Double delight as Flint adds U21 title to U19 win

Leon Flint on the British U21 podium with Connor Bailey and Dan Thompson.

Seven weeks after lifting the British U19 title with a maximum he was again unbeaten through five qualifying heats and a sudden death final to be crowned U21 Champion at Birmingham’s Perry Bar Stadium.

Indeed with three of his races stopped and rerun, the Berwick-born teenager had to make nine perfect starts in total at the track where he began his professional career as a 15-year-old.

With all the action and occasional carnage going on in his wake the FTS Bandits, powered by Keenwood Karpets rising superstar finishing two points clear of defending champion Tom Brennan – the pre-meeting joint favourites going straight to the Grand final where they were joined by Leicester’s Dan Thompson and Connor Bailey.

Having chosen the inside gate Leon once again shot into the first bend but his Great Britain team-mate Brennan picked up too much grip on the second lap and clipped the back straight fence before careering into the third bend airbags, Glasgow team-mate Connor Bailey dropping his bike on the straight to avoid further carnage.

With former Bandits Liam Carr and current team-mate Theo Pijper in his pits, Leon kept his cool and rolled off another stunning start in the rerun, Bailey overcooking the third bend to allow Dan Thompson through for the silver medal.

“In the past I would probably have spit my dummy when the red lights came on,” Leon admitted. “But tonight I stayed calm each time and just concentrated on making another good start.”

The flying Northumbrian reeled off another tapes to flag victory before celebrating alongside club-mate Ace Pijper, the 15-year-old finishing the evening with six points after getting a late call-up to replace injured Redcar man Jordan Jenkins.

But it was Flint who was celebrating just days after admitting that travelling Britain – indeed Europe – to fulfil a growing booking diary following his starring performances during Cardiff Grand Prix weekend had begun to affect his enjoyment of the sport.

“Really it was all about riding the right lines and if the final wasn’t at Berwick I would probably have chosen Birmingham as a close second favourite track.”