Column - Blarney - Countdown
By TMX Archives on 8th Jun 06
The clock's ticking as Britain's best get ready to do battle at Desertmartin
Timing is everything and running the 'Endless Summer' headline in last month's Blarney was always going to come back and kick my butt!
A mere two days after the supercross and the rainy season was upon us. Gone be the days when a good MX track was measured by the width and depth of its mandatory river crossing or bog section. Seriously though, the fact that races get cancelled is not really good for the sport now is it?
Yes, there are tracks that take water better than others so with hindsight and preparation when organising a hardpack event it would be prudent to have a Plan B.
Make this a date - Saturday June 24 - when Cookstown and District will host the fifth round of the British Maxxis championship around their GP track with no shortage of regular grand prix contenders in attendance - not to mention the winner of the GP of Japan, Billy MacKenzie, who is no stranger to winning around the Porters Pit venue.
This will be an important event for a number of reasons, one being that it may mark the return of three-time British champ Gordon Crockard to the top step of the podium. GC has been building strong foundations this season and sticking to a strict comeback plan. A superb ride through the field following a first corner crash followed by a broken chain at round four of the series while leading the second moto frustrated the Wulfsport Honda ace - his luck has to change soon.
Bike-It Dixon Yamaha's Martin Barr has had a tough start to the GP season while at British level he continues to move towards the front of the pack. It was at this event last year that I predicted he would break top 10 - which he did. So what about this year? If luck and a good gate are with the aspiring Yamaha star top five is a possibility.
What about the other local interest for Desertmartin? Point-scoring Ricky McKeown will be up for it on home soil, as will Robert Hamilton who recorded two 10th places last season.
The Moto-One guys - McCullough and Garrett - will want to put on a show for their sponsors while Tommy Merton may make an appearance on his new Rainey Brothers Honda 450. In the tough MX2 class Adam McKee and Phil McLaughlin both qualified for round four at Landrake and are looking forward to playing on home sand.
Summer met SX at round one of the MCCNI/Polisport supercross series. The best attended race of the year so far took place in perfect conditions for both spectators and riders. The McCullough family-prepared circuit was designed for spectacular yet safe racing and while there were a few incidents, no ambulances were started throughout the full 22-race programme.
Playing a supporting role to the pros was a full line-up of enthusiastic youth riders who did a super job of promoting youth MX.
Three pro races and the Dash For Cash left the paying public baying for more as the third annual Ballymoney Bike Fest event came to an end.
Four different Main Event winners are testimony to the tough competition. Martin Barr, Wayne Garrett and Gordon Crockard took a win apiece while local ace Phil McCullough collected £100 per lap in the Dash for Cash.
On the domestic front the aforementioned McC is currently heading both MX1 and MX2 Irish championship points tables with fellow veteran Brian Steele switching back to the bigger class this year after claiming the MX2 crown last year. Wayne Garrett holds third in the table while early season surprise Lindsey Newell's second place in Cork has helped him move into fourth place.
Current Irish champ Mike Sinton had a bad day at the office at Cork - the Tandragee lad usually scores well around the natural terrain off-camber old-school circuit. Some 60 points off the leader at this stage of the game is not where Mike needs to be if he's to regain his title.
MX2 has McCullough and Garrett at the front with Oliver Sandiford Smith falling foul of the hardpack Cork track. Riding for Greame Vigors' VMX Motocross, the young KTM rider crashed on a tricky downhill section of the Vernon Mount circuit resulting in two broken bones. Word is that Ollie is on the mend and may not miss the next round of the championship. Both Ollie and his dad are becoming a welcome feature around Irish race paddocks - get well soon mate.
Third and fourth at this early stage are the two young southern centre hopefuls, Ross Brown on a Solas Honda and CCM Dublin-backed TM rider Stuart Edmondson. These pair are right in the scrap for podium honours in this class this season and could take a moto win in either Gormanstown or Ferns.
See you all at Desertmartin...