Mark Argent is quite a sight as he races around a track on a bike which looks barely big enough to hold his weight.

To the uneducated you would think he was fooling around on a child's toy.

But MiniMoto racing is serious business and interest in this unique form of motorsport is growing fast.

Argent, a 30-year-old from Crawley Down, tried out the sport at the end of last season but this is his first full season in the South East MiniMoto Championship.

Racing these pocket rockets is quite a change for someone who is used to riding big Yamahas and once rode down through France to Monaco and back up through Italy, clocking up around 3,000 miles in less than a week.

Last August, Argent was involved in an accident and suffered major shoulder damage which left him with a permanent disability, but he still had a desire for thrills on two wheels.

He explained: "I had a crash on my motorbike and couldn't move my arm for two months.

"Eventually I got bored and I thought I would buy one of these bikes and whiz around a car park.

"But the people I bought it off said I could race it. I went along to a meeting and got hooked."

With engines of less than 50cc and various categories for adults and juniors, these bikes churn out anything from four to seven or eight brake horse power, which in turn produces top speeds of up to 80mph.

It all adds up to some exciting racing which is capturing the interest of bike enthusiasts more and more.

Argent, who works in the accident repair department of Auto Body Language at Redhill, said: "The championship I am in had 50 people taking part the year before last and last year they had 150 people.

"Once you get on the bikes and get going they are quite easy to handle. As they are only small engines, the need for speed through the corners is crucial."

The championship is held at karting venues and there are seven rounds as well as a MiniMoto TT.

The first round was at Bury St Edmunds, last weekend and Argent made an encouraging start.

He said: "I was aiming for halfway up the field. I have a 6.2 and a 6.4 bike. On the 6.2, the highest I got was fifth and I averaged eight out of 23 riders. On the 6.4, I was about sixth or eighth."

Obviously, this form of racing is not as expensive as some others but it still costs money and Argent is grateful for help from Rock Oil and one of their representatives, Jeremy Skipp.

Argent said: "Jeremy has provided me with technical and financial support, helping me to keep down the cost. I am aiming for a mid-table finish this year."