Speedway: Panthers Academy - searching for a top star of the future
TALENT searches are all the rage these days whether it is song, dance or even soccer. Now there is one of a speedway variety getting under way right here thanks to Peterborough Panthers.
TALENT searches are all the rage these days whether it is song, dance or even soccer. Now there is one of a speedway variety getting under way right here thanks to Peterborough Panthers. The city club have begun a search for the next great British shale star by launching the Peterborough Speedway Academy.
The unique project – the brainchild of new director of speedway Peter Oakes – aims to unearth and develop bright young talent on these shores.
It will be run by popular former rider and champion of young riders Pete Seaton - along with 1980 world champion Michael Lee, who is already involved with the club as technical advisor.
Seaton's name will forever be etched into Peterborough speedway folklore. He was a member of the original 1970 Panthers team and won the first-ever race around the Showground.
And Oakes, who oversaw a cracking conveyer belt of young talent emerge from Alwalton in his previous spell at the club between 1992 and 1998, is excited about getting the project off the ground.
He said: "Launching the Academy is something we are thrilled to be doing. It also means we will be resurrecting the most successful Peterborough team ever – the Thundercats.
"We hope to recruit a new intake of riders each season with the first batch coming in this year.
"The idea is that we find young riders and put them in a situation where they receive total backing from the club – having everything from track-time to tuition, training and dietary guidance.
"We are going to scour the country in search of young riders and one field we are particularly keeping an eye on is motocross.
"The absolute best scenario is that you find a future world champion or the next step down would be to produce someone who goes on to race in the GP series.
"We are certainly optimistic that we can nurture riders who will one day go on to race for Peterborough and we will be forming links with a club at both Premier and National League level to make sure there are opportunities for those coming through our programme.
"What we are offering is a big opportunity for young riders to get into the sport and then go on to hopefully make a career out of it."
Panthers are keen to find non-contracted riders primarily in the 13-20 year-old age range and will hold a couple of Academy days in the near future for prospective candidates to try their hand aboard a bike.
The number of hopefuls will gradually be reduced down to around eight young riders who will go on to ride as the Thundercats later in the season.
Oakes added: "The term Academy has been used in various ventures in speedway before, but nothing like this, with people of Pete and Michael's standing in the sport, has ever come to being.
"Michael jumped at the chance of working in the Academy as soon as it was suggested. Both he and Pete have vast knowledge of the sport and are dying to pass it on to another generation of talent.
"Michael's father runs a motocross track and he is already out there looking at young riders in that sphere and sounding out any that might be interested in trying speedway.
"We will be holding a couple of Academy days sometime in the near future where young riders will be invited to come and have a crack at speedway and see how they get on.
"The best of the bunch will be invited to attend Peterborough on a regular basis for second-half racing and then, as the season goes on, we will launch the Thundercats for some challenge fixtures.
"We are really looking at people no older than 21, but we are not in the business of setting out concrete criteria. If there was a later starter who showed the right ability and attitude we would certainly take a look.
"John Louis didn't start out in speedway until he was 29 but still went on to finish third in a World Final, so it would be foolish to discount people."
This is the latest stage of a radical overhaul of the club by Berkshire-based owner Rick Frost since his summer of 2008 takeover.
He has already invested heavily in both the Panthers team and on improving facilities and equipment at the club's East of England Showground base.
Any riders interested in being considered for the Academy should contact Pete Seaton at PeteS@peterboroughspeedway.co.uk or call the club on 01733 243970.
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Weather for Peterborough
Thursday 29 July 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 16 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: West
