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Redcar Bears v Workington Comets
Premier Trophy (Group), 18 May 2006
South Tees Motorsports Park, Redcar

Redcar 42
1Gary Havelock32312 ..110
2Mathieu Tresarrieu2*1*F.. ..32
3Tomas Suchanek31202^ ..80
5Chris KerrF3201* ..61
6Jack Hargreaves3111*0 3.91
7Daniel GiffardR1020 2.50
Workington 49
1Paul Thorp0332*. ..81
2Tomasz Piszcz12*31. ..71
3Ritchie Hawkins22230 ..90
4James WrightX01*2. ..31
5Garry Stead33333 ..150
6(g)John Branney1*01.. ..21
7Aidan Collins22*010 ..51

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

Redcar were still without Kevin Little so used Rider Replacement at number 5 but were relieved that Gary Havelock had recovered from a twisted knee he suffered at Glasgow last Sunday. Workington had John Branney at number 6 in place of the injured Lee Derbyshire.

Just as they did last week, Redcar got off to a 5-1 start from Gary Havelock and Mathieu Tresarrieu this time against Tomasz Piszcz and Paul Thorp. The reserves race was won by Jack Hargreaves for a shared race after Daniel Giffard had pulled up with machine problems. In heat 3 the Bears increased their lead to six points when James Wright brought his partner, Ritchie Hawkins, off. In the rerun Tomas Suchanek won the race from Hawkins and a 4-2 but things took a decided turn for the worse for the home fans in the next two heats. In heat 4, Chris Kerr fell and Garry Stead and Aidan Collins scored a 1-5 to pull four points back with the score at 13-11.

Workington took another 1-5 in heat 5 as Paul Thorp and Tomasz Piszcz reversed their heat 1 performance at the expense of Tomas Suchanek and suddenly the Comets were in front by two points. Garry Stead beat Gary Havelock in heat 6 for a shared race but Redcar were back on level terms after they scored a 4-2 in heat 7. Chris Kerr won the race from Ritchie Hawkins and James Hargreaves took third place from James Wright. However the Comets struck back with a 2-4 in heat 8 which was rerun after Mathieu Tresarrieu had fallen and been excluded. Tomasz Piszcz continued his amazing run of heat 8 successes by beating Daniel Giffard taking the score to 23-25.

Garry Stead won again in heat 9 from Suchanek and Hargreaves for a shared race then Gary Havelock won heat 10 from Ritchie Hawkins and James Wright for another 3-3. It was announced that Mathieu Tresarrieu had withdrawn from the meeting with a damaged knee as a result of his crash in heat 8. In heat 11 Workington doubled their lead to four points with a 2-4. Paul Thorp won the race from Chris Kerr while Tomasz Piszcz finished third then, in heat 12, the lead went to six points for the Comets. Ritchie Hawkins won the race from Daniel Giffard while Aidan Collins took third from Tomas Suchanek. This took the score after twelve heats to 33-39.

Redcar have enjoyed some remarkable recoveries at home already this season but not this time. Paul Thorp and Garry Stead virtually closed out the match with a 1-5 against Gary Havelock in heat 13 to put the Comets 10 points up with just two heats to go. In heat 14, Tomas Suchanek took a TR but the Bears gave the TR to the wrong man since it was Jack Hargreaves who won the race from James Wright with Suchanek third. As a result the Bears scored a 5-2 but it was too little to late as they trailed by seven points with only heat 15 to come. In the final race Garry Stead completed his paid maximum beating Gary Havelock for the third time. At the back Chris Kerr took third place from Ritchie Hawkins so the race was shared and Workington had recorded their third away victory in this tournament to all but secure their place as section winners.

Match Report by Merlin