Brilliant Bears bag another away win!
The Redcar “Agilia” Bears climbed to 3rd in the Cab Direct Championship with a fantastic 49-41 away win over Plymouth. It was a real team effort for the Bears to win and cover the injured Charles Wright with 3 Bears, (Edwards, King & Riss) all hitting double figures for Redcar. The 8 point win gave the Bears 3 points with the Teessiders also gaining the bonus point to add to their league tally. Erik Riss top scored with paid 15 whilst Richie Worrall hit paid 13 for Plymouth.
The “Agilia” Bears began in terrific style with an opening heat 5-1, but that does not tell the whole story! Erik Riss, out as the rider replacement, gated with Kyle Howarth putting the German under calculated pressure. However, calamity struck for Howarth and the Gladiators as the Plymouth number 1 suffered an engine failure which let Danyon Hume through for 2nd which gave Redcar the perfect start.
Plymouth hit back to cut the gap to 2 as home debutant James Pearson took the win after a tight opening bends battle with Jason Edwards, and with Ben Trigger in 3rd, the hosts had their first heat advantage. Heat 3 saw Riss make another electric gate but with Dan Gilkes falling on lap 2, the Plymouth number 4 was excluded and perhaps surprisingly, the race was awarded in favour of the finishing order at the time of the crash with Redcar re-extending their lead to 4 points in Devon.
After Danny King opened his account with a win in a shared heat 4, the ECCO Arena’s new track record holder, Connor Bailey stole the show as he passed both Dan Gilkes and Ben Barker on the backstraight of lap 1 to take heat 5, but with Hume unable to prise 3rd from Gilkes despite his best efforts, Redcar’s lead remained at 4 points.
Danny King made it back to back wins and with Plymouth packing the minor placings, Redcar remained in control at the Plymouth Coliseum. Heat 7 saw Pearson hit the deck for the Gladiators with the Australian excluded for the re-run. The re-run saw yet another 3-3 as Richie Worrall passed Erik Riss on bend 3 of lap 2 to lower the German’s colours, but with Bailey unopposed in 3rd, Plymouth could not make any ground on the Bears.
Plymouth broke the deadlock in heat 8 with an important 4-2 heat advantage as James Pearson took his second win of the night ahead of Jason Edwards, and with Lee Complin holding off Danyon Hume, Plymouth had a much needed heat advantage to drag themselves within 2 of Redcar. Heat 9 saw Ben Barker win with drama at the back as Gilkes got out of shape exiting bend 2 which let Luke Harrison through with the young reserve riding superbly to hold 3rd and keep the Bears in the all important lead.
Heat 10 saw the 6th shared race as Riss took his 3rd win of the night despite calculated pressure from Howarth, but with Bailey at the back, Redcar’s lead remained a slender one. Heat 12 saw Ben Barker hit the deck in a nasty looking crash with the Plymouth skipper excluded from the re-run and also withdrawing from the meeting. Redcar used the man advantage to take a huge 5-1 as Edwards won from the gate whilst Bailey passed Pearson superbly towards the conclusion of lap 1 to send Redcar 6 ahead.
However, the Gladiators bit back with a 5-1 of their own in heat 13 as messrs Howarth and Worrall won from the gate to bring Plymouth within 2 of Redcar. Nevertheless, Plymouth’s fightback was short lived as Edwards (out for his 3rd race on the trot) won comfortably and with Riss holding off Gilkes for 2nd, the loud Bears travelling contingent had the meeting win to celebrate.
Heat 15 saw another heat advantage for the Redcar support to celebrate as King won whilst Riss held 3rd in a tight race to secure a 8 point win for the triumphant “Agilia” Bears.
Plymouth = 41 (82)
1. Kyle Howarth = 7
2. Lee Complin (G) = 3+1
3. Ben Barker = 7
4. Dan Gilkes = 2+1
5. Richie Worrall = 12+1
6. James Pearson = 8+1
7. Ben Trigger = 2+1
Redcar = 49 (97)
1. Charles Wright R/R = 8
2. Danyon Hume = 3+2
3. Connor Bailey = 7+2
4. Erik Riss = 14+1
5. Danny King = 14
6. Jason Edwards = 10
7. Luke Harrison = 1+1