After their disappointing match against Workington last week and losing at Redcar last night, it was a return to winning ways for the Tigers with a comfortable win over Redcar.
With Chris Harris on GP duty and Paul Starke out injured, the home side had a slightly unfamiliar look about it, whilst the visitors had two former Tigers and two riders making their Ashfield debut.
Lewis Kerr started where he left off last week, breaking the track record in heat 1 and that having to do it from the back!
Behind him guest Charles Wright couldn’t find a way past the Bears duo for a 3-3.
Both Tigers fired out the start in heat 2 for a surprise 5-1, which was followed by a 4-2 for an early 6 point lead.
Redcar managed to stem the tide slightly in the next two with a 3-3 and 4-2, with Ben Barker taking their first heat win.
That was as close as the visitors would get.
Both Kerr and Wright passed Kus in heat 6, with Wright pulling off a great pass on the second lap before Jack Thomas was team rode around by Richie Worrall for another 5-1 in heat 7.
James Sarjeant had a great race with Jordan Stewart in heat 8 for third, pipping him on the line for another 4-2.
Heat 9 was shared before Barker came out as the T/S in heat 10. Tigers actually gated on a 5-1 but Kerr’s bike gave up the ghost at the end of the second lap although Barker had taken second at the start of lap 2.
Barker was out again in heat 11 and flew around the outside for a win and a Bears 4-2.
Vissing stalked and eventually got past Theo Pijper in heat 12 to restore the Tigers 14 point lead.
Not for the first time this season heat 13 was a cracker. All four riders were abreast coming out of the 4th bend with Barker taking the lead. Kus who led the race, finished last as both Tigers got past him.
Vissing and Thomas extended the lead to 18 with another 5-1 before Barker flew around Kerr in the last heat to share the race.
It was a welcome win for the home side, who whilst not always looking convincing, never looked like they would lose.
Unlike the match at Redcar, the top 4 got some reserve back up with Jack Thomas a deserved man of the match . Both Claus Vissing and Richie Worrall were only beaten by Barker, whilst Lewis Kerr actually led all 5 races he was in.
For the visitors, Ben Barker was his usual spectacular self, only losing to Kerr and Wright but he was their only heat winner. Mikkel B Andersen was best of the rest, Jordan Stewart was disappointing considering his previous night’s exploits.
There was some good racing again and a happier home crowd after last Sunday but the next few weeks could define the season with a KOC tie against Edinburgh next Sunday and then a crucial league match against Scunthorpe the following Friday.
Glasgow Tigers 54 Redcar Bears 36 SGBC 18/5/2018 Glasgow Tigers Charles Wright 0 2* 3 1* 6 + 2 Lewis Kerr 3 3 3 R 2 11 Claus Vissing 3 2 3 3 3 14 Paul Starke R/R 0 Richie Worrall 3 2* 2 2 1* 10 + 2 Jack Thomas 2* 1 0 3 0 0 2* 8 + 2 James Sarjeant 3 X F 1 1 5 Redcar Bears Ben Barker 1* 3 2 3 3 3 15 + 1 Mikkel B Andersen 2 1 2 1 6 Tobias Busch R R R 0 Jonas B Andersen 2 1 1* 1 5 + 1 Matej Kus 2 1 1* 0 0 4 + 1 Theo Pijper 1 0 2 2 0 5 Jordan Stewart 0 1* 0 1 + 1 Heat 1 - Lewis Kerr ; Mikkel B Andersen ; Ben Barker ; Charles Wright ; 56.95 TR (3-3)(3-3) Heat 2 - (re-run)James Sarjeant ; Jack Thomas ; Theo Pijper ; Jordan Stewart ; 58.1 (5-1)(8-4) Heat 3 - Claus Vissing ; Jonas B Andersen ; Jack Thomas ; Tobias Busch(R) ; James Sarjeant X (starting offence)57.35 (4-2)(12-6) Heat 4 - Richie Worrall ; Matej Kus ; Jordan Stewart ; Jack Thomas ; 57.7 (3-3)(15-9) Heat 5 - Ben Barker ; Claus Vissing ; Mikkel B Andersen ; James Sarjeant(F) ; 57.0 (2-4)(17-13) Heat 6 - Lewis Kerr ; Charles Wright ; Matej Kus ; Theo Pijper ; 57.57 (5-1)(22-14) Heat 7 - Jack Thomas ; Richie Worrall ; Jonas B Andersen ; Tobias Busch(R) ; 59.0 (5-1)(27-15) Heat 8 - Lewis Kerr ; Mikkel B Andersen ; James Sarjeant ; Jordan Stewart ; 58.2 (4-2)(31-17) Heat 9 - Claus Vissing ; Theo Pijper ; Matej Kus ; Jack Thomas ; 57.5 (3-3)(34-20) Heat 10 - Charles Wright ; Ben Barker ; Jonas B Andersen ; Lewis Kerr(R) ; 58.0 (3-3)(37-23) Heat 11 - Ben Barker ; Richie Worrall ; Mikkel B Andersen ; Jack Thomas ; 56.96 (2-4)(39-27) Heat 12 - Claus Vissing ; Theo Pijper ; James Sarjeant ; Tobias Busch(R) ; 58.7 (4-2)(43-29) Heat 13 - (re-run)Ben Barker ; Richie Worrall ; Charles Wright ; Matej Kus ; 58.45 (3-3)(46-32) Heat 14 - Claus Vissing ; Jack Thomas ; Jonas B Andersen ; Theo Pijper ; 58.78 (5-1)(51-33) Heat 15 - Ben Barker ; Lewis Kerr ; Richie Worrall ; Matej Kus ; 58.1 (3-3)(54-36)