Tigers take the first leg

It was bitterly cold at Armadale for the opening of the Scottish Speedway season, indeed the first match in the UK in 2025 at Championship level. Everyone would be grateful that the match went smoothly and was completed in under 90 minutes.

The Stellar Monarchs only had one new boy in the absence of Oskar Polis, so all eyes were on Jonatan Grahn who had a steady debut. He scored paid 6 with a race win and said "It's a good start but I want more points and more race wins. Once I get more laps I will get better and better.

"It was very cold but I felt my setup was good. I know Ashfield is a bigger track and I think we can go there and do well next week."

Monarchs started well with a couple of 4-2s but overall Tigers' 9 race wins to 6 by the home men was the key factor in their 47-43 victory, notably taking the big heats 13 and 15 by 9-3. Monarchs had the strongest reserve as predicted in Victor Palovaara but that wasn't enough to swing things the way of his side.

On the whole gating, or the first bend work, was decisive with quite a few processional heats. Justin Sedgmen raised home hopes in heat one with a tapes-to-flag win over Chris Harris, with new boy Grahn in third. Ashton Boughen struggled in this and his next heat before pulling out feeling the effects of his recent crash.

Palovaara as expected won heat 2 comfortably, while Max James burst off the second bend into second only to be passed later in the race by Max Perry. These two had more than one interesting tussle.

It didn't take Tigers long to peg that back as the Thompson/Flint pair comfortably headed Kye Thomson for a 5-1, followed by a powerful ride by Kyle Howarth who beat Castagna with Perry again beating James. Paco in fact had to pass Perry to get second in this heat.

After a couple of shared races Tigers doubled their lead in heat 7 when Monarchs' captain Castagna unexpectedly fell in second place. Max James took a second in this one, ahead of Flint.

Monarchs then had their best spell with a heat 8 5-1 from the two Swedes who were too quick for the visiting reserves, Boughen having pulled out of the meeting at that point. That was followed by another maximum from Thomson and Palovaara over Howarth who had won his previous two heats.

Heat wins in heats 10 and 12 for the impressive Dan Thompson helped Tigers get back level again, though in between we had the best race of the night in heat 11. Freddy Hodder was the surprise leader for at least two laps as Castagna fought to get past him whilst holding off the hard-pressing Harris. Riders were three abreast entering lap three before Paco forced ahead.

With scores level after 12 heats Glasgow then took a comfortable 5-1 with neither Sedgmen nor Castagna able to rise to the occasion. The writing was on the wall then, even though Kye Thomson took his second win by heading Flint. Palovaara had been in second but had to settle for a point.

So Monarchs went in to the last heat needing a miracle 5-1 for the win, but it wasn't to be. Justin Sedgmen led the way as he had in the opener, but this time Harris pulled off a great move to burst past for victory. Dan Thompson was third, his only defeat on the night.

When they add a fit Boughen Tigers top five will be formidable, and their reserves both showed promise. The Monarchs, who can't wait to see Polis in action, had no failures but will have to hope they can get more race wins in the weeks to come.