Category: Bears News

Poole sailed through to the BSN Series final as they defeated the “Agilia” Bears 52-38 (100-80 on aggregate) to end Redcar’s winning start at home in 2023. Charles Wright hit 13 for the Bears whilst Ben Cook scored a superb 15 for the Pirates.

Redcar started the meeting in positive fashion with an opening heat 4-2 to cut the aggregate deficit to 4 points as Lewi Kerr took the win whilst Danyon Hume held 3rd ahead of Kyle Newman to give the hosts a positive start. However, heat 2 saw the positive start turned on it’s head as Poole hit a 5-1 in the 3rd staging of the race after the referee deemed the opening 2 attempts to be unsatisfactory. Adam Roynon and Kyle Newman gated and left the Bears in their wake to put the Pirates into a 7-5 lead.

Heat 3 saw Redcar level on the night as Wright won comfortably whilst Connor Bailey secured a battling 3rd place after passing Zach Cook on lap 2.

After a shared heat 4 won by Danny King, Poole hit the front again with a 4-2 of their own in another race which had to be restarted. In the initial staging, Steve Worrall was warned for moving at the start despite initially looking to have impeded himself with the Bears looking like they were in an advantageous position. Nevertheless, Worrall took full advantage of the re-run to win and with Bailey (despite his best efforts) unable to pass Zach Cook, Poole were back in front.

After Kerr won a shared heat 6, Poole hit their 3rd heat advantage as the formidable Cook brothers combined for a damaging 5-1 despite Danny King’s best efforts. King, a former Pirate passed Ben Cook on lap 2 but was unable to make the pass stick and the former British Champion was ultimately re-passed to put Poole into a superb position as they found themselves 12 points up on aggregate. Heat 8 was another tough one for Redcar as Ben Cook won and with Roynon 3rd ahead of Jake Mulford, Poole’s position was growing stronger as each heat passed.

Heat 9 saw Poole inflict another 4-2 on Redcar as Richard Lawson won despite strong pressure from Wright throughout and with Newman securing 3rd, Poole were 10 points ahead on the night and in command. Heat 10 saw Redcar’s BSN Series hopes all but go up in smoke as they conceded yet another 5-1 with Kerr unable to land a blow on either Cook brother as the visitors romped into a 37-23 lead at the ECCO Arena.

Heat 10 saw a hugely controversial moment with the Bears looking likely to gain a rare heat advantage. As the riders entered bend 3 of lap 1, Redcar were on a morale boosting 5-1 with King in a comfortable lead and Jason Edwards holding 2nd. However, Edwards moved slightly from the kerb and Worrall saw a passing opportunity but instead looked to have taken out Edwards with the Bears reserve crashing into the fence. Much to the amazement of the crowd and the Redcar management, Edwards was deemed to be the cause of the stoppage and was excluded from the re-run. The re-run saw King win despite educated pressure from Worrall throughout.

Heat 12 saw Redcar secure only their 3rd heat advantage as Wright won yet again after passing Newman on the 4th bend of lap 1 with drama to follow towards the end of the race. Mulford, who was squeezed out on the opening bends, carried on at the back but was more than half a lap behind the Pirates. However, Newman suffered mechanical problems on bend 2 of the final lap which allowed the persevering Mulford to come round for 3rd and keep Redcar’s extremely slim hopes of a draw alive.

The Pirates extinguished any hopes of an unlikely comeback with a heat 13 5-1 as Worrall won comfortably whilst Lawson got the better of King after a tough battle for 2nd in the first half of the race. Heat 14 saw another Cook heat winner (the 4th out of 7 overall) but with Redcar’s Bailey & Edwards packing the minor placings, the Bears ensured they did not fall even further behind.

Nevertheless, the Bears ended the meeting on a heat advantage at least as Wright won but a determined ride from Ben Cook saw him round King on the run to the line to secure 2nd and prevent Redcar from hitting a 5-1 in the whole meeting.

Redcar = 38 (80)

1. Lewis Kerr (G) = 7
2. Danyon Hume = 3
3. Charles Wright = 13
4. Connor Bailey = 3
5. Danny King = 9
6. Jason Edwards = 1+1
7. Jake Mulford = 3

Poole = 52 (100)

1. Steve Worrall = 10
2. Anders Rowe – R/R
3. Ben Cook = 15
4. Zach Cook = 8+2
5. Richard Lawson = 9+1
6. Kyle Newman = 4+2
7. Adam Roynon = 6+1

Once again, we are opening up The Bruce Forrester Lounge, on the first bend, on Saturday night as a Fans Night. For what could be a key meeting against Poole in the second and deciding leg of the BSN Trophy semi-final.

If you are interested, it will be the usual £12 (payable in the lounge) on top of your normal entry. For that you will get reserved seating on the balcony, Pie & Peas, a bar drink, a hot drink, a meeting programme plus a visit to the centre green for 2 heats.

Anyone interested contact Ian on 07827293866 or indrinkel@msn.com

Redcar’s Danny King believes the Redcar Bears are a “solid unit” who are also “working well as a team” as the “Agilia” Bears welcome Poole to the ECCO Arena for a mouth watering BSN Series semifinal 2nd leg clash with tapes up at 7:30pm this Saturday. Redcar head into the clash 6 points down on aggregate with a tight encounter expected to decide who will take their place in the BSN Series final.

King, the 2016 British Champion, is impressed with how things are going on and off track for the Bears, “ We are all working hard as a unit, on the track and off it too! We are all getting along really well and helping each other in the pits. I see a lot of positives in our side, you need everyone to be pulling together and that’s what we have at Redcar, you don’t need any bad eggs in the side and we don’t have that.”

With the Pirates holding a 6 point advantage, King has stressed the importance of starting fast, “ At the end of the day, we need to win the meeting but if we can start fast in heat 1 and claw some points back that will give us a great boost for the rest of the meeting.”

King, who has a mightily impressive 9.84 average so far this season has praised Redcar’s choice of guest, Lewi Kerr, “ Lewi is a great choice of guest, everyone knows how quick he is around Redcar, he knows the track well so hopefully he can help us get over the line.”

The 36 year old is also of the firm belief that the “Agilia” Bears will only get stronger as the season progresses, “ Everybody is working hard and people who are in the pits can see that. As the season goes on I can only see us getting stronger as a unit which is exciting!”

Poole are again without the former Bear Anders Rowe for this clash with the young Brit racing in SGP2 this weekend with King believing this neither strengthens or weakens the visitors, “ Anders is good around Redcar but the riders who will be covering his outings also go well at our place so I don’t think it will make too much of a difference.”

Redcar bring in the 2022 pairs winner, Lewi Kerr to guest in place of Erik Riss with the rest of the side remaining unchanged whilst Poole bring 4 former ex Bears in the shape of Steve Worrall, Richard Lawson, Adam Roynon and Kyle Newman with the 4 Poole stars racing over a staggering 100 times for the Bears in their careers.

Fans are reminded that season tickets are not valid for this meeting. Also, any fans who are unable to attend can tune into coverage of the semifinal clash at watch.britishspeedway.co.uk/

Redcar “Agilia” Bears
1. Lewis Kerr (G) 8.24
2. Danyon Hume 5.68
3. Charles Wright © 7.40
4. Connor Bailey 4.32
5. Danny King 8.05
6. Jason Edwards 3.80
7. Jake Mulford 2.00
™: Gavin Parr

Poole Pirates
1. Steve Worrall © 8.05
2. Rider Replacement for Anders Rowe
3. Ben Cook 6.09
4. Zach Cook 4.92
5. Richard Lawson 7.97
6. Kyle Newman 4.29
7. Adam Roynon 3.47
™: Neil Middleditch

Redcar were defeated 48-42 by the Poole Pirates despite a superb effort at Wimborne Road. The battling Bears fell behind for the first time in heat 14 as Poole struck back to back 5-1’s to seal a 6 point advantage. Richard Lawson top scored for Poole with 13 whilst Danny King hit a superb 15 for Redcar.

Redcar started the meeting in fantastic style with a 5-1 as Danny King (in as rider replacement), won the race whilst Danyon Hume, also a former Pirate, hit the front leaving bend 2 and left both Poole men in their wake to give the “Agilia” Bears the best possible start.

Heat 2 saw another heat winner for the Bears as Jason Edwards took his customary white line position to hold off Kyle Newman. However, despite Jake Mulford’s best efforts to pass Adam Roynon, he was unable to make a pass which resulted in a shared heat.

Heat 3 saw the first shared heat but it was another Bears winner as Charles Wright rode into the sunset for his opening win but with Connor Bailey unable to pass either Cook brother, Redcar could not extend their lead.

Nevertheless, Redcar extended their lead with a heat four 4-2 as King won his second race from 2 outings and with Mulford comfortably defeating Roynon, Redcar’s dream start continued as they stretched their lead to six points after the opening 4 heats.

After the opening track grade, Poole registered their first heat advantage in heat 5 as Ben Cook took the win but Wright ensured the Pirates could not record a 5-1 as he passed Zach Cook on the backstraight of lap 2 to limit the damage to a Poole 4-2. Heat 6 saw another Pirates 4-2 as Steve Worrall won comfortably to bring an end to King’s winning run but the Bears man passed Kyle Newman on the backstraight of lap 3 to ensure Redcar still led after 6 heats with the score standing at 17-19 to Redcar.

After a shared heat 7 won by Lawson, Poole levelled the tie with their 3rd 4-2 of the match as Ben Cook won and with Newman keeping Edwards at bay for 3rd, Poole were level. After a shared heat 9 won by the superb Danny King, Charles Wright made a virtuoso pass up the inside of Worrall on the opening bend of lap 3 to take the win and ensure Redcar remained on terms with the hosts.

After Lawson took his tally to 8 points from a possible 9 in a shared heat 10, Wright made it an impressive paid 10 from his first 4 outings as he won heat 12 which was the 4th shared race on the bounce! The first staging of heat 13 saw Poole gate but with Lawson, Worrall and Hume hitting bend 3 of the opening lap together, Worrall ran out of room and was excluded from the re-run after taking a trip to the Wimborne Road shale.

However, the heat 13 re-run was delayed slightly after Worrall’s bike got stuck between the air fence and the mesh behind the air fence, something that is rarely, if ever seen in Speedway! The re-run saw King make a superb start off the unfavoured gate 4 to win and with Hume 3rd, Redcar retook the lead on the seaside.

However, Poole are not the reigning league and cup winners for nothing and they showed their true fighting spirit with a pair of back to back 5-1’s in heats 14 & 15 to take a 48-42 win with all eyes now focusing on the second leg at the ECCO Arena on Saturday.

Redcar co-promoter Jade Mudgway was delighted with his side’s effort with the Kiwi keen to look at the bigger picture despite the two 5-1’s in the closing stages, “ I think you’ve got to look at the match as a whole, we did a great job, everyone worked hard and got stuck in. Jake Mulford also gated well tonight and that is something he has been missing recently so that was an encouraging sign.”

Mudgway also issued a rallying cry for the loyal home support to get behind the boys for Saturday’s crucial 2nd leg, “ Poole go just as well at the ECCO Arena so we will have to be on our game right from the off. We can do this, we are on course for another final so the fans, as they always do, need to get behind the boys and make themselves heard on the terraces!”

Poole = 48

1. Steve Worrall = 8+1
2. Anders Rowe R/R = 5+1
3. Ben Cook = 10+2
4. Zach Cook = 6+2
5. Richard Lawson = 13
6. Kyle Newman = 10
7. Adam Roynon = 1+1
8. Sam Hagon DNR

Redcar = 42

1. Erik Riss R/R = 7+1
2. Danyon Hume = 7+2
3. Charles Wright = 12+1
4. Connor Bailey = 2
5. Danny King = 15
6. Jason Edwards = 5+1
7. Jake Mulford = 1

Redcar team boss Gavin Parr strongly believes his side have what it takes to defeat Poole over two legs with the Bears heat leaders  “arguably being in the form of their lives” as Redcar travel down to Wimborne Road to take on the Pirates in the BSN Series semi final first leg with tapes up at 7:30pm.

Parr, in his first major semi final as team manager, strongly believes his side have what it takes despite being forced to use rider replacement at number 1, “ Danny and Charles are arguably in the form of their lives at the moment so that will help but we are really disappointed that we have to use r/r at number 1 for Erik but we do have a guest lined up for the return on Saturday.”

The cycle speedway man also admitted that his fears have come true, at the worst possible time, “ As Erik’s absence has went on and on, I had it in the back of my mind that we would be unable to secure a guest at some point, unfortunately for us it has come at the worst possible time with our biggest meeting of the season so far. Our German star was getting better but in the days after his lumbar puncture his brain fog has returned and we are no closer to knowing when he will return.”

Parr, in his debut year as team boss explained the difficulties around trying to book a guest for Wednesday’s meeting, “ There are 2 other fixtures in the league plus other riders we would be interested in using are already guesting for other teams. Additionally, there is an under 23 event in Germany which some of the Great Britain boys are racing in.”

However, the personable Geordie has also seen positive signs from both of his second strings, something that has encouraged him, “Danyon (Hume) had a great win in heat 8 at Edinburgh and he’s looking much more confident as each week passes. Connor (Bailey) also looked great in his first race at Edinburgh whilst he would have gained huge amounts of confidence from his 4 wins on the bounce at Workington on Saturday.”

Poole are also forced into using rider replacement with Anders Rowe competing in the aforementioned U23 Championship in Germany. Both Cook brothers and the Poole reserves are eligible to take Rowe’s rides. Poole have also booked Sam Hagon as backup at number 8 with the Belle Vue Colts man scoring an impressive 5 whilst representing Swindon in a challenge match at Wimborne Road last week.

Redcar line up without the aforementioned Riss but otherwise remain unchanged. Danny King is set to make an emotional return to Wimborne Road whilst Connor Bailey will be looking to continue his upward trajectory after some impressive recent performances.

For any Bears fans unable to travel down to the seaside, the meeting will be broadcast on BSN. https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk/

Poole Pirates
1. Steve Worrall © 8.05
2. Rider Replacement for Anders Rowe
3. Ben Cook 6.09
4. Zach Cook 4.92
5. Richard Lawson 7.97
6. Kyle Newman 4.29
7. Adam Roynon 3.47
8. Sam Hagon (G)
™: Neil Middleditch

Redcar “Agilia” Bears
1. Rider replacement for Erik Riss
2. Danyon Hume 5.68
3. Charles Wright © 7.40
4. Connor Bailey 4.32
5. Danny King 8.05
6. Jason Edwards 3.80
7. Jake Mulford 2.00
™: Gavin Parr

The Redcar “Agilia” Bears claimed their first Cab Direct Championship points of the season with a superb 43-47 success against Edinburgh. Charles Wright was once again in sensational form with a paid maximum (13+2) for Redcar whilst Craig Cook hit 12 for the hosts. 

The Bears actually began in the worst possible fashion by conceding an opening heat 5-1 as Justin Sedgmen was joined at the front by Lasse Fredriksen after the Norwegian passed Danyon Hume on lap 3 to give the Monarchs the best possible start at Armadale. Jason Edwards put Redcar’s first heat winner on the board with a masterful heat 2 display with the Bears asset storming from the tapes to secure a comfortable win but with Edinburgh packing the minor placings, Redcar could not eat into Edinburgh’s lead. 

Redcar levelled the scores with a comprehensive heat 3 5-1 as Connor Bailey put in his best ride in Bears colours as he impressively flew from the tapes to win and with Charles Wright passing Kye Thomson in the early stages, Redcar were level. Edinburgh quickly re-established their advantage as Cook won heat 4 despite pressure from Danny King but with Jacob Hook keeping Jake Mulford at the rear, Edinburgh went 13-11 in front. 

Redcar were again not behind for long as they immediately levelled the scores as Lewis Kerr took his maiden win of the night whilst Danyon Hume held off Paco Castagna to put Redcar’s 2nd heat advantage on the board to bring the Bears level at 15-15. After a shared heat 6 was won by King, Redcar looked set to hit the front in heat 7 with Wright winning comfortably until Bailey fell whilst in 3rd which stopped the race with “The Tornado” excluded from the re-run. 

Heat 7’s re-run saw Wright continue his dazzling 2023 with a superb win over Cook with the scores deadlocked at 21-21. The Bears side hit the front after Hume gated and won heat 8 comfortably whilst the ever trying Jason Edwards passed Jacob Hook towards the end of lap 3 to send the Bears travelling support wild as the visitors put their noses in front for the first time. 

Heat 9 was won by King in a shared race whilst Wright continued on his merry way to win heat 10 comfortably but with his partner Bailey last, Redcar’s lead remained a slim one at 2 points. The theme of shared races continued with the 6th 3-3 of the match arriving in heat 11 as Cook took his tally to 8 points from 3 rides but with Redcar packing the minor placings, Edinburgh remained behind. 

Redcar then doubled their advantage to 4 points with Wright making it 6 wins on the bounce in Redcar colours in heat 12 and with Edwards yet again getting the better of Hook, a first away win at Armadale since a 46-47 success in 2013 was on the cards. Heat 13 gave Redcar the opportunity to put themselves on the brink of victory but with Cook making the gate and passing at a premium, King and Kerr had to settle for 2nd and 3rd respectively and the visitors’ lead remained at 4 points. 

Heat 14 saw Edinburgh come to life to level the scores with only their 2nd 5-1 of the night as heat 14 specialist Paco Castagna won and with both Bears slightly hindering each other in their attempts to pass Kyle Bickley, Edinburgh were suddenly level with a nerve shredding heat 15 to follow. 

Heat 15 saw Redcar have the all-important choice of gate positions with Wright off gate 3 and King off gate 1. Both Bears made the first corner in the lead and despite strong pressure from Cook and almost colliding with each other at the end of lap 2, the 2 former British Champions held off Cook and Sedgmen to send the travelling support home happy with the Bears securing their maiden Championship points at their 2nd attempt in 2023. 

Redcar Bears team boss Gavin Parr was delighted with the win, “ Overall, we rode well and there’s still room for improvement within the side which is exciting! If I’m being honest, I didn’t see a 5-1 in heat 14 to Edinburgh but when you can rely on 2 former British Champions to get the job done in heat 15 it’s pretty good and they went out there and did the job!”

Edinburgh Monarchs = 43

1. Justin Sedgmen (G) = 6+1

2. Lasse Fredriksen = 7+2

3. Kye Thomson = 7

4. Paco Castagna = 4+1

5. Craig Cook = 12

6. Kyle Bickley = 4+3

7. Jacob Hook = 3

Redcar Bears = 47

1. Lewis Kerr (G) = 6+1

2. Danyon Hume = 6+1

3. Charles Wright = 13+2

4. Connor Bailey = 4

5. Danny King = 13

6. Jason Edwards = 5

7. Jake Mulford = 0

Redcar team manager Gavin Parr believes tonight’s Cab Direct Championship clash will be a closely fought battle despite Edinburgh’s tough start to the season on home soil. The “Agilia” Bears travel north on the lookout for their first Cab Direct Championship points of the season with tapes up at 7:30 at Armadale Stadium. 

The exuberant team boss believes the Monarch’s settled side will be a threat, “ Edinburgh are a settled side with the likes of Kye Thomson spending multiple seasons with the club. Kyle Bickley has also done a lot of laps around Armadale whilst Craig Cook obviously knows Armadale really well. I know Edinburgh have only won 1/3 at home this season but they are a strong side.”

Parr strongly believes that things are starting to click in the middle order for Redcar, “ I really think things are starting to click for Connor (Bailey) and Danyon (Hume). Connor really came on in the second half of the meeting against Birmingham whilst Danyon had a really good night at Berwick.”

Parr also discussed the desire for Hume to remain sensible when in a good race position, “ I think Danyon is trying to impress too much in the early stages of the season! Danyon was in a good 2nd in heat 8 against Birmingham but then went looking for drive and ended up out of contention so it’s just about understanding when it’s the right time to sit for 2 points or go for the win.”

The former Redcar Cubs boss also quashed any thoughts of Edinburgh being any weaker by bringing in Birmingham’s Justin Sedgmen to guest in place of shoulder injury victim Josh Pickering, “ Look, we all know Josh Pickering flies around Edinburgh and is great to watch but Justin showed us all what he’s capable of last week against us (Sedgmen scored 14 at Redcar for Birmingham) so I don’t see them being weaker by bringing in Sedg.”

As reported yesterday, Redcar have drafted in 2022 Bear Lewis Kerr to guest in place of his good friend Erik Riss with Parr commenting on both, “ Lewi is really happy to come in and do a job for us and with him knowing the club and some of the lads, I think he’ll fit right in. Erik is also getting closer to a comeback but he has had some side effects from his lumbar puncture procedure but our German is getting better so we are hoping to have him back for Poole on Wednesday.”

Edinburgh bring in the aforementioned Sedgmen at number 1 for Josh Pickering whilst Craig Cook captains the side in the absence of the exciting Aussie. Kyle Bickley will be hoping to carry on improving after hitting paid 15 across his last two meetings for the Monarchs. 

Meanwhile, Redcar are looking to keep improving after an encouraging start to the season with Danny King looking to continue his red hot form after the Brit hit a superb 17 points for Ipswich last night against Peterborough. 

Edinburgh Monarchs 

1. Justin Sedgmen (G) 8.92
2. Lasse Fredriksen 4.00
3. Kye Thomson 6.60
4. Paco Castagna 4.93
5. Craig Cook © 8.24
6. Kyle Bickley 2.86
7. Jacob Hook 4.00

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1. Lewis Kerr (G) 8.24
2. Danyon Hume 5.68
3. Charles Wright 7.40
4. Connor Bailey 4.32
5. Danny King 8.05
6. Jason Edwards 3.80
7. Jake Mulford 2.00

The Redcar “Agilia” Bears battled to a hard fought 49-41 win over a dogged Birmingham side at the ECCO Arena. The win secured Redcar’s place in the BSN Series semifinals with the draw taking place live on British Speedway’s Facebook at 7pm this evening. Charles Wright continued his imperious form with 14 which included a memorable heat 15 whilst Justin Sedgmen was impressive with 13+1 for the Brummies.

Ahead of the clash at the ECCO Arena, the Redcar team elected to put down the club’s new track covers with rain expected around start time. The ECCO Arena racestrip was much slicker than usual due to the threat of rain but track curator Jonathan Swales actually ended up watering the track before the meeting with the rain never arriving!

The Bears began on the front foot as Richard Lawson took the win in the second staging of the race after Nick Morris took apart the tapes in the original staging. Birmingham team manager Laurence Rodgers sent Morris off 15 metres but the Aussie failed to make an impression on Danyon Hume with Redcar starting with a 4-2.

Heat 2 saw a share of the spoils as Jason Edwards continued his fine start to 2023 with a good win despite educated pressure from James Pearson, but with Jake Mulford at the rear, Redcar could not extend their advantage. Nevertheless, the lead was stretched to 6 points by the conclusion of heat 3 but not before another tapes infringement!

Connor Bailey, in his new position of number 4, had a tough start with itchy trigger fingers as he touched the tapes with Gavin Parr replacing “The Tornado” with the in-form Jason Edwards. The decision paid huge dividends with Wright winning comfortably whilst Edwards rode a clever mid track line in the opening 2 laps to hold off the Brummies pairing of Zach Cook and Stefan Nielsen. The Bears reserve then pulled away to follow home the skipper and send Redcar 12-6 ahead.

Birmingham struck their first heat advantage in heat 4 as Sedgmen passed Danny King around the outside on bend 4 lap 1 and the experienced Aussie rode off into the sunset for a mightily impressive success and with Pearson in third, the gap was cut to 4. The Bears immediately re-established their 6 point cushion as Wright yet again won and with Bailey impressively holding off Morris, Redcar struck their 3rd heat advantage of the evening.

After back to back shared heats won by Sedgmen and King respectively, Birmingham shocked the home support with their first 5-1  as Alfie Bowtell continued his impressive start to 2023 and with the Australian prospect Pearson getting the better of Hume, Birmingham were right back in the meeting.

Sedgmen was looking unstoppable as he yet again won comfortably to end Wright’s winning run, but with Proctor at the back, Birmingham could not draw level. Heat 10 saw a frightening air fence collision for Stefan Nielsen who lifted entering bend 2 of the opening lap and the Brummies man went straight into the air fence. Remarkably, after a couple of minutes, Nielsen rose to his feet and continued in the meeting but the former Poole man was excluded from the re-run.  

The re-run saw the Birmingham guest Zach Cook win impressively as he beat Hume and Lawson easily to keep Birmingham within striking distance. Redcar doubled their lead to 4 points as King won his 2nd race of the night with Morris 2nd, (remarkably, it would turn out to be Morris’ only points of the evening) but importantly for the Bears, Edwards kept Bowtell at the back as Redcar edged into a 35-31 lead on Coronation weekend.

Wright got back to winning ways in a shared heat 12 whilst Sedgmen made it 4 on the trot in heat 13 with the Brummies skipper looking superb but with Morris struggling to make an impact on King and Lawson, Redcar’s narrow 4 point advantage remained. With the Redcar fans biting their nails at a potential last heat decider, heat 14 put every Redcar fan at ease as Edwards and Bailey team rode brilliantly to get the better of Pearson and Nielsen which sent the Bears 46-38 ahead and semifinal qualification was secured.

Heat 15 was by far the race of the night with Birmingham initially gating on a maximum which would have meant a Sedgmen maximum but Wright, determined to spoil the Aussie partnership first passed Sedgmen on lap 2 before brilliantly rounding Cook on bend 4 of lap 3 to take the win and securing a 49-41 home victory.

Redcar team boss Gavin Parr was full of praise for the riders and staff with a superb pre-meeting effort to ensure the meeting went ahead, “After the forecast of heavy rain we had to prepare a track to cope with a downpour that never materialised.
I would like to say a huge thank you to the riders and volunteers that helped us put the covers on and off which fortunately were not needed.”
The Bears team boss also spoke about his side after qualification was secured, “It wasn’t one of our usual classics but we dug deep and secured the two points required to progress.
Danny was feeling really unwell and had to miss heat 15 however I have to mention Connor who’s ride with Jason in heat 14 was just what his confidence needed.”

Redcar team boss Gavin Parr believes his side need more consistency in the middle-lower order to achieve the club’s aims but has told supporters not to worry in the early stages of the campaign. The Bears host Birmingham this Saturday with a 7:30 start at the ECCO Arena in their final BSN Series group stage clash with a win by any amount taking the “Agilia” Bears into the BSN Series semi-finals. 

Parr said, “ It’s definitely not time to panic and there’s a long way to go in the season but we do need start to eradicate the last places. We also need to remember we had 3 very good results last week.”

The likeable Geordie also knows the Brummies cannot be taken lightly despite losing all 4 of their meetings so far this season, “ Birmingham cannot be taken lightly at all, Nick Morris is a number 1 in any team and Justin Sedgmen is the kind of rider who can go out there and get you 6 or 14. Stefan Nielsen also rides our place really well and their 2 reserves are also good on their day but I would be very disappointed if we weren’t in the semi-finals by the end of Saturday’s meeting.”

The cycle Speedway competitor also commented on the status of Erik Riss who has been missing for the Bears since April 2nd, “ I woke up on Wednesday morning to a wonderful text from our friendly German telling me he was feeling much better over the last couple of days, Erik is awaiting a procedure in Germany on Friday and I am optimistic that we might have Erik back for next Friday at Edinburgh.”

The former Cubs boss also praised the attitude of Richard Lawson who once again deputises for Riss, “ I think Richard was speaking to Charles (Wright) and he was saying he loves what we are doing at Redcar and he really likes the atmosphere in the pits. He also was impressed by the support at Berwick from the fans who travelled. Richard isn’t asking for crazy money and you know you will always get 100% from him and if Erik can’t make it he’s my go to man!”

Parr also joked about “The Law” arriving on time after his mishap ahead of the Scunthorpe match when the Poole man had a flat tyre before leaving home and then hit traffic on his way to the ECCO Arena, “ I told him, he needs his locking wheel nut with him and let’s just say it was a stressful few hours for me. I was thinking of telling him it was a 3:30 start to make sure he arrives on time!”

Parr has once again called on the services on the aforementioned Lawson who will make his 4th appearance as a guest for the Bears this season whilst Danny King will be looking to keep up his incredible Bears form after winning 8 out of his last 9 races in Redcar colours. Meanwhile, Birmingham once again call on the services of Poole’s talented Aussie, Zach Cook to guest in place of James Wright who is still working his way back to fitness after a shoulder injury. 

Fans are also reminded that Saturday’s clash will be streamed at www.redcar-speedway.tv for any supporters who are unable to attend the ECCO Arena. Additionally, supporters are also encouraged to stay behind for a full 9 heat second half match between the Redcar “Gallagher Insurance” Cubs and the Birmingham Bulls.

Redcar “Agilia” Bears 

1. Richard Lawson (G) 8.24
2. Danyon Hume 5.68
3. Charles Wright 7.40 ©
4. Connor Bailey 4.32
5. Danny King 8.05
6. Jason Edwards 3.80
7. Jake Mulford 2.00

™: Gavin Parr

Birmingham Brummies 

1. Nick Morris 10.13
2. Alfie Bowtell 4.28
3. Zach Cook 5.51 (G)
4. Stefan Nielsen 4.82
5. Justin Sedgmen 7.04 ©
6. Ty Proctor 4.00
7. James Pearson 4.00

™: Laurence Rodgers

Redcar were defeated 52-38 by the impressive Oxford Cheetahs in the side’s opening Cab Direct Championship meeting of the season. Danny King continued his impressive form with 12 points, (including 4 race wins) whilst Scott Nicholls continued his storming start to 2023 with a 13 point haul.

Oxford began on the front foot with a 4-2 heat advantage as Oxford’s Australian star Sam Masters took the win ahead of the Redcar guest Tom Brennan, but with Connor Bailey at the rear, Oxford took the early lead.

Redcar then registered their first heat winner in heat 2 as Jason Edwards won but it could have been a whole lot better for Redcar. Jake Mulford suffered bike problems whilst partnering Edwards to a Bears maximum which forced the young Brit to retire from the race to hand the Cheetahs a shared race.

Despite the Bears being behind after two more shared heats, the visitors had recorded 3 of the 4 heat winners with heat 3 being won by Charles Wright whilst King took the heat 4 chequered flag.

The Cheetahs extended their lead to 6 points after Jordan Jenkins joined Leon Flint at the front to keep Brennan behind and the Bears were on the end of a home maximum heat advantage. However, Redcar cut the gap to 4 with their first heat advantage with King taking his second win whilst Edwards got the better of Cameron Heeps for third to please the travelling support.

The Cheetahs immediately returned the favour in heat 7 as Nicholls won comfortably but with Danyon Hume behind Henry Atkins, Oxford’s 6 point advantage was restored. Cameron Heeps then got the better of Edwards in heat 8 after a fierce early battle whilst Luke Killeen passed Bailey on bend 3 of lap 1 to secure another Oxford 4-2 with the Sandy Lane outfit’s lead now extended to 8.

The Bears kept themselves within touching distance as King made it 8 wins on the spin in Bears colours to win heat nine with Wright (in as a tactical substitute) claiming third to reduce Oxford’s lead to 6. Oxford then hit a potentially telling blow in heat 10 with their 2nd 5-1 of the match to stretch their lead to 10 points.

After a shared heat 11 won by Nicholls, the “Agilia” Bears hit their first 5-1 as Wright and Edwards won very comfortably ahead of Flint and Killeen to once again bring Redcar back within a shout of away success. However, as soon as Redcar found a potential way back into the contest, Oxford responded with a 5-1 of their own to land a killer blow as Masters and Nicholls combined to end King’s winning run and put Oxford on course for their opening league win of 2023.

Atkins completed a superb night with a heat 14 win and with the former Bear, Jordan Jenkins securing second, the Cheetahs put an exclamation mark on an impressive evening on home shale. Heat 15 saw King take another win but with both Cheetahs packing the minor placings, Oxford secured a 52-38 win to open their Cab Direct Championship tally for 2023.

Oxford Cheetahs = 52

1. Sam Masters = 10+3
2. Cameron Heeps = 7
3. Leon Flint (G) = 6
4. Jordan Jenkins = 7+3
5. Scott Nicholls = 13
6. Henry Atkins = 6
7. Luke Killeen = 3+2

Redcar Bears = 38

1. Tom Brennan (G) = 6
2. Connor Bailey = 0
3. Charles Wright = 9
4. Danyon Hume = 1
5. Danny King = 12
6. Jason Edwards = 9+2
7. Jake Mulford = 1