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Well they're all back and in one piece! The result for 2007 was a respectable 11th.

Everybody had a wonderful time and all the riders rode their little socks off!! Report by Lionel Cowin

2007 Team

65s: Callan Cooper, James Priestley, Mark Turner, Reece Crelliln

85sw: Ben Rice, Jacob Subachus, Callum Collister, Lewis Malone

85bw: Michael Evans, Joseph Priestley, Michael Craine, Glenn Harrison

125: Alex Rockwell, Dale Collister, Ian Skillicorn, Billy Redmayne

Adults: Matty Lund, Darren Fowden, Will Keenan, Gareth Quayle.

The Event was run by Cumbria Youth MCC took place in Haverigg, Cumbria on the 8th and 9th September 2007.

THE BRITISH Youth teams championship at Haverigg, Cumbria, proved to be a baptism of fire for the newcomers to the Isle of Man's 20-strong squad, but heads never dropped and the experience was well worth sampling.

The IoM, without the McCanney brothers, the injured Alex Rockwell and several other experienced riders, finished 11th of the 13 teams from all over the UK, well down on the previous two championships, but mixing it with some very classy riders in five classes can only bode well for the sport in the Island.

Defending champions Cumbria, with tremendous strength in depth and fielding the likes of Kawasaki pro Richard Lawson and Relentless Suzuki's Jamie Law, ran away with the top spot and will again host the championship next year.

Callan Cooper, vying for the runner-up spot in the British c hampionship, was the star performer for the Manx, winning all six of his races in the junior 65cc class. James Priestly notched an 11th and 13th in his outings on the superfast sand circuit that nestles between the turbines of a wind farm, while Mark Turner bested with an eighth and rode steadily all weekend. Newcomer Reece Crellin wasn't overawed by the occasion and managed a couple of top 20 runs.

Ben Rice, Jacob Subachus, Lewis Malone and late call up Calum Collister had their work cut out in the small wheel 85 class where British youths championship leader Matthew Flemming of Scotland easily took all six races. Ben had to ride a borrowed machine after his expired during his fourh race and, like the others, his enthusiasm never waned.

Top runner Josh Spinks dominated the big wheel 85 class, also with a full house of wins, while Manx riders Michael Evans, Joe Priestley, Michael Craine and Glenn Harrison found it an uphill struggle to break into the top 30 or so.

A little spooked iniatially by the speed and sheer competitiveness of the occasion, Glenn typified the never-say-die atttiude of the Manx and by Sunday he was throughly enjoying himself.

Dayle Collister, with a good knowledge of the track but not having raced for a while due to a delay in getting parts for his Suzuki, was best of the Manx in the 125 class, grabbing an 18th as his best finish. Billy Redmayne, like so many of the team having a rare outing off the Island, revelled in the racing and finished just behind Dayle on the second day.

The experienced IoM Centre champion Matty Lund was our best in the adults class, where the Island finished fourth, posting a couple of 10ths and a best finish of seventh, while Gareth Quayle was a welcome member of the squad, having his first outing in an MX meeting off the Island for five years and tuning up for the forthcoming Fast Eddy in the IoM in a couple of weeks' time.

Darren Fowden is one who enjoys his off-Island racing and he ran very consistently in and around the top 15 like Gareth, no mean feat considering the field was littered with quality runners including professionals Lawson, Law and Ashley Greedy.

The Manx had plenty of problems too and crashes are part and parcel of the sport. Army-bound Billy Redmayne bit the dust seven times and nearly found himself on fire at one stage after getting trapped under his machine, the exhaust burning through his clothing and body armour and searing his skin.

Peel's Liam Sweeney turned out for Cheshire North West and didn't disgrace himself when asked to ride in the adults class, admitting that he was 'in at the deep end' but thoroughly enjoying himself'.

Overall: 1 Cumbria A 1066; 2 Scotland Youth 1820; 3 Team GP 1877; 4 Cumbria B 1912; 5 Northern Ireland 1931; 6 The Chesires 1994; 7Cheshire North West 2051; 8 Chalgrove MX 2174; Republic of Ireland 2372; North East 2461; 11 IoM 2487; Fox Europe 2941; 13 Red Dragons 3283.

First time manager Rob Evans says he's up for the job next year and expresses the team's gratitude to the following sponsors: Avio Tech IoM Ltd, Conroy and Henry Constructions Ltd, Glenn Cooper Cars Ltd, Freeport Freight Ltd, Road and Track Motorcycles and the Evelyn Lund and Paul Knight Fund.