Kauko bites the dust!
Last updated 13:45, Monday, 22 September 2008
WORKINGTON skipper Kauko Nieminen just missed out on a podium finish at last night’s Premier League riders championship.
The flying Finn was in third place in the final when his machine packed up with a carburettor problem.
But his whole meeting changed after a spectacular crash in his final race which resulted in him being excluded – and his main bike knocked out of the contest.
Nieminen, had won his first three rides to lead the championship and was then passed by Tai Woffinden to end his winning sequence, but with 11 points he looked good to go straight through to the final.
Unfortunately, from the unfavoured outside gate, he made a slow start in his final race but had worked his way through to third at the start of the second lap.
But he lifted coming out of the turn and was unable to prevent himself from careering towards the fence and taking Ben Barker with him. Nieminen was excluded and Barker picked himself up to win the re-run. That put Nieminen into the semi-final on his second bike and the Workington fans were still hopeful as he roared away from the start to win confidently.
Unfortunately he missed the break in the final and was back in third place on lap two when his machine spluttered to a halt. Teenager Woffinden went on to win from Jason Doyle and Adrian Rymel.
Workington team manager Ian Thomas said: “He was a bit down afterwards but he had no reason to be. He was a late addition to the line-up and did everything that could have been asked of him in reaching the final.
“I think overall he deserved a podium finish and I would have loved him to hold onto third place in the final but unfortunately the bike packed up.
“He had started so impressively and he was really pleased with the way the engine was going for him. Even after losing to Woffinden he was looking good for the final but I think things changed for him in that crash.
“Although the engine was ok he had to switch bikes and despite winning the semi-final on it I think he would have been a lot happier going into the final on his main bike.”
