Tigers briefly went back to the top of the Premier League, with their 7th successive win and their biggest win of the season, against a makeshift Redcar side.
With track experts Stuart Robson and Lasse Bjerre out and the late withdrawal of Jan Graversen, giving Tigers no8 Ryan MacDonald a rare outing, the Bears were always looking at damage limitation.
They actually started well, mainly due to misfortune to the home riders, with Victor Palovaara pulling up with a puncture whilst miles ahead in heat 2 and Josh Grajczonek only making it as far as the first bend in heat 6. The two 4-2s being their only advantages.
Tigers began to turn the screw with an easy 5-1 in heat 7, then James Sarjeant impressively won heat 8 with Hynek Stichauer passing Arthur Sissis for third.
That prompted Redcar to bring out the black and white helmet in heat 9 with Jonas B Andersen. Palovaara rode around him on the opening bends, baulking partner Aaron Summers in the process. The Tigers captain then set after Andersen, finally passing him on the third lap and then having to protect his partner on the last bend after his second puncture of the day.
Tigers then opened up. Grajczonek passing Sissis early on in heat 10 for another 5-1 with James Sarjeant. Palovaara then took advantage of Lawson’s excellent opening bends when he pushed Doolan wide, for another maximum. Followed by another in heat 12 with Hynek Stichauer riding a good race to finish ahead of Sissis. A fifth successive 5-1 followed in heat 13 although Grajczonek had to work hard to pass Andersen on the third lap. Heat 14 went the same way as the previous five before the Bears restored some pride in heat 15 with Andersen passing a slowing Summers after fending off the hard charging Lawson in the first two laps.
It was actually a better match than the score suggests, with the fast starting Andersen and Sissis meaning that the home men had to come from the back for their points.
Amazingly there were no home maximums although only machine problems stopped Summers, whilst a puncture cost Palovaara his maiden maximum. Everyone enjoyed a good payday and Hynek Stichauer looked more on the pace after discovering the outside line in his last two.
The Bears were well served by Andersen and Sissis, while one or two others looked like they’d rather be somewhere else.
Glasgow Tigers 62
Redcar Bears 28
Premier League
9/8/2015
Glasgow Tigers 62Josh Grajczonek 3 EF 2' 2' 7 +2
James Sarjeant 0 1 2 3 3 9
Aaron Summers 3 3 2' 3 3 2 16+1
Kauko Nieminen R/R (1 2' 3 3) (9+1)
Richard Lawson 3 2' 3 3 3 1' 12+2
Victor Palovaara R 2' 3 3 2' 2' 12+3
Hynek Stichauer 2 1 1 2' 6 + 1
Mark McIlkenny(no8) DNRRedcar Bears 28
Kevin Doolan 2 1 1 0 0 4
Stuart Robson R/R (1' 0 2 0) (3+1)
Matej Kus EF R 2 2
Dimitri Berge 2 0 1 R EF 3
Jonas B Andersen 0 3 1^ 1 3 8
Ryan MacDonald 1 1 0 0 0 2
Arthur Sissis 1' 3 2 0 1 1 1 9+1Heat 1 - Grajczonek, Doolan, Sissis, Sarjeant ; 58.7 (3-3)(3-3)
Heat 2 - Sissis, Stichauer, MacDonald, Palovaara (R) ; 60.5 (2-4)(5-7)
Heat 3 - Summers, Berge, Sarjeant, Kus (EF) ; 59.0 (4-2)(9-9)
Heat 4 - Lawson, Sissis, Stichauer, Andersen (frmt) ; 59.2 (4-2)(13-11)
Heat 5 - Summers, Palovaara, Doolan, Berge ; 57.8 (5-1)(18-12)
Heat 6 - Andersen, Sarjeant, MacDonald, Grajczonek (ef); 60.2 (2-4)(20-16)
Heat 7 - Palovaara, Lawson, Berge, Kus (R) ; 58.2 (5-1)(25-17)
Heat 8 - Sarjeant, Kus, Stichauer, Sissis ; 58.8 (4-2)(29-19)
Heat 9 - Palovaara, Summers, Andersen^,MacDonald ; 59.3 (5-1)(34-20)
Heat 10 - Sarjeant, Grajczonek, Sissis, Berge(R) ; 59.7 (5-1)(39-21)
Heat 11 - Lawson, Palovaara, Doolan, MacDonald ; 59.2 (5-1)(44-22)
Heat 12 - Summers, Stichauer, Sissis, MacDonald ; 58.8 (5-1)(49-23)
Heat 13 - Lawson, Grajczonek, Andersen, Doolan ; 58.1 (5-1)(54-24)
Heat 14 - (re-run)Summers, Palovaara, Sissis, Berge ; 58.8 (5-1)(59-25)
Heat 15 - Andersen, Summers, Lawson, Doolan ; 59.8 (3-3)(62-28)