BEN SMITHTalented motorbike enthusiast Ben Smith who died in a car crash on 28 June, 2009, had loved cars and bikes since he was a toddler.Big brother Jim Treharne said the 24-year-old promising biker, who died when his Subaru Impreza was involved in a crash in Bream, Gloucestershire, developed his passion in the garden of their Forest of Dean home.Paying tribute to his little brother, he said the family fondly remembers the former Whitecross School pupil from Blakeney racing around the two-acre family garden in a small petrol tractor.Later Jim enjoyed picking his little brother up from Forest View Primary School in Cinderford on the back of his bike.And as an adult, the fun-loving young man turned his passion into a livelihood."He repaired cars and bikes – he would pull them apart and put them together and made his living that way," said Jim."He was very practically-minded; there wasn't an engine he couldn't fix. He was always happy and had a glint in his eye. He saw the bright side of life.Aldershot-born Ben moved to the Forest of Dean as a baby with dad David, mum Jackie and two older brothers Jim and David."When we were children David and I spoiled him rotten," said Jim who remembers his younger brother being born."We were lucky enough to have a two–acre garden and we would chase him around and up trees which was so much fun."As he grew older Ben's love of bikes led him to the race track on his Honda RS250 GP. He won the Hambro Life Flying Start Award in 2003 for being the most promising rider and the Best Performance by Newcomer Award in the same year.He took a break after injuring his collarbone in an accident but intended to go back."Those were big awards to win," said Russell Gardner, director and press officer of North Gloucester Road Racing Club."People who have won the awards he did have gone on to win British and international championships. Ben started very young and he was a very talented racer."As well as motorbikes and cars, he loved animals and adored his white boxer dog Buster. He had recently taken up sailing and often went out with brother Dave.
Keep me informed of updates
