Wolves ease to first-leg win

Six straight heat advantages had killed the contest just past the halfway stage with the Stars having no answer to super Swedes Jacob Thorssell and Freddie Lindgren.

Lindgren raced in front of Chris Holder from gate four in the opener and stretched his lead throughout, with his Grand Prix rival dropping back to third to pin Howarth at the back.

Wolverhampton’s reserves could do nothing to stop Carl Wilkinson soaring away in the reserve race but Nathan Greaves went on to spilt the home pairing.

The Wolves juggernaut got going in heat three when Thorssell and ex-Star Rory Schlein collected a comfortable maximum over Lewis Rose and Troy Batchelor.

A swift tapes-to-flag success from Sam Masters stretched the lead to four points despite Greaves succumbing to Robert Lambert’s pace on lap two.

Wolves gated on another 5-1 with Lindgren again the winner but Howarth dropped behind Batchelor on lap one and could not rein in his rival despite a forceful challenge.

Masters got one over high-profile countryman Holder with the move of the night, switching up the inside on the final turn of lap one to take a second chequered flag and his side’s fourth straight heat advantage.

Thorssell and Schlein teamed up again from the gate with the latter comfortably holding off Lambert to create a 12-point chasm which became 14 when Howarth bagged a first win of the night despite incessant pressure from Rose.

Batchelor finally collected a second King’s Lynn race win in heat nine and the Stars stemmed the tide again as Holder became the first man to beat Thorssell and Schlein, although the latter maintained his side’s cushion by nudging past Rose on lap two.

The resistance was short-lived, though, as Lindgren led Howarth in a heat-11 maximum before Schlein seized upon Batchelor’s error while in front to guarantee victory on the night with three races still to run.

Nonetheless, a terrific race followed with Holder just edging out Lindgren and Masters managing to stay fractionally ahead of Lambert right at the death.

Batchelor marginally reduced the arrears in the penultimate race and although Wolves started on a 5-1 in the nominated heat, Batchelor and Holder secured some Stars pride with a 3-3.

The return leg takes place at Monmore Green on Monday, June 26 (7.30).

King’s Lynn: Troy Batchelor 12, Chris Holder 10+2, Lewis Rose 5, Robert Lambert 4, Carl Wilkinson 4, Jake Knight 1, Nicklas Porsing R/R.

Wolverhampton: Jacob Thorssell 13, Freddie Lindgren 11, Sam Masters 9+1, Rory Schlein 8+3, Kyle Howarth 6+1, Nathan Greaves 4, Mark Riss 3+1.