morganbike

It is a bit of a downer to come to the back end of the season and we can only thank one person for making the under 15's / Academy matches a great success this year.Peter Oakes- long may this vast inclusion of the Youth continue and lets hope next year will see more Youth racing and more promoters/Team managers getting involved. Main problems encountered this season are that riders are pulling out of meets at last minute and thus leaving Pete with the impossible task of filling places at short notice.Letters are sent out to each rider with adequate notice but those that don't turn up are spoiling it for the future.ANY dedicated youth rider knows how hard it is to get second half rides so please support and involve yourselves in these meets 100%. Look at the line-up/results for the 80cc Euro Cup(page 50 S Star).Must be around 30 riders.How many were in the qualifiers ?.There is no wonder all our Pro Teams are full of Non English riders.We have tracks all over this country that can accomodate/train the youth but it is not happening.WHY ?. Excuses we get are: The Euro tracks are set in the boonies/forests and can be ridden on any time We have to get the area ready for the dogs We have a curfew to abide by Our staff are unpaid We dont have time for the kids A training officer needs to be present It costs us money to let the youth ride The public have paid to see proffesionals do their job We have no first aid cover WE JUST CAN'T BE BOTHERED The public are quite happy to see foreign riders dominate our tracks and see the likes of Ronnie Russell ride around in a new BENTLEY creaming the sponsorship donations from local buisiness.PUT IT INTO THE FUTURE OF SPEEDWAY.Ronnie you have an excellent facility at Swindon (the small track) but it is wasted. Do Manchester United etc put youth out after a match.NO But they spend all week opening their facilities to kids and scouting for future players. Very few tracks are open during closed season but we are greatfull they are their.However costs are increasing with a typical 4 hour session costing around £35.00.Put that into a monthly figure and it is a joke.The Youth do need to ride once a week ALL YEAR ROUND to learn and improve.Then in February the ACU will hit you with a licence fee of £38 and then the SCB want £70 for a rider permit. These last two years has seen the speedway world poaching youth grass track riders and as a result the Youth Grass track clubs have suffered, some beyond repair.In 3 years time this Grasstrack influence will evaporate and new talent from grass will be non existent.Youth Grass Track has recently died its death and in the future only the dedicated ADULT grass track clubs will host youth racing.The costs involved in running a youth only Grass meet are that an entry of 40-50 riders are needed to break even and you cannot get that kind of entry. Are we fighting a loosing battle or will our kids get the oportunity to ride for our country in the future. Phil

Friday sees the last of the qualifiers in the ACADEMY League matches at one of the best venues in the country. For the Dino's. No 1 Josh Auty hopefully has recovered from his grasstracking excersion at Workington on Monday and Teams up with: No 2 Gary Irving No 3 Joe Haines No 4 Brendon Johnson is guesting for the Dino's making the long trip up from his POOLE base No 5 Tich Franklin Coventy's Mascot. The Rhino's who where unlucky not to reach the play-offs in the knockout cup on Monday at Wolves by 1 point due to a certain rider hitting the dirt in heat 8 will be out to WIN. No 1 Matt Bates will be the force behind the team with No 2 Andrew Braithwaite No 3 Tim Webster No 4 Ben Hannon or Dan Kirkman No 5 Daniel Greenwood If the track is anything like the last time the under 15's were at Brandon then the Racing will be good and the main event Coventry V Wolves match looks exciting.Who will Wolves bring in for M Max this time ?.

Full results on Georges site http://www.georgepiper.co.uk/Under_15_Cham...p_Standings.htm

Must be the way the sun is shining on it !.

Yeah Steve is out of hospital and has been getting bikes ready today.Not sure if Waldren is fit enough yet.Will be interesting to see the 1's and 2's ride together.Will Sam Hurst show them the way home ?. Hope the premier meet runs to schedule so we can get these Academy riders out for the full 8 heats comfortably.Is there a curfew at Somerset ?.Who runs the spares van ?.

Somerset British Academy League Test Series Under 15's V Under 16's Friday August 26th UNCONFIRMED LINE UP Under 16's Sam Hurst Shane Waldren Joe Reynolds Chris Widman Jamie Pickard Under 15's Josh Auty Ben Taylor George Piper Brendon Johnson Daniel Greenwood These are the named sides as in our letter last week. Phil Greenwood

Tsunami --- Dan Greenwood Congrats on your Max last night. You rode good steady lines around a very tight racetrack.

Under 15's Academy League Match. On behalf of all the youth riders,Thanks to all the Staff and Managent for inviting us.The Fans from both sides were very supportive and the whole meet had a great atmosphere.Most youth thought the track was great and the only fault I could pick up on was a lack of track lighting towards the end.My Son Daniel Greenwood scored 9 from 3 rides and was buzzing the whole 260 miles home !. arthur cross Young Daniel will be buzzing even longer if you remind him he's now the youngest ever winner of a competitive race around Brough Park ... and at 12 years and 78 days, his record could well stay in the book for a long time. Jamie Westacott was the previous record-holder thanks to winning a Conference League race for the Newport Mavericks in 2002 a few days after turning 15 ... while last night's Academy match was bound to threaten Jamie's record, very few peeple expected Daniel to utterly demolish it.

Bulls Ben Taylor 3 2 2 2 = 9 Chris Widman 1 = 1 Andy Braithwaite F 3 1+1 0 = 4+1 B Thompson 2 1 0 = 3 Jamie Pickard 0 2 = 2 Scott Meakins® 0 1 = 1 20 Dinasaurs Josh Auty F 3 3 3 = 9 Joe Haines 2 1 2 1 = 6 Ben Johnston FX = 0 Dan Greenwood 3 3 3 = 9 Richard Franklin 2+1 1 = 3+1 27 Josh Auty looped the start in heat 1 but remounted to take fourth. Tailor put him under pressure every race but could not pass Josh. Haines failed to make the gate succesfully most heats. Greenwood scored maximum from his 3 rides liked the track. Nice to see Franklin bag some points as his confidence increases. Next meting Somerset this Fri Under 15's v Under 16's

George scored 6+3 that day so when did he have mechanical problems ?. Terry+Tom , whilst I can understand your point I feel you have overshot the mark here and I doubt very much that the bike was tampered with. At cardiff I am lead to believe the rubber band was not in place to hold the box in the tray and thus fell out of the tray.The press release said he had ignition problems !.Will this also be classed as an accusation of someone tampering ?. There were only 9 Academy league riders at Buxton on that day with 1 leaving after heat 1 in an ambulance so that leaves 8.I know them all and can assure you they would not interfere with another competitors machine. It is possible that a member of the public reached through the fence as Steve was right next to the pit gate but would have to be very brave to do so.George did have a fall in one heat so damage could have occured then.

Before I get on the phone does any one know if you can buy a single yellow colour from anywhere.Was told at Hull that they only come in packs of 4 !. Why would a spares van (Pegasus) sell me a set of colours with a yellow/black in it if it can only be used at an FIM event.He new my lad was only 10 at the time.Buyers beware.

Well to quote MONKEYBOY "it is that turnball women in the box" apparently

So Josh Auty goes to the line at Newport in gate 4 with a yellow/black colour on.Ref makes him go back and change it for a yellow.Later on Ref tries to fine Josh for incorrect colours.What!. Look at the GP Sweden Final LAST SATURDAY and ADAMS is in gate 4 with a yelow/black helmet on?. We went to Poole and rode in the Academy Leauge and got gate 3.We put a green on as per programme and nearly got a fine for not waring WHITE.l REFS please allow us to be educated and exactly how many colours do I need to carry around. Also the REF at Buxton tried to run the under 15's under some old 1950's rule that Juniors take gates 1+2/3+4 per team!.ITs 1+3/2+4 in the modern era.

Brendon, I thought you rode great at newport.The conditions were vicious and all the riders where hero's.What is good is that there were no casualties and all have experienced a track at the height of summer with no moisture in it and it can only be compared to a concrete surface aka super moto.The Premier leauge riders hated it and Tony Atkin who normally loves the track struggled.Even with Street'y as team manager it is surprising that they cannot prepare a track consistently to suit the home riders. Heat 17 saw my Daniel make the gate and ride a protective line as he new Joe Had the potential to be faster than him.Fair play to Joe for not making a stupid move and trying to pass him as it was a very hard track to ride.Daniel has been in the boards at Newport before and not at a slow speed either!.However Daniel did run out wide in the last turn and Joe went inside to beat him by half a wheel!. When you came under Daniel at Poole in the last turn he didn't have the experience to deal with the situation and he fell off.This is what its all about and gaining experience of Passing moves and riding defensively is a bonus at this age.Remember Daniel is only 12 and 2months old. Daniel will be at Hull and Newcastle this week so may see you there. Phil (Dan's Dad)

Readiefan you are a bit early I'm sure Peter will sort out the riders nearer the date Phil

WOOPIE I found the photo's!. Phil

Panthers, Sorry for being thick but where is the 'Photo's part of the forum' ? Phil

I see Steve Dixon was at Scunny so does anyone know where the photos of Buxton Acadamy are ? Phil

Hope all is OK Jamie after your spill.It was pretty bad to watch and you were very lucky to have kept your hand from snagging on the fence.The track could have been graded and watered whilst we waited for George Jarvis to get the medical aid he required.This would have made it alot safer.My Daniel struggled big time and found it very grippy!. Also sorry to George Piper from Daniel for riding too cautiously in heat 5 and causing George to fall off after nearly running Dan over mid corner!. They were on the same team though and Dan outgated George. Phil Greenwood

Daniel Greenwood is guesting for one of the teams. Phil

Matt Bates first came to us at the Grasstrack Club(Evesham) some 3 or 4 yrs ago and I met the Family and he rode a bone shaker Honda 4 Stroke that was very un competative.Next time I saw young Matt was at Carmarthen Speedway training that winter and Dad was in a pickle coz he had dropped the oil on his 350/500 and didn't know how much to put back in the motor.He had his rubber gloves on (HIS MISSIS ALWAYS INSISTS) and young Matt was on the learning curve.Steadily he improved and soon became a familiar face around the training grounds.Dad was always very helpfull and encouraging towards all the young riders and always had a van full of spare bits that lost soles could borrow !.At Newport Kyle Hughes rebuilt a countershaft with Ken's bearings and On Wednesday at Poole we forgot our dirt deflector and Matt was the first to his van to lend us one.What a brill family to be around and its a shame Dad's work commitments and recent rider injury have curtailed Matts Conference league riding.Dont bitch about who's in the lime light or not !.All the kids are good in one way or another but some get more Internet /Speedway Star coverage because of the Backers and the Mentors.My Daniel is part of the scene to learn and get pulled along by the elders of the group and what a pleasure it is to watch.Daniels time will come when he gets older and stronger. Phil

Birthday Boy owes me a car wash !.Only joking see ya Friday Phil

Well a word of advice to all. Dont park next to Georges van on his birthday!. Our motor smelled like a truckers bacon sandwich all the way home and the brown sauce mixture which obviously was the overspray from the covering of said van was still very smelly going to work this morning.God knows how Steve and George are coping. Phil

99.9 % SURE that Josh will go to Scunthorpe on a short tempory signing till next season.He will then have the off season to weigh up his choices.He will 100% not sign for the Tigers as it is a large track and he will not learn much blasting round at high speed at his age !. Small technical tracks are his desire.Coventry is an option but have no conference team so I presume this would mean he would be out on loan all the time and thus would not have a secure base to ride any where.

Not 100 % but Im sure: Buxton do Tuesdays. Stoke Most days. Newport any Sunday it's not being used. Sorry I have no contact numbers for you.