NEWCASTLE’S Carl Wilkinson can’t wait for tonight’s Premier League tip to Redcar as it takes him to one of his favourite tracks while trying to avenge the Bears’ recent runaway victory on Tyneside.
Wilkinson was part of the shock away success at South Tees last year for struggling Newport before joining in the Diamonds’ celebrations of a Premier Trophy win at their arch rivals this April.
He had a meeting to forget when scoring only three points when Redcar trounced Newcastle 55-38 less than three weeks ago but rattled off four wins in last Monday’s triumph over Glasgow and openly admits tonight’s small banked track suits his action-packed style.
Wilkinson said: “I’ve found it’s a track where you know from your first ride exactly how you need to set the bike up for the rest of the night and that’s much better than battling to catch up with the home team’s set-up for the whole meeting.
“It also means Redcar don’t have the same amount of home advantage as plenty of the other teams we visit.
“We just need to forget all about what happened at our place and we know we can turn it round after winning there in April.”
Both teams are at full strength with the Bears also aiming to salvage some lost pride. “Motivation won’t be an issue, especially as it’s our first meeting since our own troubles a fortnight ago,” said Redcar boss Brian Havelock, whose riders’ only match since their memorable night at Newcastle saw them slump 55-35 at home to Isle of Wight.
