Scunthorpe Scorpions made a winning start to their 2026 campaign with a 50-40 victory over Redcar Bears in their opening BSN Series fixture at the Eddie Wright Raceway.
Feature Image courtesy of Ian Rispin
The home side established control early in the meeting, racing into a 22-8 advantage after five heats. The pairing of Connor Mountain and Luke Harrison played a key role in that start, combining for two maximum 5-1 results to put the Scorpions firmly on the front foot.
Redcar worked their way back into contention as the meeting progressed, reducing the deficit and setting up a tense conclusion. The result was ultimately decided in Heat 14, when the Bears required a maximum to force a last-heat decider.
In a crucial moment, Mountain moved past Jason Edwards to secure second place, but the race ended in dramatic fashion on the final bend when contact between the two riders resulted in Mountain crashing heavily into the fence. He was able to walk away from the incident, and Edwards was excluded, with the race result standing as a 3-3—enough to confirm victory for the hosts.
There was plenty of entertainment throughout the afternoon, with Scunthorpe’s new number one Josh Pickering delivering a standout performance. The Australian was in impressive form, producing a number of strong rides including a remarkable charge from the back to win Heat 10. He ended the meeting as top scorer with 13+1, winning four races and showing his quality at key moments.
Nathan Ablitt also impressed for the Scorpions on his return to Championship racing, contributing 7+1. His afternoon included a Heat 1 maximum alongside Pickering after Redcar’s Kyle Howarth fell while contesting the lead.
All seven Scunthorpe riders contributed to the win, including 16-year-old debutant Ryan Ingram, who scored 2+1 despite not being at full health.
Redcar’s scoring was evenly spread across the team, with Ace Pijper and Jason Edwards leading the way on 8 points apiece, both showing strong form throughout the meeting. Kyle Howarth and Jake Allen were close behind with 7+1 each, providing solid backing in the middle of the order, while Jake Mulford added 4. Further contributions came from Jordan Jenkins and Jody Scott, who both recorded 3+1, ensuring all riders chipped in on a day where the Bears battled hard but were unable to overturn Scunthorpe’s early advantage.
Speaking after the meeting, Ablitt said via the Scunthorpe Speedway website:
“I felt really good today. It was the first time I’ve ridden out of reserve at this level, so I was really happy to score paid eight.
“I enjoyed racing at No 2. I had Josh (Pickering) with me in three of my races and we had some good races against the opposition. Riding with him – following him and learning off him – is only going to help me out. And the crowd love Josh, because he is box office.
“It was a long year last year and I had an injury which ruled me out for much of last season. I broke my scaphoid last June and it just wouldn’t heal. I ended up having surgery on it in December. This afternoon was my first meeting in nine months and it makes the struggles worthwhile.
“I had a positive meeting today and I just want to keep building. I’m happy my points contributed to a victory for the team and it gives us something to work for on Friday at Redcar.”
The two sides will meet again later this week, with the return fixture scheduled for Friday at Redcar’s ECCO Arena, where the Bears will look to respond on home shale.
Results
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