CANN CAN!
By TMX Archives on 30th Jul 14
Following regular track watering sessions, an unfortunate lengthy stoppage when an injured rider required the services of the air-ambulance and technical issues with the transponder timing system, round four of the AMCA Datatag British Motocross Championship went well into extra time on Sunday.
Although that timing problem meant that AMCA and Shobdon MXC officials had to revert to the good old manual method of lap-scoring Downwood Farm, Leominster, there was no doubting who was the winner of the MX1 contest.
Step forward a very determined Richard Cannings who scorched to a 1-1-2 scorecard as a fast Jack Cox and Brad O'Leary joined him on the podium.
Over in MX2, Lewis King showed his Maxxis British Championship experience to take top slot from Paul Neale and Ben Saunders.
Indeed Neale arguably produced the performance of the day with that runners-up slot as he was still feeling uncomfortable due to a shoulder injury sustained during the IMBA MX2 event two weeks earlier at Norley.
Back to MX1, and after missing the previous round due to an arm injury, Richard Cannings was determined to make amends at Shobdon.
And he started by posting the fastest qualifying time.
When the gate dropped to signal the start of moto one, though, Brad O'Leary led the short, frantic charge to the opening turn.
Safely negotiating that hazard, O'Leary was clear although Cannings and Luke Mellows were soon right on his tail.
On lap three it was all change at the front as O'Leary stalled in a deep, rutted turn and restarted in third as both Cannings and Mellows went through.
From there on, Mellows exerted heavy pressure on Cannings but the Yorkshireman dug deep to take the win with O'Leary third, followed by Cox, Luke Meredith, Ed Briscoe and series leader Clinton Barrs.
After crashing hard in the whoops section earlier, Barrs was probably relieved to get seventh but for fellow title chaser Ashley Thomas, moto one proved frustrating.
Brought down in the first corner, Thomas recovered strongly to move from last up to 15th only to collide with Tim Burrows and drop back to 18th.
As Cannings grabbed the holeshot in moto two and led the charge, potential title winner Mellows picked himself up after a massive crash.
"I was in mid-air when somebody hit me from behind. I cartwheeled down the track, banged my head hard and was temporarily unconscious,” he said.
"After restarting I could not even remember the track lay-out for several laps. This is a championship though so you just have to get on with it and keep going.”
So as the battered and bruised Mellows rejoined the race last, Cox was on the gas and moved past Cannings at the front.
Although Cannings fought back to dramatically reduce Cox's advantage in the closing stages, the fast young Midlander took the win with O'Leary third, Clinton Barrs fourth, Thomas fifth and Shaun Pearce sixth.
Despite his big early crash, Mellows got back to 18th to earn what could be 23 crucial points.
Despite feeling sore, Mellows was on the line ready for MX1 moto three although he could not prevent Cannings from scorching to a classy gate-to-flag win.
With Cannings in total control there was still plenty of action going on as the Barrs cousins – Clinton and Elliott – hotly disputed second spot with O'Leary and Mellows waiting to pounce, as Cox charged hard from an early ninth.
In trouble again was the unlucky Ashley Thomas, who was hit by an out of control rider.
He was left well downfield and with it all to do, eventually recovering to 14th.
As the moto unfolded, Cox got right up to third just behind Clinton Barrs and earn his second successive Championship podium, with O'Leary having to settle for fourth after again stalling his engine.
Bravely, Mellows got home in fifth from Elliott Barrs with Ryan Jones having a great ride in seventh.
In the MX1 series standings, Clinton Barrs has now increased his title lead to 28 points over Mellows but it's still all very much to play for.
Buoyed by his recent performances, Ryan Morris looked to dominate the MX2 Championship action again as he blasted to the fastest qualifying time.
In moto one Ryan strolled to victory but it was a great contest as Lewis King, Paul Neale, series leader Ben Saunders, Bradley Tranter and Carl Benjamin all slugged it out for second spot.
In the closing stages, Tranter dropped out of contention with a rear wheel puncture and Neale, despite his sore shoulder, took second while Benjamin was equally impressive in third, just ahead of Saunders and King.
Just a day after his 18th birthday, moto one was not quite so productive for Jack Gardner as a fuel pipe came adrift on his machine.
Lewis King was fastest out of the traps in MX2 moto two, chased by Neale, Morris, Crowder, Ridgway and Gardner.
Two laps in Morris moved up into second and started closing in on King.
On lap four Morris made his move, and blasted to the front and looked a likely winner.
That was until it quickly all turned to disaster as Morris got cross-rutted and was launched off the track, leaving his bike well and truly buried in a bramble bush.
With Morris out, King took full advantage to move back to the front and bagged a well-deserved win with Neale again second.
In a frantic finish to the moto, Ridgway just held on for third by the narrowest of margins and despite the close attention of Saunders, Tranter and Benjamin.
Ryan Crowder took early control of the final MX2 contest as Gardner made his best start of the day to sit in second ahead of Ridgway.
After initially gating fifth, Morris was already on the move up the leader-board followed by Saunders and Neale.
By lap two Morris hit the front but for the second time his charge for glory was halted by a rear-wheel puncture which eventually split the tyre and dropped him right back to a 23rd-place finish.
At the front, though, it was all action in another moto as King led the way under heavy pressure from Saunders.
Timing his move to perfection, Ben took control with just one lap remaining to bag a great win.
After initially leading, young Crowder had to settle for third with Neale fourth and Lee Truman a deserved fifth.
On a rather frustrating day Scott Mathia finished strongly in sixth with Tranter, Smith and Ridgway right in the mix.
In all four rounds, Saunders has been on the podium, displaying potential title-winning consistency he now leads by 44 points from Neale.
Just missing out on contesting the Championship races, Gloucester-based Jake Thompson gained some consolation by topping the Non-Qualifiers.
Star of the support racing was Josh Waterman, who produced a high-speed, spectacular performance to bag the overall Expert class win, while Sam Hamer and Nicky Tranter topped the respective Senior and Junior battles.
