Berwick Bandit Drew Kemp angry after mechanical costs him a semi-final spot at the Championship League Riders' Championship

The 22-year-old Berwick Bandits rider seemed to be comfortably on his way to a second place which would have given him eight points with one qualifying ride still to come when a primary chain saw him grind to a halt in heat 13.

With surprise package Plymouth’s Ben Barker claiming the last semi-final spot with eight points in the meeting, won by Glasgow’s Chris Harris, the enormity of the breakdown caught up with the Suffolk flyer post-meeting.

“It’s the sort of thing that never seems to happen to you when you’re at the back,” Kemp lamented.

“We made a change for the last race and to say the least it was awful.”

Kemp eventually retired while fourth in the race and was left to reflect on what could have been a second successive semi-final appearance in Berwick colours, having reached the last-chance race at Redcar last year.

“To be honest I’m much more disappointed today than I was in the previous day’s pairs. I’m quite angry about today,” he said.

“But it’s gone and the focus is now on Berwick’s press and practice next Saturday (April 12) and the start of the Bandits’ season over Easter.

“It will be good to get back to Shielfield – I haven’t been there since August.”

Having made a decent start to the opening heat at the Eddie Wright Raceway in Scunthorpe, Kemp slipped behind Barker, and lost second place to home man Jake Allen after picking up unwelcome grip and rearing alarmingly.

Visibly annoyed at the end of the race, Kemp channelled his frustration into ride two, a superb race which saw him overcome a poor gate to roar past Oxford’s Sam Masters and then Antii Vuolas for the win.

Heat nine saw him take a second place which gave him six points from three rides and seemingly on course to the semi-final.

In heat 13 he appeared to have dealt with the challenge of eventual winner Harris and home man Simon Lambert, and was comfortably second behind Danny King when his primary chain snapped, bringing him to a halt.

Kemp ended the afternoon on six points, two fewer than Barker.