Chat show

Matt Bates and the E22 Sports team put together a programme where one short, sharp race was quickly followed by another short sharp race, culminating in an eventful manic 14-lap Pro Main. 

 

Add to this some freestyle slotted in for good measure, lots of colourful lights, rock music and three commentators whipping the loud enthusiastic crowd of over 7,000 into a race-hungry frenzy.

 

The track was brilliant and used almost every inch of space.

 

It even had a section which went under the stands at one end of the arena and kept the crowd wondering who was coming out in front on almost every lap.

 

The Pro riders had two heats and a LCQ race to make it to the big-money point-scoring main, while four groups of youth riders had one race each to decide championship positions.

 

Tom Church got the holeshot at the start of the first pro heat but was under great pressure by the end of the quick half-minute lap by Frenchman Eric Sorby and Neville Bradshaw. By the halfway stage, Sorby passed Church for the lead, while Bradshaw pushed Church down another place a lap later.

 

Meanwhile, another Frenchman, Adrian Lopes, crashed over a berm as Carl Nunn put Church under pressure.

 

The ever popular Gordon Crockard on an LPE Kawasaki got the holeshot at the start of the second heat with team-mate Jack Brunell on his heels and Chatfield back in fifth.

 

Brunell was all over the back of Crockard till lap four when he stalled on the loose surface, and rejoined back in fourth place as Chatfield took his place behind Crockard – but not for long. 

 

Two laps later Chatfield snatched the lead and the win.

 

On the final lap Brunell tried a block pass on team-mate Crockard which didn't quite work as the pair crossed the finish line almost together. Graeme Irwin was fourth with Stuart Edmonds – still looking for a permanent ride for this year – in fifth.

 

Church once again got the holeshot in heat three, as Sorby was in the wars. 

 

First he collided with fellow Frenchman,Romain Biela, going into the first hairpin, and then he hit a straw bail while trying to catch up. 

 

It all got a bit much for him when be block-passed Irwin at half-distance. Irwin was having none of it and responded with a similar move on the next lap in the very same spot.

 

 

Rd 1 – O2 Arena, London (E22 Sports)

Pro Main: 1 Adam Chatfield (Buildbase Honda), 2 Neville Bradshaw (ZA - Putoline Honda), 3 Tom Church (SR75 Molson KTM), 4 Martin Barr (VMX KTM), 5 Stuart Edmonds (Revo Kawasaki), 6 Carl Nunn (SR75 Molson KTM), 7 Graeme Irwin (Heads & Threads Suzuki), 8 Romain Biela (F - Revo Kawasaki), 9 Jack Brunnel (LPE Kawasaki), 10 Eric Sorby (F - Lanes Kawasaki), 11 Adrien Lopes (F - Buildbase Honda).

Pro LCQ: 1 Lopes, 2 Biela, 3 Matt Bayliss (Whynotcompair Honda), 4 James Harrison (Lanes Kawasaki), 5 Damon Strydom (ZA - Revo Talon Kawasaki), 6 Carlos Macanas (E - Heads & Threads Suzuki).

Pro Heat One: 1 Sorby, 2 Bradshaw, 3 Church, 4 Nunn, 5 Macanas, 6 Lopes, 7 Biela, 8 Strydom.

Pro Heat Two: 1 Chatfield, 2 Gordon Crockard (LPE Kawasaki), 3 Brunnel, 4 Irwin, 5 Edmonds, 6 Barr, 7 Harrison, 8 Bayliss.

Pro Heat Three: 1 Church, 2 Crockard, 3 Barr, 4 Irwin, 5 Sorby, 6 Bayliss, 7 Macanas, 8 Biela.

Pro Heat Four: 1 Chatfield, 2 Brunnel, 3 Nunn, 4 Bradshaw, 5 Edmonds, 6 Strydom, 7 Lopes.

Rookie Final: 1 James Harrison (Lanes Kawasaki), 2 Luke Dean (GL12 Racing Yamaha), 3 George Clarke (Cabscreens Honda), 4 Todd Kellett (Monster Kawasaki), 5 Ben Putnam (iFly Lanes Kawasaki), 6 Tony Saunders (CMP-SSC Yamaha), 7 Christopher Bayliss (Whynotcompair Honda), 8 Ben Franklin (Mill Lane MX Kawasaki), 9 Jamie Ellis (RSS Suspension KTM), 10 Ryan Butler (Poole Motorcycles), 11 Gradie Featherstone (Oakleaf Kawasaki).

BW 85cc Final: 1 Joe Jefferies (KTM), 2 Mitchell Lewis (MX World Honda), 3 Albie Wilkie (???), 4 Billy King (TG Kawasaki), 5 Taylor Hammal (Pope KTM), 6 Myles Jones (???), 7 Joele Hart (KTM), 8 Myles Saunders (MX Moto Graphics KTM), 9 Charlie Caudwell (Honda), 10 Luke Reading (MX500 KTM), 11 Luke Fisher (Signfit Honda), 12 Connor Hughes (Fox Europe KTM).

SW 85cc Final: 1 Dylan Woodcock (TG Kawasaki), 2 Harry Kimber (M&D Racing KTM), 3 Callum Gasson (Moto Xtreme Kawasaki), 4 Ben Burridge (MJW Honda), 5 Tommy Clarke (Connect4 Recruitment KTM), 6 Ryan Allison (KTM), 7 Adam Collings (Vega Solutions Ltd), 8 Ben Richards (KTM), 9 Daniel Fisher (Signfit Signs), 10 Jordan Cole (KTM), 11 Troy Jones (???).

Junior 65cc Final: 1 Rossi Beard (NMA KTM), 2 Ike Carter (KTM), 3 Kurtis Griffiths (MJW KTM), 4 Ben White (Whites Transport KTM), 5 Kayden Algar (KTM), 6 Preston Williams (TG Kawasaki), 7 Bobby Bruce (Seventynine Designs KTM), 8 Liam Brosnan (KTM), 9 Oliver Woods (MJW KTM), 10 Adam Wells (KTM), 11 Alfie Card (KTM), 12 Ozzie Murray (Vampires Rock KTM), 13 Travis Ludlow (KTM).

 

NEXT ROUND: January 19 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast. Chat show

 

Report: Dick Law

Pictures: Nuno Laranjeira

 

Adam Chatfield was the master of the O2 Arena at the weekend, as he won both of his heats on his way to winning the fast, aggressive, bar-banging Pro Main race at round one of the 2013 British ArenaCross series.

 

Matt Bates and the E22 Sports team put together a programme where one short, sharp race was quickly followed by another short sharp race, culminating in an eventful manic 

14-lap Pro Main. 

 

Add to this some freestyle slotted in for good measure, lots of 

colourful lights, rock music and three commentators whipping the loud enthusiastic crowd of over 7,000 into a 

race-hungry frenzy.

 

The track was brilliant and used almost every inch of space.

 

It even had a section which went under the stands at one end of the arena and kept the crowd wondering who was coming out in front on almost every lap.

 

The Pro riders had two heats and a LCQ race to make it to the big-money point-scoring main, while four groups of youth riders had one race each to decide championship positions.

 

Tom Church got the holeshot at the start of the first pro heat but was under great pressure by the end of the quick half-minute lap by Frenchman Eric Sorby and Neville Bradshaw. By the halfway stage, Sorby passed Church for the lead, while Bradshaw pushed Church down another place a lap later.

 

Meanwhile, another Frenchman, Adrian Lopes, crashed over a berm as Carl Nunn put Church under pressure.

 

The ever popular Gordon Crockard on an LPE Kawasaki got the holeshot at the start of the second heat with team-mate Jack Brunell on his heels and Chatfield back in fifth.

 

Brunell was all over the back of Crockard till lap four when he stalled on the loose surface, and rejoined back in fourth place as Chatfield took his place behind Crockard – but not for long. 

 

Two laps later Chatfield snatched the lead and the win.

 

On the final lap Brunell tried a block pass on team-mate Crockard which didn't quite work as the pair crossed the finish line almost together. Graeme Irwin was fourth with Stuart Edmonds – still looking for a permanent ride for this year – in fifth.

 

Church once again got the holeshot in heat three, as Sorby was in the wars. 

 

First he collided with fellow Frenchman,Romain Biela, going into the first hairpin, and then he hit a straw bail while trying to catch up. 

 

It all got a bit much for him when be block-passed Irwin at half-distance. Irwin was having none of it and responded with a similar move on the next lap in the very same spot.

 

FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE TMX JANUARY 18

 

BRITISH ARENACROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Rd 1 – O2 Arena, London (E22 Sports)

Pro Main: 1 Adam Chatfield (Buildbase Honda), 2 Neville Bradshaw (ZA - Putoline Honda), 3 Tom Church (SR75 Molson KTM), 4 Martin Barr (VMX KTM), 5 Stuart Edmonds (Revo Kawasaki), 6 Carl Nunn (SR75 Molson KTM), 7 Graeme Irwin (Heads & Threads Suzuki), 8 Romain Biela (F - Revo Kawasaki), 9 Jack Brunnel (LPE Kawasaki), 10 Eric Sorby (F - Lanes Kawasaki), 11 Adrien Lopes (F - Buildbase Honda).

Pro LCQ: 1 Lopes, 2 Biela, 3 Matt Bayliss (Whynotcompair Honda), 4 James Harrison (Lanes Kawasaki), 5 Damon Strydom (ZA - Revo Talon Kawasaki), 6 Carlos Macanas (E - Heads & Threads Suzuki).

Pro Heat One: 1 Sorby, 2 Bradshaw, 3 Church, 4 Nunn, 5 Macanas, 6 Lopes, 7 Biela, 8 Strydom.

Pro Heat Two: 1 Chatfield, 2 Gordon Crockard (LPE Kawasaki), 3 Brunnel, 4 Irwin, 5 Edmonds, 6 Barr, 7 Harrison, 8 Bayliss.

Pro Heat Three: 1 Church, 2 Crockard, 3 Barr, 4 Irwin, 5 Sorby, 6 Bayliss, 7 Macanas, 8 Biela.

Pro Heat Four: 1 Chatfield, 2 Brunnel, 3 Nunn, 4 Bradshaw, 5 Edmonds, 6 Strydom, 7 Lopes.

Rookie Final: 1 James Harrison (Lanes Kawasaki), 2 Luke Dean (GL12 Racing Yamaha), 3 George Clarke (Cabscreens Honda), 4 Todd Kellett (Monster Kawasaki), 5 Ben Putnam (iFly Lanes Kawasaki), 6 Tony Saunders (CMP-SSC Yamaha), 7 Christopher Bayliss (Whynotcompair Honda), 8 Ben Franklin (Mill Lane MX Kawasaki), 9 Jamie Ellis (RSS Suspension KTM), 10 Ryan Butler (Poole Motorcycles), 11 Gradie Featherstone (Oakleaf Kawasaki).

BW 85cc Final: 1 Joe Jefferies (KTM), 2 Mitchell Lewis (MX World Honda), 3 Albie Wilkie (???), 4 Billy King (TG Kawasaki), 5 Taylor Hammal (Pope KTM), 6 Myles Jones (???), 7 Joele Hart (KTM), 8 Myles Saunders (MX Moto Graphics KTM), 9 Charlie Caudwell (Honda), 10 Luke Reading (MX500 KTM), 11 Luke Fisher (Signfit Honda), 12 Connor Hughes (Fox Europe KTM).

SW 85cc Final: 1 Dylan Woodcock (TG Kawasaki), 2 Harry Kimber (M&D Racing KTM), 3 Callum Gasson (Moto Xtreme Kawasaki), 4 Ben Burridge (MJW Honda), 5 Tommy Clarke (Connect4 Recruitment KTM), 6 Ryan Allison (KTM), 7 Adam Collings (Vega Solutions Ltd), 8 Ben Richards (KTM), 9 Daniel Fisher (Signfit Signs), 10 Jordan Cole (KTM), 11 Troy Jones (???).

Junior 65cc Final: 1 Rossi Beard (NMA KTM), 2 Ike Carter (KTM), 3 Kurtis Griffiths (MJW KTM), 4 Ben White (Whites Transport KTM), 5 Kayden Algar (KTM), 6 Preston Williams (TG Kawasaki), 7 Bobby Bruce (Seventynine Designs KTM), 8 Liam Brosnan (KTM), 9 Oliver Woods (MJW KTM), 10 Adam Wells (KTM), 11 Alfie Card (KTM), 12 Ozzie Murray (Vampires Rock KTM), 13 Travis Ludlow (KTM).

 

NEXT ROUND: January 19 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast.