Eastwood storms the Heights
By Words: Dick Law Photos: Mark Caldwell on 3rd Sep 25
Mark Eastwood, riding an Eastwood Honda, fought off a spirited challenge from Rob Wood (KTM) and the Corke twins, Max and George, on their Kawasakis to win round three of the SEMX series.
Almost 200 riders made their way to the iconic Canada Heights circuit in Swanley, Kent, to take part in the Sidcup Club’s event, and were treated to a track in prime condition, well, at least at the start of racing.
Running as an open capacity allcomers event, riders were sorted into A, B, C, and D groups by qualifying times, with the Expert-graded riders seeded directly into group A.
In the first group A leg, Joe Jones (KTM) launched at a blazing pace, but was pursued by Eastwood, George Corke, Max Corke and Rob Wood (KTM).
While the two leaders pulled slightly ahead of the pack, the Corke twins were passed by Wood, as they swapped places almost every lap. On lap three, Aaron Ongley joined the fun and, while George Corke and Wood fought over third, Max Corke and Ongley contested fifth and sixth.
With two laps remaining, Wood overtook Eastwood for second place and then seized the lead and race victory from Jones on the very final lap.
Wood crossed the finish line just over a second clear of Jones with Eastwood five seconds further back. Ongley was a distant fourth from Max and George Corke.
The first Junior graded riders home were Rheis Morter (Yamaha) and Ryan Daniel (GASGAS) in eighth and ninth places.
Eastwood led the second leg from start to finish, securing his only win of the day, but everything else was going off behind him.
George Corke was keeping pace with Eastwood until two laps from the finish flag, when his challenge was halted and he was handed a DNF for his efforts.
Kieran Clarke (GASGAS) was fighting with Jones for third place until lap three, when Jones sneaked by him to take the position, but was handed second place when George Corke dropped out.
Ongley had gated sixth, but like in the first moto, he increased his speed as the race progressed. He overtook the quick-starting Tallon Aspden (KTM) on the first lap, then passed Clark halfway through to finish third.
Max Corke moved from ninth at the start to finish his race in fourth place. Race one winner, Wood, was well down in 21st at the start, but through a remarkable effort managed to fight his way up to eighth as the race concluded.
Once again, Morter was the first Junior graded rider home in seventh place with Luke Blake second.
Eastwood led the pack around the opening lap in the third and final moto of the day and was followed by Clarke, Jones, Ongley and Morter.
By lap three, Jones was in the lead as a fired-up George Corke started to make his way to the front from a sixth at the start. He passed Morter on the opening lap. Clark two laps later. Ongley at the halfway stage, and both Eastwood and Jones with two laps to go, to take the race win in style.
Max Corke didn’t get the start he wanted and had to make his way from 11th place to pass Morter on the last lap for sixth
Overall, it was the youthful Eastwood who took the win by three points ahead of Jones and Ongley. DNFs robbed both George Corke and Wood of higher finishing positions.
Morter was the first Junior rider home.
Daniel Wood (KTM), with three race wins, was the overall winner in group B, ahead of Grant Lambert (Husqvarna) and Scott Chambers (Honda).
Jake Russ (Honda) was unbeaten in group C with Kurtis Andrew-Hawkes (KTM) second and Adam Pain (KTM) taking the last step on the podium.
The battle at the top of group D was tight, with only four points separating the leading three riders. Gabor Kruz (Honda), who secured a race win and two second places, was the overall winner, finishing ahead of Frankie Jarrett, the race two winner, who came second, and Steven Nicholls, the race one winner, who finished third.
John Hinz (Yamaha), with three race wins, was the overall winner of the NGR class, ahead of Mark Hunt (Honda) and Marcus Smith (KTM).
The next SEMX round will be at Canada Height on October 5.
Results
Allcomers A
| 1 | Mark Eastwood | Honda | 20 + 25 + 22 = 67 |
| 2 | Joe Jones | KTM | 22 + 22 + 20 = 64 |
| 3 | Aaron Ongley | Fantic | 18 + 20 + 18 = 56 |
| 4 | Max Corke | Kawasaki | 16 + 18 + 15 = 49 |
| 5 | Kieran Clarke | GASGAS | 11 + 16 + 16 = 43 |
| 6 | Sebastian Berthiaume | Honda | 14 + 15 + 12 = 41 |
| 7 | George Corke | Kawasaki | 15 + 0 + 25 = 40 |
| 8 | Rheis Morter | Yamaha | 13 + 14 + 13 = 40 |
| 9 | Rob Wood | KTM | 25 + 13 + 0 = 38 |
| 10 | Ryan Daniel | GASGAS | 12 + 11 + 14 = 37 |
Allcomers B
| 1 | Daniel Wood | KTM | 25 + 25 + 25 = 75 |
| 2 | Grant Lambert | Husqvarna | 18 + 20 + 22 = 60 |
| 3 | Scott Chambers | Honda | 22 + 18 + 20 = 60 |
| 4 | Kurt Richardson | KTM | 15 + 22 + 18 = 55 |
| 5 | Owen Wildish-Conway | Honda | 20 + 16 + 16 = 52 |
| 6 | Ryan Taylor | Honda | 12 + 14 + 14 = 40 |
| 7 | Scott Goodson | KTM | 10 + 13 + 13 = 36 |
| 8 | Roger Frean | Yamaha | 3 + 15 + 15 = 33 |
| 9 | Ziggy Pope | Suzuki | 16 + 10 + 6 = 32 |
| 10 | William Wareham | Yamaha | 8 + 8 + 12 = 28 |
Allcomers C
| 1 | Jake Russ | Honda | 25 + 25 + 25 = 75 |
| 2 | Kurtis Andrew-Hawkes | KTM | 20 + 22 + 22 = 64 |
| 3 | Adam Pain | KTM | 22 + 20 + 20 = 62 |
| 4 | Ben Liffen | Honda | 15 + 18 + 18 = 51 |
| 5 | Jason Stocks | KTM | 9 + 15 + 16 = 40 |
| 6 | Joseph Forsdike | Honda | 16 + 16 + 8 = 40 |
| 7 | Billy Keene | Honda | 12 + 14 + 12 = 38 |
| 8 | Eli Yoell | Husqvarna | 10 + 13 + 14 = 37 |
| 9 | Brandon Squires | Honda | 8 + 12 + 11 = 31 |
| 10 | Marcus Hazell | KTM | 11 + 0 + 15 = 26 |
Allcomers D
| 1 | Gabor Kruz | Honda | 22 + 22 + 25 = 69 |
| 2 | Frankie Jarrett | KTM | 18 + 25 + 22 = 65 |
| 3 | Steven Nicholls | KTM | 25 + 20 + 20 = 65 |
| 4 | Eliot Wakefield | KTM | 16 + 18 + 18 = 52 |
| 5 | Zak Cripps | KTM | 13 + 14 + 15 = 42 |
| 6 | David Castle | Suzuki | 13 + 14 + 15 = 41 |
| 7 | Bobie Fulcher | KTM | 12 + 11 + 14 = 37 |
| 8 | Taylor Springer | GASGAS | 20 + 16 + 0 = 36 |
| 9 | Lee Friend | Honda | 11 + 10 + 13 = 34 |
| 10 | Luke Tress | KTM | 15 + 13 + 0 = 28 |
NGR
| 1 | John Hinz | Yamaha | 25 + 25 + 25 = 75 |
| 2 | Mark Hunt | Honda | 20 + 22 + 22 = 64 |
| 3 | Marcus Smith | KTM | 16 + 20 + 20 = 56 |
| 4 | Aaron Hopkins | GASGAS | 18 + 16 + 14 = 48 |
| 5 | Sean Wright | KTM | 22 + 18 + 0 = 40 |
| 6 | Chris Lake | KTM | 12 + 11 + 16 = 39 |
| 7 | Craig Handley | Yamaha | 11 + 13 + 15 = 39 |
| 8 | Tyrone Tugwell | Kawasaki | 14 + 12 + 12 = 38 |
| 9 | Joe Hughes | Honda | 7 + 15 + 13 = 35 |
| 10 | Rory Wootton | Kawasaki | 15 + 0 + 18 = 33 |
