SUCCESS is a racing certainty for four Runcorn motorcycle aces.

Champions Mike Carter, Richie Ellis, Stuart Leigh and Steve Wilkinson each have a string of championships honours to their name as they embark on what promises to be another memorable season.

A big 2005 highlight for MIKE CARTER will come in August when he competes in the Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man.

He is an assistant site manager for Bellway, whose sponsorship will go towards the cost of participating.

Also backed by I&J Transporter services in Runcorn, he has been racing for five years on a BSA A65.

The 40-year-old, who rides in the classic section for pre-1972 bikes, moved to Runcorn from South Wales a quarter of a century ago.

Carter lives in Halton Brow with wife Mandy, children Michaela and Jon-Lee and granddaughter Leah.

He has won the Welsh Championship and is a three-times winner of both the Crewe & South Cheshire Club Championship and ACU Cheshire Classic.

RICHIE ELLIS was only five years old when he first rode - his dad being a Cheshire champion at the time.

And the 36-year-old

taped up lights on a road bike to launch his race career six years ago, winning his first trophy in only his second event when finishing third at Darley Moor in Derbyshire.

He completed a clean sweep of six championships in 2003 and continued his success last year, retaining the Cheshire Championship and setting a new race record at Anglesey. But his The Manx GP hopes were hit by bad weather and engine failure.

A rail safety officer for Runcorn's MDA Rail, Ellis started this season on a new bike with a first place and two seconds.

Ellis is sponsored by Claims Recovery Service of Kingsley, Runcorn's Ellis Insurance and Weston Motorcycles while his race support team includes Pete Walker (mechanic/pit crew), Pete Roberts (bike electrics) and fiancee Gill (catering).

STUART LEIGH got the racing bug relatively late - he began competing eight years ago at the age of 31.

But since posting his first win two years ago, he has enjoyed a string of successes.

Always up for a new challenge, Leigh sold his race bike at the end of last season and bought an 'old' Yamaha FZR600.

'This year will be spent modifying and making adjustments to both the bike and my riding style as the bike doesn't stop or turn as well as the little 400,' explained Leigh, who works in the NHS.

The 'little 400' is the Kawasaki ZXR 400 on which he won the Tonfanau Championship in 2003 and was runner-up last year, when he won the Cheshire and North Wales Area Championship.

Other top-three placings included second in the Wirral 100.

Leigh, who is married with a family, is sponsored for race bodywork by AMS-Motorsport.

STEVE WILKINSON made a spectacular race comeback last year.

He rode a Yamaha R6 to the 600 and Powerbike Championships in the Wirral 100.

He is another who has grown up with bikes after getting his first for Christmas as a five-year-old.

After riding off-road for three years to gain experience, he developed through trials riding, motor cross and then sand racing.

'I graduated up to the National races - the highest level in the UK - and in my last season, competed at Super Cup rounds which were often televised,' said Wilkinson, who is married to Nicki.

'Although the bike was lacking in power and finances were short, I still managed to compete and always qualified inside the top 16, which was usually within one second of the first-placed rider.'

Defending his Wirral 100 titles, Wilkinson, who works in the motor repair industry at the UK Assistance body shop in Middlewich, has this year added the Ace of Aintree Championship to his itinerary.

'I desperately need sponsors. With help, I will be able to compete successfully against the larger teams with bigger budgets,' he said.