Cooper Rushen crowned British Under-21 champion

Cooper Rushen was crowned British Under-21 champion at the age of just 16 after a stunning first lap in the final at Redcar on Sunday.

King’s Lynn and Poole youngster Rushen sliced through the traffic on the opening bends to hit the front, and then controlled the race ahead of Jody Scott and a battle for third place between Ace Pijper and Will Cairns.

That battle ended with contact on the third lap as former Workington rider Pijper went down under Cairns’ challenge, and the race was stopped – but with Rushen well clear heading into lap four, he was awarded the win with Scott runner-up and Pijper third with Cairns disqualified.

The current Workington reserve partnership of Vinnie Foord and Max Perry both scored 10 points in their heats.

Only Perry made the semi-final, having finished ahead of Foord when they met, but he could not make it through as he was last of the four.

He had won his first two races but a fall and exclusion in his third outing cost him. He came back from that with two seconds.

Foord, who has had limited riding after suffering a knee injury in action for the Comets, had three seconds and a third before winning his final ride.

Rushen said: “I think I’m in a dream! This event last year was kind of haunting me throughout the year, I had a terrible run at the qualifier and never even made it through to the Final, so to get through this year was a bonus.

“Then to have a final like that, out there with some of my best mates in speedway, ripping around the boards and enjoying what we’re doing – I’m happy for myself and happy for everyone competing.”