Yamaha take to the shale – for Sport Relief

In the high velocity world of Speedway, there are few names more legend than that of New Zealander Barry Briggs MBE!

Four times World Champion Barry only once failed to qualify for the World Final between 1954 and 1972, a record in itself and a remarkable achievement that few since have come anywhere near.

Since his retirement from Speedway in 1976, Barry has remained a keen motorcyclist and maintains a strong connection with the sport he so dominated.

Now 75 years of age, Barry and son Tony – himself a promising rider until a serious track crash ended his career prematurely – have set out on an epic journey to raise money for Sport Relief.

This time, instead of 4 laps lasting a little over a minute, Barry and Tony will be riding from John O'Groats to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium to arrive in time for the British Grand Prix on July 10th. Along the way (much of it on green lanes) the pair will be visiting as many current Speedway tracks as they can fit in. A number of special guests from the world of motorcycling will be keeping them company for parts of the journey too.

Of course for such a momentous ride over varied terrain, their choice of mounts was easy – the Yamaha WR250R. Its low weight and race bred technology make light work of both the off-road sections and tarmac stretches in between.

Thanks to the generosity of Sport Relief, the majority of the money raised from the ride – Barry and Tony's target is £120,000 – will be going to 12 Speedway riders who have been confined to wheelchairs following track crashes; a worthy cause indeed...

To see how you can contribute to the coffers and check on the pair's progress, click on Barry's dedicated website briggo.net where you will also be able to read Barry's blog of the journey.

A provisional schedule of events can be found on the Yamaha website yamaha-motor.co.uk along with news of the Yamaha Dealers that Barry and Tony will be visiting along the way.