The Redcar Bears are a British motorcycle speedway team who currently compete in the SGB Championship (second tier of the British speedway leagues). Their major team honour to date is the SGB Championship Knockout Cup win in 2019. The team have also run a junior side called the Middlesbrough Tigers, formerly the Redcar Cubs and the Teesside Tigers.

Quick Facts Club information, Track address ...

Redcar Bears
Club information
Track address	Ecco Arena Dormor Way Southbank Road Middlesbrough TS6 6XH
Country	England
Founded	1994
Promoter	Jade Mudgway & Jamie Swales
Team manager	Gavin Parr
League	SGB Championship National Development League
Website	www.redcar-speedway.com
Club facts
Colours	Red, White, Black and Grey
Track size	271[1] metres (296 yd)
Track record time	52.2 seconds
Track record date	28 October 2022, Teesside Silver Pan
Track record holder	Lewis Kerr
Current senior team
Rider CMA Charles Wright (capt) Danny King Jonas Knudsen Connor Bailey Jason Edwards Jake Mulford Ben Trigger
Current junior team
Rider CMA Ben Trigger Danny Phillips Jamie Halder Ben Rathbone Archie Freeman Elliot Kelly
Major team honours
SGB Championship KO Cup 2019 Young Shield Winners 2007

Close

The Bears started life as the Cleveland Bays during the 1994 British League Division Three season, they finished as runner-up before entering the 1995 but failed to complete the season and withdrew from the league.^[2]

It was not until 2006 that speedway returned to Middlesbrough, with a new team name of Redcar Bear racing at the purpose built South Tees Motorsports Park. The team entered the 2006 Premier League speedway season, the Premier League was division 2 at the time.^[3] In 2007, the Bears won the Premier League consolation tournament the Young Shield,^[4] beating the Birmingham Brummies.

From 2008 to 2016 the team continued to compete in the Premier League with a best placed finish of 5th in 2009. In 2017, the team joined the SGB Championship (the new name for division 2) and finished in 5th place. The Bears were awarded the 2017 Championship Track of the Year by the Speedway Control Board, an award voted for throughout the season based on referee's match reports.^[5]

In 2019, Jitendra Duffill became co-promoter replacing Kevin Keay, with Jade Mudgway continuing as the team manager and co-promoter.^[6][7][8] Former World Speedway Champion and Redcar rider Gary Havelock also re-joined the club as rider coach.^[9] Race nights switched to Friday from Thursday and the club were branded as the Redcar Agilia Bears after London based company Agilia Infrastructure Partners Limited became the club's main sponsor.^[10][11] During the 2019 season, the Bears beat Newcastle Diamonds in the Championship Knockout Cup final.^[12] Additionally Bears' rider Charles Wright became the 2019 British Speedway Champion after winning the final at the National Speedway Stadium in Manchester and Erik Riss won his first Championship Riders title at Sheffield.^[13][14]

For the 2020 season the Bears retained five of the previous years team but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19.^[15][16]

2021 saw the Bears lose their reign as K.O. Cup holders in preliminary round defeat to the Birmingham Brummies and despite qualifying for the end of season Play-Offs, were beaten in the Quarter Finals by the Edinburgh Monarchs.

In 2022, a new name was announced for the South Tees Motorsports Park as The ECCO Arena, after long-time sponsor ECCO Finishing Supplies took up the opportunity to take over the stadium naming rights.^[17] The first silverware of the SGB Championship 2022 went to the Redcar pairing of Charles Wright and Lewis Kerr, who lifted the SGB Championship 2022 Pairs Championship held at Oxford on 12 August.^[18] Also in August, Katie Gordon who rode for the Redcar Cubs, won the inaugural NORA Women's British Championship.^[19]

• 1994 – British League (div 3) – 2nd; (as Cleveland Bays)
• 1995 – Academy League – withdrew; (as Cleveland Bays)
• 2006 – Premier League – 6th;
• 2007 – Premier League – 9th;
• 2008 – Premier League – 7th;
• 2008 – Conference League – 3rd; (as Redcar Cubs)
• 2009 – Premier League – 5th;
• 2010 – Premier League – 14th;
• 2011 – Premier League – 10th;
• 2012 – Premier League – 9th;
• 2013 – Premier League – 6th;
• 2014 – Premier League – 10th;
• 2015 – Premier League – 13th;
• 2016 – Premier League – 13th;
• 2017 – Championship – 5th;
• 2018 – Championship – 10th;
• 2019 – Championship – 3rd; play off semi finals
• 2020 – Cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic;
• 2021 – Championship – 4th;^[20]
• 2022 – Championship - 6th, PO QF;
• 2023 – Championship - 5th, PO;