Jody Scott claimed the British Under-19 title at Plymouth after a hard-fought final that went right down to the decisive Heat 17. Scott finished unbeaten on 15 points, with Cooper Rushen second on 14 and Luke Harrison third on 13 after a meeting that kept the title race alive deep into the closing stages.
For much of the evening, there was little to separate the leading contenders. Scott and Rushen both built strong scores through the middle races, while Harrison stayed in touch and William Cairns remained in the picture on 12 points. The contest then built towards the key moment in Heat 16, when Harrison gated well but Rushen wound it on down the back straight to move ahead and keep the pressure on.
That left Heat 17 to decide everything. Scott produced the race-winning move on the first corner, getting in front of Rushen and controlling the heat to secure the championship. It was the decisive turn in a meeting that had already seen plenty of quality at the front of the field.
Scott’s consistency stood out throughout, with five wins from five rides and no room for error once the closing heats arrived. Rushen was equally impressive and finished just a point behind, while Harrison’s 13-point return underlined how close the top end of the field was.
There was also a strong effort from Cairns, who ended fourth on 12, with Ryan Ingram on 10 and Ashton Vale on 9 among the other notable scorers. The final was interrupted by a rain stop and a number of reruns, but the title battle itself was settled by the riders who handled the pressure best when it counted.
For Plymouth, it was another important national occasion at the stadium, with the Under-19 Final delivering a proper title fight from start to finish. In the end, Scott had the steadier run when the meeting tightened up, and Heat 17 gave him the championship that the score chart suggested he just about deserved.
Photo: John Baldry Photography