Ollie Merrilees is learning his sport the hard way.

The Crawley teenager has had a difficult month while competing in the British Junior Superstock Series and the MRO Superstock Championship.

However, the 17-year-old is determined to bounce back with a good performance in the MRO Series at Thruxton in Hampshire this weekend.

Merrilees said: "I am looking forward to Thruxton. It is a very fast track and I will be interested to make the comparison between the 125 Aprilla I rode there last season and the 600 R6 Yamaha. Qualifying will be ultra difficult."

The youngster was involved in an horrific startline incident at Snetterton in Norfolk in round three of the Junior Superstock Series.

Crescent Suzuki rider James Hutchins, who had qualified on the third row of the grid, stalled his machine on the green light and Merrilees, who got a really good start from the back of the pack, was unable to avoid the stationary machine.

Merrilees said: "The machine directly in front of me just missed James and I only saw him at the very last second.

"I tried to swerve but just clipped his ankle and the next thing I knew I was lying on the side of the track.

"I was getting a lot of pain from my lower right leg and the medics thought it was broken.

"I was taken to Norwich Hospital for an X-ray but, luckily, nothing was found to be broken, just severely bruised. James, unfortunately, was not so lucky and sustained a badly fractured ankle.

"The funny thing is we had told everyone that the race was to be televised and to watch out for me. Well, see me they did but not in the way I had intended."

Merrilees was back in action for round four at Oulton Park in Cheshire the following weekend.

Qualifying was tough and his leg was still sore. However, Ollie finished 18th to regain some confidence.

The month was completed with a visit to Castle Coombe for the MRO Superstock Series.

Merrilees said: "I know it is always going to be tough going against the R1s and Fireblades as the power difference is so great. I had never ridden at the 1.9-mile Wiltshire circuit before but had heard it was very fast and bumpy."

Qualifying went well but then his Yamaha jumped out of gear on lap six and he had to retire.

Brothers Danny and Jody Smyth cannot wait for the new British Motocross Championship season to start.

It has been a frustrating start to the year for motocross riders due to circuits being closed as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak.

The Smyth brothers, from Scaynes Hill, have had just three meetings in 2001, including two before the problems began in March.

However, they are now looking to get back into the swing of things and Danny, 25, won a club meeting at Swanley last weekend.

Danny will be one of the main contenders to win the British Fourstroke Championship. He led the series for a long time last year but ended up finishing fourth.

Jody, 22, make quite an impact last year, with a string of top ten finishes, and he is now competing on a 250 fourstroke which, surprisingly, allows him to race in the 125cc class.

Danny said: "Jody is on a really competitive bike. This year should be even better for him.

"I am hoping to win the British Fourstroke Championship."

The first round of the British championship is on June 17.