Thursday September 22, 2011 at 3:14pm
With the best British based riders and teams from all corners of the British Isles already confirmed for this year's British Supercross Championship it's no wonder the anticipation and tension is building as the series kicks off at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield on October 22nd. Here is a look at the nations of Great Britain and the riders representing their countries.
WALES
Seeing as there isn't a round of the Championship in Wales this year we will start with a couple of Welshmen. The always entertaining Ashley Greedy who is undoubtedly the king of the head to head races is a serious challenger for both the British Supercross and British Supercross Lights class titles. In 2010 Greedy finished runner up in British Supercross Lights to Jack Brunell and runner up to Tom Church in the British Open class. 2010 also saw Greedy bag the German SX Championship. This year the Welshman will be back on board an LPE Maxxis Henderson Kawasaki alongside fellow Welshman and first year pro Connor Walkely who was unstoppable in his amateur career winning the MXY2 and BSMA titles in 2010.
SCOTLAND
Scotland is well known for producing elite motocross racers. Multi time British Motocross Champion Stephen Sword will be flying the Scottish flag throughout the five city tour and will enjoy a rare visit of the Championship to his native land at round three in Glasgow on November 26th at the Braehead Arena.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland is sure to be a powerhouse of riders and teams. The TAS Relentless Suzuki team will be fielding Gordon Crockard who recently won the Brian Bell International. Gordon nailed down the British Supercross Championship in 2009 and is hungry for another one. Fellow countryman and Boost Energy KTM team member Martin Barr is all fired up to win the title this year after taking a impressive win in front of his hometown fans in Belfast last year. Another Rider with an Irish connection is South African Neville Bradshaw whose parents were originally from Belfast. Neville, a seasoned British Supercross campaigner, finished second in the series a few years back and will be riding for Evotech Stevens Honda this year. Team No Fear Kawasaki rider Edward Alingham will also want to do well in all rounds of the series especially Belfast where he was sidelined with a knee injury last year.
ENGLAND
England will be led by the defending pro champs Tom Church and Jack Brunell who have both switched teams for the 2011 Championship. Church will be running the number 1 plate with black numbers and white backgrounds on his Red Bull HM Plant KTM signifying his British Supercross title while Brunell will run the white number 1 on black backgrounds on his No Fear Kawasaki signifying his British Supercross Lights title. Recent triple crown winner and the North East's favorite son Brad Anderson of PAR Honda will be out to make it a perfect year by adding a Supercross title to his recent Maxxis, Red Bull and Masters championships. Another Honda rider who has made his name racing in the US and recently captured the Brazilian SX Championship is Adam Chatfield. Chatfield got close to winning the series last year but a get-off at The O2 in London robbed the likeable rider of a British Supercross title. West Midland's Steven Clarke riding for Rob Hooper's Maxxis Apico Suzuki team will be out to prove himself after a disappointing outdoor season. A recent good finish at the Red Bull series has Steven on a new high and ready for the opening round at Sheffield. Joining Clarke on a Maxxis Apico Suzuki will be former British Supercross Champion Lewis Gregory who has finally received the all clear after surgery to correct a nagging injury that sidelined the former champ a few years back. DB Racing Honda's Elliott Banks Browne will also look to impress indoors after a great outdoor season.
England's most famous rider turned team manager Dave Thorpe has also changed teams this season maintaining his relationship with Buildbase for a brand new Honda team. Dave will be debuting his new team and new rider, Frenchman Nicolas Aubin at all rounds of the Championship.
Just 4 1/2 weeks remain until the gate drops at round 1 at Sheffield's Motorpoint Arena on October 22nd. Have you got your tickets? Call NOW!!! 0114 256 5656 or www.fwsx.com
CONFIRMED STAR RIDERS: (more to be announced soon!)
2011 FUTURE WEST ACU BRITISH SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
SHEFFIELD – SATURDAY OCTOBER 22ND, 2011 TICKETS: 0114 256 5656 ONLINE HERE
BELFAST – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 19TH, 2011 TICKETS: 028 9073 9074 ONLINE HERE
GLASGOW – SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26TH, 2011 TICKETS: 0844 499 1700 ONLINE HERE
LONDON – SATURDAY JANUARY 14TH, 2012 TICKETS: 0844 815 0815 ONLINE HERE
BIRMINGHAM – SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18TH, 2012 TICKETS 0844 338 8000 ONLINE HERE
WWW.FWSX.COM FOR MORE INFO
CONFIRMED STAR RIDERS: (more to be announced soon!)
TOM CHURCH – RED BULL KTM – DEFENDING BRITISH SUPERCROSS CHAMP
JACK BRUNELL – NO FEAR KAWASAKI – DEFENDING BRITISH SUPERCROSS LIGHTS CHAMP
BRAD ANDERSON - PAR HONDA - MULTI TIME BRITISH MX1 CHAMPION
STEVEN CLARKE - MAXXIS APICO SUZUKI - FORMER LONDON SX WINNER
NICOLAS AUBIN - BUILDBASE HONDA - FORMER CZECH GRAND PRIX WINNER
STEPHEN SWORD – CCM – LIVERPOOL SX WINNER AND MULTI TIME BRITISH MX CHAMP
GORDON CROCKARD – RELENTLESS SUZUKI – 2010 BRITISH SUPERCROSS CHAMP
MARTIN BARR – BOOST ENERGY KTM – BELFAST BRITISH SUPERCROSS WINNER
ADAM CHATFIELD – BUFF RACING HONDA - BRITISH SX LIGHTS RUNNER UP
EDWARD ALLINGHAM – NO FEAR KAWASAKI
ASHLEY GREEDY – MAXXIS HENDERSON LPE KAWASAKI – HEAD TO HEAD CHAMPION
NEVILLE BRADSHAW – EVOTECH/STEVENS HONDA – 5TH OVERALL IN 2011 BRITISH SX
ELLIOTT BANKS-BROWNE – DB RACING HONDA – CURRENTLY 2ND MAXXIS MX2
CONNER WALKLEY - MAXXIS HENDERSON LPE - 2010 BYMX AND MXY2 YOUTH CHAMPION
LEWIS GREGORY - MAXXIS APICO SUZUKI - FORMER BRITISH SUPERCROSS CHAMPION
EDWARD ALLINGHAM - NO FEAR KAWASAKI