Redcar Cubs team manager Jason Pipe has been forced into making changes to his squad following disappointing defeats in Dorset and Derbyshire last weekend.

Pipe has signed three new riders in a bid to get the Cubs play-off title hopes back on track.  Former Glasgow rider James Cockle, former Newcastle & Berwick rider Adam McKinna and an unknown Australian called Lee Berjos have all agreed terms.

Cockle, based in March, Peterborough, has experience at Premier League level and has made occasional appearances for the Redcar Bears at reserve this season.  He has spent most of this season racing for Boston Barracudas in the Conference League. Adam McKinna began the season racing for Berwick at reserve and last season rode for Newcastle.  The son of former Middlesbrough rider Kenny McKinna, Adam has never really established himself at either Premier or Conference League level due to injuries.  He was of course a member of the Cleveland Bays last season before moving to Boston. Aussie, Berjos, is a mystery signing.  He is 28 years old but hasn’t been a regular performer in Australian speedway for some years.  It remains to be seen what the purpose of his signing means. 

Pipe, did not expect to gain anything from the Cubs meeting at Weymouth as they were without No.1 Aaron Summers and high scoring reserve Richard Lawson but Sunday’s encounter with Buxton left him feeling deflated: “We basically threw away the match points in the first four races going 10pts down as we scored 33pts to Buxton’s 35pts over the next eleven races, “ said Pipe.

At Weymouth on Saturday the Cubs were greeted by a dry and dusty track but the threat of rain forecast for Dorset was never far away.  Without the services of two of their key riders it was basically a damage limitation exercise.  As it was only Cubs captain Scott James won a tactical ride with Gary Beaton, the only heat winner all evening as the Wildcats were comfortable victors by 56-37pts.  Benji Compton once again was a major disappointment failing to win a single race and down at reserve Ben Reade who along with 16-year old Daniel Greenwood were drafted in at short notice, took a nasty fall in his first ride and took no further part in proceedings. 

SCORERS at Weymouth: Scott James 12, Gary Beaton 8+3, Benji Compton 8, Jade Mudgway 7, Greenwood 2, Reade 0 – Withdrawn.

The following day the action moved on to Buxton deep in the Derbyshire hills and an expectant Pipe confident his team could get their second away victory of the season. Once again Aaron Summers and Richard Lawson were unavailable making the job of achieving victory all that much harder.  As it was the Cubs were behind early on and struggled to contain Buxton’s two main riders: Jack Roberts & Ben Taylor.  They more than made a match of it from Heat 5 onward but Steve Jones got injured in his first ride and sustained burns to his nether regions, he bravely continued.  Scott James was a model of consistency and Benji Compton also put up a much better performance but there was disappointment down at reserve as Gary Beaton could only manage 4pts from reserve.

SCORERS at Buxton: Scott James 14+1, Benji Compton 10+1, Jade Mudgway 7+1, Gary Beaton 4,  Steve Jones 3+2, Mick Mitchell 2.

The Cubs travel to King’s Lynn’s Norfolk Arena to take on current league leaders Boston.  All three new signings will appear.  James Cockle will ride against his old club whilst former Cleveland Bays rider Joe Haines is expected to ride for Boston.  The Barracudas also have a young teenage Australian in their team called Darcy Ward who scored 16pts on his debut four weeks ago.  Aaron Summers cannot ride as he is in action for parent club Edinburgh, whilst Benji Compton and Gary Beaton are both unavailable for tonight’s meeting:

Team for Boston: 1 Scott James; 2 Jade Mudgway; 3 Rider Replacement for Benji Compton; 4 Lee Berjos; 5 James Cockle; 6 Adam McKinna; 7 Richard Lawson.

Courtesy Steve Harland and Redcar Speedway.