Category: Bears News

The Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers took a superb 48-41 win over a stubborn Sheffield Cubs side at the ECCO Arena. The Tigers 7 point success also gained the side’s first aggregate point of the season after winning by 1 point over the two fixtures. Ben Trigger hit a superb 14 for the Tigers whilst Nathan Ablitt hit 10 for the visitors. 

Remarkably, heat 1 saw Middlesbrough’s second successive opening heat 5-0 (at home) of the season. The first staging saw Ablitt fall on the opening bends with the referee adjudging that Ablitt fell on his own with 3 riders being invited back for the re-run. The re-run saw the Tigers gate on a 4-2 but at the end of lap 1, Mickie Simpson had an alarming fall with the young Brit remarkably walking away from the crash moments later. The third and final staging saw Mulford win, and with Ward unopposed in second, Middlesbrough had the perfect start at the ECCO Arena. 

The reserves race saw Ben Rathbone take the win on a hugely impressive afternoon for the Middlesbrough man, but with Stene Pijper passing Will Hocaniuk for 2nd, the Tigers had to settle for a 4-2. 

After a pair of shared heats won by the Sheffield guest, Dayle Wood and Ben Trigger, the Sheffield management were left cursing their luck after heat 5. Despite Nathan Ablitt being untroubled after a bend 2 cutback on lap 1, the visitors looked set for a 5-1 as Simpson passed Danny Phillips entering lap 2, but Simpson’s nightmare start to the meeting continued as he fell seconds later with the race awarded as a 3-3. 

The Tigers extended their advantage in heat 6 as Mulford took his second successive win, and with the ever improving Ward in 3rd ahead of Stene Pijper, the Tigers had a 9 point advantage on Teesside. 

After heat 7 was won by Trigger in a shared race, the visitors hit back with a 5-1 heat advantage as Simpson dusted himself down to take a well deserved win, and with Kean Dicken in second, the visitors had a foothold in the contest. The Cubs fightback continued in heat 9 as Ace Pijper took the win, and with Stene Pijper impressively working his way past both Phillips and Halder, the Cubs had reduced the deficit to a single point. 

Heat 10 saw a much needed heat advantage for Middlesbrough as Mulford won with ease, and with Ward holding off a hard charging Sheldon Davies for 3rd, the Tigers had a 3 point advantage on home shale. Trigger continued his scintillating afternoon with a hard fought win over Abiltt in heat 11, but with Rathbone at the back, the gap remained at 3 points. 

Heat 12 saw all sorts of drama as Phillips suffered mechanical issues whilst he was at the tapes with the Tigers skipper going off 15m in the re-run. The second staging saw Hocaniuk touch the tapes for the hosts. With Hocaniuk disqualified, Rathbone came in under huge pressure, knowing a Sheffield 5-1 would put the Tigers behind. Nevertheless, Rathbone thrived under the pressure and passed Wood on the backstraight of lap 2 for a hugely impressive win, and with Wood falling on the final lap attempting to re-pass, Phillips came through for 3rd to give Middlesbrough some much needed breathing space with 3 heats remaining. 

Heat 13 saw Trigger continue his undefeated run with another win, but with Mulford at the back, Sheffield still had hope at 41-36. The penultimate race saw another big race win for Rathbone, and with Halder holding off Dicken on the run to the line, Middlesbrough had secured the 2 match points with the Tigers only two points away from the aggregate bonus point. 

The final race of an entertaining afternoon saw Ablitt lower Trigger’s colours for the first time in an extremely close race, but with Ace Pijper unable to get the better of Trigger, Middlesbrough took all 3 points on offer in front of another decent WSRA National League crowd at the ECCO Arena. 

Middlesbrough Tigers = 48 (90)

1. Jake Mulford = 9

2. Kai Ward = 5+1

3. Danny Phillips = 5+1

4. Jamie Halder = 5+2

5. Ben Trigger = 14

6. Ben Rathbone = 9

7. William Hocaniuk = 1

Sheffield Cubs = 41 (89)

1. Nathan Ablitt = 10

2. Mickie Simpson = 4+1

3. Dayle Wood (G) = 7

4. Sheldon Davies = 1+1

5. Ace Pijper = 8+2

6. Stene Pijper = 6+1

7. Kean Dicken = 5+1 

Redcar produced a monumental comeback to keep their play-off hopes alive with a brilliant 44-46 away win at Edinburgh. Kye Thomson top scored for the Monarchs with 10+2 whilst Danny King hit a scintillating paid maximum (13+2) for the Bears. 

Edinburgh began on the front foot with a 4-2 heat advantage as Thomson took the win despite early pressure from Charles Wright, and with Josh Pickering in 3rd, the hosts had their first heat advantage. Heat 2 saw a superb battle between Connor Coles and Jake Mulford with the Edinburgh reserve taking the win despite strong pressure from Mulford, but with Max James at the back for Edinburgh, their lead remained at 2 points. 

Edinburgh’s lead was extended to 6 points after the middle order pairing of Paco Castagna and Lasse Fredriksen took a 5-1 after Dan Gilkes suffered mechanical problems. To compound Redcar’s heat 3 misery, Gilkes accidentally impeded his teammate Jason Edwards in the early stages, meaning the Bears asset could not make an impact on the Edinburgh pairing. 

Redcar recorded their first heat advantage in heat 4 as King gated for a comfortable win, and with Mulford passing Coles on the final lap, Redcar reduced the gap to 4 points at Armadale. After Wright won a shared heat 5, King produced a memorable move on the back straight of the opening lap to glide past both Pickering and Thomson to take the win, but with Ben Trigger at the back, Redcar remained 4 adrift. 

After the 4th shared heat of the night won by Sedgmen, Edinburgh opened up a 8 point lead with a 5-1, but not before some controversy! The original staging of heat 8 saw Coles fall on the opening bend (seemingly on his own) but the referee invited all 4 riders back for the re-run. The re-run saw Thomson and Coles gate for a comfortable victory to hand the Monarchs full control of the match at the halfway stage. 

However, with Gavin Parr playing his tactical substitute straight away, Redcar immediately hit back with a 5-1. Wright and King gated and took a comfortable win over Lasse Fredriksen to bring Redcar back into the meeting. Nevertheless, Edinburgh immediately restored their 8 point buffer with a 5-1 courtesy of Pickering and Thomson to send the home fans wild with a maximum heat advantage. 

After a shared heat 11 won by Sedgmen, Dan Gilkes produced a superb opening lap to take the chequered flag in heat 12, and with Trigger in 3rd, Redcar still had hope at 39-33. Heat 13 saw a rip-roaring encounter as Wright passed Sedgmen, and with King then battling his way past the Australian, the Redcar supporters sensed an opportunity. 

The penultimate race of the night saw another fantastic race as Edwards gated, but with Mulford at the back, a 3-3 looked likely. However, Mulford passed Coles entering the final lap which would have levelled the scores but with Edwards moving off the inside line, Castagna passed the Redcar man on the final bend to take the win and ensure Edinburgh had a 2 point lead heading into heat 15. 

Crucially, Redcar had the choice of gates in the final race with Gavin Parr electing to take gates 1 & 3. The race was essentially won by 2 brilliant gates from Wright and King as they cruised home for a superb 5-1 to take a 46-44 win and 3 league points!

Edinburgh Monarchs = 44 (85)

1. Josh Pickering = 6

2. Kye Thomson = 10+2

3. Lasse Fredriksen = 6+2 

4. Paco Castagna = 8

5. Justin Sedgmen = 9 

6. Max James = 0 

7. Connor Coles = 5+1

Redcar Bears = 46 (95)

1. Charles Wright = 15+1

2. Connor Bailey = 0  

3. Dan Gilkes = 4+1

4. Jason Edwards = 6

5. Danny King = 13+2 (Paid Max)

6. Ben Trigger = 2+1 

7. Jake Mulford = 6+2

Middlesbrough Tigers number 5, Ben Trigger has set his side the target of securing their first aggregate bonus point of the season at the second attempt tomorrow afternoon (tapes up at 1pm) at the ECCO Arena. The “Heat Floors” Tigers host the joint Sheffield/Scunthorpe side with the Tigers looking to overturn the 6 point deficit from their early season defeat at Owlerton. 

Trigger, who hit his best ever score at second tier level a fortnight ago, is confident of Middlesbrough’s chances, “ It’s always the goal to get the bonus point. We had a good first home meeting against Belle Vue a few weeks ago which bodes well for tomorrow’s match.”

The WSRA National League heat leader is happy with his form across both leagues, “ Me and Jake (Mulford) are hitting some good form. I’m aiming to hit some maximums at this level and then carry that form into my Cab Direct Championship meetings.”

The excitable Plymouth based youngster has also been impressed with the form of Middlesbrough’s Kai Ward and Will Hocaniuk, “ I’ve been around Kai for a couple of years now when he has had guest bookings and he is the type of rider who seems to pull it out of the back when he needs too which is a great attribute to have. I have also been impressed with Will’s first year at this level after some time away from the sport, he’s gaining confidence and improving all of the time.”

The Tigers go into Saturday’s meeting aiming to pick up all 3 league points on offer. To do so, the hosts will have to win by 7 points or more for the aggregate success. The visiting Cubs track the ever improving Nathan Ablitt at number 1 whilst Edinburgh Academy man Dayle Wood deputises for Luke Harrison who is unavailable. The Cubs management will be looking for big points from their number 5 Ace Pijper with Ace being joined by his brother, Stene Pijper at number 6. 

The Tigers skipper, Danny Phillips will be looking to build on his impressive end to the last WSRA National League home meeting whilst the aforementioned Kai Ward will be aiming for another big score in his debut year with the Tigers. 

Supporters are reminded that entry for the meeting is £10 for all adults and free for children. Additionally, season ticket holders are reminded that all WSRA National League meetings are covered by their season ticket. Fans who cannot attend the meeting are reminded that the meeting will be live streamed by our streaming partners Tapes Up Productions at www.redcar-speedway.tv 

Middlesbrough Heat Floors Tigers

1. Jake Mulford 8.42

2. Kai Ward 4.67

3. Danny Phillips 5.71 (C)

4. Jamie Halder 5.71

5. Ben Trigger 8.16

6. Ben Rathbone 3.37

7. William Hocaniuk 3.00

TM Stuart Swales

Sheffield Cubs

1. Nathan Ablitt 8.49

2. Mickie Simpson 4.23 (C)

3. Dayle wood (G) 

4. Sheldon Davies 3.00

5. Ace Pijper 5.81

6. Stene Pijper 3.00

7. Kean Dicken 3.00

TM Paul Tatum

Redcar boss Gavin Parr has challenged his “Agilia” Bears side to repeat last year’s away win at Edinburgh. The Bears travel north to Armadale in Cab Direct Championship action this evening with tapes up at 19:30 in the Scottish capital.

Parr, who concedes his side will need at least one away win in their play-off quest, has set his side the target of another win at Edinburgh, “ We are aiming to go there and win, just like we did last season! However, I know the Monarchs are strong at home but we have proved over the last few weeks that we are a match for anyone so we are going for the points that we will need to qualify for the play-offs.”

The emotional Geordie has highlighted where he thinks the meeting will be won on away shale, “ I think there will be pressure on Connor (Bailey) and Dan (Gilkes) as it could hinge on how they do. Connor has had a lot of meetings at Edinburgh from his time at Glasgow whilst it’s only Dan’s second visit to Armadale. A lot will rest on the middle order if we are going to get the win but don’t forget, we are also going for the bonus point which will also be vital if we are going to move up the table.”

The former Cubs team manager admits he is still striving for more from his side, despite Redcar’s recent improvement, “ I’m content with our recent results but I do think we can still improve further. I still don’t think we have had a match this season when all of our 1-7 have fired at the same time and when that does happen we could give someone a good beating!”

Parr also believes the battles between both side’s reserves will be key, “ Our last fixture against Oxford showed how strong we can be at reserve. I know Ashton (Boughen) wasn’t racing against us for Oxford that evening but I thought Ben (Trigger) rode really well whilst Jake (Mulford) is really starting to believe in himself again after his injury which is great to see!”

The Monarchs will be looking to bounce back after their southern tour ended with two defeats against Plymouth and Poole respectively. The hosts, who are currently bottom of the table, will be looking to their inspirational number 1, Josh Pickering to lead from the front with the Australian currently averaging 10.00 at home this season.

The Bears will be looking to their top 2, Charles Wright and Danny King to continue their recent rich vein of form whilst the aforementioned Ben Trigger will be hoping to continue his recent good form at second tier level. In the race for the aggregate bonus point, Redcar hold a 8 point advantage with the Middlesbrough based side looking to record their first bonus point success of the campaign.

Supporters who are unable to make the trip north are reminded that the meeting will be live streamed by the Monarchs streaming service @ www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/emtv

EDINBURGH STELLAR MONARCHS

1, Josh Pickering 8.85

2. Kye Thomson 6.51
3. Lasse Fredriksen 4.74
4. Paco Castagna (C) 6.58
5. Justin Sedgmen 7.72
6. Max James 2.17
7. Connor Coles 3.06

™: Alex Harkess

Redcar Agilia Bears
1 – Charles Wright (C) 8.54
2 – Connor Bailey 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

Due to the England Football team now being scheduled to play their quarter-final match on Saturday at 5pm, we have made the decision to move the start time of our Middlesbrough vs Sheffield NDL match to 1pm. Hopefully this will give everyone enough time to enjoy both. We will be keeping the bar open to watch the match if anyone wants join us afterwards.

Next up at the ECCO Arena, we welcome the Scunthorpe/Sheffield side in the WSRA National League (tapes up @ 3pm) as they take on our Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers

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 drink from the bar + their own programme).

Anyone interested contact Ian Drinkel
indrinkel@msn.com
07827293866

Redcar continued their upward trajectory with a thrilling super heat win over the Oxford Cheetahs. Redcar held a 8 point lead after heat 11 but the Cheetahs fought back to force a nerve shredding super heat. The super heat produced more drama with Scott Nicholls (after previously being warned) deemed to have moved at the start.

The re-run saw the Redcar pairing of Danny King and Charles Wright settle into second and third respectively to secure the win with the 4,3,2,0 scoring system in place, much to the delight of a vociferous home crowd. Charles Wright hit paid 11 for the Bears whilst Scott Nicholls hit 14 for the Cheetahs. Notably, Ben Trigger hit his best score as a Bear with a sparkling 9. 

The Cheetahs started on the front foot with a 4-2 heat advantage as Sam Masters took the win despite educated pressure from Charles Wright and with Cameron Heeps in 3rd ahead of Connor Bailey, the visitors struck the first blow on Teesside. 

Heat 2 saw the Redcar reserves hit the front, however Oxford’s Jody Scott fell violently on bend 2 of the 2nd lap, with his partner, Adam Roynon also falling to avoid the British youngster. The re-run saw Jake Mulford (who is making heat 2 his own) win comfortably, and with Ben Trigger in 2nd, Redcar edged into a 2 point advantage of their own. 

Jordan Jenkins took a superb win in heat 3 as he passed Jason Edwards on the final lap to take the win, and with Luke Killeen in 3rd ahead of Dan Gilkes, Oxford had pegged the Bears back to level the meeting at 9-9. 

After Nicholls opened his account in a shared heat 4, Oxford opened up a 4 point advantage with a maximum 5-1 in heat 5 as Masters won convincingly, and with Heeps in an equally comfortable 2nd, the Cheetahs had the momentum at the ECCO Arena. 

Wright took his first chequered flag of the evening in heat 6 ahead of Nicholls in a shared encounter with the next race, heat 7 providing all sorts of drama! With the race looking set for a comfortable 3-3, Luke Killeen fell spectacularly on the final lap, allowing both Ben Trigger and Danny King through for a match levelling 5-1 for Redcar. 

After Nicholls and Heeps won a pair of shared races, Redcar struck a seismic blow in heat 10 as Bailey won, but the former British under 21 champion owed much to his skipper, Wright, who superbly shepherded home the Bears number two for a 5-1 to send Redcar 4 ahead with only five heats remaining. 

Further drama ensued in heat 11 as the previously unbeaten Sam Masters obliterated the tapes with the former Edinburgh star going off 15m in the re-run. The re-run saw King take the win, but the story was in 2nd as Trigger produced a masterful bend 2 pass on Heeps to take the paid win which sent Redcar into a seemingly comfortable 8 point advantage. 

However, things are never straight forward for the Bears and the Cheetahs began to hit back. Heat 12 saw Nicholls come in as a tactical substitute and the visitors gated on a 5-1. However, Gilkes hit the deck on bend 3 of the opening lap with the race stopped. The re-run saw Mulford brilliantly get the better of Killeen for a vital 2nd place, but with the Cheetahs hitting a 4-2 they were back within 6 of Redcar. 

Heat 13 saw the nerves begin to jangle for the home support as Nicholls and Masters combined for a 5-1 to bring the visitors within 2. Oxford then drew level in heat 14 after another superb battle between Jenkins and Edwards. Jenkins led, but Edwards was all over the ex-Bear with the Bears number 4 looking set to pass Jenkins heading into bend 2 of the final lap. However, Jenkins held his nerve to hold off Edwards for the win, and with Roynon in an important 3rd ahead of Trigger, there was nothing to separate the teams heading into the last scheduled heat. 

Heat 15 saw King lead but Masters was not to be denied as he dived underneath King to take the win, but with Nicholls in a distant 4th, we were heading for our 2nd ever super heat at the ECCO Arena. 

The super heat saw huge controversy as the aforementioned Nicholls was adjudged to have moved at the tapes (the Cheetahs had gated on a 5-1), with the referee excluding Nicholls with the Oxford boss, Peter Schreock sending the British legend off 15m. The re-run saw Masters gate for the win, but with King and Wright content to hold their 2nd and 3rd in the 4,3,2,0 scoring system and Nicholls unable to mount a challenge, Redcar took the win with the Cheetahs taking a deserved point home for their efforts. 

Redcar = 45 (81) + 5

1. Charles Wright = 9+2

2. Connor Bailey = 4+1

3. Dan Gilkes = 3

4. Jason Edwards = 5+1

5. Danny King = 9+1

6. Ben Trigger = 7+2

7. Jake Mulford = 8+1

Oxford = 45 (98) + 4

1. Sam Masters = 11+1

2. Cameron Heeps = 7+1

3. Luke Killeen = 2

4. Jordan Jenkins = 8

5. Scott Nicholls = 14

6. Jody Scott (G) = 0

7. Adam Roynon = 3+1

Redcar heat leader Danny King has insisted that the “Agilia” Bears have got “something building” ahead of Redcar’s key Cab Direct Championship clash with the Oxford Cheetahs tomorrow night. The clash at the ECCO Arena (tapes up at 7:30) is a key test of Redcar’s credentials after an impressive recent run against a strong Cheetahs side. 

The level headed Redcar star is confident that the Bears have something building after the side’s recent resurgence, “ We definitely have something building. Yes, we did have a bad start to the season but if we can pick up some points on the road and win the rest of our home meetings then we will be there or thereabouts.”

The former British Champion is feeling much more confident within himself after his successful return to action last Friday, “ It was always a bit of the unknown (returning from injury) last week, I felt good but you never really know until you get out there and race. I was really pleased with the outcome and it was a good result for the side.”

Despite Oxford looking stronger on paper than Redcar’s last opponents, Edinburgh, King is unsure what to expect from the Cheetahs, “It’s hard to know what to expect, everyone rides the ECCO Arena well so every meeting seems to be difficult for us! Oxford are a solid outfit but I believe we have the team to get the job done.”

King has been thoroughly impressed with the recent form of Jake Mulford, with the Bears reserve hitting a match winning paid 10 against the Monarchs, “ I’ve been very impressed with Jake recently. Jake’s a good kid and he’s got a bright future ahead of him. I do think that people forget how long a lay off he had last season. Also, people shouldn’t forget that he doesn’t actually have that much experience racing speedway, so to do what he’s doing is fantastic! I only see Jake getting better and better.”

The British star also reserved special praise for the Redcar supporters, with King complimenting the fans for sticking with the side during the club’s early season struggles, “ The riders feed off the crowd’s support, it’s an amazing feeling to hear the crowd erupt after an important heat. They stuck with us when we had some bad results earlier in the season and that’s something that is really important to us.”

Redcar have the luxury of once again naming a full 1-7 with Connor Bailey looking to continue his recent revival at number 2 whilst the aforementioned Jake Mulford will be looking to hit another double figure score. 

However, Oxford do not have the same luxury with the Cheetahs promotion still scouring the Cab Direct Championship for a number 7 for the injured Henry Atkins. Additionally, Oxford will have to make do without Ashton Boughen who is on Team GB duty with the British hotshot being replaced by Oxford Charger’s Jody Scott.  

Supporters who are unable to attend the ECCO Arena are reminded that the meeting will be live streamed by the British Speedway Network at www.watch.britishspeedway.co.uk

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1 – Charles Wright (c) 8.60

2 – Connor Bailey 5.36

3 – Dan Gilkes 5.56

4 – Jason Edwards 5.60

5 – Danny King 7.87

6 – Ben Trigger 2.49

7 – Jake Mulford 3.59

TM Gavin Parr

Oxford Cheetahs

1 – Sam Masters 8.98

2 – Cameron Heeps 5.26

3 – Luke Killeen 4.82

4 – Jordan Jenkins 5.58

5 – Scott Nicholls (c) 8.72

6 – Jody Scott (G) 4.05

7 – TBA 4.11

TM Peter Schroeck

Belle Vue’s electric start to the meeting proved decisive as the Colts ran out 51-39 winners at the National Speedway Stadium. The “Heat Floors” Tigers boss, Stuart Swales will be happy with his side’s performance after the opening 4 heats with the Tigers proving to be more than a match for the Colts. The hosts also took the bonus point on offer with a 92-87 aggregate success. Sam Hagon hit a majestic full 15 point maximum for the hosts whilst Ben Trigger struck 9 for Middlesbrough. 

Belle Vue started the meeting in fine fettle with a 4-2 heat advantage as Hagon gated and won, and with Chad Wirtzfield in 3rd, the hosts had the early lead in Manchester. The reserves race saw Jack Shimelt gate for a comfortable win, and with the Colts guest, Kieran Douglas keeping both Tigers at bay, Belle Vue had a 6 point advantage after only 2 races. 

More home success followed in heat 3 as Matt Marson took the chequered flag, and with Mason Watson gating and holding 2nd, Belle Vue had a 10 point cushion. Heat 4 saw the Tigers fans curse their fortune as Jake Mulford suffered mechanical problems whilst leading comfortably which cost the Tigers their first heat advantage of the evening but Kai Ward did pass Jack Shimelt on the penultimate lap to limit the damage to a Colts 4-2. 

Ben Trigger registered Middlesbrough’s first heat win of the evening as he passed Marson on lap 1, and with Ben Rathbone pinning his bike to the kerb on the final bend, he pipped Watson for 3rd to give the visiting support something to cheer. However, Belle Vue restored their 12 point advantage as Hagon won his second outing, and with Wirtzfield getting the better of the Tigers reserve Will Hocaniuk, Belle Vue had a stranglehold on proceedings.

After a shared heat 7 won by Belle Vue’s Freddy Hodder, the hosts extended their lead to 14 points with their third 4-2 heat advantage as Wirtzfield rode a smart opening lap to win, and with Shimelt in 3rd, the home supporters knew their side were in full control. 

Heat 9 saw Mulford pass Marson for the heat win, but with Hocaniuk unable to pass Watson, the Tigers could not eat into the Colts lead. Heat 10 saw another Sam Hagon win, but with both Tigers (Phillips & Halder) packing the minor places, the Colts lead remained at 14. Hodder continued his impressive evening with a heat 11 tapes to flag win, but with the ever improving Ward passing Douglas for 3rd, the Tigers were now proving more than a match for the Colts. 

After a pair of shared heats won by Marson and Hagon respectively, the Tigers struck a superb 5-1 in heat 14. Jamie Halder won whilst Kai Ward rode beyond his years to pass Watson twice for 2nd to end his evening with a paid win. The maximum heat advantage also ensured Middlesbrough remained in contention for the aggregate point heading into heat 15. 

However, the aggregate point proved a step too far for the Tigers as Hagon fended off an early challenge from Mulford for the win, and with Hodder also getting the better of Trigger, Belle Vue registered their first win of the season with a 51-39 success on home soil. 

Belle Vue Colts = 51  (92)

1. Sam Hagon = 15 MAXIMUM

2. Chad Wirtzfeld = 5

3. Matt Marson = 10

4. Mason Watson (G) = 4+2

5. Freddy Hodder = 10

6. Kieran Douglas (G) = 2+1

7. Jack Shimelt = 5

Middlesbrough Tigers = 39  (87)

1. Ben Trigger = 9

2. Ben Rathbone = 1

3. Danny Phillips = 7

4. Jamie Halder = 5+2

5. Jake Mulford = 8+1

6. William Hocaniuk = 2+1

7. Kai Ward = 7+2

Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers team manager, Stuart Swales knows tonight’s trip to Manchester to take on the Belle Vue Colts in the WSRA National League will be a tough test. However, Swales knows he can rely on the experience of some former Belle Vue Aces and Colts in his side, something that will be invaluable come tapes up at 7:30 at the National Speedway Stadium. 

The former Bears rider knows the challenge ahead of his side, “ It will be a tough task at Belle Vue tonight. I think we underestimated them at home last week. However, it was good to get a win under the belt and I was really pleased with all of the lads’ performances!”

The Tigers team manager is hoping his side can use their collective National Speedway Stadium experience to their advantage, “ Ben (Rathbone) and Danny (Phillips) both rode for the Colts whilst Jake (Mulford) rode for the Aces last year and is a Belle Vue asset. Taking all that into account we won’t be as green around Belle Vue as we have been around other tracks so I’m hoping that will help us tonight.”

Swales also reserved special praise for the skipper, Danny Phillips who picked himself up from two falls to claim two wins from the back in last week’s home win against the Colts, “ Danny could have fell apart after his first two heats but he showed his experience to win his last two races, especially coming from the back to win both of them!”

Swales, who doubles up as Jake Mulford’s mechanic for the “Agilia” Bears, is happy with the development of his side so far in 2024, “ It’s not the be all and end all to win, obviously we want to win but it is also about learning these new tracks and developing as riders. What I have been really happy with is that by the end of every meeting we have had, each and every rider has developed, improved and learned something.”

The former Long Eaton star also revealed his happiness at the crowd that turned out at the ECCO Arena last week for the Tigers home debut, “ I was really pleased with the fans that came out to watch the meeting. Last week turned out to be a really good match with close racing so I’m hoping that the supporters who turned out will come again for our next home meeting.”

The Tigers Ben Trigger has moved to number 1 in the side due to the new averages coming into effect which moves Jake Mulford into the number 5 slot. The Tigers will be hoping to do the double over the Colts with Danny Phillips looking to continue where he left off at the ECCO Arena last week. 

Belle Vue’s Sam Hagon is back at number 1 for the Colts after missing the reverse fixture at the ECCO Arena. The hosts have drafted in Mason Watson for injury victim Luke Muff and with Harry McGurk unavailable due to a prior commitment, the Belle Vue promotion will bring in a to be confirmed 3.00 replacement at number 6. 

Belle Vue Colts

1. Sam Hagon  8.24

2. Chad Wirtzfeld 3.81

3. Matt Marson 5.86 

4. Mason Watson (G) 4.83

5. Freddy Hodder 6.44

6. 3.00 point replacement tbc 

7.Jack Shimelt 3.00

™: Steve Williams

Middlesbrough “Heat Floors” Tigers

1 Ben Trigger 8.40

2 Ben Rathbone 3.75

3 Daniel Phillips 5.41 (C)

4 Jamie Halder 5.88

5 Jake Mulford 8.21

6 William Hocaniuk 3.00

7 Kai Ward 3.00 

™: Stuart Swales