KESGRAVE and Ipswich cycle speedway clubs booked their places in the British Youth and Junior League national finals with more powerhouse performances at Ipswich at the weekend.

Indeed it was a close-knit meeting between the two Suffolk sides, which saw Kesgrave win their third BYJL round of the four-round series and top the Eastern region group.

Again Kesgrave were strong in the early stages, especially at U10 level, where the Kesgrave British U10 Team champions plundered plenty of points.

But Ipswich hit back well in the latter stages and it was a thrilling finale that saw Kesgrave win by just five points.

In the individual Grand Prix front A finals, Great Blakenham’s Lewis Brinkhoff made it four straight victories in the under-8 section, which was minus Kesgrave’s Ollie Wright, who cracked his shoulder bone in an accident pre-meeting.

Pierce Bacon shot from the tapes in the U10 final to beat team-mate Ollie Knight in the U10s, before Ross Knight brought Kesgrave their second victory - and his fourth of the series - in the under-12s ahead of a fine effort from Matthew Gifkins, his Kesgrave team-mate.

Harry Swallow, also from Kesgrave, made the most of a fierce battle between Ipswich riders Charlie Rumbold and Will Clarke, to nip through for victory in the U14s, after both riders crashed, while Richard Fellgett again won the U16 A final.

Norfolk side Hethersett came good at the death, with Dan Chambers and Tiffany Collins triumphing in the U18 and girls section to bolster their points at the end of a hot afternoon’s racing, all expertly put together by the Ipswich club.

Attention now turns to the National Finals, which start in two weeks time at Astley and Tyldesly in Manchester, where both Kesgrave and Ipswich, as well as many of their club’s individuals, will hope to get their national hopes off to a good start.

The other three rounds are at Great Blakenham, Wednesfield (Birmingham) and East Newport.

Result from Ipswich: Kesgrave 311, Ipswich 306, Hethersett 96, Colchester 70, Great Blakenham 56, Norwich 48.

Grand Prix A Finals

U8 - 1 Lewis Brinkhoff GTB 2 Fynley Hack GTB 3 Charlie Hill IPS 4 Gemma Hill IPS U10 - 1 Pierce Bacon KES 2 Oliver Knight KES 3 Harrison Bacon KES 4 Tyler Brinkhoff GTB

U12 - 1 Ross Knight KES 2 Matthew Gifkins KES 3 Sam Thompson IPS 4 George Wiggins KES

U14 - 1 Harry Swallow KES 2 Charlie Rumbold IPS 3 Will Clarke IPS 4 Daniel Knights IPS

U16 - 1 Richard Fellgett IPS 2 Scott Grimes HET 3 Ashley Hill IPS 4 Lewis Roberts IPS

U18 - 1 Dan Chambers HET 2 Dan Osborne NOR 3 Jordan Stant IPS 4 Leon Wild HET exc GIRLS (12-17) - 1 Tiffany Collins HET 2 Danielle Riley NOR 3 Rosie Woollard IPS 4 Laura Dale IPS