READING Racers secured a 17-7 victory at home to Weymouth Wildcats in a truncated Southern Development League match at Eastbourne on Saturday night.

Only four heats of the usual six were completed after reaching the Arlington Stadium curfew due to several delays to both the SDL match and the National League match between Eastbourne and Kent.

In heat one, Racers’ Dan Gilkes took a predicted tapes-to-flag victory, while everything went on behind him.

Jacob Fellows slotted into second place for Weymouth, while his teammate Andrew Palmer struggled at the back behind Rhys Laker. Laker himself was looking uncomfortable and was passed on the second lap, only to see the two Wildcats repeatedly get precariously close to each other.

On the second bend of the last lap Palmer slid off, and with Fellows laying his bike down to avoid a collision, the race was stopped and awarded as a 4-2 to Reading, Palmer being disqualified for his fall.

Heat two was less eventful with Nick Laurence and Jamie Bursill making the gate and holding on to a 5-1 race win.

The third race took four attempts to run, with Gilkes moving at the start first time around, the ref putting on the red lights and warning the 16-year-old. In the re-run Weymouth's James Laker slid off in an innocuous-looking crash while lying second to Gilkes, causing another stoppage and an exclusion for the stricken rider.

Third time out there was a malfunction of the starting tapes as they only went up on the outside, again forcing the referee to bring them all back.

At the fourth attempt Gilkes sped away for his second win, while Rhys Laker was fast away from the tapes only to be passed Fellows, resulting in a second 4-2 to the Racers and an eight-point lead.

Heat four belonged to Laurence, and again his partner Bursill was in second place from the start, but this time Laker – in the race to cover the missing fourth man – got just reward for his persistent efforts and passed Bursill on the very last bend.

Racers take on Isle of Wight Wizards on Saturday, knowing another victory will see them finish second in the Southern Development League.