Bears bulldoze Bandits in record win!
The Redcar “Agilia” Bears cruised through to the KO Cup semi-finals with a comprehensive 56-34 win at Berwick, (73-107 on aggregate). Redcar put in a real team performance with every rider at least being paid for a win. Erik Riss top scored for Redcar with a faultless 12 point maximum whilst Ricky Wells was the main man for Berwick with paid 12.
The night started off in perfect fashion for the visitors as Charles Wright gated and won extremely easily whilst Jason Edwards continued his scintillating 2022 by holding off Chris Harris to send the large travelling support wild on the backstraight. Heat 2 saw Redcar stretch their lead to 18 on aggregate with Kyle Bickley storming to an impressive win whilst Jordan Jenkins battled past Nathan Stoneman for 3rd and a Bears 4-2.
The Redcar engine room continued the visitor’s electric start as Riss and Andersen gated to secure one of the most comfortable 5-1’s you will ever see.
Remarkably, the 3rd 5-1 and 4th heat advantage for Redcar arrived in heat 4 with one of the races of the night. Nathan Stoneman initially led but the Welshman was brilliantly passed by Jenkins on the bend 3 banking on lap 3 and then Lewis Kerr compounded the Bandit’s misery as he joined Jenkins at the front to send Redcar 14 ahead on the night and a staggering 26 points on aggregate.
After the second early track grade, Berwick finally had a heat winner and a heat advantage as Wells won with Jonas Knudsen in third after Wright passed the Dane on lap 2. Berwick posted another 4-2 in heat 6 with Bomber Harris looking quick to win comfortably and with Theo Pijper in third, Berwick reduced the arrears to 10 on the night.
Any lingering hopes of an astounding home revival were extinguished in heat 7 as Riss won at a canter with Andersen benefitting from an Aaron Summers puncture to secure third and Redcar’s 5th heat advantage out of 7. The hosts still had aspirations of winning on the night and they reduced Redcar’s lead to 8 on the night with their only maximum heat advantage courtesy of Pijper and Knudsen.
After a Kerr win in a shared heat 8, normal service was resumed with the Redcar engine room combining for another maximum 5-1 with Harris suffering from clutch problems. Another 5-1 followed in heat 11 as Wright won easily with his teammate Edwards riding a clever line to keep Summers behind him and by this stage, the Bears fans were in dreamland with a 25-41 lead.
Riss completed his perfect 4 ride maximum in heat 12 with another win whilst Bickley battled to stay ahead of Stoneman after being passed by Wells on the outside.
Heat 13 saw the only crash of the evening as Harris lost control on bend 4 of the opening lap and clipped Kerr’s back wheel which sent both tumbling. After a couple of minutes to recompose himself, Kerr walked back to the pits under his own steam and prepared himself for the re-run. Summers, the lone Bandit, gated but the Aussie was overhauled by Wright on lap 2 to secure another 4-2.
The final race saw Andersen gate and win with Harris passing both Edwards and his partner, Wells but the Berwick man ultimately left himself with too much to do despite gaining ground on the former Bandit.
Redcar’s maximum man, Riss was delighted with his performance and the result, “ It was a fantastic performance from the whole team, all of the boys scored good points and we sealed the deal quite early on with 3 early heat advantages.”
The German believes things are starting to come together for the side, “I don’t really know why but things are really starting to work for us now. We are having a bit more fun as a team before the meetings, we are having a good laugh and getting along well.”
Berwick Bandits = 34 (73)
- Chris Harris = 6
- Theo Pijper = 5
- Leon Flint R/R
- Ricky Wells = 10+2
- Aaron Summers (G) = 5
- Jonas Knudsen = 7+1
- Nathan Stoneman = 1
Redcar Bears = 56 (107)
- Charles Wright = 11
- Jason Edwards = 5+2
- Erik Riss = 12 MAXIMUM
- Kasper Andersen = 11+2
- Lewis Kerr = 8+1
- Kyle Bickley = 4
- Jordan Jenkins = 5
