Ledbury Flyer Motorcycle Grasstrack Racing Preview by Mike Williams

There’s some exciting motorcycle grasstrack racing taking place this coming weekend as the Ledbury MCC host the Ledbury Flyer event. This will take place on Sunday, 21st August at the club’s usual home venue of Sparrington Farm, Pencombe, near Bromyard, HR7 4SL with the first race due off at 12 noon. And it certainly promises to be a very busy day of action as the Flyer programme will cater for Youth to Adult riders and on two, three and four wheeled machines, a total of 13 different classes and 64 races!

The youngest riders at Pencombe will be the Autos/Cadets, Juniors and Inters with some of the names worth looking out for being AJ Bence, Jessica Cox, Dakota Wright, Thomas Vinning, Austin Riches and Kensie Cossey. In the main Adult solo contests, Ian Clark  2nd, Kevin Gwillam 4th, Mark Scopes 6th all performed strongly at the recent GT140 British Championship so should be the main performers in this particular class at Sparrington Farm. Meanwhile,  Graham Thomas, 3rd in the 2022 British Championship looks like the man to beat in the 250cc contest but will face the fast Karl Beddingfield and local rider Adam Hawker.

Normally a 250cc rider himself, Gloucestershire youngster Cameron Taylor has entered Sunday’s 350cc battle. Cameron won recently at the Grasstrack Banter Trophy event but this time will face a seriously experienced challenge provided by John Cox, Wayne Broadhurst, Barry Powell and Tim Curnock. Although the entry list for the 500cc solos is not vast in numbers, there’s still an abundance of quality on view! Four of the brightest young stars in British grasstrack at present, Arron Butcher, Luke Harris, Jake Mulford and Chad Wirtzfeld go head to head and should also be the leading contenders for top honours. The solo racing programme is completed by Uprights and Pre-75 classes with British Uprights Champion Tony Atkin, Jason Prynne, Luke Tuck, Steve Dowling, Rob Dugdale and John Priest possibly the main players in the race for honours.

Going over to three wheels, Rachel Cox/Scott Gutteridge, Paul Whitelam/Richard Webb and Shaun Hughes/Louis Bennett who will be looking to get in some race practice before the upcoming European Final should be the 500cc Sidecars podium chasers. Meanwhile the Old and New Sidecars as attracted ten crew but the man to beat is certainly Mark Courtney with Leon Torres in the chair. Chasing him hard for honours are the likes of  Chris Tyrell/Sam Morcombe, Joe Mogg/Wayne Rickards and the returning legend Steve Smith/Gareth Little.

And, it’s certainly going to be a very hectic day for Smith as he also lines up in the 1000cc Right-Hand Sidecars. In that one, seven times British Masters Champions Mark Cossar/Gareth Williams tops the entry but there’s plenty of worthy challengers prepared to mix it with the Champ! Trevor Heath/Sam Heath, Paul Whitelam/Richard Webb, Matt Fumarola/Andrew Wilson, Clint Blondel/Wayne Rickards and Peter Lloyd/Terry Madley amongst others will certainly ensure that this is a very exciting contest! Completing the manic Ledbury MCC programme is the four wheeled Quad racers with the vastly experienced John Elliot likely to be the man that they all have to beat!

So the scene is set for what should be a cracking event. Admission charges are Adults £12, Concessions £10 and Under 16’s FREE.

sions £10 and Under 16’s FREE.