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Last Updated: Nov 28th, 2010 - 10:22:29 |
Less than 12 months ago the Isle of Wight Islanders’ Brendan Johnson lay in a coma in Southampton General Hospital, following a high speed crash at Smallbrook, in which he sustained serious head injuries. Last night at the Oak Tree Arena he lifted the British Under 18 Championships crown, winning the final in emphatic style.
In addition to Johnson, a good field came to the tapes for the 2010 renewal, including Kyle Howarth of Bournemouth, Joe Jacobs, and Oliver Rayson of Mildenhall, Tom Perry headed four Dudley Heathens riders, Jason Garrity of the Buxton Hitmen, Jake Knight of Kings Lynn, and 14-year-old Brandon Freemantle, who is currently flying high in the Under 15’s Championships.
The opening round of heats opened with wins for Garrity, Jacobs, Knight, and Richard Franklin from the Heathens. Garrity, who has a spectacular style, hanging of the side of the bike, roared around the outside of the quick starting Kyle Howarth in the second turn to grab the lead. Howarth came back at him late on, but could not find away passed. Meanwhile Darryl Ritchings got the better of Oliver Rayson at the end of the opening lap.
Joe Jacobs made a quick start in Heat 2, but had to hold off the determined challenge of Tom Perry throughout the race. Perry was all over Morris, but the Mildenhall man had all the answers. Brandon Freemantle’s introduction at this level couldn’t have got off to a worst start, despite having Edward Kennett in his corner. He got no further than the second bend as he clutch gave up the ghost at the start. The race went to Jake Knight, who barrelled around the rest of the field on the opening bends. He held off a strong challenge from the exciting Ashley Morris after Morris had got the drop on John Resch on the back straight.
In the re-started Heat 4, Richard Franklin opened his account with a win from the eventual winner. Franklin had made the start, with Johnson close up, but as they approached the final bend of the opening lap, Johnson looked poised to pounce, only to lock up, and give Franklin the opportunity to pull out an unassailable lead. Daniela I’Anson retired on the first turn, leaving James Sarjeant to the minor place.
Johnson didn’t have much respite, as he was out in the very next heat. Kyle Howarth broke quickly and rode a faultless race to take the win. Tom Perry easily took second place, with Johnson having to fend off a late challenge from Brandon Freemantle. Daniel I’Anson was replaced by Lloyd Barrett in Heat 6, after missing the two minutes warning. Joe Jacobs took the win in an exciting encounter, with Oliver Rayson coming from off the pace to first account for John Resch, and then set about his Mildenhall team mate. Rayson tried all possible lines, sweeping wide and cutting back, in his attempt to pass Jacobs, but the Ipswich born rider had his measure at the line. Lloyd Barrett fell on the last lap.
Ashley Morris and Darryl Ritchings had a ding dong battle in Heat 7, as they traded places over the opening laps, with Morris getting the upper hand in a sweeping move around the outside of bend 2 of lap 3. Ritchings wasn’t finished though, and Morris had to hold off his strong challenge late on. Jason Garrity took his second win of the night as he easily took Heat 8, as he came from behind James Sarjeant to pull off a sweet inside move on the second bend, before easing away for a comfortable victory.
James Sarjeant was out again in the next heat, and it must have felt like a case of déjà-vu as he once more became a victim of a second bend pass, this time by the wide running Kyle Howarth. Howarth roared off into the distance, leaving Sarjeant to fend off the attentions of both Joe Jacobs and Ashley Morris, as the trio slugged it out for second spot, with not much between all three. It was a shame any of them should go away pointless, but Morris was the one to lose out, despite providing the excitement as he tried every conceivable line to find a way passed the other two.
Tom Perry already has a good grasstrack CV, and has been building a growing reputation on the shale, since his move into speedway at the beginning of the season. He posted his first win of the night in Heat 10, leading just before the turn, and then holding off a sturdy inside challenge from Jake Knight on the fourth turn. Oliver Rayson, who had moved at the start, causing the race to be restated, came from third place to pass Knight and Richard Franklin on the wide outside of bends 1 and 2 of lap 2, only for Knight to re-pass with a neat inside move on the opening turn of lap 3.
Daniel I‘Anson touched the tapes in Heat 11, and was replaced again by Lloyd Barrett. Darryl Ritchings took the win with an all the way effort, but the interest was the battle behind him as Brandon Freemantle showed what he could do with a great pass on Tom Stokes on the fourth turn of the opener. Freemantle put in a spirited chase on Ritchings, using all the track over the closing two laps, but could not get on terms with the Swindonian
After a slow start, Brendan Johnson posted his first win of the night, and one that would prove crucial later, taking Heat 12 from a pressing Jake Garrity. Johnson was quickly away, but was never comfortable as Garrity turned on the taps after the opening bends, moving inside and out in an effort to negotiate a route passed the Dorset youngster. Whilst Garrity kept Johnson up to the mark, he too was coming under strong pressure from John Resch. Resch threw down his challenge on the inside of the final bend, and only just failed to get a wheel in front on the run to the line.
Kyle Howarth was the first of the top scorers to have the opportunity to book his place in the final, and all looked well has he blasted around the field on the opening turns of Heat 13. He pulled into the lead on the back straight, and with every turn of the wheel, opened an increasing gap, bringing an automatic final place nearer with every yard. Then as he entered the opening turn of the second lap, disaster struck, as he unexpectedly crashed to the ground. He was unhurt, and quickly on his feet, but now had a major task to even qualify for a semi-final place, with several other riders all sitting on good scores. To make matters worse, the win went Jake Knight, putting him on 9-points, one more than Howarth. Shane Hazelden and Daniel I’Anson filled that places.
Ashley Morris was another who gave himself chances of the final, as he posted his second win in Heat 14. The race was re-started after Tom Stokes touched the tapes and was replaced by Adam Kirby, another rider currently contesting the Under 15 Championships. As Kirby lifted badly at the start, Morris broke alongside Brendan Johnson, who led off the opening turn. Morris laid down his challenge with a wide run around the outside of the fourth turn and into the home straight, before cutting back, and finally nipping up Johnson’s inside going onto the first bend on lap 3. Oliver Rayson took the minor placing.
After three third places, John Resch logged his first win in Heat 15, as he and Tom Perry swept passed on either side of the early leader, James Sarjeant, as the field negotiated the first bend of lap 2. Perry took up the running, only to see Resch come sailing by. Perry kept it all on, harrying Resch all the way, throwing in a renewed challenge when taking to the dirt on the closing bends of the race. Try as he might Perry couldn’t find the drive, and cut back inside, just failing to make his move pay.
Joe Jacobs put himself into the frame, as he took second behind Richard Franklin in an exciting Heat 16. Franklin led from the off, but was passed by Jacobs, who cut up the inside of the fourth bend. Franklin kept up the pressure, but at the same time was having to fend off a hard charging Jason Garrity. Garrity got up the inside of Franklin on the last turn of lap 2, and again on lap 3, but couldn’t find a way passed. Jacobs looked to have the race sewn up as he held as lead going into the final turns, but Franklin had other ideas, and came with a storming run, stealing up the inside, and getting up on the line, with Garrity very close behind.
Kyle Howarth booked his semi-final place with another neat passing move on the opening turn, as he shot up the inside of Richard Franklin. Once at the front he made no mistake, pulling clear to take an easy win. Franklin held on to second spot, putting himself on 9-points, with an outside chance of making the semi-final, but it would depend on other coming later.
Brandon Freemantle raced into the opening bend of Heat 18, four abreast with the other three riders, but came out on top as they exited the opening turns. It was a gutsy opening from one so young, but he had toughed it out, and raced clear to win well. Behind him, Shane Hazelden had to hold off a late challenge from Oliver Rayson, who put in a big run on the final turns, but just failed at the line.
Jake Knight just sneaked in to the semi-final line up with a third place behind the quick starting duo of Joe Jacobs and Brendan Johnson. Jacobs led from the first turn, and the win put him straight through to the final. Johnson headed for the semi, finishing on 10-points, something that looked unlikely after his opening two rides.
Tom Perry’s scoring had been consistent all the way through, never being out of the first two in any race, and his victory in Heat 20 gave him his just reward of an automatic final place. Daniel I’Anson’s nightmare night continued as he touched the tapes for a second time, and was replaced by Adam Kirby. Perry blasted from the tapes to book his final place in style, behind him Ashley Morris and Jason Garrity battled it out for the runner up spot, with Garrity getting the nod from the hard charging Morris, who once again showed that he wasn’t afraid to use the entire track. Garrity’s second place guaranteed his place in the semi-final.
With the track slickening off in the latter stages of the meeting, gating became something of a premium, and it was quick starting that took Brendan Johnson and Kyle Howarth in to the final. Howarth broke just in front of Johnson, but it was the Islander who rode the better bend to lead off the opening turn. Once in front he eased into the lead, and Howarth followed home for an easy second spot. Behind them Garrity held third, until Jake Knight came through on the inside of the fourth bend. Knight gave chase to the leading pair, but could never close the gap with any effect.
The final started in similar fashion, with Johnson and Howarth the front runners. Johnson repelled a strong challenge from Howarth in the initial turns, to lead in to the back straight. Howarth cut back inside Johnson as they ran into the third turn, but was once more held off. His move had given a close up Joe Jacobs an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands as he cut inside Howarth, as he ran off the inside line at the next turn. Jacobs and Howarth gave chased to Johnson, but on the slick ground they struggled to close the gap, as a delighted Johnson ran out a comfortable winner, with Tom Perry completing the places in fourth.
Once more the growing reputation of the Oak Tree Arena as a venue for top class speedway had been enhanced, hosting another very successful national meeting. The meeting itself had provided some great racing from the next crop of young British riders trying to make their way in to the upper echelons of the sport. Inevitably there will be some ugly ducklings in the field who will later blossom in to swans, equally some, who looked good, will struggle to progress, but whatever the outcome it was an entertaining meeting, with more than one ‘mature’ head in a field of young talent.
Those that caught the eye on the night were Jason Garrity, with his spectacular style, Ashley Morris, who was not afraid to explore all areas of the track in an effort to pass. Brandon Freemantle at 14-years-old is clearly a talent in his age group, and his Heat 18 win showed that he will be more than capable at holding his own at a higher level, when he is able to step up.
Tom Perry is another who is a burgeoning talent on the shale. His passage straight in to the final indicated that he has little to fear at this level, and considering his recent move into speedway there is obviously more to come. Joe Jacobs form for Mildenhall this season has been top class, and he brought that into this meeting and was rewarded with a final spot and second place on the podium. Kyle Howarth had to gain his place in the final the hard way after his Heat 13 fall, but he stuck to the task, making the final and the third step on the podium, but he showed enough in his other races that he too will be more than capable in holding down a place at a higher level in the future.
Brendan Johnson’s night started slowly, but he got better as the night wore on, and in the end his doggedness was rewarded with the ultimate accolade. In many ways this meeting reflected his fight back to fitness after his horrific accident in August last year, and if anyone deserved this success, he did. In both the semi-final and the final he grabbed his opportunity with both hands, taking the final in good style with his all the way win, to be crowned, British Under 18s Champion 2010.
The action at the Oak Tree Arena now moves back to League action with the visit of Glasgow Tigers on Monday 9th August, for the live Sky TV televised match.
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