A BIKE-RACING father and son love to hurtle round racetracks just a few inches off the ground.

Pete Ravenscroft has always been into motorbike racing.

But when eight-year-old son Joe tried the Minimoto bikes he followed in the youngster's tyre treads and took up the sport, too.

Now, the Outlane Junior School pupil and his dad both compete in the same race meetings at tracks all over the country and in Spain.

They are on the lookout for sponsors to help put their riding careers in forward gear.

Minimoto bikes have hit the headlines recently after police warned that they should not be used on roads and pavements.

The small-scale machines are incredibly powerful and people believe they are toys.

But, by law, riders need to be fully insured, have motorcycle licences and wear crash helmets to use them on roads.

Not only that, the bikes - some under 20ins high - need to have fully working lights, indicators and number plates. But there is no room on the tiny machines for them, so they are illegal, unless ridden on private land or racetracks.

Pete and Joe ride them only on racetracks and are fully kitted out with all the right racing gear, including helmets and £200 protective Goretex and leather suits, which include knee, shin, elbow and back protectors.

Pete, 35, said: "I've raced big bikes for years, but you feel to go even faster on Minimotos because they are so close to the ground. It seems to give a greater sensation of speed.

"Joe will reach speeds approaching 40mph on straight stretches of track and mine will probably go double that speed. The slower you go the more you wobble!"

But Pete revealed that the crouched position needed to ride the tiny bikes can take its toll - especially on adults.

After a race he pulls into the pits and wife Joanne has to help him get off the bike.

"Your body is just so stiff and aches from staying in the same position," he said. "But I love the sport."

The family live at Mount and 21-month-old son Tom is already used to sitting on a Minimoto.

"He sits on it with stabilisers on the bike and we push him along with a long handle," said Joanne.

She added: "We go all over the country racing. It's a very good social scene. Joe has improved so much over the last few months and his confidence has soared."

Pete and Joe are members of The Lucky Devils Minimoto Racing, based at Prestige Karting in Colne, Lancashire.

Joe is second in The Lucky Devils Minimoto GP summer series and has won several races for his age group.

The Lucky Devils also have taster sessions on the second Monday of every month at Pole Position Karting in Thornton Road, Bradford. People interested in the sport can hire the bikes and protective gear.

Joe's bike cost about £1,500 and Pete's about £500 more. Both are Italian-made GRCs, powered by Polini engines, ranging from 37cc to 42cc. Cheap imitations can cost as little as £300, but Pete says the workmanship is inferior.

He said: "I was at a race meeting when someone set off on one of these brand-new bikes. His brakes failed at the first corner and he went straight into a bank of tyres."

Pete served six years as a tank transporter driver in the Royal Logistics Corps and now drives a trade waste lorry for Kirklees Cleansing.

He added: "My message to people is that Minimotos are great fun, but should be used only at organised meetings with the riders wearing protective equipment.

"I don't even ride big bikes on the road any more. It's far too dangerous and I know too many people who have been killed."

* Anyone interested in sponsoring Pete or Joe, together known as Raves Racin, can contact Pete on 07717 837628.