Motorcycle newcomer Shaun Brown is burning up the track in a first title pitch in the New Era Championship, writes Claire Hughes.

The 19-year-old only climbed on a bike a year ago but is already being tipped for a hot future.

He took four out of five wins in Wales last time out to put him second in the overall table at the half-way stage after using his new Honda CVR600RR for the first time. His previous points had been racked up on an ageing Yamaha R6.

Sponsor Thompson, of Thompson's Traditional Fish and Chip restaurant on the A64 just outside York, said he had been watching Brown for a while before stepping in with the new bike to get his career really moving.

He said: "He's only been riding a short while but he has definitely got the talent to take this a long way."

Brown, a trainee apprentice by day at JH Foreman, is next in action at Cadwell Park on July 3.

Updated: 10:06 Friday, June 24, 2005