BELLE Vue’s Rising Star Will Cairns had to be content with fourth place in the British Under-21 Final after a dramatic finish at Redcar on Sunday.
Cairns’ Poole team-mate Cooper Rushen took the title thanks to a tremendous ride in the Final, after both riders had led the qualifying scorechart with 12 points apiece.
They were joined in the deciding race by Ace Pijper and Jody Scott, who came through the semi, and as Rushen charged clear it was Scott in second place ahead of a battle for third between Pijper and Cairns.
There was drama on lap three as Cairns attempted a move on the inside of Pijper who appeared to have very little in the way of speed at the time, and contact with Pijper’s front wheel going into turn three saw the home man go down.
The referee elected to disqualify Cairns, although his passing attempt was certainly legitimate, and the race was unsurprisingly awarded with Rushen crowned champion ahead of Scott and Pijper.
It meant Cairns finished fourth in the event for the second season running after the chaotic ending at Glasgow last year when three riders crashed after the chequered flag.
Cairns, who recently made his full Polish Ekstraliga debut with Zielona Gora, will be back in action for the ATPI Aces when they resume their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign at home to Leicester on Monday June 15.
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL, Redcar
QUALIFYING SCORES: Cooper Rushen 12, Will Cairns 12, Ace Pijper 11, Jody Scott 11, Jordy Loftus 11, Max Perry 10, Vinnie Foord 10, Luke Harrison 8, Freddy Hodder 6, Ollie Binns 6, Ryan Ingram 6, Charlie Southwick 6, Stene Pijper (res) 3, Harry Fletcher 2, Seth Norman 2, Lee Harrison (res) 2, Senna Summers 1, Harry Sadler 0.
SEMI-FINAL: A.Pijper, Scott, Loftus, Perry.
FINAL: Rushen, Scott, A.Pijper, Cairns (dq).