Hawkstone Park joint Dirt Store ACU British Championship/Fastest 40 race report

By Team TMX on 6th Aug 24

News Motocross British Motocross Championship British Youth Nationals MX Nationals

History was made as the promoters of the Dirt Store ACU British Motocross Championship and Motul Fastest 40 series took the unprecedented step of joining forces and holding a combined round that paid points to both series in an effort to boost start line numbers and provide a better spectacle for spectators. And it worked a treat as race fans flocked through the gates to Hawkstone Park and lined the fences. Luckily for riders, officials and spectators alike, the heatwave from the preceding week eased off for the weekend, and even the light rain on Sunday didn’t seem to bother anyone.

The MX1 races were dominated by Jeffrey Herlings, on his Red Bull KTM. Fresh from victory at the last round of the World Championships at Lommel in Belgium, The Bullet was fastest in qualifying and won both Pro MX1 races.

While Herlings was doing his thing in the MX1 class, former sparring partner Tommy Searle (Dirt Store Kawasaki) was winning the hotly contested Pro MX2 races with his teammate Joel Rizzi, the race one winner, making it a Dirt Store Kawasaki 1-2.

Herlings loves Hawkstone, and it was evident from his qualifying time that it would be hard to even stay with him, let alone beat him around the once very sandy circuit. Still, no one told Bobby Bruce (Bike it Kawasaki), as Bobby got the holeshot at the start of the first Pro MX1 race and led for half a lap until Herlings slipped by him before just disappearing into the distance.

Carlton Husband (Phoenix Evenstrokes Kawasaki) gated third, with Josh Gilbert (Gabriel SS24 KTM) fourth, followed by Tom Grimshaw (Apico Honda), Tristan Purdon (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) and Grimshaw's teammate Martin Barr seventh. However, reigning champion Conrad Mewse (Crendon Tru7 Honda) missed the start entirely and was way down in 11th place when the pack completed the first lap.

For the rest of the 14-lap race, Herlings just pulled further and further away, with Bruce hanging on to second place till half distance when a flying Mewse sliced his way past him into second. Husband slipped down the running order to finish in eighth place as Gilbert snatched third from Bruce with four laps to go, only to have Purdon take that place from him on the penultimate lap.

Bruce ended his race in fifth, with Brad Todd (DK Offroad Honda) coming from ninth at the start to finish sixth. Barr was running a solid sixth till a small off dropped him back to ninth after a tussle over that place with Jason Meara (Moto-Cycle Racing GASGAS).

Herlings’ winning margin was almost 37 seconds from Mewse.

At the start of race two, Herlings shot into the lead from Mewse and Bruce. The three of them just pulled away from the rest of the pack, with Bruce impressively staying with them.

This left the question of who would be fourth an interesting one. Grimshaw held fourth for four laps until Meara slipped past him, and then, two laps later, both Todd and Gilbert found a way past.

Just past the halfway point, Todd and Gilbert relegated Meara to sixth place, as Gilbert finished the race in fourth place from Todd, Meara, Husband, Grimshaw and with Dan Thornhill (Chambers KTM) ninth – the last rider not to be lapped by the leaders.

Overall, with two race wins, Herlings again won from Mewse and Bruce, with Gilbert missing out but finishing on the same points as Bruce.

"It's been a perfect day for me as I led every single lap," said a happy Herlings. "It's been a good riding day as we had more feedback on the bike settings and that is always good,” he added. "I always like riding this track but have never ridden it in this good condition. I usually come here in February for the International event, and it's always raining, cold, and muddy. So, coming here in good weather has been a lot of fun. I enjoyed the racing, especially the second race when Conrad Mewse was behind and pushing me. We had a good pace, and I enjoyed it very much.”

Mewse, when asked about his start in the first race, said, “To be honest, it was my fault. Usually, when I go training in the week, I get the start to mesh out and do lots of practice starts. Lately, I have been slipping and not doing my homework, which led to a bad start in the first race and a bad start in Lommel. We dialled it in for the second race, nearly got the holeshot there, and just tried to hang on to Jeffrey (Herlings) for as long as I could.”

"I have been on the 450 about five weeks now and when I got on it, it all seemed to click into place,” said third-placed Bruce. “When the opportunity came to race it, I jumped at the chance. I raced it in the Loket and Lommel GPs and brought it here to race. I surprised myself in the first race with the holeshot but rode a bit tight and didn't have the best lines or a good flow. I was excited for the second race and gated third and finished in the position. It felt like a win to me, finishing behind those fast boys Jeffrey and Conrad.”

Rizzi got the holeshot at the start of the first Pro MX2 race from teammate Searle and Billy Askew (DRT Kawasaki), who was returning from injury. But while this was going on, series leader Jack Chambers (Bike it Kawasaki) and Dylan Walsh (MSR Kawasaki) were involved in a first-turn multi-bike crash, which left both championship contenders at the back of the pack on a track that was very hard to pass on.

But by the end of the opening lap, Cas Valk (Gabriel SS24 KTM) had charged up the pack from fifth to third place, passing Joe Brookes (426 Motorsports KTM) and Askew on the way. Walsh had moved up five places, while Chambers was up six, but both were stuck mid-field.

Also making his comeback from injury was Elliott Banks-Browne, who had lost none of his starting skills as he gated sixth but dropped back to 11th place before dropping out of the race because he could not hold on to the bars around the testing Hawkstone track.

The race was red-flagged with about four laps to go when Ben Mustoe (ASA United Gas Gas) rider crashed on the big tabletop jump before the bridge and lay unconscious on the landing. He reported later that he was OK.

On a lap count back, Rizzi was declared the winner from Searle, Valk, Askew, and Brookes.

Searle was not messing around in race two. He got the holeshot and powered away from Askew, Brooks, Chamber, and Valk. However, as Brookes slipped down the running order and Rizzi and Walsh made their move towards the front of the race, from sixth and seventh at the start, Askew crashed down to fifth.

At the halfway point, with Searle railing the berms out in the lead, Chambers, Valk, Rizzi, and Walsh looked like a freight train, running nose to tail, around the fast track.

Valk and Rizzi swapped places before Valk claimed third place behind the winner, Searle and Chambers. Askew was fifth, with Walsh chasing him over the finish line. 

Overall, it was Searle from Rizzi and Valk with Askew missing out on a podium but still having a good comeback ride.

“I have had a perfect day as it's my first overall win of the year in the British Championship,” said a happy Searle, "I got a second in the first race and backed that up with a second race win for the overall. And with my teammate Joel Rizzi, second, it's a Dirt Store Kawasaki one-two.

“The starts made a big difference today and I had my own lines, which is essential around here as it is a bit one-line. If I had got a bad start, I would have struggled to come through, like anyone else.”

“It's been a great day as I was fastest in qualifying, got the holeshot in the first race, and led it from start to finish,” said the ever-smiling Rizzi about his second overall. “It was a bit like my Canada Heights win as I controlled the race from the front. It's a shame it was red-flagged, but I hope the rider is OK.

“The second race was one hell of a race. I actually enjoyed the second race more than the first race win. I was sixth at the start, Jack, Cas and I were having a really good battle where you just shut off your brain and go flat out and give it your all. But my teammate Tommy was giving it a masterclass in the lead and we couldn’t catch him.”

With two race wins, Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM) won the ACU Apico 2-stroke Festival 125 class overall from Matt Bayliss (S Briggs GASGAS) and Jamie Keith (MBR / PXM Yamaha). In the Adult part of the race, Bayliss was the winner from Neville Bradshaw (Yamaha) and Daniel Brough (Rutzz Racing Husqvarna). Vail, meanwhile, was the overall winner of the Youth class from Keith and Charlie Richmond (KTM).

This was the last round of the Fastest 40’s Honda CRF250R Cup, and Dylan Woodcock, with two second-place finishes and a win, was the overall winner. Race one winner Adam Chatfield was second overall and Howard Wainwright was third. Series winner and recipient of the brand-new Honda was Wainwright, who beat Henry Williams into second place in the championship by just six points. The two had a spirited discussion about race tactics after the first race.

With two race wins and a second place, Scott Aldridge (Feehily MX KTM) won the Amateur MX1 class from Josh Greedy (Yamaha) and Aiden Bruce (Husqvarna) while in the Amateur MX2 class, Reece Jones (KTech KTM) won from Raife Broadley (Fantic) and Rory Jones (KTM).

In the Dirt Store 250 Youth class, it was a win for Reece Jones (KTech KTM), as he is riding both championships, from Rory Jones (KTM) and Jack Meara (Moto-Cycle GASGAS)

Only eight points separated the top two in the Clubman MX1 class as Alex Christopher (SDG Access KTM) won from Harry Fletcher (Honda) and Harvey Pomphrett (Honda).

It was even tighter in the Clubman MX2 class as George Clarke (JS Clarke KTM), who waited till the third and last race to score a win, took the overall from Cory Collins (KTM) and Daniel Ashmore (KTM). Before the last race, it looked like Alex Hamer (KTM) was likely to be the overall winner but after winning his first two races, he crashed in his last race and only scored three points. That was enough for fourth overall but it must have been disappointing.

Finley Pickering (Mr T’s Racing KTM) and Hayden Statt (Manchester MC Husqvarna) tied at the top of the Dirt Store Big Wheel 85s, with Pickering taking the overall by his higher-place finish in the last leg. Alfie Geddes-Green (Matt Pope GASGAS) was third.

Nixon Coppins (Yamaha) won the Small Wheel 85s with two race wins and a second place. Race one winner Arthur Moore (RMJ SJP KTM) was second, with Harley Marczak (JMR Foundation KTM) third overall.

Results

Pro MX1

Pro MX2

ACU Apico 2-Stroke British 125 Championship

125cc Adults

1 Bayliss 50, 2 Bradshaw 44, 3 Brough 40, 4 Roberts 32, 5 Edgerton 29, 6 Bullock 27, 7 Bache 18, 8 Hamer 18, 9 Lewis 15.

125cc Youth

1 Vail 50, 2 Keith 44, 3 Richmond 40, 4 Walker 36, 5 Haddock 32, 6 Lee 28, 7 Harris 26, 8 Bubb 26, 9 Spratt 26, 10 Brearey 15.

Honda Cup

Amateur MX1

Amateur MX2

Dirt Store 250

Clubman MX1

Clubman MX2

Dirt Store Big Wheel 85

Dirt Store Small Wheel 85

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