COLLINS BREAKS COLLERBONE

Buxton’s Chris Collins suffered a’ broken right collar-bone after falling at the end of Heat 9 during Sunday’s double header against Mildenhall.

‘My bike just stopped dead and threw me over the handlebars, I just did not know what happened,” said Collins afterwards.

Hitmen boss Ken Moss is now looking for a replacement for Collins and said: “We are already in touch with a rider to come in and cover for Chris, Will Beveridge or Aidan Collins when they can’t ride. We want to remain competitive and build on the success we have had this season.”

Buxton’s double over the Fen Tigers provided some great speedway with both teams giving 100 per cent effort

“Things looked dodgy when we went six behind after Heat 5 of the league match but I put Will in with Aidan and they obliged with a 5-1 said team manager Jack Lee.

Collins was, in fact, involved in all of Buxton’s maximum heat wins, three with Beveridge and one with Carl Belfield, who surprised everyone when he won Heat 10.

“I made a good start off gate one and I could hear Aidan behind me, so I just kept going as fast as I could,” said Belfield.

Captain Paul Burnett, after running three lasts, grabbed a win in Heat 12 to keep the scores level.

“My wrist did not give me much trouble, but I had not ridden for five weeks and struggled at first. I knew it was important to win Heat 12 with the scores level,” said Burnett.

The Hitmen only took the lead in Heat 14 for the first time but found themselves level again in the very next race after Chris Collins fell and brought Lee Derbyshire down as well.

In a last heat decider, Mildenhall’s Wayne Broadhurst caused a frightening crash when he tried to ride through Beveridge and Aidan Collins. All four riders hit the deck, with Broadhurst excluded and Collins suffering a bad bang on the head.

“I was a bit dazed at first as I also had a bad crash at Edinburgh on Friday and I was still feeling rough from that one. I did not need knocking about again,” he said.

Young James Wright was not at the races in the first match and looked a different rider from the one who scored 11 points in last week’s CLRC qualifier.

Beveridge rode to a brilliant 18-point maximum in the league match and went on to grab paid 12 in the Trophy fixture.

“I was thinking seriously about packing in riding after being dropped by Stoke but I enjoyed it today,” he said.

“Ken (Moss) and Jack talked me round and my wife also told me to carry on. I have trouble getting time off for midweek matches and can’t ride at Swindon on Tuesday, but I will do my best to ride at Rye House on Monday.”

Meanwhile, Jon Armstrong was in the pits geeing the Hitmen up. “It’s a shame we can’t keep Jon as he really helps the other riders and is probably worth 10 points just by being here,” said Lee.

Buxton are hoping that Armstrong will be allowed to contest the CL Riders’ Final at Rye House, despite his recent move to Stoke.

“We have been told he can take his place in the Final as he was a Conference League rider when he qualified and we will lend Stoke any rider they need if they have a meeting on the same night,” said Moss.

Chris Collins now has his own official website: go to www.chris­collins.co.uk