Resurgent Redcar beat Oxford!
Redcar continued their upward trajectory with a thrilling super heat win over the Oxford Cheetahs. Redcar held a 8 point lead after heat 11 but the Cheetahs fought back to force a nerve shredding super heat. The super heat produced more drama with Scott Nicholls (after previously being warned) deemed to have moved at the start.
The re-run saw the Redcar pairing of Danny King and Charles Wright settle into second and third respectively to secure the win with the 4,3,2,0 scoring system in place, much to the delight of a vociferous home crowd. Charles Wright hit paid 11 for the Bears whilst Scott Nicholls hit 14 for the Cheetahs. Notably, Ben Trigger hit his best score as a Bear with a sparkling 9.
The Cheetahs started on the front foot with a 4-2 heat advantage as Sam Masters took the win despite educated pressure from Charles Wright and with Cameron Heeps in 3rd ahead of Connor Bailey, the visitors struck the first blow on Teesside.
Heat 2 saw the Redcar reserves hit the front, however Oxford’s Jody Scott fell violently on bend 2 of the 2nd lap, with his partner, Adam Roynon also falling to avoid the British youngster. The re-run saw Jake Mulford (who is making heat 2 his own) win comfortably, and with Ben Trigger in 2nd, Redcar edged into a 2 point advantage of their own.
Jordan Jenkins took a superb win in heat 3 as he passed Jason Edwards on the final lap to take the win, and with Luke Killeen in 3rd ahead of Dan Gilkes, Oxford had pegged the Bears back to level the meeting at 9-9.
After Nicholls opened his account in a shared heat 4, Oxford opened up a 4 point advantage with a maximum 5-1 in heat 5 as Masters won convincingly, and with Heeps in an equally comfortable 2nd, the Cheetahs had the momentum at the ECCO Arena.
Wright took his first chequered flag of the evening in heat 6 ahead of Nicholls in a shared encounter with the next race, heat 7 providing all sorts of drama! With the race looking set for a comfortable 3-3, Luke Killeen fell spectacularly on the final lap, allowing both Ben Trigger and Danny King through for a match levelling 5-1 for Redcar.
After Nicholls and Heeps won a pair of shared races, Redcar struck a seismic blow in heat 10 as Bailey won, but the former British under 21 champion owed much to his skipper, Wright, who superbly shepherded home the Bears number two for a 5-1 to send Redcar 4 ahead with only five heats remaining.
Further drama ensued in heat 11 as the previously unbeaten Sam Masters obliterated the tapes with the former Edinburgh star going off 15m in the re-run. The re-run saw King take the win, but the story was in 2nd as Trigger produced a masterful bend 2 pass on Heeps to take the paid win which sent Redcar into a seemingly comfortable 8 point advantage.
However, things are never straight forward for the Bears and the Cheetahs began to hit back. Heat 12 saw Nicholls come in as a tactical substitute and the visitors gated on a 5-1. However, Gilkes hit the deck on bend 3 of the opening lap with the race stopped. The re-run saw Mulford brilliantly get the better of Killeen for a vital 2nd place, but with the Cheetahs hitting a 4-2 they were back within 6 of Redcar.
Heat 13 saw the nerves begin to jangle for the home support as Nicholls and Masters combined for a 5-1 to bring the visitors within 2. Oxford then drew level in heat 14 after another superb battle between Jenkins and Edwards. Jenkins led, but Edwards was all over the ex-Bear with the Bears number 4 looking set to pass Jenkins heading into bend 2 of the final lap. However, Jenkins held his nerve to hold off Edwards for the win, and with Roynon in an important 3rd ahead of Trigger, there was nothing to separate the teams heading into the last scheduled heat.
Heat 15 saw King lead but Masters was not to be denied as he dived underneath King to take the win, but with Nicholls in a distant 4th, we were heading for our 2nd ever super heat at the ECCO Arena.
The super heat saw huge controversy as the aforementioned Nicholls was adjudged to have moved at the tapes (the Cheetahs had gated on a 5-1), with the referee excluding Nicholls with the Oxford boss, Peter Schreock sending the British legend off 15m. The re-run saw Masters gate for the win, but with King and Wright content to hold their 2nd and 3rd in the 4,3,2,0 scoring system and Nicholls unable to mount a challenge, Redcar took the win with the Cheetahs taking a deserved point home for their efforts.
Redcar = 45 (81) + 5
1. Charles Wright = 9+2
2. Connor Bailey = 4+1
3. Dan Gilkes = 3
4. Jason Edwards = 5+1
5. Danny King = 9+1
6. Ben Trigger = 7+2
7. Jake Mulford = 8+1
Oxford = 45 (98) + 4
1. Sam Masters = 11+1
2. Cameron Heeps = 7+1
3. Luke Killeen = 2
4. Jordan Jenkins = 8
5. Scott Nicholls = 14
6. Jody Scott (G) = 0
7. Adam Roynon = 3+1