Conference League record: 1998 (Norfolk) four matches only, 2000 (Peterborough) five matches only, 2000 (Somerset) 9.87, 2001 (Somerset) 10.89
Elite League record: 1999 (Eastbourne) one match only, 2004 (Coventry) two matches only
Premier League record: 1999 (Glasgow) one match only, 2000 (Newcastle, Trophy) 3.20, 2000 (Hull) 3.41, 2001 (Hull) 5.32, 2002 (Hull) 6.15, 2003 (Swindon) 5.68, 2004 (Somerset) 5.65, 2005 (Somerset) 4.65, 2006 (Somerset, Trophy) four matches only, 2007 (Mildenhall, Trophy) five matches only, 2007 (Stoke) 4.00
Starting average: 3.19
JAMIE Paul Smith first started riding in second halves at King's Lynn and Sheffield in 1996, prior to making his official debut on 15 August 1998, when representing Norfolk in a Conference League fixture against Buxton at King's Lynn. Just four league appearances came his way for the Braves that year, but at least he had taken his first steps on the speedway ladder.
Team opportunities were few and far between in 1999 and, in fact, Smith appeared in only one Elite League match for Eastbourne at King's Lynn on 28 July and a solitary Premier League fixture for Glasgow at the Isle of Wight on 19 September.
Things perked up in 2000 and Jamie was initially identified in the Premier League with Newcastle. However, he was to lose his team spot after ten Premier Trophy matches, when changes were made to accommodate the acquisition of Andre Compton, who had been discarded by Elite League side Peterborough. Will Beveridge was the rider who actually made way for Compton, but such were the averages at the time that Jamie had to go too, being subsequently replaced by Rob Grant. This was a great pity, as he had done well for the Diamonds, his ten matches producing a 3.20 average.
Smith wasn't on the sidelines for long, though, since Hull swooped to sign him as a replacement for Wesley Waite, who had aggravated a knee injury. He battled away manfully too, scoring 66 points from twenty-four league matches for a 3.41 average. His most impressive performance occurred on 29 September, when he tallied an excellent 12+1 points in a home encounter against Workington.
Contrasting fortunes saw Jamie enjoy success with the Vikings in the Premier Trophy when they defeated Exeter in the final, but on the flip side of the coin, he endured heartache as the East Yorkshire team lost out to Swindon in the final of the Knock-Out Cup.
The tall-in-the-saddle racer also gained further experience in the Conference League, firstly at Peterborough and then with Somerset. He made just five league appearances for the Pumas, but hit double figure returns in every match, including a whopping 20-point haul in a home match versus Boston on 5 May.
Smith's subsequent debut for the Rebels took place at the Oak Tree Arena on 4 August, when he netted 11 points in a 63-27 demolition of Boston. He went on to appear in six league matches for the side, registering 73 points for a 9.87 average. His excellent record included an 18-point maximum at Ashfield on 10 September and a four-ride full-house at Peterborough on 15 October.
Jamie remained on board with both Hull and Somerset in 2001, at Premier and Conference level, respectively. And, in a season of real progress, he raced in all twenty-eight of the Vikings' league fixtures, scoring 117 points for a 5.32 average. He also played a part in the side's aggregate success over Exeter in the Knock-Out Cup final, notching a superb 12+1 points in the second leg at Craven Park on 26 September. His all-round efforts were well received by fans, who voted him the Rider of the Year in their end-of-season poll.
For Somerset, he raced to 5 full maximums in eleven league matches, recording 143 points and a huge average of 10.89. He was also a major player as the Rebels secured a glorious double, winning both the Conference Trophy and the Knock-Out Cup, beating Boston and Rye House in the respective finals.
Smith rode only for Hull in 2002 and, in a year of consolidation, he upped his league average to 6.15, having recorded 177 points from thirty matches. Highlighting his season, a first paid maximum in speedway's second tier came his way on 21 August, when he sped to 13+2 points versus Trelawny in a home engagement.
A move to Swindon followed for Jamie in 2003 and his signing was viewed as a key one by the Robins. The early weeks of the season saw Jamie plug away effectively and he also possessed a wonderful ability to remain unfazed by the odd indifferent ride, being able to bounce back immediately. He was also capable winning the often-crucial heat eight, particularly at Blunsdon.
However, his and Swindon's season came off the rails in a home match against Somerset on 3 July. Unfortunately, on a track left heavy by rain, he lost control on the pits corner in heat five and came down, with the closely following Graeme Gordon unable to avoid the stricken rider, despite a super-human effort in laying his steed down. The upshot was a knee ligament injury for Smith and he was out of action for a little over two months.
Despite the obvious hindrance of his injury, Jamie determinedly returned to the saddle in August, but he was only back for five weeks before a further hefty knock in a home fixture versus King's Lynn aggravated his knee injury and spelled the end of his campaign. He had ridden in twenty-four league meetings for the Robins, yielding 116 points and a 5.68 average, which, under the circumstances, could be considered very respectable figures.
A return to Somerset followed in 2004, the Oak Tree Arena-based side having moved into Premier League circles two years previously. He began the season in a reserve berth and enjoyed plenty of extra outings. Although he found the going harder once he had moved into the main body of the side, he held his own to post a 5.65 average from twenty-two league meetings.
The year also saw him fill a role with Coventry, but he was to appear in just a couple of Elite League matches for the Bees, totalling 5 points.
Smith was to remain on board with Somerset in 2005 and 2006. The former season saw him ride from the difficult No. 2 position and attain a 4.65 average from twenty-five league fixtures in a term where, due to the averages of the riders around him, he never got the opportunity to enjoy a confidence-boosting stint at reserve.
Regrettably, the 2006 campaign had barely got underway, when Jamie was involved in a much-publicised freak collision with the track grader after winning heat twelve of the Rebels' Premier Trophy match at King's Lynn on 29 March. His season was immediately over and he spent the rest of the year recuperating from a shattered left tibia, together with damage to his knee and ankle.
Bravely, Smith returned to track action with Mildenhall in 2007, but he was to be involved in another horrific early-season accident. This occurred at the Fen Tigers' West Row venue on 7 April, when Newport provided the opposition in a Premier Trophy encounter. In heat fourteen, the Peterborough-born racer tangled with Nick Simmons on the pits bend and his throttle appeared to jam open, sending him careering into the safety fence at high speed, prior to cart-wheeling over the 12-foot high stock-car barrier and on to the greyhound track.
He received a cracked right tibia and a broken ankle, although things could so easily have been much worse.
Having recovered, Jamie made his comeback with Stoke on 21 July, when he notched 4+2 points in a home match against Redcar. He went on to represent the Potters in a dozen league matches, scoring 36 points for an average of exactly 4.00.
The deduction of bonus points and also the further 2.5 per cent reduction permitted for British riders means that Smith will commence the 2008 campaign on a 3.19 green sheet average.
Born: 20th July, 1983, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
