Red Bull signs off in style

With the two-day schedule rejigged to take into account an impending monsoon on the Sunday, the pros took to the track on the Saturday for a pair of bar-banging 25-minute plus two lap motos. 

 

With a 19-point lead heading into Culham the Buildbase Honda rider was in a commanding position – although the title was by no means a done deal – and championship rival Martin Barr, on the Tyco Suzuki by TAS, came out with the bit between his teeth.

 

Race one was a bad-tempered affair with the championship top two making contact on a number of occasions, before a stall by Aubin handed the advantage to the Irishman and helped diffuse the situation by putting daylight between the pair. 

 

By this point MVR-D Honda's Jason Dougan had the race win in the bag from flying MX2 pilot Graham Irwin on the Emberson Yamaha. Barr was looking good for third until Doog's Estonian team-mate Gert Krestinov nipped past on the final lap. 

 

The move pinched a couple of points from Barr, which meant Aubin's advantage was cut to 17 points with just one race to go.

 

While Irwin was taking 25 points in the MX2 division, Bradshaw – who'd dislocated his shoulder just two days before – was toughing it out, as he battled with Steven Lenoir.

 

The Frenchman, having been fired from the Emberson Yamaha team the previous day, was racing a Tyco Suzuki by TAS machine. With a 32-point lead at the start of the day over Lenoir the Evotech Stevens Honda rider just had to secure a solid finish to regain the title he won in 2009. 

 

But the 29-year-old was determined to sign off in style and he fought through the pain barrier to come home second MX2 rider and take the 2012 championship.

 

"It's brilliant,” said Nev.

 

"But that was a painful race. I knew when I got a decent start that the championship was on and that I just wanted to go out there and put the title out of reach.

 

"It's been a tough season but me and the team have never given up and this makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

 

After Barr went down on the opening lap the second moto was a bit of an anti-climax as Aubin kept a cool head, didn't take any chances and brought it home fifth in the race and third in class to take the MX1 crown.

 

Krestinov raced to victory and the overall on the day. He  was  chased across the line by Bradshaw and Irwin. Barr 

 

 

battled through from more or less dead last to cross the line 10th, for second in the championship ahead of Krestinov.

 

 

Rd 7 – Culham MP, nr Abingdon (Events22)

Rookie Class

 1 Jake Millward (Oakleaf Kaw) 45 + 39 + 45 + 45 + 42 = 216

 2 James Harrison (Lanes Kaw) 42 + 45 + 42 + 39 + 39 = 207

 3 Ben Watson (PAR RB Honda) 39 + 36 + 39 + 42 + 45 = 201

 4 Dan Thornhill (Meredith Suzuki) 36 + 42 + 33 + 36 + 24 = 171

 5 Robert Davidson (Plumco Hon) 26 +  0 + 36 + 26 + 33 = 121

 6 Ashley Smith (???) 30 + 33 + 11 + 24 + 22 = 120

 7 Damon Brooks (Kaw UK) 14 + 24 + 24 + 22 + 28 = 112

 8 Matt Callaghan (PD Honda) 33 +  0 + 22 + 15 + 26 = 96

 9 Joe Bamfield (ET Stevens Hon)  0 +  0 + 26 + 33 + 36 = 95

10 Lloyd Pettett (Honda)  4 + 28 + 30 + 30 +  0 = 92

FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 7 rounds: 1 Jake Millward 1316 points (CHAMPION), 2 Dan Thornhill 1164, 3 Ben Watson 1068, 4 Harrison 1060, 5 Divall 949, 6 Davidson 885, 7 Callaghan 680, 8 Bamfield 665, 9 Putnam 633, 10 Kelly 597,...

Big-wheel 85cc Class

 1 Mitchell Lewis (MXW Honda) 42 + 45 + 30 + 36 + 28 = 181

 2 Scooter Webster (VR KTM) 28 + 42 + 26 + 42 + 36 = 174

 3 Alfie Bowtell (Helipad Co KTM) 22 + 33 + 36 + 33 + 42 = 166

 4 Todd Kellett (Twisted7 TG Kaw) 39 +  0 + 33 + 45 + 45 = 162

 5 Jordan Moxey (KTM) 30 + 36 + 39 + 30 + 24 = 159

 6 Jay Hague (JLP KTM) 36 +  7 + 42 + 39 + 18 = 142

 7 Taylor Hammal (KTM) 24 + 30 + 24 + 26 + 30 = 134

 8 Will Keogh (VR KTM) 26 + 39 +  0 + 22 + 39 = 126

 9 Connor Hughes (Ducksm't KTM) 45 + 24 + 19 + 16 +  0 = 104

10 Alfie Mountford (KTM) 12 + 22 + 18 + 24 + 26 = 102

FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 7 rounds: 1 Josh Gilbert 1226 points (CHAMPION), 2 Todd Kellett 1051, 3 Scooter Webster 1001, 4 Lewis 964, 5 Gradie Featherstone 875, 6 Bowtell 874, 7 Moxey 819, 8 Keogh 813, 9 Jordan Eccles 793, 10 Gatenby 631,...

Small-wheel 85cc Class

 1 Keenan Hird (Motone KTM) 45 + 39 + 45 + 42 + 39 = 210

 2 Marcus Phelps (Intertherm KTM) 19 + 42 + 39 + 45 + 42 = 187

 3 Alexander Brown (KTM) 39 + 26 + 36 + 39 + 45 = 185

 4 Tom Hume (FTS Susp KTM) 18 + 45 + 28 + 30 + 36 = 157

 5 G Grigg-Pettitt (P-band KTM) 42 + 30 + 20 + 33 + 30 = 155

 6 Jed Etchells (Hardcore KTM) 30 + 28 + 26 + 36 + 33 = 153

 7 Charlie Cole (KTM) 36 + 36 + 33 + 19 + 28 = 152

 8 James McFayden (Feehily KTM) 24 + 22 + 42 + 20 + 26 = 134

 9 Joe Jacques (KTM) 28 + 33 + 24 + 24 +  0 = 109

10 Harry Kimber (Twisted7 TG Kaw) 20 + 16 + 22 + 26 + 20 = 104

FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 7 rounds: 1 Keenan Hird 1286 points (CHAMPION), 2 Marcus Phelps 1168, 3 George Grigg-Pettitt 929, 4 Brown 886, 5 McFayden 883, 6 Douglas 823, 7 Etchells 743, 8 Jacques 700, 9 Cole 687, 10 Woodcock 625,... 

Junior 65cc Class

 1 Ben Clark (Aim KTM) 39 + 36 + 39 + 45 + 39 = 198

 2 Tom Grimshaw (P-band KTM) 42 + 26 + 42 + 30 + 45 = 185

 3 Scott Russell (AMI Algas KTM) 19 + 45 + 36 + 42 + 30 = 172

 4 Rossi Beard (Bespoke Spas KTM) 36 + 33 + 20 + 36 + 42 = 167

 5 Callum Gasson (Albion Kaw) 22 + 28 + 22 + 39 + 36 = 147

 6 Kacey Hird (Motone KTM) 30 + 24 + 26 + 33 + 33 = 146

 7 Raivo Dankers (KTM) 45 + 17 + 45 + 18 + 19 = 144

 8 Christopher Mills (P-land KTM) 28 + 39 + 28 + 28 + 0 = 123

 9 Ryan Thomson (Drysdale KTM) 17 + 22 + 17 + 19 + 28 = 103

10 Joel Rizzi (KTM) 20 + 13 + 14 + 24 + 24 = 95

FINAL SERIES STANDINGS after 7 rounds: 1 Tom Grimshaw 1284 points (CHAMPION), 2 Christopher Mills 1265, 3 Scott Russell 1192, 4 Beard 1133, 5 Gasson 969, 6 Clark 892, 7 Hird 778, 8 Ford 695, 9 Jack Wankling 639, 10 Thomson 626,...