Wasps race to victory in a stunning meeting

WASPS skipper Craig Watson was denied maximum points in a breathtaking final heat.

Partnered by fellow Australian Frank Smart they were relegated to the last two placings by Robins fly-away skipper Paul Fry who top scored the M4 Trophy meeting with 14 points from five rides and Charlie Gjedde.

Watson entered the nominated race with a perfect return from four rides.

Fry, the former Newport skipper, was denied a perfect afternoon by Watson in heat seven.

The final race was a spell-binding end to an excellent meeting which Wasps had made sure they won with two heats to spare as the Oz pairing of Watson and Smart shut out Gjedde and Oliver Allen with Watson's time of 61.46 the fastest of the 15 heats.

But Watson had to work for his first heat win. He trailed Oliver Allen in the fourth race, first taking the long way round in a bid to take the lead but a change of tactic as they entered the pits bend approaching the final lap, paid dividends - yet another heat where the fans were out of their seats.

It was Newport's last in the tournament which has proved a perfect curtain-raiser ahead of British League and Knock-out Cup action.

The excitement began in the first heat of the meeting.

Swindon's Jamie Smith tangled with the fence on the pits bend and his machine flew across the track in spectacular fashion, coming to rest on the centre green.

Smith missed his next race - Richie Hawkins taking his ride - with a hand injury but was back in action for the remainder of the meeting.

It was the first of three heats which were awarded with no time recorded - Chris Neath and Matt Cambridge suffering falls in heats seven and eight respectively.

In heat two Hawkins lost a chain, enabling the home team to open a six-point lead after two heats.

Iversen had to wait until heat nine for his first success, finishing second to Tony Atkin as the pairing gained the second of three maximum heat wins for Wasps.

New acquisition Atkin - who proudly sports 'Made in Wales' on his leathers - picked up 10 points from four rides.

Atkin gained his first win in heat five and Niels Kristian Iversen had an excellent scrap with Charlie Gjedde but just lost out on a third place. But he did finish with some satisfaction, collecting four points.