Another great write up on the U10 and U12’s taking part in the European Championships by Neil at Racer Ready.  Read the article here.

“the two run race with best time to count format for the Under 12 and Under 10 age groups gave the racers plenty to think about and the opportunity to not worry about making a mistake as only the best time would count. … The Andrew Hjortt set course had many of the same combinations that the racers will meet when they make the step up to the next level  in the future but with the stubbies rather than the large gates.”

“Joseph Thompson from Norwich was the only racer to go under the magic fifteen second mark on either run and was a worthy winner of the race – fastest on both runs! Harry Cosham took second place and Elliott Bennett took third ahead of Zachary Metheringham with Lucas Ellis in fifth.

With the indoor racing season at Snozone in Castleford now having come to an end for summer 2014, Graham and Cathy Beck have decided to step back and let others take over the running of the races. After 20 years of sorting out, organising and running the races, next summer will see some new faces helping out. Many thanks to both for the hard work and support in getting summer racing at the indoor slopes to this level. The sport has moved on and the indoor races are taking the sport forward. Many current racers including the likes of Dave Ryding, Jai Geyer and others have taken part in the Beck organised races.”

Thanks for the mention Neil.

Picture by Racer Ready, thanks Neil.

Picture from the European Championships @SnoZone Castleford 17th August 2014.  More pictures are available here.

Great article by Neil at Racer Ready here.

Like Neil says “Exciting Racing, and U12 close racing with less than three quarters of a second separating all five exciting talents”, suppose one of them is ME !

To quote Racer Ready.

“Mini racing or as it is now called, Under 12 and Under 10 racing, has found its niche with the format that was first tried out at the British Indoor Grand Prix Series a couple of years ago and then adopted across the country: … Two runs with the best time to count to determine the race winner. This great format gives the racers the opportunity to attack the course and not have to worry about coming out. The smiles from one young racer who crashed on the first run was just testamount to the fun that the racers were having.”

“The Under 12 boys race was hugely competitive and a large field of eleven racers saw Elliott Bennett take a narrow win from Joseph Thompson with Zachery Metheringham take third place after Harry Cosham took fourth with Lucas Ellis in fifth. This was close racing with less than three quarters of a second separating all five exciting talents.”

Would like to thank Neil at Racer Ready for the great job he does (hopefully I might get more mentions now?), telling the races as they are with no punches pulled and the great photos (plus his race break banter according to my Dad).  If you don’t subscribe to his magazine, why not as its the best UK snowsport magazine out there !

Saturday saw the conclusion of the BIGP Race Series for 2014 – Overall 3rd Place in the Under 12’s in my first year of U12.

Well done to Harry (1st) and Elliott (2nd).

Last year, in my first year of racing, I only raced in a couple of the 2013 series and really enjoyed the, so much so last year I took part in the Dave Rydings fund raiser at SnoZone Castleford. So I was really up for entering all the 5 races of the 5 race series in 2014.

Race 1 and 2 (see earlier posts) were a complete nightmare for me, they were the first competitive races in year 1 of U12’s for me and I obviously had the wrong attitude thinking I couldn’t mix it with the year 2’s. Race 1 I finished a lowly 9th, some 1.5 seconds off the winners best time, so NIL Race Series Points. Race 1 Results are here.

Race 2 was just as bad, finishing 8th in the U12’s, but with a slightly smaller time gap of 1.2 seconds. Race 2 Results are here.

The other big problem for me was that Race 1 and 2 points where counting for the GBR Indoor Race Series, so blew that, but read my other posts on the GBR Indoor Race Series 2014.

Race 3 (again see earlier posts for more details) was the start of a more encouraging phase of this Race Series.  With a massive improvement, and attitude that I can mix it with the year 1 U12’s, I posted a 2nd place in the U12’s just 0.10 seconds off 1st (fastest run 16.35 seconds).  Race 3 Results are here.

(Great Race 3 by fellow SMK Racer, Kayne, who ran an amazing 16.32 seconds)

Race 4, after an amazing Race 3 on the Saturday, the Race 4 on the Sunday was a little disappointing, with a 3rd place in the U12’s. It was a shame, as the field was slightly reduced in numbers and I didn’t take my chance to increase my podium positions.  Race 4 Results are here.

This left Race 5 on the 16th August (again see earlier posts for more details), where the field was a little stronger than Race 3 and 4 with 11 U12 racers.  Again, I was only beaten by two of the better year 2 U12’s and missed 1st place by 0.28 second and 2nd place by 0.04 seconds (and also beat the overall series winner by 0.11 seconds). Race 5 Results are here.

After all the 5 race results from the series where counted, I ended up being 3rd Place in the British Indoor Grand Prix Race Series.  Real shame about Race 1 and 2, where if I had recorded better times, maybe a 2nd place would have been in reach.

Looking back to finish the race series with one 2nd Place and two 3rd Places, in my first year of U12’s against a very strong field was AMAZING !

Congratulations to fellow SMK Racers who finished the BIGP Race Series with podium positions : Amanda (1st Sen F), Maxine (2nd= U18 F), Fin (3rd U16 M), Glesni (2nd U12 F) and Kayne (1st U10 M).

Racer Ready magazine posted a great write-up of the U10 & U12 races here.

Big thanks to Graham and Cathy Beck, the Castleford Lions and SZR and all the other volunteers (including my Dad!) and the sponsors.

Race 5 of the 5 race series took part on Saturday, with a strong field of year 1 and year 2 U12’s.

The Graham Beck (thanks to Graham and Cathy Beck for all the organisation and the volunteers) series has been really good fun.

Race 5 had 11 U12’s and I finished 3rd after two really consistent times.

(Really happy with the two runs, as beat all the year 1 U12’s by nearly a second, and if we had been on combined times, then would have 2nd – plus really closing that gap to the year 2 U12’s)

Results http://www.britski.org/14bigp5res.pdf

Big thanks to Graham and Cathy Beck, the Castleford Lions, sponsors and all the volunteers who made the race possible.

Racer Ready pictures from the race are available here.