Our new young signing Image Credit: Jack Cupido

MONARCHS SIGN MAX CLEGG

NEWS Sunday 30th November 2014, 11:59am

by Mike Hunter

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Scotwaste Monarchs’ second signing for the 2015 season is promising 17 year old Max Clegg, who appeared as a guest rider at Armadale three times last season.

Max is just 17, and regarded as a very good prospect, and of course he comes in on a 3-point average. He didn’t score many points in his guest appearances last year but impressed everyone with his riding.

He said “I loved every second of it. I guested three times and I struggled as everyone could have seen. I think that was more nerves because I didn’t want to let them down and cost them the meeting.

“The first one I think I scored 2+1, and I was quite happy about that. The next time I scored zero and the third time I don’t think I finished a race, I fell off in every single one.

“All the fans were great, I spoke to a few of them on the Edinburgh Monarchs page. I was really surprised how many of them congratulated me even though I didn’t get many points, I was happy about that.”

Last season Max rode as a ‘Fast Track Draft’ rider for Leicester in the Elite League, and for Cradley in the National League. He explained “I was in the draft system for the Elite League and finally got my nerves together towards the end. Premier League everyone knows is harder, and I was looking at the other riders on the start line and wondering, can I beat them? My nerves just got the better of me.

“But once I’ve settled down with the team and management I will I think have a good year, not for myself, but for the fans and especially the management, John and the others in the Edinburgh promotion. I was surprised they still wanted me after I didn’t score many last year, but they are giving me the chance again so that’s I want to do well for them.”

This year Max hopes to ride in the National League in addition to his rides for Monarchs.

“A lot of the Leicester fans asked me if it was my choice not to ride in the Elite League this year. To be honest I can’t do three leagues, my dad works full time and we did two leagues last year, and that was a lot. Three leagues would be impossible, not so much for me but for my dad getting time off work.”

He had great success with Cradley last year, winning vital races which decided the Fours and the League for Cradley. “We won everything apart from the Pairs. Stevie Worrall won all his races in that but I let them down. We won the Fours, I went all right in the first bit, then had an engine failure and won both my races in the final. So did Starkie and Nathan Greaves. I hope they will want me again next year.”

Max has already worked with Monarchs’ star Craig Cook and one of his main sponsors.

“Steve Wignall helps me massively. He’s borrowed an engine off Cookie and if I like it I will get that. We’ll have another engine. Last year everything on the bike was brand new, and we can’t afford to do that again, but it isn’t needed.

“Cookie’s been awesome to me. He got me to Edinburgh last year and he’s put in a good word for me this year I think. He’s a top guy who I can ring up and ask for advice, a lot of them won’t do that but he’s been awesome.”