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Ben hoping for a speedy recovery

25/ 8/2005

CADISHEAD'S Ben Hopwood is not willing to let anything stand in his way of becoming a speedway world champion - not even a broken back.

The 14-year-old Great Britain rider crushed three vertebrae between his shoulders in a horrific crash in Bristol in May.

Doctors told him to take a six-week break from the sport and then seek further medical consultation but Ben was back on his bike within 14 days.

The Irlam and Cadishead High School pupil said: "I chose not to take the advice because I felt okay and I had big events coming up. I love speedway and breaking my back in a bad crash certainly didn't put me off.

"I've had worst crashes in the past. I've had bikes land on top of me but I always just get up and get on with it."

Ben's passion for speedway began with a trip to hospital six years ago.

He had broken his arm falling off his bike at the Manchester Ship Canal and he met like-minded people while receiving treatment.

Ben said: "I met people in hospital who were into racing and I got into it through them.

"I have done lots of grass track riding in the past but I'm just concentrating on speedway now.

"I want to be a speedway world champion one day. It's going to be hard but I know I can do it."

Ben, who is sponsored by Animal Ark kennels, recently finished second in the Speedway Grand Prix under 15s demonstration event at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

He is currently representing Great Britain in the Under 15s Academy Speedway League.

Ben also races all over the country in the under 15s British Speedway Championships and he feels as though his skills are improving all of the time.

In grass track racing, he is ranked first in the north west and third in Great Britain. The reigning north west champion came third in last year's British Grass Track Championships and was runner-up in the cup challenge race.