SHEFFIELD stormed to yet another convincing victory at King’s Lynn - but left with injury concerns over reserve Dan Gilkes.
The Tru Plant Tigers won 57-33 to extend their unbeaten top-flight run to 15 meetings against the Stars.
But Rising Star Gilkes lifted spectacularly and crashed out of the penultimate race, aggravating an arm injury which kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2022 campaign.
It marred what was another stunningly dominant performance from the Tru Plant Tigers in Norfolk as they eased past the 50 point barrier for the third time this year.
The Owlerton outfit again started strongly against the Stars, charging into a 9-3 lead with two races gone.
Jack Holder and Lewis Kerr opened with a 4-2 before captain Kyle Howarth and Gilkes combined for a 5-1.
It was then Holder and Kerr’s turn for a maximum in Heat Five as they extended their lead to ten points - before some temporary resistance was shown by the hosts with three straight shared races.
King’s Lynn No.1 Artem Laguta claimed victory in Heat Six, prompting team manager David Hoggart to nominate him as a tactical substitute in Heat Seven which he duly won also.
And when Kerr was thrown out of Heat Eight for receiving two warnings after jumping at the start - reserve replacement Howarth stepped up to the plate to maintain the gap.
Track work then took place while a break was introduced because of sun glare - and upon resumption, two 5-1s from the visitors saw the Tigers grab even more control of the fixture.
First, Howarth and Tobiasz Musielak combined before Adam Ellis and former King’s Lynn man Josh Pickering took full advantage of a clutch issue for Laguta.
Ellis would take the flag in Heat 12 with another Holder maximum secured when he eased to the two races either side.
But it was that penultimate race which took some shine off the final result.
Gilkes had made a smart cutback up the inside off bend two - but on bend four his machine lifted violently.
He slammed down into the ground and had it not been for the quick reactions of King’s Lynn’s Thomas Jorgensen, the incident could have been even more alarming.
Track paramedics advised him to head to hospital for X-Rays - and the Tigers now face an anxious update on his fitness ahead of Monday’s crunch home clash against Ipswich at Owlerton (Monday, July 10, 7.30).
KING’S LYNN 33: Simon Lambert 12+1, Artem Laguta 10, Thomas Jorgensen 7, Andrews Rowe 2, Ben Barker 1+1, Nicolai Klindt 1+1, Ky Thomson 0. SHEFFIELD 57: Jack Holder 12, Kyle Howarth 11+1, Adam Ellis 10+1, Josh Pickering 9+1, Tobiasz Musielak 8+2, Adam Ellis 10+1, Lewis Kerr 4+1, Dan Gilkes 3+2.
