Kesgrave’s Lewis Brinkhoff added two British titles to his collection at the Indoor Cycle Speedway Championships in Coventry, where Suffolk individual riders fared well while bad luck dogged them in the team events, writes Phil Clarke
Ipswich’s Ben Clarke was the only rider to beat Brinkhoff in the Under-16 final which went to a three way runoff, Brinkhoff winning comfortably from the inside gate while Clarke in gate four passed Exeter’s Rosie Tidbull for second place.
The Suffolk 15 year olds have now shared the top two spots on British podiums five times in three years.
Brinkhoff also faced a run-off from the inside gate for the Under 18 title, calmly controlling the race against Norfolk’s Owen Wells to complete a brilliant double for the Suffolk racer.
Matt Hill took third place in the Open final in a three way run-off including Great Blakenham’s Lewis Osborne, and the Ipswich ladies Chloe Pearce, Gemma Hill and Charlie Jane Herbert took fourth and joint fifth spots respectively.
The final heat of the Under 14s saw Harvey Young drop points to Nathan Goulden and team-mate Kristian Mitchell, who then won another run-off for third overall. Kai Gowers finished sixth.
Luck abandoned Ipswich and Blakenham in the team final, Ashley Hill’s bike developing a mind of its own costing him points that would’ve kept Ipswich in the hunt for the title.
Josh Brooke went in to the final heat for Great Blakenham looking for a heat win to take the title and complete a Blakenham double with the corresponding outdoor event.
As Brooke appeared to cleanly pass Birmingham’s Ricki Johnson to take the lead he was excluded for use of excessive force, Birmingham taking the heat win in the re-run and Wednesfield overhauling Blakenham to take second by a point.
British Under 14 Indoor Championship
Nathan Goulden (Poole) 20, Harvey Young (Ipswich) 18, Kristian Mitchell (Ipswich) 17, Kyle Wells (Leicester) 17, JJ Wildman (Exeter) 17, Kai Gowers (Ipswich) 13, Connor Steel (Birmingham) 13, Shannon Tucker (Exeter) 13, Rosie Tidball (Exeter) 12, Keilan Burton (Sheffield) 11, Jack Reynolds (Coventry) 10, Kieran Whitehead (Leicester) 10, Sian Raynor (Leicester) 8
British Under 16 Indoor Championship
Lewis Brinkhoff (Kesgrave) 19, Ben Clarke (Ipswich) 19, Rosie Tidball (Exeter) 19, Devon Campbell (Stockport) 17, Adam Cooper (Gt Blakenham) 14, Jack Ellis (Horspath) 13, Lewis Foxley (Edinburgh) 13, Thomas Savage (Coventry) 13, Louis Wright (Stockport) 13, Gemma Hill (Ipswich) 13, Owen Johnson (Horspath) 10, Tyler Bould (Wednesfield) 5
British Under 18 Indoor Championship
Lewis Brinkhoff (Kesgrave) 18, Owen Wells (Hethersett) 18, Fraser Garnett (Poole) 17, Jake White (East Park) 15, Max Wells (Leicester) 14, Ben Clarke (Ipswich) 13, Edan Morton (Sheffield) 13, Ewan Hancox (Birmingham) 12, Cameron Gill (Coventry) 12, Lewis Foxley (Edinburgh) 11, Adam Cooper (Gt Blakenham) 10, Will Jeffery (Horspath) 9
British Women’s Indoor Championship
Lauren Hookway (Exeter) 16, Lucy Whitehead (Leicester) 14, Michelle Whitehead (Leicester) 13, Chloe Pearce (Ipswich) 12, Gemma Hill (Ipswich) 11, Charlie-Jane Herbert (Ipswich) 11, Elizabeth Rigley (Leicester) 10, Laura Watson (Sheffield) 9, Honey Whitehead (Leicester) 8
British Open Indoor Championship
Ricki Johnson (Birmingham) 18, Ben Mould (Poole) 18, Matt Hill (Ipswich) 16, Jake Read (Stockport) 16, Lewis Osborne(Gt Blakenham) 16, Josh Brooke (Gt Blakenham) 15, Brandon Whetton (Wednesfield) 14, Chris Timms (Birmingham) 12, Ashley Hill (Ipswich) 12, Steve Harris (Astley & Tyldesley) 11, Adam Watson (Sheffield) 10, Matt Smith (Wednesfield) 9, Ben Higham (Stockport) 8, Zac Payne (Horspath) 8, Lee Kemp (Wednesfield) 7, Niall Morton (Sheffield) 6
British Indoor Open Team Final
Birmingham 43 Ricki Johnson 16, Chris Timms 12, Ewan Hancox 8, Nathan Groves 7, Paul Timms dnr Wednesfield 40 Lee Kemp 11, Matt Smith 11, Chris Jewkes 10, Brandon Whetton 8, Harry Everiss dnr Great Blakenham 39 Adam Peck 12, Lewis Osborne 11, Josh Brooke 10, Luke Harrison 4, Jason Ashford 2 Ipswich 32 Matt Hill 12, Daniel Knights 11, Ashley Hill 4, Fraser Harris 4, Ben Clarke 1
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