The Wightlink Islanders speedway team got their new season off to a flying start at the Wave105FM stadium, as they romped to a 51-41 victory win over the touring American Dream Team.

Their solid team performance certainly bodes well for their National League season ahead. A good-sized crowd were soon warmed up by the on-track action after both riders and spectators observed a two-minutes silence in memory of both ex-Wightlink Islander Paul Fry and American star of the past Kelly Moran who both died within the last week.

It was nip and tuck in the early stages of the match with the Islanders leading by a mere two points at 16-14 after the first five heats with Tom Hill, Brendan Johnson and Ben Hopwood all taking the chequered flag in their opening rides while 23-year-old Kenny Ingalls won the other two races.

From the Dream Team’s point of view though, it turned into something of a nightmare from then on with them first losing the services of reserve Josh Abbott with an injury to his left hand sustained in a high speed crash on the first bend of the second lap of heat 6.

While the injury did not necessitate a trip to hospital, he was forced to pull out of the meeting at that early stage and in the very next race worse was to follow for the visitors when Tyson Burmeister crashed heavily.

Track medics were concerned with him complaining of pains in the lower back and he was rushed to hospital for a full assessment of the extent of his injuries which, thankfully, revealed nothing broken but a bruised coccyx that won’t keep him off the track for long.

The Islanders dominated proceedings from that point onwards despite Ingalls being untouchable for their oppoents recording five wins from five rides but was to prove to be the only American to record a race victory.

In contrast all seven of the Islanders stormed to at least one win during the course of the match with skipper Nick Simmons, new signing Danny Warwick all recording two apiece.

It all added up to a solid all-round showing from the island side which will not go un-noticed by the other clubs in this year’s National League and a performance that left team manager Kevin Shepherd a very happy, and indeed relieved man.

“Prior to the match my nerves were shot to pieces” he said, “as I thought firstly that the Dream Team line up looked quite strong and they had come pretty close to winning at both Plymouth and Rye House in the two matches they had already ridden on Friday and Saturday especially, from all reports, being a little unlucky to lose to just a point at Rye.

“None of our riders, thanks to the weather of late, had got in as much practice as they would have liked. Brendan Johnson was racing for the first time since finishing up in intensive care in a coma for four days last year, skipper Nick Simmons had a shoulder operation just a fortnight ago and I just didn’t know how our two new boys Danny Warwick and Dan Blake would fare.

“But I needn’t have worried for our new look team did us proud with a solid all-round performance that bodes well for National League season ahead.

“All seven of them won at least once heat, our winning margin would have been even higher but for falls for Dan Blake, Brendan Johnson and Ben Hopwood so I really am very happy with what I saw.

“We now have two further challenge matches against Weymouth to give us more track time to sharpen up still further and I’m warning those Dorset Wildcats that we’re aiming to win both matches here at home on the island and at their place to give us the to give us the “win double” for 2010!”

The first leg of the challenge encounter against those Weymouth Wildcats for the Pete Redfern Memorial Trophy takes place at the home of the Islanders in Ashey Road Ryde next Tuesday with the return leg in Dorset a week Friday.

Islanders’ scorers: Danny Warwick 11, Nick Simmons 10, Ben Hopwood 9, Dean Felton 7, Dan Blake 5, Dan Hill 5, Brendan Johnson 4