Stars' Danish rider goes on to score 15+3 points

You’d never have known it, but Michael Palm Toft suffered a van breakdown just hours before scoring 15+3 points for the King’s Lynn Stars.

This was during the Stars’ 58-32 thumping of visitors Rye House.

Of course it’s a pleasure watching Robert Lambert blossom into a star of the sport but Palm Toft proved on Monday last week that there is plenty of talent among the rest of Lynn’s Premiership speedway one-to-seven.

The Odense-born rider became the Tru Plant Stars’ go-to option once they had to operate rider replacement for vice-captain Ty Proctor and especially when young reserve Kasper Andersen withdrew from the meeting following a heavy Heat 7 fall.

Palm Toft said: “I even broke down 20 minutes from here but we got it sorted and we just went, so yes, it was a good night.”

The 27 year-old was still baffled after the meeting about went wrong en route with his race van, explaining: “I don’t know. It just stopped. All the lights turned on and it just went ‘doom’ – that was it.

“They came and picked me up in the big van and they took everything out and shoved it in.”

It did not put the Dane off taking three wins and three paid wins to back up skipper Lambert’s paid maximum.

He added of his paid 18 haul from seven reserve rides: “I just keep my head really cool and just get on with things. It’s what I’m more or less like.

“Obviously I have a few meltdowns sometimes when a few things don’t go to plan, but that’s more or less bikes when you want to win.

“But things like that, if it gets sorted and I’m fine, I’m here to race and you’ve got to switch your head on.

“It was a good meeting. I’ve got some confidence back and I’m starting to believe in myself a bit more.

“The track was really good. I’m sort of getting used to the grippy surface and it’s getting better.”

It meant Lynn came storming back from three successive defeats.

Palm Toft added: “We needed to pick back up from the losses, so that’s good and hopefully we can keep winning.

“I’ve got Peterborough and Denmark to do, so we’re very busy at the moment.”

One of the highlights of the Dane’s dynamic night was a duel with seasonal Great Britain international Chris Harris in Heat 12.

The Cornishman looked to have gained upper hand before the Saddlebow Road stadium reserve flew ahead on the third lap straight to register a hat-trick of victories and remarkably become one of 13 Lynn heat winners.

Another superb battle took place in Heat 9 between Rye House’s other GB stalwart, seven-times British champion Scott Nicholls, and the returned-to-form Thomas Jorgensen.

The Danish home rider chased Nicholls all the way, and briefly led going into the final lap before Nicholls quickly swapped back the lead to triumph.

Jorgensen, who also notched a hat-trick of victories, said: “I had a tough start personally to the season so it’s nice to have a good meeting, but Heat 15 didn’t work out for me as planned (a last place).

“It was a really good team win, and that’s what we needed.”

Rye House manager Peter Schroeck’s verdict on the evening when his troops seemed to wilt in the latter stages was: “That was a really tough meeting for us.

“They were just too good for us, and Michael Palm Toft at reserve seemed to be everywhere we went, leaving them very strong in that department.

“The track was pretty grippy, and the boys took longer to get used to it, but we can’t use that as an excuse.

“There were glimpses of success, but simply not enough as a team.

“Bomber (Chris Harris) had a good night, but KK (Krzysztof Kasprzak) definitely had one to forget, with bike problems at the start and things going from bad to worse.”