A MOTORBIKE racer is revving his way to the top after competing at one of the most famous driving tracks in the world – less than a year since a horror crash left him with serious injuries.
Motorcyclist Luke Sprout had trepidations getting back on the bike after breaking his collar bone, fracturing his ribs, and suffering lung and abdominal bruising after a crash in July last year. Read about Luke's horror crash here.
However, eight months on the 31-year-old from Barrow is back doing the sport he loves, racing at the iconic Silverstone for the first time over the weekend.
The shipyard mechanic competed in the Newcomer 600 Class league of motorcycle racing and, as of today, stands sixth in the championship with 34 points.
“The weekend was amazing,” Mr Sprout said.
“I hadn’t really ridden since the accident last year so spent a few days in Spain on a bike preparing.
“Coming into the weekend, I was quite nervous. I’d never raced at Silverstone before so wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I wanted to brush those cobwebs off mentally since my accident last year. The hardest bit of it was getting back on the bike and getting past that mental barrier.
“I didn’t want to push too hard and risk having a crash or breaking the bike.”
Mr Sprout competed in four races over the weekend, averaging speeds of around 95 miles per hour on his home-made motorbike.
Racing against some talented newcomers, Mr Sprout was thrilled to finish fifth in his class on his third race, which was his best result of the weekend.
“Everything kind of goes out the window when you start the race,” he said.
“I was in the mindset that I wanted to leave all my nerves behind that weekend and try my best.
“It was a brilliant atmosphere. It was only club level racing, but everyone was so friendly and got behind you. There was no animosity from other racers.
“At the end of the day, we all went to have a good time and get back safely.
“Driving the bike that I had spent such a long time building by myself was amazing. Of course, it’s a proud moment for me, especially after the accident.”
Mr Sprout is now preparing for round two, which takes place in Snetterton on April 9 and 10, with hopes of racing consistently in the next few years.
He said: “I am practically living every moment for biking, like I have done for the past five years.
“The end goal would be to race consistently for the next five or six years and hopefully to get some backing from sponsors to do this as much as I can."
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