REDCAR boss Gavin Parr admits “words can’t describe the feeling” of winning the BSN Series Final.
The Bears produced a stunning victory on aggregate by just two points after a dramatic encounter at Wimborne Road to shatter the Pirates treble glory.
Parr’s side were behind overall with five races remaining, but reserve Jody Scott was the hero as he partnered skipper Charles Wright to a 5-1 in Heat 11 and then added a 4-2 with Jason Edwards in the next.
Home No.1 Richard Lawson was excluded from Heat 13 for an incident which saw both Bears riders come to grief, but Wright and Danny King picked themselves up to score another big 5-1 in the re-run.
That left Redcar needing just a second place from Heat 14 but the pressure was on Scott after team-mate Jake Mulford crashed out with a broken chain, and he delivered the result they required by splitting Zach Cook and Paul Starke to seal the trophy.
Bears boss Gavin Parr said: “Words can’t describe the feeling. We’ve worked so hard this season and these guys (Poole) have got in front of us every single time!
“Just to win at home was a massive thing and then to come down here, we knew the pressure was on Poole and everyone expected Poole to do it.
“But we kept plugging away and it’s unbelievable. There were a couple of times my heart was in my mouth with Jody bouncing off the fence, it was unbelievable, and that’s for all the fans.”
The Pirates were strong favourites to complete the treble at Championship level for the second year running, but they were unable to overturn a two-point deficit from the first leg back on their own track.
A key turning point came in Heat 10 when the home side were on a 5-1 which would have put them six points ahead on aggregate, only for Tobias Thomsen to crash heavily within yards of the chequered flag. The Dane was taken to hospital for checks on his neck.
Team boss Neil Middleditch said: “Trophy number 34 will have to wait until next year, but fair play to Redcar.
“I’m not making any excuses, Redcar were the better team tonight and they deserved to win, but obviously that race when we lost Toby when we had a dead cert 5-1 really unsettled us.
“Their manager Gavin (Parr) said before the start of the meeting that we had stopped them at every corner – knocked them out of the play-offs, beat them in the Knockout Cup, but they rose to the occasion tonight and I congratulate them for doing so.
“We have all had a fantastic season here at Poole this season. Many teams would be happy to get one trophy and we have got two, so we should feel proud on that score.”
Words by Holeshot Media.
Images by Taylor Lanning.