One of the Premier League teams consistently in the hunt for honours visit the South Tees Motorsport Park this Thursday evening at 7.30.

For the Redcar Bears take on the Isle of Wight Islanders, who have already bagged the Premier League Pairs Championship and the Premier League Fours Championship this season.

They are spearheaded by 19-year-old Australian Chris Holder who in addition to two gold medals in 2007 also represented his country in the World Team Cup Final in Poland recently.

His partner in the Pairs triumph was club skipper Jason Bunyan who first rode for the Islanders in 1999 and is enjoying his best-ever season for the club.

The Isle of Wight management have a tradition of recruiting emerging talent and succeeded in securing the signature of another rising star from down under in the shape of 20-year-old Cory Gathercole.

He is also regarded like Holder as a tip for the top. Polish rider Krystof Stojanowski was an instant success when he hopped across the Solent in August 2005 and gives the Ryde club a further solid scorer in their top four.

The Islanders will be missing New Zealand Speedway Champion Andrew Bargh at number six because of an ankle injury and will call up a Conference League guest at reserve, For Redcar - whose season has been previously affected by a series of injuries throughout the squad - the away thumping of derby rivals Newcastle on Sunday evening by 55 points to 38, on the first occasion for many months that the Bears have been at full strength, augurs well for a cracking match between two evenly balanced and competitive teams.

An interesting footnote to the fixture is that the Bears' Director of Operations Gareth Rogers was responsible for introducing speedway to the island at the Smallbrook Stadium, Ryde in 1996 and mirrored the feat by being one of the parties involved in the relaunch of the sport at the Motorpark off South Bank Road exactly ten years later.

REDCAR BEARS:
1. Gary Havelock (C)
2. Josh Auty
3. James Grieves
4. Chris Kerr
5. Mathieu Tresarrieu
6. Daniel Giffard
7. Jack Hargreaves
ISLE OF WIGHT ISLANDERS:
1. Chris Holder
2. Cory Gathercole
3. Jason Bunyan (C)
4. Glen Phillips
5. Krystof Stojanowski
6. To be confirmed
7. Chris Johnson

There will be no Premier League action at the Motorpark on Thursday August 23rd so as not to clash with the Garry Stead Grand Prix at Sheffield Speedway that evening.

Both Gary Havelock and Chris Kerr are amongst the galaxy of stars now taking part. Garry Stead was paralysed riding for the Stoke Potters at Somerset Speedway earlier this season and receipts will assist setting up facilities for his future rehabilitation.

Bears' Team Manager Brian Havelock is running a mini-bus to the event and further details are available from Brian on 01642 888780 whilst the Bears' supporters club are organising a coach with details from Graham Porter on 07859 731172.

There will be speedway at the Motorpark that weekend when the Cleveland Bays take on the Sittingbourne Crusaders on Saturday August 25th at 3pm.