Ben earns his motorcross Spurs (From Stroud News and Journal)

Ben earns his motorcross Spurs

MOTOCROSS mad Ben Thompson might only be eight years old and stand not much taller than his bike but he's made a big impression on the national stage in only his first full year of competition.

The Husqvarna rider from Heathfield Road, Farmhill is already taking on Britain's best in national events and placing in the top six.

He has even attacked the monster whoops and berms of a supercross track and is looking forward to rounding the season off with a win.

On his 50cc, 9 horsepower automatic bike he finished second overall the weekend before last at the Cotswold Classic national race near Wotton-under-Edge, despite a torrential downpour which reduced the makeshift track to thick mud.

So far in national events he has finished fifth in the supercross, sixth at the legendary Farleigh Castle track in Wiltshire, and third at the All British race.

Ever since the Callowell Primary School pupil nagged his parents Rob and Sandra for a Yamaha PW50 for his sixth birthday he has always had a desire to race.

That bike proved to be off the pace, so he upgraded to a Kawasaki KX60 for last season before switching to Husqvarna for a full national season this year. Next year he will graduate from the cadet class and is eyeing a Kawasaki KX65 to compete on.

It is clear that he is mad about bikes but he has a competitive streak too - he told the News & Journal that he loves winning but particularly enjoys the battle for the first turn.

It's often the most chaotic part of a motocross race with so many bikes competing for a small amount of track but he has mastered the technique getting there first.

"Getting the holeshot is great," he said. "You just have to nail it," he added.

It was probably a foregone conclusion that Ben should excel at the sport, as his dad was a top 15 national 125cc rider a decade ago, his uncle David was a national schoolboy champion several times over and his grandfather Derek Thompson still enjoys riding today.

So with an experienced team like that behind him, Ben is not short of good advice and looks set to turn the Thompson number 32 plate in to a number 1 in the years to come.