Mitch McDiarmid finishes 14th in speedway World Under-21 Championship

MITCH McDiarmid, the 17-year-old star of the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies, finished 14th in the SGP2 (World Under-21 Championship), after scoring five points in the third and final round in Vojens, Denmark on Friday evening.

The Australian was one of the youngest riders in the series, with many of his competition three or four years older than him. He still has another four years to win the World Under-21 Championship.

His highlight was finishing seventh in the opening round in Malilla, Sweden in July, after scoring nine points in the heats. But he looked competitive in all three meetings. The meeting at Vojens took place in treacherous conditions, after heavy rain, but all the young riders put on a great show.

McDiarmid wasn’t the only rider with Oxford connections riding over the weekend at Vojens. 12-year-old Fraser Buckle – one of the mascots at Oxford Speedway – rode in the SGP4 on Saturday and collected four points to finish joint 12th.

Buckle, who lives in Oxford, said: “I loved every minute of my SGP experience. I would have never dreamt – after taking up the sport last November – that I’d be rubbing shoulders with the best in world. I held my own today on a borrowed bike that I’d very little time on. Thanks so much for all the support over the last few days – it really means a lot.”

Cheetahs’ Danish star Jonas Knudsen was first reserve for the main Grand Prix round on the Saturday evening. He took one outing after Kai Huckenbeck hit the tapes in Heat 8, but finished in last place after a mid-race fall. Poland’s Bartosz Zmarzlik won a record-equalling sixth World Championship, pipping Australian Brady Kurtz by a point in the overall standings.

The next meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium sees the SD Timmo Car Sales Oxford Cheetahs powered by County Plumbing Supplies entertain arch-rivals Poole Pirates in the second leg of the BSN Series semi-final on Wednesday (September 17) at 7.30pm. Cheetahs need to overturn a 26-point deficit from the first leg to progress to the final. Tickets are on sale at the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

PHOTO BY STEVE EDMUNDS