Friends, families and fans make some noise for ex-Mildenhall speedway star Danny Ayres
Danny Ayres partner Jodie with daughters Anaiya, Lilou and father David Ayres. Picture: JON AND KELLY ARMSTRONG/DO IT FOR DANNY - Credit: Archant
Friends, families and fans from across the world of motorsport geared up their bikes in memory of ex-Mildenhall Fen Tigers star Danny Ayres.
Friends, families and fans geared up their bikes to remember speedway star Danny Ayres. Picture: JON AND KELLY ARMSTRONG/DO IT FOR DANNY - Credit: Archant
A wall of noise beamed for two minutes for the former Tigers rider from the Mildenhall Stadium on Sunday, June 7, as well as from many homes far and wide, as part of ‘Danny’s Day’.
The tribute was made more poignant as 24 hours before the event, Ayres’ bike had been stolen from his home and was believed to be in the Kent area.
But within seven hours since an appeal to find his bike was posted on social media, this was returned safely to his partner Jodie and dad David.
Jon Armstrong, one of the event organisers, said: “After what happened on Saturday, I was not having Jodie and the girls not being part of it, and said we will do it at the stadium, and I was blown away by the turnout.
“The bike is all the girls have left of their daddy. One of the girls was not going to the event because his bike was not there.
“It was a huge relief when Danny’s bike was returned, and it must have been heart-breaking for Jodie and David.”
Friends, families and fans geared up their bikes to remember speedway star Danny Ayres. Picture: JON AND KELLY ARMSTRONG/DO IT FOR DANNY - Credit: Archant
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Since the bike was returned, Jodie had sent a video message encouraging as many people as possible to take part in the event, and the response was overwhelming.
Riders from some of Ayres’ former clubs, and fans from as far as Glasgow tuned into the event, which attracted around 21,000 views on the ‘Do It for Danny’ Facebook page.
One supporter said it was “an honour and a privilege to acknowledge such a great guy”, while another wrote “what a fantastic tribute! Major tears.”
A raffle draw named ‘Arsey to Classy’, the slogan Ayres had on his bike, also took place selling items from rider memorabilia to handlebar covers, all in a bid to help the influential rider’s family for future generations.
Armstrong said: “The response has been brilliant. It was like ‘wow’.
“We want to keep Danny’s memory alive and want it to be as big a day as possible, not just for his family, but for mental health. We want to try and make a full weekend of it.
“It is not just a small amount of people involved, everybody is interested. They are watching it and want to see it, that is one of the main things.”
