Great finish wins Dan the honours
Latest News Sunday 29th March 2026, 7:59pm
New Edinburgh signing Dan Thompson delighted the Monarchs' fans by pulling off a major success on his first visit back at his old home at Ashfield.
Dan said afterwards "The gates were a bit uneven as you saw and I was pleased when I was handed gate four in the final. I made a decent start but I kept thinking my rear chain was going to come off every time I hit the dirt.
"Obviously I know the track at Ashfield and my time at Glasgow was good but it was great to come back and win this and show the Edinburgh fans what I can do and what they can look forward to this year."
It's remarkable how well the track stood up to some pretty heavy showers and few of the riders got into any difficulty. Tate Zischke and Kyle Howarth both came off in heat 13 but otherwise everyone stayed on board.
The track did look pretty wet as Justin Sedgmen sped off with heat one, the first of four smooth victories for Sedgy who had his best Bonanza yet. Kyle Howarth pulled off the first overtake of the day when he passed Danny King to win heat 2, the other heat winners in the first series of races were Tigers' highly impressive debutant Kevin Juhl Pedersen and Dan Thompson.
Both Sedgmen and Dan Thompson added a second 3-pointer in the next quartet if heats and there were interesting battles between Thompson and Harris (heat 7) then Barker and Pedersen (heat 8 for second behind Ben Barker).
The unbeaten riders Sedgmen and Thompson then remarkably both had last places in the next set of races, as the contest opened up. Palovaara and Flint won the next two heatsKildemand got a fine win from the back over Harris in heat 11 and Howarth also did a bit of passing to take Kye Thomson in heat 12.
After three rides each it was Leon Flint, Kyle Howarth, Peter Kildemand and Kevin Juhl Pedersen all on 7 followed by Sedgmen, Thompson and the lively Ben Barker on 6. Six places up for grabs in the Semi-final and Final.
Heat 13 was eventful in the wrong way with Zishke and Howarth falling in the first two runnings, then Sedgmen getting back to winning ways with a win in a two man race with Pedersen. Leon Flint then moved on to ten by winning heat 14 which virtually ensured at least a semi final slot..
Danny King hauled himself into contention in heat 15 by passing Ben Barker to winand Dan Thompson matched the Sedgmen tally with his third win in heat 16 defeating Peter Kildemand.
Leading scores were now Flint 10, Sedgmen, Thompson, Kildemand and Pedersen 9, and Ben Barker 8.
In the battle of the Monarchs Sedgmen beat Thompson in heat 17 which meant that Justin was assured of a place in the final. Kildemand and Flint then had a good battle in heat 18 which went to the Berwick rider who thus joined Sedgmen in the final with Flint in the semi, and this heat also ended the hopes of Howarth and Barker.
Danny King needed a win to make the semi and he duly delivered in heat 20.
The semi-final was a cracking race and a brilliant effort by Dan Thompson who came from third to first passing Pedersen and King, and Pedersen also passed King to put two-time Bonanza winner Danny out of the final.
Pedersen led the final initially but Thompson again made use of the outside line he knows so well to go ahead for the win. Pedersen clinched a memorable second with Kildemand and Sedgmen behind, completing a very satisfactory evening's racing.
In the 125cc international, Scotland beat England 16-8 with Lewis Hague winning all four heats.
