Dudley Heathens Speedway: DARRYL RITCHINGS

DARRYL RITCHINGS

DATE OF BIRTH: 11 August 1994, Swindon, Wiltshire.

BRITISH CAREER: (2010) Dudley.

2010 STARTING AVERAGE: 3.00 (NL).

ADDITIONAL INFO: The Swindonian took his first rides on the mini-track at Blunsdon in 2007 and later practised at Coventry's Brandon Stadium.

He continued to work on his technique in the interim, before being called into Newport's National League side as an unattached guest for a home match versus Buxton on 14 August 2009.

Riding from the No. 7 berth, he made a dream start by following team-mate Sam Hurst across the line for a 5-1 in heat two.

He followed that up with a last-place finish two races later, before being involved in a three-man pile-up with the visiting duo of Lewis Dallaway and Danny Hodgson in heat eight. This resulted in him and Dallaway being taken to the city's Royal Gwent Hospital. It was initially thought that Ritchings was fine but, having returned home, further medical attention eventually revealed a broken hand.

Such was his determination to regain fitness that the youngster did actually get back on a bike before the season's end and hoped to get fixed up with a regular National League berth in 2010.

And, in January, his ambition was realized when Newport revealed that he would be part of the Hornets' squad in the new term. With the subsequent acquisition of Mark Jones in February, it meant that Ritchings would fill the club's No. 8 berth. However, later that month the rider informed the Welsh outfit that he had decided against riding for them and, shortly afterwards, he instead linked with Dudley in the No. 8 capacity.

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