Tim Neave extends FIM Flat Track World Championship lead at Pardubice

VRX Power Maxed Dirt Store Ducati Race Team rider Tim Neave has extended his lead in the FIM Flat Track World Championship after taking runners-up position in Round 8 at Pardubice.

Neave recorded his sixth podium finish of a consistent campaign and now has a 19-point lead at the top of the standings with two rounds remaining.

Although home racer Ondrej Svedik took the win in a rather disjointed Final, Neave finished ahead of his main title rivals and therefore heads to Argentina for the finale in a position of real strength.

Neave’s team-mate Ashton Boughen is now clear in second place overall after finishing fifth in the Czech Republic, scoring five more points than Jack Bell in the process.

It was far from an ideal start to the meeting for Neave as conditions proved tricky in the early stages following heavy track watering, and Neave came to grief in the second attempt to stage Heat 1 whilst he was chasing Bell. That sent him to the back of the field for the re-start, but he managed to work his way through the pack in the closing stages of the race to rescue third place.

The remainder of the qualifying races saw Neave put in a faultless display with three wins out of three, including Heat 4 where he came through from the back row to take victory over Marius Kircher and Gerard Bailo.

Boughen opened with a second place in Heat 2 as he chased Ervin Krajcovic home, and he then finished third behind Svedik and Bell in Heat 6.

Both Ducati riders were successful in the third block of races with Boughen winning Heat 7whilst Neave took the honours in Heat 9, and Neave’s win in Heat 11 took him on to 26 points which was matched by Krajcovic in the final qualifying race.

Boughen had been restricted to fourth place in Heat 10 to leave him on 22, but this was still enough for a place on the front row in the Final.

The Last Chance race saw Stanislav Ohorodnoik left with the outside gate on the front row – after Conny Ivarsson surprisingly elected for a back row start despite having choice ahead of Ohorordnik - and the Ukrainian took full advantage by blasting round everyone on the first lap to win the five-lap race, whilst Tom Hunt also took the opportunity to move into the Final.

Given the outcome of that race, Boughen still looked to have a chance as he was left with the outside on the front row, whilst Neave took gate three with the line-up of the major contenders completed by Bell, Krajcovic, Svedik and surprise package Kircher.

The first bend saw Krajcovic hit the front ahead of Bell, with Svedik quickly moving through to make it a home one-two whilst Neave was left in sixth place as Boughen attempted to make up places from the outside.

Neave moved inside Boughen on lap two and then passed Bell for third place before the red lights came on for a fall for Daniele Tonelli on turn four, with Boughen taking the re-start in fifth.

The opening lap of the re-start saw Svedik move inside Krajcovic off the second bend to lead, with Neave and Boughen holding third and fourth places as Boughen got the better of Bell.

A big scrap for second place followed as Neave shot inside Krajcovic on the fourth lap, repelling a strong return challenge from the home rider, whilst Boughen’s attempts to make it around Krajcovic were resisted.

Positions looked relatively set until a further stoppage occurred on lap nine with Matias Lorenzato somewhat mysteriously ending up against the fence on the fourth bend having been unable to clear the track, much to the frustration of several other riders.

Lorenzato was not permitted to take the re-start, in which Boughen made a terrific move on turn two to force his way inside both Krajcovic and Neave and move into second place.

But that wasn’t the end of the story as with Svedik dominating out in front, Neave made it back inside Boughen who then came under pressure from an inspired Kircher and a recovering Krajcovic and was eventually relegated to fifth place.

Svedik was the clear winner, also taking the point for fastest lap, with Neave heading the battle for second place and giving his title hopes a huge boost, whilst Bell was involved in a late tangle with Tonelli and suffered a significant points hit as he dropped to tenth place.

The final two rounds of the series take place back to back in Totoras, Argentina on October 24/25.

Photo credit: Jesper Veldhuizen