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LATEST NEWS ~ JULY 2007
JACK'S BACK!
By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 30th July 2007
Former 2006 Redcar fans' favourite Jack Hargreaves is to return to a team place at the South Tees Motorsport Park. The Bears have, in a sense, never replaced the 19-year-old Shropshire lad and the number seven spot in the Bears' line-up has been problematic for much of the season. Jack went back to his parent club Stoke for the beginning of the new season but has recently stood down from the Potters line-up to solve some personal problems. With a previous happy working relationship with the Redcar promotion there was a meeting of minds and Jack will make his 2007 debut at Berwick on Saturday evening.
BEATEN BEARS AWAIT COMEBACKS
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Monday 30th July 2007
REDCAR Bears were left counting the days until Josh Auty comes back from injury and Jack Hargreaves returns to the club after they slipped to a 56-36 defeat at Workington. It was always going to be a tall order to get something from the trip to Derwent Park, but the margin of defeat was nevertheless a disappointment. The Bears had stuck on the coat-tails of their hosts early on and looked capable of achieving a score that would leave them in with a shout of the Premier League aggregate point when the teams meet again at South Tees Motorsports Park. But again the Achilles heel of having to track two Conference League guests in place of the injured Auty and Jamie Courtney hit them hard - although Byron Bekker did very well to hold off former housemate Tomas Suchanek to claim his first ever Premier League win in heat eight. What made their plight even more galling was that speedway’s complicated rules allowed the Comets to replace Mattia Carpanese with Suchanek, a rider of a similar average while the Bears had to use Conference Leaguer Bekker in place of Auty whose current CMA is almost six.
It was an expensive night for skipper Gary Havelock who blew his engine beyond the state of repair in unlucky heat 13. Even those not familiar with the workings of a speedway engine could tell the extent of the damage by the sight of the con rod poking through a huge hole. It wasn’t all bad though. Mat Tresarrieu stunned the home crowd into silence after going round their hero Carl Stonehewer coming out of the final bend in heat four, having already flown past John Branney, while Chris Kerr went round Comets No 1 Kauko Niemenen in heat ten after switching to a different bike following two lasts. But every member of the Comets side recorded a win and in the latter stages they were able to open up a comfortable gap.
“We were hanging on until about heat nine,” reflected manager Brian Havelock, “But it’s a hard place to come. Workington are a strong squad – they’ve got a good top three and their reserve (Barry Burchatt) has popped up and scored a few points.”
COMETS:
Kauko Niemenen 13, James Wright 12+2, Carl Stonehewer 11+2, Barry Burchatt 7+1, Tomas Suchanek 7+1, John Branney 6+2, R/R for Craig Branney.
BEARS:
James Grieves 8, Gary Havelock 7, Chris Kerr 7, Mat Tresarrieu 6+1, Byron Bekker 4+1, Dan Giffard 4, Ben Taylor 0.
GREG Blair made an impressive return from injury, but Cleveland Bays had a frustrating afternoon in their double header against Weymouth and Boston at South Tees Motorsports Park. Their Conference League clash against Weymouth went to a last decider but they went down 46-44. Star performer Blair suffered an engine failure while leading heat 15. He was on course for a 5-1 with Ashley Johnson at the time - an outcome which would have put the Bays in front going into the last race.
The Bays had only six riders for their KO Cup clash with Boston after Kye Norton pulled out because of machine problems, leaving them with only one rider in three races. The score was level at 35-35 when the meeting was brought to an early end after 12 heats because the curfew had been reached. The result was declared and the Barracudas went through 84-75 on aggregate. Shane Waldron, who guested for the Bears twice last week, was taken to hospital with a suspected broken right leg after a first heat fall.
BAYS (v Weymouth):
Greg Blair 13, Mark Burrows 11, Ashley Johnson 8+1, Gary Beaton 5+2, Steve Jones 4+1, Kye Norton 2+2, David Wallinger 1.
WILDCATS:
Lee Smart 12, Jay Herne 11+1, Karl Mason 6, Mark Thompson 6, Sam Hurst 5, Terry Day 3+2, Nathan Irwin 3+1.
BAYS (v Boston):
Greg Blair 10, Gary Beaton 6+1, David Wallinger 5+2, Ashley Johnson 5, Mark Burrows 4, Paul Burnett 1+1.
BARRACUDAS:
Paul Cooper 9, Simon Lambert 9, Matt Wright 7, Darren Mallett 5+2, Adam Lowe 3+1, Shane Waldron 0, Kieran Morris 0.
STAR INTERVIEW with GREG BLAIR
By Keith McGhie of ‘Speedway Star’ ~ Saturday 28th July 2007
Hopefully the Burnt Tree Bays’ in-form teenager Greg Blair will be fit to continue his superb recent run of scores in both matches today, despite spending much of the week trying to shake off the affects of a horrific crash in the Conference League Best Pairs at Scunthorpe last Sunday. When I spoke with the gutsy 16-year old last Monday he felt like someone who had just run a marathon, completed the Tour de France and gone ten rounds with Amir Khan all in the same day! Greg, who had savoured such a memorable week with finishing third in the Greggs Northern Junior Championship at Belle Vue and making a sensational race-winning start to his Premier League career with the Redcar Bears, went into an ultra tough pairs competition with high hopes.
Unfortunately in the opening race the instantly likeable young Scot picked up unexpected drive and piled unceremoniously into both team-mate ‘Buzz’ Burrows and the Normanby Road safety fence, leaving bent bikes and kick-boards everywhere. “I think I already held the record for the number of fence panels taken out there from a practice crash a year or so ago,” joked a very sore and stiff Greg, who was already nursing a knock to his left knee from a previous fall. “My dad warned me to watch out because the track would be grippy but I picked up and took Buzz with me. Greg suffered bruising to both legs, especially his right – from the hip down to the knee – but insisted: “I wanted to carry on but found I just couldn’t put any pressure on that leg. The engine and wheels are the only thing to have survived from my bike,” he added, surveying the wreckage of his equipment, while expressing his apologies for similar damage to Burrows’ only serviceable bike.
“Buzz wrote off another one the week before and had just had a lot of stuff fixed so I felt very bad about that and I said he could use my spare bike. “He did really well and scored nine, so we’ll never know how we might have done if I’d not crashed in the first race? It’s a shame because I love riding at Scunthorpe.”
Both riders will be back at Normanby Road when the Bays visit in the league and maybe, if they can beat Boston by more than eight points today, in a cup semi-final also and, I’m sure, any help towards restoring their battered equipment would be gratefully received. Memories don’t pay bills but Greg’s successes in the few days before the pairs meeting, certainly stand-out: “I’m not going to forget either of those days for a while,” he enthused. “Finishing third on my first time at Belle Vue and then having such a great start to my Premier League career…”
Greg collected one of the biggest cheers of the season (and there ave been a few here this term!) for his heat two victory that helped the Bears to a 49-41 against Berwick. He recalls: “Kevin (Little – Greg’s mechanic and mentor) said it took him ages to win his first race in the Premier League – he told me he was getting seconds and thirds for weeks and that very few are able to win their first race!” Greg is always keen to acknowledge the help he gets from both recently retired former riders Kevin Little and Scott Robson as well as his dad (and employer in the family joinery business) Drew.
Having required painkillers to get to sleep on the night of the accident, Greg was, not surprisingly, allowed Monday off work to recover a bit from his bruises. “I’m hoping to be back to work on Tuesday,” he told me. “I believe the best way to get over it is not to just sit around but to keep moving. After riding at Belle Vue and Redcar last Wednesday and Thursday – it’s the fourth day I’ve had off in a week,” stated the Bays’ fastest rising starlet. Don’t worry – we don’t think the ‘boss’ is likely to give the sack, Greg!
REDCAR BEARS WANT HARGREAVES BACK
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 28th July 2007
REDCAR Bears are in discussions to being crowd favourite Jack Hargreaves back to South Tees Motorsports Park. The 19-year-old starlet was a popular figure throughout the Bears’ debut season in 2006, but was refused permission by parent club Stoke to talk to them about coming back this year and rode instead for the Potters. However Hargreaves has been taking a short break from the sport - during which time Stoke signed Jamie Smith from Mildenhall to take his place. Now Bears promoter Chris van Straaten is set to swoop after seeing a string of injuries hit his side’s Premier League championship play-off hopes.
With second string Josh Auty nursing a broken bone in his wrist and reserve Jamie Courtney no closer to fitness after two-and-a- half months out with a back injury, van Straaten has been forced to field two Conference League guests in his side. Because of Courtney’s low average, his options have been severely limited. So now he plans to redeclare his 1-7 with Hargreaves taking Courtney’s place at No 7, starting from the Premier League match away to Berwick Bandits next Saturday. Hargreaves is keen to rejoin the Bears and a delighted van Straaten said: “Jack has intimated he will be fit to take his place on August 4. “If everything goes according to plan he will come into the side as a replacement for Jamie Courtney who has turned into the invisible man. Despite repeated efforts by myself and Brian Havelock, we have had no contact from him. We have taken the decision because, with Josh being injured as well, we have had to track two Conference League riders and that situation has become too much of a liability for the rest of the team.” With Dan Giffard fit again, Hargreaves’ return would reunite last season’s popular and successful reserve pairing.
Meanwhile the Bears visit Workington tonight looking to bounce back after their home defeat by Birmingham on Thursday and an agonising one-point loss at Stoke on Saturday. The Comets have not been without their injury problems either this season and are currently without Craig Branney, Mattia Carpenese and Charles Wright. Mildenhall’s former Bear Tomas Suchanek is drafted in to ride at No 2 while Barry Burchatt guests for Wright and the rider replacement facility will be used to cover Carpenese’s absence. Redcar have brought in Ben Taylor to ride at No 7, while South African Byron Bekker rides at reserve. “We had a disappointing night last Thursday,” said team boss Havelock, “but we’ve got to go there looking to get something. Most of our top lads go well round Derwent Park.”
COMETS:
1 Kauko Nieminen, 2 Tomas Suchanek, 3 James Wright, 4 R/R for Mattia Carpenese, 5 Carl Stonehewer, 6 Barry Burchatt, 7 John Branney.
BEARS:
1 Gary Havelock, 2 Ben Taylor, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Dan Giffard, 7 Byron Bekker.
CLEVELAND Bays take on Weymouth Wildcats (Conference League) and Boston Barracudas (CL KO Cup) in a double header at South Tees Motorsports Park this afternoon (3pm start).
IT'S ALL ABOUT FOUR BLOKES ON MOTORBIKES TURNING LEFT, RIGHT? By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 28th July 2007
Wrong? Not in Jeff Scott’s world, anyway - and it’s a world I’m quite happy to inhabit myself. Author, photographer and shalesport obsessive, Jeff has been a regular face at tracks up and down the country since embarking on his Showered in Shale project, a weighty tome chronicling his journey to every speedway venue in the country during the 2005 season. Now he’s at it again, with two new books on the shelves - Shale Britannia and Shifting Shale. And what makes them so fascinating is that for Jeff, speedway goes far deeper than the act of four riders out on the track racing.
Those yet to fall under the spell of this wonderful sport will view us as a bunch of anorak-clad saddoes waving our programme boards in desolate stadiums watching a sport that’s decided by whoever gets to the first bend first. But, as Jeff recognises, it’s the characters and the character of our speedway arenas that make the sport what it is. In Shale Britannia, Jeff brings together an intriguing selection of offbeat photographs taken during his latest trek round the country. From the shabby sheds of Stoke to plush stands of Poole, Jeff has captured it all on film. And if that really is Miss Arena Essex, I’m glad I don’t live in Southend any more!
Shifting Shale is the follow-up to Showered in Shale and sees Jeff use words to create his pictures - in his usual meticulous style, of course. But where its predecessor was more a chronicle of his quest for endless speedway action, Shifting Shale sees Jeff in a more inquisitive and observational mood. Eager to find out what makes the people who make speedway tick tick, nothing gets past him. He even manages to note that I was absent from his visit to last season’s Redcar Bears v Glasgow Tigers match due to illness!
He has his share of run-ins (with the track shop man who seemed to think he was the health and safety officer too) and laughs (like when King’s Lynn team-mates Chris Mills and John Oliver end up talking tactics while sharing the bottom bunk of the hospitality cabin at Saddlebow Road) - and he uses perception, humour, irony and straight talking in equal measure in the process.
SHIFTING SHALE (£20, softback) and Shale Britannia (£15 flexiback) by Jeff Scott are available at all good track shops, by visiting www.methanolpress.com or by sending a £25 cheque (Shifting Shale)/£18 cheque (Shale Britannia) to cover postage and packing made payable to J Scott at Methanol Press, 2 Tidy Street, Brighton BN1 4EL.
And he’ll be at South Tees Motorsports Park on Thursday, August 9, for the Redcar Bears v Mildenhall Fen Tigers Premier League match. Jeff will be selling his books and will sign them too.
REDCAR BEARS PLAY-OFF HOPES SLIPPING
By Phil Weller, Evening Gazette ~ Friday 27th July 2007
DISAPPOINTED team boss Brian Havelock admits that Redcar Bears’ Premier League play-off bid is beginning to recede. The top four in the final league table go into the mix to decide the title - but the Bears’ bid to finish there has been hit by a constant string of injuries this year. And they sorely missed both Josh Auty and an experienced reserve last night as they went down 54-41 at home to Birmingham. That the meeting went ahead at all was something of a surprise given the heavy downpours earlier in the evening. Even though there was never a threat of any further rain, however, the earlier deluge had left the track deep and difficult. Most riders found the conditions more than a little testing and the track grading equipment made several appearances.
But team manager Havelock refused to blame the conditions for a home defeat second in size only to last year’s 51-39 drubbing by Newport. “The conditions were tough but they were the same for both sides,” said Havelock. “The bottom line is that we weren’t strong enough - we had two Conference League lads in and they did their best but it was always going to be a big ask. It means we’ve got to go to Birmingham and turn them over to get the aggregate point now, so I think we’ll have to go some to get into the top for now.”
Mat Tresarrieu was again the star of the show as far as the Bears were concerned and certainly didn’t let the conditions get to him. With the Bears trailing 32-24 (it would have been more had tactical double James Grieves and Chris Kerr not gained a 5-3 in the previous race), the flying Frenchman came out as a tactical substitute for heat 10 - and ‘did a Josh Auty’ by roaring from last to first off a 15 metre handicap.
He was given a helping hand when Jason Lyons fell while second but there was no luck about the way he picked off and passed Henrik Moller before skipper Gary Havelock let him past for a six-point haul. That brought the gap down to just a point, but the Brummies quickly and efficiently set about restoring their advantage. There was even the rare sight of Havelock being passed by two opponents and finishing last as he tried to team-ride Tresarrieu to 5-1 in heat 13.
BEARS:
Mat Tresarrieu 17, James Grieves 10, Gary Havelock 8+1, Chris Kerr 3+2, Dan Giffard 2, Shane Waldron 1+1, Simon Lambert 1.
BRUMMIES:
Ulrich Ostergaard 12+1, Jason Lyons 9+1, Lee Smart 9, Emiliano Sanchez 7+2, Ben Powell 7, Henrik Moller 6+1, Manuel Hauzinger 3+2.
CLEVELAND BAYS take on Weymouth (Conference League) and Boston (CL KO Cup) in a double header at South Tees Motorsports Park tomorrow afternoon (3pm start). Greg Blair is due to make his comeback after hurting his right leg in last Sunday’s CL Pairs at Scunthorpe. Holder James Brundle is not included in the Boston team so the highest scoring Barracudas rider will meet his highest scoring Bays counterpart for the Bronze Helmet.
BAYS:
1 Mark Burrows, 2 David Wallinger, 3 Steve Jones (Paul Burnett v Boston), 4 Ashley Johnson, 5 Gary Beaton, 6 Greg Blair, 7 Kye Norton.
WILDCATS:
1 Lee Smart, 2 Sam Hurst, 3 Karl mason, 4 Nathan Irwin, 5 Mark Thompson, 6 Jay Herne, 7 Terry Day.
BARRACUDAS:
1 Paul Cooper, 2 Shane waldron, 3 Darren Mallett, 4 Simon Lambert, 5 Matthew Wright (or R/R), 6 Adam Lowe, 7 Kieran Morris.
STAR INTERVIEW with Mike McCullagh (Burnt Tree Vehicle Solutions) By Keith McGhie of ‘Speedway Star’ ~ Thursday 26th July 2007
The past year or more has been a formative period for both speedway and Burnt Tree Vehicle Solutions on Teesside so it was perhaps fitting that the two should come together as they both established themselves in the area. It goes without saying that any form of motorsport is expensive and when the nationwide vehicle rental specialists opened a branch in Stockton and offered support to Redcar speedway’s junior team – the Cleveland Bays – they were greeted with open arms. This Saturday’s double header between the Burnt Tree Bays and Weymouth/Boston marks something of a watershed for the man largely responsible for the tie-up - Mike McCullagh – who leaves his post as branch manager tomorrow en-route to starting a new life in Portugal. But Mike, who had never witnessed the sport in the flesh before linking with the Bays, has been delighted with the all-round response and will take a small piece of the South Tees Motorsports Park with him when he departs for the Iberian Peninsula (probably a legacy of standing too near the fence when the lads come round the corner, I’d say?!)
“I’ve been delighted with the whole experience,” he commented. “I’d personally never been before – I’d seen it on television but everything is totally different when you are actually there. I’m not sure whether I’ve been surprised but I’ve certainly been encouraged by what I’ve found. The feedback we’ve had from clients who’ve been down to watch the Bays and the Bears has always been positive and it’s been beneficial in terms of exposure to us. We’ve only been on Teesside for 14 months – we were the newest branch in the country until September when Bristol opened. When we had been open for 12 months we booked the hospitality suite (The Hodgson Lounge) and had a birthday bash and it was a superb night. It’s more of a family sport than football or cricket I think and probably more so than most other types of motorsport, which is ideal for publicising our business. I feel it’s the ideal sport for any business to get involved with.”
Mike believes there is no reason to suspect the company, who deal in everything from small family saloons and hatchbacks, via mid-sized vans and minibuses, to 38-tonne tractor units with trailers, will not extend their current association with the speedway promotion, adding: “I think we’ll stick with the Bays and I’m confident our new manager Anthony Wilson will continue with the sponsorship. The Bears are probably big enough boys to look after themselves and we’ve enjoyed helping the youngsters. The last home match the Bays had ended with a win, which was great after the efforts they’ve put in earlier in the season when they’ve come so close.”
Mike will certainly be along to watch the 30-heat extravaganza on Saturday and hoping, along with the rest of us, that the Bays can pick up at least two more league points at the expense of the high flying Wildcats, as well as earning a KO Cup, semi-final date with Scunthorpe by overhauling Boston’s eight point advantage in the second match. And when he gets tired of the sun and famed Portuguese wines and makes occasional ventures back to the UK, will Redcar Speedway be on his list of old haunts to look up? “Without a doubt!” states Mike. Many thanks for your contribution and best wishes for the future from all at the South Tees Motorsports Park…
BRUMMIES WILL BE TOUGH
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 26th July 2007
GET ready for another battle - that was boss Brian Havelock’s message ahead of Redcar Bears’ Premier League clash with Birmingham tonight. The reformed Brummies make their first ever trip to South Tees Motorsports Park this evening (7.30pm start) boasting a formidable-looking side. Included in their number is former STMP track record holder Henrik Moller, who was snapped up swiftly after being surprisingly axed by Edinburgh. Moller adds useful top-end support to former Elite League riders Jason Lyons and Ulrich Ostergaard, and Havelock knows his side will have to be on their guard.
As revealed in yesterday’s Gazette, Josh Auty is ruled out for three weeks with a broken bone in his wrist, so Conference League Simon Lambert comes in at No 2. With Jamie Courtney still no nearer to fitness, Rusty Hodgson taking time out after a disappointing spell and Greg Blair recovering from a heavy crash in Sunday’s CL Pairs Championship, Shane Waldron comes in at No 7.
“It’s a tall order,” admitted Havelock. “It’s not as if we have been beating everyone by lumps at home this season. But Dan Giffard is back now and the fact he’s at reserve is a bonus because it gives us extra options.” Also back in the side is Mat Tresarrieu, who was in vintage form against Berwick last Thursday but missed Saturday’s one-point defeat at Stoke because he was on international duty in Croatia. And Havelock said: “I’ve been told that’s the end of his continental bookings for this year now. That’s good news because, if we’d had him at Stoke at Rye House, we’d have been much higher up the tree.”
Bookings will be taken tonight for the supporters’ group coach to Workington on Saturday.
BEARS:
1 Gary Havelock, 2 Simon Lambert, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Dan Giffard, 7 Shane Waldron.
BRUMMIES:
1 Ulrich Ostergaard, 2 Ben Powell, 3 Jason Lyons, 4 Henrik Moller, 5 Emiliano Sanchez, 6 Lee Smart, 7 Manuel Hauzinger.
TEESSIDER Ashley Johnson top scored with ten as Cleveland Bays grabbed the Conference League bonus point at Stoke last night. The Spitfires won 51-37 on the night but Jason Pipe’s injury hit side triumphed 92-88 on aggregate.
SPITFIRES:
Barrie Evans 17+1, John Branney 17+1, Guy Kendrew 9, Gary Flint 4, Jamie Pickard 4, Gareth Isherwood 0 (w/d), Sam Dore R/R.
BAYS:
Ashley Johnson 10, Gary Beaton 8, Adam Chandler 6, Paul Burnett 5+2, David Wallinger 3+2, Mark Burrows 2, Kye Norton 1+1.
INJURY SIDELINES TEEN STAR
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Wednesday 25th July 2007
TEENAGE star Josh Auty has been forced to concede he’ll spend around three weeks out of action with a broken bone in his left wrist. The 16-year-old Redcar Bears starlet had hoped to be able to ride against Birmingham tomorrow night with a lightweight cast, but those hopes have been dashed. Auty was injured in a crash during the Bears’ Premier League meeting at King’s Lynn last Wednesday, but bravely rode through the pain barrier against Berwick the following night. He had hoped for a quick return after missing Saturday’s narrow defeat at Stoke, but is now in plaster up to his elbow.
“I’ve been told I’ll be in the cast for at least three weeks, which also means I’ll miss several matches for both Scunthorpe and Redcar,” said Auty. A lightweight cast was ruled out because the injured area, close to his thumb, must be completely immobilised for the bone to knit. “I’m now resigned to taking a couple of weeks off,” added Auty, “but I’ve had one or two bad knocks recently and it might be good to get a chance to fully recuperate.”
While the Bears have been hit by a succession of injuries, it’s a similar story with their junior outfit, the Cleveland Bays. Already without Adam McKinna and Martin Emerson, they must visit Stoke Spitfires in the Conference League tonight without Greg Blair too. Blair hurt his right leg in a spectacular fall which sent fence panels flying in Sunday’s CL Pairs so the Bays have had to draft in grade one guest Adam Chandler. “Tonight’s match is too soon for him but he plans to ride in Saturday’s double header,” explained manager Jason Pipe. “His leg doesn’t feel right and, because it’s the one he puts his weight on, he doesn’t feel he can ride tonight.” The Bays are also without Rusty Hodgson who is taking a break to reassess his mental approach. But, after beating the Spitfires 57-36 at home, Pipe insisted: “We can still get the aggregate point.”
SPITFIRES:
1 Barrie Evans, 2 Gary Flint, 3 John Branney, 4 Sam Dore, 5 Jamie Pickard, 6 Gareth Isherwood, 7 Guy Kendrew.
BAYS:
1 Mark Burrows, 2 David wallinger, 3 Gary Beaton, 4 Ashley Johnson, 5 Paul Burnett, 6 Kye Norton, 7 Adam Chandler.
DOUBLE TROUBLE FOR BAYS
By Steve Harland ~ Tuesday 24th July 2007
THE Cleveland Bays stage a ‘double header’ on Saturday afternoon at South Tees Motorsport Park at 3pm. First they will be seeking revenge against the Weymouth Wildcats in the Conference League after suffering their heaviest defeat of the season five weeks ago when they raced down in Dorset. The ‘Burnt Tree’ Bays are chasing a 24 point deficit whilst in the second meeting they will be seeking to over turn a 9 point deficit in a second round, second leg Knockout Cup match against the Boston Barracudas.
They will have to face both teams with key riders missing; heat leader Adam McKinna and promising junior Martin Emerson are both ruled out injured whilst their are doubts over the fitness of Greg Blair who piled up at Scunthorpe last weekend. Rusty Hodgson has decided to take a month’s break from the sport having seen his form dramatically dip in the past few weeks. Blair will miss Wednesday evening’s match at Stoke in what will be a patched-up Bays side that has four regulars missing. Coming in as replacements are Ampleforth-based David Wallinger, who made his debut down at King’s Lynn against Boston three weeks ago. The 23-year old former junior grasstrack champion finds himself having to ride in the main part of the team whilst Steve Jones is given another opportunity as a heat leader in the Weymouth meeting. 15-year old Kye Norton makes his home debut having ridden at Buxton earlier in the season. Bradford-based Paul Burnett gets another chance in the Cup match against Boston replacing Jones at No. 3 as team manager Jason Pipe utilises the remaining fit riders he has available in his squad. Pipe is hoping Greg Blair will be fit enough to take his place in the team as he is seen as a key figure at reserve.
‘Burnt Tree’ Bays (Weymouth):
1 Mark Burrows; 2 David Wallinger; 3 Steve Jones; 4 Ashley Johnson; 5 Gary Beaton; 6 Greg Blair (if fit); 7 Kye Norton.
Against Boston,
Paul Burnett replaces Steve Jones at No. 3 the rest of the team remains the same as the first match.
Admission prices for the meetings see a small increase from ten to £12 for adults/£8 for concessions though Under 16s can still come in free of charge. There will be two 12-page programmes available both free of charge. As an incentive to attend the meeting team sponsors ‘Burnt Tree Vehicle Solutions’ of Stockton-on-Tees will be giving out a brochure offering a special discount to hire their vehicles to the first 100 adults through the turnstiles.
• IT’S been a busy few days for Bays teenage reserve Greg Blair. The Jedbergh-based protégé of former Redcar Bears rider Kevin Little won three races in an individual junior event at Sheffield, finished third in a high quality field in a similar event at Belle Vue (Manchester) and then 24 hours later made his senior team debut for the Redcar Bears against Berwick Bandits, winning his opening race in some style and contributing 4 paid 5 points in a 49-41 points victory.
• THE Bays have announced the signing of Sean Stoddart. Stoddart, 20, comes from Edinburgh and first rode at Linlithgow back in 1999 but made his first appearance in the Conference League with Edinburgh’s Armadale Devils back in 2003. Stoddart has been riding for Newcastle in the Premier League this season and scored a maximum against the Redcar Bears back in March. He had his initial Premier League meetings with his hometown club and will add some strength to the Cleveland Bays side. He is hoping to make his debut on Thursday, August 2, when the Bays take on the reigning league champions, Scunthorpe Scorpions. Unfortunately he cannot ride this weekend as he originally was in the Boston squad whose management have agreed to release him AFTER the cup match takes place.
• NEW dates for the fixture list now see the ‘Burnt Tree’ Bays racing down at Oxford on Friday 17 August and Rye House on Sunday 19 August. No news of a restaging date for the recent postponed matches at home to Sittingbourne and away to Scunthorpe as yet.
• SPONSORSHIP of meetings at the Redcar track has seen an upsurge of interest in recent weeks. Guests include Tees Valley Engineering of Middlesbrough who will be in attendance on Thursday, August 9, for a Premier League match against Mildenhall. SBV Fabrications & Site Services of Middlesbrough are sponsoring the Isle of Wight Premier League meeting on Thursday, 16 August, whilst MF Engineering of Newton Aycliffe will be sponsoring the local derby match against Newcastle on Thursday, 30 August. The meeting against Workington on Thursday, 6th September has received a private booking whilst Direct Car Sales & Finance of Thornaby will be in attendance against Glasgow on Thursday, 13 September. Finally, Ceramic Tile Distribution of Stockton-on-Tees have agreed to sponsor the prestigious Silver Helmet meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday, 18 October.
DAN'S THE MAN!
By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 23rd July 2007
Redcar Bears fans welcome the 2006 'Rider of the Year' Daniel Giffard back to the South Tees Motorsport Park on Thursday evening at 7.30pm when the newly- reformed Birmingham Brummies visit in Premier League action. Daniel broke his left collarbone in a track crash there over two months ago but made a creditable return to action for the Bears at Stoke Speedway last Saturday evening with two heat wins. With his move to reserve because of comparative averages then team manager Brian Havelock will have an extra option to use Daniel to counter a powerful Midlands septet.
However, Brian will be updating himself on the medical condition of his two 16-year-olds Josh Auty and Greg Blair. It was discovered after last Thursday's match against Berwick that gritty young Yorkshire lad Auty had indeed broken his left wrist in a massive pile-up at Kings Lynn Speedway on the Wednesday evening. Despite this and another heavy fall on the Thursday he completed the meeting with a subsequent heat win in his tally. Josh has informed Brian Havelock that he intends to wear a special cast and take his place in the line-up. Meanwhile wee Greg Blair having won his debut race in his step-up from the Cleveland Bays to the Redcar Bears last Thursday was involved in a major crash during the Conference League Pairs Championship at Scunthorpe Speedway on Sunday afternoon. During the incident he wrecked not only several boards in the Scunthorpe safety fence but his team partner Buzz Burrows' number one bike as well as his own. The young Scot escaped with massive bruising all over but his availability to resume racing on Thursday remains open to question. He is also due to be a key player for the Cleveland Bays' double-header at the Motorpark on Saturday afternoon. Greg, however, has the optimism of youth and is resting up in readiness for potential action.
However the inclusion of Daniel Giffard and the acquisition of a new GM engine by World Longtrack Number Three Mathieu Tresarrieu will mean that in all circumstances the Bears will looking to be taking on the big city slickers from the West Midlands who have strengthened up themselves with the recent acquisition of former Motorpark track-record holder Henrik Moller. This after his shock sacking, along with others, by the Edinburgh Monarchs management as part of a radical revamp. The Brummies' spearhead is in the shape of two former Elite League riders Jason Lyons and Ulrich Ostergaard with the Australian and the Dane both having won Elite League Championship winners' medals with the Belle Vue Aces and the Peterborough Panthers respectively. Moller does not even hold down the third heat-leader spot and this is maintained by Argentinian Speedway Champion Emiliano Sanchez. So another tense tussle is anticipated at one of the sports most entertaining venues.
REDCAR BEARS:
1. Gary Havelock (C), 2. Josh Auty, 3. James Grieves, 4. Chris Kerr, 5. Mathieu Tresarrieu, 6. Daniel Giffard, 7. To be confirmed
BIRMINGHAM BRUMMIES:
1. Ulrich Ostergaard, 2. Ben Powell, 3. Jason Lyons (C), 4. Henrik Moller, 5. Emiliano Sanchez, 6. Lee Smart, 7. Manuel Hauzinger
James Grieves will be the Bear available outside the main speedway office for autographs and photographs during this week's match interval.
This Saturday the Cleveland Bays will stage a double-header at the Motorpark commencing at 3pm. In the first match they take on the Weymouth Wildcats in Conference League action followed by the Boston Barracudas in the Knockout Cup. Admission prices for 30 heats of speedway racing will be £12 adults, £8 concessions, children under 16 - free and programmes free.
Looking further into the club diary - the Bears will now visit the Somerset Rebels in Premier League action at the Oak Tree Arena, Highbridge on Friday September 14th in an amended fixture change.
BEARS 'ROBBED BY THE REFEREE'
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Monday 23rd July 2007
LUCKLESS Redcar Bears left Stoke convinced they’d been robbed after suffering an agonising 45-44 Premier League defeat. Already without Mat Tresarrieu who was on international duty in Croatia, they also suffered the pre-match bombshell that Josh Auty’s troublesome wrist was in fact broken. As a result they had to use rider replacement for Tresarrieu - a facility that reaped a meagre four points - while Conference League rider Shane Waldron was drafted in to replace Auty and, battle though he did, didn’t get anywhere near the sort of score Auty would surely have done. Lady Luck gave the Bears another hefty kick in the groin when, at the tapes for the start of the first race, Gary Havelock suffered an engine failure - something that’s as rare as rocking horse dung!
But the biggest bone of contention on a rain-sodden night in the Potteries that saw a number of spills came in heat eight when the tricky track conditions got the better of Karlis Ezergailis while on course for a 3-3. Fellow Conference League guest Waldron was thrown off course and also hit the deck. When the red lights came on, both Bears were excluded by referee Craig Ackroyd, handing the Potters a 5-0 heat advantage - a decision that left the Redcar management livid.
“He excluded two guys in one heat and I’ve never seen that before in my life,” blasted team manager Brian Havelock. “Waldron at the back definitely put it down for Ezergailis, there’s no doubt about that. I got on the phone and told the referee I wasn’t satisfied with what he’d done - but he said that wasn’t how he saw it. He said they both fell together - rubbish! They were both Conference League riders and the conditions were atrocious - half the time whoever was at the back couldn’t see a thing but the referee didn’t take that into consideration. I’m annoyed and I’m gutted because we could have won that meeting."
"On the plus side, however, Gary Havelock went unbeaten on his second bike after his early mechanical setback, Chris Kerr was hungry and sharp while Dan Giffard made an earlier than expected return from a broken collarbone. Conditions weren’t ideal for a comeback and he was entitled to be a little race rusty, but he showed exactly what we’ve been missing in his absence, most notably in heat nine when he made a brilliant burst from third to first and stayed there to record his second win of the night. Gary would have taken 15 points like it was candy off a kid if it hadn’t been for that engine failure,” said Havelock. “But the good thing that’s come out of it is that Dan has come back. He got some decent scores and he looks reasonably fit.”
Meanwhile Auty will see a bone specialist today to establish the full extent of his injury. One area of discussion will be the possibility of wearing a lightweight cast to enable him to ride against Birmingham on Thursday.
POTTERS: Claus Vissing 9, Emiliano Sanchez 8+2, Ben Barker 8+1, Rusty Harrison 7, Lee Complin 5+1, Barrie Evans 4+2, Jamie Smith 4+2.
BEARS: Gary Havelock 12, Chris Kerr 10+1, James Grieves 9+2, Dan Giffard 7+1, Karlis Ezergailis 4+1, Shane Waldron 2.
GREG BLAIR suffered a leg injury after he and team-mate Mark Burrows were involved in a heavy crash shortly after the start of their first race in yesterday’s Conference League Pairs at Scunthorpe. Blair took no further part in the meeting - though his injury is not serious - while Burrows scored nine as the Bays finished bottom of their group.
DAN'S BACK!
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 21st July 2007
AFTER two months on the injured list nursing a broken collarbone, Dan Giffard can’t wait to race a speedway bike again. The 2006 Redcar Bears rider of the year - whose side visit Stoke Potters in the Premier League tonight - is pencilled to make his comeback in next Thursday’s clash with Birmingham. And he is determined to help the Bears kick-start their bid for a place in the championship play-offs after being rocked by a spate of springtime injuries. The Sussex-based star has already practised at Sittingbourne and Weymouth and has felt no effects of the injury, which he sustained riding against Sheffield on May 18.
“My physio told me on Thursday that I had well exceeded expectations,” said a delighted Giffard. “Bear in mind that, medically, I shouldn’t be riding for another three months! But I’m been having physio, cycling, doing all the boring fitness stuff and now I’m ready to come back. I’m not race fit because you can only achieve that by racing, but I’m fit to race.”
Giffard is set to replace Arlo Bugeja, who was brought in has replacement - and that means he’ll be riding at reserve. But he said: “I’m aiming to get my second string place back. I’ve been part of the Redcar team from the start so the club means a lot to me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to pretend I’m the saviour of Redcar or anything - but I want to play my part in getting us up top the top of the table.”
Meanwhile the Bears head to Loomer Road tonight aiming to repeat last year’s historic first ever away win there. The Potters help them to a 45-45 draw last month but since then have lost No 1 Glenn Cunningham with a broken collarbone, while former Bears reserve Jack Hargreaves has taken a break from the sport. Hargreaves’ replacement is Mildenhall loanee Jamie Smith, back in the saddle after smashing his heel in 18 places in a horror crash in April.
The Bears have reluctantly been forced to allow Mat Tresarrieu to ride for France in the European Team Championship semi-final in Croatia. Aussie Karlis Ezergailis of Rye House has been given the guest reserve booking.
POTTERS: 1 TBA, 2 Ben Barker, 3 Claus Vissing, 4 Lee Complin, 5 Rusty Harrison, 6 Barrie Evans, 7Jamie Smith.
BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Josh Auty, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 R/R for Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Arlo Bugeja, 7 Karlis Ezergailis.
SEAN Stoddart - who scored a paid 15-point maximum for Newcastle against the Bears in March - will double up with Cleveland Bays in the Conference League from next month.
IF ONLY KENNY HAD OPENED UP TO ME
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 21st July 2007
MIDDLESBROUGH Bears speedway legend Eric Boocock believes he might have been able to help prevent Kenny Carter’s tragic death - if only the former England captain had opened up to him. Boocock knew Carter - who shot dead his wife Pam in 1986 before turning the gun on himself - well. The pair rode together as team-mates at Halifax in 1983 and Carter was in the England team managed by Boocock and Colin Pratt until the time of his death. And now Booey - who began his speedway career at Cleveland Park in the 1960s and came back as part of the management team in 1996 - has given a frank and emotional insight into the life and times of the fallen star.
Boocock is one of a host of high profile speedway figures to give their view in Tragedy, a new book telling the Kenny Carter story. Carter was known to be having marriage problems prior to his death, which came just under two weeks after his appearance for England in the World Pairs semi-final at Lonigo, Italy.
“I sat with Kenny on the flight home after that meeting and listened to all the problems he had, although not any personal problems,” writes Booey, now manager of Belle Vue aces and mentor to Redcar Bears’ teenage star Josh Auty. “He was telling me how this business wasn’t going well a nd that wasn’t going right, but that he was still going to make it. He never mentioned his marriage on that flight at all though. Maybe that was part of the problem. If he could have let it out to somebody he could trust, things might have turned out different in the end. The problem with Kenny was, though, that he wouldn’t trust anybody. He was very introverted and kept everything to himself. If he’d had a shoulder to cry on maybe - and we’ll never, ever know - it wouldn’t have happened.”
Tragedy, written by leading speedway journalist and publisher Tony McDonald, gives a full and absorbing account of Carter’s life. It also features memories and opinions from those in the sport who knew Carter best, including fierce rivals Bruce Penhall and Peter Collins - and not all of them are kind to him, either!
YOU can order the book direct from the publishers, Retro Speedway, for £15.99 (post-free in the UK) by sending your cheque or postal order (payable to Retro Speedway) to them at:
Retro Speedway (Books), 103 Douglas Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1AW.
Alternatively, you can phone their Credit Card Hotline on 01708 734 502, or order it online via their
website: www.retro-speedway.com
BEAR'S MATTY BACK TO HIS BEST
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Friday 20th July 2007
WE’VE got our Matty back! Flying Frenchman Mat Tresarrieu was back to his trailblazing, crowd-pleasing best last night as Redcar Bears scored a deserved 49-41 Premier League win over Berwick. And that wasn’t the only plus point to come out of a night that saw a return to the sort of all-round team effort that characterised the Bears’ early season efforts. For teenaged debutant Greg Blair won his first ever Premier League race and never looked off the pace or overawed, while the Bears management revealed afterwards that injured 2006 rider of the year Dan Giffard is due to have a practice at Weymouth tonight and has been pencilled in to make his return in next Thursday’s visit of Birmingham.
Technically last night’s match was yet another last heat decider at South Tees Motorsports Park as the Bandits could have snatched a draw with a last heat 5-1. But that never looked a likely outcome and Gary Havelock and Tresarrieu finished first and second in that final race to make sure. Tresarrieu’s heat 15 ride, in which he passed first Jacek Rempala and then Sebastian Truminski in his inimitable spectacular style, crowned his best performance since returning from a broken collarbone in May. Using one of Havelock’s GM engines (the good news is he’s buying it now), Tresarrieu was a joy to watch and repeatedly came from behind. Unfortunately, however, Josh Auty was still feeling the effects of a swollen left wrist and burns on his left arm after crashing at King’s Lynn the previous night and took another battering when he tangled with his skipper at the start of heat six.
The biggest plus points for team boss Brian Havelock were the performances of Tresarrieu and Blair, plus that of Chris Kerr. “It will have been a bit strange for Matty switching from a Jawa to a GM, but he got the sort of score we know he can get,” said Havelock. “Chris did well and got a win too, so hopefully we’ll see more improvement from him. Greg rode very well. He scored paid five from his first match - I think I must have ridden for six months before I got a five! He’s got it and I think he could do a decent bottom end job for us.”
BEARS: Gary Havelock 13+1, Mat Tresarrieu 11+1, James Grieves 9+1, Chris Kerr 7, Josh Auty 5, Greg Blair 4+1, Arlo Bugeja 0.
BANDITS: Sebastian Truminski 9+1, Andreas Bergstrom 7, Stanislaw Burza 7, David Meldrum 6+3, Jacek Rempala 6, Michal Makovsky 5+1, Sam Martin 1+1.
STAR INTERVIEW with JOSH AUTY
By Keith McGhie of Speedway Star ~ Thursday 19th July 2007
It’s a tough call guessing who is likely to get the biggest cheer on parade before tonight’s meeting after a heady couple of days in the brief history of Redcar Speedway last week. ‘Beaucoup de felicitations’ (many congratulations) go to Mat Tresarrieu after our favourite Frenchman celebrated ‘Fête Nationale’ (Bastille Day) by winning the third and final World Longtrack Grand Prix on ‘home soil’ at Marmande, then beat Stephan Katt in a run-off to secure third place overall in the series. But your cheers last Thursday are still ringing in my ears following that magnificent comeback to gain a vital victory over high flying Somerset – all set up by the work of Josh Auty and Chris Kerr in the penultimate race. Chris rode a masterful four laps, getting out in front, then looking out for our 16-year old sensation, before timing his deceleration before the finish to perfection to allow Josh through for maximum points.
Havvy, who played no little part himself in joining James Grieves for the last heat 4-2 that sealed both league points, dubbed Josh as an “instant hero” on Teesside and I’m sure we’d all second that. The young man from West Yorkshire is not only fast and fearless on the track but speaks very eloquently about the sport he has chosen to be his career and will be in the speedway office during this evening’s interval to sign autographs.
After the dust (or more accurately sloppy shale) had settled last week, Josh enthused: “That was undoubtedly the most memorable match I’ve had so far for Redcar – the crowd just went mad when I won the tactical substitution ride. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere here when things like that happen and hopefully I can keep rising to the occasion. I’d ridden as a tactical substitute once before for Scunthorpe at Plymouth, and won, but this was the first time I’ve done it in the Premier League It was my first match in the main body of the bears’ team and didn’t start too well with a last and a fall. But the way I look at it you get at least four rides in a meeting and if you have a couple of bad ones, there’s nothing to be gained by dwelling on them – it’s better to concentrate on doing better in your remaining races. When Brian Havelock asked, I just tried to look at it as an extra ride and not worry about any pressure. I managed to get up to and around their first rider pretty quickly and then picked off the other one with a lap to go.”
“Chris must take a lot of credit for the way he rode the race as if he hadn’t got out in front and then looked for me on the last lap, we could never have pulled off the 8-1 we needed to get back into the match. He glanced sideways at me coming down the back-straight on the last lap and then eased off perfectly coming off the final bend. Conditions were dreadful after the mid-meeting downpour but they improved very quickly once it stopped raining and was pretty good by the end. It’s too early to say what will happen next year – Redcar is a brilliant place and the fans are fantastic so I’m enjoying my time there. Havvy, Grievsey, Chris, Mat (Tresarrieu) and all the other riders have been really great and I get on well with everyone – if ever have a problem they are always there to give me a hand.”
AUTY IN REDCAR BEARS FITNESS RACE
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 19th July 2007
ANXIOUS Redcar Bears are sweating on the fitness of young star Josh Auty for tonight’s Premier League clash at home to Berwick (7.30pm start). The 16-year-old whizz kid crashed during the Bears’ disappointing 61-32 defeat at King’s Lynn last night. He injured his wrist after tangling with the Stars’ Paul Lee in heat 11 at the Norfolk Arena, as a bad night for the Bears got even worse. Boss Brian Havelock is hoping that Auty - whose last-to-first burst from a 15 metre handicap teed up his team for a dramatic late win against Somerset last week - will be fit to line-up against the Bandits this evening.
But he admitted: “We might have to use rider replacement or find a guest. His wrist is swollen but he’s got some grip - we’ll just have to see how it goes.” By the time Auty was excluded for his part in the crash in the already once re-run heat 11 last night, the Bears were already 43-17 down. There was no sign of what was to follow early on when skipper Gary Havelock and Auty roared to a 5-1 over Tomas Topinka and Chris Mills in the opening race. But that was as good as it got for the visitors. King’s Lynn rattled off a total of seven 5-1s over the course of the night and, with Daniel Nermark scoring a faultless 15-point maximum, showed just why they are top of the Premier League and in a strong position to defend their title.
Havelock - who picked up double points from his tactical ride in that eventful heat 11 - and Auty were the only riders to seriously trouble the hosts, although Chris Kerr found form near the end when he passed James Brundle to take a well-earned second place in heat 13. “We started like a steam train,” lamented Havelock snr. “But then they got five 5-1s in the first seven heats. Unfortunately we struggled at reserve again and two or three of our riders didn’t perform to their potential.”
Darren Mallett was drafted in at reserve after Ashley Johnson was forced to pull out due to work commitments, while Benji Compton bagged a paid nine return from King’s Lynn’s No 7 berth. Compton had been due to guest for the Bears tonight but is now ineligible because he has signed for the Stars. Instead Havelock is handing a Premier League debut to Scottish teenager Greg Blair who is having an outstanding season for Cleveland Bays. Blair scored 13 points in last night’s Greggs North-west Belle Vue Junior Championship at Kirkmanshulme Lane and was beaten by Andrew Tully in a run-off for second place. The meeting was won by Joe Haines while Martin Emerson fell in his first race and took no further part while Rusty Hodgson scored two.
Meanwhile Havelock will be looking for an improved performance from his Bears side against the bandits at South Tees Motorsports Park. “We need to bounce back,” he said. “I’ve said in the past that teams due to visit us look weaker and that we should beat them, but I’ve been proved wrong!”
STARS: Daniel Nermark 15, Tomas Topinka 11, Benji Compton 8+1, James Brundle 7+2, Chris Mills 7+2, Trevor Harding 7+2, Paul Lee 6.
BEARS: Gary Havelock 15, Josh Auty 5+2, James Grieves 4, Chris Kerr 3, Mat Tresarrieu 2+1, Arlo Bugeja 2, Darren Mallett 1.
Tonight’s teams:
BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Josh Auty, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Arlo Bugeja, 7 Greg Blair.
BANDITS: 1 Sebastian Truminski, 2 Andreas Bergstrom, 3 Jacek Rempala, 4 Stanislaw Burza, 5 Michal Makovsky, 6 Sam Martin, 7 David Meldrum.
BEARS SKIPPER CONFIDENT OF UPSETTING KING'S LYNN
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Wednesday 18th July 2007
DON’T be overawed - we can spring a surprise! That was the message from skipper Gary Havelock today as Redcar Bears prepared to visit Premier League champions and current table-toppers King’s Lynn tonight. For, although the Stars appear well-placed to defend their title, Havvy is convinced they can stop them in their tracks at the Norfolk Arena this evening. The Bears went down 59-33 there in the Premier League KO Cup earlier this year, but it was Mat Tresarrieu’s first meeting back after injury and there was no Josh Auty in the visiting septet.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t go there and get something out of the match,” insisted former world champion Havvy, who swapped his kevlars for a football kit last weekend to play for Luther Blissett’s Celebrity XI against AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court. “King’s Lynn certainly aren’t the team they were last year. Their top two are going well, but they haven’t got the same strength in depth.”
The full-time addition of Auty to the Bears team has given added strength as well as excitement - to the line-up and Havvy is a big fan of the 16-year-old crowd-pleaser. Auty underlined what a talent he is by blasting from a 15-metre handicap to score a crucial double points win as a tac sub and tee up Havelock and Grieves to secure a last-gasp victory over Somerset Rebels last Thursday. “He was phenomenal,” enthused Havvy. “I said to him after the race ‘you’ve just made yourself a hero on Teesside - they’ll be talking about that for years here’. That’s why I think we’ve got to go to King’s Lynn believing we can get something.”
Among the riders aiming to prove Havvy wrong is Benji Compton, a regular choice as guest reserve who had been linked with a permanent move to South Tees Motorsports Park after being axed by Berwick, but has now joined the Stars. Teessider Ashley Johnson steps up from the Cleveland Bays to take the Bears’ No 7 jacket, while Compton guests in that position in tomorrow’s home match with Berwick. Tresarrieu returns to the Bears side after missing the last two matches because of longtrack commitments. The French star won last weekend’s round at Marmande, then beat Stefan Katt in a run-off to clinch third place in the final world championship standings.
STARS: 1 Tomas Topinka, 2 Chris Mills, 3 Daniel Nermark, 4 Trevor Harding, 5 Paul Lee, 6 James Brundle, 7 Benji Compton.
BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Josh Auty, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Arlo Bugeja, 7 Ashley Johnson.
BLANK WEEKEND FOR THE BAYS
By Steve Harland ~ Tuesday 17th July 2007
THE horrendous weather put paid to any prospect of the ‘Burnt Tree’ Bays match against Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire going ahead last Sunday afternoon. Thankfully the call-off was made before the team travelled south though no news of a new date has yet been finalised. The Bays will probably be grateful for the postponement as they were minus heat leader Adam McKinna (broken collarbone and shoulder blade) and Martin Emerson.
Emerson, who top scored in the recent Conference League match against Boston at the Norfolk Arena is only 50/50 for the clash against Stoke Spitfires having damaged his knee ligaments in the Knockout Cup match against Boston. The ‘Burnt Tree’ Bays travel to Staffordshire next Wednesday evening to face the Stoke Spitfires defending a 21-point lead and that all important aggregate bonus point may prove crucial in the final reckoning. The Spitfires have several riders in their side who have connections with the club and will be led by former Redcar Bears rider Jack Hargreaves. The meeting commences at Loomer Road at 7.30pm.
‘BURNT TREE’ BAYS line-up: 1 Mark Burrows; 2 Rusty Hodgson; 3 Gary Beaton; 4 Ashley Johnson; 5 Steve Jones; 6 Martin Emerson (if fit); 7 Greg Blair. David Wallinger is on standby if Emerson can’t ride.
* APPEARING in the second half races last week were a few new names competing against the regular Thursday night performers. Ampleforth-based David Wallinger did his chances of a permanent team place a lot of good with a superb victory against Rusty Hodgson, though Hodgson repaid the compliment next time out. New names to appear included Danny Hodgson, who comes from the Manchester area, and Jamie Swales, from Ingelby Arncliffe. Swales is the brother of former Cleveland Bays rider, Jonathan, whose father Tony appeared at Middlesbrough in the early 1970s and who had a brief spell with the Newcastle Gems four years ago. Another new name was that of Guy Kendrew who comes from Stokesley but rides for the Stoke Spitfires. Kendrew only took the sport up in October last year after witnessing it at Redcar for the first time last year. He turned up at training sessions at Stoke over the winter and made such an immediate impression he was offered a contract with the Staffordshire based club. He hesitated at the line in his first race but made a superb gate in his next outing, what a shame the race was stopped due to an accident. The Bays management will be hoping Kendrew isn’t the one that got away. No doubt a point he will be trying to prove when he rides against the Bays next Wednesday.
* HALFWAY through the season and the rider averages demonstrate the tremendous progress teenage reserve Greg Blair is making. The Jedbergh-based youngster, in his first full season currently lies second in the averages only captain, Mark Burrows heads him. Gary Beaton remains a solid middle order performer whilst Martin Emerson continues to make steady if not spectacular progress. The only rider not really performing to his potential is Rusty Hodgson who really needs to knuckle down and produce some form. Of the rest Adam McKinna and Ashley Johnson are producing what was expected but Steve Jones disappointed on his recent comeback against Boston at King’s Lynn. Looking to the future both David Wallinger and Kye Norton will be looking for every chance to get opportunities to clinch a team place in 2008.
TRESARRIEU TRIUMPHS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 16th July 2007
The Redcar Bears speedway fans will welcome their French rider Mathieu Tresarrieu onto the pre-match parade on Thursday evening with an extra-special cheer after the 21-year-old won the final round of the World Longtrack Championship at Marmande in his native country last Friday. Mathieu passed World Champion Gerd Riss of Germany on the last bend of the A-Final to send his countrymen delirious. This set Mathieu up for a run-off with Stefan Katt of the Somerset Rebels and Germany for the position of World Number Three in the overall World Longtrack Championship itself. That duly achieved the Redcar Bear becomes the first Frenchman in the sport's history to both win a World Championship Round and appear on the World Championship podium.
Germany's veteran Riss won his sixth world title with Joonas Kylmakorpi of the Arena-Essex Hammers and Finland as runner-up. With Mathieu as one of the youngest world class riders then there is a growing expectation that Teesside could one day be celebrating another 'Champion du Monde' as it did when Bears club captain Gary Havelock won the World Individual Speedway Championship in his prime.
KERR TO LINE UP AGAINST BEST
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Monday 16th July 2007
JUST over a fortnight ago Chris Kerr was at the Millennium Stadium marvelling at Chris Harris’ incredible British Grand Prix win. Tonight the popular Redcar Bears star will be aiming to beat him. For Kerr has been included in the USA side for this evening’s Event Two of the World Cup at Coventry. Blocking Kerr’s way to a dream date in the final at Smoczyk Stadium, Leszno, on Saturday are Russia, Sweden and a Great Britain side spearheaded by GP hero Harris and fellow Bees star Scott Nicholls.
“It’s a bit overwhelming when you think of the guys I’m going to be up against,” admitted Kerr. “Look at Chris Harris - he’s just won the British GP! But when you’re at the line you can’t think about that. You can’t think about who’s next to you, you’ve just got to think ‘I can beat that guy’. That’s how I’m going to go into it - it’s good experience.”
The winners of this evening’s meeting - which will be shown live on Sky - go straight through to the final, with the second and third-placed finishers getting another chance in the race-off, also at Leszno, on Thursday. And, even if he misses out on qualification, the 23-year-old Californian knows his inclusion in the side can only do him good. For as well as riding against some of the world’s top riders, he’ll also be riding with one - 1997 world champion Greg Hancock, currently third in the GP standings. “You get plenty of advice from him about different situations and get to see how he carries himself in a big meeting like that,” said crowd pleaser Kerr. “It’s good to be around him. I’ll just take everything I can away from there.”
Kerr didn’t have the ideal build-up to tonight’s big meeting - he blew an engine in Thursday’s Bears v Somerset clash. “It’s the second one I’ve had this year,” said Kerr, who also had a spell on the casualty list earlier this season after suffering facial injuries in a crash at South Tees Motorsports Park. “They both basically destroyed the engine - and that means I’ve got to buy a brand new one. All these rain-offs haven’t helped and that just digs me even deeper. Hopefully it will all catch up in the end, but it’s hard times right now really.”
Reigning champions Denmark dominated Event One of the World Cup on their home shale at Vojens. They booked their place in the final, leaving Poland and Australia to scrap it out in the race-off, while Finland were eliminated.
# YESTERDAY’S scheduled Scunthorpe Scorpions v Cleveland Bays Conference League match was called off due to heavy rain.
No restaging date has yet been agreed.
BANDITS REVIVAL SHOULD SEE ANOTHER CLOSE ENCOUNTER By Redcar Speedway ~ Monday 16th July 2007
With Bears' fans still getting their breath back after last Thursday's last gasp victory over a Somerset team who had led throughout the heats leading up to the heat 15 decider - then more excitement is due at the South Tees Motorsport Park this Thursday evening at 7.30pm as a revamped Berwick team arrive for action. Since the acquisition of Sebastian Truminski from the LK Lublin club in Poland plus the reintroduction of Bandits stalwart David Meldrum at reserve - the Border team has started tasting victory as Newcastle and Rye House have found to their cost. The cosmopolitan team looks very solid with Truminski and Meldrum scoring very well in particular.
The Bears will be bouyed up by the outstanding performances of Josh Auty and Chris Kerr in heat fourteen of last week's match plus Gary Havelock and James Grieves in that last-heat decider. 16-year-old Auty came from a 15 metre handicap as a tactical substitute to win the heat with American Kerr riding most intelligently to dictate the pace of the race and then allow his partner past as they made the run for the chequered flag. With a tantalising one point deficit to overcome - Havelock hit the front whilst partner James Grieves kept League Riders' Champion Magnus Zetterstrom busy in a battle for second spot. The eventual 4-2 meant a 47-46 victory for the Bears in the sixth last-heat decider of 2007 played out before a healthy and enthusiastic attendance.
REDCAR BEARS:
1. Gary Havelock (C), 2. Josh Auty, 3. James Grieves, 4. Chris Kerr, 5. Matthieu Tresarrieu, 6. Arlo Bugeja, 7. To be announced
BERWICK BANDITS:
1. Sebastian Truminski, 2. Andreas Bergstrom, 3. Jacek Rempala, 4. Stanislaw Burza, 5. Michal Makovsky (C), 6. Sam Martin, 7. David Meldrum
The club will start their weekly 'Meet a rider' sessions outside the speedway office from this Thursday evening - usually during the interval. First rider to be available to meet the fans for autographs and photo sessions will be young Josh Auty. The matchday programme will include a portrait of Josh plus space for his autograph to be penned.
BAYS EAGER TO AVOID SCORPIONS' STING
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 14th July 2007
CLEVELAND Bays have the unenviable task of visiting all-conquering Scunthorpe Scorpions in the Conference League tomorrow. And, to make matters worse, manager Jason Pipe isn’t even able to field his first choice team! Reigning champions Scunthorpe are bang on course to retain their title this season. They are a formidable outfit around their Normanby Road track and also romped to a 68-24 victory at Sittingbourne recently - the biggest ever away win in British speedway. Josh Auty has clearly outgrown the Conference League arena, as he showed by starring in Redcar Bears’ dramatic win over Somerset on Thursday, but continues to spearhead the Scorpions side. The rest of the team are no slouches either, and former Bays whizz kid Joe Haines gives them a sting in the tail at No 7.
But Pipe must go to Lincolnshire without both Martin Emerson and Adam McKinna. Emerson aggravated an old ligament injury against Boston last week - where he gave his best ever performance - while the luckless McKinna broke a shoulderblade and collarbone riding for Newcastle. On top of that, Steve Jones is unavailable so the rider replacement rule is used. “Everyone’s finding it tough going to Scunthorpe,” admitted Pipe, “so I’m just hoping we can give a good account of ourselves. Most teams have struggled to get 30 points against them there this season, so if we can do that it will make the score respectable. It also gives Greg Blair and Buzz Burrows a chance to weigh up the track ahead of the Conference League Pairs there a week later.”
SCORPIONS: 1 Josh Auty, 2 Byron Bekker, 3 Andrew Tully, 4 Scott Anderson, 5 James Cockle, 6 Scott Richardson, 7 Joe Haines.
BAYS: 1 Mark Burrows, 2 Rusty Hodgson, 3 Gary Beaton, 4 Paul Burnett, 5 R/R for Steven Jones, 6 David Wallinger, 7 Greg Blair, 8 Kye Norton.
REDCAR BEARS IN THRILLER
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Friday 13th July 2007
NEVER-SAY-DIE Redcar Bears pulled off a sensational 47-46 victory over Premier League leaders Somerset Rebels last night in the most dramatic way imaginable. In the most thrilling climax since speedway returned to Teesside - and we’ve already had a bucketload of them this year - the Bears trailed 43-35 with just two races remaining. But a tactical master stroke by manager Brian Havelock and true grit by his riders turned the match on its head. The Bears hadn’t ridden since visiting Rye House 11 days earlier, while the weather had been kinder to their visitors. As a result, the Rebels looked sharper out of the traps early on and led from the moment they scored an opening heat 4-2 until Gary Havelock and James Grieves pulled it out of the bag for the Bears in the last heat.
The visitors were never allowed to get too far in front, but you sensed Redcar’s chance might have gone when Chris Kerr shed a chain on the final lap of heat nine while heading for a 5-1 with Grieves. The unfortunate Kerr had already blown an engine earlier in the night. But boss Havelock was having none of it and, for heat 14, he threw in Josh Auty as a tactical substitute. Auty had made a frustrating start to his first match in the top five, finishing last in a tough first race then falling while trying to cut inside Ritchie Hawkins and Danny Warwick next time out. But he looked every inch a star in his next three rides and was picked out by Havelock as the man to spark the rescue mission. Starting from a 15-metre handicap and with his points counting double, he made a stunning charge from last to first, with leader Kerr moving over on the final lap to allow him a maximum six-point haul.
Still there was work to be done, with Havvy jnr and Grieves facing the formidable Magnus Zetterstrom and Emil Kramer in the nominated riders’ shoot-out. Havelock gated and snuffed out Zetterstrom while Grieves kept Kramer - who had dropped only one point from his four other rides - at bay to clinch the 4-2 they needed to snatch victory and send South Tees Motorsports Park wild with delight.
“That was brilliant,” beamed Havelock snr. “We hadn’t led all night but the black and white helmet worked wonders. I thought it would be better to put Josh in heat 14 rather than a reserve because we know he can pass. That’s exactly what he did - and Chris rode a good race, too, to know Josh was just behind him. It was a big ask from Josh in heat one - he’s never been there in this sort of level so it’s important to give him time. The other thing is that Somerset raced the previous night and we hadn’t raced for nearly a fortnight. They were match fit and that showed in the first five or six heats - bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. They couldn’t stop trapping and that’s what was beating us. I realised when Zetterstrom beat James in heat five that James was quicker but he was behind because of the first bend. I’m over the moon - that’s the way we need to finish.”
BEARS: Josh Auty 14, James Grieves 14, Gary Havelock 11+2, Chris Kerr 4+2, Arlo Bugeja 2, Benji Compton 2, R/R for Mat Tresarrieu.
REBELS: Magnus Zetterstrom 11+1, Emil Kramer 11, Ritchie Hawkins 8, Simon Walker 7+1, Danny Warwick 6+3, Jordan Frampton 3+1, R/R for Stefan Katt.
# CLEVELAND Bays youngster Greg Blair reached the semi-finals of last night’s Top Gun individual meeting at Sheffield, winning three times along the way.
AUTY STEPS UP
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette ~ Thursday 12th July 2007
TEENAGE whizz kid Josh Auty steps into the main body of the Redcar Bears team for the first time tonight. The 16-year-old starlet has made rapid strides since making his Premier League debut for the Bears earlier this season. He has rapidly outgrown his reserve berth and, with the publication of the new averages, moves up to No 2 for tonight’s PL clash with Somerset Rebels at South Tees Motorsports Park (7.30pm start). Arlo Bugeja moves in the opposite direction and pulls on the No 6 jacket. Having Auty at reserve meant he was able to take additional rides - and he frequently did - but that luxury is no longer an option now he is in the top five.
But Auty’s rise was inevitable and team manager Brian Havelock believes it will provide an opportunity to gauge exactly how far the youngster is progressing in terms of mixing it with the league’s top riders. “It’s going to be a decent yardstick to see how Josh can perform at that level,” he said. “We’ll also see what Arlo is capable of now he’s at reserve.” Bugeja had an unrealistic assessed five- point average foisted upon him when he was drafted in for his first taste of Premier League action in place of the injured Dan Giffard. And although he has - not unexpectedly - failed to weigh in with any big scores, he rarely looked off the pace. A spell at reserve could be exactly what he needs and he must have a good chance of picking up points from heat two. Bugeja is joined at reserve by Benji Compton. “He’s just had his engine done and he’s itching to get out there,” said Havelock. “He was disappointed last week’s meeting was rained off.”
Compton, like Auty, rides for Scunthorpe in the Conference League. But he has yet to be fixed up with a Premier League team since being axed by Berwick and has been a regular choice as guest reserve by the Bears. “He is a Conference rider and a three-point man which means we can call on his services,” explained Havelock. “We can’t use him within eight days at home, though, so he can’t ride next week.”
Mat Tresarrieu and Somerset’s Stephan Katt are both away in France on World Longtrack Championship duty, so both sides will operate the rider replacement rule. Tresarrieu’s average is 7.3 so everyone bar skipper Gary Havelock is eligible to take one of his rides. Table-topping Somerset have already won at Mildenhall, Stoke, Glasgow and Berwick in the league this season and the absence of Katt may not be such a big blow to them - he only scored one point from four rides in last year’s corresponding fixture.
BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Josh Auty, 3 James Grieves, 4 Chris Kerr, 5 R/R for Mat Tresarrieu, 6 Arlo Bugeja, 7 Benji Compton.
REBELS: 1 Magnus Zetterstrom, 2 R/R for Stefan Katt, 3 Emil Kramer, 4 Jordan Frampton, 5 Ritchie Hawkins, 6 Simon Walker, 7 Danny Warwick.
BAYS RESTRICT BARRACUDAS
By Steve Harland ~ Wednesday 11th July 2007
THE Cleveland Bays came back from Norfolk last Friday evening in a positive mood having restricted the Boston Barracudas to a slender |
