Exeter hosted round one of the 2013 test series between Team GB and Poland last Thursday, writes Mark Briggs.

With the largest crowd the Devon circuit has seen in years accompanied with good weather and a top class line up, it was always going to be the perfect recipe for a test series opener.

Former British champion Gavin Wheeler got the ball rolling with a start to finish win in heat one. Poole’s Greg Gluchowski grabbed Poland’s first heat win in the second race of the day.

Unfortunately, the only blip of the event arose in the seventh race of the day as Exeter-based Reed uncharacteristically slid off shortly after World Champion Lukasz Nowacki had gone down.

Wheeler tried to recover the loss of position, but clipped his own front wheel with his foot which resulted in a nasty fall.

Both teams regrouped during the interval, but a bright start to the second half saw GB open a five point lead.

There followed a couple more shared heats that kept the scores close, but sparks flew in the unlucky heat 13 for Poland when Paradzinki thundered up the inside of Aris down the back straight. Referee Robin Spicer stopped the race and deemed Paradzinski to be the cause of the stoppage. Paradzinski came back from his exclusion with the hunger to win heat sixteen.

Nowacki claimed the final win of the event but Team GB, having already done enough, could relax and take huge pride from an impressive victory which put them 1-0 up in the series.

The atmosphere at Exeter was electric and the club attracted the biggest crowd in many years. However, Team GB went on to lose the following two matches to lose the 2013 series 2-1 to Poland.

In terms of local cycle speedway, Exeter face Horspath this Sunday (August 4), at Cofton Road Wheels Centre starting at 2pm.

Admission is free, so go and support the Aces!