Category: Bears News

After 163 days, action resumes at the ECCO Arena with Charles Wright’s testimonial on Sunday with another exciting season ahead on Teesside. 

Ahead of his meeting, Redcar skipper Charles Wright believes the event is “anyone’s to win” ahead of a mouthwatering individual event to kick off the 2024 season at the ECCO Arena with tapes going up at 3pm on Sunday!

Wright, who is heading into his 7th year as a Bear cannot pick a winner, ” I don’t think I could pick a winner, I don’t even think I could name 3 riders who will get on the podium as it’s such an open field! There’s a lot of good riders who know the ECCO Arena track very well such as Lewi Kerr and Danny King. There’s also a few big names who will be up there but I think there will be a few surprises as well.”

The line-up includes Grand Prix stars Freddie Lindgren and Dan Bewley with Redcar fans getting a rare opportunity to see elite level riders around the ECCO Arena. 

Wright has added more stellar names to the meeting line-up including Chris Harris and Steve Worrall. Additionally, Wright’s former club, Belle Vue are well represented with Brady Kurtz, Norick Blodorn, Jaimon Lidsey and Ben Cook joining Wright on his special day. Additionally, home fans will have Jason Edwards, Jonas Knudsen, Danny King and Jake Mulford (at reserve) to cheer on. There are also a multitude of former Bears in the line-up including Lewi Kerr, Jake Allen, Richard Lawson, Erik Riss and Jye Etheridge. 

The former British Champion also explained what goes into running such a meeting, ” Since the end of 2023 it has been non-stop really with planning the meeting. It has taken all winter to plan it all so hopefully it will be a good day for me and my family.”

The testimonial man also discussed why he chose to run an individual meeting instead of a team match, ” There is a lot more planning as I have to find more riders and get more rider sponsorship so I actually took on a bigger task! However, it’s the way I wanted to do it and I think this is the best format as everyone likes a semi-final and a final!”

The British star also discussed how World number 2 Freddie Lindgren came to race in the meeting, ” In recent years, Freddie has been known to do some early season meetings here so it was pretty easy to get him in the line-up! Freddie is doing the Peter Craven memorial at Belle Vue so my meeting tied in quite well. I think Freddie uses these meetings to test and practise before he gets his Polish  season underway.”

The mainstay of the Bears septet also explained why he decided not to race in his testimonial, ” I decided not to ride so I could enjoy the day, spend time with the family and interact with the fans as much as possible. If I was racing I would’ve been focused on winning so this was the best way for me to ensure I could enjoy the day as much as possible.”

Finally, Wright admitted there was only ever going to be one place where his testimonial was held, ” It was a very easy decision to host the meeting at Redcar, I have been with the club a long time so Redcar was the obvious choice.”

Entry prices for Wright’s landmark day have been confirmed with adults @ £22, concessions @ £20, 10-16 year olds @ £5 with under 10’s free of charge. Any supporters who are unable to attend the meeting are advised that the meeting will be live streamed on BSN for £12.99. watch.britishspeedway.co.uk

Charles Wright Testimonial Draw:

1. Jason Edwards (Redcar)
2. Brady Kurtz (Belle Vue)
3. Norick Blodorn (Belle Vue)
4. Lewi Kerr (Berwick)
5. Danny King (Redcar)
6. Richard Lawson (Poole)
7. Freddie Lindgren (GB unattached) 
8. Steve Worrall (Glasgow)
9. Ben Cook (Belle Vue)
10. Jye Etheridge (Berwick)
11. Dan Bewley (Belle Vue)
12. Jaimon Lidsey (Belle Vue)
13. Jake Allen (Scunthorpe)
14. Erik Riss (GB unattached) 
15. Jonas Knudsen (Redcar)
16. Chris Harris (Glasgow)
17. Reserve: Jake Mulford (Redcar)

We welcome back former Redcar Cub William Hocaniuk for the last place in our national league team. William, from Skipton in Yorkshire, first appeared for the Cubs in 2019 and proved to be a big hit on the 125cc’s and fit in at the club really well. After a few years away from the sport William has got himself back on a bike over the winter and been putting some impressive rides together.

Co-promoter Swales said ‘as soon we learnt William was coming back we were interested in getting him back into the club, Gavin took time out to go and watch him at several training sessions and had nothing but great reports to feed back to us. Once we spoke to him it was clear he still saw himself as a Redcar rider and was excited by the opportunity we were offering him. William is a great example of why we want to be in the national league so we can help him grow in the sport’

REDCAR have moved to sign Danish racer Jonas Knudsen after fellow countryman Thomas Jorgensen was ruled out due to injury.

22-year-old Knudsen has previous experience in the Cab Direct Championship with Berwick over the last couple of seasons and has impressed on previous visits to the ECCO Arena.

And co-promoter Jamie Swales believes he is the right option to fill the gap left by Jorgensen, who had expected to resume after suffering injuries to his spine last summer but then encountered further complications.

Swales told Speedway Star: “We are obviously very pleased to have resolved the situation so quickly with the signing of Jonas.

“Originally going in 1.4 under the average limit gave us scope to look at other riders but we weren’t convinced that they were the right ones to fit into our team.

“Still not being as near as we might be to the limit is a gamble, but we think Jonas fits what we are looking for. We are very hopeful and confident that he will do an excellent job for us.”

It feels like DeJa’Vu for the Agilia Bears after losing James Shanes just weeks before the start of the 2023 season, now unfortunately Thomas Jorgensen has had a huge setback in his recovery and will require surgery on his back injury which will rule him out of the start of the season.
Co-promoter Jamie Swales said ‘We never felt it was a gamble when we signed Thomas despite his injuries, Thomas’s rehabilitation was well ahead of schedule, and he reassured us everything was going well. Unfortunately, last week that all changed when he started getting pain in his back, after a visit to the specialists he was told an operation would now be needed. We all wish Thomas well in his recovery and hopefully we see him back on track at some point in 2024, but we now find ourselves once again looking for a replacement with only weeks until the season starts. Talks are already underway with several riders, and we hope to be able to announce a signing very soon’

2024 SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

BUY ONLINE www.redcar-speedway.com/shop/

Please note: Season tickets will NOT be posted but will be available for collection on selected dates from the track. Anyone unable to purchase online can also buy one in person on these dates.

First date, Saturday 23rd December, 12pm to 3pm

Adult: £250

Concessions (65+ or disability): £230

Under 16 : FREE

With the Redcar “Agilia” Bears class of 2024 being announced in front of a sold out clubhouse on Saturday, Gavin Parr believes he has acquired the right side to challenge in 2024! With the evergreen club captain Charles Wright and Jason Edwards already confirmed as starters for next season, the remaining 5 signings were met with a rapturous reception on Saturday night.

Parr, who will be going into his second year as Bears team boss, believes that 2024 will be a good year for the Bears, “ I think we are set up for a good season, we have a team who can challenge at the top end of the table come the end of 2024! If we get that little bit of luck everybody needs then I am confident we will have a good season!”

The Newcastle born team manager explained how he wanted to build the team around 5 of last year’s squad, “I really wanted to build the team around Danny (King), Charles (Wright), Connor (Bailey), Jason (Edwards) and Jake (Mulford). I really believe that Connor and Jason could challenge Thomas Jorgensen for the third heat leader position by the end of the season and that’s an exciting prospect!”

Parr was also effusive in his praise for the returning number 1 Danny King, with Parr revealing he was desperate to acquire the services of the British star in 2024, “ Danny brings everything to the club, not just his on track performances but he also brings superb professionalism and leadership to Redcar. Danny has been around the block and done a lot in the sport but he still has the hunger and desire to do more, and Danny can pass that experience he has on in the pits.” 

Parr is excited with the signing of Ben Trigger (who will also represent the Middlesbrough Tigers in the National Development League) with the team boss believing the young Brit has bags of potential at reserve, “ Ben (Trigger) has a lot of potential and he has done a lot of laps around the ECCO Arena, he even hired the track three times for himself last season! Ben is still a young kid but if we can prepare him mentally and physically for the season then I think he will be one of the best number seven’s in the league!”

The former cycle speedway man was keen to emphasise the importance of the returning Connor Bailey, “ Connor has the track record around the ECCO Arena and he always wanted to come back in 2024. However, Connor works for Allied who are heavily involved with Glasgow and he is a Glasgow asset but when Connor spoke to the Tigers and informed them of his wishes, Glasgow told him he could go to the club of his choosing, so fair play to them! Once we got the go ahead from Glasgow, Jade (Mudgway) and Connor did a deal within 10 minutes.”

The man who guided Redcar into the play-offs in 2023 also explained that Jake Mulford’s return to Redcar was a near certainty for 2024, “ Jake was always coming back this season, he’s such a nice lad but he has only done around 18 months of competitive speedway. Before his injury, Jake was really showing his true potential and I am really excited to see him blossom next season.”

Lastly, Parr is excited with the arrival of Thomas Jorgensen, with the Dane returning to Bears colours for the first time since 2018, “ Thomas is a real racer and a crowd favourite. Thomas loves our track and last season, he had a tough year at number 1 at Berwick, and with him not being the best gater, he struggled to pass around Shielfield Park. TJ will fly without the pressure of being the number 1 and I think he will really flourish in the middle of the side.”

Redcar speedway are excited to reveal they will be entering a team in the National Development League for the first time since 2008. Co-promoter Jamie Swales said:

“Before the AGM it really looked like the National League was finished with clubs dropping out, but it actually gave us the chance to have a new start and set the level at the right place to allow it to carry on. Redcar have always been at the forefront of youth development in Britain with training days, amateur meetings and the Cubs in the Northern Junior League, but we have for along time had a gap in our development programme because the national league was simply out of our reach. We now get to bridge that gap and add additional matches to the fixture list to make sure we have no big gaps in home meetings. We’re hoping to reveal our NDL team at our Christmas party on Saturday the 9th of December “

Christmas party tickets now on sale at www.redcar-speedway.com/shop/

Saturday 9th of December

Ecco Arena Bar

Doors open 6pm

£10, tickets are limited and expected to sell out fast

2024 Team reveal

Q&A with promotion

Race night

Raffle

Pie & Pea supper

BRITISH Speedway will launch a new programme for Youth development in 2024 as part of a concerted effort to bring through the next generation of the sport’s stars.

All Premiership and Championship clubs have signed up to the new three-tier structure following discussions at this week’s AGM.

This will involve each club either competing in the National Development League; or staging events in a new National Individual series; or taking part in a Youth programme to be run in second halves following senior meetings, and it is now compulsory for each club to take one of those options.

Six clubs have already stated their intention to take part in the NDL next season, and further details will be available in the coming weeks.

In terms of senior leagues, the Premiership will welcome two new clubs in 2024 as Birmingham and Oxford step up to join the top-flight.

The Premiership will sadly be without Peterborough and Wolverhampton for next season due to their ongoing stadium issues, and both clubs’ licences have been put on ice. British Speedway Promoters’ Ltd remain fully supportive of all efforts to return the sport to these, and other, locations.

Meanwhile Leicester will be under new ownership in 2024 with the club takeover now ratified, and the BSPL wish to warmly welcome Paul Cairns and look forward to working with him over the coming years.

The Premiership points limit has been raised to 40 (for six riders), with teams to be completed by a Rising Star, and the league will continue to stage the KO Cup competition plus an unchanged play-off format.

In addition, there will now be no restrictions on the number of riders from the Polish Ekstraliga who can be signed by any one club.

PREMIERSHIP 2024: Belle Vue, Birmingham, Ipswich, King’s Lynn, Leicester, Oxford, Sheffield.

The Championship welcome Workington back into senior racing for the first time since 2018 after the success of their opening season in the NDL at Northside. We can also confirm that Oxford will continue to operate at this level.

The points limit has been set at 38 (for seven riders) and the KO Cup and BSN Series competitions will feature once more, with draws and group structures to follow.

The Championship play-off format has been revised and will now match the Premiership, with the top four clubs qualifying for the semi-finals, rather than the previous group format involving the top six.

CHAMPIONSHIP 2024: Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oxford, Plymouth, Poole, Redcar, Scunthorpe, Workington.

BSPL Chairman Rob Godfrey said: “Youth development is key in what we want to achieve throughout the sport, and there have been many positive discussions on that front.

“One of the reasons for setting the Championship points at 38 was that we need to bring the youth through, and the other consideration was simply through determining the number of riders available multiplied by the number of teams.

“The emphasis is very much on bringing riders back into that league and also to re-build with far more opportunities for the youngsters, who will hopefully one day be our new No.1s, and the 38-point limit achieves that.

“The new system for youth development will involve every club, and I’ve been very pleased with the enthusiasm shown by everyone as we head in this direction.

“We are also very keen to continue our work to diversify the sport, and to provide opportunities for women who want to get involved, and real progress has been made on that front this year.

“It’s very sad for the Premiership to have lost two such well-established clubs in Peterborough and Wolverhampton given the circumstances at both, and we sincerely hope they will be able to return in the future.

“On the positive, it’s great to have Workington moving back into the Championship after what they achieved at the venue this year, and obviously the other main story is Oxford competing in both the Premiership and the Championship.

“Their return has been a huge success in the last two seasons, and they showed a real desire to participate in both top leagues in 2024.

“They are confident that their business model will work and that they will deliver a good product in both, and neither league will suffer for it.

“We also wish Birmingham well for their move into the Premiership and it’s very good to see the sport continuing at Perry Barr.

“Overall I believe we have worked together to make changes which will benefit the sport as a whole, at all levels, and we look forward to the new season starting next spring.”

Other matters decided at the AGM:

*PREMIERSHIP CEO: Phil Morris
*STARTS: All British Speedway tracks will bring in the random electronic starting procedure as seen in the Grand Prix series.

*FACILITIES: Where a club has one absent rider in their top five, they now have the option to use a guest or rider replacement in any of those positions. Previously one absent rider fourth or fifth in the team order had to be covered by the rider replacement facility.

*HEAT 15: Any rider in a team is now eligible for Heat 15, regardless of points scored to that stage or their position in the team.

*EIGHT-DAY RULE: The eight-day rule for guests will not apply during the play-offs, meaning a club would be able to utilise the same guest were they to stage home play-off fixtures in successive weeks.

*GUESTS: A rider may only guest for one team throughout the play-offs, or indeed a Cup semi-final and/or Final. This is in addition to the regulation that a rider cannot guest for another team in the play-offs if his own team is also involved.

*TRANSFER WINDOW: The traditional end-of-August transfer cut-off has been replaced by a transfer window, which will close when a club has completed 75 per cent of their regular league matches.

*TESTIMONIALS: Four riders have been granted Testimonials in respect of their long service to British Speedway. These are Thomas Jorgensen, Kyle Newman, Charles Wright and Kyle Howarth.

*FIXTURES: Fixtures for both the Premiership and Championship leagues are being compiled and will be available over the coming weeks.

Unfortunately due to the bad forecast over the next 48 hours we have made the early call to cancel the Silver Helmet tomorrow night. We attempted to reorganise for the following Friday but there was no way to assemble a line-up that would do the competition justice.
So that is the season now complete for Redcar and we can look forward to the Awards Evening on Saturday the 4th of November at Leonardo’s Hotel, Middlesbrough. Tickets are on sale via the website or at the track shop which will still be open on Friday evening for anyone wanting to collect a ticket.