Revo ACU British Motocross Championship Blaxhall Report and Results
By Dick Law on 30th May 23
News Motocross British Motocross Championship
Once again, the Crendon Fastrack Honda pairing of Conrad Mewse and Josh Gilbert dominated the Blaxhall round of the Revo ACU British motocross championships at the Woodbridge club's excellent circuit in Suffolk.
In the MX2 class, Isak Gifting on his 426 Motorsport/ Stebbings GASGAS was in a class of his own and notched up two race wins and the overall, despite a crash halfway around the last lap of race two.
The event was slightly marred by several red flags, false starts and a broken start gate which meant the racing went on a bit later than planned. One useful rider told the club that they should have a spare gate!
Brad Todd (C-Res Bikesport Honda) didn't have the best start to his day as in the first quarter of a lap into qualifying, he landed in a soft patch of dirt at the bottom of a jump and went over the handlebars. Unfortunately, Shaun Simpson (Gabriel SS24 KTM) did the same thing over the next jump, resulting in the first red flag stoppage. It lasted for 30 minutes, with Simpson being taken to hospital. His condition was not known at the time of writing.
Harri Kullas (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha) got the holeshot at the start of the first MX1 race ahead of Evgeny Bobryshev (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna), Gilbert and Mewse as John Adamson (ASA United GASGAS), Tom Grimshaw (Chambers GASGAS), and Jay Hague (Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki) all took first lap tumbles and relegated themselves to the back of the pack.
On lap two, the ever-improving Gilbert slipped around the outside of Kullas and into the lead while Mewse stole third from Bobryshev. With another lap down, it was a Honda one-two as Mewse started to close the gap on his teammate Gilbert.
Around 10 minutes in and Mewse took over the lead and for the rest of the race, Gilbert stayed with him doing all he could to get that number one position back. Finally, as the finish flag fell, Mewse crossed the line just over 10 seconds clear of Gilbert, with Kullas a further seven seconds back.
Bobryshev was fourth, albeit just over a minute off the lead, followed by Tristan Purdon (Gabriel SS24 KTM), James Carpenter (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha), Ashton Dickinson (Talk Templant KTM), Liam Knight (Gabriel Holeshot KTM) and Steven Clarke (Store 114 Honda).
As for the first lap crashers, Grimshaw finished 15th, Hague was a place behind him, and Adamson was 19th.
At the start of race two, Mewse got the holeshot from Kullas, Gilbert and Bobryshev and apart from Gilbert passing Kullas by the end of the first lap, the order stayed the same, with Mewse taking his second win of the day by almost 18 seconds from teammate Gilbert. Kullas was third, with Bobryshev spending all race in fourth place. But it was all change behind them as Todd was in fifth for a couple of laps till Adamson passed him on his way to finishing fifth. Purdon came from ninth to sixth with Dickinson, after several passes finishing in seventh place.
Overall, it was Mewse from Gilbert and Bobryshev while in the championship, the new red plate holder Mewse has a seven-point lead over Kullas, with Gilbert third, 11 points off the lead.
"I am getting there after a couple of not-so-good races," said a philosophical Mewse. "It's good as I was fastest in qualifying and two race wins. It's true that I had to work for them but I had a comfortable lead come the end of the race. I had to be smart about my racing today, as I usually try to win the race by the biggest margin possible.
“But today, it was a bit more relaxed and watching the track more. I didn't get the best of starts but I managed to work my way to the front. Josh (Gilbert) was on it today and had some good speed but I just ticked my laps off, maintaining some good pace and went 1-1 so it couldn't have been a better day".
"I have lost a little bit in the championship today,” said runner-up Gilbert. “I think it's gone from eight points behind Harri to 11 points behind Conrad now. We are pushing on at the minute. I know the speed is good, but there are two or three little things I need to work on to get that bit better. Then I think I will be getting a few more wins.”
With his third place overall, Kullas has now lost the red championship leader’s plate. “The results are what they are as long as I give the racing 100 per cent – that's all I could do today,” said Harri afterwards. “I am sad but not unhappy and it is what it is. We have been working a lot of long hours on the bike as this week we have had some new parts we have been waiting for. It's the end of May, and we are a bit behind with the bike when others had their bikes ready from the start of the year. It's the way of the world at the moment, and our bike is all new, but we are well on the way now.
“We have had trouble with the starts at earlier rounds but we have that sorted now and I had two holeshots today which is good. I was riding well but I had nothing for Conrad and Josh, so 3-3 for third overall is okay.”
It took three attempts to get the first MX2 race underway. The first start was red-flagged after only half of the start gate fell after the first MX1 race had damaged it. The club worked franticly to repair it but as it looked like it would take too long, the race started with a flag start. The first attempt had to be red-flagged as some of the riders didn't understand the procedure, with one rider (no name mentioned) reaching the first turn 20 feet clear of the rest. The second attempt was an excellent start for a flag start.
Bobby Bruce (ASA United GASGAS) finally got the holeshot from series leader Gifting, Elliott Banks-Browne (Geartec Husqvarna), Sam Nunn (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha), Jamie Wainwright (WPH Redline KTM) and wildcard rider Joel Rizzi.
By the end of the lap, as Rizzi crashed back to 13th place, Gifting was in the lead and seemed to cruise off into the distance, leaving Bruce and Banks-Browne to fight over second place.
Banks-Browne snatched second place from Bruce on lap five, with Nunn's chance of a high points score coming to an end as a mechanical problem forced him back to the paddock. Wainwright took over fourth, but only for a couple of laps before the on-form Charlie Cole (Blades Bikes Kawasaki), from ninth at the start, passed him.
After his fall, Rizzi flew through the field of talented riders and relegated Wainwright back another place with two laps to go and the pair finished fifth and sixth with Mel Pocock (GTCI Revo Kawasaki) seventh.
The race's hard charger was Taylor Hammal (Gabriel SS24 KTM). At the end of the first lap, he was 33rd but by the end of the 14-lap race, he was 11th, having passed twenty-two other riders on the way.
The poor MX2 riders were suffering today as even with the start gate fixed, it took a couple of red flags to get race two underway.
Once again, Bruce got the holeshot from Rizzi, Cole, Banks-Browne, and Gifting. Rizzi took the lead as Bruce seemed to struggle, Gifting passed Banks-Browne for fourth place and then it looked like he rested for a lap as on lap three he passed Cole, Bruce and Rizzi to take the lead and then just cleared off into the distance.
From lap three Banks-Browne was on the move, and by half race distance, he was in second from Rizzi and Bruce, but Hammel was on the move. He had gated seventh and was already fifth but was not content with that position. As Rizzi dropped to finish sixth and Cole, after a tough race, was in fifth place, Bruce was in fourth and passed Banks-Browne for second with three laps to go.
Overall, it was Gifting from Banks-Browne and Bruce, and now in the championship, Gifting is 41 points clear of Bruce, with Banks-Browne third, just two points behind Bruce.
When asked after the race if he came off on the last lap of the weekend, Gifting said with a big smile on his face "Yes, I did come off, but I don't want to talk about that. It was just a small crash as I cross-rutted and I came off the side of the jump. It was quite embarrassing, and I got up very quickly, and luckily, I had a big enough lead to keep the win.
“I did the same last year. This time last year, in the second moto, I did my knee in, and I was thinking about that and thought, ‘don't do that again’ and I crashed. It was pretty stupid. I felt good in the second moto as I had to do a couple of passes to get the lead and I felt good and comfortable, and I pulled away to about 20 seconds before I crashed.”
Local favourite Elliott Banks-Browne was second overall. "After the win at Foxhill, I came here under pressure. The track was really brutal, and I was really struggling in the last minutes of the race. I will be hanging when I get home. I just don't ride enough with a busy life, so to come here and do this gives me a buzz, so I am really happy”.
"It was tough out there,” agreed third-placed Bruce. “The day started well as I qualified first but struggled in the first race for the first eight laps or so. But I managed to pick up my pace in the last half of the race and click off some fast laps. In the second race, we had so many starts it was hard to re-focus.
“But third overall, and we are still second in the championship, I can’t complain.”
It was business as usual in the Youth 250cc race as Billy Askew (GTCI Revo Kawasaki) took two more wins to remain unbeaten this year.
He led the first combined 250 and 125 race from start to finish. Mackenzie Marshall (DK Offroad Yamaha) chased Askew for just over half the race until 125cc winner Wal Beaney (Store 114 KTM) passed him for second in the race but the first 125 rider home.
Bayliss Utting (Gibbons & Trell Honda) didn't get the start he wanted but came from 15th to third in the race and second 250.
Marshall was third 250 home, Reece Jones (SJP Moto KTM) was second 125 with Tyla Hooley was third.
In the second race, Jak Taylor (WM Tatchell Husqvarna) got the holeshot from Askew and Joel Fisher (AD Modular KTM). Still, by the end of the lap, Askew was in the lead and on his way to his second race win while Fisher dropped down to finish eleventh in the race but eighth in the 250 side of the race. Utting came home second for his second runner-up position of the day.
The biggest mover in the race was Jones, as after starting the race in 19th, he crossed the finish line in fourth but first of the 125s.
125 race one winner, Beaney, gated 10th but worked his way up to third before dropping back to fifth by the time the flag fell. He was second 125 home, one place ahead of Hooley.
Overall, in the 250 class, it was Askew from Utting and Marshall, and in the championship, it's Askew who is 43 points clear of Marshall with Bennett third.
In the 125s, it was Jones from Beaney and Hooley but in the championship, Jones was just seven points ahead of Beaney, with Westley McGavin third.
With two race wins in the BW85s, Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM) took the overall win from Jamie Keith (MBRPX Husqvarna) with Charlie Richmond (V4 Training KTM) third.
Vail has a 17-point lead over Richmond in the championship with Keith third.
Revo ACU British Motocross Championship
Round 4 – Blaxhall
MX1
1 Conrad Mewse Crendon Fastrack Honda 25 + 25 = 50
2 Josh Gilbert Crendon Fastrack Honda 22 + 22 = 44
3 Harri Kullas CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha 20 + 20 = 40
4 Evgeny Bobryshev SC Sporthomes Husqvarna 18 + 18 = 36
5 Tristan Purdon SS24 Gabriel KTM 16 + 15 = 31
6 Ashton Dickinson TALK Templant KTM 14 + 14 = 28
7 Liam Knight Gabriel KTM 13 + 13 = 26
8 James Carpenter CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha 15 + 11 + 26
9 John Adamson ASA United GASGAS 2 + 16 = 18
10 Tom Grimshaw Chambers GASGAS 6 + 12 = 18
MX2
1 Isak Gifting 426 Motorsports Stebbings GASGAS 25 + 25 = 50
2 Elliott Banks-Browne Geartec Husqvarna 20 + 20 = 40
3 Bobby Bruce ASA United GASGAS 22 + 18 = 40
4 Charlie Cole Blades Bikes Kawasaki 18 + 16 = 34
5 Taylor Hammal SS24 Gabriel KTM 10 + 22 = 32
6 Joel Rizzi DK Offroad Honda 16 + 15 = 31
7 Jamie Wainright JW KTM 15 + 14 = 29
8 Charlie Heyman Tru7.com Honda 12 + 13 = 25
9 Carlton Husband Phoenix Even Strokes Kawasaki 13 + 10 = 23
10 Glenn McCormick Chambers GASGAS 11 + 11 = 22
250cc Youth
1 Billy Askew GTCI Revo Kawasaki 25 + 25 = 50
2 Bayliss Utting Gibbons & Trell Honda 22 + 22 = 44
3 Mckenzie Marshall DK Offroad Yamaha 20 + 18 = 38
4 Jak Taylor WM Tatchell/Apico Husqvarna 15 + 20 = 35
5 Liam Bennett GMR/Magic Mushroom/Apico Husqvarna 18 + 16 = 34
6 Domonic Newbury 426 Motorsport GASGAS 16 + 14 = 30
7 Joel Fisher AD Modular KTM 12 + 13 = 25
8 Hudson Roper 3-Flo Madison Yamaha 13 + 12 = 25
9 Joshua Bassett X-Cast Media GASGAS 14 + 11 = 25
10 Joseph Leeks Southside MX Honda 9 + 15 = 24
125cc Youth
1 Reece Jones SJP Moto KTM 22 + 25 = 47
2 Wal Beaney Store 114 KTM 25 + 22 = 47
3 Tyla Hooley 20 + 20 = 40
4 Harrison Greenough Simpson Associates KTM 18 + 16 = 34
5 Wesley Mcgavin KTM 11 + 18 = 29
6 Chester Hyde Matt Pope Motorcycles GASGAS 16 + 12 = 28
7 Ollie Bubb 14 + 13 = 27
8 Max Smith Redline Motorcycles KTM 12 + 14 = 26
9 Kayden Smith PP Sports Southside Yamaha 15 + 11 =26
10 Levi Saunders 10 + 15 = 25
BW85
1 Josh Vail SJP Moto KTM 45 + 45 = 90
2 Jamie Keith MBRPX KTM 42 + 42 = 84
3 Charlie Richmond JP KTM 40 + 40 = 80
4 Drew Stock Madison GASGAS 38 + 38 = 76
5 Hayden Statt Manchester MCs KTM 36 + 36 = 72
6 Lewis Spratt Mccullaghs Centra KTM 33 + 35 = 68
7 Alfie Geddes-Green Matt Pope GASGAS 35 + 33 = 68
8 Zane Stephens TLD KTM 32 + 34 = 66
9 Harry Lee 30 + 32 = 62
10 Maison Jones LBC Motorsports KTM 31 + 31 = 62
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