Category: Bears News

We will be holding a staff meeting in the Bears Bar on Thursday 1st February, starting at 7:30pm. This is for all current and potential staff, so if you fancy helping out the Bears in 2018 please pop down!

Light refreshments will be provided.

Bears promoter Kevin Keay heads off to B.S.P.A. HQ tomorrow in order to speak with fellow championship bosses regarding a provisional fixture list for 2018. Redcar have expressed an interest in hosting a ‘shared event’ and are looking to open the season with the Julie Lewis Memorial event with a possible challenge match the following week.

“We have enquiries about a Premiership team coming to the Media Prima Arena but it’s early days yet and as some teams are still putting together their sides nothing is definite yet.” In the mean time, despite the recent weather, work is taking place at the stadium to improve all aspects of the facilities and it is hoped that all three outstanding signings may be announced at the next social event, a quiz night on Thursday 25th January.

Redcar Speedway are pleased to announce that Kelvin Tatum and Nigel Pearson are hosting one night of their tour at the Bears Bar on Tuesday February 6th . These nights have proved popular throughout the country so be sure not to miss out! Tickets are £10, and are available from SportsTalkEvents, as well as through the club hotline or Kevin Keay at the Bears next Social Night on the 25th January. 

Redcar Bears are delighted to announce the Jonas B Andersen, Mikkel B Andersen and Theo Pijper will join the Bears for the 2018 season – joining Ben Barker who was announced last month.

Jonas, who will enter his fourth straight season as a Bear, comes into the team on a 6.48 average. The Dane has been a very popular part of the Redcar setup over the last few season, and it would have been strange not seeing him lineup as a Bear for this season!

Mikkel B Andersen, 21, is the younger brother of Jonas and represented Denmark in the World U21 Team Cup final this year scoring a respectable 6 points. He has been on the Bears radar for a little while, and will come into the side on an assessed 5.20 average.

The final man named tonight is Dutchman Theo Pijper. Theo rode 9 meetings for Edinburgh last season, attaining a 4.23 average meaning he will start the season at reserve. Theo is looking forward to the new challenge in 2018:

“I feel it’s great promotion to be part of and any time I’ve been down I’ve been made very welcome. I have 2 completely new bikes so I’m committed and I have my determination and hunger back for racing – I hope it proves to both me and the team to be beneficial starting at reserve. If there’s one thing about me that’s the fact I’ll always give 110%. With a wife and 3 children getting points is how I make money so I aim for plenty of them – points make prizes!”

With four riders all signed up, that leaves 3 to go who will be announced in the new year. We would like to wish all our fans, riders and sponsors a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

For a chance to win some fantastic new Redcar Bears merchandise, head over to Smoggy the Bears Facebook page for your chance to win. 

The competition will end on Tuesday, with the winners announced on Wednesday!

You have to be in it to win it! 

For a chance to win some new Redcar Bears merchandise, head over to Smoggy the Bears Facebook page tomorrow (Thursday) for your chance to win!

Also, don’t forget we have our Christmas Party on Friday 22nd December at the Bears Bar. Tickets are £6 each, and can be purchased from Claire James or Janice Jackson.

Redcar Speedway will be holding a Xmas function on Friday 22nd of December in the Bears club house. We have a fun night lined up and everybody is welcome. We will also be revealing the next 3 names on the team sheet for 2018, so fans in attendance will be the first to find out!

Tickets numbers are limited to 80 at only £6 per person and will be sold on a first come first served basis. Don’t miss out….contact Claire James or Janice Jackson for tickets. Up the Bears ????

Redcar Speedway are pleased to announce that Kelvin Tatum and Nigel Pearson are hosting one night of their tour at the Bears Bar on Tuesday February 6th. These nights have proved popular throughout the country so be sure not to miss out! Tickets are £10, and are available from SportsTalkEvents

Ben Barker will again lead Redcar’s Championship assault when the tapes rise on the 2018 speedway season next March.
The return of the popular Cornishman to the Media Prima Arena was confirmed to an expectant audience in the SG Petch Bears trackside bar on Thursday and greeted with universal approval.
“I think the supporters would have lynched me had we not had made sure Ben came back,” stressed team boss Jitendra Duffill.
“He was such a big favourite and the only person I wanted as captain next year.
“I’m thrilled and Ben was so keen to return that the deal was actually wrapped up some time ago.
“We just couldn’t release it until we knew all the full ramifications of last weekend’s promoters conference.”

St Austell-based Barker, who scored almost 400 points in 35 appearances last season and claimed over 60% of the fans’ votes to be named ‘Bear of the Year’, was equally enthusiastic, commenting:
“I’m really pleased to have everything sorted out as I made it clear from halfway through last season that the only place I wanted to make my future at was Redcar.
“The travelling has been really hard but, if you look at it, the Championship is very much a northern league nowadays, so it doesn’t make much difference which club I’m racing for.
“If you are a speedway rider from Cornwall, you know you are going to have to travel!
“The people running Redcar really try to make life as easy as possible and the fans have been great – so welcoming – which makes it all worthwhile.”

Duffill continued: “Team building is well under way and I would hope to have it finished in the next couple of weeks.
“I’m not a million miles away and am just waiting on the decision of a couple of riders.”
Bears promoter Kevin Keay was also thrilled with the return of the popular Cornishman: “I’m delighted we have Ben Barker as a Bear again next season as that’s all the fans have spoken about since the season finished. The fans have really taken to him and his wholehearted efforts to entertain so we are very pleased to announce him as our first signing for 2018.”

Keay and Duffill are known to be scouring the globe with a good chance that an established rider, not currently associated with a British club, could shortly be on the way to Teesside.

Courtesy of Keith McGhie and the Gazette.

We are raising money to help keep the speedway running at Redcar. We have been broken into twice this year and have to rely on the goodwill of our supporters. This is a great idea and our supporters will be giving while doing their shopping .Join easyfundraising and you can collect free donations for us every time you buy something online. It won’t cost you a penny extra so please help us to raise funds.