Jody Scott finishes second in British Under-21 Final at Redcar

JODY SCOTT, the skipper of the Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers, was the runner-up in a fiercely contested British Under-21 Championship Final at Redcar’s ECCO Arena yesterday (Sunday), finishing second behind Cooper Rushen.

Scott – who was on his home track since he also rides for Redcar Bears in the Cab Direct Championship – started his day with a third place in Heat 2, but he recovered to win Heat 6, after a determined pass on Rushen on the third bend.

Following a second place behind William Cairns in Heat 9, Scott rounded Jordy Loftus in fine style to collect his second victory of the day in Heat 16.

In Heat 19, he had a chance to qualify directly for the final race. After another slow getaway, he rounded Freddy Hodder into second place, and closed and challenged race-leader Ace Pijper, but had to settle for the second that clinched his place in the final six. It was highly competitive for qualification with seven riders finishing between 12 and 10 points. Scott scored 11 and his pass on Loftus in Heat 16 proved all-important in edging out Vinnie Foord in the overall standings.

In the semi-final, Scott soon rounded Loftus on the second bend. He looked at overhauling Pijper, but second place was enough to clinch his place in the final race.

Scott had last gate pick in the final and was left with the inside gate. He trapped for the first time on the day, and headed wide to stop the charge of the other riders, but Rushen slipped past on the second bend. Scott was still in second place, when Cairns barged into Pijper on the third bend of the third lap and caused Pijper to fall.

The race was halted and there was a brief flare-up between Pijper and Cairns, with Cairns excluded. With the riders so close to the final lap, the referee was in his rights to award the race, which he did, although it always feels a bit unsatisfactory when the race is won by a refereeing decision, rather than on track. Nevertheless, 16-year-old Rushen was a deserving winner in his first-ever appearance in a British Under-21 Final.

19-year-old Scott has two more years in which to clinch the title, and it was a step-up from his sixth place in 2025.

Two other Chargers were out of luck at Redcar. Harry Fletcher was blighted by machinery issues, while Senna Summers fell in both his opening two outings and pulled out of the meeting as a precaution.

Jody Scott said: “It’s been an unreal day. I would have loved to have won, but I’ve still got another couple of years left to do that. I’ve never finished on the podium in this meeting before, so I’m chuffed to finish second.

“I started the day a bit slowly, but I got there in the end. Overall I had a good day and I had some nice speed.

“I got my gating gloves on and I made my best start all meeting in the final. My hand was cramping up all that whole race and I was holding onto the bike with my wrist. I wasn’t sure what was happening behind me, so I didn’t know when the incident happened. I would have thought it would have been a re-run, because the lights came on before the last lap, but I can’t complain and no excuses and well done to Cooper – I’m looking forward to next year already.”

Meanwhile, Ashton Vale was a double winner in the 2026 British Grasstrack Championships in Shipley in East Sussex yesterday, winning both the 350cc and 250cc classes – the first time such a double has been achieved since Andy Phillips in 1988, some 38 years ago.

The next meeting at the BetGoodwin Oxford Stadium is on Wednesday (June 10) at 7.30pm, when the Real Mini Company Oxford Chargers take on King’s Lynn Young Stars in the WSRA National League. Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website at: https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/

QUALIFYING SCORES: Cooper Rushen 12, William Cairns 12, Ace Pijper 11, Jody Scott 11, Jordy Loftus 11, Max Perry 10, Vinnie Foord 10, Luke Harrison 8, Freddy Hodder 6, Ollie Binns 6, Ryan Ingram 6, Charlie Southwick 6, Seth Norman 3, Stene Pijper (res) 3, Lee Harrison (res) 2, Harry Fletcher 1, Senna Summers 1, Harry Sadler 0.

SEMI-FINAL: A. Pijper, Scott, Loftus, Perry.

FINAL: Rushen, Scott, A. Pijper, Cairns (excluded).

PHOTO: The podium – from left, Ace Piper (third), meeting winner Cooper Rushen and Jody Scott (second) (pic: COLIN POOLE)