What drives us
The drive to do this comes from my love of motorsport. I have been around off road bikes since I was born with my father Bryan competing for Britain in various International Six Days events with the army back in the 60's and 70's. I myself competed from the age of 11, stopping in 1987 with a last ride at the Patchquick motorcross held at Whiteway Barton in Devon. A long break from then untill 2001 when I again returned to the saddle, alas only briefly as a serious injury saw me only compete twice before again retiring untill 2004 when I once more couldnt resist any longer. I have been racing with the support of Future Racing of Poole since and am enjoying every minute.

Should you wish to know more about my racing life check out the page 'My Album' for a pictorial history of my racing career with special thanks to a number of photographers and my Dad for their camera work.

Thanks to

 Dad, Still-MX, CJ-MX photography, J Newman Media

I started riding motorcycles out the back of my parents house, where I was lucky enough to have a  farm track that went for miles and when the farmer cut the corn I was able to go out on the stuble fields on my Honda C50 stepthrough, my first true love! 

Moving up in the world from the clutchless C50 came the C90 with a clutch and a petrol tank in front of you instead of under the seat, a real motorbike I thought..so from then on there was no turning back, onward and upward onto a BSA Bantam 125...with my cousin chasing on the now rejected C50...

After years of racing the local teenagers around the fields, my Dad thought it was about time I raced properly. I was given a Honda XR75 fourstroke at the age of 11 and was introduced to Matchams park to practice on my new bike...

Moving on from practicing I had my first Race on the XR, back in 1976. Portsmouth schoolboy scramble club where my hosts in what I remember to be a very cold wet day, but I throughly enjoyed myself and now had the bug...

My first 2 stroke came after Dad realised racing my 75cc fourstroke against the 100cc 2 strokes was holding me back, but as I was too small for a 100 I got my first taste of a 2 stroke on a Yamaha YZ80 twinshock in yellow...

Gaining my first victory still on an 80 against the bigger bikes saw a new bike on the horizon, another YZ80, but this time in the traditional white and this one had cantalever suspension!!!...

More victories came and now I had been christened with the nickname 'The Mighty Atom' after dominating the Inter 100 class on my little YZ80... the 100's beckoned and Dad was alked into buying a Kawasaki from the 'Putnems' a racing relation of friends of ours.. however it was short lived as although I could still 'Holeshot' it was just too big....

Having learned a valuable lesson we stayed with Kawasaki after a trip to the Dirt Bike Show in Bristol when I fell in love with the first ever KX80. Many more victories followed now back on an 80. The power to weight ratio seemed to suit my small size, even to thepoint where I 'Holeshot' a National in Oxford dropping quickly back to 2nd by this shot on the second corner.. but still finishing inside the top dozen even at national level.

Riding the KX80 has to be one of my fondest memories, but I do have an awful lot of them, I could bore you for hours with stories.... The Kawasaki had provided me with some very good results so it was only natural I stayed on the green brand in the seniors aboard a 125.... hence the Kawasaki KX 125 A5 twin shock...

The first time anyone had seen a watercooled scramble bike... it was a Mugen Honda 125 ridden by Paul Hardiman, whose father was the |DG performance imported... it was a lovely bike, pictured here in second place. Look at the boy's face on the right... i'm jumping across a six foot ditch. Only one other rider attempted this all day and he only did it once... I saved 3 seconds a lap jumping it and won every race despite the Mugen catching me every lap only for me to pull away across the ditch again.

My first sponsership deal came from a local legend, Don Schmidt. Although I was now big enough to ride a 125 he bought me a Honda CR80, lengthened the swinging arm, put some after market shocks on it and put me out against the 125 seniors...!!! The sight of an 80 holeshoting against 125's was a spectacal and although I never won a race aboard my handicapped mount it certainly put the cat amongst the pidgeons.... so much so that they 'banned' me from riding it saying I was to small to see..!

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So back to a 125 again,

Most of my schoolboy career was limited to local clubs such as Portsmouth, Border and Ringwood. The most famous riders from my day in these clubs would have been Jem Whatley, who went onto become multi British champion, Kevin Froud and Andy Breacher, who went onto become 750cc AMCA champion and now riding sidecars. To this day I still see some of my old race buddies, most like me, balder, fatter but still enjoying the MX bug. The picture below see me leading Kevin Froud at Landford Woods.. a tight and twisty track with a deep bog section ....

.More to come!

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