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British Over 40's Individual Cycle Speedway Championship
Saturday 14 May 2011 | Promoted by Wednesfield Aces CSC
Report & Images: Andy Whitehouse
Jason Ashford stole the limelight in the 2011 Over 40's Individual Cycle Speedway Championships at Wednesfield's Ashmore Park.The Leicester Monarch's rider rode a near perfect maximum 20 points to take the title from the current World veteran Champion Steve Harris.
The sensible money was always going to be on Harris, the experinced rider having taken the blue jersey for the previous three years but a determined Ashford had other ideas.Harris only dropped a point during the match and that was to Ashford in their first clash of the day in heat four. With both riders at the top of their game that heat was always going to be a critical race and it was the eventual champion that took it.
With back to back heats, Ashford took the advantage with an easy win in heat five.The diminutive figure of Mick Skinner took a fine win in the following heat holding off Stockport's Terry Norman ensuring his four points on the scorecard.
Harris took his usual place at the head of the race in heat seven keeping his chances of retaining the title alive. With each rider having ridden two heats, Ashford was holding his lead by one point from Harris, Terry Norman and Mick Skinner all on level pegging with seven points.
A cracking tussle in heat twelve saw Gary Colby fighting things out with Ashford, holding the lead until the final bend when Ashford dived underneath the Norwich rider to claim the four points. Back to back wins from Harris in heats sixteen and seventeen still kept the champion in with a shout of retaining the title but Ashford knew the title was going to be his if he could maintain his 100% record and he did just that, taking the win in the penultimate heat of the match, the jubilant rider crossing the line with his arms held aloft knowing the title was his.
The new champion crosses the line in his final heat, knowing the title is his
Andy Whitehouse spoke to the new champion after the win
"I was very pleased with that. I've been planning every heat for the last six weeks: everyone told me not to but it's something I've done for the last twenty five years of racing. Steve(Harris) is a very worthy winner, World Champion at the moment, three times British Champion. In my book I don't really class him as a veteran they way he's still performing, he puts 100% in everytime, he is Mr cycle speedway."
It's really satisfying to take the the title from someone who is so devoted to the sport, it makes it a little bit special to take it and the blue jersey from someone like Steve. I'm looking forward to Veteran team champs at Leicester, I've been training a lot this year, I've just had my third child so I'm going to dedicate this win to them and my wife who has let me go and train four times a week.
I'm looking to add the british vets team and the club championship to this title and I'm entering the Individual as well. Steve and myself were pretty much level all those years ago, but I broke my ankle and took time out to have a family. I never thought I'd ever get back racing, put a bit of weight on then started training. It's really been worth it after today, I've eventually won a champion's jersey. I'll never forget this one!
Scores
Jason Ashford 20 pts, Steve Harris 19, Terry Norman 17, Gary Colby 16, Mark Griffiths 16, Chris Turner 15, Dennis Hubble 14, Mick Skinner 13, Gary Brown 12, Paul Timms 11, Dave Meanly 10, Rob Absalom 10, Peter Chant 9
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
