IT was a week of individual racing for members of the Bury-Pedal sport, both locally and nationally, and celebrations and congratulations are in order, in several cases and at different levels.

Top of the list has to be Ben Scranage who took the Manchester League under nineteen championship with a faultless 20 point maximum.

Just a single point ahead of team mate Scott Jarman who took runner up.

Ben followed this up with a brilliant performance in the Senior British Championships when, after 14pts at Ipswich on Saturday, he rode out of his skin to joint top the scoreboard with 17pts at Somersham on Sunday.

This qualified him for the British final at his very first attempt at this level. Ben's performance was all the more remarkable as the rider he tied with on Sunday, Pooles Scottish international Pete Young, the 1997 champion, did not make the final sixteen himself.

Ben's delight at reaching the final was equalled by veteran Paul Dyson for very different reasons. Paul made the final for the fifth time, but the last one was as long ago as 1991 and he was "over the moon" at making it again with scores of 16 and 15 to equal Ben's 31 points.

Bury's other contestants Fred Rothwell, 12 + 14 for 26pts, and Neil Howarth 10 + 12 for 22 and did not make the cut.

Back to that Manchester League final at Astley & Tyldesey a couple of nights earlier, there was more success for Bury albeit at a more humble level.

No less than six of the recent "Summer Fun" trialists entered the competition and for Will Collins, there was delight with third place overall in the under thirteen event and this was equalised by Michael Parrish with third place in the under nineteens.

Will scored 14pts from four races and Michael 17 from five, both riding in their first competitive event. Other newcomers David Parrish scored 10 (U13) whilst Scott McManus, Chris Parrish and Ashley Simpson all scored 12pts in the under sixteen group.

Chris Dyson scored nine in the U13, but the most unlucky was regular team member, Tom Doyle, who was unbeaten on the track in the U16, but suffered a race exclusion for bringing down his opponent, which cost him dearly in the final reckoning and he missed out on the trophies.

Tom had some consolation when he qualified for the British Under 16 final, but having a serious bike problem in the eliminator at Ipswich he borrowed first Scott Jarman's bike then Neil Howarths, but in the final at Great Blakenham he was able to reproduce his best form and finished down the list with 9pts.

The finals were a big disappointment after the excellent promotion of the world championship at Bury. The whole show ay Great Blakenham, Ipswich, was decidedly ordinary and dragged on and on seemingly forever.

Ben and Paul battled throughout but both had little to show for their efforts with 8pts each. The finals were something of an East Anglian benefit with Daniel Pike of Eaton winning the Under 16 and Phil Howells, Hethersett, taking the senior tilte.