LATEST NEWS ~ AUGUST 2006

GO GET 'EM!
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Thursday 31st August 2006
Go out there and get revenge - with interest! That's what team boss Brian Havelock will tell his Redcar Bears riders before tonight's crucial Premier League clash with Workington (7.30pm start). The Comets claimed a 49-42 Premier Trophy win at South Tees Motorsports Park when they visited in May - but Havelock has made it clear there can be no repeat. The Bears have slipped to seventh place in the Premier League table and, with the top eight going into the play-offs, Havelock is determined not to see his side slip out of the reckoning.

The return match in Cumbria takes place on Saturday night, and Havelock wants his troops to go there in pole position for the bonus point, awarded for aggregate victory. "We need to get three points from these fixtures or we're not going to get into the play-offs," he warned. "Getting five points might be asking a bit much, but asking for three certainly isn't. Workington are just behind us in the table and, like Newcastle, they've got matches in hand and we don't want them overtaking us. We'll be having a pre-meeting talk and I'll be trying to get the lads fully motivated. We have got to get a big score and demoralise them so that we get the bonus point on Saturday."

It has been over a week since the Bears' last match and Havelock believes the rest will have done his teem good. On top of that his son Gary, the team skipper, arrives on the back of a 15-point maximum for his Russian League team MegaLada on Tuesday. "The lads should all be fresh after the break," he said, "and Gary will be full of confidence after his meeting in Russia."

The Comets show two changes to the team which came to Teesside in May. Rusty Harrison has been recalled after leaving Edinburgh while Alan Mogridge joined them recently after leaving Stoke. Interestingly both newcomers scored five points on their previous visits with their former clubs while Paul Thorp and Richie Hawkins, the men to make way, both notched nine-point totals in the Comets' Premier Trophy win.

Bears: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Chris Kerr, 3 Kevin Little, 4 Mat Tresarrieu, 5 Tomas Suchanek, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Dan Giffard.
Comets: 1 Gary Stead, 2 Alan Mogridge, 3 Tomasz Piszcz, 4 Rusty Harrison, 5 James Wright, 6 Ben Powell, 7 Aiden Collins.

# The annual Speedway Riders' Benevolent Fund collection will take place during the interval tonight.

# This evening's main event is followed by a six-heat mini-match between the Cleveland Bays and Belle Vue Colts.
 

BEARS SNAP UP TEEN STAR JOE
~ By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Wednesday 30th August 2006
One of British speedway's most exciting young prospects is to sign for the Redcar Bears.
Joe Haines - winner of the recent British Under-15 Championship round at the Isle of Wight - made a big impression on Bears promoter Chris van Straaten - and everyone else when he came to South Tees Motorsports Park for an after-meeting spin recently.

Van Straaten has always stressed the importance of a strong youth policy since bringing back speedway to Teesside in April - and now he has confirmed the youngster will sign a contract when he turns 15 next month. He is not eligible to race at Conference level until he's 15 but, as soon as he does, he will go into the Cleveland Bays squad - the Bears' junior team - for their remaining Conference Shield matches. It is hoped that by the time he is 16 - the minimum age to race in the Premier League - Haines will be knocking on the door of the Bears team.

THE Bays' duo of Paul Burnett (10pts) and Teessider Jitendra Duffill (2pts) failed to make it to the knockout stages of Monday's (Monday) Conference League Pairs Championship at Scunthorpe, finishing a point above wooden spoonists Newport in Group B.

FANS on Teesside are in for the rare treat of Saturday afternoon speedway next month. The Cleveland Bays will stage a Conference Shield double header at South Tees Motorsports Park on September 16, with the first match, against Sittingbourne Crusaders, starting at 3pm and a second fixture, against Weymouth Wildcats, starting at 5pm.

Boro are away to Bolton that afternoon so the meetings will not clash with any action at the nearby Riverside Stadium.
 

STAR INTERVIEW DAN GIFFARD
~ With Keith McGhie of Speedway Star magazine Tuesday 29th August 2006
Bears flying reserve Dan Giffard has been in demand across all three tiers of British speedway recently. Dan has regularly been hitting double figures in the Premier League wearing a Redcar race-jacket and made his fifth appearance of the season in the Elite League – for hometown club Eastbourne at Coventry - on Monday.

Most of you would have witnessed his scintillating 21-point maximum when the Cleveland Bays made their Conference Shield bow here at the South Tees Motorsports Park last Thursday – performance that graphically demonstrated how far the 22-year old has come since choosing to race on Teesside during the winter.

“I’m not sure what the reason is,” pondered Dan. “I changed back to Jawa frames, Sean Wilson has been doing my engines and Havvy has been giving me a lot of help and encouragement but mostly I think it’s that I’m enjoying it at Redcar – the set-up is good and I feel really comfortable there. “I’ve sorted the travelling out better, either staying at the Bluebell Hotel or with Brian Havelock when we have two or more meetings together up here. And without doubt the Premier League has dragged me on because I’m with better riders and that pulls me up to their level.”

A couple of weeks ago Bears young Sussex star notched a creditable four points at Elite League Arena Essex and was probably as pleased to win heat two at the higher level as run unstoppably through the card in last Thursday’s eventful Conference Shield match against Scunthorpe.

While Dan rolled off six blistering wins, including a sensational last to first within a lap off a 15-metre handicap as a tactical substitute, the thrills were almost matched by the number of spills, with unfortunately several casualties. Dan justifiably points out: “Although I’m delighted to help the club out and ride for the Bays, I’m ambitious and the Conference is not where I want to be. The problem is, with the control that some of the riders have, I’ve only got to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and I could end up getting seriously hurt.

Sean Wilson said the other week that the trouble is that I’m now a target in the Conference League and he’s right. “The likes of Josh Auty want to be in the Premier League also, so I’m the rider he wants to beat and he’ll give everything to do it. It was the same for me last year when I was a regular in the Conference – an established Premier League rider would come down to Weymouth and I’d try everything to beat him. I’ve been there and done it… and even wiped my own team-mates out in the process and now I’m conscious that that could happen to me!"
 

REDCAR BEARS FACE REVITALISED WORKINGTON
~ Monday 28th August 2006
With a play-off system introduced into Premier League speedway this season the Redcar Bears find themselves in with every chance of staying in the top eight but battling to stay in the top four - where teams will enjoy the right of selection over their opposing team.

Under all circumstances this is a great achievement for a team predicted to be in the bottom two by all the sport's pundits but the Bears have some tough fixtures to contemplate as they surge towards the finishing line in the Premier League proper.

This Thursday at 7.30pm at the South Tees Motorsport Park, off South Bank Road, Middlesbrough the Bears take on a Workington Comets side who were victorious in a Premier Trophy match at the venue in May and have make two interesting team changes in recent weeks. The Comets have recalled their own rider asset Rusty Harrison after he left Edinburgh Monarchs in controversial circumstances plus signed up veteran Alan Mogridge after he was recently released by Stoke Potters. These acquisitions have certainly strengthened the Cumbrian side as they lend support to riders such as Gary Stead and Tomasz Pisczc who have proved to be very effective scorers at the Motorpark.

Bears' team manager Brian Havelock will be emphasising that all the home riders have to be at the top of their game if the points gathering momentum is to continue.

The Bears travel to Derwent Park in Workington for the return on the Saturday evening with a clear indication of the opportunity to claim a vital aggregate bonus point- so a victory is,of course, a priority at home on Thursday but a reasonable margin will be sought too.

So a make or break 48 hours for Redcar and with a large influx of travelling fans expected at the Motorpark - local fans are advised to arrive early to claim their favourite viewing spot.
 

BAYS ARE GUNNED DOWN BY HITMEN
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Monday 28th August 2006
Please be patient - that was the plea from the Cleveland Bays camp after their 70-20 drubbing at Buxton yesterday. Without Redcar Bears first teamers Dan Giffard and Jack Hargreaves who spearheaded them against Scunthorpe last Thursday, the Bays were given a harsh lesson by the Hitmen in their first Conference Shield match on the road.

It had all started so brightly with an opening heat 4-2 victory by Paul Burnett and Maurice Crang over Scott James and Danny Hodgson. Once the home side hit back in the second race, however, there was no looking back. The Hitmen romped to 5-1 wins in 13 of the next 14 races, and were only denied the other maximum heat victory when Jack Roberts' engine died while second to team-mate Adam Roynon coming out of the final bend in heat four.

To add to the Bays' misery, Steven Jones blew an engine while Paul Burnett suffered from bike problems too and Rusty Hodgson fell while leading heat 12. Team manager Jason Pipe's team selection plans had been seriously hit by injury and unavailabilities and he was forced to use rider replacement in place of Dan Giffard. That proved to be something of a disaster with the Bays failing to register a finish, let alone a point, from the R/R facility.

But despite the doom and gloom of the result, there were some positive signs. The Bays are newcomers to Conference level racing and the bulk of yesterday's side have very little experience. Martin Emerson had never ridden a speedway bike a year ago, Hodgson only took up the sport in June 2005 while reserve Greg Blair is still just 15. All of them have come a long way in a short space of time and Pipe is convinced their improvement will continue.

"Out of a squad of 13 riders I only had six to pick from yesterday," he revealed. "I had to make the best of a bad job and I'm really pleased with all the riders who turned out for us. I was particularly pleased with Greg Blair who got quicker as the meeting went on. A couple of weeks ago he couldn't lay a bike down but he did it when he needed to yesterday, so it goes to show that he's learning fast."

HITMEN: Ben Taylor 11+4, Jack Roberts 11+1, Lewis Dallaway 11+1, Scott James 11, Charles Wright 10+2, Danny Hodgson 6+3.

BAYS: Paul Burnett 6, Greg Blair 4+1, Rusty Hodgson 4, Maurice Crang 2, Steven Jones 2, Martin Emerson 2, Dan Giffard R/R.

STEVE Jones' engine problems forced him to withdraw from today's Conference League Pairs Championship at Scunthorpe. Teessider Jitendra Duffill was drafted in to partner Paul Burnett instead.
 

TOUGH TEST AWAITING THE BAYS
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette, Saturday 26th August 2006
Braced for a tough match - that's the Cleveland Bays as they prepare for their first away fixture in the Conference Shield tomorrow. The Bays went down by a single point at home to Scunthorpe on Thursday and they can expect to be shown no mercy by Buxton Hitmen tomorrow (3pm start).

For a start they will be without Dan Giffard and Jack Hargreaves who scored 31 of their 45 points against Scunthorpe. They will also be minus Karl Langley who broke one bone in his shoulder and fractured another in a crash last Thursday. And, on top of that, the Buxton track is not the easiest to get to grips with.

"It's going to be a tough match," said Bays team manager Jason Pipe. "It's a tricky track and no-one like's going there. It's a bit like an egg-shape. The first and second bends are pointed and you can easily drift wide there. The home riders are used to it so they'll dive inside. There's a big home track advantage."

Paul Burnett will have a key role to play for the Bays having ridden at Buxton for several years. "He only left because he was squeezed out by the gradings," explained Pipe, "so we are looking for a big score from him."

Buxton are not without their problems as No 1 Jonathan Bethell is ruled out with a broken wrist. They are expected to promote one of their younger riders in his place.

HITMEN: 1 TBC, 2 Ben Taylor, 3 Charles Wright, 4 Adam Roynon, 5 Scott James, 6 Lewis Dallaway, 7 Jack Roberts.
BAYS: 1 Paul Burnett, 2 Maurice Crang, 3 Dan Giffard R/R, 4 Rusty Hodgson, 5 Steve Jones, 6 Martin Emerson, 7 Greg Blair.
 

BAYS NARROW LOSS
~ Martin Neal Evening Gazette, Friday 25th August 2006
Oh so close! Cleveland Bays went down by a single point in their Conference Shield curtain raiser against Scunthorpe last night after a controversial last heat exclusion. The Bays had clawed their way back from a ten-point deficit to go ahead for the first time after the 13th race of an eventful match. But they were behind again after a bizarre heat 14 when only visiting second string Andrew Tully finished - Rusty Hodgson having pulled out with a snapped chain while leading. That left the scores at 44-42 to the Scorpions with all to play for going into the nominated riders' race. The Bays were represented by Jack Hargreaves and the immaculate Dan Giffard who were drafted in from the club's senior team, Redcar Bears, for the match.

And the pair looked set to clinch the points with a 5-1 until Scunthorpe's teen sensation Josh Auty dived inside Hargreaves on the fourth bend. There appeared to be contact as Hargreaves fell, but referee Craig Ackroyd excluded the Bays rider from the re-run. Giffard went on to complete a flawless six-ride maximum, followed home by Auty.

And, with Tully failing to get any further than the start line, the Bays' 3-2 heat win left the final score 46-45 to the Scorpions. Scunthorpe team boss Kenny Smith, from Leven, insisted the referee was right to exclude Hargreaves and said: "It was hard riding but I didn't think he touched him. "It was just racing."

The Bays camp disagreed, however, and junior development officer Steve Harland complained: "He took Jack's front wheel away. He came underneath him and took him out."

Giffard, predictably, was the star of the show, taking his blistering Premier League form into South Tees Motorsports Park's first foray into Conference level racing. The highlight was in heat 12 when he came out as a tactical double substitute off a handicap of 15 metres. He roared to the front and stayed there to spearhead an 8-1 heat win with Paul Burnett over Scott Richardson and Byron Bekker to slash the gap from 38-30 to 39-38. Three times Giffard got the better of Auty - but he was the only rider to lower his colours.

The Scorpions have the most powerful squad at Conference level - but even they found themselves stretched at the end. Already without Benji Compton, Tai Woffinden and Richie Dennis, they had Mike Pickering taken to hospital with a suspected broken thigh after tangling with Karl Langley in heat three, and Wayne Carter ruled out of the end of the meeting with a recurrence of his recent ankle injury. The overworked medical crew also had to treat Langley who fell twice and landed on the shoulder he injured at Sheffield recently. He, too, had to call an early halt to his involvement in the meeting and is out of the Bays' trip to Buxton on Sunday.

BAYS: Dan Giffard 21, Jack Hargreaves 10, Rusty Hodgson 7, Paul Burnett 6+1, Martin Emerson 1+1, Maurice Crang 0, Karl Langley 0.
SCORPIONS: Josh Auty 15, Andrew Tully 9+1, Byron Bekker 8+3, Wayne Carter 8, Scott Richardson 6+1, Mike Pickering 0, Richie Dennis R/R.
 

JACK IN FOR THE BAYS
Martin Neal, Evening Gazette, Thursday 24th August 2006
Out-of-form Jack Hargreaves can use tonight's historic Conference Shield clash at South Tees Motorsports Park as a springboard to success in the Premier League. That's the view of Redcar Bears promoter Chris van Straaten who has seen the talented Midlander's confidence ebb away recently. Hargreaves has struggled for points since scoring paid eight at Stoke in early July and failed to get off the mark at the Isle of Wight on Tuesday.

But he is included in the Cleveland Bays side - the Bears' second team - for their first ever Conference Shield fixture against Scunthorpe Scorpions at South Tees Motorsports Park tonight (7.30pm start). And van Straaten believes it will do him a power of good. "Jack had another disappointing night on Tuesday," said van Straaten. "He needs to start seeing a few chequered flags again, and hopefully riding for the Cleveland Bays will do that. A few wins will boost his confidence."

The Conference League is the third tier of British speedway and is aimed at nurturing up-and-coming talent. The Conference Shield features Scunthorpe, Buxton and Stoke who all competed in the league this term, along with Sittingbourne, Weymouth and the Bays. The Bays have ridden a number of second half mini-matches and a challenge match at Scunthorpe, but tonight's meeting will be their first competitive fixture.

As well as tracking a competitive and entertaining Premier League side, one of van Straaten's main aims when he brought speedway back to Teesside after a ten-year absence this season was to discover and develop new talent. The rebirth of the Bays - who operated alongside the Boro Bears in the 1990s - is seen as a major part of that plan.

Hargreaves is one of three members of the Bears side who came home from Premier League leaders Glasgow with the bonus point on Sunday in action tonight. The others are fellow Bears reserve Dan Giffard, who is in the form of his life, and Rusty Hodgson, who replaced the absent Mat Tresarrieu at the Ashfield Stadium

The side is completed by Maurice Crang, the nephew of former Boro Bears rider Mark Crang; Paul Burnett, whose dad Dave was a Cleveland Park second-halfer in the 1960s; Karl Langley and Martin Emerson whose father Alan rode at Cleveland Park in the 1970s.

Tonight's visitors are top of the Conference league table and thrashed Buxton 67-25 in their Shield opener on Monday. They boast Josh Auty, one of the most exciting teenagers in speedway, although they will be without the unavailable Tai Woffinden, Benji Compton and Richie Dennis. They are spearheaded by former Boro Bears rider Wayne Carter and managed by Kenny Smith from Leven.

Admission prices are reduced to £10 for adults and £5 for concessions with under 16s admitted free. There is also a free racecard.

Bays: 1 Jack Hargreaves, 2 Maurice Crang, 3 Paul Burnett, 4 Karl Langley, 5 Dan Giffard, 6 Martin Emerson, 7 Rusty Hodgson.

Scorpians: 1 Wayne Carter, 2 Andrew Tully, 3 Michael Pickering, 4 Richie Dennis R/R, 5 Josh Auty, 6 Scott Richardson, 7 Byron Bekker.
 

BURNING RUBBER!
Martin Neal Evening Gazette, Wednesday 23rd August 2006
Battling Redcar Bears' bid for another Premier League bonus point went up in smoke last night - literally! They were pipped to an overall victory over the Isle of Wight after Kevin Little's bike caught fire at the tapes. It was one of two bouts of cruel luck, for the Bears were also left deflated when skipper Gary Havelock was robbed of a second-place finish by a puncture just yards from the finish. The result meant the Bears were squeezed down to fourth in the table as their play-off rivals leapfrogged them into third.

Having won their home clash with the Islanders 51-42 earlier in the season, their 50-40 defeat last night meant they were just a point off forcing a run-off for the bonus point. And they would surely have taken had it not been for Havelock's flat tyre in heat 11 and Little's hotter than anticipated start to heat 14. It was some fire too, with the Smallbrook Stadium staff initially failing to get their extinguisher to work.

The Bears were 47-37 down at that point, and what made it even worse was that Little was out on a tactical ride which meant his score would have counted double if he had finished ahead of an opponent. He had already won once and looked a good bet to take points from reserve Chris Johnson and Krystof Stojanowski. Ironically Dan Giffard - who gave another superb performance from reserve - won the race when it was finally staged, but Little couldn't get to grips with his hastily-borrowed bike and came home at the back.

"I'm disappointed," admitted promoter Chris van Straaten, who took over the team manager's duties for the night. When you send out a rider as a tactical double, you don't expect his bike to explode before the race has started! I'm sure Kevin would have picked up a couple of points in that race, without any doubt. On top of that Havvy got a puncture on the home straight a few races earlier. Without those two unfortunate incidents we would have picked up the bonus point. But we said we wanted to have a team that we could take to places and put on a show - we've certainly done that."

Leading the Bears' challenge at Smallbrook last night was Mat Tresarrieu, who is on a year's loan from the Islanders. He chalked up two wins and a paid victory on the way to a 10 (paid 11) total and enjoyed a terrific scrap with Stojanowski in heat seven. After being passed by the Pole early on, he pulled off a last-gasp manoeuvre coming out of the final bend to get back in front and follow home race winner Little.

Islanders: Jason Doyle 16, Chris Holder 13+2, Jason Bunyan 9+2, Chris Johnson 6+1, Krystof Stojanowski 5+2, Nick Simmons 1+1, Ray Morton R/R.
Bears: Mat Tresarrieu 10+1, Dan Giffard 9+1, Gary Havelock 9+2, Chris Kerr 4+1, Kevin Little 4, Tomas Suchanek 4, Jack Hargreaves 0.
 

CRUCIAL ROLE
Martin Neal Evening Gazette, Tuesday 22nd August 2006
Flying Frenchman Mat Tresarrieu returns to the Redcar Bears side on the Isle of Wight tonight - and he'll have a key role to play. The 20-year-old crowd pleaser missed Sunday's trip to Premier League leaders Glasgow because he was competing in the European Grass Track Championship semi-final at Swingfield in Kent. He duly qualified for the final, in Le Reole in his native France on September 23, finishing third behind Stephan Katt and Glen Phillips.

And team boss Brian Havelock is looking for another good performance against the Bears' play-off rivals this evening. For Tresarrieu is on a season's loan from the Islanders, while team-mate Tomas Suchanek, too, has had a spell there. Both riders only had a short stint on the island, but were quick to make their mark. "It's the first time we have been to the Isle of Wight, but we have to be optimistic," said Havelock. "Mat and Tomas have both ridden for the Isle of Wight so there's no reason why they shouldn't go there with a bit of confidence. "Gary (his son, the Bears No 1 and captain) should go well there, too, so hopefully the other lads will all chip in with a few points."

The importance of tonight's match is not lost on Havelock whose side are two points ahead of the Islanders in the Premier League table with both teams having raced 22 matches. The Bears won the corresponding fixture 51-42 in May, so they will need a good showing to earn the bonus point awarded for aggregate victory. "It's an important match," said Havelock. "We know it's going to be tough to get into the top four, so we could do with the bonus point."

The Islanders will operate rider replacement for Ray Morton who suffered internal bruising in a crash at Sheffield and is waiting to see a specialist.

ISLANDERS: 1 Chris Holder, 2 Jason Bunyan, 3 Jason Doyle, 4 Krzysztof Stojanowski, 5 Ray Morton R/R, 6 Chris Johnson, 7 Nick Simmons.

BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Chris Kerr, 3 Kevin Little, 4 Mat Tresarrieu, 5 Tomas Suchanek, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Dan Giffard.
 

NEW ERA UNFOLDS AT SOUTH TEES MOTORSPORT PARK
~ Monday 21st August 2006
After an advanced junior development programme of second-half individual heats, mini-matches and away challenge matches the Cleveland Bays take centre stage at the South Tees Motorsport Park on Thursday evening at 7.30pm. They will be racing in the national Conference Shield competition against current Conference League leaders the Scunthorpe 'Scorpions' who are spearheaded by former Middlesbrough Bear Wayne Carter and the rising British star Josh Auty who is only 16 years old. The team is managed by ex-rider Kenny Smith who is based in the Leven district of Middlesbrough - so there will be a lot of local pride at stake.

The Bays will be led on this occasion by young Redcar Bears reserves Jack Hargreaves and Daniel Giffard with the latter fulfilling the role of skipper. Three members of the Bays team are the next generation of former Bears riders Mark Crang, Alan Emerson and Russ Hodgson.

The Bays will meet Buxton, Weymouth, Sittingbourne, Stoke and Scunthorpe home and away between this historic first fixture on Thursday and the end of the season.

It is obviously the overall intention of the Redcar Speedway Club to develop future Bears and, who knows. to discover the next Gary Havelock. The local lad who developed from a 16-year-old reserve at the former Cleveland Park circuit to become Champion of the World. Gary has now returned to Teesside as captain of the Redcar Bears.

Normal admission prices are reduced for Conference Shield fixtures to £10 for adults and £5 for concessions with all children under the age of 16 admitted for free. The racecard on Thursday will also be free.
 

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Saturday 19th August 2006
Rising star Rusty Hodgson makes his Redcar Bears debut at Glasgow tomorrow (4pm start). And in doing so he will complete a unique treble by becoming the third generation of Hodgsons to represent Teesside at senior speedway level.

For grandad Frank Hodgson was skipper of the Boro Bears in the post-war years and his dad Russ rode for the Cleveland Park side in the 1970s when they were known as Teesside Tigers. Frank's brother Jack also rode for the Bears in 1940s. Now 24-year-old Rusty from Hutton Rudby, who only started riding speedway last year after making his mark as a road racer, is getting his chance too. He is drafted into the Bears side against the Premier League leaders in place of Mat Tresarrieu who rides in the European Grass Track Championship semi-final at Swingfield, Kent.

Boss Brian Havelock had intended to use rider replacement, but the Tigers objected. Hodgson will be a member of the Cleveland Bays team who launch their Conference Shield programme next week. And what is even more remarkable about his call-up is that he almost quit earlier this season!

"I'm delighted to be called up," he said, "and it will be great experience for me. I rode there last year in a junior meeting so I've got some idea of what the track is like. I'm really happy with the way things are coming together, but it wasn't going so well earlier in the year. I had a lot of engine problems and I spent £3,000 without getting anywhere. I had a few crashes - I think maybe I was trying too hard - and I broke my finger in one of them. I was at the end of my tether and I was ready to throw in the towel. But Sean Wilson did my engine and I've had a lot of help of Brian and my dad, so I'm happy with the way it's going now."

Hodgson would appear assured of a baptism of fire, with the table-topping Tigers having hit a rich vein of form. Unbeaten at their Ashfield oval since a narrow Premier Trophy defeat by Workington in April, they are a potent force at home. However they were swept aside 59-36 at South Tees Motorsports Park in June so the Bears are very much in contention for the bonus point. Their last visit to Ashfield ended in a 58-36 defeat, though they were forced to use guests to cover for Tresarrieu and Tomas Suchanek plus rider replacement for the injured Kevin Little.

"It's a big ask to get something out of the meeting without Mat," admitted team chief Havelock. "But it's certainly feasible we could get the bonus point. We'll be giving it our best shot."

Glasgow are sweating on the fitness of James Cockle who injured an eye in his workshop last week.

Tigers: 1 Danny Bird, 2 David McAllan, 3 Lee Dicken, 4 Kauko Nieminen, 5 Shane Parker, 6 Robert Ksiezak, 7 James Cockle.

Bears: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Chris Kerr, 3 Kevin Little, 4 Rusty Hodgson, 5 Tomas Suchanek, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Dan Giffard.
 

THE BEST YET
~ By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Friday 18th August 2006
Young guns Dan Giffard and Mat Tresarrieu enjoyed their best ever meeting in a Redcar racejacket last night as the Bears repelled Somerset Rebels 54-39. Both displayed a steely determination and a maturity beyond their years as they joined skipper Gary Havelock in leading the assault against a Rebels side just behind them in the Premier League table.

Giffard was the undoubted star of the show, dropping just one point to an opponent in his five rides. Having kept former Premier League Riders' Champion Glenn Cunningham behind him to win heat four and fought off the challenge of Glen Phillips in heat eight, he went even better next time out. Left at the back from the start, he blasted inside both Simon Walker and Stephan Katt to record a paid win behind Kevin Little. "Dan did very well indeed," said team boss Brian Havelock afterwards. "To get a score of paid 14 from reserve is magnificent."

It was a comfortable victory in the end, but up until the halfway stage it was a close-run thing. In fact the Rebels drew first blood and had their noses in front early on as the sides traded 4-2s. The turning point came when the much improved Chris Kerr and Giffard chalked up their 5-1 over Ben Barker and Phillips in heat eight. From then on there was only going to be one winner - a view reinforced when the previously unbeaten Premier League No.1 Magnus Zetterstrom fell in heat 11 as he went wide trying to catch leader Tomas Suchanek.

The Bears lost 57-41 when they visited Somerset in May, but suddenly winning the bonus point became a very real possibility. Astute Rebels team boss brought it Zetterstrom as a tactical double in heat 13 and the Swede duly responded by beating former Poole team-mate Havelock for a second time en route to the chequered flag.

The gap looked like being narrowed even further next time out when Emil Kramer also came out in the black and white helmet colour. But he was forced out with a puncture while leading, allowing Tresarrieu and Giffard to snatch a 3-3. That left the Bears needing a 5-1 from the final heat to grab overall victory and steal the bonus point.

In the event Havelock and Tresarrieu fell just short with a 4-2 but they could - perhaps should - have taken five points. For as leader Havelock took a tight line round turns one and two, the chasing Zetterstrom tried to dive inside. Nothing wrong with that - except that Havvy's front wheel was already on the white line - so the whole of Zetterstrom's machine was off the track! That should have earned him an exclusion, but referee Dave Dowling saw nothing wrong and he went unpunished. "We missed the bonus point but Somerset rode our track well - just as everyone seems to," said manager Havelock.

BEARS: Gary Havelock 12, Mat Tresarrieu 12, Dan Giffard 11+3, Tomas Suchanek 7+1, Chris Kerr 6+2, Kevin Little 5, Jack Hargreaves 1.

REBELS: Magnus Zetterstrom 14, Emil Kramer 8, Glenn Cunningham 6, Simon Walker 4, Ben Barker 3, Glen Phillips 3, Stephan Katt 1.
 

MY DEBT TO HAVVY
~ By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Thursday 17th August 2006
Rising star Dan Giffard has paid tribute to former world champion Gary Havelock as Redcar Bears prepare to step up their bid for a top-four finish in the Premier League tonight. The 21-year-old reserve has made a big impression on Bears fans this term, regularly rattling up scores that a heat leader would be proud of. He's after another big total tonight when Somerset Rebels visit South Tees Motorsports Park (7.30pm start) - and he knows skipper Havelock will be there to help him again.

"Havvy has given me a lot of help," revealed Giffard, who joined the Bears for their debut season after a spell in the Conference League with Weymouth. "He has got a lot of time for me and I can ring him for advice or stay at his house whenever I need to. It's not just riding he's been helpful with either, he's helped me with other things such as making sure I'm getting the right money. It's a great help when you're young and naive. I'm sure that I'm experiencing things now that he did when he was my age."

A top-four finish remains the Bears' aim this season and, with Somerset right behind them in the table, tonight's match is an important one. The Rebels won 57-41 when the sides met earlier in the season at their Oak Tree Arena, which was also designed by Glyn Taylor and used as a blueprint for South Tees Motorsports Park track. But Kevin Little was out injured for that match and Giffard expects a better performance tonight. "We've got better as individuals and bonded together as a team since then," he said.

The main dangerman will be Magnus Zetterstrom, a former team-mate of Havelock's at both Poole and Swedish club Masarna - and the only rider in the Premier League with a higher average than the Bears skipper. "I saw him race at Berwick a couple of weeks ago and he was unbelievably quick," warned Giffard. "His races with Havvy are bound to be very tight and, with them being former team-mates, I'm sure Havvy will be fired up. The good thing about Havvy, though, is that he doesn't get down in the dumps if a race doesn't go as well as he'd wanted. "He just moves on to the next race and that rubs off on the rest of us."

BEARS: 1 Gary Havelock, 2 Chris Kerr, 3 Kevin Little, 4 Mat Tresarrieu, 5 Tomas Suchanek, 6 Jack Hargreaves, 7 Dan Giffard.

REBELS: 1 Magnus Zetterstrom, 2 Glen Phillips, 3 Stephan Katt, 4 Emil Kramer, 5 Glenn Cunningham, 6 Simon Walker, 7 Ben Barker.

LAST Saturday's community day at South Tees Motorsports Park was such a success that it will be repeated. Chris Kerr, Jack Hargreaves and Dan Giffard were on hand to supervise anyone who fancied having a go at riding a speedway bike.
 

REBELS ON THE WAY
~ Monday 14th August 2006
The Redcar Bears will face a team on Thursday evening at 7.30pm who are guaranteed to like racing at the South Tees Motorsport Park. The Somerset Rebels race at the Oak Tree Arena in Highbridge and this was constructed by Bears' track curator Glyn Taylor. The Somerset strip has a reputation of being fair to opponents and producing a high standard of racing. The Motorpark circuit in Dormor Way was based on Glyn's Somerset design and has earned equal accolades for the entertainment provided for Teesside speedway fans.

Bears' team manager Brian Havelock has already commented that each week the visiting team provide at least three riders who fly around the track from the off. It could be seven on Thursday when the Rebels arrive for this Premier League clash.

The Rebels are led by Swedish star Magnus Zetterstom - a former team-mate of Redcar skipper Gary Havelock at both Poole and Masarna in Sweden. His first excursion into the Premier League with Somerset in 2005 was highly successful and he captained the Rebels to the first silverware in their short history when they won the Premier League Fours Championship whilst Magnus also won the Premier League Champions Chase title. He is ably supported by the 'Battling Bristolian' Glenn Cunningham - a former Premier League Riders' Champion and latest signing Emil Kramer from Sweden. Emil replaced injured club stalwart Paul Fry in June and top-scored on his debut. To add to the continental flavour the Rebels also had cause to recall popular German Stephan Katt to their ranks after an earlier injury crisis for the club. 'Katt-Man' as he is known in the West Country is one of the most charismatic performers in the sport.

With Brian Havelock experiencing mixed emotions about the last week's close encounters with Sheffield - pleased to beat Sheffield at home but frustrated that the bonus point was narrowly missed after a mechanical mishap - he will be on the case with his charges to ensure that they are at the top of their game for what should prove a fascinating and competitive clash.
 

TIGERS TAMED
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Saturday 12th August 2006
They duly delivered the victory that was promised - but Redcar Bears were beaten to the Premier League bonus point by Sheffield last night. After being edged out 49-41 in South Yorkshire on Thursday, manager Brian Havelock was confident his team could secure an aggregrate victory. But the very fact that he expressed his disappointment after beating a team as strong as Sheffield 48-42 shows how expectations have risen at South Tees Motorsports Park! At the start of the season a place in the top eight was the main aim, but a string of strong performances mean the target is now a top four finish to earn home advantage in the play-offs.

The Bears made a good start, taking a six-point lead in the early stages with skipper Gary Havelock lowering the track record from 53.2 to 53.1 seconds, and Tomas Suchanek later equalling his new best time. But the Tigers began to claw their way back and successive 5-1s in heats 11 and 12 made the match all square at 36-36. It left the Bears' big guns with an enormous weight on their shoulders to prevent the match slipping away from them at the death, and they rose to the challenge. The pairing of Havelock and Suchanek responded with a pair of 5-1s and the points were made safe after they had gone into the final race with the match delicately poised at 43-41.

Hopes of the bonus point disappeared in the penultimate race when Mat Tresarrieu fell while third. That capped night of extreme emotions for the popular Frenchman who retired while leading his second race when his chain snapped, but also recorded a win and and a paid win. His heat three victory was as stunning and spectacular as you'll see at any speedway track this year. Third at the start, he surged past first Emilano Sanchez and then Paul Cooper to take the chequered flag in his typical thrill-a-minute leg-trailing style.

Chris Kerr was another rider to taste the South Tees Motorsports Park dirt, twice falling while in a points-scoring position as he chased an opponent. But team boss Havelock refused to blame bad luck on missing out on the bonus point. "It wasn't bad luck," he said. "Sheffield rode better than I expected them to. The two 5-1s they scored near the end did it. I'm disappointed because I thought we could take the bonus point." On Kerr's disappointing night - he scored only two (paid four) - Havelock said: "I still think he is struggling, and the reason he is struggling is because he's not quite at this level yet."

BEARS: Gary Havelock 14, Tomas Suchanek 11+2, Dan Giffard 8, Kevin Little 6, Mat Tresarrieu 5+1, Chris Kerr 2+2, Jack Hargreaves 2+1.

TIGERS: Emiliano Sanchez 11+1, Ben Wilson 9+2, Andrew Compton 7, Ricky Ashworth 7, Paul Cooper 6+1, Benji Compton 2+1, Kyle Leagult R/R, David Speight (No 8) DNR.

DAN Giffard and Jack Hargreaves will spearhead the Cleveland Bays in their first Conference Shield match tomorrow - a tough trip to Scunthorpe, managed by Kenny Smith from Leven (3pm start). Teessider Jitendra Duffill stands by to replace Karl Langley if he hasn't recovered from the knock he took in the second half at Sheffield on Thursday. The Bays lost 16-14 to Hull in a second half mini-match against Hull Vikings last night.

BAYS (v Scunthorpe): 1 Jack Hargreaves, 2 Rusty Hodgson, 3 Paul Burnett, 4 Karl Langley (Jitendra Duffill if unfit), 5 Dan Giffard, 6 Maurice Crang, 7 Martin Emerson.
 

BEARS' REVENGE
~ By Martin Neal Evening Gazette Friday 11th August 2006
Boss Brian Havelock has vowed to exact swift revenge after Redcar Bears' battling 49-41 defeat at Sheffield last night. The sides meet again at South Tees Motorsports Park this evening (7.30pm start) and Havelock's men go into the return match full of confidence. Few teams get as close to Sheffield on their own patch as Redcar did last night and Havelock was justifiably proud of his team's performance.

Three times they had their noses in front and it was only after heat 12 that the Tigers took the lead for the first time. Now Havelock believes the Bears can not only get their own back tonight but also clinch the Premier League bonus point, awarded for aggregate victory. "I was happy with our performance," said Havelock. "We led three times and the only time Sheffield were ahead was in the last few heats. We caught them on the rebound from their defeat by Stoke last week - they would have been given a good telling off and you'd expect them to respond. But I've no qualms about tonight. We'll beat them at our place and we're on for the bonus point too."

The only down side of last night's performance was that Kevin Little - who doesn't number Sheffield as one of his favourite tracks anyway - was still suffering the effects of an ankle injury sustained in Sunday's win at Newport and scored only one (paid two) points. "If I knew what I know now we could have used rider replacement," said Havelock. But I can see him scoring seven or eight points at home tonight, even with a damaged ankle."

Dan Giffard and Jack Hargreaves scored a second heat 5-1 over Paul Cooper and Tai Woffinden to give the Bears and early lead but Sheffield hit straight back to level the scores. Gary Havelock and Chris Kerr earned Redcar's second 5-1 in heat five when Emiliano Sanchez shed a chain early on and Cooper trailed in at the back, but again the response was immediate. Tomas Suchanek held off Sanchez to win heat nine and partner Jack Hargreaves to a 4-2, but two races later it was level-pegging again when Andre Compton became the first rider to finish ahead of Havelock.

Two home 5-1s in the closing stages gave Sheffield some breathing space but the Bears made it uncomfortable for them until the end. Havelock gained his revenge by inflicting Compton's only defeat in heat 13 and Mat Tresarrieu had the big crowd on their feet with some typically all-action rides. He tried every possible way to get past Cooper without success after lifting at the start of heat 14, but got his reward in the last race when he passed Ben Wilson on the line after hounding him all the way. Had Tresarrieu made a better start in heat 13 and had Kerr not trailed in stone last after his plug lead came adrift two races earlier, the score might have been even closer - but Bears fans can hardly have cause for complaint.

TIGERS: Andre Compton 14, Paul Cooper 10+2, Emiliano Sanchez 10+1, Ben Wilson 10, Ricky Ashworth 5+4, Tai Woffinden 0, David Speight (No 8) 0, Kyle Legault R/R.
BEARS: Gary Havelock 13, Mat Tresarrieu 8+1, Dan Giffard 7+1, Tomas Suchanek 5+1, Chris Kerr 4+1, Jack Hargreaves 3+1, Kevin Little 1+1.

THE Cleveland Bays went down 23-12 in their second half mini-match against Sheffield juniors.
 

REDCAR SPEEDWAY PROUDLY PRESENT
SO YOU WANNA BE A SPEEDWAY STAR?
~ Monday 7th August 2006
The Redcar Bears speedway club will be staging two community days at the South Tees Motorsport Park on Saturday August 12th and Sunday August 13th from noon onwards. With a minimum age of eight years - anybody may enjoy a supervised session on an adapted speedway bike and at no charge. Among those who will provide guidance and support is the former Bears star Martin Dixon.

It is pointed out that a parent or guardian must be in attendance for participants under 18 and that is essential that telephone bookings be made in advance on the Bears enquiry line 07796 441850. Full medical back-up will be in place on the days.

Former rider Glyn Taylor who is charge of the training schemes at the Motorpark commented: 'These are, in a sense, fun sessions for those who fancy the feel of what it is like to slide a speedway bike but who knows we might discover some budding talent!'

SATURDAY AUGUST 12 & SUNDAY AUGUST 13

FROM 12 NOON ONWARDS ~ OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE A SPEEDWAY BIKE NO CHARGE!
MINIMUM AGE 8 YEARS
* PARENT/ GUARDIAN MUST BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR PARTICIPANTS UNDER 18 *

TELEPHONE BOOKING(S) MUST BE MADE 07796 441850

REDCAR BEARS WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ASSISTANCE
OF THE FOLLOWING IN MAKING THIS POSSIBLE

MEDICS (UK) LTD ~ ~ ROY WILSON (SHEFFIELD SPEEDWAY)

REDCAR BEARS FACE WOUNDED TIGERS
~ Monday 7th August 2006
The Redcar Bears face the Sheffield Tigers home and away this week and within 24 hours. The Tigers, having grabbed pole position in the Premier League, lost at home last Thursday to lowly Stoke and are determined to bounce back in style with maximum points against the Teesside septet. Gary Havelock and his men travel to the Owlerton Stadium this Thursday evening - so the Bears-Tigers home encounter at the South Tees Motorsport Park will be on FRIDAY evening at 7.30pm.

The Bears will be no push-over having shown great mettle to win at Newport on Sunday afternoon despite being well adrift in the match score beyond the half-way stage of the fixture. The two league points gained make up for the bizzarre blip of having lost to the South Wales side at home in mid-July. It also means that the team are cheek by jowl in the league table with top three contenders Glasgow, Kings Lynn and Sheffield. The Bears travel to Glasgow on Sunday August 20th and face Kings Lynn in a re-arranged home fixture on September 7th.

Sheffield squeezed past Redcar by 46 points to 44 on the night that speedway returned to the Tees Valley region on April 13th. That night Tomas Suchanek failed to score on his home debut whilst Tigers' reserve Paul Cooper rattled up a match-winning 13 point tally. Few would bet on the Czech Republic international failing to register any race points these days - having returned the first paid maximum of his career at home a fortnight ago. The Yorkshire club, however, is wound up about the lost points and the Bears can expect a backlash. It should be compelling entertainment. Sheffield have also left their number seven spot blank in the Redcar programme and Friday evening at the Motorpark could see a new signing unveiled by the opposition.

With the track severely flooded last Thursday and the home match postponed - the club have moved to ensure that local Boxer Paul Truscott was still available to make a personal appearance this Friday - especially in light of the news that - in conjunction with Redcar Bears Director of Operations Gareth Rogers - there will be a professional Boxing bill at the Eston Sports Academy on the evening of Saturday September 30th. Paul will make the popular 50-50 draw from the centre during the match interval and chat about his topping the bill in his own backyard - literally!

The Hodgson Lounge will also be opened on Friday evening. This is a new hospitality unit at the speedway arena named in honour of Bears' post-war captain Frank Hodson and the generations of his family since who have raced speedway on Teesside.
 

BEARS BOUNCE BACK TO WIN
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Monday 7th August 2006
Redcar Bears pulled off a dramatic last gasp revenge win at Newport yesterday to move up to third in the Premier League table. Brian Havelock's side had looked dead and buried after trailing 36-27 with just five races left. But they fought back in spectacular fashion to clinch a 49-47 win and avenge their shock home defeat by the Wasps last month.

"I'm absolutely over the moon," said delighted team boss Brian Havelock afterwards. "We were dead and buried at heat nine and I thought we were out of it. I didn't think we were going to do it. But the lads proved me wrong and pulled it out of the bag. Our aim now has to be staying in the top four because it gives us home advantage in the play-offs."

The turning point of the match came in heat 11 when skipper Gary Havelock came out as a tactical double. The inspirational skipper raced to a vital victory and was followed home by team-mate Chris Kerr. That proved to be Kerr's only points-scoring ride of the afternoon - but what a time to do it! The 8-1 heat advantage slashed the Wasps' lead to just two points and suddenly it was game on. It was a case of deja vu too, as the Bears had used also the tactical double rule to good effect in heat seven when Kevin Little and Mat Tresarrieu notched up an 8-1 over Carl Wilkinson and Billy Legg - the thrill-a-minute Frenchman passing Wilkinson on the line.

Little led the way home again in heat 12, scoring a 4-2 with Jack Hargreaves over Chris Schramm and Legg. That pulled the Bears level for the first time and two successive drawn heats kept it that way going into the final race. The second of those 3-3s was secured thanks to a victory by reserve Dan Giffard who blasted round the outside to go from last to first and leave left former England Test star Neil Collins trailing in his wake.

The Bears' hopes of claiming at least a draw were boosted considerably in the final race when Wilkinson was excluded from the rerun after bringing down former Queensway Meadows track record holder Little. Little was left nursing a bruised left ankle and was ruled out of the restaging, leaving Giffard to take his place. And an amazing turnaround was completed when former world champion Havelock led home Wasps' guest No 1 Chris Neath for his fourth win on the trot with Giffard third. Little's knock left him with slight swelling around his ankle but he is expected to be fit for this week's home and away clashes with Sheffield.

WASPS: Chris Neath 12+1; Chris Schramm 8; Joel Parsons 7+3; Neil Collins 7+2; Carl Wilkinson 7; Tony Atkin 6+1; Billy Legg 0.
BEARS: Gary Havelock 17; Kevin Little 11+1; Dan Giffard 6; Tomas Suchanek 5; Mat Tresarrieu 4; Jack Hargreaves 4; Chris Kerr 2+1.
 

STAR INTERVIEW TOMAS SUCHANEK
~ With Keith McGhie of Speedway Star magazine Sunday 6th August 2006
Tomas Suchanek has now moved into the statutory number five race jacket as a result of the August averages coming into force. A string of high scores, peaking with a superb first ever paid maximum against Mildenhall a fortnight ago, have hoisted the Czech star up to second in the Bears’ scorecharts behind Gary Havelock. And recognition of Tomas’s form for Redcar even brought him international honours during the recent World Cup, although he confesses he would have loved to have scored more points.

He enthuses: “I was really happy and proud to ride for the Czech Republic, but the results weren’t so good. In the first three heats I had some problems with the clutch. It started in the third heat and I eventually decided to change bikes.” Just 24 hours later Tomas finished third in an individual meeting at Poole and the following day he returned to Teesside and came within a whisker of a full-house, losing out only in the final heat – by about a yard – to Stoke’s Mark Lemon.

He made no mistake the following week though, forcing his way past Daniel King to clinch his maiden paid maximum in heat 15. ”I think I’m getting used to English tracks now and I think I am in good physical condition which makes riding easier. I have also been working on my engines with Sean Wilson (a former England International who retired last winter and is now concentrating on his engine tuning business) and this has caused an improvement.”

Ridng speedway for the 22-year old from Pardubice has not been made easier recently by a serious accident at Oxford that left his fellow countryman and friend Ales Dryml fighting for his life in hospital. Dryml was in a coma and on a life support machine before miraculously regaining consciousness with seemingly no long term disabilities and this good news has heartened Tomas greatly. He stresses: “I have known him since I started to ride bikes, we come from same city and I wish him all the very best and hope he will be back on a bike again as soon as possible.”

Tomas had additional reasons for being as disappointed as anybody that last Thursday match against King’s Lynn had to be cancelled due to overnight flooding as it prevented him testing his fine form against probably the Premier League’s top Czech rider Tomas Topinka. “Yes,” our Tomas says, “I have known him personally for a long time.”

But one thing the warm welcome on Teesside has done is rid Tomas of any fears of being home-sick. He has here with him his girlfriend Katerina, who helps out whenever his ever improving English falters, and the pair are planning to extend their stay in the area after the end of the current season. ”We are going to stay here during the winter,” Tomas confirms. “I'll looking for job soon and also I want to improve my English more, maybe going to college.”

For now I know all bears’ fans will be more than happy for our ‘Super Czech’ to continue doing most of his talking on the track…
 

BEARS FACING TOUGH SCRAP
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Thursday 3rd August 2006
NOTE: The scheduled meeting between Redcar Bears and Kings Lynn Stars at South Tees Motorsport Park has been cancelled due to flooding.

Redcar Bears face a tough fixture against long-time league leaders the Kings Lynn Stars at South Tees Motorsport Park tonight (cancelled). The Norfolk club, Knock Out Cup Final and Young Shield winners in 2005, will be spearheaded by Czech Republic international and loyal club servant Tomas Topinka. He racked up 660 points for the Stars last year - over 300 more than his nearest team-mate - and will be supported by in-form Kevin Doolan, one of four young Australians in their seven. Swede Daniel Nermark provides the third part of their attacking strike force and is back to his best after serious thigh injuries.

But while Kings Lynn boast quality in abundance, they face a Redcar team in good spirits. Tomas Suchanek has been at the top of his game in recent weeks and returned his first paid maximum on Teesside last Thursday against Mildenhall. Club skipper and speedway legend Gary Havelock is recovering well from a right ankle injury suffered racing in Russia and rode three consecutive nights last week, with good returns in Sweden and back home. He also acted as advisor to England number one Scott Nicholls at the Italian Grand Prix last Saturday, spurring him on to second place. Gary will turn his motivational skills on to his Bears team-mates this evening and will have them fired up to take the battle to their formidable opponents.

NOTE: The scheduled meeting between Redcar Bears and Kings Lynn Stars at South Tees Motorsport Park has been cancelled due to flooding.
 

STAR INTERVIEW ASHLEY JOHNSON
~ With Keith McGhie of Speedway Star magazine Tuesday 1st August 2006
Last week Ashley Johnson made a tentative return to action in the second half – the first time he has ridden since being hurt in probably the most spectacular accident yet seen at the South Tees Motorsports Park. Local lad Ashley ‘took off’ and destroyed the pit bend safety fence in heat four of the ‘Bays Canter’ on June 22, forcing a premature end to the evening’s entertainment and an ambulance ride off the track.

Fortunately his injuries weren’t as serious as first feared or some of those the rider, who dominated early season second halves here at Redcar, has suffered in the past. “I’d won my first race and then missed the start in heat four,” the likeable young welder recalls. “I went into the bend a bit too wide and knew the fence was coming up pretty quick so I bailed out! I just took it easy last week – letting everyone go and feeling my way to get my confidence back. Confidence is so important in speedway and mine is pretty low at the moment but it will come back. I just wanted some time out there riding and not falling off.”

In barely four years of racing Ashley has developed the reputation for being north-eastern speedway’s ‘bionic man’ and no-one can doubt his incredible courage and determination. His career was almost ended before it had begun and, although he sustained life-threatening head injuries in a horrific spill, memories of the accident remain vivid: “It happened on May 25 2003 at Mildenhall where they have a solid concrete fence. It was a Mike Lee (the 1980 World Champion) training school – I hadn’t been riding too long and perhaps was going a little bit too fast. Coming out of turn two I got stuck in a rut the front end came up and I hit the fence with the throttle wide open.”

He spent three days in a coma for three days on a life support machine. “When I came round I couldn’t walk or talk properly for quite a while and my family were worried that I would be permanently like that. Within a year he was amazingly back on a speedway bike but, despite fighting his way into the Newcastle Gems Conference League team, injury again interrupted his progress – this time a badly broken leg and ankle.

Undeterred he returned once more, making the newly formed Scunthorpe side in 1995 but, having built his CL average up to above six, a collision with Gary Beaton resulted in another trip to hospital. “My girlfriend Emma and the rest of my family think I’m pretty mad but they are happy to support me if speedway’s what I want to do. It’s not just speedway – it’s speed. I’ll do anything that’s fast and daft – it’s a bug for speed that I can’t let go. I hope to go all the way one day and finally make it into a Premier League team.”

If guts and will to succeed are rewarded then hopefully Redcar Speedway can help fulfil that ambition, via our own Conference Shield side - the Cleveland Bays - whom Ashley will line-up for later this month.
 

BEARS SEE STARS
~ Tuesday 1st August 2006
The Redcar Bears face a tough fixture against long-time league leaders the Kings Lynn Stars at the South Tees Motorsport Park on Thursday evening at 7.30pm The Norfolk club have continued the momentum of a tremendous end to the 2005 season when they gained victories in both the Knock Out Cup Final and the Young Shield.

They are spearheaded by Czech Republic international and loyal club servant Tomas Topinka -who joined them in 1993 as a 19-year-old. Tomas accrued the remarkable total of 660 race points for the Stars in 2005 - over 300 more than his nearest team-mate! Tomas is supported by Kevin Doolan - one of four young Australians in the septet - who has achieved a nine plus match average during the current campaign.

Providing the third part of the key strike force is Swede Daniel Nermark. After being spotted and signed by Redcar club owner Chris Van Straaten for his Elite League side Wolverhampton in 2001 Daniel suffered serious thigh injuries racing in Poland. He proved that he was well on the way to recovery when riding for Edinburgh in the Premier League last season when he finished as the top points scorer at the Armadale circuit.

Kings Lynn will face a Redcar team in good spirits. Tomas Suchanek has been on top form in recent weeks and returned his first paid maximum on Teesside last Thursday against Mildenhall. He will be out to impress upon Tomas Topinka that he too is a force in his homeland and their races should be competitive.

Club skipper and speedway legend Gary Havelock is recovering well from a right ankle injury sustained racing in Russia and rode three consecutive nights of speedway last week with good returns in Sweden and back home. He was also acting as advisor to England number one Scott Nicholls at the Italian Grand Prix at Lonigo last Saturday. Scottie recovered from a low scoring start to ultimately finish second in the Grand Final behind World Championship leader Jason Crump. Gary will be turning his motivational skills on to his Bears' team-mates on Thursday and will have them fired up to take the battle to their formidable opponents.

Thursday will also see the opening of the Hodgson Lounge at the speedway arena. Frank Hodgson was the Bears post-war captain and started a dynasty of speedway riders on Teesside. His grandson Rusty, for instance, is a member of the junior team at the Motorpark. Among the invited guests in the new hospitality unit are local councillors and officers of the Redcar and Cleveland Authority who were so supportive of the Bears promotion's initiative to restore the sport in the region.

Another special guest but this time making a public appearance will be South Bank featherweight Paul Truscott. The former Young England international and national champion made a successful professional debut on Sky TV recently and is scheduled to top the bill when professional Boxing is scheduled to return to the region on Sepember 30th. Paul will make the popular 50-50 draw from the centre during the match interval plus pose for publicity shots with Gary Havelock. The Bears skipper has requested that he can keep his crash helmet on during any sparring sessions!