Rampant Redcar skittle Scorpions
REDCAR produced a stellar team display to record a 57-32 win over Scunthorpe at the ECCO Arena. Charles Wright struck a four ride paid maximum whilst Ace Pijper rode blisteringly to hit paid 11, meanwhile, Scunthorpe’s Jake Allen hit paid 12 for the visitors.
The BSN Series encounter was a complete team performance from the Bears and the 25 point winning margin easily secured the aggregate bonus point (101-78) in the battle to win the BSN Series Northern group.
Redcar started superbly with a 5-1 as Jake Mulford gated superbly for a comfortable win, and with Wright passing Steve Worrall on lap two, Redcar had the dream start on home shale.
However, the Scorpions hit back with a 5-1 of their own as Zaine Kennedy won comfortably, and he was closely followed home by his brother, Declan Kennedy to bring Scunthorpe back on level terms.
Remarkably, this was as good as it got for the Scorpions with the 2024 BSN Series finalists failing to produce another heat advantage. Heat three saw Danny King take the win, and with Jason Edwards just holding off Connor Mountain, Redcar had a two point lead.
Heat four saw the first shared race as Allen made a jet propelled start for the win, but with Pijper riding superbly to hold off Zaine Kennedy, Scunthorpe were still behind on Teesside.
The fifth race of a spectacular evening saw King take a superb win, and with Edwards in a comfortable 2nd, Redcar had amassed an 18-12 advantage after only five heats at the ECCO Arena.
After Wright won a shared heat six, drama followed in an eventful heat seven. The first staging saw Riss gate, and with Tom Spencer battling into 2nd, Redcar were set for a 5-1. However, on the first bend of the 3rd lap, Mountain attempted to go underneath Spencer but came in too hot, bringing Spencer down with the referee excluding Mountain.
The second staging saw more drama as Riss gated again for the lead with Spencer passing Simon Lambert on the back straight of the opening lap for the lead. However, Lambert hastily tried to swoop under Spencer with the reserve hitting the deck for the second time, with Lambert excluded from the 3rd and final staging.
The 3rd re-run saw Riss win, and with Spencer in an unopposed 2nd, the “Agilia” Bears had a nine point lead over their Lincolnshire rivals. Heat eight saw more battling spirit from a Bears reserve as Pijper held his nerve to pass Declan Kennedy on bend three of the opening bend, and with Mulford winning, Redcar’s lead was a startling 15 points.
After Allen continued a lone battle against the Bears with a win in a shared heat nine, Redcar’s advantage was extended with a 4-2 in heat 10, but not without a battle. Mountain gated until Wright dived underneath the Scorpion on the final bend of lap three for the win, and with Mulford 3rd, Redcar had a 38-21 lead, much to the delight of the Bears fans.
After Riss won a shared heat 11, Redcar produced their 4th 5-1 as Edwards won with ease, and with Pijper producing a classy pass on Declan Kennedy entering lap three, Redcar had officially secured victory.
Heat 13 saw Wright win, with Worrall, Riss and Allen all jostling for 2nd. Riss used the inside line in 3rd, but did not have enough to pass Worrall for 2nd, but the German did hold off an outside charge from Allen to secure another home heat advantage.
Heat 14 saw Mountain record his first win of the evening, but with Zaine Kennedy at the back, Redcar’s 23 point advantage remained intact. The final race saw Riss win, and with Edwards just holding off Harrison for 3rd, Redcar secured a remarkable 57-32 success.
Redcar Bears = 57
1. Charles Wright = 11+1
2. Jake Mulford = 7
3. Jason Edwards = 9+1
4. Danny King = 9+1
5. Erik Riss = 12
6. Tom Spencer = 2+1
7. Ace Pijper = 7+4
Scunthorpe Scorpions = 32
1. Steve Worrall = 5+1
2. Luke Harrison = 0
3. Simon Lambert = 2
4. Connor Mountain = 5
5. Jake Allen = 11+1
6. Declan Kennedy = 4+1
7. Zaine Kennedy = 5