BRADLEY SMITH #38
Date of Birth: 28/11/1990 - Garsington - Oxfordshire - Great Britain
Age: 18
First race: Motocross - January 1997
First Grand Prix: Spain Grand Prix - 2006
First Victory: --
Last Victory: --
First Pole: Qatar Grand Prix - 2008
First Fastest Lap: --
First Podium: England Grand Prix - 2005
Victories: --
Podiums: 5
Pole Positions: 3
Fastest Laps: --
Best General Result: 125cc World Championship - 6th
Total Grand Prix appearances: 47 - 125cc

CAREER SO FAR
1997 - 1º Cotswold Winter Championship
1º Bedfont Lakes Summer and Winter Club Championship
1998 - 1º Winter Vale of White Horse Championship
1ºSummer Cotswold Championship
4º All British Championship
1999 - 15º All British Junior 65 Championship
2000 - 4º National BSMA Championship
6º British Supercross Championship
2001 - 1º British Supercross Championship
2002 - 3º Sheffield Supercross
2003 - 1º Future West Supercross
Several victories in BSMA and KWS Championship
2004 - 4º MRO Superteen Championship
7º MRO GP 125cc Championship
2005 - 10º British Championship - 125cc
2º CEV -Spanish Championship 125cc
2006 - 20º World Championship 125cc
2007 - 8º World Championship 125cc
2008 - 6º World Championship 125cc (Aprilia)

BIOGRAPHY
Nobody could lay claim to an earlier start in motorcycle culture than Bradley Smith, who grew up just 100 metres from a motorcross track that was owned by his parents in his native Oxford. For as long as he can remember Bradley has helped out his father maintain the track - from planning it and grooming it to just taking walks around it, Bradley's dream since he was in nappies was a future as a motorcycle racer.

As soon as he came home from school, Bradley would spend every available evening riding the track on his bicycle until Christmas 1996, when his father finally bought him his first motorcycle - a Kawasaki 60cc. Just a month later, when he reached the minimum racing age of six, he took part in his first competition at the circuit by his house. From that day onwards he was rarely off a motocross or supercross bike and he was a regular contender in the British Motocross Championship, winning the title in 2001.

He looked set for a bright future in off-road racing until 2003, when he broke his leg and was ruled out for three months. The time away gave him chance to consider an alternative career and Bradley now sees the injury as a positive thing because it was during his period of convalescence that he decided to switch codes and trade in his career as a motorcross racer for a future in road racing.

He tried his hand on tarmac for the first time in 2004, finishing fourth in the MRO Superteen series, including a race victory at Lydden, and seventh in the MRO GP 125cc series despite only taking part in three rounds.

In 2005 Bradley entered the 125cc Spanish Championship, riding a Honda for the MotoGP Academy Team. He missed out on the title by a single point after taking victory in the final three rounds at Albacete, Valencia and Jerez. That same year he also registered tenth place overall in the 125cc British Championship, despite missing several rounds due to his commitments with the MotoGP Academy.

However, it was his performances in Spain that had converted him into the bright hope of British motorcycle racing and secured a deal with the Repsol team for his debut 125cc World Championship season in 2006. Riding a Honda, at the age of fifteen the teenager took the title of Rookie of the Year, with stand-out performances in Japan, Great Britain, Germany and Valencia. In 2007 he was a regular points-scorer, confirming his reputation as one of the most promising talents in the World Championship, ending that season eighth overall.

Bradley, known for being methodical and thorough in his approach to racing, signed for the Polaris World team in 2008 as his career continued to progress on a factory Aprilia RSA.

The season saw him become a consistent frontrunner in practice and in the races although he was robbed of his dream of a first victory at World Championship level when crashing out of the lead on several occasions. However, it was still the year Bradley confirmed his reputation as one of the top young riders in the category, ending the season sixth overall.

In 2009 both the British youngster and the Bancaja Aspar team are hoping to create a winning partnership. The Spanish outfit have spent two years chasing Bradley's signature and are ready to give him all the resources he needs to challenge for his first victory, and hopefully many more.