lap after blowing his engine in his first race.

Frustratingly, Monarchs were in a position to pull off a possible victory, especially when they opened up with a 5-1 from Ryan Fisher and skipper Matthew Wethers.

Promoter John Campbell, who had publicly pointed the finger at the duo for not winning enough races, would have been satisfied with their respective 11-point totals.

Wethers shone in the last race when he passed Emil Kramer to take the chequered flag in great style.

And Fisher, as ever, was also in the thick of things.

Monarchs were still two points up after heat eight but unfortunately, without Jonasson, didn't have the personnel to hold on over the second half of the meeting.

On two occasions Monarchs had to field just one rider. Aaron Summers had the thankless task of trying to stop the Rebels but lost two 5-1 against him. Monarchs' best chance of salvaging something came in heat 13 after they fell ten points behind.

Michal Rajkowski was given a tactical double points ride and partnered Summers against Corey Gathercole and Tom Brown. The latter made the gate and won the race and, with Gathercole passing Rajkowski, Monarchs surrendered a 4-2 instead of the 8-1 they had hoped for.

Summers who scored nine, said: "The track was very slick and if you missed the start you had little chance of passing. I was trying out a new engine and was quite happy with my score."

Somerset: Sedgman 13, Johnston 12, Kramer 9, Gathercole 7, Brown 5, Herne 4, Walker 0.

Monarchs: Wethers 11, Fisher 11, Summers 9, Tully 5, Rajkowski 3 Stoddart 1, Bates 0.