The weather stayed dry and the supporters came out in force at the Adrian Flux Arena in King’s Lynn for Simon Lambert’s Testimonial meeting on Saturday.
With King’s Lynn Stars legends Tomas Topinka, Terry Betts and Ian Turner present as special guests, and Neil Vatcher’s Young Lions also on show alongside the main event, there was a real party atmosphere to the piece dubbed “Rambo Lambo’s Decennary”.
Lambert himself was forced to withdraw from the action following a heavy heat 15 tumble.
It could have spoiled the occasion, but the testimonial star fortunately escaped from what could have been a worse landing with muscle damage to his right arm.
In the end, it was former Grand Prix star Kenneth Bjerre who took the day’s top prize by easing into the semi-finals with 12 points and then powering to victory in the two deciding races.
While the day was always going to be as much about the occasion, there was still plenty of good racing to maintain interest throughout, with Sam Masters frequently at the centre.
The Aussie champion got the afternoon up and running with his third lap pass of Danny Ayres to win the opening race, just lost out to Michael Palm Toft right on the line in heat 13 and left it as late as the final bend to catch Josh Grajczonek for victory in heat 16.
Niels Kristian Iversen dominated the main 20-race programme, powering to five wins, before finally coming unstuck against Bjerre in the first semi-final, while fellow front-runner Craig Cook found his day ended in the second when up against Masters and Danny King.
King himself proved a little too eager at the tapes in the final, with his subsequent 15 metre penalty relegating him to the back as Bjerre drove home ahead of Iversen and Masters to win the race that mattered most.
The Dane was not even in the meeting a week earlier, yet seven day’s on – following a cancellation of a Polish commitment and a late opportunity to join the field – he was finishing top of the pile.
He said: “I texted Simon to ask if he still had a place open, and he said ‘come on down’. It’s been a great day, and the weather has been nice, and I hope everyone enjoyed it.”
Runner-up Iversen added: “I missed out in the last couple of races, but it was still a good meeting for me, with plenty to build on for the season. It was good to be back here too.
“We’ll see what happens in the future, but I enjoyed today.”
Third placed Masters added: “I didn’t expect to be on the rostrum at the start of the day; I couldn’t get out of the starts. But as long as it was a good day for Simon, that’s what really matters. That’s what we were here for.”
Lambert concluded: “I am OK now, although it’s a bit sore. I don’t know what happened, but it was one of those things. I think I tried a bit too hard, but we’ll forget about that.
“Tomorrow’s another day. I just need to push on now. You know, you come back from injury and then you pick up another little knock. But we’ll get there.
“But it was a fantastic day overall, though. I keep saying that word – fantastic! Fantastic! Fantastic! Everybody’s made it happen, there’s been a great turnout, and I’m so thankful.”
