Category: Bears News

Tom Brennan was the deserved winner of the Under 21 British Final after an entertaining evenings racing in front of a healthy crowd at the Media Prima Arena. The Belle Vue and Eastbourne star was faultless over the course of the evening as he went unbeaten during the qualifying stages and in the final, when it mattered he triumphed to what he described as “The biggest moment of my career so far!”

Heat 1 saw Tom Brennan start as he meant to go on with a solid tapes to flag win whilst Kyle Bickley passed Jake Mulford on bend 4 of the first lap to grab an important 2nd place. The 2nd heat of the evening saw Jordan Palin pass Alex Spooner in lap 1 to take a deserved win as he stamped his mark on the meeting with a commanding win. Heat 3 saw Drew Kemp storm from the tapes to take a comfortable. The 4th heat of an exciting evening saw Redcar’s Jordan Jenkins have his first race of the evening and what a race it was for the Redcar man as he took a superb win from the gate.

Heat 5 saw Dan Gilkes recover from an opening race last to take the chequered flag ahead of Jason Edwards. Heat 6 saw Jordan Jenkins continue his perfect night so far with 2 wins from 2 starts, Jenkins came under intense pressure from Jake Mulford of the Kent Royals but managed to hold on for the win. The 7th heat of the night saw a sensational win from Tom Brennan whilst Jordan Palin ultimately had too much speed for Dan Thompson as he passed him on the back straight of lap 2 to claim 2 points. Heat 8 saw the pre-race favourite Drew Kemp duly deliver although he was kept honest by the young Berwick Bandit Kyle Bickley. After 8 heats of speedway 3 riders still had their undefeated records intact, Drew Kemp, Tom Brennan and Jordan Jenkins. 
 
Heat 9 saw Dan Gilkes continue his strong showing after passing Alex Spooner on the 1st lap to add another 3 points to his total. The 10th heat of the final saw Jake Mulford have an altercation with the air fence as he fought to stay on the bike on the opening bends, he was unfortunately unsuccessful in his attempts and he was excluded from the re-run. The re-run saw Drew Kemp make it 9 from 9 with another win with Dan Thompson close behind in second. The 11th heat saw an unfortunate crash involving Nathan Ablitt who locked up on the opening bend, Ablitt was lucky to be missed by Jordan Jenkins but he was excluded from the re-run. The second staging saw Tom Brennan continue his ascent towards the crown after passing Jason Edwards at the end of lap 1 to take the win with Redcar’s Jordan Jenkins finishing third. Heat 12 saw a stunning outside swoop from Scunthorpe’s rising star Jordan Palin to take the 3 points ahead of the consistent Kyle Bickley who had now recorded 3 second places from 3 races.

The 13th heat of an eventful evening saw Drew Kemp continue his march towards a place in the final with another win whilst Jordan Palin fell on the last lap and cost himself a valuable 2 points with Dan Gilkes taking second. Heat 13 saw an easy win for Jake Mulford whilst Ben Trigger picked up a point in third after Nathan Ablitt was forced to withdraw through injury. Tom Brennan picked up a heat 15 win as he assured himself of a place in the latter stages of the event. The 16th heat of speedway saw Dan Thompson pass Jason Edwards on the back straight of lap 1 to pick his first race win.

Heat 17 saw Dan Thompson get the better of Dan Gilkes to take the win. The 18th race saw Jason Edwards strike a big win with Jordan Palin securing his place in the semi-finals with a second place. Heat 19 saw a fabulous win for Tom Brennan who took the scalp of the previously undefeated Drew Kemp to secure his place in the final alongside the aforementioned Kemp. The 20th heat was a nail-biting occasion as Jordan Jenkins needed to finish at least 2nd to secure his place in the semi-final and he went one better and won the heat to go into the latter stages with huge amounts of confidence.
With heat 20 completed the semi-final lineup was completed and it read Jordan Jenkins, Dan Gilkes, Dan Thompson and Jordan Palin. Jason Edwards was pipped to a place in the semi-final on countback.

The semi-final was an exciting affair as Dan Gilkes made the gate and ultimately took the win but all of the action was unfolding behind him. Jordan Jenkins was second from the gate but was passed by both Dan Thompson and Jordan Palin and the Bear’s brave run ended in the semi-final. Jordan Palin remarkably came second to make the final despite initially being the first reserve for the event before the withdrawal of Anders Rowe.

After an exciting evening it came down to the final race and it was between Brennan, Kemp, Palin and Gilkes. Tom Brennan made the gate and flew away from the opposition to claim his first British U21 title whilst Drew Kemp pipped Kent’s Dan Gilkes on the line to claim 2nd place.

After the meeting we heard from GB youth boss Neil Vatcher who was thrilled with his young stars, “It was a fantastic evening, the meeting did not disappoint and every heat was great! Tom Brennan was quality, he obviously has that spot in the Premiership and that can only help him. Tom hasn’t had the best of luck in previous years so I am pleased for him. Jordan Jenkins rode amazingly well, these meetings are really tough when you are 100% fit so to be riding with a fractured wrist is quite frankly unbelievable. Finally, I would like to say well done to all of the riders, there are lots of good British riders out there and as far as I am concerned the future of British speedway looks bright.”

The final word has to go to our victor, Tom Brennan who was understandably thrilled with his evening, “This is the biggest moment of my career to date, it is a great feeling to win the title. I have had some great people helping me and I hope it’s only upwards from here! I felt really quick all night, I felt like I had all the speed in the world, especially when I hit the front which I haven’t been doing much this season.”

The stars of tomorrow take centre stage at the Media Prima Arena tonight (19:30 start) as a new British under 21 champion will be crowned. A brand new name will be guaranteed on the trophy as last year’s winner Dan Bewley is now ineligible, as is 3-time champion Robert Lambert. Tonight’s winner will join an illustrious list of former winners which includes Gary Havelock, Joe Screen, Tai Woffinden and Scott Nicholls. 

Belle Vue star Tom Brennan, Kent youngster and Semi Final winner Dan Gilkes, recent Redcar guest Drew Kemp and Redcar’s very own rising star Jordan Jenkins will all fancy themselves as main contenders in the closest lineup for some years. Peterborough Panther’s exciting 16 year old prospect Jordan Palin, who initially missed out on qualification due to an engine failure, will now step in and hope to make the most of the opportunity left by the injured Leon Flint.

Redcar’s Jordan Jenkins has miraculously made himself available for the meeting despite fracturing his wrist only seven days ago and he is thoroughly looking forward to one of the biggest meetings of his career to date, “I’m really looking forward to the meeting, the intense rehab I have had seems to be helping and to be honest I couldn’t have imagined missing the final! Speedway is a mental game and if I can ride well I can get through the pain and have a good meeting and I will give it 110%. It was nice to make a good start to the meeting last Friday with a win in heat 2 and just getting pipped on the line by Rory Schlein after a small mistake in my second race.”

British U21 final in draw order:

1) Daniel Gilkes

2) Jake Mulford

3) Tom Brennan

4) Kyle Bickley

5) Jack Parkinson Blackburn

6) Alex Spooner

7) Jordan Palin 

8)  Nathan Ablitt

9) Jason Edwards

10) Joe Thompson

11) Tom Spencer

12) Drew Kemp

13) Sam Bebee

14) Jordan Jenkins

15) Dan Thompson

16) Archie Freeman

Reserves:

17) Elliot Kelly

18) Ben Trigger

Redcar picked up a huge away win in their pursuit of a place in the Championship top 4 with a 41-49 away success against Kent. The Bears always looked likely for an away win of some description as they were never behind on the night and the Teesside outfit duly delivered to re-ignite their end of season title hopes.

Redcar guest Drew Kemp put in another stellar display with 11+2 whilst Jake Allen hit an impressive 13 points on his first visit to Central Park. Kent’s challenge was led by their evergreen skipper Scott Nicholls who scored 13 points and he was ably supported by Paul Starke who also hit 13. Michael Palm-Toft lowered the colours of Nicholls in heat 13 which helped secure the Bears the win. In other news, rider replacement for the injured Jordan Stewart paid off this evening as paid 8 was gained from Stewart’s rides.

James Sarjeant rode extremely well on the evening to score 10 points from his 5 rides which also included a tapes exclusion. Sarjeant was delighted to finally see his recent efforts in Bears colours pay off, “I’m happy with the points I scored tonight to show for the effort I have been putting in with little track time and issues I have been having with my bikes. I’m absolutely buzzing to get 10 points and see the Bears get all 4 league points on the night!”

Kent Kings : 41
1. Scott Nicholls – 3, 2′, 3, 2, 3= 13+1
2. Tom Bacon – R/R = 6
3. Paul Starke – X, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1 = 13
4. Paul Hurry – 0, 1, X, 1, 0 = 2
5. Cameron Heeps – 0, 2, 1, 0 = 3
6. Ben Morley – 2, 1′, 2, 0, 2 = 7+1
7. Daniel Gilkes – 1′, 1, 0, 1, 0 = 3+1

Redcar Bears : 49
1. Charles Wright – 1′, 1′, 2′, 1 = 5+3
2. James Sarjeant – 2, X, 2, 3, 3 = 10
3. Jake Allen – 3, 3, Fx, 2, 3, 2 = 13
4. Jordan Stewart – R/R = 7+1
5. Michael Palm Toft – 3, 0, 2, 3, 0 = 8
6. Drew Kemp (G) – 3, 2′, 1, 1, 2, 1′, 1 = 11+2
7. Jordan Palin (G) – 0, 2′, 0, 0 = 2+1

Episode 8 of ‘No Brakes, No Fear’, the official British Speedway Podcast, will feature Redcar Bears’ Promoter Jitendra Duffill as its main guest this week. The podcast, hosted by the excellent Ian Brannan, will be released at 8pm this evening (Tuesday) and can be found using the link www.speedwaygb.co.uk/podcast  

The No Brakes, No Fear podcast can also be found on Speedway GB’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages. Tune in for all the latest British Speedway news and gossip!  

Redcar Bears’ Rising Star Jordan Jenkins will take his place in this Friday’s British Under 21 Final at his home track, the Media Prima Arena, despite fracturing his wrist just 4 days ago!

Jenkins has been given the go ahead to take up the title challenge after a nasty heat 8 incident against the Birmingham Brummies, which saw him withdraw from the meeting.

After a 15 point maximum in the semi-final at his National Development League home of Mildenhall, Jenkins is surely eager to capitalise on his track knowledge again when he takes to the track at the South Tees Motorsport Park.
Jordan Palin, who had previously stepped into the meeting to replace Jenkins, will now take his place as the 1st reserve.

Tickets for the Final can be bought at Early Bird prices until midnight on Wednesday 14th July, rising to full price thereafter. Tickets are available at www.redcar-speedway.com/tickets

The Redcar “Agilia” Bears make the long trip south to take on one of the Championship new boys, the Kent Kings. Redcar will be looking to pick up an away win in their pursuit of a place in the end-of-season Play-Offs. Due to inclement weather and fixture clashes, the Kings have only had two home meetings so far and will be looking to improve their form drastically after heavy recent defeats at Scunthorpe and Poole respectively. 

The Kings are led by British legend Scott Nicholls who is having a fantastic season with Peterborough and Kent, Nicholls is ably supported by Cameron Heeps and Paul Starke in the heat leader berths. Kent continue to operate rider replacement for the recently retired former Bear Tom Bacon. Redcar are led by their inspirational skipper Charles Wright but are missing their reserve pairing of Anders Rowe and Jordan Jenkins due to injury. Bears team manager Jade Mudgway has booked two very exciting and talented guest replacements in the form of Drew Kemp and Jordan Palin. 

Redcar co-promoter Jamie Swales is excited ahead of Tuesday’s Central Park clash, “I’m looking forward to the match, it’s a track I’ve never been to before as most of our team haven’t either, Jordan Jenkins and Anders Rowe had, so it’s disappointing they have to miss it through injury. We shouldn’t fear the unknown too much though, with this being Kent’s first season at Championship level they have only managed 2 home meetings themselves so far so they aren’t a great deal more practiced than us yet. I think Jade (Mudgway) has done a great job with getting (Drew) Kemp and (Jordan) Palin in as guests and this is a match that we can really take by the scruff of the neck and get some good league points!”

Interestingly for any Redcar fans attending Central Park or perusing the updates the meeting features three riders who will be part of the British U21 final at Redcar on Friday. Kent Royals starlet Jake Mulford wears the number 8 race jacket whilst the semi-final winner at Redcar Dan Gilkes rides in the reserve berth for the Kings. Finally, Redcar guest Drew Kemp is also riding in Friday’s showpiece final.

Redcar Agilia Bears
1. Charles Wright 9.66 (Captain)
2. James Sarjeant 4.29
3. Jake Allen 7.16
4. Jordan Stewart. 5.48 (Rider Replacement)
5. Michael Palm Toft 7.60
6. Drew Kemp (Guest) 4.23
7. Jordan Palin (Guest) 2*

Kent TouchTec Kings
1. Scott Nicholls 8.34 (Captain)
2. Tom Bacon 5.14 (Rider Replacement)
3. Paul Starke 5.93
4. Paul Hurry 5.72
5. Cameron Heeps 7.23
6. Ben Morley 4.14
7. Dan Gilkes 1 *
8. Jake Mulford

The Redcar “Agilia” Bears had to dig deep to clinch a 48-42 win over a strong Birmingham side. The Bears were handicapped during the meeting and ended up with only 5 riders for the second half of the match but in a must-win encounter they came out on top.

The night started off in the worst possible fashion for the Bears as the Brummies hit a 5-1 in the opening race courtesy of British legend Chris Harris and Brummies guest Stefan Nielsen. Redcar immediately hit back with a 5-1 of their own in heat 2 as Jordan Jenkins and Drew Kemp got the better of the Birmingham reserve pairing of Paco Castagna and Jack Thomas. Heat 3 saw the Bears hit another 5-1 as Drew Kemp grabbed himself his second paid win in succession. Heat 4 looked likely to be another 5-1 for Redcar as Michael Palm-Toft flew out of the gate and was closely followed by Redcar reserve Jordan Jenkins but it was not to be as the Bears rising star was passed by Rory Schlein on the final lap.

Heat 5 saw the first crash of the evening as Jordan Jenkins and Stefan Nielsen tangled and the Poole man came down and was excluded from the re-run. With the Bears having 75% of the heat winners at this stage it was vital the second city side saw the chequered flag first to get back on track and their captain Chris Harris did just that with a fine win but the gap remained at 6 as the Bears packed the minor places.

Heat 6 saw the Brummies edge their way back into contention with a 4-2 heat advantage as Rory Schlein picked up the win and Paco Castagna passed James Sarjeant on lap 3 for third place. Heat 7 initially looked good for the Bears as they gated on a 5-1 but drama ensued as Michael Palm-Toft hit the fence onthe back straight and Drew Kemp made an error on the 4th bend of lap 1 which gave James.Shanes the chance to capitalise and take the win for the Brummies as they reduced the gap to 2.

Heat 8 saw the Bears lose their rising star to injury as Jordan Jenkins once again tangled with Stefan Nielsen but this time came off worse as he had to withdraw from the meeting with a wrist injury. Birmingham brought the meeting level in the re-run with another 4-2 heat advantage.
The ninth heat of the evening saw Rory Schlein pick up his second win of the evening but with the Bears packing the minor placings the scores remained level. Heat 10 saw Bears skipper Charles Wright pick up his maiden win on the night and with James Sarjaentclaiming third place Redcar took a slim lead into the latter stages of the meeting.

Heat 11 saw the Brummies gate on a 5-1 but Michael Palm-Toft managed to split the Brummies pairing and limit the damage. Heat 12 saw the Bears strike a decisive blow as Jake Allen glided around the outside of Paco Castagna to claim a precious win for the Bears and with Drew Kemp notching another paid win Redcar went 4 points up on the night.
Heat 13 saw major controversy as Charles Wright and Rory Schlein both came to grief on the opening bends of lap 1, many spectators believed that Wright could have been excluded as the primary cause of the stoppage but the referee Phil Griffin invited all 4 riders back for a re-run. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the crash Schlein could not take his place in there-run and had to withdraw from the meeting. Brummies boss Laurence Rodgers opted toreplace Schlein with Jack Thomas. The second staging of heat 13 saw yet more drama as 2of Britain’s best, Wright and Harris tangled and, to the dismay of Brummies boss Laurence Rodgers, Chris Harris was judged to be at fault and was excluded. It was third time lucky for the Bears in the third staging of heat 13 as they hit a big 5-1.

Heat 14 was Redcar’s chance to end the meeting as a contest but the Brummies used their tactical substitute as Chris Harris passed Drew Kemp and Paco Castagna caught Kemp on the run to the line meaning the Brummies were 4 points behind heading into a vital heat 15. The last heat of the match saw Stefan Nielsen gate with Chris Harris in second but the Bears skipper Charles Wright flew around the outside of Nielsen which gave the Bears a massive 3 points.

After the meeting we caught up with both team managers after a pulsating evening of speedway. Brummies boss Laurence Rodgers had this to say on the meeting, “Tonight was a missed opportunity for my side but when you get a controversial exclusion in heat 13 it doesn’t help. I decided to go with Jack Thomas in heat 13 as he needs a bit of confidence and he rode very well. If heat 13 had gone another way things may have been different for us but overall I am content with a consolation league point.

Finally, Jade Mudgway was happy with the result and had this to say on the evening’s entertainment, “It was nice to get back on track with a win, I think we made hard work of it at times but it was a battling performance in the end and our heat leaders came through for us. Unfortunately, our injuries are piling up at the moment and we haven’t had any luck with them recently. Jordan Jenkins injured his wrist this evening but hopefully it is not too bad of an injury and we can have him back soon.”

Redcar = 48

1. Charles Wright 1, 2, 3, 3, 3 = 12
2. James Sarjeant 0, 0, 2, 1 = 3
3. Jake Allen 3, 2, 1′, 3, 0 = 9+1
4. Rider Replacement for Jordan Stewart
5. Michael Palm Toft 3, 0, 2, 2′, 1 = 8+1
6. Drew Kemp (G) 2′, 2′, 2, 2, 0, 2′, 1 = 11+3
7. Jordan Jenkins 3, 1, 1′, Fx = 5+1 Withdrawn

Birmingham = 42

1. Chris Harris 2′, 3, 3, Fx, 3, 2 = 13+1
2. Stefan Nielsen (G) 3, Fx, 3, 1, 0 = 7
3. James Shanes 1, 3, 2, 0 = 6
4. Ashley Morris R, 1, 0 = 1
5. Rory Schlein (G) 2, 3, 3 = 8
6. Paco Castagna 1, 1, 1, 1, 2′ = 6+1
7. Jack Thomas R, 0, 0, 1 = 1

The Redcar “Agilia” Bears are looking to show their bouncebackability from their surprise home defeat against the Eastbourne Eagles as they take on the Birmingham Brummies in a league encounter. The Bears suffered their first home defeat of the season last Friday and tomorrow night’s meeting is simply a must win fixture in the race for the end of season Play-Offs, especially in a shortened season. 

The Bears have been hit with a blow as Anders Rowe has been ruled out for the next 3 weeks with a knee injury due to a crash on Monday when he was on duty for his Premiership club Ipswich. The Bears promotion have booked an able replacement in the form of Drew Kemp who scored paid 12 seven days ago for the Eagles. Additionally, the Bears continue to operate Rider Replacement in the absence of Jordan Stewart who is hoping to return in the next few weeks. On the other side of the pits the Brummies are also having to contend with their own injury issues as Erik Riss and Valentin Grobauer are both missing from Friday’s clash. Riss suffered a shoulder injury on European duty whilst it is believed his countryman Grobauer is still recovering from the effects of his crash with Jordan Stewart back in early June. Laurence Rodgers has booked two very capable guests in the form of Poole Pirates pair Rory Schlein and Stefan Nielsen. Furthermore, the meeting is sure to be a close encounter as the Brummies fought hard after a slow start on their last visit to Teesside, eventually losing 46-44 in the KO Cup. Birmingham are led by Media Prima Arena track record holder Chris Harris who scored 11+2 in early June but they are sure to miss former Redcar racer Erik Riss who scored 13 on his return to his former club. 

On a disappointing night for the Bears last week there was one shining light for the Bears, Redcar racer Michael Palm-Toft who had this to say when we caught up with him earlier this week, “Tomorrow’s home meeting against Birmingham is a must win we are ready to give it 100% as normal and send them home with nothing. Last week points wise was definitely the best meeting to date for me this season and I believe had my bike not cut out due to mud and water I would have got the win in my first heat too. I still believe we can reach the Play-Offs, it just means we can’t lose at home and we need some points from away meetings too. Finally, last week we had a lot of engine failures and falls and it definitely cost us the win.”

An extra 9 heats take place in the second half as the Redcar Cubs take on the Birmingham Bulls. A slight change to the format sees 250cc machines included for the first time this season. Laylan Richardson is forced to isolate due to school COVID rules the Cubs management have given 9 year old Oliver Bovingdon the chance to impress so stay behind and watch potential stars of the future!

Redcar “Agilia” Bears

1. Charles Wright 9.66 (Captain)
2. James Sarjeant. 4.29
3. Jake Allen 7.16
4. Jordan Stewart. 5.48 (Rider replacement)
5. Michael Palm Toft 7.60
6. Drew Kemp (Guest for Anders Rowe) 4.23
7. Jordan Jenkins. 2*

TM: Jade Mudgway

Birmingham “EDWARDS PLUMBING” Brummies

1. Chris Harris (Captain) 8.61
2. Stefan Nielsen (Guest for Valentin Grobauer) 5.38
3. James Shanes 5.33
4. Ashley Morris 5.32
5. Rory Schlein (Guest for Erik Riss) 8.60
6. Paco Castagna 5.11
7. Jack Thomas 2*

TM: Laurence Rogers

Once again Redcar Bears are offering their fans an opportunity to spend a night in The Bruce Forrester Lounge to watch their next home meeting against Birmingham on Friday 9th July 2021.
For just an extra £12 fans can enjoy the meeting seated on the balcony. The offer includes a full buffet, a drink from the bar, a hot drink plus a meeting programme. You will enjoy the night with table service.

Anyone interested contact Ian Drinkel
On Mobile: 07827293866
Or email: indrinkel@msn.com

Places are limited & bookings taken on a strictly first come first served basis.

The Redcar Agilia Bears KO Cup fixture at Birmingham this Wednesday 7th July has been postponed. We will update you regarding the rearrangement in due course.