Glasgow has landed another coup by attracting the Mitas British Youth Championship north of the border. And British speedway bosses say fans are in for a real treat this April.
The series showcases riders under the age of 16 across four different classes – with about 45 riders currently signed up – including a couple of Scots. The first round takes place at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium on Sunday, April 10th – the first time Scotland has hosted this event.
Championship insiders say supporters will be seriously impressed with the skill and speed that the youngsters show. Great Britain Under-21 team manager, Neil Vatcher, is organising the meeting and says those involved are thrilled at the prospect of taking to the Ashfield shale.
Vatcher explained: “For the championship, there are two classes – 500cc and 250cc – but we also have two lots of support races as well, with riders riding 150cc and 125cc.
“The number of riders varies from round to round. This season, there are eight rounds. Scores in the championship will be based on seven rounds – so if they compete in all eight rounds, they can drop their lowest score or that gives them the option of missing a round.
Super-keen
“With Glasgow being the first round and the start of the season, everyone is super-keen – and the impression that I’ve got from the riders that I’ve spoken to is that everyone’s delighted we’re going to Glasgow.
“It’s a new venue for us, we haven’t ventured to Scotland before and it’s something that I was keen on doing myself. With the new ownership at Glasgow, they’ve had great publicity and we just felt that the time was right to bring the championship north of the border.
“For Glasgow to host the first round I think is really exciting and everyone is counting down the days.”
The event has grown in stature over the years, with former participants including established Premier and Elite League riders like Josh Auty, Jason Garrity, Robert Lambert and Kyle Howarth.
It’s hoped the next crop of GB stars will come from the riders currently signed up to the series and Vatcher says there are already a few of them showing signs of having the mettle to compete on a bigger stage.
Future Stars
He said: “In my opinion, some of the racing at this level is as good as, or even better, than it is at senior level. These kids are all 100% triers, they all want to win, they never give up – and some of the guys are full-gas and flat-out.
“If an alien came down from space half-way through one of these meetings, they’d think it was a top-flight championship, not a youth event.
“The quality of the racing is as good as you’ll probably see anywhere during the season. It certainly is an exciting championship to be involved in.
“The majority of the supporters that are coming along won’t have seen these guys before but I can guarantee that they’ll be going home on that Sunday evening, talking about it for quite a long time afterwards.
“A few guys are just starting out but there will be seven or eight guys there that will almost blow you away with the speed and how controlled they are.”
Vatcher added: “We’d like to thank the Glasgow promotion for inviting us up and allowing us to stage a championship round there. We appreciate their support, the support of all our sponsors and of the BSPA.”
More about the Mitas Youth Championship.
