NEWS: Boy wonder Kyle scoops debut max

Cycle Speedway `boy wonder` Kyle Roberts scotched to a brilliant 16 point unbeaten maximum on his senior international debut racing for Wales at Newport last Saturday.

The Coventry Devlins Newsagents starlet won all his four outings to return a perfect score as Wales won the `Celtic Cup` on 86 points, defeating Scotland on 71, with Ireland trailing on 53. His performance confirms a meteoric rise to stardom for the 15 year Kenilworth School pupil, who has been racing for 5 years. He already is automatic choice for the Coventry Cycle Speedway team, based at Hearsall Common.

He has returned eye-catching performances at all tracks this season and led the Coventry attack in the European Club Championships at Exeter in May, when he beat several top international riders. Roberts, from the Warwickshire village of Bretford, will sample more international racing next month when he will start as one of the favourites to land the European Junior Individual crown at Bydgoszcz, in central Poland.

He will be supported in Poland by a coach load of Coventry supporters, including parents Mark and Rosie. Cycle Speedway is a real family affair for the Roberts family, with Mark helping as team mechanic on race days and Rosie a valued volunteer in the catering unit. The dashing youngster is also a fledging motor-cycle Speedway junior and has had recent rides at the Coventry Bees stadium and at Buxton and Eastbourne. His duel ambitions are to win the British Junior Cycle Speedway final and to race for the Coventry Bees.

Kyle Roberts Pic - 2014

Coventry travel to Bury this Sunday (20th July) in the British Team KO cup. It’s the first time the Hearsall Common based side have entered the prestigious competition since 2002 and they face a stern challenge at the Greater Manchester venue. The city side will be without their twin Polish spearhead of Dominik Rycharski and Konrad Pietek, due to competition restrictions, and club skipper Dave Frith, who is ineligible.

They are also missing Roberts and fellow junior star Mason Phillips but their tremendous junior development programme means that they will still track a competitive combination. Team boss Lee Marsh plugs the gaps by naming the returning Matthew Lawrence, Leicester based Tom Sensicall and fast improving youngster Charlie Barnett in his starting eight. There is also a recall for Shaun Reynolds, back after sitting his `A level` exams.

Coventry team (at Bury): 1 Matthew Lawrence 2 Myke Grimes 3 Dan Drewett 4 Tom Sensicall 5 Kelvin Williams 6 Charlie Barnett 7 Shaun Reynolds 8 Joe McLaughlin

For more information on Coventry Cycle Speedway, including how to get involved, you can visit www.coventrycsc.com or follow the club on Twitter using @CoventryCSC.