Former Workington rider Charles Wright looks as though he will miss Thursday’s second leg of the Premiership Grand Final.
Wright crashed in heat nine last night, October 10, as Belle Vue staged the first leg of the final against Sheffield.
He was able to walk to the ambulance afterwards but appeared dazed and the word from the Belle Vue camp was he had suffered concussion.
The Aces won by 12 points after an eventful first leg in Manchester which sets up an intriguing return at Sheffield.
Wright had scored three points and a bonus from a third and a second before coming off in his third race.
Another former Comet, Kyle Howarth was in the Sheffield line-up and he was also a bit subdued with four points from four rides, but that included a win in his fourth.
Grand Prix ace Robert Lambert scored a stunning 15-point maximum for the Aces in the 51-39 win.
The home side’s advantage came at the cost of two riders being withdrawn, as reserve Jye Etheridge crashed out in Heat 4 and then Wright was withdrawn after his spill in Heat 9.
Lambert and skipper Brady Kurtz (10+3) combined for 5-1’s in Heats 13 and 15 for the home side, with Tigers skipper Howarth and reserve Justin Sedgmen replying in Heat 14 in a race where the Aces could only track one rider.
Tobiasz Musielak top-scored for the visitors with 8+1 although his night ended with a heavy crash in Heat 15 when he was looking to split Kurtz and Lambert.
Kurtz said: “We can certainly be happy with this result. If you’d have told us ahead of time we’d be taking a 12-point lead into Thursday we’d have gladly taken that
“We had to do it the hard way though. Being one rider down makes the job a little tougher, never mind two and of course we wish Jye and Charles all the best for a speedy recovery.
“Those last few heat advantages were absolutely crucial for us, and I think this margin has really boosted our confidence going into the Owlerton leg.
Sheffield boss Simon Stead, another former Workington favourite, said: “It’s half-time, all to play for. It’s not a disaster by any stretch.
“I think we’ve been dealt a rough hand in a couple of heats, but it’s 12 points. I think it sets up the Final at Sheffield on Thursday really nicely.”
Meanwhile Charles Wright’s brother James has the chance to finish the season on a high.
He will guest for Plymouth at home to Glasgow in the last regular Championship league match of the season. Both sides have been eliminated from the play-offs, but the Gladiators can climb to fourth in the final table if they end with a win.
Richie Worrall and James Wright guest for Edward Kennett and Michael Palm Toft for the hosts, who operate rider replacement for Ben Barker, whilst the Tigers have rider replacement for the retired Ulrich Ostergaard and Paul Starke guests for the injured Danyon Hume.
Wright, the Premier League Riders champion while with Workington in 2007, has been riding more recently for Scunthorpe Scorpions.
