Last Sunday at Ipswich saw some of the countries top riders attend the Winter National BMX event with 71 riders, including ten from Braintree BMX Club, seven of them making their National series debuts.

The star rider from the Braintree Club was Steven Sewell, eight, from Dunmow who took wins in all three of his heats with relative ease, then showed the way in superb style to make it a memorable first National event.

In the same races were his brother Matthew who rode well to take third places in his three heats with Ashley Hall taking two fourths and a fifth place.

In the same final as Steven, Matthew managed to hold sixth place with Ashley in eighth.

In the other races, Bradley Watts, eight, was beaten into sixth place in all his races and was unlucky to miss out on a place into the final, as was Darren Eastall in the 16-18 year olds who rode hard to take fifth places in the heats but missed out in the run-off to qualify.

Liam Vant took fourth places in all his heats and after a run-off, got through to finish seventh in the final.

Racing in the same races, Kelvin Vant finished fifth in all his heats with Martin Simmons right behind him, but in the final the positions were reversed as Martin found that extra push.

Competing in separate heats, Alex Humphrey managed two creditable second places but went off the track and later fell to the other to take fourth place while Ryan Everitt road magnificently against strong opposition to two thirds and a second place.

Meeting in the final, both were unlucky to get held up by a faller and Ryan finished fourth with Alex Smith.

It is back to the local Braintree track on December 12 for a Club meeting, starting at 2 pm.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.