BANTER'S GUIDE TO SPEEDWAY NATIONAL LEAGUE GRASSTRACKERS

The SCB speedway National League has contained some of the nation’s hottest young prospects and is once again full of young talented riders. Naturally some of Britain’s finest Grasstrack stars find themselves turning in laps for National League teams in 2017 once again.

SCB National League

The first team of note to Grasstrack fans is surely Plymouth Devils. The team looked like they were closing their doors at the end of 2016 following financial strife but they are back in the National League for 2017 and stacked full of Grasstrack stars. Heat leaders include Steve Boxall and Lee Smart.

Boxall returned to Grasstrack full time in 2016 after several seasons away from the sport, concentrating on his speedway career. He was a great addition to the Grasstrack fraternity and was at the pointy end across the country throughout the season. Smart has been around the Grasstrack scene for many seasons now and can always mix it with the best, although he is probably considered a speedway specialist.

Also joining the Devils ranks are Devonians Richard Andrews, Henry Atkins and Saul Bulley. Andrews, from Bradninch just outside Exeter, had an assault on the British Upright title a few seasons back, as well as competing in the mainstream 500cc class from time to time.

Henry Atkins burst onto the 250cc scene in 2016 and will continue to compete in this class throughout 2017 as he gathers much needed experience for both his Speedway and Grasstrack career. And Saul Bulley slots in as Plymouth’s Number 8. Although much of his grass racing has been in the 250 class, the Exeter teenager has moved up to the 500cc class already.

The final Grasstrack lad plying his craft for the Devils will be Callum Walker. He has had a good degree of success already on the Grass, and now looks to continue his momentum in the speedway world. 

Luke Harris has been searching for a team place through the winter and has now been landed by Cradley, who look to strengthen their team with the youngster. He has competed in 250 and 350 classes so far on the Grass and will step up to 500cc in 2017. It’ll be interesting to see how Harris progresses both at Cradley and on the Grass in the ‘big’ solo class. Joining Harris at Cradley is British 350cc Champion Tom Perry, who doubles up with Glasgow in the Championship.

Eastbourne have their share of Grasstrack talent as once again Charley Powell and Georgie Wood join the side. The speedway commitments saw a dramatic reduction in Grasstrack appearances for Wood, who is a hugely talented Grasstrack rider. Powell, however, was still a present force at Grasstrack’s up and down the country. Both lads are born from sidecar racing backgrounds, with Georgie’s Dad being former sidecar passenger Andy and Charley Powell being the son of former British Masters sidecar champion Richard Piggott. 

So perhaps it is significant that a third regular grasser joining the Eagles is yet another rider with sidecar Grasstrack in his blood. Son of former sidecar passenger Paul, Mark Baseby heat leads for the Sussex team in 2017.

The Eagles also feature youth sensation

Tom Brennan, who experienced a wealth of Grasstrack experience through his formative years, and Connor Coles, who doubles up with Newcastle in the Championship. Coles has never ridden adult Grasstrack but rode plenty of Grasstrack when he was a young boy, before his father signed for Newport- a Sunday team.

Former Youth World Grasstrack Champion Zach Wajtknecht doubles up with Lakeside in the National League and Swindon in the Premiership so will be very busy on the shale, whilst multi British 250 and 350 champion Harland Cook returns to the shale for 2017 with the Isle of Wight team. Harland is a fantastic Grasstrack rider and had limited track time in 2016. Hopefully we will see more of Cook in the coming season. 

Other riders with Grasstrack connections finding themselves in teams for 2017 in the National League include Darryl Ritchings (Birmingham) and Dan Greenwood (Cradley). Both riders were good youth Grasstrackers but turned to speedway as adults. Both have returned for rare Grasstrack outings but have not been regular competitors. Tyler Govier is also a rider who competed in youth Grasstrack as a young boy. He lines up for the new Isle of Wight team. 

Photo by Alan Whale

Mildenhall once again will field a rider with plenty of National League experience whose Grasstrack roots are very clear- Danny Halsey. The Fen Tiger has forged a great speedway career, but spent his early years travelling to the country’s biggest Grasstrack meetings, watching British Masters sidecar champion father John Halsey race. When Halsey came of age, it was speedway and not sidecar racing which was to be his path of choice. Perhaps one day, we will see Danny put his Grasstrack lineage to the test.

Finally, Stoke Potters field two riders with clear Grasstrack blood. The first is Luke Priest, whose father John was a good Grasstracker. Priest rode youth Grasstrack and Formula Grasstrack before turning his attention to speedway as an adult. He has had a very successful Speedway career and would be a welcome addition to any Grasstrack, should he choose to follow in father John’s footsteps. And the other Potter is something of a Grasstrack legend. It is 4x British 350cc Champion Tony Atkin. Grasstrack outings are very rare for the vastly experienced racer, but perhaps one day he’ll return to win another British title?

Photo by Alan Whale

Once again, good luck to all of the members of the Grasstrack family finding their way into the National League Speedway setup. On behalf of Grasstrackers everywhere, we wish you the very best of luck...and don’t forget to come and visit your old Uncle Grasstrack from time to time! There’s always a place for you!

SCB National League Grasstrackers

Darryl Ritchings (Birmingham)

Tom Perry (Cradley)

Dan Greenwood (Cradley)

Luke Harris (Cradley)

Mark Baseby (Eastbourne)

Georgie Wood (Eastbourne)

Connor Coles (Eastbourne)

Charley Powell (Eastbourne)

Tom Brennan (Eastbourne)

Tyler Govier (Isle of Wight)

Harland Cook (Isle of Wight)

Zach Wajtknecht (Lakeside)

Danny Halsey (Mildenhall)

Steve Boxall (Plymouth)

Lee Smart (Plymouth)

Richard Andrews (Plymouth)

Callum Walker (Plymouth)

Henry Atkins (Plymouth)

Saul Bulley (Plymouth)

Luke Priest (Stoke)

Tony Atkin (Stoke)

BANTER's GUIDE TO SCB CHAMPIONSHIP GRASSTRACKERS 2017

The second and third tier of the British speedway league system is packed full of past and present Grasstrack talent. So let’s have a look at some of the members of the Grasstrack family who have earned themselves team spots in the second tier of team speedway- The SCB Championship.

THE SCB Championship

We’ll start off by mentioning riders who are expected to compete on the Grasstrack scene in 2017 who will also be competing in the the Speedway League Championship. Current and two-time British 350cc Champion Tom Perry has become a household name in the speedway world, and this year comes to the tapes in Glasgow Tigers colours. He was scarcely seen on the grass in 2016, but a warm up at Bridgwater was followed up by successfully defending his 350 crown at Dig Dog Lane. Will he return once again in 2017 to add a third title? Let’s hope so.

Two more riders expected to feature heavily in the 2017 Grasstrack season both line up for the Redcar Bears. Cornish rider Benjamin Barker made a surprise return to the Grasstrack scene last season. After winning the Westcountry Winner with ease in his home county, he then put in a tremendous performance at the Whoppa and looks keen to follow it up with a full season of Grasstrack racing in 2017. Ben has never had a ‘proper’ campaign on the grass. Having started his career in the 350 class, he then turned his attention fully to speedway. It’s going to be fantastic to have Barker back on the Grass for 2017 and we wish him luck with the Bears. His Redcar teammate is the more established Grass and Longtrack rider Richard Hall. He once again will compete on the continent on the World Longtrack scene and may be seen in some top Grasstrack events also. Joining these two is young racer Ellis Perks, who doubles up with Premiership side Rye House and holds plenty of Grasstrack pedigree also.

Lining up for the Workington Comets, having had several successful seasons with Berwick is Danish racer Thomas Jorgensen. Sponsored by Grasstracker Steve Tideswell, Jorgensen made a big impression on the Grasstrack circuits throughout 2015 and looked to begin a hugely successful Grasstrack racing career, but other commitments have meant that the Dane was not seen on the Grass throughout 2016. Let’s hope that Thomas can find some space in his diary to get back onto the Grass in 2017 and add a little Scandinavian flair.

 

The league is full of former Youth Grasstrackers who now ply their trade on the shale as Grasstrack continues to supply British speedway with a plethora of track racing talent. Danny King, Robert Lambert and Paul Starke all double up with Premiership and Championship teams, having learnt their trade on the grass. The same can be said for several other key members of the league. Former youth racer Connor Coles competed in the auto-cadet and cadet class, attending meetings with father (and Exeter Falcons legend) Michael, before turning full time to the shale. In 2017, he lines up for Newcastle. Yorkshireman Josh Auty is now a well-established middle-tier rider, but he once was one of the hottest Grasstrack prospects we had seen for years. As soon as adulthood came, he took to speedway full time and we have yet to see Auty race in adult classes on the grass. He fills the Scunthorpe team and has done for several seasons. It would be fantastic to one day see Josh return to his roots and of course he would be welcomed back we are sure.

Finally, several high profile continental grassers compete in this league in 2017. Most notable of all is two-time (and current) World Longtrack champion Erik Riss. We have yet to see Riss Jnr compete on a British Grasstrack but surely it’s only a matter of time? The sensational German races for Edinburgh, along with his brother Mark. Both Riss brothers have competed in Grasstracks and Longtracks, following in the footsteps of their legendary father Gerd.

Another young Longtrack star to have emerged in the last few years is French ace Dimitri Berge. Another son of a legend (Phillipe), Dimitri has been seen racing on British Grasstracks, putting in a stunning performance at Swingfield in 2014 for the World Team Championships. He races for Berwick this season.

Well done to these lads for their speedway endeavours and we, your Grasstrack family, wish you the best of luck for your 2017 speedway campaigns. Remember, the door is always open!

Full list of Championship Grasstrackers

Dimitri Berge (Berwick)

Erik Riss (Edinburgh)

Mark Riss (Edinburgh)

Tom Perry (Glasgow)

Danny King (Ipswich)

Robert Lambert (Newcastle)

Connor Coles (Newcastle)

Paul Starke (Peterborough)

Benjamin Barker (Redcar)

Richard Hall (Redcar)

Ellis Perks (Redcar)

Josh Auty (Scunthorpe)

Thomas Jorgensen (Workington)

BANTER’S GUIDE TO GRASSTRACK’S SPEEDWAY SUPERSTARS

 For many years, Grasstrack and Speedway have shared a wealth of talent between the two sports and 2017 will be no different. Although over the years many excellent Grasstrack racers have been lost to the more lucrative sister sport, many grassers never forget their grassroots and make the odd return.

Here is Grasstrack Banter’s guide to Grasstrackers on Speedway for the 2017 season. We wish all of our Grasstrack family members the very best of luck with their speedway endeavours...but don’t forget your roots. Like any fledged family members, you’ll always be welcomed back with opened arms!

The SCB Premiership

The new-look speedway Premiership is fairly light on Grasstrack racers as foreign riders continue to dominate the upper echelons of the sport. However, a few current and former grassers do find themselves with team spots in the top of the sport for 2017.

Current European and British Masters champion James Shanes is the most notable newcomer to the Premier League, earning himself a spot at reserve for Poole Pirates. Shanes will no doubt have lots of Grasstrack fixtures as European champion throughout 2017, so a local Wednesday night ride is perfect for him. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly Shanes gets to grips with speedway in the upper league, having only had previous experience in the National and Premier league. Another young Grasstrack protégé, Zach Wajtknecht lines up at reserve for Swindon Robins in the Premier League and will double up with Lakeside in the National League. Hopefully Zach will find some time to fit some Grasstracks into his calendar, but he is a hot prospect for speedway’s future so his Grass time will be limited. 

Other more established Grasstrackers holding their places in the Premier League are Chris ‘Bomber’ Harris and Edward Kennett. Cornishman Harris returned to Grasstrack in 2015 and is a full time member of the World Longtrack Championship circus in 2017.

Let’s hope we see plenty of the 2003 British Under 21 Champion on British Grasstrack. And Kennett turned his attention to Grasstrack several times in 2016, most notably putting in a stunning performance at the British Masters to take 2^nd place behind Shanes. Hopefully we will see lots of Kennett across the country on Grass too in 2017.

As well as these current Grasstrackers, we must tip our hat to former Grasstrack racers who find themselves competing in the Premiership in 2017. Former Youth racer Danny King rose to prominence on the Grass before switching full time to speedway when adulthood arrived. It would be great to see Danny (and perhaps even brother Jason who spent a little longer racing on Grass) back on our circuits. Danny is a British speedway superstar having featured in the British Grand Prix in 2016 as British champion. It was on Britain’s Grasstrack’s that he cut his teeth.

In a similar bracket to King, having cut their teeth on Grass before moving to speedway are Robert Lambert, who lines up for Kings Lynn and for Rye House, Ellis Perks. Ellis rode youth Grasstrack at a very young age before emigrating with his family. It would be great to see Ellis come back to his roots at some point, but for now we wish him well as his speedway career gathers momentum. As well as Rye House, Ellis lines up for Redcar in the Championship, so will be a busy lad!

Another rider in the Rye House setup with Grasstrack roots is Scott Nicholls. It was great to see Scott back on the grass in 2016 at the British Masters, although lack of

experience left him struggling for setup. Perhaps the 7 time British Champion will make more appearances in 2017, and could add a Masters title given a little more track time.

Adam Ellis’ racing career began on the French Grasstrack circuits, with former sidecar passenger Dad Jon having moved their when Adam was young. Now Ellis is an established speedway rider and Grasstrack appearances are rare and British Grasstrack run-outs even rarer. Perhaps we will see a little more of Adam in the future, but this season he will be very busy, having earned himself team a slot at Swindon in the Premier League as well as foreign engagements.

Another French former Grasstrack rider finding his way into the league is David Bellego. Along with Adam, he lines up for Swindon Robins, whilst German Grasstrack star Kai Huckenbeck’s speedway career also goes from strength to strength. He joins Kings Lynn for 2017.

 

Finally, a rider to have had fairly limited Grasstrack racing experience, particularly in adult classes, but definitely worthy of a Grass connection mention is Paul Starke. Son of former solo and sidecar racer Tony, Paul races for Somerset Rebels in their maiden season in the top league, as well as turning out for Peterborough in the Championship.

 We wish Paul, and indeed all of our former and current Grasstrack stars, the very best of luck competing in the inaugural year of racing in the SCB Premiership and hope to see them back on the grass  at some point.

Full List of Premiership Grasstrackers

Danny King (Kings Lynn)

Kai Huckenbeck (Kings Lynn)

James Shanes (Poole)

Edward Kennett (Rye House)

Scott Nicholls (Rye House)

Chris Harris (Rye House)

Robert Branford (Rye House)

Ellis Perks (Rye House)

Paul Starke (Somerset)

Adam Ellis (Swindon)

David Bellego (Swindon)

Zach Wajtknecht (Swindon)

More news to come from the SCB Championship soon. 

Special thanks to Methanol Moments Photography and Lawrence Hammonds Photography, both of which can be found easily on Facebook.