Bridgestone British Masters Pro Report - Cusses Gorse
By Dick Law on 24th May 23
Crendon Fastrack Honda’s Conrad Mewse and Josh Gilbert dominated the Pro MX1 at round two of the Bridgestone British Masters championship which was held at Cusses Gorse in Wiltshire while the on-form Charlie Cole took top MX2 honours on his Blade Bikes Kawasaki with two straight wins.
The weekend weather was dry and warm as the sun kept popping its head out between the light fluffy clouds. However, a strong breeze kept the marshals in their coats as they kept an eye on the action.
Mewse got the holeshot at the start of the first combined Pro MX1/ MX2 race with teammate Gilbert in his wheel tracks. Steven Clarke (Store 114 Racing Honda), Evgeny Bobryshev (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) and Jamie Carpenter (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha) followed them into the first lap but by the time the lap was complete, the leading pair had already opened up a bit of a lead.
Bobryshev got cross rutted in one of the deeply grooved corners and went down on his right shoulder at the start of the second lap. Clarke, after a great start, was struggling to keep up the fast pace of the leaders and eventually slipped back to 11th place.
As the race continued, the Honda pair just pulled further away from the rest of the riders. Jay Hague (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki) took full advantage of Bobryshev's fall as he moved into third place with Carpenter following him into fourth. But that was short-lived as the ever-improving Tom Grimshaw (Chambers GASGAS), after gating seventh, passed both on his way to third place.
Carpenter came home fourth with Hague fifth. As for Bobryshev, he remounted and came home in seventh place albeit sixth in MX1.
On the MX2 side of things, Cole and Josh Spinks (KTM) both had a great start in eighth and ninth and were up amongst the MX1 riders on their smaller capacity MX2 machines. The pair swapped places on the opening lap but Cole repassed Spinks and never looked back as he crossed the finish line in sixth, but first MX2 rider home.
Spinks spent most of his race battling with MX1 riders and finished ninth but was second in MX2. Carlton Husband (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki) was one place behind Spinks in third place, with Ben Franklin (Chambers GASGAS) snatching fourth from Joe Brooks (GRT Impact KTM) on the very last lap of the race.
Gilbert aced the start of leg two and led Bobryshev and Mewse around the opening lap, with Mewse outbraking Bobryshev for second on lap two.
The leaders started to lap riders at about the halfway stage, and that was when Mewse slipped by an unexpecting Gilbert to take the lead of the race, and then the win, and the overall win that went with it.
Behind the two Honda riders, Bobryshev was on his own in third, albeit over a minute off the lead, while Grimshaw and Hague spent all race in fourth and fifth places. Clarke and Liam Knight (Gabriel Holeshot KTM) spent most of the race battling each other for sixth, till three laps from the end of the race; Clarke made a mistake and slipped down to ninth, gifting sixth place to Knight.
Cole once again was in command of the MX2 class as he gated behind Husband and Spinks but charged forward to take the class win ahead of Spinks. The pair were only two MX2 riders to stay on the lead lap.
Overall, it was Mewse from Gilbert and Grimshaw in MX1 with Bobryshev just missing out on the podium. While in MX2, it was Cole from Spinks and Husband.
"It's been good today," said a contented Mewse. "I have been struggling a bit lately and I have had a couple of not-so-good weekends. Having said that, it's not the end of the world as my not-so-good weekends have been seconds and a third, so I can't really complain. Even today, I don't feel like I was riding 100% comfortable and like my usual self. For a couple of laps in that last race, I relaxed and felt a little bit like my usual self, which was good. I just need to get the feeling back and get some more race wins. That's the goal.”
“My speed is definitely there now,” said Gilbert from the second step of the podium. “But I struggled a bit today. The races started okay but I then got arm pump and that makes you unsettled around here because of all the choppy bumps.
“In the second race, when Conrad came past me, I saw a lot of his lines and that made it easier. I tried to keep the gap to him but I wasn't feeling confident like I have been lately. But 2-2 on the day is okay and it's been good racing".
The ever-smiling Grimshaw said – "I have been struggling with a shoulder injury and have been slowly trying to build myself up. We were going to the French MXGP this weekend but decided this would be the better option to work myself back up to that level. It's still hurting a bit and sore but I am happy with how I rode today. The track was the most technical I have ever seen, and you had to keep calm on the 450, which I did. So, all things considered, I am happy with third overall".
MX2 winner Charlie Cole was pumped. "My racing seems to be going quite well at the moment and I have to stay at that level now – that's a lot of hard work. I had a second place at last weekend's British Championship, and it's just a whole new level".
Spinks was pleased with his second overall. "I am very happy with two solid rides,” he said. “I had a bit more pace in the second race and was closing the gap on the leader but the fitness wasn't quite there to keep the pace to the end. It's been a lot of fun, and I have stayed safe and got on the podium.”
From third place on the podium, Husband said, "I don't know what it is with hard pack and me as I seem to struggle a bit, so third overall is good, and with a bit of prize money and the nice weather, I can't complain.”
Results
Pro MX1
1 Conrad Mewse (Crendon Fastrack Honda) 45 + 45 = 90
2 Josh Gilbert (Crendon Fastrack Honda) 43 + 43 = 86
3 Tom Grimshaw (Chambers GASGAS) 41 + 39 = 80
4 Evgeny Bobryshev (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) 35 + 41 = 76
5 Jay Hague (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki) 37 + 37 = 74
6 Jamie Carpenter (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha) 39 + 32 = 71
7 Liam Knight (Gabriel Holeshot KTM) 34 + 35 = 69
8 Steven Clarke (Store 114 Racing Honda) 33 + 34 = 67
9 Charlie Putnam (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) 32 + 31 = 63
10 Joe Clayton (Husqvarna) 31 + 30 = 61
Pro MX2
1 Charlie Cole (Blade Bikes Kawasaki) 45 + 45 = 90
2 Josh Spinks (KTM) 43 + 43 = 86
3 Carlton Husband (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki) 41 + 39 = 80
4 Glenn McCormick (Chambers GASGAS) 35 + 41 = 76
5 Joe Brooks (GRT Impact KTM) 37 + 37 = 74
6 Ben Franklin (Chambers GASGAS) 39 + 35 = 74
7 Callum Mitchell (Lexa MX Racing Husqvarna) 34 + 34 = 68
8 James Baker (Team Matt Gardner KTM) 31 + 33 = 64
9 Travis Steels (Stan Civils GASGAS) 33 + 31 = 64
10 Eiour Orri Palmersson (Yamaha) 29 + 30 = 59
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