Dean Barker and David Norris today revealed how a few pre-match sparks in the pits led them to turning on a vintage night at Arlington.

Eastbourne Eagles' longest serving riders were paid for a combined 32 points out of 33 as their side routed Wolverhampton Wolves 57-35.

Norris got the ritual bumps after his 16+2 paid maximum and shared three 5-1s with Barker, whose only dropped point in five rides was against Billy Hamill.

Skipper Nicki Pedersen added his fourth successive Arlington maximum and Lewis Bridger enjoyed another double-figure payday as Eagles made light of the early-meeting departure of Stefan Andersson.

Already missing the injured Davey Watt, Eagles lost Andersson after two scoreless rides as he continued to feel the after-effects of recent concussion.

The night ended in celebration, not least for Norris, who raised both arms in triumph after partnering Pedersen for a heat 15 5-1.

But he admitted the path to victory over their traditionally tough rivals was not always smooth.

Norris said: "Me and Dean had a big lovers' tiff before the meeting. We weren't speaking.

"We made up beforehand because I thought we can't go out there not being mates.

"We had a joke about it. It's good. In the winter we'll laugh about it.

"I was really pleased for Dean because he's a brilliant rider.

"He had one engine seize up and he still had a win and second.

"His other bike had problems. He had nothing but trouble and he still only dropped a point."

Arguably the pick of the old firm's 5-1s came in heat five against Peter Karlsson who endured a rare winless night at the Sussex track.

Barker, in gate three, shut out Karlsson, in four, and the Eagles withstood everything the Swede could throw at them, with Barker riding what is supposed to be his less-preferred wide line.

After a pre-season bedevilled by illness, Barker is not yet fully fit. Neither are his bikes.

They went off for service yesterday at a cost expected to be up to £800.

When his first machine was mis-firing ahead of a re-run heat seven, it was Norris who ran across the centre green with a replacement with just seconds to spare.

Barker said: "We're best mates but he said a couple of things in jest I didn't like.

"But at the end of the day it obviously worked.

"It's good fun before 7.30pm then when 7.30 comes we're a team and off the track I hope we're friends."

The top four Eagles had 13 heat wins between them, yet the biggest cheer of the night was for a single point by Cameron Woodward.

The Aussie, unluckily excluded from heat seven and a faller on the last bend when leading heat eight, showed real character to ride the boards and grab a thrilling third place on the line from Theo Pijper.

That clinched a home 4-2, one of eight heat advantages on an impressive night.

Eagles: Norris 16+2 (6), Pedersen 15 (5), Barker 12+2 (5), Bridger 11+1 (6), Woodward 3 (6), Andersson 0 (2).

Wolves: P. Karlsson 9+1 (5), McGowan 7+1 (5), Hamill 7 (6), Pijper 6+1 (6), M. Karlsson 6 (5), Wilkinson 0 (3).