Webb prepares UK stars of the future

In a gigantic barn on a farm in Lincolnshire, 12 youngsters (see above) were starting on a journey that might, just might, end up on the starting grid in MotoGP at Jerez in Spain. And weren’t they enjoying themselves as they whizzed round a flat track under the expert eye of one-time flat track champion and famous all-rounder Pete Boast and Danny Webb who, in between racing, runs an academy for youngsters.

It certainly was fun for the kids themselves and parents who had driven from as far afield as Maidstone in Kent and Glasgow in Scotland - the latter a round trip of 650 miles including an extension to another event near Norwich, by Alan Dunabie, his wife and son Jack.

But for all concerned there is a serious purpose and that is the sad lack of British talent in world championship racing. A main driver behind the whole project is Grand Prix and TT winner Chas Mortimer.

“There is so much untapped talent in this country and parents are unable to find a way forward for youngsters who are desperate to have a go,” Mortimer confirmed.

Making what develops into a series, is FAB-Racing, an organisation which has been involved in Minibike events since 2004 and run by Roger and Robert Keys, when a youngster called Scott Redding was in their school. They see the situation now being similar to what it was back then.

“The current situation leaves riders having to move to road based bikes before being able to compete on proper race bikes, in effect wasted time for those wishing to progress to the higher levels of racing,” Keys explains.

But they see the British Talent Cup with a minimum age of 13 and power restricted ‘proper race bikes’ on full circuits as an opportunity, as opposed to kart tracks which is what their events are held