Youth Spotlight - Grimshaw's Mr Consistant
By TMX Archives on 1st Jun 17
Having to deal with his all-important school exams this summer as well as the heat coming from two top championship scraps, Tom Grimshaw has his work cut out.
Sixteen-year-old Tom from St Albans in Hertfordshire purposefully set the year out as a "quiet one” that's taking on just two home-based series in order to concentrate fully on his school work. And while we don't know how the school exams are going right now, things on the dirt side are shaping for a terrific second half to his season. At the half way stage in the Thor British Youth Nationals Tom sits in championship second 33 points off top spot. In Maxxis MXY2 and with round three at Desertmartin coming up in a couple of weeks time Tom sits in championship third just 18 points off top spot.
Having recently turned 16, Tom's one of the younger competitors in both series – but his past championship record suggests this won't phase him at all.
After winning the Kensworth club 65s title in 2010, TG first made his mark on the national circuit bagging championship fifth in the 2011 Red Bull series. In only his second year of racing, and in his last big competition of that year – the BYMX Team Event – Tom really caught the eye.
As part of the victorious Cambridge MXC Team he chipped in with race wins and it was obvious he'd be a major force in 2012. Teaming up with Christopher Mills as part of the Powerband Racing Team, Tom and Chris dominated the 65s. With two rounds down in both BY Nationals and the Red Bull Elite Youth Cup, Tom had the lead in the RB series as Chris topped the BYN standings. A championship title win apiece or even a double crowning was on the cards for either guy. That dream however was scuppered with a mid season switch of dates as BYNats and the EYC clashed in August – both guys opted for the Elite Youth Cup series.
The championship finale at a very wet and slippery Culham saw Mills holding the series lead, Grimshaw having lost top spot following an earlier round single race DNF. Going into the final heat with a good points lead Mills was a hot favourite for the crown, it didn't quite pan out that way though. Grimshaw took a gate to flag win, Mills suffered a machine failure and the title went to Tom.
Moving on to 2013 and moving up, TG found himself embroiled in a classic year of small wheel 85cc combat. In the GT Cup a repeat Grimshaw verses Mills head to head went all the way to another knife edge series finale. This time around Mills taking gold as Tom had to settle for a silver finishing just four points adrift.
Across the board that year the division was stacked out with potential champions and Charlie Cole, Harry Kimber, Dylan Woodcock, Callum Green and Jed Etchells would all figure.
The years top showdown was the EYC series and Tom finished in championship fourth – the title went to Charlie Cole and all the aforementioned put on an a truly epic show.
Having parted company with the Powerband Team halfway through the previous year, 2014 was very much a learning year as a newbie in the Big-wheel 85s.
In 2015 TG was right back in the groove and back in title chasing mode in the BYNational series. With two rounds to go and after squaring up to the likes of Dylan Woodcock, Jed Etchells and Callum Gasson, Tom was locked in a title tussle with his Hardcore Racing team mate Harry Kimber. As it all played out – and after leading the Big-wheel championship at series mid point – a mechanical failure at the penultimate round left Tom 29 points adrift. Then at the FatCat finale Tom suffered a broken leg in his opening heat which was cruel to say the least.
In 2016 a move onto 125cc Yamaha and a fifth place series finish in last year's BYNats could have been a top three series award if not for a round missed with injury. Summing all of this up, TG 61 has been in the thick of quality title battles in all but one of his racing years, now that really is some record to be proud of.
