MF goes racing with the fastest 8-year olds in the country as we go looking for the next generation of MotoGP talent
Bradley Smith, at the ripe old age of 16, is currently something of an ambassador for British motorcycle racing. His 3rd place finish at the French Grand Prix lit a beacon of hope for hundreds of other British kids who until that weekend had considered the route to MotoGP too rocky to be considered as a viable career path. Or rather, their fathers had. Nobody has ever doubted that Britain wasn't capable of producing fresh talent, it's just that up until now precious little of that young talent has found its way past the huge financial hurdles and out onto the racetrack.
And it's just in bike racing that this happens. In other forms of motorsport, most notably Formula One, there's a proven system of kart racing and sponsorship in place to bring young drivers up through the ranks. A certain Lewis Hamilton has, all of a sudden, catapulted F1 back into the British public's imagination at a time when the sport seemed to be on its knees in terms of general interest. Every tabloid or broadsheet editor, every programme producer and station controller understands the desirability of British winners at world level. Get a winner on international television and space will be devoted, air time increased and up-up-up goes the value. It isn't rocket science.
So things are looking up. Bradley's doing his bit in the 125 Grands Prix, there's Eugene Laverty learning his craft and all the new circuits in the 250 class and riders like Leon Camier and Johnny Rea in British Superbike allegedly being closely scrutinised to make the jump to world level. But who's behind them, when he's fed further up the system who will be the next Bradley Smith? It's no good having a one-hit wonder, for Britain to be taken seriously again in bikesport we need to be grooming the next generation of racers now, when they're young enough and willing enough to learn. So TWO went to Lydd circuit in Kent to a round of the British Minimoto Championship to find out.
It's been a few years since I last visited a British Championship mini-moto event. 10, in fact. And that's also 10 years since I last broke my left ankle. The two events are not entirely unconnected. So, with a barely noticeable limp, I trudge into the paddock at Lydd to sign on. It's packed to the gunnels with motorhomes, vans, caravans and race trucks and for 8am on a Saturday morning it's unhealthily busy. It's here we meet Roger from FAB-Racing - our genial host for the day. Roger is the UK importer for Metrakit and it's one of his bikes I'll be riding today in the 'Fun' class. A Spanish-built half-way house between the most vicious mini-moto and a full blown GP125 race bike, Metrakits may be tiny but they've got six gears, a proper clutch, front and rear suspension and front and rear disc brakes. And they sound more evil than an angry Texan chainsaw. After some paper signing and the emptying of what was left in my wallet from the night before, I'm given two transponders. One for me and my Metrakit 70 and one for my son, Adam (10 years old) who is just about to lose his racing virginity on his aged Polini mini-moto.
I foolishly ask what all the different race classes mean and struggle to understand the answer as there are about 12 different categories. It's bewildering when your brain's as small as mine. But suffice to say that the Metrakit classes are 50cc and 70cc for the kids, and the 'Fun' class is for grown ups not yet fed up of hurting themselves on vicious, overpowered toys. As we walk back to our Transit van I'm still not entirely sure which class Adam's supposed to be in and when he's supposed to be out on track. The situation's not helped by the fact we've had to park up outside the paddock (completely full at 8am) and we're out of earshot from the PA system.
Continue the Creche Course - 2/2
