LATEST NEWS ~ APRIL 2006

BEARS CLICK INTO GEAR FOR VICTORY
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Thursday 27th April 2006
Rampant Redcar Bears gave their best ever performance last night to record a rousing 54-39 win over Berwick Bandits. After looking top heavy in their earlier fixtures, the whole team clicked into gear to give an impressive all-round-display. Every one of the Bears' seven riders scored at least a paid win as they clinched a 97-92 aggregate win to collect their first Premier Trophy North bonus point. And they did it after winning another cracking meeting.

Once again the South Tees Motorsports Park circuit provided some terrific racing - and anyone who has been to the last two meetings there must surely have left screaming for more! Reserves Jack Hargreaves and Dan Giffard put Redcar on the road to victory with a 5-1 over Craig Branney and Danny Warwick in heat two. Front that point the fired-up Bears were always ahead and never looked like losing on the night - leaving the destiny of the bonus point as the issue to be resolved.

Tomas Suchanek and Kevin Little led Andreas Begstrom and Warwick home for a 5-1 in heat nine to open a ten-point lead - and that became 14 after race 14 when Hargreaves and Kerr scuppered Berwick's bid to hit their hosts with a double whammy. They had used the previously unbeaten Stanislaw Burza as a tactical double and Craig Branney as a reserve replacement for the out-of-touch David Meldrum but the gamble failed to pay off. The gutsy Kerr passed Branney on the line to take second place behind Hargreaves - his best result on a night when he deserved more.

Lee Smethills took six points from a tactical double win in the next race and, with only Suchanek coming between him and Warwick, the gap was down to nine points. But the Bears were quickly ahead on aggregate overall again and went into the final heat needing a 3-3 for the bonus point.

In the event Gary Havelock took victory followed by team-mate Little with Smethills third. That was Havvy's fourth straight win after finishing second to Burza in race one, having also blasted round the outside from last to first in heat ten.

"That was the team performance we have been waiting for all season," said jubilant skipper Havvy. "Everyone battled. "It wasn't just the result that pleased me, it was the way in which everyone fought to get it.

Redcar: Gary Havelock 14, Kevin Little 9+3, Jack Hargreaves 7+1, Tomas Suchanek 7, Richard Juul 6+2, Dan Giffard 6+1, Chris Kerr 5+1.

Berwick: Lee Smethills 15, Stanislaw Burza 8, Michal Makovsky 7+2, Craig Branney 4, Andreas Bergstrom 4, Danny Warwick 1, David Meldrum 0.
 

NEWSFLASH:
Matt Tresarrieu will make his belated Bears debut at King's Lynn on May 10 after recovering from a shoulder injury.

Richard Juul, who was brought in as a late replacement, will leave after next Thursday's derby clash with Newcastle and the following Sunday's match at Glasgow.
 

THE HEAT IS ON
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Wednesday 26th April 2006
Former world champion Gary Havelock admits he has felt the pressure of being the man they all want to beat this year. But the Teesside-born Redcar Bears skipper says that is what has inspired him to such a sizzling start to the season. The former England captain - who leads his side in Premier Trophy action against Berwick at South Tees Motorsports Park tonight - is the undoubted star name in the second level of British speedway after stepping down from the Elite League. And, incredibly, he has finished outside the top two in just one of his 35 races this season.

"I'm enjoying my racing again," said Havvy. "There is pressure in a way, but it has helped me because it has given me the edge I needed to be competitive. I think I might have lost that in the Elite League, with not being a heat leader any more. Everyone wants to claim the scalp of the ex-world champion, so it's keeping me on my toes."

Coulby Newham-based Czech Tomas Suchanek is fit for tonight's return visit of the Bandits after being left cut and bruised by a fall at Newcastle on Sunday. And he will need to continue his recent upturn in form if the Bears are to take the Premier Trophy bonus point on offer.

Redcar must eclipse Berwick's 53-43 win over them at Shielfield Park last Saturday to claim an aggregate win and take the extra point. Their one victory so far this term was by the margin of just a single point and came after a last heat decider at home to Edinburgh last Thursday. But the Bears are gaining much-needed match practice after starting their season late, and tonight's visitors managed just 29 points in their last away match at Workington - so that bonus point is very much up for grabs.

Tonight's opponents will be led by new signing Stanislaw Burza who won twice before fading on his debut against the Bears at the weekend. Michal Makovsky was unbeaten by a Bears rider in five races on Saturday and could again be the dangerman. Both previous teams to visit Teesside this term have come with a sting in their tail and Craig Branney - who rode for the nomadic Boro Bears non-league junior team before the sport returned to the area - could fall into that bracket too.

"The problem we have got," explained manager Brian Havelock, "is that we have two grade B riders at reserve. Other teams have a grade A and a grade C rider. That means they can take out their grade C rider and put in their grade A rider as a reserve replacement."

TONIGHT'S TEAMS
BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Richard Juul, 3 Tomas Suchanek, 4 Kevin Little, 5 Chris Kerr, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Dan Giffard.

BANDITS: 1 Stanislaw Burza, 2 David Meldrum, 3 Lee Smethills, 4 Michal Makovsky, 5 Andreas Bergstrom, 6 Danny Warwick, 7 Craig Branney.

THE Bears' Premier League match away to Somerset has been brought forward to Friday, May 12 from Friday, June 16 at the request of the Somerset management.

And the Premier Trophy trip to Workington has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 27.
 

BROUGH SPARK
By Evening Gazette Monday 24th April 2006
Former world champion Gary Havelock enjoyed some epic battles with Tyneside hero James Grieves - but he couldn't prevent local honours going north in speedway's first Tyne-Tees derby for ten years.

The Eaglescliffe-born ace was again on superb form but couldn't prevent the newly-formed Redcar Bears going down 53-42 in last night's Premier Trophy North clash at Newcastle. He again top scored for the Bears with 16 points while team-mate Kevin Little - still a Diamonds asset - gave another strong performance to total 12 at Brough Park.

Coulby Newham-based Czech Tomas Suchanek (5+1) continued the improvement he had shown the night before at Berwick where he posted his first double figure score in British speedway as the Bears went down 53-43 on a surface described by Havelock as "so bumpy it was like a motocross track".

At Brough Park yesterday he was good value for his heat 12 win - inflicting in-form reserve Jamie Robertson's only defeat by a visiting rider. But he locked up and fell in his final ride while chasing hard, having been brought in as a tactical substitute with a 15-metre handicap. Fortunately he was only cut and bruised and will be fit for Wednesday's home clash with Berwick, when he expects to continue his improvement after a tough baptism to British speedway. "Having so many meetings in such a short space of time is good for me," he said, "because it gives me the chance to learn and practice. The tracks here are 100 per cent different to the Czech Republic. At home our tracks are really big. I have changed my sprocket since I came to England and that has helped me improve. I'm okay after my crash but now I will rest until Wednesday."

Havelock suffered the first of only two defeats all night in the opening race when Christian Henry led the Diamonds to a 4-2 and gave them a lead they never looked like losing. But he had the crowd on their feet during his battles with Grieves.

The Newcastle captain drew first blood when he stormed past Havvy to win heat 11, and overtook him again two races later - only this time the Bears No 1 roared round the outside to inflict Grieves' first defeat of the match. The second followed in the final race - although Havvy was second to his rival when the race was stopped and a rerun ordered after Josef Franc fell on the pits bend.

"We're four or five points a meeting short," said team boss Brian Havelock afterwards. Tomas is getting better but Chris Kerr is struggling - we get one rider going but another one dips!"

SCORERS:
NEWCASTLE: James Grieves 13, Jamie Robertson 11+3, Christian Henry 8+1, Josef Franc 8, George Stancl 7+1, Manuel Hauzinger 3+1, Adam McKinna 3+1.

REDCAR: Gary Havelock 16, Kevin Little 12, Tomas Suchanek 5+1, Jack Hargreaves 3, Chris Kerr 2+2, Dan Giffard 2+1, Richard Juul 2.

BERWICK: Michal Makovsky 14+1, Craig Branney 10, Stanislaw Burza 7, David Meldrum 6+2, Lee Smethills 6+2, Andreas Bergstrom 6+1, Danny Warwick 4+1.

REDCAR: Gary Havelock 15, Tomas Suchanek 10, Kevin Little 5, Richard Juul 5, Chris Kerr 4, Dan Giffard 3, Jack Hargreaves 1.
 

MONARCH REIGN AS BEARS GO DOWN
By Evening Gazette Saturday 22nd April 2006
Skipper Gary Havelock and fellow heat leader Kevin Little again did the bulk of the work as Redcar Bears went down 52-40 at Edinburgh last night. Fresh from their historic first ever victory 24 hours earlier, the Bears had hoped to capitalise in their Premier Trophy Northern Group return at the Scottish track.

But it was a familiar story with former world champion Havelock and ex-Monarchs skipper Little left wishing they'd had more support from the rest of their team. The Monarchs were forced to use rider replacement for Rusty Harrison who had a chest infection and, with a solid look throughout their order, took the bonus point with an aggregate 96-85 win.

EDINBURGH: Theo Pijper 13+1, William Lawson 11+1, Derek Sneddon 11, Matthew Wethers 9+2, Henrik Moller 8+2, Sean Stoddart 0, Rusty Harrison R/R.
REDCAR: Gary Havelock 16, Kevin Little 8, Chris Kerr 4, Dan Giffard 3+2, Richard Juul 3, Tomas Suchanek 3, Jack Hargreaves 3.

TONIGHT Redcar head up the coast to Berwick for the third of four Premier Trophy matches in as many evenings. The Bandits - hammered 63-29 by Workington last time out - have made their worst start to a season for 39 years and hand a debut to new Polish signing Stanislaw Burza who was brought in to replace axed No 1 Adrian Rymel this week.

BERWICK: 1 Stanislaw Burza, 2 David Meldrum, 3 Lee Smethills, 4 Michal Makovsky, 5 Andreas Bergstrom, 6 Danny Warwick, 7 Craig Branney.

THE battle for North-east pride resumes tomorrow when the Bears visit Newcastle in the Premier Trophy. With ex-Diamonds riders Little and Richard Juul in their ranks, Redcar will be hoping for a good result.

NEWCASTLE: 1 George Stancl, 2 Christian Henry, 3 Manuel Hauzinger, 4 Josef Franc, 5 James Grieves, 6 Adam McKinna, 7 Jamie Robertson.
 

BATTLING BEARS ROAR TO FIRST VICTORY
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Thursday 21st 2006
Redcar's battling Bears pulled off a stunning do-or-die last heat win to get their first Premier Trophy points on the board last night. After three successive defeats, the Bears roared back to pip Edinburgh Monarchs 45-44 in a thrilling match at South Tees Motorsports Park. They had to do it the hard way too.

Gary Havelock suffered a shock defeat to Henrik Moller in the opening race and, after eight heats, they were 28-20 down. Their only heat winner at that stage was Havvy who scored a brilliant race six 5-1 with Richard Juul to briefly level the scores. They edged ahead for the first time when Havelock brilliantly team rode Chris Kerr home for a 5-1 in heat 13.

But Derek Sneddon and William Lawson did the same to Dan Giffard and Tomas Suchanek next time, leaving Havelock and Little needing a last heat 5-1 to clinch victory. Lawson was excluded from the re-run of the last race after bringing Little down coming out of the first turn. And, to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd, Little bravely followed his skipper across the finish line ahead of Edinburgh's Matthew Wethers.

"To come back from eight points down was very good," said Little, whose outstanding performance made a mockery of his 4.91 average. "To claw back that deficit we showed a lot of mettle, so hopefully now we can build on it."

After last week's teething problems the track was in perfect condition and produced some excellent racing. "The conditions were very different to last week," said former Edinburgh captain Little. "It was a leveller early on because the track was almost as brand new to us as it was to them."

The Bears head north of the border for the return match against the Monarchs tonight. "I rode there for three years and it is my favourite track," said Little. "I'll be going there full of confidence, and I'm sure the rest of the lads will be too."

The Bears team had already been declared before boss Brian Havelock was able to switch Little and Tomas Suchanek in the riding order last night - but he will be able to make that tactical change this evening.

Bears: G Havelock 13+1, K Little 12+1, C Kerr 7+1, D Giffard 5+1, T Suchanek 3+2, J Hargreaves 3, R Juul 2+1.
Edinburgh: D Sneddon 12+1, M Wethers 9+2, T Pijper 8, W Lawson 7+1, H Moller 7, R Harrison 1, S Stoddart 0.
 

BEARS FIGHT ON
By Evening Gazette Thursday 20th April 2006
Redcar Bears begin a marathon spell of four matches in as many nights when Edinburgh Monarchs visit South Tees Motorsports Park this evening (7.30pm start). The Bears have lost all three of their Premier Trophy matches so far, but two of those meetings have gone to a last heat decider. The first of those was last Thursday's curtain raiser, when they fell away at the end after being six points ahead of visitors Sheffield early on.

Skipper Gary Havelock has won 12 of his 15 races so far and it is difficult to imagine anyone beating him tonight. But team manager Brian Havelock - Gary's dad - has called on the rest of the team to give the former world champion better support. And he has made a tactical switch, by moving the experienced Kevin Little to No 4 in the riding order and putting British speedway newcomer Tomas Suchanek in his place at No 3 for this evening's Premier Trophy fixture.

"We are looking to get off the mark tonight," said Havelock, "although, at 266 metres, Edinburgh's track is similar in size to ours so perhaps they will come pre-prepared. I've made the switch round because, if we get close later on the meeting, we need to be able to hold on. As it stood we would have Tomas in heat 14 with one of our reserves, Jack Hargreaves, so I think having Kevin in there instead could be crucial."

Tonight's visitors have a capable look right through their line-up and scored a shock one-point win at Newcastle last month, but then followed it up with a home defeat by Workington last time out. Australian Rusty Harrison is a prolific points scorer at Premier League level, while young second string William Lawson has been in impressive form too. The reigning British Under-18 champion has been the Scottish side's top scorer in their last two matches and piled up a spectacular 12-point tally when doubling up for Wolves against Coventry in Monday's televised Elite League clash with Coventry. He is sure to arrive full of confidence, even though he blew his engine after his final ride.

"We need to get the second strings going a bit better and I think we could ask more of the reserves too," said Havelock. An extra point from all the riders in support of Gary could make all the difference."

Track curator Glyn Taylor has been hard at work on the South Tees Motorsports racing strip all week and expects the surface to produce some good racing this evening. The former Australian Test star was hampered last week by heavy rain, which had left the track submerged by rainwater only days before its grand opening. Taylor has also made alterations to the track lighting after the opening night.

The Bears management are not expecting a crowd as big as the 4,000-plus who flocked to last Thursday's meeting, but another healthy attendance is anticipated so fans are again advised to arrive early.

Redcar follow tonight's match with consecutive away fixtures at Edinburgh tomorrow, Berwick on Saturday and Newcastle on Sunday. They had initially been due at Workington on Saturday but the fixture was postponed at the Comets' request and Berwick jumped in to accommodate the Bears instead.

REDCAR: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Richard Juul, 3 Tomas Suchanek, 4 Kevin Little, 5 Chris Kerr, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Daniel Giffard.

EDINBURGH: 1 Henrik Moller, 2 Theo Pijper, 3 Matthew Wethers, 4 William Lawson, 5 Rusty Harrison, 6 Sean Stoddart, 7 Derek Sneddon.
 

WE'LL CATCH UP
By Evening Gazette Monday 17th April 2006
We might not win the Premier Trophy but we'll be flying by the time the Premier League campaign begins! That was the message from Redcar Bears team boss Brian Havelock after his side went down 49.5-43.5 in a last heat decider at Stoke on Saturday, the newly-formed team's third defeat in three days.

Havelock is convinced that results will improve once the Bears blow away the cobwebs. He points to the fact that their late start to the season has put them at an instant disadvantage, but that they should be well into the groove by the time they launch their league programme on May 10 at King's Lynn.

"The Premier Trophy is a starting gate for everyone," said Havelock. "We started late but we should be getting it together by the time the league fixtures begin."

Havelock's son Gary again led the Bears challenge against the Potters with a 14-point score which included a barnstorming blast from last to first in heat five, plus a brave ride round the outside of Mark Lemon on the final lap of the final race, though that did not leave him with enough time to catch Alan Mogridge

Richard Juul posted a useful score of 8.5, which included a dead heat for third place with Paul Clews in heat five and a tactical double victory three races later. The Dane has improved in every meeting since his debut in the Bears' curtain raiser last Thursday and that wasn't lost on manager Havelock who pointed out: "He hadn't ridden since last July and he didn't know he was in the team until ten days ago."

STOKE: Mark Lemon 13, Robbie Kessler 10, Alan Mogridge 9+2, Luke Priest 5+2, Barrie Evans 5+1, Paul Clews 4.5+1, Michael Coles 3
REDCAR: Gary Havelock 14, Richard Juul 8.5, Kevin Little 7, Chris Kerr 4+1, Jack Hargreaves 4, Tomas Suchanek 3+1, Dan Giffard 3+1.

TO avoid clashing with the home leg of Boro's UEFA Cup semi-final against Steau Bucharest, Redcar's Premier Trophy clash with Berwick at South Tees Motorsports Park has been brought forward 24 hours to Wednesday, April 26.
 

LOOKING FOR A WIN
By Evening Gazette Saturday 15th April 2006
Teesside's new speedway team lost to Sheffield for the second time in 24 hours last night - but they head to Stoke this evening convinced they can score their first victory. The Redcar Bears' latest defeat was a 56-36 Premier Trophy reverse in South Yorkshire and followed the Tigers' narrow 46-44 win in the South Tees Motorsports Park's opening fixture the previous evening. But the 20-point margin is far from a disgrace. Sheffield are near on unbeatable on their big, fast Owlerton oval and even Newcastle - tipped as a good bet for honours this term - managed only 30 points there earlier in the season.

True, the hosts notched up five 5-1 heat wins, but the Bears finished with an impressive flourish and, had only the last five heats been taken into account, they would have won 17-15!

Skipper Gary Havelock was again the main man, rattling up another 15-point total. He was beaten twice by Sheffield top dog Andre Compton - the second time after a terrific race in which the former world champion passed his rival, only to be overtaken himself - but gained revenge with victory in the final heat as the former Newcastle ace fell while second.

Tomas Suchanek looked a far more impressive prospect after his pointless performance on Thursday, coming from behind to beat Benji Compton in heat five and being denied his first paid win in the final race when he was passed by Ricky Ashworth on the line. Richard Juul gave a better performance, too, while Chris Kerr deserved more than his two-point return on a circuit so different from the tiny tracks he is used to back home in America.

Sheffield, meanwhile, gave a strong all-round performance though, interestingly, their weak link was reserve Paul Cooper who proved their match-winner on Teesside.

Team manager Brian Havelock was encouraged by the Bears' performance and said: "We fancy our chances at Stoke tonight. Our two reserves go well there and, if we can give our heat leaders some support, we can get a result. "Sheffield is always a tough place to come to - all their riders go well there - but we showed some positive signs. We have to give our riders time."

Also looking forward to the trip to Loomer Road is reserve Jack Hargreaves who is on loan from the Potters. "Everyone else has had three or four meetings under their belts but we're not yet race fit because we have only just started our season," he said. "But once we get everything together, we can have a good season. It can only get better. "I'm looking forward to riding at Stoke. I know the track and which set-up to use and I think we have got a good chance of winning there. It's a fair track - I am sure Havvy will be amazing there and we are capable of putting together a good team performance."

SCORERS:
Sheffield: Andre Compton 12, Ricky Ashworth 10+1, Ben Wilson 9+2, Emiliano Sanchez 9+2, Kyle Legault 7+1, Benji Compton 6+1, Paul Cooper 3.
Redcar: Gary Havelock 15, Tomas Suchanek 6+1, Kevin Little 5, Richard Juul 3+1, Dan Giffard 3+1, Jack Hargreaves 2, Chris Kerr 2.
 

HAVVY RALLIES RIDERS
By Evening Gazette Friday 14th April 2006
Skipper Gary Havelock has urged his Redcar Bears team-mates to show their mettle as they head into their first away meeting at Sheffield this evening. Havvy and his team line up at Owlerton this evening in the return leg of their Premier Trophy clash after going down to the Tigers on home ground last night. Sheffield are notoriously difficult to live with on their home circuit, but the former World Champion is eager to see a good performance. "It's going to be tricky," admitted Havelock, who led by example as he roared to victory in all his six races last night, "because all their riders go well on their home track. We were all quite nervous ahead of our first meeting - Sheffield had already ridden eight matches, which was always going to be in their favour, so what we need to do now is relax and have some fun. Sometimes you can do better if you do that."

Havelock also believes that the Bears will quickly give their home fans something to cheer too, after going down in a last heat decider last night. "The track was tricky," he admitted. "Full marks to all the lads - from both teams - for going out there and performing. I think if it had been any other meeting, it would have been called off."

Havvy was particularly pleased with the efforts of Californian Chris Kerr who won twice on his Premier League debut. "Chris was excellent," he said. "He did very well considering he has come from America where you can fit two of their tracks on our centre green!"

The Bears track an unchanged side for tonight's Premier Trophy Northern Group return. However the Tigers will await a fitness report on Benji Compton, whose head and neck injuries sustained in last night's clash were not serious although he is rated as doubtful.
 

NIGHT OF DRAMA
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Friday 14th April 2006
It wasn't without its teething problems - but speedway fans on Teesside have welcomed the sport's return in their thousands. A bumper crowd estimated at more than 4,000 last night packed the South Tees Motorsports Park to see the Redcar Bears edged out 46-44 by the Sheffield Tigers as their first ever meeting went to a dramatic last heat decider.

The home side had led a fascinating Premier Trophy contest for almost the entire distance until the visitors snatched victory at the death to win the first speedway meeting on Teesside for nearly ten years. But it was, in the words of team owner Chris van Straaten, a traumatic night. The start was delayed for 20 minutes to allow a much larger than expected crowd to cram into speedway's newest venue. And there were further delays when Sheffield's Ben Wilson became the first faller at the new track on the very first bend of the opening race, and then team-mate Benji Compton hit the deck in a similar location and was struck by Bears ace Dan Giffard who could not avoid him. Compton was taken to hospital with neck and head injuries leaving the big crowd - who had spilled over to the supposedly out-of-bounds back straight - kicking their heels for what seemed an age while the ambulance left the track.

During that time the floodlights failed for a time, but fortunately were back on by the time racing resumed, albeit on a track which will need time to settle down. The Bears quickly raced into a six-point lead and hopes were high of an opening night victory.

Skipper Gary Havelock was, predictably, the star of the show and the manner in which he stacked up his 15-point maximum suggested he will take some beating this season. Chris Kerr offered solid support after finishing a distant last in his opening ride while Kevin Little too scored well, although he faded towards the end. Little starred in the race of the night, pipping Sheffield's Argentinian Emiliano Sanchez on the line to win heat three, while Giffard looked a promising prospect at reserve. On the minus side, however, Richard Juul - a late replacement for the injured Matt Tresarrieu - appeared a little rusty, while fellow second string Tomas Suchanek was totally out of touch and never looked like scoring a point.

Sheffield drew level for the first time with a 3-3 in heat nine, although an inspired reserve replacement by manager Brian Havelock saw Giffard finish second to Gary Havelock in the next race to put the hosts back in front. But Sheffield struck back and took the lead for the first time in the penultimate race when Kyle Legault and Paul Cooper - the Tigers' match-winning reserve - scored a 5-1 over Jack Hargreaves and Suchanek.

Havelock scored a comfortable victory in the deciding final heat but Little finished out of the points behind Andre Compton and Sanchez respectively and was therefore unable to earn the Bears even a share of the match points.

"It was a very traumatic day," admitted van Straaten afterwards. "We have learned things we need to do - especially in terms of spectator comfort. But we were overwhelmed by the size of the crowd and many of them went home happy. One or two didn't but we will take their comments on board. It is how you cope with such problems that you are judged on."

SCORERS: Bears: Gary Havelock 15, Kevin Little 9, Dan Giffard 7+2, Chris Kerr 7+1, Jack Hargreaves 4, Richard Juul 2+1, Tomas Suchanek 0.
Sheffield: Paul Cooper 13+3, Andre Compton 11+1, Emiliano Sanchez 8+1, Kyle Legault 6+2, Ricky Ashworth 5+1, Ben Wilson 3+1, Benji Compton 0.
 

REVVING UP FOR THE NEW ERA
Speedway, Evening Gazette Thursday 13th April 2006
Tapes go up on a new era of speedway in Teesside tonight - and the man responsible for it is convinced fans are in for a treat. The Redcar Bears stage their historic first-ever meeting tonight (7.30pm start) when Sheffield Tigers visit in the Premier Trophy. Because work on constructing their home track at South Tees Motorsports Park only began in January, the Bears are starting the season later than all their rivals. But the mood in the Bears camp is good and team owner Chris van Straaten can't wait for the action to start. The new track, with its wide straights and awesome banking on turns three and four, looks certain to produce some thrilling action.

"It has been stressful and the schedule has been tight," said van Straaten, "and on top of that we haven't been helped by the weather. But full credit to Glyn Taylor and his band of volunteers who have done a fantastic job to get the track ready in time. I hope we can reward them with some excellent racing, and I am sure we will see some exciting speedway. I believe the fans will be in for a treat. Hopefully they will have plenty to cheer too - I'm aiming for a top eight finish in the Premier League so that we qualify for the play-offs."

Interest has been high in speedway's return to the region and a crowd approaching 3,000 is anticipated this evening.

Boro star Stewart Downing is the guest of honour at tonight's meeting and will carry out the ceremonial cutting of the tapes ahead of Teesside's first speedway meeting since September 1996, when the Middlesbrough Bears entertained Bradford Dukes in the last ever fixture at Cleveland Park. Gary Havelock rode for the visitors that night and will be in action again this evening as the Bears skipper and No 1.

The Bears were forced into a late team change when Frenchman Matt Tresarrieu suffered a shoulder injury in practice but have snapped up former Newcastle and Wolves rider Richard Juul as a short-term replacement.

Sheffield have been tipped to be among the honours this term and have a potent spearhead in Ricky Ashworth and Andre Compton , while exciting young Canadian Kyle Legault has carried on from where he left off last season. But although they have begun impressively at home, they go into tonight's clash having lost all six away matches in 2006. And the Tigers have had injury problems too, with reserve Benji Compton damaging a thumb against Edinburgh last week.

THE Bears' stadium is situated in South Tees Motorsports Park, Dormer Way, South Bank. There is a free car park in the stadium ground and, if that gets full, fans will be able to use an overflow facility on the adjacent Teesside Autodrome kart track. "No-one will need to park out on the street," said van Straaten. "Every car will be parked behind fences in a patrolled car park."

Fans are asked to arrive early as a big crowd is expected. Gates open at 6pm and fans are urged to have the correct change to hand. Admission prices are £11 for adults; £7 for concessions and students over 16; £2 for children aged 5-16; children under five free are admitted free. The programme price is £2.

Tonight's teams
REDCAR: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Richard Juul, 3 Kevin Little, 4 Tomas Suchanek, 5 Chris Kerr, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Dan Giffard.
SHEFFIELD: 1 Ricky Ashworth, 2 Ben Wilson, 3 Emiliano Sanchez, 4 Kyle Legault, 5 Andre Compton, 6 Paul Cooper, 7 Benji Compton.
 

ALL SET, READY TO GO
Monday 10th April 2006
The Redcar Bears management have moved quickly to cover the absence through injury of French signing Mathieu Tresarrieu ( pronounced Trez- Arrow). The 19-year-old broke a shoulder practicising at the Marmande track in his home country and is now expected to report to the South Tees Motorpark by May 4th following intensive treatment.

With their first match against Sheffield on Thursday April 13th at 7.30pm and a flurry of Premier Trophy North fixtures home and away before the end of the month - the Bears have secured the services of experienced Richard Juul (35)on a temporary contract. A Wolverhampton Speedway asset Richard has spent the bulk of his career with the Newcastle Diamonds and is resident on Tyneside.

Stated team manager Brian Havelock: 'We are lucky to get a rider of Richard's calibre at short notice. He allows us to track seven riders instead of operating the rider replacement rule which puts a lot of strain on men and machinery when you are racing night in and night out. I also know that Richard gives 100% when the tapes rise.'

The Danish international will be paired with Bears skipper Gary Havelock and this should provide for a competitive Heat One in every meeting.

For the relaunch of speedway after an absence of ten years on Teeside the club management are appealing for local fans to arrive early and to attempt to tender correct change at the turnstiles. It is traditional for speedway fans from across the UK to attend the opening of a brand new speedway track so an early arrival will help avoid congestion. The turnstiles open at 6pm with the riders' parade at 7.30pm.

There are over 500 car park spaces in immediate proximity to the speedway track plusTeeside Karting kindly opening their racetrack for overflow parking. All parking is free with various security measures in place during the racing.

Admission prices will be the lowest in the Premier League with adults at £11, concessions at £7, children aged 5 to 16 at £2 with those under five admitted free. A matchday magazine programme will be available at £2.
Brand new toilet facilities are available. Hot food catering outlets and merchandising outlets will also be found within the new arena.
 

BEARS PRIMED FOR THE FAST TRACK
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Friday 7th April 2006
Ready to roar - the Redcar Bears team line up for the very first time. Teesside's first speedway team for years congregated at their new track at South Tees Motorsports Park in South Bank yesterday, a week ahead of their opening fixture against Sheffield Tigers. One notable absentee was Frenchman Matt Tresarrieu who, as exclusively revealed by the Gazette yesterday, will miss the start of the season with a shoulder injury.

His temporary replacement, Richard Juul, was unable to attend yesterday's press day, but will be in the saddle when the teams gets down to business next Thursday. "I know he is seen as the enemy because he is an ex-Newcastle rider," said Bears owner Chris van Straaten, "but I'm very grateful to him for helping us out at short notice, and I hope our fans will be too."

Work on the Bears' stadium is almost complete and, with its wide straights and awesome banking, the circuit should produce some spectacular action.
 

INJURY BLOW FOR STARLET
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Thursday 6th April 2006
The Redcar Bears have not yet turned a wheel in anger - but already they have their first injury casualty. For Teesside's new speedway team were last night rocked by the news that French starlet Matt Tresarrieu had suffered a shoulder injury during a practice session and would be ruled out until May 4. But they have acted swiftly to bring in former Newcastle and Wolves star Richard Juul as a temporary replacement.

Tresarrieu was hurt during a practice session at Marmande in France and promoter Gareth Rogers said: "His injury will require intensive medical treatment. The only alternative to bringing in a temporary replacement would have been to use the rider replacement facility (in which other team members take the missing rider's place in their scheduled races). But we have a very busy start to the season, with three matches in three days in our opening week and then four matches in four days the week after. To use rider replacement would place an added burden on both men and machine, so a temporary replacement seemed the sensible solution."

Danish rider Juul, who lives on Tyneside, has a wealth of experience. He arrives on loan from Elite League side Wolves although, until the Bears came calling, he had not been fixed up with a ride for this year. "To get a rider of Richard's calibre and experience at such short notice is fantastic," added Rogers. "We are very grateful to him for helping us out. Richard is a rider I admire enormously. He was so seriously injured in a track crash some years ago that he was given the last rites. The courage he showed to recover from that and to resume riding competitively was outstanding."

Juul's first engagement as a Bears rider was to attend today's press day at the team's new South Tees Motorsports Park track. He will then join them for a scheduled practice session ahead of next Thursday's Premier Trophy curtain-raiser against Sheffield Tigers, when he will line up as a second string.

FOR the first team picture of the Redcar Bears, make sure you get tomorrow's Evening Gazette.
 

ROARING BACK
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Tuesday 4th April 2006
With just eight days to go before the growl of speedway bikes is heard on Teesside again, behind-the-scenes work is bearing fruit. The Redcar Bears stage their first ever fixture a week on Thursday when they entertain Sheffield Tigers in the Premier Trophy. The team has long since been finalised and now the new purpose-built stadium at South Tees Motorsports Park, in South Bank, is virtually complete. The rest of the jigsaw is coming together too, as Teesside prepares to stage speedway for the first time since the old Boro Bears entertained Bradford Dukes in September 1996.

Promoters Chris van Straaten and Gareth Rogers are keen to nurture young talent as well as put on an exciting spectacle for spectators. So, to that end, another name from the past will be revived with the Cleveland Bays returning to action. The Bays were formed in 1994 as the Boro Bears' junior team and contested the first ever Division Three (now Conference League) fixture at Berwick that year, although they lasted just one more season.

Now it has been confirmed that the Bays will contest a series of second-half mini-matches and then full-blown Conference League-standard fixtures as the season progresses. Teessiders Rusty Hodgson, Jitendra Duffill and Ashley Johnson are all earmarked for team places. Jason Pipe has been appointed Bays team manager and will work alongside junior development officer Steve Harland, who will play a key role in the planned training schools at the track. It is hoped that these training schools will launch a new generation of young speedway stars from the area.
The duo had previously run the Boro Bears junior team, staging a series of non-league challenge matches despite being without a home track.

The Bears' backroom staff has been further enhanced by the appointment of Redcar-based Kirsty Sinclair as commercial manager. Inquiries for advertising and sponsorship opportunities should be made to Kirsty on 07816 753619. The recruitment of race night personnel is ongoing and club owner van Straaten will be at the track on Thursday from 5-7.30pm to interview and sign on prospective track staff. Call 07796 441850 for details.

Earlier on Thursday is the Bears' press day, which is not open to fans due to health and safety reasons. That will be the first time all seven team members will have met each other, and it will be followed by a team bonding session later that evening. Team manager Brian Havelock - whose son Gary will skipper the side - will also be there.

However, Friday's meet the riders' evening, scheduled to take place at the Riverside Stadium, has become the first postponement of the Bears' debut season. The event was called off after this week's weather forecast predicted heavy rain on both Thursday and Friday when the riders were due to stage their first practice sessions on the new track. The Bears management will work with Middlesbrough FC to find a new date. "Several of the riders live out of the area," explained promoter Gareth Rogers, "and we thought it wouldn't be fair to keep them kicking their heels."

The whole of British speedway has been disrupted by the wet weather recently. Among the casualties was last Sunday's British Under-21 Championship qualifier at Buxton in which Bears' reserve Jack Hargreaves was due to ride. But one Bears rider with something to smile about is Californian Chris Kerr who has been selected for America's World Cup squad. The Yanks head for a pressure-packed qualifying event at Miskole in Hungary on May 28 needing a victory to book their place in the World Cup finals in July. Among his USA team-mates will be former world champions Sam Ermolenko and Billy Hamill plus veteran John "Cowboy" Cook.
 

POSTPONEMENT
Monday 3rd April 2006
The 'Meet the Riders' evening scheduled for the Legends Suite at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough on Friday evening of 7th April has been postponed by the management of the Redcar Bears speedway team.

This follows a detailed weather forecast which has predicted that there is only a 5% chance of the riders being able to turn a wheel on track for either the press day on Thursday April 6th - which still goes ahead - or a private practice booked for the senior riders on the Friday. The speedway club will liaise with Middlesbrough FC for a possible restaging date and this will be announced via the club hotline on 09068 555 801 (calls at 60p per minute), the official club website on www.redcarspeedway.co.uk and through the local media.

The club management will also have to make provision for the Bears to enjoy practice facilities in the days before the opening Premier Trophy match against the Sheffield Tigers on April 13th at 7.30pm.

The whole of British Speedway has been disrupted by the consistent rainfall throughout the country.

This prevented young Redcar reserve Jack Hargreaves from getting a meeting under his belt when his British Under-21 Championship qualifying round fell victim to a downpour at Buxton Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile one Bear with someone to smile about is Californian Chris Kerr. He received the news that he has been selected for America's World Team Cup squad. The first big challenge for the USA is a pressure-packed qualifying event at Miskole in Hungary on May 28th. They need to win the meeting to qualify for the Speedway World Cup week in July.