Whitehaven News

West Cumbrian rider, 10, takes third spot in British speedway event

Last updated at 12:55, Tuesday, 19 June 2012

The future of British speedway looks bright as the best young riders in the sport took to the shale at the Northside training track in Workington on Sunday.

Kyle Bickley

No less than 33 riders took part in as many heats in the third round of the British Under-16 championship, which was sponsored by Moss Bay Metals, which was held at the track.

The training track re-opened just a year ago under former Workington Comets rider Craig Branney.

The riders were in three classes – 500cc, 250cc and 125cc – with plenty of entertaining racing from the cream of young British talent with the field featuring recently crowned world Under-16 champion Zach Wajtknecht who finished fourth in the 250cc class.

The 125cc class featured 10-year-old Workington rider Kyle Bickley with many fans hoping he would be able to seal a victory on his home track.

It certainly looked to be going that way as he remained unbeaten in his heats recording a 12 point maximum and setting the fastest time in his class.

However, in the final he was forced wide at the first corner by eventual winner Tom Brennan which allowed Lewis Whitmore into second and Bickley had to settle for third.

Branney said: “It is what racing is all about and just shows what can happen. Anybody can win but the experience he will have gained will be priceless.”

It was unfortunate end for Comets mascot Bickley after looking imperious in the heats.

In his first he was leading comfortably until the race was stopped after a fall from Brennan. In the re-run he was first out the gate and led to the finish and although he was pushed hard all the way by Jack P Blackburn he managed to hold on for the victory.

In his second and third heats he was untroubled out in front and in his fourth he moved out at the start to block his rivals and was easy from then.

In the other classes there was some impressive and exciting racing and many of the riders showed their determination to win which did involve in some crashes but all the riders walked away unhurt.

Branney was impressed with Nathan Greaves and Danny Phillips who finished first and second in the 500cc class.

Greaves is the current British Youth Champion in the 250cc class and he took victory in that class as well as the 500cc section topping the scorechart with 11, only dropping one point.

Current joint leader in the 500cc class Nathan Stoneman could only manage six points and missed out on a place in the final.

Branney was overjoyed with how the day went.

He said: “I am ecstatic and I don't think the day could have gone any better. All the riders handled the track and the weather held.

“We have made improvements and we have had compliments from people who have been impressed with the facility. It makes all the hard work worthwhile and it has just been perfect.

“Hopefully we can carry on with the good work and the British youth managers Neil Vatcher and Phil Morris were pleased.

“We feel this is a very professionally run training track and will be a springboard for young riders who have a big future.

“It has become more popular we just want it to keep going from strength to strength and produce good, local, young riders who are maybe not quite ready but want to be part of it and we can push them on to the next stage.

“We have a couple of riders using their own bikes and we are looking to push them on.

“We just need to sit round the table and decide where we want to go from here.

“Everybody who has worked here has been fantastic and have done us proud and we couldn't have done it without their help.”

RESULTS

500cc class

Josh Bates - 3,D/Q,D/Q, 3 = 6

Danno Verge - 2,1,3 = 6

Jack Jones - 0,1,D/Q,D/Q = 1

Nathan Cheetham - 2,0,1,1 = 4

Nathan Stoneman - 1,3,2,D/Q = 6

Josh Bailey - 3,2,2,D/Q = 7

Nathan Greaves - 2,3,3,3 = 11