ONE TO WATCH – SCOTT KELLY

By Karin Rowlands

Ireland’s youngest superbike racer Scott Kelly has been making waves inThundersportGB. In his first full season the Irishman has been battling his way up the GP1 Sound of Thunder table to now be lying in a podium spot overall.

The young rider, who has just turned twenty, is from Comber in Co.Down and has had great first season so far.  Kelly was plagued by endless endless mechanical problems in the first half of the year, and struggled to finish in the top ten of any race.

However, once Scott made podium for the first time at Brands Hatch on the June 1 the tid turned, and he hasn’t looked back. Kelly has consistently made top five and two more podiums has seen the Comber youngster lying in third place overall and knocking on the door of second.  

Recently he competed at the WSB Thundersport races at Donington Park finishing a respectable seventh place, however this was all about gaining invaluable experience, but the conditions were less than perfect!

Earlier in the year Kelly made the unprecedented step of signing up to AKR Promotions, a local NI PR Company who is behind the success of five British Champion and World Ice Skater Jenna McCorkell amongst others, within a month AKR Promotions had secured sponsorship from Maximuscle, Bangor Fuels, La Mon House Country Club, McIntyre Plumbing & Heating and NIICCA for Scottie.  

This went a little way to easing the burden of Kelly’s parents who unfortunately find themselves in the unenviable position of funding their son’s sport, but it is a drop in the ocean and they are now having to sacrifice more than most to ensure their son has his chance.  Therefore any sponsorship would be greatly appreciated as travel costs apart from the usual bike costs run into the thousands each trip...

Having just launched his all new interactive website, helping to raise awareness of the Superbikes is a priority for Scottie, and he and local riders and journalists within Northern Ireland are doing their bit to promote the sport.  In fact Scottie has just been secured as a VIP at a Poetry Awards at Stormont in November open to all Primary School children in the province, to represent the next generation of sporting heroes alongside Dame Mary Peters, DBE Olympic Gold Medallist and sporting legend.  

www.scottkellyracing.com