PREVIEW: Jody in U21 Final at Glasgow

OXFORD CHARGER Jody Scott lines up in the British Under-21 Final at Glasgow this afternoon (2pm).

16-year-old Scott has been in good form for Oxford Chargers for the second successive season and he is one of the reasons why Chargers currently sit in a very impressive second place in the table, having won their last five meetings. He has scored a total of 57 points from eight outings for Chargers and currently boasts a calculated match average of 6.71.

On Wednesday, Scott was named as No 8 for Oxford Cheetahs, which they can do when they are using the rider replacement facility. Team manager Peter Schroeck gave him an outing in Heat 12 – his first-ever outing at Championship level. Scott missed the start, but then looked on the pace, and wasn’t far from the Edinburgh pair of Kye Thomson and Lasse Fredriksen.

It is Scott’s second British Under-21 Final. He scored three points at Birmingham last season, including passing 2021 runner-up Drew Kemp from the back. He qualified for this year’s final after scoring 10 points in the qualifier at Workington.

As Scott only turned 16 in February this year, he will have another five attempts following this season to win the championship.

Sam Hagon and Ashton Boughen, both of whom rode for Oxford Chargers during 2022, are also in today’s line-up at Glasgow.

The 2023 line-up looks highly competitive, and six of the more experienced competitors have previously finished on the rostrum in the top three.

Berwick’s Leon Flint defends the title he won at Birmingham last year, while the Ashfield event also includes last year’s runner-up Dan Thompson and third-placed Connor Bailey.

Treble British Under-19 Champion Kemp goes for his first win at Under-21 level after finishing second at Redcar in 2021, and the third placed finisher on that day, Dan Gilkes, also lines up. Anders Rowe finished third at Berwick in 2020.

LINE-UP: Ace Pijper, Freddy Hodder, Ben Trigger, Sam Hagon, Nathan Ablitt, Drew Kemp, Sam McGurk, Dan Thompson, Mickie Simpson, Dan Gilkes, Leon Flint, Jody Scott, Jason Edwards, Ashton Boughen, Anders Rowe, Connor Bailey. Reserves: Max Perry, Kai Ward.

PHOTO: Jody Scott (PIC: LES AUBREY)