Fans of the sport may remember that 31-year-old Tobias Busch came into the SEC come in 2015 and 2016, but did you see the German in the 2019 race? How about 16-year-old German, Ben Ernst? The truth is only observant fans may have noticed that they were on the reserve list for the race in Gustrow this year, an unseen, but important part of the SEC circus.
Busch talks about the challenges of the role, “Reserve it is always hard because you have to keep concentrated and focused for the whole meeting. You just don’t know if, or when, it’s your time.”
Youngster, Ernst tells us about his time in the SEC, “It was a really good experience to be in the same pit as the best European riders. And for sure, I was motivated to get a chance on my home track, but it was not to be.”
At the same location in 2016, Busch got to step in for Grigoji Laguta, a meet he will never forget, “I won my first heat against Emil Sayfutdinov and Vaclav Milik and the crowds went crazy and pushed me so much. Never will forget this feeling and want to have that again”, he reminisces.
Outside of the SEC, Ernst was able to take a Silver in the 2019 World Youth Championships (13-17 yrs) to follow up to his Gold from 2018 showing he is a name to watch in the future.
For Busch, 2019 was a mix of emotions on the personal front. The joy of getting married nearly turned to tragedy when his pregnant wife was in an accident and left fighting for her life. Fortunately, all in the Busch family are fine and are expecting a baby boy in April.
Aside from looking forward to family life, Busch has one special sporting goal for 2020, to win the national championship in his home town of Stralsund on the Baltic coastline in Northern Germany.
Without riders like Busch and Ernst the SEC could not function, they are an unseen part of the magic that means that we get to see top class speedway in every heat. It reminding us that it is the whole speedway family that makes the sport what it is today.
