Brandon Freemantle is already proving he is tough enough when it comes to speedway after a horrific looking crash last weekend.

It came in the Kent CTA Fire Kings fixture last weekend away against the Devon Demons where the 18-year-old two time British Youth Champion was making his debut for the speedway team.

Heading for the points in what was ultimately the decisive penultimate heat of Kent’s first-ever away victory, young Brandon picked up dirt and was thrown into the newly-installed protective inflatable air fence at the St. Boniface Arena home of the Devonians.

Travelling at such pace, literally through the air, the 2009 250cc and 2010 500cc youth national champion a unique distinction still, found himself bouncing off the air fence and up and over the safety barrier landing on a grassy knoll.

The sheer distance covered took the plucky teen away from any spectators but he landed in close proximity to a refreshments outlet.  As the whole arena held its breath having witnessed the worst looking crash ever at the track and young Freemantle’s father and trusty mechanic Richard ran to this stricken son fearing the worst, amazingly Brandon was already back on his feet declaring to his astonished Dad as he finally located his son, “Just thought I’d get a burger!!!”

Such is the stuff of modern legend – though in the cold light of day the impact showed up a large cut to the young number seven in the Kings’ racing line-up’s elbow plus a light sprain to his back and understandably a fair bit of bruising over the rest of his battered body.

The need to recuperate from those injuries means that Freemantle misses this term’s opportunity to add to his Under 16 titles by reaching the GB under 21s Final, as he’s had to withdraw from  this coming Saturday’s semi-final. Ironically this too is happening at the Plymouth track but Freemantle has reluctantly had to opt out of what could’ve been another flying visit!

Stepping in to replace Freemantle is one-time Iwade graduate and fellow Eastbourne-based rider (who made a starring cameo in the last meeting of last season at Central Park, the Silverski Championship), Marc Owen.

Freemantle is anything but laid up, though, having returned to his day job on the building sites just three days after his horrific looking spill and confirmed as a starter for the CTA Fire Kings’ next National League outing, away up north in Scunthorpe on March 30th.

Picture supplied by Nick Truscott