Bears battle to beat Monarchs!
Redcar recorded back to back home wins in the Cab Direct Championship for the first time this season with a hard fought 49-41 win over the Edinburgh Monarchs. Charles Wright once again top scored for Redcar with 12+1 whilst Edinburgh’s exciting Italian Paco Castagna hit 11 for the visitors.
The original staging of heat 1 started with Josh Pickering gliding around the outside to take the lead, but with his partner, Lasse Fredriksen hitting the deck, we had a re-run with all 4 riders. The re-run saw a different story emerge as both Bears gated but Josh Pickering limited the damage for the Monarchs as he passed Connor Bailey for 2nd, however with the Australian unable to pass Charles Wright, Redcar began in solid fashion with a 4-2 heat advantage.
Heat 2 saw Jake Mulford cruise to a convincing win, and with Ben Trigger picking up an important 3rd ahead of Connor Coles, Redcar had an 8-4 lead at the ECCO Arena.
After a pair of shared heats won by Edinburgh’s fast starting pair, Paco Castagna and Justin Sedgmen, the Monarchs hit back to level the meeting as Fredriksen recovered from his heat 1 last place to take the win, and with Pickering cruising past Edwards and Gilkes in successive laps, Edinburgh drew level.
Sedgmen once again flew from the tapes to win heat 6 ahead of Bailey and Wright, but with Edinburgh’s guest, Dayle Wood at the back, no away heat advantage was forthcoming. Danny King marked his return to the saddle with an impressive heat win in heat 7, but with Trigger at the back, both sides were still searching for an all important heat advantage to take the lead.
The aforementioned advantage came for Redcar in heat 8 as Bailey passed both Fredriksen and Coles on the opening lap to win, and with Mulford passing Coles (who finished last) for 2nd, the Bears fans had their first maximum to cheer, and a 4 point buffer to boot over the Monarchs.
Edinburgh recorded their 5th heat winner of the evening as Sedgmen continued to start fast and take another chequered flag, but with Dan Gilkes and Jason Edwards passing Dayle Wood, Redcar’s 4 point advantage remained intact.
After Castagna won a shared heat 10 ahead of Wright, Edinburgh reduced the deficit to just 2 points as Pickering won, but the Bears had King to thank for pushing his way past Fredriksen to ensure Redcar remained in a narrow lead on home shale.
Heat 12 saw Gilkes win to take his tally to 8 points on another solid evening for the Brit, but with Wood getting the better of Mulford, Redcar could not extend their slender advantage.
Heat 13 saw one contender for heat of the night as Wright and King gated, but with Pickering just behind, a 5-1 was far from certain! Wright duly won the race, but King (who had rode a clever line on lap 3) was rounded by Pickering on the run to the line. However, the 4-2 re-established the Bears 4 point lead heading into the last 2 heats on a nervy night at the ECCO Arena.
The penultimate race saw Castagna take his tally to 11 points with a win after holding off early pressure from Jason Edwards, but with Mulford gaining revenge on Wood for 3rd, Edinburgh were still 4 behind heading into the final race. Heat 15 saw another contender for heat of the night as Wright and King yet again gated, but this time Pickering could not pass either Bear as the home side struck an important 5-1 to secure a 49-41 win.
Redcar = 49
1. Charles Wright = 12+1
2. Connor Bailey = 7+1
3. Dan Gilkes = 8
4. Jason Edwards = 4+2
5. Danny King = 10+1
6. Ben Trigger = 1
7. Jake Mulford = 7+3
Edinburgh = 41
1. Josh Pickering = 9+1
2. Lasse Fredriksen = 5
3. Kye Thomson = 3+1
4. Paco Castagna = 12
5. Justin Sedgmen = 9
6. Dayle Wood (G) = 3+1
7. Connor Coles = 0