A not-for-profit private foundation has unveiled plans to back two of Britain’s up and coming motorcycle riders in a determined bid to find the next Barry Sheene.

The Racing Steps Foundation – set up at the tail end of 2007 to support four promising British racing drivers with Formula 1 ambitions – is widening its remit to sponsor 2009 Aprilia Superteens Champion Wayne Ryan and 2009 Thundersport GB GP3 Champion Fraser Rogers.

The pair will race in next year’s British 125cc Championship.

Ryan (13), from Lydd in Kent, and Rogers (13), from Chippenham in Wiltshire, were chosen following a rigorous track shootout and appraisal at Rockingham which put seven of the UK’s top junior 125 racers through their paces.

The two successful riders – who will also make one-off guest appearances in yet to be selected continental 125 series – will race with Keen Racing Preparations, the team that helped launch the career of 2009 125cc World Championship runner-up Bradley Smith.

Smith was one of the judges assessing the teenage hopefuls for the 2010 Foundation-sponsored rides along with KRP founder Mark Keen, Ironman fitness guru Mark Kleanthous and RSF chief Derek Walters.

The rigorous evaluation weighed up each rider’s on-track skills and performance, fitness, communication and feedback capabilities, personality and mind-set.

“It was really tough picking just two riders from a really talented group,” said Smith. “But we believe we’ve picked two riders with real potential to take forwards. The Foundation has a thoroughly professional ‘in it to win it’ philosophy and Wayne and Fraser displayed the skill and determination that indicates they will be a good fit for what it expects to achieve.”

The RSF and KRP have lined up a pre-season test and preparation programme for the riders and are drawing up a comprehensive personal development programme to cover fitness, nutrition, pre-race preparation, communication skills, technology, and sportsmanship.

“The RSF has stepped in to give our promising young riders the financial support and assistance that’s needed to reach the pinnacle of the sport,” said John Surtees, the Foundation’s ambassador.

“Sadly we haven’t produced a World Motorcycle Champion since Barry Sheene won his back-to-back 500cc titles in the 1970s and now it looks as if we won’t have a British rider in the premier MotoGP category in 2010.

“That’s something that needs to be addressed and why the RSF is keen to get this young rider development programme underway. Of course 125 is only a start but hopefully, as the Foundation has shown in single-seater racing, with the right young person, team and support it can and does breed success.”

Foundation chief Derek Walters said the organisation was delighted to be getting involved in the sport with KRP.

“Britain once led the world in motorcycle racing but that’s no longer the case. Hopefully the Foundation, with the help of Mark Keen and his team, can begin to reverse this decline.

“The RSF has made good progress with its motor racing programme in a short space of time, so the hope is that we can have a similar impact on the bike scene and maybe play a part in producing another Surtees or Sheene.

“To date we’ve backed an elite group of talented young people with the expectation that they will produce the goods, and so far they have not disappointed. We are now extending that strategy to motorcycle racing with the same high expectations.”

KRP principal Mark Keen said: “We’re delighted to have been chosen to partner the RSF in this project. It’s already shown what’s possible in single-seater and kart racing. KRP’s aim is to help Wayne and Fraser to achieve the same high levels of performance on two wheels.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

Racing Steps Foundation:
On four wheels the Racing Steps Foundation has sponsored rising stars Oliver Turvey, James Calado, Jack Harvey and Jake Dennis with following outcomes:

• Turvey (22):

2008 British Formula 3 International Vice Champion; 2009 World Series by Renault Formula Renault 3.5 Championship top rookie (fourth in championship overall); 2009/10 Moving on to make GP2 debut in Abu Dhabi this weekend (October 31 / November 1) in the GP2 Asia series ahead of a full season in the main series in 2010.

• Calado (20):

2008 Formula Renault UK Graduate Cup runner-up (seventh in championship overall; 2009 Formula Renault UK Vice Champion and McLaren Autosport BRDC ‘Young Driver of the Year’ Award nominee 2010 Stepping up to British Formula 3 International

• Harvey (16):

2009 Formula BMW Europe Rookie Cup runner-up (seventh in championship overall). 2010 Returns to Formula BMW Europe for assault on the title

• Dennis (14)

2008 BRDC Stars of Tomorrow KF3 Kart Champion; MSA British Junior KF3 Championship (5th); KF3 Winter Series (runner-up). 2009 CIK-FIA KF3 World Cup (runner-up); CIK-FIA European Championship (6th); WSK International Series (9th); Super 1 KF3 Championship (runner-up); Superkarts USA Superationals (TaG Jnr winner). 2010 Second year in UK Super 1 and European and World Championship competition in KF3 category.

Keen Racing Preparations Background:

• KRP was set up by Mark Keen in 2005 after an injury ended his own 125cc racing career

• Since then, Keen – the son of renowned 1970s-’90s two-stroke engine builder Roger Keen – has helped launch the career of World 125cc Championship runner up Bradley Smith

• Other KRP graduates include:

o James Westmoreland (3rd, 2009 British Supersport Championship)
o Daniel Cooper (5th, 2009 British Supersport Championship)
o Dan Linfoot (7th, 2009 British Supersport Championship)

• This year KRP rider James Lodge won the British 125cc Championship

• KRP riders also claimed a further four places in the top 10 of the Championship

o Martin Glossop (3rd)
o Paul Jordan (5th)
o Tim Hastings (6th + 1st in ACU Academy Cup for riders of 16 years and under)
o Tom Hayward (8th)