Irwin hits a double top
By TMX Archives on 8th Jun 07
AFTER a decidedly average start to his campaign in the Maxxis British Motocross Championships new MXY2 Youth showcase series at Landrake back in March, Moto One KTM rider Graeme Irwin was in sensational form at Langrish on Sunday where he demolished the field to record two runaway victories as the class returned to action as part of the fourth round of the national series.
Simply on another level to the competition all day at the Hampshire venue, the Carrickfergus rider comfortably ran out the winner of both motos from double runner-up Ross Hill by over seven seconds to claim the overall victory from the Poole Yamaha rider and KTM mounted Luke Burton and leap to an advancing second in the championship standings behind series leader Alex Rockwell.
The very fast, slick, hard-pack layout of the infamous Langrish circuit was not ideally suited for the Youth class, particularly the large number of two-stroke riders, and the incredibly high-speeds certainly did not seem to sit well with many of the expected front runners, but Irwin looked right at home, and right from the word go in qualification he was visibly faster on the track than his rivals.
His pole-setting time of 1:58 was almost a full four-seconds quicker than Hill's best time, and almost five faster than third placed Mel Pocock on the PAR Honda, and you got the feeling that both moto's would be a formality.
So they proved to be.
BRITISH MXY2 MOTOCROSS CHAMPS
Rd 2 - Manor Farm, Langrish, nr Petersfield, Hants (Langrish MCRC)
1 Graeme Irwin (250F MotoOne KTM) 30 + 30 = 60
2 Ross Hill (250F Poole Yamaha) 27 + 27 = 54
3 Luke Burton (250F Moggstar KTM) 23 + 25 = 48
4 Alex Rockwell (RDH ProCircuit Honda) 25 + 19 = 44
5 Mel Pocock (PAR Homes Honda) 17 + 17 = 34
6 Josh Waterman (250F Team Green Kawasaki) 13 + 15 = 28
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 4) rounds: 1 Rockwell 99 points, 2 Irwin 90, 3 Hill 79, 4 Waterman 72, 5 King 71, 6 Burton 59, 7 Trannah 51, 8 Watts 48, 9 Wells 46, 10 Hawes 40, 11 Latham 36, 12 Pocock
NEXT ROUND: Aug 12 - Low Gelt, Brampton, Cumbria (East Cumbria MCC).
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, June 8, 2007.