Category: Bears News

Redcar boss Gavin Parr has challenged his “Agilia” Bears to go and do a job on the reigning Cab Direct Champions Glasgow. Redcar round off their final league fixture of the campaign in Scotland tonight with tapes up at 7:30 at Ashfield. 

Parr, who led his side to victory at Ashfield last season, see’s no reason why the Bears cannot repeat the trick, “ We will be going to do a job on the Tigers, we are confident and if we are on song, there’s no reason why we can’t go and win.”

The Bears statistical expert also revealed the cut-off for completed fixtures has been extended, “The deadline has been extended by a week which gives Workington the chance to complete their last match against Plymouth along with other clubs who also have matches to complete.”

Parr, who is in his second term as team manager, also offered an update on the 1-7 that will take on Glasgow, “ Unfortunately Dan (Gilkes) is still out with his eye infection, we are hoping for some news on Dan after his hospital appointment today. We will be running rider replacement and I’m confident we can cover that with the boys who can take his rides. Also, we are bringing in Danyon (Hume) at number 3, Danyon was a Glasgow rider and also one of our match winners last season there in the cup so hopefully that plays into our hands.”

The Newcastle born boss is hopeful Jake Mulford’s mechanical problems are sorted ahead of tonight’s meeting, “ Jake suffered a really rare problem with his bikes on Monday, it was an issue me and Stuart (Swales) had never seen in all of our years in the sport. However, Jake was still full of confidence and he had a superb heat 8 when he pushed Kyle Howarth so he came away in a positive mindset.”

Glasgow bring in Tom Spencer at reserve who deputises for the stricken Jason Garrad. The Tigers management will also be hoping for a strong performance from their Solvenian star Matic Ivacic ahead of team building plans for 2025. The Bears will again look to their big hitters, The Bears management will be looking to Charles Wright and Danny King for strong showings after the pair memorably captured pairs glory a fortnight ago at Oxford. 

Supporters are reminded that the only way to see the match will be in person with the Tigers not currently offering a live streaming service.  

Glasgow Tigers

1 Chris Harris (c)  8.79

2 Jack Smith 5.24

3 Anders Rowe 7.34

4 Matic Ivacic 6.00

5 Leon Flint 6.87

6 James Pearson 5.02

7 Tom Spencer (G) 2.00

TM – Cameron Brown.

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1 – Charles Wright (C) 8.54

2 – Rider Replacement for Dan Gilkes 5.35

3 – Danyon Hume (G) 5.10

4 – Jason Edwards 6.00

5 – Danny King 7.66

6 – Ben Trigger 2.95

7 – Jake Mulford 4.10

TM Gavin Parr

The Redcar “Agilia” Bears kept their faint play-off hopes alive with a battling 48-42 win over a stubborn Plymouth Gladiators at the ECCO Arena. Charles Wright hit a paid maximum (11+1) for the hosts whilst Danny King top scored with 14. The Gladiators were led superbly by the ever improving Dan Thompson who hit 14. 

The evening began with Wright taking a comfortable heat 1 win, and with Jordan Jenkins battling his way into 3rd, the Bears opened proceedings with a 4-2 heat advantage. The reserves race saw Jake Mulford show incredible tenacity as he passed Joe Thompson on the last lap for the win, but with Ben Trigger at the back, Redcar had to settle for a shared heat on Teesside. 

Heat 3 saw the Redcar guest, Danyon Hume gate, only for Dan Thompson to pass the 2023 Bear for the win, and with Jason Edwards at the back, Plymouth drew level. Heat 4 saw the visitors take the lead as Ben Barker marked his latest return to the ECCO Arena with a hard fought win over Danny King, but with Mulford at the back behind Jacob Hook, the Bears had work to do to overcome the tenacious Gladiators. 

The 5th heat of an entertaining evening’s action brought the first 5-1 for the Bears. Hume and Edwards led from the gate and team rode superbly to hold off Drew Kemp for the maximum heat advantage to hit back in impressive style. 

Heat 6 saw disaster strike for the Bears as Jordan Jenkins fell on the opening bends with the Brit excluded from the re-run, leaving Wright as the sole Bear. Nevertheless, this did not faze the skipper as he won extremely comfortably to maintain Redcar’s two point advantage. King recorded his first win in heat 7, but with Trigger at the back, a share of the spoils looked likely. However, Plymouth’s Patrick Baek drifted wide on the final bend which gave Trigger 3rd and extended Redcar’s advantage to four points. 

After a shared heat 8 won by Plymouth’s Alfie Bowtell, the visitors hit back in style in heat 9 as Barker won at a canter, and with Joe Thompson holding off Edwards for 2nd, the visitors once again drew level. Heat 10 saw Wright dazzle as he used his years of experience to chase down and pass Dan Thompson for the win, and with Jenkins 3rd, Redcar once again had a narrow lead at the ECCO Arena. 

Heat 11 saw King take another win, and with Trigger passing Bowtell for 3rd, the “Agilia” Bears doubled their advantage to four points. Heat 12 saw Hume end an impressive evening with a win, but with Mulford at the rear, the Bears still had to be wary of a late Gladiators onslaught. 

Nevertheless, Wright and King hit a heat 13 5-1 which gave the Bears an eight point advantage to put Plymouth on the brink of defeat. The penultimate race saw the Thompson twins gate on a 5-1 but Edwards was not to be denied as he passed Joe Thompson on the final bend to secure the three points for Redcar. 

The final race saw King cap off an excellent evening with another win, but no heat advantage was forthcoming as Plymouth packed the minor placings for a shared heat to end the evening. 

Redcar = 48 (95)

1. Charles Wright = 11+1 (Paid Maximum)

2. Jordan Jenkins (G) = 4

3. Danyon Hume (G) = 8

4. Jason Edwards = 5+1

5. Danny King = 14

6. Ben Trigger = 2

7. Jake Mulford = 4+1

Plymouth = 42 (85)

1. Drew Kemp (G) = 5+1

2. Alfie Bowtell = 5

3. Dan Thompson = 14

4. Patrick Baek = 1

5. Ben Barker = 7+1

6. Joe Thompson = 8+2

7. Jacob Hook = 2+1

Redcar boss has reminded the Redcar faithful how far the “Agilia” Bears have come in recent years ahead of Redcar’s final regular Cab Direct Championship fixture against Plymouth this Friday.

Supporters are reminded that British Youth Championships is another added bonus with the 125cc class taking to the shale at 7pm whilst the 250cc class will compete straight after the Cab Direct Championship match. Additionally, Charles Wright and Danny King will parade the pairs trophy at 7:30 with tapes up at 7:35 at the ECCO Arena. 

Parr, who managed the Bears duo to another success, is keen to build on last Friday’s historic evening, “ It’s important we win against Plymouth to continue to build some key momentum ahead of our cup semi-final against Oxford.”

Although Parr is jubilant after last Friday’s success, he knows the Gladiators cannot be underestimated, “ Ben Barker rides our place really well and Joe Thompson rode really well here two weeks ago in the National Development League. Also, Plymouth have Jacob Hook at reserve and he knows his way around the ECCO Arena. Taking all that into account, we will have to be on our A game to ensure we take all 3 points on offer.”

Parr was especially pleased that the pairs victory gave the club the chance to give something back to the fans who travelled to Oxford, “ We’ve had a tough time in 2024, some of it our own doing but a lot of it we have had no control over. The pairs has served us well, we’ve had two wins and a runners-up berth and it was great to give something back to the fans who had travelled. Parading the trophy before the match will give us another chance to say thank you to the fans who have stuck by us.”

The ecstatic Geordie believes the Pairs win shows just how far the club have come in recent seasons, “ We have come a long way in recent times. Kevin Keay took over and started the ball rolling, Ben Duffill kept improving things during his tenure which then built a platform for the current promotion to help us build even further. Some people do forget that the club would not have been securing this silverware in previous eras.”

Parr also offered an update on the fitness of Dan Gilkes, “ Dan missed Sheffield’s match on Monday with an eye infection and he is back at hospital this Friday so he will miss the Plymouth match. We already have Danyon Hume coming in for Connor Bailey and with the other fixtures on Friday night, we will be running rider replacement to cover for Dan at number 2 unless other fixtures fall victim to the weather.”

The Bears once again bring in Danyon Hume to cover for Connor Bailey whilst rider replacement is likely to cover for the aforementioned Dan Gilkes. Meanwhile, the Gladiators hand a guest booking to the in-form Drew Kemp at number 1 whilst their boss Garry May will be looking to his skipper, Ben Barker to lead from the front with the former Bear scoring paid 10 as a guest for Redcar earlier this season. 

Supporters are reminded that the meeting will be live streamed by Tapes Up Productions at www.redcar-speedway.tv. Additionally, fans attending the clash are encouraged to bring along their scarves with the Bears Supporters Group having a themed scarf night. 

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1 – Charles Wright (C) 8.54

2 – Rider Replacement for Dan Gilkes

3 – Danyon Hume (G) 5.10

4 – Jason Edwards 6.00

5 – Danny King 7.66

6 – Ben Trigger 2.95

7 – Jake Mulford 4.10

™: Gavin Parr

Plymouth Gladiators

1 Drew Kemp (G) 7.82

2 Alfie Bowtell 4.91

3 Dan Thompson 6.51

4 Patrick Baek 5.00 

5 Ben barker 6.45

6 Joe Thompson 4.70

7 Jacob Hook 4.00 

™: Garry May

Redcar’s Charles Wright and Danny King secured the “Agilia” Bears first silverware of the year as they raced to a memorable Cab Direct Championship pairs title at Oxford on Friday night. 

The final, against the hosts, Oxford saw huge drama as the Bears gated on a maximum 7-2 until Scott Nicholls passed Charles Wright with the pair then immediately colliding. After a long deliberation, the referee Graeme Hunter opted to exclude Nicholls, meaning Redcar had regained their pairs title!

Redcar started the meeting slowly against Glasgow as they suffered a 6-3 defeat. Glasgow’s new signing, Anders Rowe took the win, and despite Wright holding off Chris Harris for 2nd, King was at the back meaning the Bears were on the back foot in the early stages of the meeting. 

Redcar’s next outing saw Wright take an impressive win as he held off the in-form Josh Pickering, and with King in 3rd ahead of Paco Castagna, the 2022 champions had their first heat advantage. Redcar’s 3rd heat against Workington saw the Comets gate, but King flew around the outside of both Troy Batchelor and Antti Vuolas exiting bend 2 of the opening lap, and with Wright passing Batchelor moments later, Redcar had fresh impetus with their first 7-2 of the night. 

Heat 17 saw Redcar require at least 4 points to secure their place in the semi-finals. Nevertheless, with Wright and King both gating, the experienced British duo looked set for a 7-2. However, Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls both worked their way past King to secure the Cheetahs a 5-4 heat advantage, a result which saw both teams qualify for the semi-finals. 

Redcar took on the Glasgow Tigers in the semi-finals with the Bears second favourites after the Tigers topped the charts in the qualifying heats with an impressive 26 point haul. However, after both Bears got the better of Rowe in the early stages, Wright and King flew into the distance to secure serene progress for Redcar’s 3rd consecutive appearance in the Championship Pairs Grand Final. 

The final saw Redcar boss Gavin Parr win the coin toss with Parr electing to take gates 1 & 3. The final saw huge drama despite both Bears gating and looking set to secure a comfortable 7-2. However, Nicholls used his years of experience to manoeuvre past Wright, only for Nicholls to lock up, leaving Wright with nowhere to go. Thankfully, both riders made it to their feet with the referee excluding Nicholls and awarding the race which gave Redcar the win and the trophy!

Wright, who is now a 3 time pairs winner is happy to add another title to his collection, “ It’s great to win another pairs title, I felt really good and it was a really strong event on paper which made the win feel even better!”

Plymouth = 12 (8th)

Ben Barker = 3

Dan Thompson = 9

Berwick = 13 (7th)

Lewis Kerr = 10

Drew Kemp = 3

Glasgow = 26 + 2 (3rd)

Chris Harris = 12

Anders Rowe = 14

Redcar = 20 + 7 + 7 WINNERS

Charles Wright = 14

Danny King = 6

Edinburgh = 17 (5th)

Josh Pickering = 15

Paco Castagna = 2

Workington = 11 (9th)

Troy Batchelor = 7

Antti Vuolas = 4

Scunthorpe = 17 (6th)

Michael Palm Toft = 9

Kyle Howarth = 8

Poole = 22 + 2 (4th)

Richard Lawson = 13

Ben Cook = 9

Oxford = 24 + 7 + 2 (2nd)

Scott Nicholls = 10

Sam Masters = 14

Redcar skipper Charles Wright believes he and Danny King have nobody to fear as the Bears British duo go in search of pairs glory at Oxford tonight. The traditional pre-Cardiff curtain raiser takes place at Oxford Stadium this evening with tapes up at 7:30. 

Wright, who scored paid 10 on ROWE Motor Oil Premiership duty last night, is confident the Bears have “as good a chance as anybody”, “We don’t fear anyone but it is the type of event which any of the pairs could win. Oxford have Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls who hit a lot of 5-1’s at home so they will be the favourites but we don’t fear any of the sides. I really do think we have as good a chance as anybody, especially if we can team ride well.”

The Redcar skipper has won the event twice, with the Sheffield Tigers in 2018 and with the Redcar “Agilia” Bears in 2022, and the Bears number 1 is happy with his showings over the years, “I have a good record with this event, I have won it twice and then came runner-up last year and who knows what this year’s will bring.”

Wright also spoke about the importance of partnering with Danny King again this year, “It’s good that I am with Danny again this year, we know each other pretty well and we are both experienced riders which should help with our team riding.”

The former British Champion believes he may gain a slight advantage from the meeting being held at the home of his ROWE Motor Oil Premiership club Oxford, “In terms of set-ups, we have that little advantage as I should have the right set-up from racing there every week. Although riding at Oxford helps, everything has to fall right on the night and make sure we steer clear of last places.”

The 2023 champions Glasgow, line up with Chris Harris and their new signing, Anders Rowe. Oxford’s Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls are sure to be a threat for the hosts whilst Richard Lawson and Ben Cook will be real dangermen as they look to secure Poole’s first ever second division pairs championship. 

Any fans who are unable to attend the event are reminded that the meeting will be live streamed by BSN @ watch.britishspeedway.co.uk 

Cab Direct Championship Pairs

PLYMOUTH: Ben Barker & Dan Thompson

BERWICK: Lewis Kerr & Drew Kemp

GLASGOW: Chris Harris & Drew Kemp

REDCAR: Charles Wright & Danny King

EDINBURGH: Josh Pickering & Justin Sedgmen

WORKINGTON: Troy Batchelor & Craig Cook

SCUNTHORPE: Michael Palm Toft & Kyle Howarth

POOLE: Richard Lawson & Ben Cook

OXFORD: Scott Nicholls & Sam Masters

The undefeated Leicester Lion Cubs proved too strong for the Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers as they ran out 54-36 winners at the ECCO Arena. Jake Mulford hit a dazzling paid 14 for Middlesbrough whilst William Cairns scored paid 16 for the visitors. 

The WSRA National League leaders started in superb fashion with a maximum as the impressive Sonny Springer won, and with Joe Thompson holding off Ben Trigger’s advances, the Tigers were immediately on the back foot. The reserves race saw Cairns gate for an extremely comfortable win, but with Arran Butcher unable to pass Will Hocaniuk for 2nd, Leicester had to settle for a 4-2 heat advantage. 

Heat 3 saw another away 5-1 as the fast starting Springer took his second chequered flag, and with Tom Spencer opening his account with a paid win, Leicester had opened up a 10 point advantage in the blink of an eye. Jake Mulford recorded the Tigers first heat winner with a comfortable heat 4 win, but with Hocaniuk at the rear, Middlesbrough remained 10 behind. 

Leicester’s dominance continued in heat 5 as Thompson and Springer once again combined for a 5-1 to give the visitors a 14 point advantage in their quest for a 3rd tier league title. Heat 6 saw Cairns defeat Trigger, and with Luke Crang in an unopposed 3rd after Kai Ward fell, Leicester were well on their way to an away win. 

After a shared heat 7 won by the fast starting Mulford, Leicester’s grip on the meeting was strengthened even further as Springer won another heat, and with Hocaniuk dropping to the back behind Butcher after a fast start, Middlesbrough were staring down the barrel of a big home defeat after another Lion Cubs 4-2. 

Heat 9 saw another Cairns win with a shared race looking likely, but with Jamie Halder shedding a chain and falling, Luke Crang came through for 3rd to give Leicester their 7th heat advantage. The tenth race of the contest saw Cairns record yet another win, and with Spencer in 3rd ahead of Ward, Leicester increased their lead to 22 points on Teesside. 

After Mulford continued his undefeated run in a shared heat 11, Danny Phillips gave the home crowd plenty to cheer as he (for the 2nd meeting in a row) defeated Williams Cairns despite the young British sensation giving everything for 3 laps until the Leicester guest hit trouble on the final lap and had to settle for 3rd place. 

Heat 13 saw a brilliant race as Thompson gated, only for both Trigger and Mulford to pass the Leicester number 1 to secure Middlesbrough’s first heat advantage, much to the delight of another big home crowd. Heat 14 saw another fantastic race as Cairns gated, with Ben Rathbone close behind. Rathbone remained close throughout the race and pounced on a Cairns mistake on the backstraight of the final lap to take the win, but with Halder at the back, Middlesbrough could not secure another heat advantage. 

The final race of an exciting evening’s racing saw Thompson gate for the win, despite Trigger and Mulford battling with all they knew to pass the Leicester skipper, but with the Middlesbrough pairing having to settle for the minor placings, the visitors could not secure another heat advantage in the final race. 

Middlesbrough Tigers = 36 (71)

1. Ben Trigger = 9+1

2. Kai Ward = 2

3. Danny Phillips = 6

4. Jamie Halder = 1

5. Jake Mulford = 13+1

6. Ben Rathbone = 3

7. William Hocaniuk = 2

Leicester Lion Cubs = 54 (109)

1. Joe Thompson = 11+1

2. Sonny Springer = 12+2

3. Tom Spencer = 7+1

4. Vinnie Foord R/R

5. Luke Crang = 5+1

6. William Cairns (G) = 15+1

7. Arran Butcher = 4+2

Ben Rathbone has challenged his Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers side to bounce back to winning ways and end Leicester’s undefeated WSRA National League season tomorrow night with tapes up at 7:30 at the ECCO Arena.

The Lion Cubs are well set to claim the National League title with the visitors needing to win at least three of their remaining four fixtures whilst the Tigers have had an encouraging first year back at 3rd tier level. 

Rathbone knows the challenge the Tigers will face against the undefeated league leaders, “ Leicester are the strongest side in the league but if we can get off to a strong start and get into a lead then we can look to maintain it. Speedway is a funny old game and we will be going out there with a positive mindset.”

The Tigers reserve has admitted to being frustrated with his inconsistencies this season, with the local lad determined to turn it around, “ My inconsistency has been massively frustrating, especially as I know what I can do around Redcar. I have had a few machinery problems, especially with my clutch which has affected me getting out of the starts but I know I can score big points so hopefully I can do that again this Friday!”

Rathbone will line up in heat 2 against the young British sensation William Cairns who guests for the Lion Cubs, and Rathbone knows he is in for a challenge, “ Nobody on our side is pencilling him in for a 21 point maximum, that’s for certain. You’ve got to go up to the tapes and ignore who you are racing against but you have got to go into each race thinking of winning the heat. However, William is flying at the moment so he is sure to be a big threat”

The likeable Middlesbrough youngster has also expressed an interest in returning to the “Heat Floors” Tigers in 2025 if the opportunity presents itself, “ My first choice would be to race for Middlesbrough next season if possible. I’m a little bit disappointed with how this season has gone as when I am not riding for the Tigers I feel I am riding the best I have ever ridden but I cannot seem to channel that into Middlesbrough matches, which is extremely frustrating!”

Rathbone is happy with how the side have gelled across the campaign with the Tigers number 6 also looking for improvements in the team’s home form, “ Our home form could be better as I think you should always win at home but I think we have done well across the campaign. If you compare our recent performances to our first meeting at Leicester you can see that our riders have improved. Additionally, we have bonded and gelled well together and if we can channel that into tomorrow, we could shock a few people and win.”

The Tigers once again track a full 1-7 with Jake Mulford and Ben Trigger both looking to show their experience and get the better of the aforementioned William Cairns at the second time of asking. The Lions will run rider replacement for the injured Vinnie Foord whilst William Cairns deputises for Max James who is on Cab Direct Championship duty with Edinburgh. The Lions number 1, Joe Thompson will also be a threat for the Tigers heat leaders, especially after he won the latest round of the National Development Series on his home track four days ago. 

Any supporters who are unable to attend the meeting are reminded that the match will be live streamed by our streaming partners Tapes Up Productions at www.redcar-speedway.tv

Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers

1) Ben Trigger 8.67

2) Kai Ward 4.46

3) Danny Phillips (C) 5.73

4) Jamie Halder 5.52

5) Jake Mulford 8.14

6) Ben Rathbone 3.85

7) Will Hocaniuk 3.00

™: Stuart Swales

Lion Cubs

1- Joe Thompson (C) 10.53

2- Sonny Springer 6.00

3- Tom Spencer 8.16

4- Rider Replacement for Vinnie Foord 6.56 

5- Luke Crang 6.86

6- William Cairns 3.00 (G)

7- Arran Butcher 5.68

™: Dave Howard

Next up at the ECCO Arena, we welcome the league leaders Leicester in the WSRA National League with the visitors tracking the young British sensation William Cairns as a guest!

A great night in store!

For just £10 (payable in the lounge) on top of your normal entry, you get covered balcony seating, a buffet + a hot drink, a programme & a drink from the bar. Kids £5 (which excludes the bar drink + a programme)

Anyone interested contact Ian Drinkel
indrinkel@msn.com
07827293866

Workington delivered a seismic blow to Redcar’s play-off hopes as they fought back from 6 points down to take a 47-43 home win over the “Agilia” Bears. Antti Vuolas hit 13 for the hosts whilst Danny King struck 10 for Redcar. Despite not securing victory on the day, the Bears did secure the aggregate bonus point with an 87-93 success over both fixtures. 

The opening heat of a see-saw battle saw the Redcar guest, James Pearson gate, but his Glasgow teammate and Workington guest for the day, Chris Harris passed the Australian on the 4th bend of the opening lap for the win but with Ace Pijper last for the Comets, heat 1 was shared. 

The reserves race saw Ben Trigger take a deserved win, but with Jake Mulford at the back, a shared race looked on the cards. However, Workington’s new signing, Paul Starke suffered machinery issues which let Mulford through for a 4-2 which sent the Bears into an early 2 point lead. 

Heat 3 saw the Comets level matters as their guest Leon Flint took the win, and with Antti Vuolas in 3rd, the play-off chasing Comets had parity on home shale. The topsy turvy nature of the meeting continued in heat 4 as Danny King triumphed over Troy Batchelor after a pulsating battle and with Mulford in 3rd, Redcar were back in front. 

However, the Comets immediately hit back as Vuolas defeated Charles Wright, and with Flint passing Pearson for 3rd, we were once again deadlocked in Cumbria at 15-15. Nevertheless, Redcar once again regained the initiative with their 3rd 4-2 of the match as King took his second win, and with Trigger in 3rd, the Bears had a slim lead. 

Heat 7 saw Batchelor gate with Edwards and Gilkes packing in the minor placings. However, Starke passed Gilkes for 3rd, and with Gilkes then falling when he was attempting to repay the favour, the Comets were looking set to level up once again. However, disaster struck for Batchelor as he packed up on the last lap, gifting Edwards the win, but with the former Grand Prix star tootling round for the solitary point, Redcar remained 2 ahead. 

Jake Mulford then struck a superb win in heat 8 for Redcar, and with Pearson getting the better of Starke after a fierce battle, Redcar had breathing space with a 21-27 lead. Workington’s Antti Vuolas then passed King to win the ninth race of the afternoon, and with Flint 3rd, the hosts were within striking distance at 25-29. 

Heat 10 saw Harris win after passing Edwards, and with Starke 3rd, the Comets were back within 2 of Redcar once again. The 11th race of an exciting afternoon’s speedway saw Wright win, and with Pearson 3rd, the “Agilia” Bears 4 point lead was re-established. Nevertheless, the lead was short lived as Vuolas took his 3rd chequered flag, and with Starke passing both Gilkes and Mulford to impress his new home fans, Workington were back level. 

Heat 13 saw Workington turn the tables as they took the lead thanks to the ninth 4-2 of the match as Harris won, and with Batchelor 3rd (despite looking set for 2nd until Wright blocked his run), Workington had the momentum heading into the final 2 races. 

After heat 14 was a shared race won by Jason Edwards, the meeting came down to the final race. Importantly, the hosts had the choice of gates with Redcar being left on gates 2 and 4 with 4 being a clear disadvantage. The final race saw a pulsating race as King gated, and with Wright battling with Vuolas for 2nd, the Bears looked set to give themselves a chance of forcing a super heat. However, Vuolas showed why he is loved by the Comets fans as he passed both Bears to win, and with Harris passing Wright on the run to the line, Workington secured a 47-43 success on home shale to boost their Cab Direct Championship play-off hopes. 

Workington Comets = 47 (87)

1. Chris Harris (G) = 12

2. Ace Pijper (G) = 0

3. Antti Vuolas = 13

4. Leon Flint (G) = 7

5. Troy Batchelor = 6+1

6. Sam McGurk = 2

7. Paul Starke = 7+2

Redcar Bears = 43 (93)

1. Charles Wright = 8+1

2. James Pearson (G) = 5+1

3. Dan Gilkes = 3

4. Jason Edwards = 8

5. Danny King = 10

6. Ben Trigger = 4

7. Jake Mulford = 5

Redcar heat leader Danny King has urged his “Agilia” Bears side to keep pushing for the play-offs. The Bears travel to Cumbria today bidding to do a quickfire double over Workington with tapes up at 3pm at the GT Tyres Arena. 

King, who top scored for Redcar last night against Workington, knows the importance of today’s crunch Cab Direct Championship clash, “ Today is another important meeting, we need another win to keep pushing for the play-offs but all the boys know what is required.”

The former British Champion is happy with his recent form, with King hitting paid 21 in his last two league meetings for Redcar, “ I’m happy with how things are going at the moment, I’m hoping to keep the good run of form going as we try to make that late play-off push.”

Despite the Bears being under pressure to win in their play-off quest, King knows the importance of not having too much pressure on his teammates shoulders, “ We will try to not put too much pressure on ourselves but we are aware of what is required between now and the end of the season.”

The Bears number 5 is looking forward to his first full league meeting at Workington for the Bears, “ I like the Workington track but I haven’t done that many meetings there. When we went there in the BSN Series I suffered an injury but I had a good meeting there in the BenFund so I am looking forward to this afternoon.”

King also reserved special praise for Jake Mulford, who reeled off 3 wins in last night’s win over the Comets, “ Jake has been doing really well recently. Signing for Belle Vue in the Premiership has really helped him and his confidence and I think you can see that with his performances on track.”

Workington have drafted in British legend Chris Harris to guest at number 1 in place of Craig Cook whilst his Glasgow teammate Leon Flint deputises at number 4 for Tate Zischke. Meanwhile, Redcar have called on the services of James Pearson who deputises at number 2 for Connor Bailey. 

Workington Comets

1. Chris Harris (G) 8.94

2. Claus Vissing 6.33 

3. Antti Vuolas 6.00

4. Leon Flint (G) 6.96

5. Troy Batchelor ©  8.00

6. Sam McGurk  2.00

7. Paul Starke  3.51

™: James Denham

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1 Charles Wright (C) 8.54

2 James Pearson (G) 5.32

3 Dan Gilkes 5.38

4 Jason Edwards 6.22

5 Danny King 7.61

6 Ben Trigger 2.83

7 Jake Mulford 4.05

™: Gavin Parr