Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Redcar Bears Website (Official)

Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum

Redcar Bears v Sheffield Tigers
Premier League, 11 August 2006
South Tees Motorsports Park, Redcar

Redcar 48
1Gary Havelock32333 ..140
2Chris KerrF1*F1. ..21
3Kevin Little0231. ..60
4Mathieu Tresarrieu3R2*F. ..51
5Tomas Suchanek3312*2* ..112
6Jack Hargreaves2*00.. ..21
7Daniel Giffard31202 ..80
Sheffield 42
1Ricky Ashworth2131. ..70
2Ben Wilson1*332*. ..92
4Emiliano Sanchez1*2233 0.111
5Andre Compton23101 ..70
6Paul Cooper02010 2*161
7Benji Compton101*0. ..21

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

Redcar were at full strength for this match but Sheffield were again without Kyle Legault for whom they used R/R at number 4. They also had Benji Compton back at number 7.

Redcar faced an 8 point deficit from last night’s match at Sheffield in search of the bonus point. When they led by eight points after heat 10 they looked on course to pull it back but back-to-back 1-5s for Sheffield had the Bears worrying about the result of the match let alone the bonus. They achieved the win but they fell two points short of taking the bonus point as well.

Gary Havelock set the ball rolling with a win in the opening heat in a new track record time of 53.1 but the race was shared. Redcar took the lead with a 5-1 in the reserves race and, after a shared heat 3 which saw Mathieu Tresarrieu come from third to first, added a 4-2 in heat 4 when Tomas Suchanek beat Andre Compton with Giffard third. This took the score to 15-9 with the Bears looking comfortable.

Their comfort level diminished somewhat over the next four heats though! In heat 5 Ben Wilson took advantage of a Mathieu Tresarrieu shed chain while leading comfortably to win the race from Kevin Little producing a 2-4 which cut the Bears’ lead to four points. Andre Compton won heat 6 and Tomas Suchanek heat 7 in a time which equalled the new track record both for shared heats. Sheffield then scored another 2-4 in heat 8 thanks to a Ben Wilson win from Daniel Giffard with Paul Cooper taking third after Chris Kerr had fallen. The score now stood at 25-23.

The Bears increased their lead to six points again in heat 9 with a fine piece of team riding from Kevin Little and Mathieu Tresarrieu which kept Andre Compton in third place and they then stretched it further to eight points with a 4-2 in heat 10 won by Gary Havelock from Emiliano Sanchez. They were to receive a shock, however, since two heats later the match was all square again! In heat 11 Ashworth and Wilson took a 1-5 from Suchanek then in heat 12 Sanchez and Cooper did likewise from Kevin Little. This tied the match up at 36-36 with all to race for.

Redcar were not to be denied though as in heat 13 they scored their own 5-1 thanks to Gary Havelock and Tomas Suchanek to open up a four point lead. Back came Sheffield with a 2-4 with Sanchez beating Giffard after Mathieu Tresarrieu had fallen while lying third. This took the score to 43-41 and put the bonus point out of the Bears’ reach. In the last race Havelock and Suchanek repeated their 5-1 success of heat 13 to clinch victory for Redcar and stretch the winning margin to six points.

Match Report by Merlin