MOTORSPORT: Podium joy for Howse (From Oxford Mail)

MOTORSPORT: Podium joy for Howse

7:18pm Friday 10th July 2009 in

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WITNEY-based Kevin Howse sits second in the European Veteran Longtrack Championship, after his third successive top three finish in the series last weekend, writes ROBERT PEASLEY.

Longtrack events take place on mainland Europe on tracks around three times bigger than the average British speedway track, with bikes reaching a speed in excess of 100mph down the straights despite the lack of any brakes.

Howse, aged 49, is a former Oxford Speedway junior rider, and is currently enjoying his best year of longtrack racing.

He won the second round of the six-round veteran series in the Czech Republic in May. The last two weekends have seen Howse maintain his challenge with second and third places in Drammen, Norway and Mulmshorn, Germany respectively.

Fellow Englishman Bob Dolman leads the series on 68 points, ahead of Howse on 64 points, with German rider Ulrich Buschke on 60 points. Howse said: “I’ve been riding in the series for nine years – you have to be at least 40-years-old to be eligible. “I was going over to the longtrack tracks a lot, as I was Kelvin Tatum’s mechanic for 14 years and he won three World Longtrack Championship during that time.

“The organisers knew I was a rider myself, and they persuaded me to become part of the veteran series. “It may have a veteran tag on it, but believe me, the series is still highly competitive.

“I have to keep fit, and the wear and tear on the machinery is also very high – around five times higher than in speedway.”

Howse enthused: “It’s great to ride on the some of these tracks. They are steeped in history.”

The series concludes with further rounds in Germany and Norway in August.