YOUNG motorcycle racing starlet Brody Crockford made a dramatic return to the British Junior Supersport series.

After a complicated fracture to his left elbow, he only missed his local round at Thruxton.

He beat his rivals in the remaining races of the 2018 season to become the No.1 Yamaha rider in the championship.

Brody astonished his surgeon and medics with his fast recovery.

They initially told him that his season had come to a premature end.

Not only did he get back in the saddle after just eight weeks, but he was instantly back on the pace and chasing the front runners.

“I’ve got quite a few people to thank for my quick recovery including all the physios and BSB medics” commented Brody.

“The surgeon at Southampton did a fantastic job in minimising the surgery impact to aid recovery. I think it helped that he was a bike race fan!”

As the youngest rider in the British Superbike support series, the 13 year-old from Blackfield has had an incredible debut season

He finished 11th in the championship and regularly beat established older riders with several years more experience.

The series covers an age range of 13 to 22 years and attracts riders who are also racing in the Spanish championships and the British Talent Cup, so the ability level is very high.

The regulations, however, favoured the bigger capacity Kawasaki 400 which left the smaller CPE Motosport Yamaha YZF R3 at a disadvantage.

“Although the Yamaha has a great chassis and Road & Racing Performance did a great job on the engine, the power difference meant we did struggle on most circuits.

“BSB are looking into it, so hopefully the rules next year will change so it will be level for all the manufacturers” commented Brody.

“Yamaha have a program in place where their top rider from each junior championship has a chance to try out for the Factory supported World Championship team in an official test session in Italy, but unfortunately I am too young!

“The minimum age limit in World SSP300 is 15, but Yamaha have acknowledged my achievement and will be keeping a close eye on what I do in the future.”

Brody’s father, ex-BSB rider John Crockford is over the moon with his sons’ progress. “To be honest, we were very open minded on how his debut BSB season was going to go. It’s just the start of a massive learning curve for Brody, but he has surpassed all our expectations. To fight with the fast lads, come back from injury and reclaim the Yamaha top spot is a real achievement. We are very proud.”

CPE Motosport team owner Simon Stevens is very pleased with how the season developed. “Brody has shown real maturity and has a great work ethic with a very professional attitude.

“He’s made some mistakes this year, which is to be expected, but is a bright lad who learns quickly and is certainly a very fast rider!

“As a team, we need to ensure we have a competitive package for next season to give Brody every chance of success. He certainly has potential for a successful career in the future.”

Brody feels comfortable within the CPE team and is relishing the challenges for next season.

“I’m really pleased with what I achieved this year and would like to thank all my personal sponsors that have made this season possible, as well as all at CPE and Road & Racing Performance. I need to work on my weak points, and with the bikes on a level playing field, hopefully be a step nearer to the leaders in 2019. I can’t wait!”

Testing for the 2019 season starts in March at Spain.

You can stay up to date with Brody’s latest reports by following his Facebook page – Brody Crockford #55.