READING Racers moved into second place in the Southern Development League with a 19-17 win against leaders Kent Kestrels, despite trailing with one race to go on Saturday night.

The Kestrels were left a man short after Bradley Andrews was injured in the preceding National League match, leaving his team mates to cover his rides.

The first race was stopped after a close contact battle for third between Racer Stephen Whitehouse and Kent’s James Laker resulted in Laker falling, with referee Chris Gay deciding not to exclude anyone from the re-run.

In the second staging Reading captain Luke Harris streaked from the tapes for a win from Anders Rowe, while Laker passed Whitehouse for third.

Reading took the lead in heat two with debutant Nick Laurence taking the win from Laker, while behind them William O’Keefe and Andrew Palmer fell in separate incidents, both remounting to finish the race, O’Keefe crossing the line first.

Harris won from the outside gate in his second ride with Rowe and Palmer filling the minor places for a drawn heat. Rowe got his first win in race four, defeating Laurence and O’Keefe to leave Reading still leading at 13-11.

Heat five was re-run twice, with Whitehouse warned for moving at the start first time around, then breaking the tapes at the second attempt, meaning he had to start from 15 metres behind his competitors.

Palmer led from the start while O’Keefe and Laker passed and re-passed several times, only for the Kent man to gain the advantage on the last lap and hold on for a 5-1 heat win and put the Kestrels into a 16-14 lead.

Reading’s big guns pulled out all the stops in the final heat, Harris and Laurence shooting out of the gate ahead of Rowe and Palmer to complete the skipper’s maximum score and seal the win for the fledgling Racers team.

The Racers now look forward to their first away match at Plymouth on Saturday July 29 where they race two matches, facing both the Demons and the Weymouth Wildcats.

Match details: Reading Racers 19 – Luke Harris 9 (maximum), Stephen Whitehouse 0, Nick Laurence 7+1 bonus, William O’Keefe 3+1.

Kent Kestrels 17 – Anders Rowe 8, James Laker 5+2, Andrew Palmer 4+1.

Heat One –. Harris, Rowe, Laker, Whitehouse.

Heat Two – Laurence, Laker, O’Keefe, Palmer.

Heat Three – Harris, Rowe, Palmer, Whitehouse.

Heat Four – Rowe, Laurence, O’Keefe, Laker.

Heat Five – Palmer, Laker, O’Keefe, Whitehouse (15m).

Heat Six – Harris, Laurence, Rowe, Palmer.