Report: Pirelli British Masters, Round 6
By Dick Law on 10th Aug 16
The final round of the Pirelli British Masters of Motocross took place at a hot, dusty and very windy Whitby track in North Yorkshire and while the Pro MX1 class had already been decided in the favour of Buildbase Hondas Graeme Irwin all the other classes where still up for grabs with loads of championship points to be had.
Irwin got the holeshot at the start of the first combined pro MX1 and MX2 race with wildcard rider Billy Mackenzie in his wheel track. Elliot Banks-Browne (Geartec Yamaha) and James Harrison (Cab Screens Husqvarna) filled the next two places.
Brad Todd (Planet Husqvarna) was the first of the MX2s in fifth from Steven Clarke (Apico Husqvarna) with series leader Martin Barr (Buildbase Honda) chasing after him.
With hardly any bike time in the last couple of years Mackenzie couldn't maintain the pace and by the end of race two Banks-Browne was up to second with Harrison pushing down another place a lap later.
Both Barr and Clarke passed Todd on lap three as Mel Pocock was charging through the pack from a bad start and was now up to ninth from 15th.
Banks-Browne was on the pace and keeping Irwin honest till his luck run out again. This time a rear flat tyre caused him to pull out of the race. He threw his machine at the track fence and walked back in to the paddock in disgust.
This moved Harrison into second place with Clarke third after passing Barr a lap before as Todd hung on to fifth from Tony Craig (Carnegie Fuels KTM), Mackenzie and Pocock.
With three laps to go Clarke passed Harrison for second on the track and crossed the finish line just over 32 seconds behind Irwin.
Harrison was third from Barr, Todd, Craig and Pocock with Mackenzie hanging on in there in eighth.
After a restart when Craig had a big get off at the bottom of one of the hills Irwin once again got the holeshot from Mackenzie, Clarke, Banks-Brown, Harrison, Todd and Barr in race two.
Within a couple of laps Banks-Browne was through to second with Clarke, the first MX2 in third with Barr fourth.
At the halfway stage Irwin hit the top of the bumps in the wave section before one of the big downhill jumps and got it all wrong, came off big time which tossed his Honda into the face of the jump with him tumbling over the side.
This handed the lead and the win to Banks-Browne as Irwin remounted in second but was passed by Clarke before the end of the race. Barr crossed the finish line in fourth, but second MX2 rider and became the 2016 pro MX2 championship giving Buildbase Honda both pro championships.
"I came into this round knowing I had to use my head” said a happy Barr, "I knew that Bryan (Mackenzie) was unfortunately out with an injury and I had a good points lead so I just needed to not do anything stupid.
I love this track and I got two decent starts and just tried to stay out of trouble and didn't really push that hard as I have not been well all week. In the first race I tried to make a brake but Steven (Clarke) came with me so I let him pass and stayed with him for a couple of laps to see his lines but I became a bit week towards the end so he pulled away.
Hard
It's been a solid year so far and my Buildbase Honda, with the help of Nick who is with me every weekend, has been working really well and I have to think family and friends for all there help and my dad, MB Performance Engines and Scot from Planet for making the little Honda handle so well.”
The MX2 overall was Clarke from Barr and Todd on the day but in the championship it was Barr the champion by 40 points from Todd with Clarke who come on strong towards the end of the series third just four behind Todd.
"I am OK but that was a big one” said Irwin after his big crash and explained what happened, "I have bruised my ankle and will have a saore hand for a couple of days plus I have some big scrapes on my back but they will all heal quickly. I am very lucky as that crash could have been a lot worse.
I lost the front end on the rollers and I thought I had caught it but the back then went, came round on my and at that point there was nothing I could do and I was going down.
It's nice to win another overall even though the championship is already won but a one, two is not the best but it will do as the mistake was my fault and not through a lack of speed”
Clarke was happy with his days' work and said, "It was nice and muddy first thing this morning and we made some good lines before it dried out. In the first race I didn't make things easy for myself as I was late to the gate and everyone was waiting for me so I didn't have time to prepare the gate but I got a half decent start and managed to get in some early race passes and came home first MX2.
In the second race I nearly got the holeshot but then it was red flagged. In the restart I had another good start and went round the first in third behind Graeme (Irwin) and Elliott (Banks-Browne) till Graeme had a big crash.
I have a weekend off now and will be spending some time in the sand of Belgium getting ready for the Maxxis at Preston Docks”
Jack Seaborne (Offroad World KTM) saw his weekend start great as he had two amateur MX1 wins on Saturday but was beaten into second place in both of his Sunday races, first by Dale Brockhurst (Kawasaki) and in the second by Cory Nemeth (Doncaster KTM) but he still did enough for the overall win.
Brockhurst followed Seaborne over the line twice to back up his Sunday win and along with third in the least race was second overall with race four winner Nemeth taking the least places on the podium.
Brad Cavill (KTM) did just enough on Saturday to clinch the championship and sat out Sundays races while Jacob Joyce (Dixon Honda) made it into the top three once over the weekend for fourth overall but was second in the championship with Seaborne third from Nemeth and Brockhurst.
Oli Benton (KTM) didn't finish out of the top two in the amateur MX2s all weekend and took the overall win but sadly it wasn't enough to snatch the championship win from Michael Ellis (P&H KTM) as with two wins', a second and a seventh place after missing the start Ellis did enough for second overall and the championship win. Third overall on the day was Gareth Artus (Thunder Road Honda).
The 125s went down to the very last race of the year and was a nail-biter as with three wins and a fourth place Lewis Dowdeswell (KTM) took the overall win by just two points from race two winner Thomas Kirk (Husqvarna) with Dylan Spencer (CPS Husqvarna) third.
Coming into this round Carey Hockey (Cab Screen Husqvarna) was in control but after finishing third in the first race he backed it up with two second places but failed to start the last race.
After the points where added up Hockey won the championship by just nine points from Kirk, with Dowdeswell third.
It was another great day at the office for Howard Wainwright (MX World Honda) in the MXY2s as he took four straight wins from four starts and taking the championship with it. Second overall on the day was Mitchell Warhurst (CBH Husqvarna).
John Joe Wright (Bikesport Honda) with third overall consolidated his second place in the title chase with Ben Burridge (RV Suzuki) third.
Wildcard Eddie Jay Wade won all four of the Big wheel 85s but with two seconds and a pair of thirds Dominic Lancett (KJS Husqvarna) won the overall and the championship.Danny Clarke scored second overall which gave him the championship runner up spot with Jamie Smith (KJS Husqvarna) third.
Oliver Barr (3D KTM) took the overall in the Small wheel 85s with race one and two winner Aaron Brown (Preston Docks KTM) and Travis Steel (KTM) tying on points but with Steel grabbed second overall by virtue of his higher place finish in the last race.
The championship was won by Jack Lindsay (Apico Husqvarna) from Brown, Steel and Cameron Jackson.
Alfie Jones (KTM) is after six rounds, thats 24 races! is unbeaten in the 65s an. Billy Moriarty (KTM) followed him home most of the races and only finished out of the top three on three occasions all year for second in the championship with Ben Zeale (Mundells KTM) third.
Lee Tolan (ASA Honda) won the Clubman overall from Christopher Rose and Scott Broadbent but in the championship final standing Broadbent was the winner by just three points from Tolan and Dean Mackenzie.
