TMX SAYS: Can't wait for Maxxis to start
By TMX Archives on 16th Mar 16
SUNDAY morning will see me and the Hankmeister hes our digital editor type dude jump in my rusty but trusty Renault and drive the 250 miles to Lyng, hopefully catch most of qualifying, all four championship motos and the two MXY2 races, plus a prize-giving ceremony or three before crawling back in my little French flyer and heading home!
That'll be an 18-hour day for us northern monkeys which, if we're lucky, will have us seeing dirt bikes actually in action for around a fifth of that time. Sweet!
Now if I put that kind of pitch to the Dragons' Den lot they'd be out before I finished my first sentence as the return on investment really ain't all that great. But I think it'll be well worth it...
The start of any new championship season is always exciting and having had some minor tweaks for 2016, the Maxxis British Motocross Championship supported by Pro Clean is looking like it's gonna be the best it's been in recent times.
And, although it's a bit of a headache for the majority of us to get to, Lyng is a pretty good choice for the season opener because, come the end of it all, the riders will definitely know they've done two championship length races. It's relentlessly punishing and a real test of man and machine – I'm glad I'm only watching!
The MX2 class will kick things off on the day. This should be a thrilling series as not one of the 40 riders entered has won a British championship title before.
Potentially it's gonna be a battle between the young guns like Ben Watson and the old dudes like Martin Barr, Nev Bradshaw and Bryan MacKenzie; chuck in a couple of middle-aged contenders such as Scuba Steve Clarke and it should be a stellar year.
Added interest at round one comes with the wildcard appearance of Max Anstie who'd have been a shoo-in for last year's MX2 title had he not spammed himself at the MXoN. This meant he missed the eighth and final round of the Maxxis series which allowed Steven Lenoir to bag the series win.
It'll also be nice to see former title candidate Mel Pocock back in action after last year's hand injury. Mel will be joined in the DRT camp by GP runner Vsevolod Brylyakov who's gonna give his classmates – and also the commentators – cold sweats all year long.
In the MX1 division reigning champ Shaun ‘Woody' Simpson – another rider whose name we struggle with on occasion, eh Sean/Seaghan/Shawn/Shane/Shorn/Siobhan? – is back once again as he hunts for a fourth British Championship title.
No doubt Tommy Searle will offer up some stiff opposition, as will the domestic talent which includes former British champs Brad Anderson, Elliott Banks-Browne and Kristian Whatley, plus perennially strong challengers, including Jake Nicholls, Graeme Irwin, Gert Krestinov and Ash Wilde.
And let's not forget current MX2 champ Steven Lenoir either...
The 450 class is seriously stacked and the MX2 class isn't short on talent either but, perhaps, the most keenly fought battle in Lyng – and all series long come to think of it – will be the MXY2 class.
Although the 15-to-18 year olds won't be scrapping for an official British Championship title I don't think that'll slow 'em down at all and if the MXY2 action is half as good as it's been in recent years it'll be well worth driving 250 miles for. So get your shorts, sunscreen and sandwiches ready and type NR9 5QZ into your SatNav ready for Sunday. It's gonna be good...
