Karl Friar Memorial Trophy

 (Individual Championships)

RESULT

1^st Michal Makovsky (Berwick)

2^nd Magnus Karlsson (Scunthorpe)

3^rd Ben Powell (Newcastle)

4^th Josef Franc (Newcastle)

The Berwick Bandits took a week off from the rigours of team racing as Michal Makovsky carried on their successes by winning outright the Karl Friar Memorial Trophy.

The field included two brand new faces to British Speedway, although both Hungarian Tamas Sike and American Shaun Harmatiuk were a little out of their depth, the latter completely amazed at the biggest track he’d ever seen.

On the day before his birthday, Makovsky had set himself an early celebration as he’d never won this event before, but as the meeting got underway it was his fellow Czech, from Newcastle, Josef Franc who shone.

Following a ghastly night at Scunthorpe the night before when he scored 2, Pepe lifted his game to become the early favourite rocketing through his 4 qualifying races to win each with ease.

But in the final he lost an elbow battle with Makovsky as the Newcastle based star ended up at the rear.

Magnus Karlsson had a great night of good gates, but again lost out in the final to that rapid Makovsky start, whilst Ben Powell went about his business gently and methodically with little fuss taking 2^nd in all races except the Final when 3^rd had to suffice.

All in all it was another fitting tribute to Karl Friar, a firm Bandit’s fan, who died at just 16 years-of-age in August 1996 just before the sport returned to Shielfield Park, this after Karl himself had worked many, many hours on preparing the new circuit ready for action.

Berwick promoter Peter Waite said: “This was again a truly fitting way in which to celebrate Karl’s memory and I’m sure he would have been delighted at Michal [Makovsky] great win tonight.”

Qualification Scores – Programme Order

1. Josh Auty 0,1,1,2 = 4
2. Magnus Karlsson 2,2,3,3 = 10
3. Michal Makovsky 3,3,2,3 = 11
4. Carl Wilkinson 1,3,2,2 = 8
5. Tero Aarnio 1,1,1,1 = 4
6. Ben Powell 2,2,2,2 = 8
7. Trent Leverington 0,1,3,1 = 5
8. Josef Franc 3,3,3,3 = 12
9. Adam McKinna R,R,1,0 = 1
10. Tamas Sike 1,0,0,0 = 1
11. Shaun Harmatiuk 2,0,0,0 = 2
12. Henning Bager 3,2,R,1 = 6

Semi Final –

1^st Magnus Karlsson, 2^nd Ben Powell, 3^rd Carl Wilkinson, 4^th Henning Bager

FINAL –

1^st Michal Makovsky, 2^nd Magnus Karlsson, 3^rd Ben Powell, 4^th Josef Franc