LEICESTER showed there is no room for sentiment in top level racing as they eased to an emphatic 58-32 win at Birmingham in the last-ever meeting at Perry Barr.
The Watling JCB Lions had a job to do as they continue to seek a top two finish in the standings ahead of the play-offs, and they did it in a hugely professional manner.
There was great sadness about the occasion especially when the chequered flag fell on Heat 15, at which point the stage was vacated for the home side to say their farewells, but from a Lions perspective this was another solid night’s work.
All seven team members got stuck in with good scoring, with Luke Becker enjoying best UK meeting since his comeback from injury with signs of his old partnership with skipper Max Fricke re-emerging, whilst Joe Thompson collected an excellent paid-eight in the Rising Star berth.
Three of the first four races were shared as Becker and Fricke forced their way past Tobiasz Musielak on the opening lap of Heat 1 although Jonas Jeppesen took the win for the Brummies.
But the Lions broke the deadlock in the next race as home duo Simon Lambert and Sam Hagon collided heading into the first bend, enabling Drew Kemp and Thompson to race clear for a 5-1.
Ryan Douglas was a comfortable winner of Heat 3 and Thompson was close to a very notable victory in Heat 4 only for him to be passed at the end of lap three by Matej Zagar, who had earlier shaken off the challenge of Sam Masters.
At that stage Leicester only led by four points but they then took control as Fricke and Becker flew from the start in Heat 5 and team-rode in the early stages for a 5-1 over Keynan Rew and Paco Castagna, whilst Masters held off the challenge of Musielak in the next with Kemp snatching third place from Jeppesen on the last lap for a 4-2.
Douglas and Kyle Howarth out-trapped Zagar in Heat 7, making it 28-14, before Jeppesen crashed out on the first bend in Heat 8 and Becker turned back inside Hagon off turn four for the win in the re-run.
Masters took a shared Heat 9 with the lead at 16 points, and the Brummies then saw Jeppesen disqualified again for a second offence of movement at the start in Heat 10, before Douglas and Howarth raced away from Musielak in the re-run.
Fricke won Heat 11 with Becker third to extend the lead to 22 points, and the interval then saw extensive grading and track watering which seemed to have a further negative effect in the home camp.
The Brummies brought Tobiasz Musielak into Heat 12 for a tactical substitute ride but he was barely a factor before retiring as Rew took the win, and the Pole was then reversed to the back by Fricke and Masters in Heat 13 for another Lions 5-1.
Castagna showed pride in his performance for the hosts and deserved his win from Heat 14 after holding off an early challenge from Howarth which saw the Lions man briefly drop to the back before recovering third place.
The final race at Perry Barr was won by Masters, who took advantage of some untidy action around him with Castagna, Rew and Douglas almost coming together on the exit of bend two which put the Leicester man out of contention whilst Masters took the flag comfortably.
Lions know far tougher tests will come in their chase for league honours, but they could only beat what was put in front of them and they did it well.
They will look to keep up the momentum when they host the Brummies in the return at the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park on Thursday, with a warning that Birmingham grabbed a shock win on their last visit back in May.
BIRMINGHAM 32: Keynan Rew 8+2, Paco Castagna 8+1, Matej Zagar 7, Tobiasz Musielak 3, Jonas Jeppesen 3, Sam Hagon 2, Simon Lambert 1.
LEICESTER 58: Sam Masters 12+2, Ryan Douglas 10+1, Max Fricke 10+1, Luke Becker 8+1, Joe Thompson 7+1, Drew Kemp 6, Kyle Howarth 5+3.
