Home comforts at Hawkstone
By TMX Archives on 17th Jul 09
LAST weekend Hawkstone Park, was buzzing. Once more a big classic contingent had descended on the famous track for the two-day Hawkstone Classic, but this time there was considerable European presence, all eager to do battle with those famous sandy slopes.The occasion? The final round of the ECMO European Classic Motocross Championship and the third round of the British Classic Scrambles championship. And three home riders Terry Challinor, Adrian Cox and Scott Hayworth had good cause to record it as a day to remember. SATURDAY
AFTER earlier rounds in Germany and Sweden, Saturday's programme was devoted entirely to the final round of the European championship. And how appropriate it turned out. With Terry Challinor and Adrian Cox leading their respective classes, but still in a position where both could be caught. The scene was set for some dramatic racing and one or two heart-stopping moments before they were both confirmed as European champions.
‘TC' was the first to clinch his title. On his ‘home' track Terry left the opposition in no doubt that he meant business. Like a rocket-ship off the start in both races, Terry was never headed and aced both legs, despite the close attention of his main rivals, Jan Keiser, Roland Gummeson and Oost Oostra. It was close and even a rare Challinor mistake in the second race, when he flirted with the track-side ropes, could not halt the unstoppable charge of the man in yellow.
In contrast, Adrian Cox had a much more tricky time. He was up against some top-class domestic opposition in the shape of Scott Hayworth and Carl Pope, as well as his main rivals in the series – Jan William Nielsen and our own Keith Best.
Scott Hayworth had a tremendous win in race one and he headed Carl Pope and Ady Cox after over 22-minutes of high speed dicing in the deep, dry sand. A good result for Ady as he kept Nielsen in fourth place.
Race two and it looked like Lady Luck had struck a bad streak. A crash on the first lap involving four riders, including Ady saw him relegated to the back, but with over 20 minutes to go it was early days yet. What he didn't know was that he had broken his right hand in the process. The remainder of the race was ridden in agony.
Scott Hayworth put in another commanding performance and so did Carl Pope to make it a British 1-2 with Nielsen in third. Ady clawed his way back to a painful sixth place (his worst in the series) but with the best five scores (from six) counting towards his final points total he was home and dry.
SUNDAY
IT dawned dry and bright on Sunday after steady overnight rain. But, thanks to some extensive grading the track was in prime condition to greet an entry in excess of 150 and a full programme including the third round of the British Classic Scrambles Championship, the Brian Nadin Memorial Cup and the Cliff Storey Memorial Shield.
If there was anybody in the crowd who thought that Scott Hayworth had scored a lucky double the previous day, they were much mistaken. Scott likes the sand, the deeper the better. He is also super-fit, a big advantage at Hawkstone and he made it pay, with another stirring performance to win both championship races.
Not even the most determined displays, coupled with some flashes of brilliance through the sandpit and up the famous hill, from Carl Pope and Andy Roberton, could halt the Hayworth express.
Those three drew away from the rest but there was very close racing for the minor places between Tim Dallaway, Paul Lippitt and Tim Manton. And in race 2 championship newcomer Glen Davey, riding a 250cc twin-port CZ, had a great ride for 8th place.
Elsewhere in the programme, the Brian Nadin Memorial Challenge Cup (Metisse & Pre-Units) was won by Dave Bell – for the fourth time. He won all three legs of the contest but was pushed all the way by some close racing between veteran Phil Edwards and teenager Chris Chell, ironically riding an ex-Brian Nadin Metisse. Young Chris won two of the three legs to edge Phil into third place.
Dave Bell performed his by now customary double hat trick by taking the Pre-60 class as well, a class which was poorly supported and combined with the Pre-68 Up to 350cc class. The latter had Tim Dallaway and Glen Davey in charge.
Another hat trick specialist is John Price and he duly walked away with the Pre-74 Up to 250cc class with Chris Storey in hot pursuit. While the big Pre-74 class saw top twin-shock exponent, Wayne Partington, ease Brian Littler into second place with a score of 2 legs to 1.
Another classic newcomer, Dan Eastwood, couldn't cope with Carl Pope and Shaun Lovegrove in the second and third legs of the Pre-68 unit class, but he was much too good for the rest in the first leg when Messrs Pope and Lovegrove were missing and took the class with a score of 1-3-3.
The Grand Slam for the Cliff Storey Memorial Shield, with £250 in cash to be distributed to the winners, rounded things off nicely. And so did Scott Hayworth. As if to confirm his superiority, he raced away with most of the money which must have made his long trip home to Essex a tad sweeter.
EUROPEAN CLASSIC MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
Age 35-Plus (Pre-72): 1 Scott Hayworth (GB - 500 Cheney BSA) 40+40=80, 2 Carl Pope (GB - 600 Cheney BSA) 37+37=74, 3 Jan William Nielsen (DK - 500 BSA Victor) 33+35=68, 4 Adrian Cox (GB - 500 TW BSA Victor) 35+30=65, 5 Keith Best (GB - 360 Bultaco) 31+33=64, 6 Wayne Partington (GB - 380 CZ) 27+31=58.
Final Series Standings: 1 Cox, 2 Nielsen (DK), 3 Best.
Age 50-Plus (Pre-70): 1 Peter Vann der Nieuwenhof (NL - 380 CZ) 40+40=80, 2 Ueli Utzinger (CH - 500 BSA B50) 33+35=68, 3 Walter Senn (CH - 500 Cheney BSA) 31+33=64,... 14 Roger Dunford (GB - 500 BSA Victor) 21+23=44,... 19 Kim Barker (GB - 441 BSA Victor) 18+19=37.
Final Series Standings: 1 Simon Schram (NL), 2 Goran Josefsson (S), 3 Utzinger (CH).
Age 60-Plus Pre-65: 1 Peter Willems (NL - 360 Lindstrom) 40+40=80, 2 Jens Skovsen (DK - 500 BSA Victor) 35+37=72, 3 Hans Astorsson (S - 360 CZ) 30+35=65,... 15 Peter Jerred (GB - 500 Cheney Triumph) 21+24=45.
Final Series Standings: 1 Peter Willems (NL), 2 Cai Larsen (DK), 3 Robbie Van der Straat (NL).
Age 66-Plus (Pre-65): 1 Terry Challinor (GB - 650 Triumph Metisse) 40+40=80, 2 Jan Keiser (NL - 650 Triumph Metisse) 35+37=72, 3 Oost Oostra (B - 500 Jawa Metisse) 37+35=72,... 7 Pat Aldridge (GB - 650 Triumph Metisse) 29+29=58,... 12 John Cashnella (GB - 441 BSA Victor) 24+24=48.
Final Series Standings: 1 Terry Challinor, 2 Roland Gummeson (S), 3 Keiser (NL).
BRITISH CLASSIC SCRAMBLES CHAMPIONSHIP
Race One: 1 Scott Hayworth (500 Cheney BSA), 2 Andy Roberton (500 Cheney BSA), 3 Carl Pope (500 Cheney BSA), 4 Tim Dallaway (500 SBP BSA Victor), 5 Paul Lippitt (441 BSA Victor), 6 Tim Manton (500 Jawa Wasp).
Race Two: 1 Hayworth, 2 Pope, 3 Andy Roberton (350 Cheney BSA), 4 Dallaway, 5 Manton, 6 Lippitt.
Brian Nadin Memorial Cup: 1 Dave Bell (500 ABS Jawa Metisse), 2 Chris Chell (500 Triumph Metisse), 3 Phil Edwards (650 Triumph Metisse), 4 Dave Cooper (650 Triumph Metisse).
Pre-60: 1 Dave Bell (650 Tribsa), 2 Bill Bourne (650 Tribsa), 3 Mike Evans (650 Tribsa).
Pre-68 up to 350cc: 1 Tim Dallaway (350 BSA), 2 Glen Davey (250 CZ), 3 Chris Collins (350 BSA).
Pre-68 over 350cc: 1 Dan Eastwood (441 Cheney BSA), 2 Carl Pope (500 Cheney BSA), 3 Shaun Lovegrove (500 Cheney BSA).
Pre-74 up to 250cc: 1 John Price (250 Honda), 2 Chris Storey (250 Honda), 3 Gerard Copping (250 CZ).
Pre-74 Over 250cc: 1 Wayne Partington (380 CZ), 2 Brian Littler (380 CZ), 3 Rupert Copping (380 CZ).
Grand Slam (Cliff Storey Memorial Shield): 1 Hayworth, 2 Roberton, 3 Pope, 4 Storey, 5 Partington, 6 Littler.
Carl Pope leads Andy Roberton (3) in a close Classic encounter at Hawkstone Park on Sunday.