Redcar Bears
Robbie Kessler 9 (5)
Edinburgh Monarchs
Michal Rajkowski 13+1 (6)
Premier Trophy
41
47
Thursday 30th April 2009
South Tees Motorsports Park
Redcar Bears
41
1. Gary Havelock 3 2* R 0 5 1
2. Robbie Kessler 1 3 2 2 1 9 0
3. Carl Stonehewer 2 2 3 1 8 0
4. Ben Wilson E 1* 2* 0 3 2
5. Ty Proctor 3 3 E 3 X 9 0
6. Benji Compton 1 1 3 1 6 0
7. Arlo Bugeja X 1 0 0 1 0
Edinburgh Monarchs
47
1. Ryan Fisher 2 3 E 2 7 0
2. Aaron Summers E E 3 2 5 0
3. Thomas H Jonasson 3 X 3 3 2* 11 1
4. Andrew Tully X 2 1 2* 5 1
5. Matthew Wethers 2 0 1 1* 4 1
6. Michal Rajkowski 3 1 1 2* 3 3 13 1
7. Sean Stoddart 2* 0 0 2 1
Heat 1
Time: 55.5
1. Gary Havelock  
3
2. Robbie Kessler  
1
1. Ryan Fisher  
2
2. Aaron Summers  
R
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
4
Away
2
2
Heat 2
Time: 56.5
6. Benji Compton  
1
7. Arlo Bugeja  
Fx
6. Michal Rajkowski  
3
7. Sean Stoddart  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
5
Away
5
7
Heat 3
Time: 55.2
3. Carl Stonehewer  
2
4. Ben Wilson  
R
3. Thomas H Jonasson  
3
4. Andrew Tully  
X
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
7
Away
3
10
Heat 4
Time: 54.6
5. Ty Proctor  
3
7. Arlo Bugeja  
1
5. Matthew Wethers  
2
7. Sean Stoddart  
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
11
Away
2
12
Heat 5
Time: 55.4
3. Carl Stonehewer  
2
4. Ben Wilson  
1
1. Ryan Fisher  
3
2. Aaron Summers  
R
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
14
Away
3
15
Heat 6
Time: 55.5
1. Gary Havelock  
2
2. Robbie Kessler  
3
5. Matthew Wethers  
0
6. Michal Rajkowski  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
19
Away
1
16
Heat 7
Time: 55.4
5. Ty Proctor  
3
6. Benji Compton  
1
3. Thomas H Jonasson  
Fx
4. Andrew Tully  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
4
23
Away
2
18
Heat 8
Time: 56
2. Robbie Kessler  
2
7. Arlo Bugeja  
0
2. Aaron Summers  
3
7. Sean Stoddart  
6. Michal Rajkowski
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
25
Away
4
22
Heat 9
Time: 56.9
3. Carl Stonehewer  
3
4. Ben Wilson  
2
5. Matthew Wethers  
1
6. Michal Rajkowski  
7. Sean Stoddart
0
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
5
30
Away
1
23
Heat 10
Time: 56.7
1. Gary Havelock  
R
2. Robbie Kessler  
2
3. Thomas H Jonasson  
3
4. Andrew Tully  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
2
32
Away
4
27
Heat 11
Time: 58.1
5. Ty Proctor  
R
6. Benji Compton  
3
1. Ryan Fisher  
R
2. Aaron Summers  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
35
Away
2
29
Heat 12
Time: 56.9
3. Carl Stonehewer  
1
7. Arlo Bugeja  
0
3. Thomas H Jonasson  
3
6. Michal Rajkowski  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
36
Away
5
34
Heat 13
Time: 56.9
1. Gary Havelock  
0
5. Ty Proctor  
3
1. Ryan Fisher  
2
5. Matthew Wethers  
1
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
3
39
Away
3
37
Heat 14
Time: 57.8
4. Ben Wilson  
0
6. Benji Compton  
1
4. Andrew Tully  
2
7. Sean Stoddart  
6. Michal Rajkowski
3
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
40
Away
5
42
Heat 15
Time: 57
2. Robbie Kessler  
1
5. Ty Proctor  
Fx
6. Michal Rajkowski  
3
3. Thomas H Jonasson  
2
 
Heat
Score
Match
Score
Home
1
41
Away
5
47

Prior to last night's match Redcar looked likely winners of our group, and for the first half of the match nothing much happened to change that impression.

In truth we still weren't firing on all cylinders as we haven't in any of our away matches, though Thomas Jonasson and Michal Rajkowski were into their stride fairly quickly.

There were more machine problems for Ryan Fisher and Aaron Summers, the latter as at Workington taking half the match to get started.

Summers stopped at the gate in heat 1 leaving Fisher to give chase on Havelock, keeping fairly close but not looking like overtaking.

We dominated heat 2 with Sean Stoddart up alongside Rajkowski to put us ahead.

We had a false start in heat 3, Ben Wilson being the jerky one at the start though Thomas had forged ahead. We were badly away in the rerun with Andrew Tully trying to pass Ben Wilson. He went up high on the pits turn and switched to the inside on the next bend, but clipped Wilson as he came through.

He was out but Wilson stopped in the third running, leaving Thomas to gain a fine win after a passing duel with Carl Stonehewer.

Ty Proctor was expected to be a thorn in our flesh and he won heat 4 easily from Matthew Wethers, who didn't have much to spare over Bugeja. We were now 1 point up.

Ryan Fisher was smoothly away to win heat 5 after a tussle with Stoney but again Aaron Summers spluttered to a halt, this time after half a lap.

Bears' veteran opening pair scored a very easy 5-1 in heat 6, with Rajkowski chasing and Wethers looking out of sorts.

Thomas was doubly unlucky in heat 7. First he was 'conned' into the tapes by a jerk from Proctor, who moved first but didn't touch. He then went off 15 metres and soon caught Benji Compton, but as he was executing an outside overtake he was whacked off by Compton's swinging back wheel. Incredibly, Thomas was excluded.

At the third attempt Proctor won again but with Tully chasing impressively. Bears now led by 5 points.

At last Aaron came good to lead all the way from Kessler in heat 8, with Michal Rajkowski in third (replacement for Sean).

Sean was given his third ride in heat 9 and this was a pretty comfortable home 5-1 with Matthew again not gating well. He has a good record at the STMP but wasn't achieving much on this occasion.

As happened approximately a year ago when our league match was abandoned, a heavy shower then stopped the match. They have a new bar at Redcar so many people piled in there.

The rain passed and there was some grading to make the best of the situation.

It gradually became obvious that our riders were in a much better frame of mind than the home men to cope with the new conditions. Alex Harkess said "None of our riders even asked about the rain, they just wanted to know when they could get out there."

Thomas stormed off with heat 10 from Kessler, while Havelock pulled out when at the back. That reduced the gap to 5.

We missed a big chance in heat 11, as Proctor stalled at the gate, but within half a lap Fisher was out of the race too! Not only that but Benji Compton had leapt from the start and Aaron Summers could not get near him, conceding a 2-3. Maybe Compton should have shown some of his vet team mates how it was done.

The gap was back to six again but we greatly improved our chances as Rajkowski and Jonasson raced away from Stonehewer in heat 12.

Proctor was back in the groove to take heat 13 but Fisher and Wethers keps Havelock at the back fairly comfortably.

Two down with 2 heats left, and in heat 14 we had Andrew and the Raj. It looked good, and it was as they rode perfectly to easily beat Ben Wilson to the flag.

The match had completely turned round and we were now 2 ahead. Could we finish the job?

Tully had been impressive but wasn't eligible for the last race, Fisher was not at his best, Jonasson was an automatic choice and we went with Rajkowski as well after his sterling efforts. Bears took 2 and 4 but it was Michal who raced away from gate 1.

Thomas was at the back but cut under Kessler entering the pits turn, at the same time as Proctor tried an outside pass on Rajkowski. Ty spun off and was excluded, which meant we were all but there.

In the rerun our pair easily beat Kessler which meant that we had only missed out on a 4-point victory by a single point with a 47-41 win, and from heat 10 we had outscored the Bears by 24-11!

A great effort, though the night sadly will be most remembered for the passing of Michael Jonasson.

This week we have home and away matches against Redcar Bears for Premier Trophy points. To keep in pole position for qualification we need a minimum of three league points from them but it won't be easy.

The first match is at Redcar on Thursday night. The team could well be back at full strength for this match as Ryan Fisher will ride following some doubts about his travel arrangements to get to Latvia where he will be representing the USA on Saturday. Thomas Jonasson will also be back after his absence necessitated by the concussion he suffered following a crash in Sweden. Andrew Tully also hopes to return for this match after his lay off following the soft tissue damage he suffered in a crash riding for Peterborough at Swindon.

On the down side Ryan Fisher and Aaron Summers suffered some serious damage to their machinery at Newcastle last Sunday and will have their work cut out to be properly prepared for the two matches.

Our record at Redcar is a good one and, as long as we can keep it close, one point (from a defeat by less than 7 points) is surely a realistic target. If we can achieve that it will continue our record of picking up these vital away points and make qualifying a little less difficult. It will also put a dent in Redcar's hopes of qualification since it will restrict them to two rather than three league points

Redcar are a much changed team this year with only Gary Havelock and Ty Proctor surviving from last year's one to five in the side. Havelock is partnered by the fast gating German, Robbie Kessler, in the top pairing while Carl Stonehewer and Ben Wilson (formerly with Workington and Sheffield respectively) form a formidable middle pairing. Ty Proctor rides at number 5 and is partnered by the reserves in his first three programmed rides.

Gary Havelock has left his halcyon days behind but is still a force to be reckoned with at Redcar. His partnership with Robbie Kessler has frequently produced 5-1s getting the Bears off to good starts in their home matches. Carl Stonehewer needs no introduction and his partnership with Ben Wilson, who was a prolific scorer with Sheffield last year, has also paid dividends. Ty Proctor's progression through the ranks since arriving from Australia had been remarkable and he may well soon be able to claim the number one position in the Bears' team since he is currently on Gary Havelock's heels in the 2009 averages.

While the Bears' team has an impressive and solid look about it, their Achilles heel is often at reserve where Benji Compton and Arlo Bugeja currently have a combined total average of less than 6! Michal Rajkowski has a good record round the South Tees Motor Park arena and will be a key man for the team ensuring that the Redcar reserves are kept to their averages. In fact all the team have had good moments at Redcar which, if repeated could see us returning with more than a single point. As always gating will be very important but the racing at Redcar is always fast with several racing lines for overtaking.

The return match at Armadale on Friday is one we should win and win well enough to be looking for all three league points. The Bears certainly have riders who can get round the Dale well but we should be able to contain them well enough for the 6+ point win. If we can get the three points from this home match and another three in our home match against Glasgow then we will have set a difficult target for the other sides in the group to match or beat.

For Friday's match Ryan Fisher and Andrew Tully should again be in the team but we will be without Thomas H Jonasson who will be on his way back to his homeland on under 21 Championship duty. Rider Replacement will operate for him and, since he is currently second in our averages, all of the team are eligible for one of the R/R rides.

The northern group of the Premier Trophy is turning out to be highly competitive with only Newcastle out of the running; neither Glasgow nor Sheffield look well placed either but that could change if they can burst into life away from home. Workington look to be odds against to qualify so it looks as though the fight will be a three way one for the two qualifying places with Redcar and Berwick our main challengers. Berwick's failure to take a point at Glasgow last Sunday must have been a disappointment for them but they have still to visit Sheffield in search of away points which they might need to remain in contention. This brings us back to Redcar who, in addition to the match at Armadale on Friday have also to visit the vulnerable looking but improving Newcastle side. That match is not due to be ridden until 24 May and, since there are anything from 0-4 points available to the Bears from it, it may be some time before we will know for certain the outcome of the group.