Michelin MX Nationals Monster Mountain Race Report & Pictures
By Dick Law on 6th Jun 23
On top of a mountain above the valleys of Wales, over 300 mad keen motocross riders gathered along with around 6,000 spectators for round two of the Michelin MX Nationals – and what a show it was! Tons and tons of earth had been moved over weeks and weeks into hills, jumps, berms, and even an adverse camber turn to create the very impressive Monster Mountain MX track. It's a very, very long track sculptured into the landscape and was luckily bathed in hot sunshine both days of the two-day event.
Harri Kullas (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha) got the holeshot at the start of the first combined MX1 and MX2 pro race but was quickly passed a quarter of the way around the opening lap by Conrad Mewse (Crendon Fastrack Honda).
Mewse’s teammate Josh Gilbert had gated third and slipped by Kullas before the end of the lap, while John Adamson (ASA United GASGAS) got cross-rutted and dropped from fourth to 10th.
Ivo Monticelli (ASA United GASGAS) was making a comeback from an injury at round one of the Revo British Championship and took full advantage of his teammate Adamson’s slip off and took over fourth place as Jason Meara (JM 10 Moto-cycle Racing Honda), Tom Grimshaw (Chambers GASGAS), Charlie Putnam (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna), Jamie Carpenter (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha), and Dan Thornhill (Chambers GASGAS) all moved up a place.
While Mewse, Gilbert, Kullas, and Monticelli stayed in the same running order to the end of the race, Meara and Grimshaw fought over fifth place, with the two riders changing position many times, till, on lap eight, Meara crashed out of the race leaving Grimshaw to make fifth his own.
Adamson was flying after his crash and fought back to sixth at the end of the race, while Putnam came off his machine, relegating himself back to 30th place. He finished 22nd and a lap down on the leaders. Carpenter was seventh, with Thornhill a place behind him.
The Monster Mountain track, with its long start straight and massive jumps, was always going to give an advantage to the bigger MX1 bikes over the smaller MX2 machines.
Glenn McCormick (Chambers GASGAS) was the first of the MX2 riders around turn one, followed by Jamie Wainwright (Redline KTM) and Carlton Husband (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki) as overall favourite Charlie Cole (Blades Bikes Kawasaki) crashed to the back of the pack with a lot of work to do.
Wainwright had passed McCormick for the MX2 lead by the end of the first lap as Husband slipped back three places, but as the race continued, Husband upped his pace and repassed six other riders on his way to 10th in the race, but first MX2 home.
McCormick put on a last-lap charge and snatched a place from the hands of Wainwright as the pair finished 11th and 13th on the track but second and third in the MX2 class. As for the unlucky Cole. He regrouped and fought his way back from 30th to finish 15th in the race but fourth MX2 and the last person on the lead lap.
Once again, Kullas got the holeshot at the start of race two and once again, Gilbert found a way past him by the end of the lap. Behind them, it was Grimshaw, Meara, Monticelli, Mewse and Carpenter.
Grimshaw was a bit tentative on the opening laps and slipped back to sixth, with Mewse fighting off Monticelli on lap two as he took over third place, with Meara being relegated to fifth place.
While Grimshaw and Carpenter fought over sixth place, the running order of Gilbert from Kullas, Mewse, Monticelli, and Meara stayed the same till the very last lap when Mewse used the backmarkers to snatch second place – and second overall – from the Yamaha rider.
On the MX2 side of things, Cole had gated 10th, had Wainwright in his wheel tracks, and had McCormick two places further back as they fought for the MX2 lead amongst the bigger MX1 machines.
After changing the lead with Wainwright several times, Cole established himself in eighth on the track but first of the MX2s. Wainwright finished in 10th place for second in MX2, with McCormick third. Unfortunately, Husband didn't get the start he wanted and didn't seem to get going as he finished sixth MX2, behind Joe Brooks and Charlie Heyman (Tru7 Honda).
“It’s been a good day overall,” said a happy MX1 overall winner Gilbert. "In the first race, I just didn't feel as comfortable on the bike as I should do but we changed a couple of things in the suspension and I thank Moto 33 for that – I felt a lot more comfortable for race two. I thought I was going to get the holeshot, but Harri Kullas just got there before me. So, I tucked in behind him and moved for the lead early on to get into the fresh air and get my head down and go. I thought I had some good racing lines, and to be honest, it was one of the easiest races I have had for a long while. It's nice when you have races like that as you feel like your almost in cruise mode".
Mewse was second overall, saying – "I just didn't get the start I wanted in both races. In the first race, I managed to hold the inside line to make up some places, but in the second, I got a good jump out of the gate but hit a bump halfway up the start, throwing me to one side, which put me behind. But I managed to pull through and get second place on the very last lap for the same points as my teammate Josh Gilbert. I enjoyed the new track as it is very technical, and I went the wrong way with the settings on my suspension, but we live and learn and move on to the next race.”
Third-place rider Kullas was unhappy with his day. "Third again, and that's about it,” he said. “I enjoyed my racing today as the track was quite tricky with a lot of ruts and quite technical in places and a bit sketchy in others. But I enjoyed it, I seem to be missing the little bit of extra speed in the first ten minutes to keep me with Mewse and Gilbert. It's not much but I must find it.”
The overall winner of the Pro MX2 class, Cole said – “It’s been a good day considering we had a bit of a mechanical issue in the first race that put me half a lap behind at the start. So, to come back to fourth in that race and that is amazing. I am happy with my riding now, but keeping things going at this level is hard.”
"Overall, we had a good day, to be fair,” said MX2 runner-up Jamie Wainright before rushing off to the TT. “I qualified sixth, which is good for me as I usually struggle with qualifying. I got a horrible start in the first race and came around on the first lap second to last, I think, but I worked my way through to the front. I burnt myself out too much at about the 22-minute mark and made a silly mistake and dropped in a corner when the front wheel washed out. After that, I got going again and finished third. In the second race, I got a mega start and rounded the first turn as the second MX2 rider. I made a pass for the lead but had a bobble in one of the corners again when I dropped into a deep rut. I finished second overall and I’m now leading the championship. A great day and I would like to thank all the people that help me".
McCormick was third overall. "I had a really good day coming away with a second and a third which I am happy with but not satisfied with. In both races, I got good starts, well out of the 250s, that is.
“I was also frustrated in the first one as I let Carton Husband get away from me in the middle stages as I knew I would be strong come the end of the race.
“Unfortunately, I didn't have enough for Charlie Cole and Jamie Wainwright in race two, as they were riding very well. I had an injury at the first round of the British and missed four weeks of riding, and since then, I have been building up every week, race by race, edging closer to the front.
“Obviously, it's not the same without having all of the British championship guys here but I am happy that I am making steps forward, starting to get in the mix, and really enjoying my racing. I want to add a big thanks to Tim Chambers for all he does for us all, and it's nice to give him something back by getting on the podium.”
With three race wins and a second place, Ben Edwards won the Expert MX1 class from race one winner and wildcard rider Josh Waterman. Jayden Ashwell (AJP Geartec Husqvarna) was third, with Jay McCrum just missing out on a podium position.
In Expert MX2, Ashley Greedy (Darjen Contractors GASGAS) won his first three races but while in the lead of his fourth and final race of the weekend, he was passed by Jimmy Margetson (AJP Geartec Husqvarna) on his way to second overall, with Mathew Bayliss (Darjen Contractors GASGAS).
Wildcard rider Scott Elderfield won three out of his four races on his way to the Amateur MX1 overall, with race four winner Sean Wainwright (Fasteddy Racing Honda) second and Josh Greedy (Darjen Contractors Kawasaki) tied in third with Luke Mellows (Forty-Four Honda).
Wildcard riders took three out of the top four places in the Amateur MX2 class as Ben Clarke, with two wins and two third places, took the overall from race two winner Raife Broadley (723 Race Bikes GASGAS) while the winner of the last race Wal Beaney was third, just five points behind the winner.
Tallon Aspden (LA Groundwork KTM), with three wins and a second place, won the Clubman MX1 class from Darren Manning-Coe, who was second in all four of his races as Daniel Chapman, the winner of the last race of the weekend was third while Drew Lane just missed out on the podium by two points.
Sam Ongley (Fantic) won all four Clubman MX2 races from Matt Tolly and Charlie West.
In the Youth MXY2 class, Billy Askew (GTCi Revo Kawasaki) won all four of his races and remains unbeaten so far this year. Behind him, Domonic Newbury (426 Motosport KTM) and Mackenzie Marshall (DK Offroad Yamaha) were separated by just three points as they finished the weekend in second and third overall.
Reece Jones (SJP Moto Husqvarna) was third in his first race of the weekend but from then on won the other three to take first overall in the MXY125s. Jake Walker (Mr T Racing KTM), who didn't finish out of the top four all weekend, was second, with a race-three low score pushing Tyla Hooley (Fantic) down to third.
Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM), with two race wins, a second and a third place, took the overall win in the BW85s with Cumbrian Jamie Keith, who didn't finish out of the top three all weekend, second ahead of Charlie Richmond.
With a couple of wins and a couple of second places, Joel Winstanley-Dawson (Techsource Racing KTM) won the SW85s from race one winner Lucas Lee (Husqvarna) and Ollie Truman.
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