Five star Bears triumph
Despite being reduced to five riders in the early stages after a heat two crash for the Redcar reserves, the “Agilia” Bears battled to a convincing 51-39 win over the Workington Comets at the ECCO Arena. The win gives Redcar breathing space in the BSN Series group, albeit having raced more meetings than Scunthorpe and Workington.
The meeting started with a tapes malfunction with all four riders invited back for a re-run. The re-run saw Troy Batchelor gate for a comfortable win, but with both Bears packing the minor placings, no advantage was gained for Workington.
Heat two saw major drama as Tom Spencer gated for the Bears until he was passed by the Comets debutant Jacob Hook. The final lap saw Vinnie Foord pass Spencer on the inside until both riders tangled, leaving Spencer stricken on the track, with Ace Pijper collecting his partner, leaving both on the deck.
After a nervous wait, both Bears rose to their feet with the referee (after consulting the video footage), excluding Foord, which saw the second heat shared. Heat three saw the Redcar guest, Anders Rowe take a serene success, and with Jason Edwards in 3rd, Redcar had a two point lead on Teesside.
Ahead of heat four, Spencer was withdrawn from the meeting on medical grounds. Heat four then saw King win, but with Pijper feeling the effects of his crash at the back, the Bears could not extend their two point lead.
The Redcar middle order pairing secured Redcar’s first 5-1 of the evening as Rowe and Edwards comfortably saw off Jye Etheridge to give the hosts a six point advantage on home shale.
Redcar started to turn on the gas as they struck another 5-1 in heat five as Wright won, and with Vuolas coming unstuck on the last lap, Mulford pounced for 2nd, stretching Redcar’s advantage to a startling 10 points on home shale.
However, ahead of heat seven, Redcar were hit with another blow as Pijper withdrew through injury. Nevertheless, Redcar’s Danny King won as the lone Bear, ensuring the ten point lead remained intact.
Heat eight saw a superb move from Mulford as he wound it on to pass Foord on the backstraight of the opening lap, and as the lone Bear, Mulford did the required job to maintain Redcar’s 10 point lead.
Heat nine saw the Bears middle order come to prominence again as Rowe made a jet propelled gate for the win, and with Edwards passing Antti Vuolas for the paid win, Redcar had a 14 point lead.
Redcar’s advantage was extended further in heat 10 as Wright won, but with Tate Zischke passing Mulford for 2nd, Redcar had to settle for a 4-2 heat advantage.
Entering the final third of the meeting, the Comets used their tactical substitute as they brought in Zischke to partner Batchelor against the solitary Bear, Danny King. The move worked to perfection as the Comets hit a 5-1 to reduce the arrears to 12 points as Batchelor won, and with Zischke holding off King, the Comets fans had something to cheer.
After a pair of shared heats won by Edwards and Wright respectively, Workington’s Fraser Bowes registered his first heat win on these shores to hold off the previously undefeated Rowe, and with no Bear to partner Rowe, Workington had a 4-2.
The final race saw a superb heat of speedway as Batchelor led whilst Wright peppered the Aussie’s back wheel on the outside line for three laps until changing tact on the final lap as the Bears skipper switched to the inside to pass the Comets skipper for the win, and with Edwards 3rd, Redcar had a 12 point win over the Comets.
Redcar Bears = 51
1. Charles Wright = 14
2. Jake Mulford = 7+2
3. Jason Edwards = 9+2
4. Anders Rowe (G) = 11
5. Danny King = 7
6. Tom Spencer = 1+1 Withdrawn
7. Ace Pijper = 2 Withdrawn
Workington Comets = 39
1. Troy Batchelor = 10
2. Jye Etheridge = 2+1
3. Tate Zischke = 9+2
4. Fraser Bowes = 5
5. Antti Vuolas = 5+1
6. Jacob Hook = 4
7. Vinnie Foord = 4+1