Luke who’s plotting Bullets’ downfall

Opponents Mildenhall have called on a track specialist as they bid to block the GHT Bullets’ bid for play-off glory.

They have handed the number six race bib to a 15-year-old who has yet to race in the National Development League but has hundreds of laps of Shielfield under his belt.

Having initially named another precocious teenager, Ashley Boughton, in their line-up as replacement for long-term concussion absentee Sam Bebee the Fen Men have turned to Luke Harrison for Saturday night’s first leg, tapes-up 7pm.

Harrison has been a regular in the Berwick pits for the last six or so years, most of it spent as a 125cc rider in the Academy’s Northern Junior League side.

The Scunthorpe-born young gun switched to 250s during the 2019 season, winning the British Youth title in 2021 and competing in European and GP3 events this year.

Luke turned 15 in June which allows him to ride in the NDL and his signature is likely to be hotly contested for the 2023 season.

Youth moto-crosser Boughton was the unattached guest initially named in the declared Mildenhall line-up at the start of the week but he guested for Oxford in their narrow first leg victory over Leicester on Wednesday night and he has opted to stay with the Chargers for the second leg in the east Midlands on Saturday.

Harrison was already set to appear on Saturday night, for the Academy against Armadale in the first of a Northern Junior League double header, booked in to give Ace Pijper a chance to catch his breath after the play-off meeting.

Now the pair will go head-to-head as the Bullets look to secure a lead to take to Suffolk for the second leg of the play-off on Sunday week.

“We’ve seen a lot of Luke over the years and watched him to develop from a nine-year-old all the way through to looking comfortable among the world’s best at the GP3 last month,” Berwick promoter Gary Flint said.

“It is certainly a shrewd move by Mildenhall to call on Luke and it adds just another layer of intrigue to what was already an evenly matched tie.

“We know that Jason Edwards goes well around Berwick, Jack Kingston and Alex Spooner have also shown well here in the past.

“But the Bullets are unbeaten on home shale in league competition and everyone is fully focussed on the job in hand.

“It’s been over a month since we last raced here but I have a feeling that this is going to be well worth the wait and we are hoping for a good crowd to get behind the Bullets on the night.”

Adult admission is £10 on Saturday night but season pass holders should note that their tickets are not valid for this event while accompanied children, 12 to 15, is £3 and under-12s £1. British Speedway Network is also streaming the meeting for £9.99.

Tickets can be bought in advance from berwickspeedway.com/tickets