Redcar Bears Speedway — ECCO Arena, Middlesbrough
See our gallery below, as members of the Bears again visited the childrens ward at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough to give out toys and eggs kindly donated by our generous fans.
Many thanks to all who donated, and to the riders for spreading a little joy at Easter!
Redcar Agilia Bears returned to action on Friday night, but fell to a 41-49 defeat to Leicester at the Media Prima Arena.
The Bears got off to the worst possible start, with Tom Bacon taking a trip to hospital after a nasty fall in heat one. With the Bears already down to six men, the Lions took full advantage and after 5 heats held a commanding 21-9 lead. It took Redcar till heat seven, and Charles Wright, before they recorded there first heat win.
It was a tough night all round for the Bears, with only three heat winners all night. Leicester performed superbly, gated well and rode well when they did miss the gate. After the poor start, the Bears never got closer than 4 points behind. Despite some excellent racing from both sides, the Bears never looked like clawing back the deficit against a strong Lions side.
Charles Wright continued his excellent form at the start of the season with 16 points. Ex-GP man Scott Nicholls top scored for the Lions with 10+3, with Connor Mountain and ex-Bear Ellis Perks both scoring 9+1.
Redcar Bears = 41
1. Michael Palm Toft – 1, 2, 1, 0 = 4
2. Tom Bacon – FX = 0 Withdrawn
3. Ben Barker – 2, 1, 1′, 2′, 0 = 6+2
4. Jordan Stewart – 0, 0, 3, 2, 2 = 7
5. Charles Wright – 2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3 = 16
6. Nathan Greaves – 2, 1′, 1, 0, 0 = 4+1
7. Jack Smith – 0, 1′, 0, 3 = 4+1
Leicester Lions = 49
1. Scott Nicholls – 2′, 2′, 2, 3, 1′ = 10+3
2. Ellis Perks – 3, 3, 2, 1′ = 9+1
3. Josh Bates – 3, 0, 0, FX = 3
4. Ryan Douglas – 1, 2, 2, 3 = 8
5. Richie Worrall – 0, 3, 3, 1, 2 = 9
6. Jack Thomas – 1, 0, 0 = 1
7. Connor Mountain – 3, 3, 1′, 1, 1 = 9+1
After a short break, Redcar Agilia Bears return to action this Friday as they take on the Leicester Lions in the Championship Shield (7:30pm start).
Last time out at the Media Prima Arena, the Bears were in fine form as they beat a strong Sheffield team. Unfortunately for us, we then fell to defeat away at Sheffield which places extra importance on getting full points in this fixture if we are to qualify. Promoter Jitendra Duffill has been pleased with the home form so far this season:
Our form at the MPA has been good so far and it will need to continue against a Leicester side that have started the season well. We will be looking to make amends for a couple of disappointing away fixtures in the Shield to date which leaves us needing points in our remaining fixtures to progress to the Semi Finals. Not an impossible task, but certainly a tough one given the strength of our group.
Co-promoter Jade Mudgway was also delighted with the performance at home against Sheffield, with some great racing on the night. None more so than the superb heat 14 win by Jordan Stewart over Ty Proctor:
All the Bears contributed with points and we really worked well as a team. We knew Sheffield would be a hard team to beat around our track so we set to work and it paid off. Jordan’s heat 14 ride to pass Proctor when the match was already won was brilliant. It showed just how good of a rider he is becoming and he still has massive potential too. Charles was on the same top form that we have been seeing from him this season, and I’m glad to say he suffered no lasting injuries from his heat 15 fall. Our captain Ben Barker also returned to his usual form, racking up the points.
Leicester come to the Media Prima Arena in good form themselves, and are led by ex-GP Star and 7 times British Champion Scott Nicholls. Richie Worrall provides strong support while Josh Bates has started off the season in fine form. Ellis Perks also returns to his former club. The Bears will be at full strength. Mudgways expecting another tough evening, but promises the Bears will give their all!
Friday will not be any easier for the Bears, but you can be sure you will see battling and racing on the best race track in the country!
Redcar: Michael Palm Toft, Tom Bacon, Ben Barker, Jordan Stewart, Charles Wright, Nathan Greaves, Jack Smith
Leicester: Scott Nicholls, Ellis Perks, Josh Bates, Ryan Douglas, Richie Worrall, Jack Thomas, Connor Mountain
Redcar Agilia Bears suffered a big defeat at Sheffield on Sunday afternoon, falling to a 56-34 defeat against a very strong home side.
Sheffield started the meeting off very quickly, with a 5-1 in heat one after an unsatisfactory in the first running. The impressive Nathan Greaves got his first of two heat wins in heat 2 but the Tigers soon took control of the meeting and by heat 8 had opened up a commanding twenty point advantage.
The Bears steadied the ship in the second half of the meeting, but the home side were far too strong on the night. Ben Barker top scored for the Bears, with 10 points, with Greaves scoring an excellent 8+1. Kyle Howarth was impressive again for the hosts, with 14 points with Danny King notching 12+1.
The Bears are next in action on the 19th April, at home to Leicester in Championship Shield action.
Sheffield Tigers = 56
1. Danny King : 3, 3, 3, 2*, 1 = 12+1
2. Zaine Kennedy : 2*, 2*, 2*, 1 = 7+3
3. Kasper Andersen : 1*, 3, 0, 1* = 5+2
4. Ty Proctor : 2, 2*, 2, 1 = 7+1
5. Kyle Howarth : 3, 3, 2, 3, 3 = 14
6. Broc Nicol : 2, 1, 1*, 0 = 4+1
7. Drew Kemp : 1*, 1, 3, 2 = 7+1
Redcar Bears = 34
1. Michael Palm Toft : R, 1, 3, 1 = 5
2. Tom Bacon : 1, 0, 1, 0 = 2
3. Ben Barker : 3, 2, 1, 2, 0, 2 = 10
4. Jordan Stewart : 0, EX, 0, 3 = 3
5. Charles Wright : 2, 1, 3, 0, R = 6
6. Nathan Greaves : 3, 0, 3, 2* = 8+1
7. Jack Smith : 0, 0, 0 = 0
Redcar Agilia Bears travel to Sheffield this afternoon to take on the Tigers in Championship Shield action, with a 4pm start.
The Bears will be in high spirits after their excellent win on Friday night, and confidence will be high in what will undoubtedly a tough meeting against one of the title favourites. The Bears do have a number of riders who have well at Owlerton in the past, and indeed form man Charles Wright rode for the Tigers last season. Wright, who took a tumble in heat 15 on Friday has reported no ill effects and is fit to ride.
Sheffield will also be at full strength after a couple of injury issues. Zaine Kennedy took a painful fall on Friday but is fit to ride, and Kasper Andersen has also had a few little knocks but is also fit. It promises to be another exciting meeting, we hope to see as many of you there as possible!
Redcar: Michael Palm Toft, Tom Bacon, Ben Barker, Jordan Stewart, Charles Wright, Nathan Greaves, Jack Smith
Sheffield: Danny King, Zaine Kennedy, Kasper Andersen, Ty Proctor, Kyle Howarth, Broc Nicol, Drew Kemp
Redcar Agilia Bears got their first Championship Shield points on the table, as they won a thrilling contest against Sheffield Tigers 49-39 on Friday night.
On a fine, but chilly night on Teesside, it was the away side who started the meeting off better. The first four heats were all shared 3-3, with a Sheffield man winning all of the heats. This included wins for ex-Bear Ty Proctor and young starlet Drew Kemp. Ben Barker won heat 5 to give the Bears a slender advantage, before Sheffield hit back with a 5-1 of their own through skipper Kyle Howarth and Broc Nicol.
Heat 8 saw the Bears hit the front for the first time with an unusual 5-0 scoreline. Young Aussie Zaine Kennedy was excluded in the first staging of the heat, with Kemp locking up slightly in front Kennedy leaving him with nowhere to really go. In the re-run, there was a cracking race between Tom Bacon and Kemp with both riders passing and re-passing. On the last lap, both riders went wide into the 3rd bend, with Kemp coming off and not finishing the race.
From that point on the Bears kept a good advantage through the night, although there was still some superb racing from both sides. Heat 11 saw Charles Wright and Ty Proctor almost throwing the bikes at each other for all 4 laps, with Wright just about getting the better of Proctor. Heat 14 also saw some controversy and great racing. In the first staging, Nathan Greaves was leading Proctor before Proctor dived up the inside and appeared to make contact with Greaves coming off the fourth bend. To the anger of Greaves, the referee excluded the Redcar man and with Kemp retiring before the fall there was only two riders in the re-run with Proctor facing off against Jordan Stewart. Proctor gated and held a comfortable lead for two laps before Stewart picked up some speed and surged up the inside of his fellow Aussie for a superb heat win.
Bears promoter Jitendra Duffill was thrilled with his sides performance against a very good opponent:
I’m thrilled with tonight’s result. Sheffield are a strong team and tonight was always going to be a big test for us., so I’m happy the result went our way. We had contributions from everybody again and I’ve been very impressed by what I’m seeing from them. No team should hold any fear for us now and we will go to Sheffield with a lot of confidence and believing we can win. Credit to our track staff again as the track was superb and we saw another spectacular meeting which had everything. Thanks to all our fans for their support, and to the Sheffield team and support for making a great night.
Redcar Bears 49
1. Michael Palm Toft – 2, 1, 3, 1 = 7
2. Tom Bacon – 1′, 0, 3, 1 = 5+1
3. Ben Barker – 1′, 3, 3, 3, 2 = 12+1
4. Jordan Stewart – 2, 1, 2′, 3 = 8+1
5. Charles Wright – 2, 2, 3, 3, FX = 10
6. Nathan Greaves – 2, 0, 0, FX = 2
7. Jack Smith – 1′, 1′, 2′, 0 = 4+3
Sheffield Tigers 39
1. Danny King – 3, 2, 1′, 0, 1 = 7+1
2. Zaine Kennedy – 0, 0, X = 0
3. Kasper Andersen – 0, 2, 0, 2 = 4
4. Ty Proctor – 3, 1′, 2, 2, 2 = 10+1
5. Kyle Howarth – 3, 3, 0, 2, 3 = 11
6. Broc Nicol – 0, 2′, 1, 1′ = 4+2
7. Drew Kemp – 3, 0, FX, X = 3
After a busy weekend, Redcar Agilia Bears return to the Media Prima Arena this Friday to take on one of the favourites for the title this year, Sheffield Tigers with a 7:30pm start.
It was a good start to the season for the Bears, with 2 wins out of three and some silverware in the form of the Tyne Tees Trophy. Promoter Jitendra Duffill was a happy man with what he saw from his side:
I was very pleased with what I saw from our side last week. We had contributions from every member of our team and I found that very encouraging. We will always have meetings where one or two riders have an ‘off’ night, but we should have enough strength in depth to cover for that and have riders who can step up to the plate when needed.
Our target at Newcastle on Sunday was never to win the Tyne Tees Trophy on aggregate, but to win on the night. We were very clear about that in our team talk on track and believed that it was achievable. The victory was a superb way to respond to a poor result the night before and it was good to get some silverware back to Teesside.
All 7 riders have made good contributions so far, and co-promoter Jade Mudgway was keen to praise two riders in particular for some stellar performances:
The whole team contributed to the win on Sunday , but I think a special mention is needed for Nathan, who was brilliant in the pivotal races.
Another rider who really impressed me was Charles Wright. Every race he is in is a massive boost for us and I think he will be one of the top riders (if not the top rider) in our league this year.
The Bears are back to full strength on Friday, after Jack Smith missed the meeting at Newcastle on Sunday. Sheffield come to the Media Prima Arena with a very strong side on paper. Led by former British Champion Danny King, they have a MPA track specialist in Ty Proctor whilst Zaine Kennedy is the latest Aussie to come to the UK with huge potential. And at reserve, they have one of the best young British reserves in Drew Kemp. Duffill is expecting another tough clash:
Sheffield look very strong in 2019 and are on of my tips for a play off spot, so this will be a difficult and testing encounter for us. I’m looking forward to seeing what Drew Kemp is capable of as I’ve heard lots of good things about him . Sheffield are very lucky to have him in their side and he could be a trump card for them.
Tapes are up at 7:30pm, we hope to see as many of you at the MPA as possible to cheer the boys on in what should be another exciting meeting!
Redcar: Michael Palm Toft, Tom Bacon, Ben Barker, Jordan Stewart, Charles Wright, Nathan Greaves, Jack Smith
Sheffield: Danny King, Zaine Kennedy, Kasper Andersen, Ty Proctor, Kyle Howarth, Broc Nicol, Drew Kemp
Redcar Agilia Bears bring the Tyne Tees Trophy back to Teesside, after beating our close rivals Newcastle 46-43 on Sunday night, winning the tie 97-82 on aggregate.
Going into the meeting defending a 12 point lead, the Bears started off well with a 4-2 in heat one. Tom Bacon was electric out the gate and led to the flag, with Michael Palm Toft finishing ahead of Steve Worrall. Newcastle hit back with a 4-2 in heat two, before two shared heats had the scores tied at 12 each.
A 5-1 in heat five saw the home side get their noses in front for the first time, before another 5 shared heats meaning going into heat 11 the Diamonds led 32-28. Heat 11 saw the tide turn in the Bears favour however. Palm Toft and Bacon combined for an excellent 5-1 to see the scores level. Heat 12 saw further drama, with Max Clegg retiring in lap two before a Barker and Bjerre tussle saw the Dane hit the deck in lap 3 and he was excluded by the referee resulting in a big 5-0 for the Bears. The Diamonds closed the gap slightly over the remaining 3 heats, but not enough the deny the Bears victory on the night.
Charles Wright continued his fine start to the season with another 13 points, with Nathan Greaves scoring an excellent 10+1 from reserve. It was a superb team effort all round though on an excellent night for Bears!
Newcastle Diamonds : 43 (82)
1. Steve Worrall – 2,2,3,1,3 = 11
2. Simon Lambert – 0,1′,2,0 = 3+1
3. Lasse Bjerre – 3,2′,2,Fx = 7+1
4. Matthew Wethers – 0,3,1′,2 = 6+1
5. Thomas Jorgensen – 2,3,1,3,1 = 10
6. Danny Phillips – 1,0,1′,0,0 = 2+1
7. Max Clegg – 3,1′,Xt,R = 4+1
Redcar Bears : 46 (97)
1. Michael Palm Toft – 1,1,3,0 = 5
2. Tom Bacon – 3,0,0,2′ = 5+1
3. Ben Barker – 2,2,1′,3,0 = 8+1
4. Jordan Stewart – 1′,1′,2,1 = 5+2
5. Charles Wright – 3,3,3,2,2 = 13
6. Nathan Greaves – 2,Fx,3,2′,3 = 10+1
7. Leon Flint (G) – 0,0,0 = 0
Redcar Agilia Bears Championship Shield campaign started with a defeat away to Leicester on Saturday night, with the home side running out 57-33 winners.
It was a tough night for the Bears, but started brightly enough in heat 1 with Tom Bacon taking the victory over home number 1 and ex-GP star Scott Nicholls. The Lions soon took control though, with big 5-1s in heats two and three and they never looked back from there. On a difficult night for the Bears, Charles Wright was the only other heat winner on his way to another excellent 13 point haul, with Tom Bacon supporting well with 6.
Leicester Lions = 57
1. Scott Nicholls – 2, 3, 3, 2′, 1 = 11+1
2. Ellis Perks – 1′, 1, 3, 2′ = 7+2
3. Josh Bates – 2′, 3, 2, 1, 3 = 11+1
4. Ryan Douglas – 3, F = 3 Withdrawn
5. Richie Worrall – 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 = 15 FULL MAXIMUM
6. Jack Thomas – 3, 0, F, M, R = 3
7. Connor Mountain – 2′, 1, 2′, 2′, 0 = 7+3
Redcar Bears = 33
1. Michael Palm Toft – R, 1′, R, T = 1+1
2. Tom Bacon – 3, 2, 1, T = 6
3. Ben Barker – 0, 2, 1, 2′, 0 = 5+1
4. Jordan Stewart – 1, 1′, F, 2 = 4+1
5. Charles Wright – 2, 2, 3, 3, 1, 2 = 13
6. Nathan Greaves – 1, 0, 1, 1, 0 = 3
7. Jack Smith – R, 0, 0, 1′ = 1+1
The Bears have an immediate chance to put the defeat behind them though, as they travel to Newcastle tonight in the second leg of the Tyne Tees Trophy. The Bears are defending a 12 point lead from the first leg, but there is one change for the Bears with Leon Flint guesting in place of Jack Smith who is attending a family funeral. Newcastle remain unchanged. We hope to see as many of you down there as possible to support the Bears, with tapes up at 6:30pm.
Redcar Bears: Michael Palm Toft, Tom Bacon, Ben Barker (captain), Jordan Stewart, Charles Wright, Nathan Greaves, Leon Flint
Newcastle Diamonds: Steve Worrall (captain), Simon Lambert, Lasse Bjerre, Matthew Wethers, Thomas Jorgensen, Danny Phillips, Max Clegg
Redcar Agilia Bears travel to Leicester tonight, in the second meeting of three on the bounce, to face the Lions in the Championship Shield (7:30pm start).
It will be the first competitive meeting for the Bears, after winning 51-39 against Newcastle in the Tyne Tees Trophy on Friday. That performance will give the Bears confidence going into what will be a tricky meeting against a strong looking Leicester side. The Lions are led by ex-GP star Scott Nicholls, supported by Richie Worrall, Ryan Douglas and ex- Bear Ellis Perks.
The Bears go into the meeting at full strength, and ex-Leicester man Charles Wright be looking to keep his good form at Beaumont Park going after finishing second in the season opening Ben Fund meeting there.
Its bound to be a close exciting fixture – tapes up at 7:30 and we hope to see some of you there supporting the Bears!
