Buxton were again making history as the Somerset Rebels took to the track for the first time, but the fixture had to be changed from a League match to a challenge due to the Rebels being unable to ride home matches. Buxton made an enforced change to the side which beat Club Cradley Heath last week with Aiden Collins replacing the injured Jamie Young.
Rebels N^o 1 Gary Phelps got the visitors off to a winning start as he held off Neil Painter's first lap challenge, unfortunately for the ex-Swindon man his partner pulled up with engine trouble at the back.
In Heat 2 Mark Phillips led for the Rebels but James Mann passed him on lap 3 but the heat was drawn when Richard Moss fell when alone in third.
The Hitmen took the lead in Heat 3 with a 5-1 from Paul Burnett and James Mann, in for Aiden Collins who had been excluded for touching the tapes, and at this point the rain began to fall.
Simon Phillips was excluded for exceeding the time as his bike refused to start for the next race but his replacement Mark Phillips won in any case. The conditions were getting worse and the Buxton pair settled for a drawn heat.
After a heavy downpour and a bit of grading, the racing continued with Buxton extending their lead with a Burnett/Collins 5-1 as the riders adjusted themselves to the new track conditions.
Simon Phillips led Heat 6 for a while but was trying too hard and a mistake let Mark Steel through for the win with Neil Painter looking decidedly uncomfortable at the back.
Again a Rebel led, only to slip back during Heat 7, Mann passing Glen Phillips and Adam Allott was right on his back wheel when the race was stopped after Gordon Meakins fell at the back.
Somerset introduced Simon Phillips as a Tac Sub in Heat 8 and he hit the front ahead of Steel and Moss but, as before, he made a mistake and Steel was through. The race was awarded after Gavin Horsborough fell.
A Collins/Burnett maximum in the next race and a Mark Steel win in Heat 10 (his third on the trot) left the Rebels with an impossible task.
Gary Phelps led Heat 11 but was passed by Mann before Ray Dixon fell causing a re-run. Phelps again led but was unable to hold off Allott and Mann who assured a home win.
Unbeaten Paul Burnett led the next race until the very last bend when he went too wide and was pipped by Glen Phillips but the Rebels first heat advantage disappeared when Mark Phillips fell in third place.
That advantage was achieved in Heat 13 as Phelps got away at the start and Simon Phillips came through to join him when he passed Painter on the 1st bend of the last lap and the Somerset Rebels had their first ever 5-1.
Gary Phelps was brought in as a Tac Sub for the penultimate race and again gated. He was chased hard by James Mann (unbeaten 'til now) and the Buxton rider couldn't get through, making a mistake as he tried to go around Phelps and having been passed by Collins, settled for third.
In the final heat, Burnett and Steel completed their fine afternoon's by beating Glen and Simon Phillips, leaving three riders (Burnett, Steel And Mann) tied as top Buxton scorers all with paid 14 points. Congratulations went to all of the riders for continuing to produce good racing in a match which would have been called off nearly anywhere else.