Brilliant Bears dismantle Scorpions!
REDCAR produced a stunning team display to secure their 10th home win of 2025 with a 55-35 win over the Scunthorpe Scorpions. Ace Pijper hit a Championship best paid 14 for the Bears whilst Steve Worrall (10) and Luke Harrison (8+2) shone for Scunthorpe.
The win over the Scorpions has virtually secured Redcar’s place in the play-offs with two meetings to go. Redcar have leapfrogged Edinburgh to move into 3rd of the Cab Direct Championship table.
The Bears began the evening with a heat advantage as Charles Wright won convincingly, and with rider replacement (due to the unwell Jody Scott) Pijper 3rd, Redcar had their noses in front after the opening race at the ECCO Arena.
The reserves race saw Pijper and Jake Mulford bolt from the gate for a serene maximum, and suddenly, Redcar were already six ahead. Luke Harrison registered Scunthorpe’s first winner in heat three as the young Brit flew from the gate and held off Redcar guest Lewi Kerr for the win, but with Connor Mountain at the back, Scunthorpe remained six down.
Redcar struck their second 5-1 in heat four as Danny King won, and with Pijper providing fireworks to pull clear of Jake Allen (who then retired), the hosts had a stunning 10 point advantage.
Heat five saw Redcar continue their turbo charged start with another 5-1 as Kerr took his first win of the night, and with Jason Edwards producing a classy outside pass on Zaine Kennedy at the conclusion of lap one, the Scorpions were in tatters at 22-8.
Scunthorpe finally registered their first heat advantage in heat six as Allen won, and with Luke Killeen 3rd, the Scorpions finally had something to cheer, with more drama following the race’s conclusion.
After the chequered flag, Wright and Allen collided with the Aussie hitting the deck. Allen sprung up and immediately went over to remonstrate with Wright. The pair then came to blows with both having to be pulled apart but the pair did embrace when they returned to the pit gate.
After the fireworks on track, the original staging of heat seven saw Mountain fall on bend two of the opening lap, with the Scorpion excluded from the re-run. The re-run saw Redcar continue their powerhouse start as King won, and with Pijper in an unopposed 3rd, the Bears fans were dreaming of a big home win.
Heat eight saw Redcar sat on a 5-1 until Simon Lambert hit the deck, with the referee ordering a re-run with three riders. The restaging saw Edwards win, but with Kennedy getting the better of Mulford, the Bears had to settle for a 4-2.
Harrison took a tactical substitute ride for the beleaguered visitors in heat nine, but it looked to be a forlorn throw of the dice as Edwards and Kerr were sat on a 5-1. However, Kerr lost control of his machine, hitting the deck with the race awarded as a shared heat which was some solace for the bottom of the table Scorpions.
The rampant hosts hit their 7th heat advantage in heat 10 as the incredibly impressive Pijper gated and was gone from all the rest of the field, and with Wright 2nd, the Bears remarkably led by 20 points.
Scunthorpe finally registered their first maximum as Worrall won, and with Kennedy surprisingly holding off King, the visitors reduced the arrears to 16 points.
After Pijper capped off his fabulous evening as he passed both Scorpions to win a shared heat 12, Redcar’s 20 point advantage was re-established as King and Wright took a comfortable maximum to send the Redcar fans into dreamland.
The penultimate race saw Kerr continue a good evening’s work with a win, and with Mulford 3rd, the “Agilia” Bears extended their lead to 22 points. Heat 15 saw Scunthorpe end the meeting positively as Worrall won, and with Harrison 3rd, the visitors ended with an advantage.
Redcar Bears = 55
1. Charles Wright = 9+2
2. Jody Scott R/R
3. Jason Edwards = 9+2
4. Lewis Kerr (G) = 10
5. Danny King = 10
6. Jake Mulford = 4+1
7. Ace Pijper = 13+1
Scunthorpe Scorpions = 35
1. Steve Worrall = 10
2. Zaine Kennedy = 4+1
3. Luke Harrison = 8+2
4. Connor Mountain = 3
5. Jake Allen = 5
6. Luke Killeen (G) = 3
7. Simon Lambert = 2