First Retro Fours is a success at Monmore
Wolverhampton's Retro Fours meeting looks set to stay on the calendar after last night's successful first staging of the event at Monmore Green.
The host club faced fellow tenants Cradley Heath along with Birmingham and Oxford in an entertaining night with a good crowd,
It was the Brummies, who folded last month due to financial troubles, who came out on top with Wolves pipping old rivals Cradley to second spot and Oxford in fourth.
A classy win by Aaron Summers saw the Heathens take an early lead before back-to-back victories for Birmingham courtesy of Danny King and Ben Barker saw them edge ahead.
When Brummies ace Paul Starke sensationally stormed around the outside to win heat seven it put them firmly in control, before two scintillating victories for Ludvig Lindgren gave them five consecutive race winners.
At that point the Brummies looked set to cruise to victory – yet Rohan Tungate and Ricky Wells recorded back-to-back wins for Wolves to reignite their hopes.
Some solid scoring from Cradley also saw them sneak under the radar to capitalise on a tough patch for Birmingham and set up a tantalising finale heading into the interval.
Victory for Wolves man Rohan Tungate ahead of Cradley ace Stuart Robson saw them cut the deficit further in heat 13 before Aaron Summers fended off Starke to suddenly move the Heathens to within two.
Nonetheless, skipper King swooped around outside from third to first to take the chequered flag in the penultimate race to wrap up a Brummies win.
Wolves and Cradley both fought admirably to create a night of entertaining action.
However, with Danny King, Ben Barker and the entertaining Ludvig Lindgren forming a formidable spearhead, and Paul Starke stepping up with a determined display, the Brummies enjoyed a fairytale return to the track.
Wolves new-boy Lasse Bjerre did put in an encouraging showing whilst the recently-released Ricky Wells sent out a message as he pulled on the clubs' colours again.
The night ended with Wells triumphing in the battle of the top scorers to take the Gary Peterson Memorial Trophy in memory of the ex-Wolves rider killed in a track crash in the 1970s.
Meanwhile, Cradley are back in action at Monmore tonight when they face bitter rivals Mildenhall (7.30).
The Heathens will be without star man Steve Worrall who is away riding for Premier League Edinburgh.
Boss Will Pottinger said: "Everyone knows about the rivalry between ourselves and Mildenhall and we would love to put one past them."
