Having spent the weekend before riding against Newcastle, Pepe was riding as a Diamond guest in the Challenge Match down at Redcar. This was the Bears opening night and a bumper crowd turned out, despite the low temperature.
 
Having recently sited his favourite track as Redcar, there were high hopes he would get a excellent score. Paired with Derek Sneddon their night was dogged by dodgy starting tapes and the very sharp clutch of Robbie Kessler. Pepe had a night perhaps he's hoping to forget getting just 6 from 4 rides, running two third places and two seconds in which he beat Redcar reserve Benji Compton and more impressively the Bears Captain, Gary Havelock.