Mear is a proper Hammer

The Lakeside Hammers, fresh from a week off from Elite League racing, will go into four meetings in the space of just six days culminating in a rare Big Saturday Night Out at the Arena-Essex Raceway buoyed on by the full signing of rider of the moment, Robert Mear.

22 year old Hertfordshire based Mear has been a revelation in his first season of full time top League racing and joins the Club after weekend talks with Rye House successfully reached agreement over a full transfer. He will join his team mates for the Live Sky home match against Wolverhampton on Monday, 16th May, and then the team travel to both Peterborough and Coventry before all roads lead back to the Arena Essex Raceway for classic Saturday night racing when the King’s Lynn Stars will be the visitors.

The Hammers Co promoter Jon Cook commented: “I am sure each and every Hammers fan will be as delighted with this news as we and Robert are. Our season hasn’t really got started yet but he has been a huge positive and it’s important that we tied this deal up now so we can add to the English quota of our retained list with an asset who we hope will go on to lead the team in years to come. We now have to concentrate on getting the whole team back to form for a big week ahead.”

First up are the Wolverhampton Wolves, who always prove tough opposition when in Essex and this visit is sure to be no exception. The Wolves are led by their Swedish Grand Prix star, Fredrik Lindgren and his fellow Swede, veteran Peter Karlsson.

This pair are likely to take six rides each as British former Grand Prix rider Tai Woffinden is not expected to have recovered from injuries sustained earlier this season. Completing the Wolves top five will be Australian Ty Proctor. At reserve they have Ricky Wells, who performed well for the Hammers as a guest in the recent home match against Birmingham.

Wells’ fellow American Tyson Burmeister will miss the meeting and his place at reserve will be taken by Joe Haines, who is the Wolves official No.8. Haines has seen success at the Arena-Essex Raceway in the past having won the British U-21 Final there in 2010 and followed that up with third place in this year’s final.

Racing gets underway at the arena-Essex Raceway on Monday at the slightly earlier time of 7.30pm, with the parade of riders scheduled to take place at 7.15pm. Normal admission prices apply with tickets available from the pay booths on the night although they can be purchased in advance online through the Hammers website at www.lakesidehammers.co

Picture: Robert Mear (Rob Newell/TGSPHOTO)