It’s funny how a couple of days can change the mood in a fanbase.
This time last week, we were all excited to see what the 2023 Cheetahs could do. Unfortunately, the season openers turned out to be against one of the strongest sides that they’ll face all year. You don’t need me to tell you how that turned out, with a three point defeat at home and a trip to Poole we’d rather not speak about. Last Wednesday the Pirates were there for the taking, had circumstances been different. Two more points over the course of the night would have seen us take the win, and there were a number of times those points were nearly ours – If Luke’s engine hadn’t given out in heat four, for example, or if Sam had finished the night the way he started it, the night would have ended differently. Poole’s always a tricky place to visit, and Good Friday was certainly a long night for those of us who made the trip. There were lots of ugly starts throughout the night, with heats two and three both starting with all four riders meeting at the entrance to the first corner and an unlucky Cheetah being skittled towards the fence. While I’m not clever enough to say if any of those starts were unsatisfactory, I am able to count to four without getting lost, which the centregreen crew seemed to struggle with in heat four. I think we could have had as many laps as we wanted as the night wore on, though, and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. The Pirates were relentless, and the score reflects that.
But we’re back home tonight, and that means regular OSSC activities have resumed. The Cheetahs Chronicle is on sale, the Raceday Jackpot is back with the guaranteed £100 top prize, and we still have a few OSSC membership packs remaining. For only £10 you get the exclusive 2023 OSSC merchandise – a reusable tote bag and an engraved steel travel mug – plus the opportunity to make back your membership fee in OSSC discounts as the year goes on. Come and see us next to the track shop to join up, or, if you’re reading this at home, email info@ossc.me.uk to reserve your pack for the next meeting.
Last week I told you about some of the changes we’ve made over the off season, but there are another couple I need to mention. For those of you on Twitter, our old, rather clunky, handle has changed, and we’re now tweeting from @OSSCTweets. Likewise the OSSC website has had a thorough reworking and is now online. We’ll be posting regular updates on the website, including events, and the results of the Raceday Jackpot. We’ll also be publishing our programme notes every week in unedited form – so if you go to www.OSSC.me.uk you get to read all the juicy bits Mr Peasley edits out every week…
Tonight sees the Plymouth Gladiators come to Cowley. It’s a completely different set of Gladiators compared to last year, including a pair of former Leicester Lions who finished top of the league table last year. Here’s hoping we can learn from last week and take our first win of 2023.
Go Cheetahs