Armadale is the only Speedway track in Britain that Peterborough's whizzkid David Howe has never ridden – but thanks to friend and rival Ross Brady of Edinburgh, he believes he will be perfectly prepared for Friday's big event! It appears that Ross has inadvertently helped out one of his main rivals for the chamionship. Howe and Brady became friends when Ross spent most of 1997 and 1998 attached to the Peterborough club.
David Howe added:
"We're good friends. There's rivalry of course, but I've actually picked up quite a lot about Edinburgh from Ross. Without meaning to he's given a lot away!"
18 year old Howe has a unique record, having won three league titles at three different levels in three years! In 1997 he won the Conference League riding for Peterborough's junior team the Thundercats, in 1998 he was in Peterborough's Premier League winning team, and last year he stepped up to the Elite League with the Panthers, who duly clinched the title live on Sky TV!
"Armadale is tight so I should like it, even though I ride for Peterborough I prefer the tight ones. I enjoy places like Wolverhampton and I believe Armadale isn't much different from that."
"I know what bike I'm using and what setup I'll have so I should be OK. I don't like to make too many predictions, but I started in the Under-21 when I was fifteen and came fifth, then I've moved up a place each year, to fourth then third last year. I don't really want to go backwards. Obviously I'd like to win it, but the top half of the field is going to be very strong. I want to win it, but qualifying is the name of the game."
Ross may be a little older than David Howe, but hasn't anything like the experience in speedway of his friend. David recorded a fifth place in the British Under-21 Final before Ross had hardly sat on a speedway bike. Ross has nevertheless managed a couple of notable victories over David Howe in the Under-21 Test Matches last year at Berwick and Workington.
The Peterborough connection will be much in evidence at Armadale on Friday. Apart from Howe and Brady, their former teammate Simon Stead (Sheffield) has also been seeded through to the final. In addition another former Peterborough junior, Paul Lee (Sheffield) qualified from the Newport Semi-final with a maximum. Finally two other former Peterborough riders Oliver Allen (Swindon) and Paul Clews (Reading) will be hot favourites to qualify from the Isle of Wight Semi-final on Tuesday this week.
Another training track that will have a number of its products on display is Linlithgow's former Heathersfield oval. Linlithgow Lightning won the Conference 'double' in 1996, the year before Peterborough Thundercats. From that team Grant MacDonald (Newcastle) has been seeded through to the final while Blair Scott (Edinburgh) qualified from the Newport Semi-final. Former Monarch Barry Campbell (Workington) was also a member of that Linlithgow team and starts an excellent chance of qualification from the Isle of Wight Semi-final from a depleted field. It should not be forgotten that Ross Brady started out with Linlithgow before moving south to Peterborough. The representation could have been higher had David McAllan (Edinburgh) not been ruled out due to his knee operation. Brian Turner (Edinburgh) was also in the double winning Lightning outfit but passed 21 last year. Other Linlithgow riders, Robert McNeil (Glasgow) and Steven McAllister (Berwick), both competed in the Newport Semi-final, with McAllister not far off a qualification place.
The event has a high class field including the British riders most likely to make a mark on the Grand Prix in years to come.