Popular ex-Bear Chris Kerr returns to the South Tees Motorsport Park on Thursday evening when his Newport Wasps speedway team travel up from South Wales to face the Redcar Bears in the first leg of the Knockout Cup with tapes up at 7.30pm.
The Californian was part of the Bears revival on Teesside in season 2006 and gave sterling service over three seasons as well as proving a real ambassador for the sport off-track.
He will line up in heat one with another ex-Bear of the Cleveland Park, Middlesbrough era as Newport Captain Mark Lemon spent a formative part of his British career at the former local speedway track in the early 1990s.
The Welsh club also tracks an interesting mix of experience and youth with veterans Paul Fry and Brent Werner still piling up the points alongside the ever improving Jordan Frampton whose contract has recently been bought by Elite League Coventry Bees.
At reserve 17-year-old Kyle Newman and his young Australian team-mate James Holder have belied the fact that this is only their second season in the sport by really making a wholehearted contribution to their club's cause and their raw talent is not only producing spectacular riding but in Holder's case a more than adequate match tally.
For the Bears - they were pleased to welcome back Robbie Kessler and Ty Proctor last Thursday after their withdrawal through injury from the previous away match at Edinburgh.
Ironically Proctor rode at Newport last Sunday in an International Fours in which he top scored for a World Select and prevented Mark Lemon gaining his full maximum when he passed the Newport number one on the last lap of the tournament's final race. A fair preparation for next Sunday's second leg away.
REDCAR 'NEBT/SIMPSON RACING UK' BEARS:
1. Gary Havelock (C)
2. Robbie Kessler
3. Carl Stonehewer
4. Ben Wilson
5. Ty Proctor
6. Benji Compton
7. Arlo Bugeja
NEWPORT WASPS:
1. Mark Lemon (C)
2. Chris Kerr
3. Jordan Frampton
4. Paul Fry
5. Brent Werner
6. Kyle Newman
7. James Holder
The meeting will be sponsored by Hartlepool Autoparts and the Cleveland Motorcycle Training Scheme.
Full club details on www.redcarspeedway.co.uk and results and news updates on 09068 664 665(calls charged at 60p per minute)
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