Kinsley & Hitchen continue to impress

Last Sunday (18th December) the second round of Scunthorpe Speedway’s Winter Series for adult speedway classes saw two teenagers dominate the top two classes by going through the card unbeaten. Kinsley, who rides for King’s Lynn, raced to a 15 point maximum in the Open Class to add to his first round victory whilst 16-year old James Hitchen, from Cumbria, won all six of his races in the Support Class.

Just two years ago Hitchen was racing in the youth 125/150 class and a year ago he was defeating Chris Hay and Ryan Burton in one of his first Novice Class meetings. Admittedly Hay and Burton had only just switched to speedway before going on to become National League regulars but a year on and Hitchen was also looking quick and assured on a tricky track. After the meeting he declared “It was good to take the lead of the Support Class series and hopefully I can stay in this position to the end with some more good finishes in the remaining rounds. Hopefully by the end of the winter Series I will be ready to step up to the Open Class but there is still work to be done before I am ready.

“The meeting was extremely enjoyable and there was some great races with Gavin Parr. Races like we had are always enjoyable and rewarding against someone you respect on a tough track”.

When asked about the prospect of riding in the National League he said “I have my GCSEs so plan on focusing on those. Maybe in the last half of the year if something comes up I will get some rides but if not I will just go for 2018 on a 3.00 average when I will hopefully be really ready”.

The other two classes on Sunday were won by riders at different ends of their careers. Callum Foy, another teenage rider from Cumbria, won the Novice Class in only his second meeting whilst the fourth class was won by Gary O’Hare, who at 51, was nearly as old as the three other class winners added together. It was his 14th upright class victory in the last 19 months to add to the four he had in the Open Class between 2009 and 2013.

Afterwards meeting organiser Richard Hollingsworth said “It just goes to show speedway is for riders of all ages. In fact we had Mick Skinner who turns 60 in April competing in his first Open Class meeting at Scunthorpe and he was excellent. I remember looking at his first race when he was up against Liam Carr and Scott Campos and thought that was a tough start for him. He led from the tapes and the other two had to work really hard to get past him. He did it time and time again and got some impressive scalps. As far as I’m aware he has no league experience at all so whilst it wouldn’t be bringing on a British youngster I’m sure he could step in and score quite a few points in the National League.

“We had riders of all ages in each class and it is great to see. The track was tricky today but there was also some great racing. It was the last meeting of the year and we have tried to run nineteen through 2016. Five were victim to the weather (three last winter, one in the summer and one this winter) so we managed to run 14 and have had over 300 different riders enter. It has been a great year but the challenge is now to try and improve on it in 2017. We could really do with some new blood to help run them and if anyone is interested them they would only be too welcome.”

The next round of meetings are on the 7th January for the Flat Track, Pit Bike, Road Bike, Quad Bike and Youth Speedway classes and the 14th January for the Adult Speedway classes (Open, Support, Novice and Upright). Bookings can be made by texting Hollingsworth on 07832-402167.

Full list of Winter Series meeting dates:

Flat Track, Pit Bike, Road Bike, Quad Bike and Youth Speedway classes – 13th November, 11th December, 8th January, 29th January, 19th February & 12th March

Adult Speedway Classes – 20th November (rescheduled due to weather to 27th November), 18th December, 15th January, 5th February, 26th February & 19th March

Open Class
Qualifying scores: Ryan Kinsley 15, Ben Shields 10, Liam Carr 10, Scott Campos 8, Jamie Halder 7 (4 rides), Ryan MacDonald 7, Mick Skinner 5, Luke Harris 4 (4 rides), Kev Whelan 4, Taylor Hampshire 2 (3 rides)

B Final: MacDonald, Skinner, 65.9
A Final: not run

Winter Series points: Kinsley 20, Shields 19, Carr 18, MacDonald 17, Skinner 16, Campos 15, Halder 14, Harris 13, Whelan 12, Hampshire 11

Series standings (after two rounds): Ryan Kinsley 40 (20-20), Jamie Halder 33 (19-14), Taylor Hampshire 29 (18-11), Ben Shields 19, Liam Carr 18, David Wallinger 17, Ryan MacDonald 17, Krystian Bialecki 16, Mick Skinner 16, Lewis Whitmore 15, Scott Campos 15, Luke Woodhull 14, Kean Dicken 13, Luke Harris 13, Tim Webster 12, Kev Whelan 12

Qualifying race winning times: 7. Carr 62.8, 8. Macdonald 62.8, 9. Kinsley awarded, 13. Kinsley 61.4, 17. Halder 63.8, 21. Kinsley 61.6, 24. Kinsley 62.1, 27. Campos 64.1, 30. Carr 63.3, 33. Shields 63.4, 36. Kinsley 63.9, 39. Skinner 66.4, 42. Shields awarded

Support Class
Qualifying scores: James Hitchen 15, Gavin Parr 12, Sam Chapman 11, Chris Bambury 10, Chris Timms 6, James Chattin 4 (4 rides), Jake Isherwood 3 (2 rides), Alex Spooner 0 (1 ride)

B Final: Bambury, Timms, Chattin, 71.8
A Final: Hitchen, Parr, Bambury, Chapman, 66.9

Winter Series points: Hitchen 20, Parr 19, Bambury 18, Chapman 17, Timms 16, Chattin 15, Jake Isherwood 14, Spooner 13

Winter Series points: James Hitchen 39 (19-20), Sam Chapman 35 (18-17), Alex Spooner 33 (20-13), Chris Bambury 32 (14-18), Gavin Parr 19, Ben Woodhull 17, Sheldon Davies 16, Chris Timms 16, Stuart Freeman 15, James Chattin 15, Jake Isherwood 14, Simon Bence 13.

Qualifying race winning times: 4. Isherwood awarded, 5. Hitchen 68.6, 6. Parr 67.7, 12. Hitchen 66.5, 16. Bambury 69.0, 20. Chapman 71.3, 25. Hitchen 67.1, 28. Bambury 68.9, 32. Hitchen 67.9, 35. Hitchen 68.3, 38. Timms 75.3, 41. Parr 69.9

Novice Class
Qualifying scores: Tom Spencer 13, Callum Foy 11, Russell Davis 11, Joe Alcock 9, Simon Gale 8, Mike Copestake 2 (3 rides), Liam Little 0 (1 ride), David Chiles 0 (0 rides)

B Final: Alcock, Gale, 72.8
A Final: Foy, Davis (fell), Spencer (fell, excluded), Alcock (fell), awarded

Winter Series points: Foy 20, Davis 19, Spencer 18, Alcock 17, Simon Gale 16, Copestake 15, Little 14, Chiles 13

Series standings (after two rounds): Tom Spencer 37 (19-18), Callum Foy 36 (16-20), Russell Davis 33 (14-19), David Chiles 30 (17-13), Liam Little 24 (10-14), Bartek Langner 20, Danny Wright 18, Joe Alcock 17, Simon Gale 16, Mick Sutton 15, Mike Copestake 15, Dean Douglas 13, Mick Keeling 12, James Spencer 11

Qualifying race winning times: 1. Foy 82.7, 2. Spencer 71.8, 3. Gale 80.2, 11. Spencer 80.9, 14. Spencer 69.2, 18. Davis 75.7, 22. Alcock 71.1, 26. Foy 77.8, 31. Spencer 79.9, 37. Alcock 73.6

Upright Class
Qualifying scores: Gary O’Hare 15, Lee Coleman 11, Paul Timms 9, Trevor Bebbington 3, Phil Kynman 3

A Final: O’Hare, Coleman, Timms, Bebbington, 66.8

Winter Series points: O’Hare 20, Coleman 19, Timms 18, Bebbington 17, Kynman 16

Series standings (after two rounds): Lee Coleman 39 (20-19), Gary O’Hare 20, Ian Leverington 19, Shaun Bickley 18, Paul Timms 18, Trevor Bebbington 17, Phil Kynman 16

Qualifying race winning times: 10. O’Hare 68.8, 15. Coleman 72.8, 19. Coleman 72.1, 23. O’Hare 66.9, 29. O’Hare 67.5, 34. O’Hare 67.1, 40. O’Hare 68.4