Belle Vue Aces are under investigation after the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB) decided to probe the reasons for the postponement of their Poole meeting yesterday.
The Aces said the Elite League match was called off due to a leaking water main and pipe under the track but the decision was queried by several parties.
As a result, the SCB released a statement explaining the afternoon’s events and explained the reasons for launching the investigation.
“Subsequent to the early afternoon postponement of this meeting it was widely queried by riders, officials and spectators, by various means, with the Speedway Control Bureau,” a spokesperson said.
“Due to the nature of the comments made, the SCB’s Manager Graham Reeve deemed it appropriate for a local referee to visit the stadium to make an inspection.”
A referee arrived at the stadium just before 5pm – less than two hours after the meeting was called off – to inspect the track and collect evidence.
From picture evidence and people’s views at the Kirkmanshulme Lane ground, the SCB said in the statement there was sufficient evidence to launch an investigation.
Their spokesperson added: “It makes it wholly appropriate for a full investigation to be made concerning this postponement with a view to holding an SCB Disciplinary Tribunal in the very near future.
“All persons involved or affected will be asked to make a statement and these, together with other evidence will determine if an SCB Tribunal is necessary.”
The Aces also released a statement clarifying the reasons for the call-off, with the majority of problems occurring on turn two and the back straight.
“There is surface water on the back straight but a substantial area of the base is saturated,” their spokesman said.
“In consideration of rider safety it was a club decision to postpone the meeting because it would have been dangerous.”
The postponement comes on the back of three straight wins for the Aces, after Matej Zagar and Kauko Nieminen secured a final-heat victory at Peterborough.
The Aces were tied at 43-43 and had to rely on Nieminen to come from 15 metres back after the Finn was penalised for his bike stopping on the start line.
However, he passed home star Linus Sundstrom to secure third and a 47-45 away victory – the Aces first away win since the season before last.
Team manager Jason Attwood was delighted with the performance, especially from his reserve riders who rode as Rider Replacements to cover Craig Cook.
“It was a fantastic race which gave us a win we deserved,” he said.
“We set the team up to be strong at the bottom end and our reserves Nieminen and Ales Dryml scored 23 points between them.”
Ales Dryml found form to pick up 13 points while fellow reserve Nieminen took ten and the Aces started the meeting with three heat maximums.
Slovenian number one Zagar took 12 points, including four wins from five heats, as he continues to enjoy a return to British speedway.
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