GBXC gets bigger and better
By TMX Archives on 11th Mar 09
THE GBXC series grabbed many headlines last season and this season it started out in the same vein as Pro winner Greg Evans was eliminated from the results for refuelling while his engine was still running.Evans was informed immediately afterwards, but decided to continue and proved his point by beating BEC champion, Tom Sagar, into second place. Sagar eventually took the win but admitted that his poor start made it hard work but once he got Evans in his sights, he couldn't close the gap.To many outsiders this may seem harsh but the GBXC rules and insurance requirements demand that riders cut their engines, safety is foremost in the pit area and it is strictly marshalled.
Last year's GBXC proved to be a great success but none of the 2008 events matched the turnout at Coney Green Farm, on Sunday, for the opening round of the Championship.
The numbers and quality of the field across all classes was staggering. Eighty Vets, 100 Sportsmen, 28 Pros and almost 70 Experts plus big numbers across all other classes saw a total of around 500 riders line-up to challenge the steep technical woodlands, fast open field and special-test type sections offered by this superb venue.
The organisation behind the event had once again done an excellent job, providing everything a Cross-Country rider could want, both on and off the track. Both organisers – Paul Edmondson and Steve Ireland – run their own well-publicised series, but this was a step up the ladder, taking the best of both and adding to it.
The Veterans class was a sight to behold and the way the riders left the line and hammered into the first corner, anyone could have mistaken it for the Pro race. Two right-handers along an open straight took them into two left-handers entering the woodland sections and one of the biggest uphill drags ever seen in an XC event.
With such a large number of riders in the morning race, the hill was included to help string out the pack and it certainly did its job well. The hill proved to be no problem for the Vets, with many lines to take to get to the summit. The same was true for many of the Sportsmen riders but a few tail-enders in the Sportsman class struggled and the Novice, Ladies and Youth classes piled into the melee which took a couple of minutes to sort out.
Several Pro, Expert and Clubman spectators pitched in and got things moving and the hill proved to be negotiable by the time riders arrived on their second lap. Everything that goes up must come down and the downhill was no less testing, but considering that the weather provided all four seasons in one day, it all worked out pretty well.
The Veteran (Over 40) class saw Keith Jenkins head home 18 riders all on nine laps, each lap running for six miles. Former AMCA champion, Ade Bradley, took a solid second place, despite a spill over the bars when he tried to get past slower riders, finding himself faced with a six-foot sheer drop. Husqvarna-mounted Mark Houson finished within two minutes of Bradley, making the three-minute spread over first to third a very close finish. Chris Roberts put in a cracking ride for fourth, as Gareth Lloyd took fifth, despite one OTB (over the bars) incident.
Coney Green is home turf for Liam Garbett and his win in the Sportsman class came as no surprise to other regulars as his riding ability has improved significantly of late. Chris Pryce took the runner-up spot ahead of Ryan Armitage.
Youth rider George Bayliss raised a few eyebrows as he climbed to tenth overall at one point and took his class by a clear lap from Gethin Humphries. Joe Wootton was always in contention and third place was well-deserved as James Dent pressured him all the way to the line.
GB X-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 1 – Coney Green Farm, Ribbesford, Stourport-on-Severn (GBXC)
PM RACE
Pro: 1 Tom Sagar (Husaberg) 10 laps - 2:00:28 time, 2 Philip McLaughlin (Electraction TM) 10 - 2:04:05, 3 Aston Bird (MPS Husqvarna) 10 - 2:04:58, 4 Matt Ridgway (Suzuki) 10 - 2:05:22, 5 Ashley Wood (???) 10 - 2:05:33, 6 Wayne Braybrook (Gas Gas) 10 - 2:05:43, 7 Oliver Moyce (Midwest Husaberg) 10 - 2:06:34, 8 Tim Foreman (Kawasaki) 10 - 2:06:35.
Pro Lite: 1 Lee Edmondson (PAR Honda) 10 - 2:05:42, 2 Lincoln Brewster (KTM) 10 - 2:06:44, 3 Daryl Bolter (KTM) 10 - 2:07:02, 4 John Hinam (KTM) 10 - 2:07:55, 5 Dylan Jones (Yamaha) 10 - 2:08:12, 6 Luke Meredith (???) 10 - 2:09:55.
Expert: 1 Ben Wootton (Suzuki) 10 - 2:09:22, 2 Robert Reese (KTM) 10 - 2:11:33, 3 Joe Deakin (D3 KTM) 10 - 2:11:37, 4 Lewis Belfield (KTM) 10 - 2:12:02, 5 Gary Daniels (KTM) 10 - 2:13:13, 6 Andrew Hackett (KTM) 10 - 2:15:10.
Clubman Two-Stroke: 1 Calem Hicks (Yamaha) 9 - 2:09:30, 2 Scott Clifford (Husqvarna) 9 - 2:11:27, 3 Tom Hirons (Yamaha) 9 - 2:11:43, 4 Sean O'Neill (Un-Known) 9 - 2:13:10, 5 Shaun Buchan (KTM) 9 - 2:14:02, 6 Oliver Hart (D3 KTM) 9 - 2:14:12.
Clubman four-stroke: 1 Mark Cheetham (Kawasaki) 9 - 2:15:40, 2 Richard Tucker (KTM) 8 - 2:01:25, 3 Daffyd Jones (Yamaha 250) 8 - 2:02:56, 4 Shaun Kersey (KTM) 8 - 2:04:15, 5 Paul Morgan (KTM) 8 - 2:04:55, 6 Rider No 288 (???) 8 - 2:07:00.
AM RACE
Over 40: 1 Keith Jenkins (KTM) 9 laps - 2:00:13 time, 2 Adrian Bradley (Suzuki) 9 - 2:01:22, 3 Mark Houson (Husqvarna) 9 - 2:03:43, 4 Chris Roberts (Unknown) 9 - 2:06:27, 5 Gareth Lloyd (KTM) 9 - 2:07:25, 6 Murray Thompson (???) 9 - 2:08:17.
Sportsman: 1 Liam Garbett (KTM) 9 laps - 2:13:06, 2 Christopher Pryce (Yamaha) 9 - 2:13:18, 3 Ryan Armitage (KTM) 8 - 2:03:31, 4 Steven Hurley (???) 8 - 2:04:41, 5 Scott Smith (KTM) 8 - 2:06:02, 6 Alec Trawford (KTM) 8 - 2:06:44.
Youth: 1 George Bayliss (Yamaha) 9 laps - 2:10:30, 2 Gethin Humphries (KTM) 8 - 2:00:26, 3 Joe Wootton (Suzuki) 8 - 2:04:56, 4 James Dent (Moto Supplies Husky) 8 - 2:07:29, 5 Luke Smith (KTM) 8 - 2:10:32, 6 Josh Snowden (KTM) 8 - 2:13:56.
Novice: 1 Ian Blackwell (Yamaha) 8 laps - 2:09:00, 2 Chris Coulson (???) 8 - 2:12:30, 3 Ashley Bowden (KTM) 7 - 2:00:31, 4 Gavin Beech (TM) 7 - 2:00:38, 5 Kieran Jordan (KTM) 7 - 2:01:40, 6 Michael Windsor (Yamaha) 7 - 2:02:11.
Ladies: 1 Jane Daniels (KTM) 8 laps - 2:13:11, 2 Sophie Thomas (Kawasaki) 7 - 2:07:22, 3 Kate Lloyd (Kawasaki) 6 - 2:03:40, 4 Stephanie Jewell (Gas Gas) 6 - 2:08:02, 5 Leah Jones (Honda) 6 - 2:20:10, 6 Rhian George (Suzuki) 5 - 2:07:11.
FOR FULL STORY SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009
Wayne Braybrook took a great holeshot in the Pro class until a crash on the second corner when two riders piled into him. To his credit, Wayne made a magnificent recovery, charging through from the back of the field to finish in sixth place.