Recently crowned British Youth champion Ashton Boughen added another title to his burgeoning CV when he won the Susan Roper Memorial Trophy at Northside.
The 15-year-old from King’s Lynn, who won’t turn 16 until August 21, is a class act and looks destined for a shining career in the sport.
Boughen had made a sensational start to the meeting when he won the opening heat in a new track record of 56.3 and although not as quick or better than Connor Bailey’s old record, the first four races were all won in times quicker than 57 seconds.
He won four of his five heats, took the semi-final and final comfortably, and the only blot on his record was a third place in his third ride.
That was caused by a problem when his seat belt snapped but he bounced back to win his last two programmed rides and finish as joint points scorer with veteran Steve Boxall.
It always looked as though Boxall would be his most serious challengers as he also had four wins and a third, but crucially beat Boughen when they met. Both had 13 points so were kept apart in the semi-finals.
Workington’s hopes of a home win had rested on Sam McGurk, who scored 10 points including two wins to make the semi-final but couldn’t progress beyond that.
Fellow Comet Elliot Kelly picked-up five points; Workington skipper Luke Crang had seven and Harry McGurk scored one.
Generally the racing was good, with some of the best young talent in the country on show, and three of them made the final against the experienced Boxall.
Recently signed up by Berwick, Boxall has been out of speedway since been handed a two year ban in 2018 for refusing a drugs/alcohol test. But the 36-year-old looks in determined mood, wanting to make up for lost time.
In the end he didn’t manage a podium finish, though, as it was the Young Guns who showed him the way home with Boughen getting away from Jack Smith with Max Perry in third.
After 20 heats the scores were: Steve Boxall 13, Ashton Boughen 13, Jack Smith 12, Max Clegg 11, Nathan Ablitt 10, Sam McGurk 10, Max Perry 8, Adam Roynon 8, Sam Hagon 7, James Pearson 7, Luke Crang 7, Kyle Bickley 5, Elliot Kelly 5, Ben Rathbone 2, Ben Trigger 1, Harry McGurk 1.
First semi-final re-run: Boxall, Perry, Clegg, Ablett (f, X).
Second semi-final: Boughen, Smith, McGurk, Roynon.
Final: Boughen, Smith, Perry, Boxall.
Afterwards Cumbria Crack’s John Walsh spoke to the winner, Ashton Boughen. You can hear what they spoke about below:
