Cycle Speedway`s success story in Coventry will continue tomorrow afternoon (Sunday 16th October) at Hearsall Common, when newcomers from Nuneaton BMX club join the action in the Chris Allen Memorial trophy.
For the first time in the competitions 46-year-old history, the event has been expanded to include no fewer than three junior categories – to cope with the current boom in the sport in the city.
The action gets underway at 1pm, with a full 16 rider field in the under 8s category. Finals for under 11s and under 16s follow, with the seniors entering the fray at 4pm. For the first time in three decades, three local clubs will be represented in the same meeting.
No fewer than 64 riders will take to the Hearsall Common track, including over 50 riders from the Coventry and Brandon clubs. This represents a modern era record of riders competing on the same day and underlines the tremendous interest in the sport locally.
And, in an added bonus, riders from Nuneaton, a town 6 miles to the east of Coventry, will compete in their first ever Cycle Speedway meeting. Four riders from the Nuneaton BMX will be swopping sports – and bikes – in another expansion of the sport in the area.
Nuneaton BMX riders George Hunt, Jack Wilkins, together with Markella and Gabriella Houli, make their debuts after being regular attenders at Coventry`s popular `Clubnight` sessions for newcomers for the past two months.
The link between the two clubs was established after contact between Coventry coach Myke Grimes and Nuneaton BMX coach Christian Wilkins. Both are thrilled about the exciting partnership – and relations are set to be extended shortly.
Over 20 Nuneaton BMX club members are expected at Hearsall Common for a fully-fledged meeting soon – with Coventry Cycle Speedway riders then travelling to the Nuneaton BMX track afterwards.
Wilkins said: “We have been tremendously well received by the Coventry Cycle Speedway club. It`s obvious for all to see just why they are so successful and why they have such a high profile.
“The Cycle Speedway people are so passionate about their sport and immediately embraced us. Our riders have learnt new skills at Cycle Speedway, in particular straight line speed and how to be more aggressive on the corners”.
Grimes commented: “We are so excited about this partnership we Nuneaton BMX club. Its already expanded our rider strength and through Christian Wilkins, its added greatly to our coaching resources”.
Already, two of the Nuneaton BMX riders have purchased their own specialist Cycle Speedway bikes and local observers feel that one of the BMX riders, Markella Houli, is destined for the very top in female racing in Cycle Speedway.
Tomorrow’s meeting honours the late Chris Allen. He was an 18-year-old rider, who, in 1973, whilst racing for the Brandon Bees at Hearsall Common, collapsed after a race. Sadly, he could not be revived.
CHRIS ALLEN MEMORIAL TROPHY
Sunday 16th October 2016 at 1pm
Coventry Hearsall Common Track
Under 8s Final
Official Draw
1 Alex Jones (Coventry)
2 Alfie Brown (Coventry)
3 Jude Willcockson (Coventry)
4 Gabriella Houli (Nuneaton BMX)
5 Lincoln Collins (Brandon Bees)
6 Ruary Hughes (Coventry)
7 Hiro Maruyama (Coventry)
8 Finn Youson (Coventry)
9 Autumn Smith (Coventry)
10 Louis Westhead (Brandon Bees)
11 Leo Brown (Coventry)
12 Shivan Patel (Coventry)
13 Ethan Krol (Coventry)
14 Max Augustus (Brandon Bees)
15 Dylan Savage (Brandon Bees)
16 Alex Cunnigham (Coventry) – To be confirmed
CHRIS ALLEN MEMORIAL TROPHY
Sunday 16th October 2016 at 2pm
Coventry Hearsall Common Track
Under 11s Final
Official Draw
1 Jack Wilkins (Nuneaton BMX)
2 Jonny Middleton (Brandon Bees)
3 Jake Hodder (Brandon Bees)
4 Joseph Augustus (Brandon Bees)
5 James Morris (Coventry)
6 Reece Mayer (Coventry)
7 Jacob Slezak (Coventry)
8 Thomas Pearson (Brandon Bees)
9 To be announced
10 Lewis Fry (Coventry)
11 Adam Butler (Brandon Bees)
12 Ronny Wassall (Coventry)
13 Liam Jones (Coventry)
14 Wyatt Jacobs (Coventry)
15 Lewis Middleton (Brandon Bees)
16 Jack Reynolds (Coventry)
CHRIS ALLEN MEMORIAL TROPHY
Sunday 16th October 2016 at 3pm
Coventry Hearsall Common Track
Under 16s Final
Official Draw
1 Amy Baynes (Brandon Bees)
2 Ben Wells (Coventry)
3 James Bridge-Wilkinson (Coventry)
4 Ollie Morris (Coventry)
5 Cameron Gill (Brandon Bees)
6 Owen Gregory (Brandon Bees)
7 Jacob Clifford (Coventry)
8 Sammi Marsh (Coventry)
9 Sam Slatter (Coventry)
10 Markella Houli (Nuneaton BMX)
11 To be announced
12 Jimmy Wassall (Coventry)
13 Lee Gregory (Brandon Bees)
14 To be announced
15 Tom Savage (Brandon Bees)
16 George Hunt (Nuneaton BMX)
CHRIS ALLEN MEMORIAL TROPHY
Sunday 16th October 2016 at 4pm
Coventry Hearsall Common Track
Senior Final
Official Draw
1 Josh Marsh (Coventry)
2 Kyle Barlow (Coventry)
3 Paul Timms (Birmingham)
4 Euan Hancock (Birmingham)
5 Joe Andrews (Coventry)
6 Mike Baldock (Leicester)
7 Jake Slatter (Coventry)
8 Craig Marchant (Leicester)
9 Ricky Johnston (Birmingham)
10 Sam Hardie (Coventry)
11 Norman Venson (Leicester)
12 Mark Winwood (Birmingham)
13 Dan Drewett (Coventry)
14 To be announced
15 Matt Hambidge (Coventry)
16 Dave Frith (Leicester)
BUSY BEES FACE HECTIC PERIOD
Brandon Bees Cycle Speedway riders, officials and supporters face a hectic period in the next week as the newly rejuvenated club finish their amazing comeback season on a high.
Their busy schedule starts this Saturday (15th October) morning, when the hugely popular `Dirt Bike Club` meets for its latest session. The action starts at 10am and runs to 11.30am. Youngsters and teenagers can learn bike handling skills, race tactics and have a chance to race for the Brandon Bees team.
A British Cycling registered coach will be on hand to supervise all the riders. The Dirt Bike Club takes place at Bretford Playing Fields, Brandon Road, Bretford, post code is CV23 0LA. The Dirt Bike Club continues every Saturday in October.
More than a dozen of the new Bees team will then be in action at the major Chris Allen Memorial Trophy event at Coventry`s Hearsall Common track on Sunday 16th October. Bees riders will race for silverware in under 8s, under 11s and under 16s classifications.
Brandon Bees will then make their first ever appearance at the well-appointed Leicester track this Tuesday evening, at 7.30pm, in a junior challenge. The match will take place under floodlights at the Leicester venue, which is one of the top tracks in the sport.
The Bees were due to make their debut appearance at Leicester last month but the match was postponed at short notice. The Brandon outfit will be better prepared this time – with several of the team acquiring new bikes in the past two weeks.
Looking ahead to the Leicester match, newly installed team manager Mark Savage said: “Our team new team love all these matches and we are eagerly looking forward to racing the Leicester juniors for the first time. Racing under floodlights will be very exciting for our
the Leicester juniors for the first time. Racing under floodlights will be very exciting for our youngsters.
“Both Owen and Lee Gregory are mounted on their own new bikes now and I am sure they will start to make further improvement. We are confident that more of our new team will also have their own bikes available for the Leicester trip”.
The Bees are expected to be led by 15-year-old Cameron Gill, who has emerged along with Tom Savage, Jony Middleton and the Gregory brothers as the lighting lights of the new Brandon club.
Brandon Bees team (from): Owen Gregory, Tom Savage, Louis Westhead, Lucais Eyles, Cameron Gill, Thomas Pearson, Lee Gregory, Joseph Ausgustus, Amy Baynes and Jony Middleton.
For more information on the Brandon Bees Cycle Speedway club and the Dirt Bike Club, please ring: 07400 993999.
COVENTRY CYCLE SPEEDWAY ON SKY SPORTS
Coventry Cycle Speedway club will be on national television on Thursday (25th October)
when the edited highlights are beamed across the nation from last summer’s Great Britain V Australia test match at Hearsall Common.
The exciting footage will be included in the `Sports Unlimited` programme on the Sky Sports platform. It will then be repeated three times in 24 hours and later shown in 32 countries world wide.