REPORT: Redcar Stop the Treble and Wrestle BSN Title away from Poole

24/10/25

Pirates missed out on the 2025 treble as Redcar clipped their wings in a dramatic night at Wimborne Road, The Bears clinched the BSN Series title with a heat to spare, before the meeting finished 45-45, offering the Bears a close 91-89 aggregate victory.

For the first time since August 2024, Richard Lawson completed a race in last place but Poole's blushes were spared as Tobias Thomsen produced a scintillating ride to hold off Charles Wright and Jake Mulford to maintain the deficit from the first leg at just two points. Paul Starke and William Cairns turned matters on its head as they prevailed for a 5-1, Jody Scott progressing as the race developed after backmarker Ace Pijper had ground to a halt around the south bend. Captain Zach Cook flew from the gate whilst his racing partner Lewi Kerr worked a passage by Jake Mulford for a 4-2 before King shrugged off Anders Rowe in heat four to stop the run of Poole race winners. Two sharp gates from Wright and Jason Edwards in heat five put the frighteners on Poole as it meant the engine room pair of Cook and Kerr had a 1-5 against them. (16-14 agg 60-60).

Lawson had spent the time in the pits resolving his issues and he looked much more like the Rocketman that he is loved for, but this time around it was Thomsen struggling for power and he couldn't make any impression of King and Scott. In heat seven, Edwards found himself caught up in traffic and spotting an opportunity, Starke seized on it to run a third place behind Rowe as Mulford chalked up a win against his name. There was praise for Scott in heat eight after he fell whilst just edging the lead in heat eight, but cleared the track to allow the race to continue. The applause was enthusiastic for, at the time Thomsen was working had to hold King at bay, but the former Poole captain found a way by on the final lap, maintaining the aggregate scores as level pegging. The deadlock was broken when Cook pulled a smart move on King in heat nine, and held it, whilst Kerr earned third place, not as easily as he would have wished for as Pijper kept the pressure on. Poole were all set to pull four points clear on aggregate when the turning point of the meeting came. With less than 15 metres of heat ten remaining and Poole on a 5-1, Thomsen ploughed heavily into the fence and needed extended attention on track before being transferred to the hospital for a full check over, with him complaining of neck pains. The resulting 3-3 left the score on the night at 32-28, 76-74 aggregate.

The smart Bears executed a clever move on Rowe in heat 11 which turned the meeting back in their favour then, taking back-to-back rides, Scott rode a superb race to put Kerr under the cosh, the pair swapping places turn on turn as Edwards was enjoying the fresh air out front. It began to dawn on Poole that they needed something big from heat thirteen and the last thing they wanted was the disqualification of Lawson for forcing Wright down. Rowe couldn't impress in the re-run as Redcar moved into a six point lead (8 on aggregate) leaving the Pirates requiring a brace of 5-1's to force another Superheat decider. Was it going to be another finger-nail biting Friday?

When a freak accident. caused by Mulford shedding both a primary and a rear chain and being disqualified for stopping heat fourteen, there was an air of anticipation, but, arguably, the Bears' 'match-winner', Scott rode superbly to split Starke from leader Cook and the Treble dream was over, although Lawson and Cook signed off the season with their ninth heat 15 5-1 of the season, but the celebrations deservedly belonged to the Redcar Bears.

POOLE 45
Richard Lawson 0,3,3,X0,3=9 (5)
Tobias Thomsen 3,0,2,F=5 (4)
Lewis Kerr 1,0,1,2=4 (4)
Zach Cook 3,1,3,3,2'=12+1 (5)
Anders Rowe 2,2,1,1=6 (4)
Paul Starke 3,1',0,1=5+1 (4)
William Cairns 2',1',1',0=4+3 (4)
.
REDCAR 45
Charles Wright 2,3,3,2'=10+1 (4)
Rider Replacement
Jason Edwards 2,2',0,2,3,0=9+1 (6)
Jake Mulford 1',0,3,1',FD=5+2 (5)
Danny King 3,2,3,2,3,1=14 (6)
Jody Scott 1,1',F,RS,2',1,2=7+2 (6)
Ace Pijper R,0,RS,0,RS=0 (3)
.
Ht 1: T.Thomsen, C.Wright, J.Mulford, R.Lawson 3-3 3-3 [62.74]
Ht 2: P.Starke, W.Cairns, J.Scott, A.Pijper [rtd] 5-1 8-4 [62.89]
Ht 3: Z.Cook, J.Edwards, L.Kerr, J.Mulford 4-2 12-6 [62.63]
Ht 4: D.King, A.Rowe, W.Cairns, A.Pijper 3-3 15-9 [61.14]
Ht 5: C.Wright, J.Edwards, Z.Cook, L.Kerr 1-5 16-14 [60.89]
Ht 6: R.Lawson, D.King, J.Scott, T.Thomsen 3-3 19-17 [61.4]
Ht 7: J.Mulford, A.Rowe, P.Starke, J.Edwards 3-3 22-20 [61.73]
Ht 8: D.King, T.Thomsen, W.Cairns, J.Scott [fell] 3-3 25-23 [61.69]
Ht 9: Z.Cook, D.King, L.Kerr, A.Pijper 4-2 29-25 [61.29]
Ht 10: R.Lawson, J.Edwards, J.Mulford, T.Thomsen [fell] 3-3 32-28 [62.52]
Ht 11: C.Wright, J.Scott, A.Rowe, P.Starke 1-5 33-33 [63.71]
Ht 12: J.Edwards, L.Kerr, J.Scott, W.Cairns 2-4 35-37 [63.91]
Ht 13: D.King, C.Wright, A.Rowe, R.Lawson [exc] 1-5 36-42 [62.69]
Ht 14: Z.Cook, J.Scott, P.Starke, J.Mulford [fell exc] 4-2 40-44 [64.64]
Ht 15: R.Lawson, Z.Cook, D.King, J.Edwards 5-1 45-45 []

SGB Referee Mr Gary Allen