Wednesday August 28, 2019 at 3:33pm
The ACU Track Racing Committee are pleased to announce, following the recent meeting at the ACU Head Office, that Paul Hurry has been appointed as the new Team Manager for Team GB at the forthcoming FIM Long Track of Nations. With the newly rebranded World championship event due to take place on the 14th September at Vechta in Germany, Paul has already begun liaising with potential team members to compete as part of Team GB. As a competitor, Paul has a vast amount of experience in both the World Long Track and European Grass Track championships, and only two weeks ago became the 2019 FIME Vice European Grass Track champion, and runner up to fellow ACU rider Zach Wajtknecht. Hurry, himself a former competitor in the Individual World Long Track (WLT) championships, achieved 3rd place in 2005, but then suffered horrific injuries at the 2010 European Grass Track Final at La Reole in France and due to those injuries wasn’t able to return to racing until 2015. In the time away from the sport Paul became a member of the ACU Track Racing Committee and also qualified as an FIM ‘Clerk of the Course'. The Committee would also like to thank the outgoing Team GB Manager Mitch Godden for his hard work and dedication during his time as Team Manager, which included Team GB winning the World Long Track Team Cup at Muldorf in Germany in 2015 Speaking on behalf of the ACU Track Racing Committee Tony Steele said “the Committee are really pleased that Paul has accepted the position of Team Manager in preparation for next month’s WLT of Nations Final in Germany. Although the meeting is only four weeks away, the committee will be doing everything we can to support Paul behind the scenes. The ACU currently has a number of riders who would form part of a very competitive team, but with only four places being available, I’m sure there are some people who are going to be disappointed” Commenting on his new appointed, Paul Hurry said “It was a great shame to hear Mitch had decided to resign his position as England Manager after the success he has had. It’s going to be tough job to take his place, but it is an honour to be invited to do so. With the current crop of top riders we have, I’m sure we are a match for any of the other competitive countries, and if they ‘all fire’ on the night I’m sure we can achieve success.”