Silver heaps praise on Evans.

Rye House Raiders boss Len Silver has heaped praise on current Rye House number one Barrie Evans for winning the Conference League Riders' Championship at Hoddesdon on Saturday in the face of incredibly strong competition. The standard of racing on show clearly demonstrated how far this league has come in the last few years and Evans was head and shoulders above his peers.

Silver said: "It was an incredible victory and very well deserved. He had the highest Conference League average of the riders in the final and he was riding on his home track so he had to be the favourite. But of course that brings with it a whole set of pressures which the other
riders don't have to contend with."

"But I'm delighted for Barrie as he has lead the Raiders team since the unfortunate accident ruled out Edward Kennett and he has done a tremendous job. His Conference League average is 10 and a half points, he has a nice piece of silverware and he is picking up points in the Premier League on loan to Hull so you can see that he is developing significantly this season."

Barrie's father Joe was also delighted that his son claimed the victory. He said: "Barrie was so focused throughout the day. He kept going out to his bikes and checking them over. I said to him that he had checked them enough and he told me that he was determined to win the meeting."
"He was a bit angry with himself after he dropped a point in his fourth ride to Chris Mills, but we told him to just keep his composure and make sure of it in his last outing. He's worked so hard at speedway since he started racing as a 15-year-old in 1999 and this is a real reward for his efforts."

With Joel Parsons also unlucky not to finish with a rostrum position but providing some titanic battles with Boston's Trevor Harding - it was an excellent evening for Raiders fans all round. But now the attention is focused on the race for the Conference League Championship and the Raiders will need to show the same determination that Evans displayed if they are to pip Boston and Mildenhall to the title.

They face a tricky run-in with the next meeting an away visit to Newcastle at Brough Park on Sunday.