COVENTRY warmed up for the Elite League play-offs in the best possible fashion with a thumping 58-34 win over Wolverhampton in their final regular fixture of the season.
The visitors appeared to arrive with plenty of strength, but the greater desire was fully evident in the Buildbase Bees’ ranks as they raced to a straightforward victory.
Fast Track reserve Jason Garrity scored a paid maximum from four rides, Hans Andersen dropped his only point in his final outing and Kenneth Hansen kept up his much-improved form with three race wins.
Star of the show was undoubtedly guest Stuart Robson who again revelled in racing for the Bees and piled-up a remarkable paid-17 with a display of true track craft as he frequently got the better of the Wolverhampton riders.
Robson twice overhauled Peter Karlsson and also played a vital role in Heat 10 when Danny King was on a tactical ride, as he flew around the outside to take a massive lead whilst Andersen clamped the Wolves guest.
The first tactical ride, which went to Nicholls, had also proved unsuccessful as he was beaten by Hansen in Heat 6, and Nicholls then fell victim to reserve James Sarjeant who pulled off a brilliant third place in Heat 13.
Nicholls produced Wolves’ first race win of the meeting in Heat 11 and that was backed up by successes for King in Heats 13 and 15, the latter in the fastest time of the match, but the Monmore side were well beaten as Bees completed the regular season on 64 Elite League points – just six adrift of King’s Lynn and Poole.
Manager Gary Havelock said: “After Monday, our boys were revved up and raring to go and I said to them beforehand that we wanted to go out there and slam in as many points as we could.
“Winning races breeds confidence and it doesn’t matter who you’re racing against, and they did over and above my expectations.
“Robbo was incredible, and hindsight is a wonderful thing because on that form we would have saved him for Monday, when the 8-day rule means we can’t use him. But if we get to the Final then it could be a different story!â€
ELITE LEAGUE COVENTRY 58: Stuart Robson 15+2, Hans Andersen 13+1, Kenneth Hansen 12, Jason Garrity 10+2, James Sarjeant 7+2, Adam Roynon 1, Chris Harris r/r WOLVERHAMPTON 34: Danny King 11+1, Scott Nicholls 8, Lasse Bjerre 5, Tom Perry 5, Peter Karlsson 4+1, Joe Jacobs 1+1, Jacob Thorssell r/r Elite League points: Coventry 3 Wolverhampton 0
BUILDBASE BEES 58 Hans Andersen 3 3 3 2* 2 =13+1 Stuart Robson 2* 2* 3 3 3 2 = 15+2 Adam Roynon 0 0 1 X = 1 Kenneth Hansen 1 3 3 2 3 R = 12 Chris Harris Rider Replacement Jason Garrity 3 3 2* 2* = 10+2 James Sarjeant 0 1 3 1* 2* = 7+2
WOLVERHAMPTON 34 Scott Nicholls 1 4^ 3 0 = 8 Lasse Bjerre 0 2 0 1 1 1 =5 Jacob Thorssell Rider Replacement Peter Karlsson 1* 1 2 = 4+1 Danny King 2 1* 2 0^ 3 3 = 11+1 Joe Jacobs 1* F R 0 0 = 1+1 Tom Perry 2 0 1 1 0 1 = 5