beansbaxter
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posted December 06, 2005 07:46 PM
MotoGP: Smith top of class at MotoGP Academy
Smith top of class at MotoGP Academy
Feature, 04/12/05
Bradley Smith celebrated his 15th birthday with another superb victory in the final round of the CEV Spanish 125cc Championship held last week at Jerez. The Oxfordshire teenager won the last three rounds of the ultra competitive championship riding for the MotoGP Academy team to all but guarantee himself the chance of a ride in the 125cc World Championship next season.
Smith, who got special permission from his place of education, Wheatley School, to compete in Spain, missed out on winning the Spanish Championship by just a single point with Spaniard Mateo Tunez taking the title after finishing in ninth place around the 2.748 mile Jerez Grand Prix circuit in Southern Spain.
"I did what I had to do by winning the race, but I could not prevent Tunez winning the title," explained a delighted Smith. "I had a very big crash in the morning warm-up and was a little sore for the race, but I led by three seconds from the German Michael Ranseder with three laps to go and just eased off before the chequered flag. It's fantastic to win the last three races and now I will have to get back to school and wait to see what I will be doing next year."
In what was a good day for British riders in what is regarded as the most competitive 125cc National Championship in the World, Dani Webb also finished on the podium in third place with Dan Linfoot sixth and Jamie Westmorland eighth.
The MotoGP Academy was set up to prepare talented young riders from all over Europe for Grand Prix racing. The scheme is run by former Grand Prix star Alberto Puig who has already masterminded the success of 125 and double 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa who will next year take on the likes of Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP World Championship.
   
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