Great Blakenham’s Josh Brooke and Ipswich’s Pierce Bacon continue their defences of cycle speedway’s Senior and Junior Elite Grand Prix titles, on Saturday, at Whitton Sports Centre, Ipswich, writes Phil Clarke.
Bacon, who won the title last year and the first round at Sheffield last month, starts as favourite, entering his final year as a Junior.
The local challenge will be lead by brother Harrison, the current British Under 16 champion, while Kesgrave’s Lewis Brinkhoff, 15, is likely to miss the round, having injured his ankle racing at Poole.
Norfolk’s challenge will be lead by Hethersett’s Owen Wells who finished second behind Ipswich’s Ben Clarke in the latest South East GP series round at East London. The pick of riders travelling from across the country will know each other’s style well after representing Team GB in Australia in December.
Meanwhile, Josh Brooke, who like Bacon is the current champion and won at Sheffield, will be confident ahead of the Senior GP, having ridden the Ipswich track as his home track for 10 years before moving to Blakenham, but his chances of riding ‘under the radar’ are zero.
Former British Champion Ben Mould narrowly lost the series to Brooke in 2017, and shares a fast yet physical style with Brooke and Brimingham’s Chris Timms.
Current British Champion Myke Grimes from Coventry prefers speed to contact, all will be watching each other and likely to takes points from each other - which creates space for Blakenham’s Lewis Osborne, looking to turn his multiple British podiums in to a top spot.
Tapes up for the Junior match at noon at Whitton, then the Seniors at 1.30pm, spectating is free.
On Sunday Ipswich and Blakenham meet at Ipswich for what may well be, even at this early stage, the South East Division 1 title decider. Blakenham won their first meeting in April and comfortably beat Kesgrave last weekend.
Tapes up 2pm at Whitton Sports and Community Centre. The match will be preceeded by a Junior League match at 1pm and followed by a Division 2 match at 3.30pm.
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