ED Cook used to risk his life pack racing against friends on the roads of Bermuda. Some of those friends suffered horrific accidents and even died.

Cook survived to tell the tale. And these days he feeds his speed addiction legally and more safely on the motor racing track at Southside.

The 25-year-old St. George's resident, who leads the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Club (BMRC) Scooter class rankings this year, believes the permanent home for motor sports is already saving young lives.

"Illegal road racing used to be a common thing, but now you rarely hear of it happening," Cook said. "I think this track has taken racing off the streets and has allowed them to do it legally.

"I knew people who died racing on the roads. It's not safe, because you never know what's coming around the next corner."

Children as young as eight were competing on race days at Clearwater, Cook said, and those youngsters had probably been saved from later entering the life-or-death lottery of pack racing.

"Times have changed," Cook added. "I even race against a policeman who used to chase me on the roads and give me speeding tickets."

Cook's major rivals in the Scooter class are Devon Bailey and his younger brother John. The Cook brothers' father, Edward Cook Sr., is also involved in race days, organising the team of corner workers, who monitor the race and use flags to make signals to riders in the event of a need to stop.

Cook Sr. admitted it was a little unnerving to see his sons going at it hammer and tongs, racing their tuned-up scooters at speeds of over 70 miles per hour and hurtling around tight corners with wheels sometimes just inches part. The GP 125 and Superbike machines can top 100 mph on the straits.

"I do get a bit nervous at times," Cook Sr. said. "But, as a father, I get a big kick out of seeing them doing something they enjoy. I always want to do as much as I can for my boys.

"It is important to know that safety at the track is treated as a key issue. And accidents have been very rare. It's not very often that someone even gets road rash. You will often see a rider slide out, go down, get up and just carry on racing." The Cook brothers are sponsored by Autobahn Accessories, whose owner Brian Bennett said the many positives of motorcycle racing made a good case for sponsorship.

"The main reason I got involved with sponsorship was because I have always done a lot of mechanical work, fixing and modifying racing bikes," Bennett said.

"I've seen (BMRC president) David Jones working so hard to make motor sports more popular ? and accomplishing it ? and pushing the issues of safety and discipline.

"The way I met these guys was through illegal bike racing. And to see them pushing themselves and their bikes on the motor sports track instead of the road ? I back that 110 per cent."

Most of the riders maintain and fine-tune their own bikes and they must also attend regular club meetings ? each one attended earns them extra points towards their race ranking. The time, dedication and passion required means that, for many, motorcycle racing is a lifestyle, rather than just a sport.

The track is now in its second year of operation and having come through a steep learning curve during its first 12 months, it is now going from strength to strength. For BMRC president David Jones, who is the top racer in the 600cc Superbike class, just having the facility is a dream come true.

Jones set up the BMRC nine years ago and fought incessantly for a permanent home for motor sports. Now he has even been given a full-time job by Government to maintain the track.

"Without a home base, the sport would have died," Jones said. "We were having to move around all over the island and people never knew where we were, so we couldn't build up a fan base.

"Now we are getting crowds of at least 1,000 every race day and we are competing well with other summer sports. I thought most of the spectators would be young people, but most of our fan base is aged 35 and over. We've got 67-year-olds shouting and screaming in the stands!"

Jones is focussing his efforts on attracting young newcomers, to ensure the future of motor sports on the island.

"In another generation we'll get much stronger," Jones said. "That's why we're trying to get primary school children involved. Kids now aged between five and ten will make up the core of our riders in the future."

Jones runs Race School every Saturday, from 12 noon at the track, teaching novices of all ages the rudiments of motorcycle racing.

"The youngest we take children is five," Jones said. "Even the Mini bikes we race can reach speeds of 55 mph, so we have to be sure the child is physically strong enough to control it and old enough to understand how to operate it safely.

"Safety is paramount. And the riders have to know exactly what they're supposed to be doing. I teach them the rules that I was taught when I raced overseas. That way they will be able to compete overseas themselves one day and they will know what they have to do.

"The truth is that it's a dangerous sport and people can get hurt. We have all the safety measures in place. I try to tell the riders that taking it to the max is not the most important thing. The most important thing is having fun and being able to walk away."

Like most sports, motorcycle racing builds character, but Jones has also seen academic benefits to children whom he has taught over the years.

"Parents can say, 'If your schoolwork's not right, then you're not racing'," Jones said. "It's great for the kids. They make sure they work hard, because they love their racing so much.

"Some kids go from a C average to A-plus ? I've seen it time after time, from day one. It's amazing what a race bike can do for a child."

The BMRC relies on the help of dozens of volunteers to make things run smoothly. The St. John Ambulance Service and the Bermuda Fire Service are essential participants.

Race days are held on Sundays, once a fortnight, and the next one will be July 2. The season runs through until the end of October.

The club needs more corner workers and anyone interested in volunteering for the role, or in finding out more about the BMRC, should contact David Jones on 735-6436, or come to see him at the track any day except Tuesday or Wednesday.