KERR-FECT MOVE
by Martin Neal Evening Gazette
Exciting young American Chris Kerr has become the Redcar Bears' first outright signing. The Premier League newcomers had already snapped up Gary Havelock, Matt Tresarrieu, Daniel Giffard, Jack Hargreaves and Tomas Suchanek - but they all arrived on loan deals.
Now 21-year-old Californian Kerr has become their first asset, after agreeing a three-year contract. He will be based permanently on Teesside and will stay with manager Brian Havelock in Yarm.
Kerr has not raced league speedway in
He arrives on an assessed eight-point average and therefore goes straight in at the deep end as a heat leader. That represents something of a gamble by the Bears management, but they are convinced it will pay off. "He is one of the new breed of Americans and is an exciting young talent"
Tuesday
Kerr said: "I'll do my best all the time, and I'll be listening to
No-one really knew how Chris Kerr would cope with Premier League racing when he arrived in the
However, while the big scores have thus far eluded him, Bears’ Californian star has proved more than up with the greater pace and also, as was evident by the huge queue of people waiting at the speedway office for his autograph during last week’s interval (a new record I think), he has become immensely popular here on Teesside. Over the last few weeks even the weather has been West Coast of America-like, with warm sunny days becoming the norm.
“It’s real nice, especially up here in
Chris went to Miskolc as part of the USA squad and, although not being picked for the team which qualified by a clear 18 points for the next round in Malilla, Sweden, he says: “The whole experience in Hungary was great, even though I didn’t get to ride other than in the practice.
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IT’S A RECORD!
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette
If it were a boxing match the referee would have stepped in long before the end to save the visitors from further punishment! Such was the devastating manner in which Redcar Bears pummelled Berwick Bandits into the ground at
After an off night at Mildenhall on Sunday, Havvy was back to his blistering best with a 15-point maximum while Chris Kerr went through all his programmed rides unbeaten by an opponent. Unfortunately he failed to complete his first ever paid maximum when he fell in the nominated riders' race trying to make up ground on Stanislaw Burza and Michal Makovsky. Nonetheless it was an assured performance from the American, whose season hit a low point when he had failed to score against Rye House just two weeks earlier. "That is never going to happen again," vowed Kerr, referring to his Rye House nightmare. "For the past few weeks I have been struggling but I had a new motor last night and I rode the bike like I should have been doing all along." Chris scored 8+4
WHAT A DEFFERENCE A FEW DAYS CAN MAKE?!
The previous weekend Redcar were still basking in the glory of taking Stoke apart at Loomer Road for a first ever away win that hoisted them to third in the league, while dejected Newport were being comprehensively dumped out of the Knock-out Cup by five-man Sheffield on their home circuit. Place your bets please?
The South Motorsports Park track was not at its best – unpredictable and grippy – but it was the same for both sides and, Gary Havelock and Chris Kerr aside, the Everest Group Wasps simply showed more appetite for the fight.
AMERICAN ACE
~ By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Monday 4th September 2006
California kid Chris Kerr kept up his fine run of form as Redcar Bears continued their Premier League play-off push at the weekend fresh from his paid nine total in last Thursday's home clash with Workington, the American ace clocked up an impressive 13+1 total in the return leg at Derwent Park. The Bears went down 52-42 on the night - but their big win at
They had gone to Workington without Mat Tresarrieu who was on World Long Track duty and Jack Hargreaves who is nursing a back injury.
But the remainder of the Bears team - led by
GLORY BID OVER
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette
Disappointed boss Brian Havelock was forced to admit last night that Redcar Bears' brave bid for Premier League glory was over. A 47-43 home defeat by King's Lynn in last night's play-off quarter-final first leg left them with a near impossible task at the Norfolk Arena in next Wednesday's return clash. But at least
It was nonetheless a brave performance by the Bears against a powerhouse side.
TRACK UNSAFE
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette
Any attempt to punish Redcar Bears' riders for refusing to race in Sunday's scheduled Tyne Tees Trophy clash at
But
The
Further track work failed to convince either set of riders that the surface was fit, although Durno insisted it was. "I asked him if he'd ever ridden a speedway bike," said Havelock, "and he told me he hadn't done to my level, I offered him by bike and crash helmet to go out and test the track himself and he wasn't happy with that. He told us that if we weren't going to ride he would fine each of us £250 immediately and report us to the SCB."
A statement from Durno to fans, read out on the centre green, stated: "All 12 riders have refused to ride, not even considering trying out the circuit. The calling-off of the meeting is the riders' decision and nothing to do with either the
STORM CLOUDS
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Wednesday 18th October 2006
The Redcar Bears team which refused to race at Newcastle last month because of track conditions has been hit with a suspended six-match ban. The Newcastle Diamonds team, who also refused to ride, were given the same punishment. All the riders involved were also fined £250.
Heavy rain earlier in the day had affected track conditions and, even after work had been carried out on the racing strip, all the riders due to take part insisted it was not safe to ride. Referee Chris Durno disagreed, however and fined each rider on the spot before informing them they would be reported to the SCB.
Skipper Gary Havelock said at the time: "There were one or two inches of sloppy slime on top - if they had regraded it, it could have been raceable." And he added: "If the meeting had gone ahead it would have been, at best, a mudbath procession. It would have been like watching paint dry and that's not speedway. At worst, someone would have ended up in hospital."
Now Bears supremo van Straaten is supporting his riders' efforts to clear their name. "My understanding is that the SRA has launched an appeal on their behalf - they are all members," he said. "Although the ban has been suspended, the riders do not want this stigma on their records.
The size of the punishment does seem harsh, especially considering that all of the Bears riders - Gary Havelock, Chris Kerr, Kevin Little, guest Lee Smethills, Jack Hargreaves and Dan Giffard - plus the entire Diamonds team were unanimous in their decision. And van Straaten admitted: "It is quite surprising when you consider that all the riders were in agreement."
HALL THE WAY
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette
He promised his sponsors something to cheer at their local track - and Richard Hall didn't disappoint last night. For the 22-year-old Peterborough Panthers star from Bedale gave a thrilling performance to win the South Tees Silver Helmet. By far the most spectacular of the Elite League riders in action at the
An absorbing meeting produced some cracking racing for the big crowd - but the biggest smile of the night belonged to Hall. "I really enjoyed that," said a beaming Hall after being presented with his prize. "I'd only ever ridden four laps round the track before the meeting and the engine I was going to use was in the workshop. But I knew I was above the standard of most of the other riders so I wouldn't have been happy losing to them. I knew that Gary Havelock and David Howe would be up there challenging so it's nice to have beaten them. I've finished the season on a high."
The only point he dropped last night came in his opening ride when
Howe had looked the early favourite after winning each of his first three races. But his title hopes were left in tatters in heat 16 as Lindgren past him on the outside and Bears star Chris Kerr dived past him on the inside on the back straight. It was a fine race by Kerr who got quicker as the night progressed. His defeat of Howe certainly did team-mate
Finishing order: 1 Richard Hall 14pts, 2 Freddie Lindgren 13, 3
KERR THE KEY
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Saturday 21st October 2006
American ace Chris Kerr is the key to Redcar Bears' hopes of lifting the Tyne Tees Trophy. That's the view of team boss Brian Havelock as his side go into the second and deciding leg of the battle for North-east honours at
Now
WE WON THE CUP
By Martin Neal, Evening Gazette Monday
Both sides were forced to use rider replacement and a guest to cover for missing team members, and it was the Bears who adapted better. Skipper Gary Havelock was quick out of the gate all night and ended the season as he had started it, with a flawless maximum. The former world champion might have added to his 15-point total too, but passed on the nominated riders' race after aggravating a knee injury.
The other hero of the night was Kevin Little who ended his long career in fitting fashion. For not only was it his 3-3 with Jack Hargreaves that clinched the trophy in heat 12, but he also roared from behind to beat both Christian Henry and Josef Franc to win heat 15 - his last ever race before retiring. Chris scored 6
EVENING GAZETTE SPORTS AWARDS 2005/2006
Monday
The Redcar Bears's speedway team have been nominated for the 'Motorsport Award' category to be presented at a glittering dinner on the evening of Monday December 11th at the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm.
The other two nominations are National Autograss Champion Martyn James and teenage road racer Jamie Ferguson. The Bears being the only team to make it to the final three.
The club will be represented at the dinner by club captain Gary Havelock, team manager Brian Havelock, Gareth Rogers and Chris Kerr. With Middlesbrough FC manager Gareth Southgate scheduled to be presenting the awards.
BEARS WIN EVENING GAZETTE MOTORSPORT AWARD
The Redcar Bears have won the 2006 Evening Gazette Motorsport award at a glittering ceremony and dinner held at the Tall Trees Hotel, Yarm on Monday December 11th. Presenting the certificate and trophy were Dame Tanni Grey-Thomson the Paralympic multi-Gold medallist and Gareth Southgate the manager of Middlesbrough Football Club. On stage representing the club as recipients were club captain Gary Havelock, team member Chris Kerr, team manager Brian Havelock and Gareth Rogers.
The criteria for victory was the fact that the speedway club had emerged from nothing a year previously to achieve what the club managed on and off track this past season. When the two Gareths met more informally later for a photo shoot together - the Premiership manager accepted an invitation to bring his family to the
BEAR'S APPEAL ENDS IN FAILURE
By Martin Neal Evening Gazette ~ Saturday 24th February 2007
AN appeal into the punishment meted out to Redcar and Newcastle riders for refusing to race on what they considered to be an unsafe track has been thrown out. But the battle may still not be over and angry Bears skipper Gary Havelock is considering his next move. Both sets of riders walked away from what should have been the first leg of the Tyne Tees Trophy at
They claimed heavy rain which had fallen earlier had left the Tyneside track unraceable and defied referee Chris Durno’s orders to proceed with the meeting.
Along with the former
However the riders were informed this week that their appeal had not been successful. In their response to the SRA bid, the Speedway Control Bureau ruled there was no right to appeal against the fines - although, even if there was, they say they would have stood by the punishment. They also felt the suspended ban was appropriate and said that in similar circumstances in the future, team managers should also be penalised. Their only concession was that Little - who had already announced his retirement and had a previously unblemished record - should have his suspended penalty removed.
“We have a right to appeal against the findings of the appeal,” explained former world champion