MARK PLUMMER catches up with a man making a name for himself at all three levels of British Speedway in his latest "˜Friday Feature' . . .
It is no surprise that STEVE WORRALL is on the road when I speak to him. After all, he is probably the busiest rider in Britain right now.
He is almost certainly clocking up the most miles on our motorways as he races at all three levels of the sport - in the National League with Cradley, in the Premier League with record-breaking Edinburgh and in the top-flight at Swindon.
Take this Bank Holiday weekend as an example. Weather permitting, Worrall faces four meetings and four marathon journeys in as many days.
It all starts with a 212-mile run from his St Helens base to Edinburgh tonight (Friday), but that is the equivalent of popping to the local shop compared to what will follow.
He has a 470-mile trek from Edinburgh to Eastbourne to race for Swindon on Saturday. Then it is 465 miles back to Glasgow for a Scottish derby with the Monarchs on Sunday before making just the 365-mile trip down to Swindon on Spring Bank Holiday Monday.
That's more than 1,500 miles right there, so you suspect Worrall isn't exaggerating when he tells of clocking up around 6,000 miles in a couple of weeks recently.
"I know I'm busy, but that is the way I want it," said Worrall. "I'm not going to learn and improve by being sat around at home.
"You have to put everything you can into speedway to get something back out of it, and I'm finding that at the moment.
"I borrowed plenty of money from my dad in the winter to make sure I had the best machinery I possibly could for this season.
"It is only the end of May, but I'm already very close to paying him back and then I can start earning money for myself.
"There is a lot of travelling, but that is not something that bothers me. It would have been a big struggle had I not taken on a full-time mechanic for this season, but it is no problem for the two of us.
"I don't mind getting stuck into the driving and giving him a break, but I can usually break up the journeys to and from Edinburgh by calling at home.
"I guess I'm lucky as well that my dad buys and sells vans for a living, so I'm not flogging the same vehicle all the time."
Miles aren't the only things mounting up for Worrall in 2014. He is also piling up the points on the track.
The 22 year-old, slightly younger than twin and fellow racer Richie, is one of the big success stories of the inaugural Fast-Track Draft so it is probably no surprise he talks fondly about the radical change introduced during the winter.
"It is a great thing in my eyes," added Worrall, who became an asset of Belle Vue a few weeks ago. "It gives riders like myself the chance to ride in a league where we wouldn't previously have got a team place.
"Some riders are struggling a bit and others are going really well, but either way it is great for our development.
"There is no doubt it is making me a better rider. I've had a couple of guest bookings in the main body of an Elite League team in the last few days and not embarrassed myself.
"That's the next step for riders like myself in the fast-track draft "“ progressing into top-five places next year."
By the time 2015 comes around, Worrall could well have won plenty of silverware.
He has helped Edinburgh reel off a club and Premier League record run of a dozen successive victories.
The Scottish capital skidders are now firm favourites for league and League Cup honours in the second tier while Cradley are expected to mount a strong challenge for National League honours.
It has been tougher going at the top level for Swindon, but the Robins have ridden the fewest home meetings of any Elite League side and will be expected to climb the standings.
"Edinburgh might be a long way away, but I really look forward to racing there," continued Worrall. "The atmosphere around the place is brilliant and we have a great bunch of riders who all get on together.
"The spirit we have off the track is worth 10 points on it and that is probably why we have been doing so well
"The record is fantastic, but it is not something we think about. We just race our bikes and hopefully we can keep on winning.
"To be honest I find the Premier League just as hard as the Elite League. You've got guys throwing their bikes at each other and taking risks that the top boys in the Elite probably wouldn't take.
"I'm enjoying being at Swindon as well even though we've had a bit of bad luck and a couple of guys haven't quite been scoring the points.
"When things aren't going well it can get tense, but the signing of Dakota North has really helped that. He is a good guy to have around.
"And it is good at Cradley too. I didn't think it was the strongest team when I first saw it, but it has turned out to be a very good group of young riders who give 100 per-cent in every race."
