Howard Stand's out
By TMX Archives on 30th Jul 09
THE fifth round of the RDH Auctions-sponsored National Twin-shock Championship took place last weekend at Warmingham Lane, Sandbach, hosted by the Cumbria Twin-shock Club.
A thunderstorm hit the circuit on Friday evening leaving the track very wet come Saturday morning for the first of two days of racing, although it did dry out midway through the day leaving the track at its best with each class getting their three races in.
Things didn't go to plan on Sunday morning either as more rain left the club with no option than to curtail racing after the first block, but what racing there was definitely separated the men from the boys, with only the best riders getting around the saturated track.
The MD Racing Over 50 class were first out and it was Martin Snape who led the charge, but on lap two Pete Mathia swept past to take the win from Snape, Phil Wadsworth and Pete Austin. Mathia managed to hit the front early in leg two, once more keeping Snape and Terry Connor at bay.
Leg three saw Snape chase Mathia down all the way to the flag with Alan Hardy third. Snape saved his best till last when on the Sunday in the muddy conditions, he came round well in front after Mathia had a tumble which left him dead last. Snape coasted home to victory, but Mathia came through the pack to finish second from Hardy and take the overall spoils.
In the MD Racing Over 60 class it was business as usual for Jack McEwan who bagged four straight victories, even managing to beat most of the Over 50 riders in the process.
Next up was the Wulfsport Masters class with Alex Rach starting as he left off at Bass with victory from team mate Matt Stephenson and fast finishing Carl Lillywhite. Race two was a different story as reigning champion Roy Wells took a start to finish victory holding off Howard Standfield and Lillywhite.
Race three was a cracker with Stephenson seemingly assured of victory until a last lap mistake gifted victory to Standfield. With all to play for in the final leg it was Standfield who emerged victorious and with it clinched the overall and a set of tyres kindly donated by Brian Williams from Wildmoor KTM.
This year's CI Sport/ DEP Pipes Intermediates class is a real treat as different winners emerge at every round, and so it proved once more with a maiden win from Martin Speak, Chris Woodward swapped to this class and grabbed leg two, Graham Clegg, out for over a year, took leg three and finally Mark Connole tamed the mud on the Sunday for his first win.
Come the final reckoning and it was Chris Woodward who claimed the overall from Gary Murfin on best last race result, with Martin Speak taking the final podium place.
National Twin-shock Championship
Rd 5 – Warmingham Lane, Sandbach
(Cumbria TSC)
MD Racing Over 50: 1 Pete Mathia, 2 Martin Snape, 3 Phil Wadsworth, 4 Terry Connor, 5 Peter Austin, 6 Alan Hardy.
MD Racing Over 60: 1 Jack McEwan, 2 Bill Brown, 3 Michael May, 4 Dennis Slythe, 5 Bill Findley.
Wulfsport Masters: 1 Howard Standfield, 2 Roy Wells, 3 Russ Hartill, 4 Alan Eaves, 5 Matt Stephenson, 6 Russell Watson.
CI Sport/ DEP Pipes Intermediate: 1 Chris Woodward 2 Gary Murfin 3 Martin Speak 4 Mark Connole 5 Gav Baldwin 6 Steve Thornton.
Toughsheet Recycling 125cc: 1 Lee Holland, 2 John Davis, 3 Ryan Newbury, 4 Sean McCrea, 5 Adrian Hoskins, 6 Graham Appleton.
Falcon Shocks 250cc: 1 Lee Hartill, 2 Dean Haughton, 3 Andy Holland, 4 Chris Whittle, 5 Aaron Jordan, 6 Steve Kitching.
Cheshire County Crossers Veteran: 1 Gary Parker, 2 Lance Marshall, 3 Lee Davies, 4 Steve Ward, 5 Robert Dobson, 6 Phil Daley.
LPE Clubman: 1 Mike Murphy, 2 Chris Anderton, 3 Martyn Williams, 4 Rod Spry, 5 Trevor Guy, 6 Dom Bratt.
Motolink Yamaha Evolution: 1 Gary Parker, 2 Richard Chinn, 3 Lance Marshall, 4 Roy Wells, 5 Paul Coward, 6 Chris Whittle.
Burrows Haulage ‘Rider of The Meeting': Martyn Williams.
FOR FULL, REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009