Rising star took an unusual route into speedway

Each week, one of the Peterborough Panthers’ class of 2023 will be taking us behind the scenes with their news, views and opinions.

This week Holeshot Media talk with exciting, young Brit, ‘Rising Star’ Jordan Jenkins, about his unusual introduction to speedway and why he changed his mind about joining Panthers.

“Until I got my first bike I’d never been to watch a speedway meeting. My grandad and my uncle used to be into road racing and when I was younger I used to go along with them to race meetings. Snetterton is local to me as I have lived in Norwich.

“My uncle Dave used to ride and was quite good, but had a couple of injuries along the way and is paying for it now as he had to have his right leg reconstructed. Grandad always wanted me to get into the road racing side, but it was a hard sport to get into because it was so expensive to get track time.

“I actually went to a Ron Haslam race school when I was 13 or 14 and I enjoyed it and now my main sponsor is Dave Williamson who raced in the endurance classes at the British Superbike Championship events.

"He’s in his forties so he’s not a young chap, but has ridden in the highest level of club racing and was third in one of the endurance championship. He had a big injury, but he’s got a race bike, a Yamaha R1, and wants me to have a ride.

“I’m a bit torn. It’s a pretty cool sport and I might have a crack one day, but I don’t think I will go further than that as 150 mile an hour down a back straight is a bit different to speedway.

“I spent a bit of time with one of the private teams over the weekend and I saw ex-Peterborough rider and world champion Jason Crump whose son Seth does road racing.

“I don’t think grandad ever pushed me into racing, but if you are around it, you want to have a go. One day he took me to a schoolboy grass track at Frettenham and I said to grandad ‘I really want a go’ and he gave me some body armour, a helmet and I wore some wellies and I had a go on what they call a 50cc Tracker bike. I only had one go and the next week we got a KTM50 and I’ve been riding a bike ever since.

“I went from grass track to speedway and I got a speedway bike.

“I started racing in the leagues at Mildenhall in 2016 when I was 15 and last year Peterborough said they needed a rider after Dan Gilkes picked up his injury. I thought if I didn’t take the opportunity I probably wouldn’t get another chance and if I said no then someone else would say yes!

“I didn’t have the best of runs and as we got towards the end of the season I knew I had to do something to put my name on the door for this year and in my last two meetings, at Belle Vue and against Ipswich I got five, paid two, points and I agreed to sign for Peterborough in the office after the last home meeting!

"It was good to know people wanted me. That’s a boost to your confidence.”

Jordan is due to race for Panthers at Leicester on Thursday (April 13) and will be back at the East of England Arena on Monday (April 17, 7.30pm) when Premiership champions Belle Vue are in town.

Jordan Jenkins.