Another weekend of almost excruciating frustration for Mildenhall Speedway - proudly sponsored by Manchetts Rescue and Recovery - saw the still-to-be-completed Knock Out Cup Final second leg away to Leicester Lion Cubs called off for a third and then fourth time. The early decision on Saturday morning to move the meeting because of a forecast of heavy rain in the East Midlands city at around the planned start time that evening to the hopefully more benign slot of Sunday afternoon failed to save the proposed double header.
That late evening through to the early hours rain storm did indeed materialise and by the morning the beleaguered Beaumont Park Speedway circuit in Leicester was under water once more - but no early decision to call off came this time and indeed travelling riders, management and DJS Fen Tigers supporters were to experience an almost identical scenario to that of 15 days previously, with the meeting abandoned after start time following significant issues with the track being identified by riders being sent out to practice on the heavy circuit to assess its suitability and safety for racing.
With a number of riders in this impromptu practice session (taking place while paying customers were held outside) coming to grief, it meant there was little option but to call the meeting off once more.
The Mildenhall club owners made the following statement,
"We are at the time of year when we shouldn't be thinking about Speedway. Octobers seem to be getting wetter each year and this is now the second season in succession we have found ourselves put into this most unsuitable position.
"Hopefully the outstanding fixture can be resolved sensibly and quickly and moreover plans are put into place to ensure this situation doesn't occur in the future."
Team Manager Jason Gardner gave his thoughts on this increasingly sorry and enduringly soggy situation,
"It was another frustrating afternoon spent at Leicester Speedway which once again in hindsight should have been called off this morning after there were apparently three hours of heavy rain last night. But with dates running out, the hosts were desperately trying to get the meeting on - unfortunately bend one was holding too much water and attempts to have riders testing the track came to nothing resulting in a number of falls, with one Leicester rider Max James having a particularly heavy crash. My view and that of the riders was that the track may have been just about rideable but it was most certainly not raceable. It was a great relief that no riders were injured in the numerous crashes in the practice.
"Quite where it leaves us is very unclear with only two days of the official season (which ends on 31st. October) left to race."
