Revo ACU British Motocross Championship Race Report - Foxhill

By Team TMX on 16th May 23

News Motocross British Motocross Championship

Racing at the third round of the Revo ACU British Motocross championship was abandoned after just four races following a tragic incident involving a trackside photographer. With that in mind, and with all respect to the friends and family of motocross enthusiast Simon Mitchell who sadly passed away despite the best efforts of the medics, here is a subdued account of the races that did take place.

After the hot spring sunshine burned off the early morning mist, the famous Foxhill venue in Wiltshire looked like the GP track it used to be, with bright, colourful banners lining the track, which was in prime racing condition. Adding the MXGP world championship leader Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) into the mix brought the crowds flocking to the venue in their thousands – so much so that the usual car park field was filled by 11 o'clock, and another had to be opened. With excited crowds lining the hills and trackside it all added to the GP look and feel.

At the start of the first MX1 race, the question was, ‘who was going to finish second to Herlings?’ and sure enough, as the packed field of riders thundered down the short straight after turn one, Herlings was in the lead.

Josh Gilbert (Crendon Fastrack Honda) slotted into second, with his teammate Conrad Mewse third. Evgeny Bobryshev (SC Sporthomes Husqvarna) was fourth with the current champion Tommy Searle (GTCI Revo Kawasaki) in fifth.

Ash Dickinson (Talk Templant KTM), Tristan Purdon (Gabriel SS24 KTM) and Harri Kullas (CAB Screens Crescent Yamaha) gated in sixth, seventh and eighth. Still, while Dickinson slipped back a couple of places to have a great battle with John Adamson (ASA United GASGAS) in the latter part of the race to finish in eighth and ninth places, Purdon was relegated a place by Kullas with a couple of laps to go.

While all this was going to Gilbert, who was still in second, was keeping Herlings honest, or was Herlings just doing enough to stay ahead of Gilbert? One or the other. Mewse spent all race in a lonely third place while Searle, on damage limitation, was third.

Bobryshev crashed out of fourth place with two laps to go, with Kullas taking over his fifth place, followed by Purdon, Shaun Simpson (Gabriel SS24 KTM), Adamson, Dickinson and Steven Clarke (Store 114 Racing Honda), rounding out the top 10.

Series leader Isak Gifting (426 Motorsport Stebbings GASGAS) led the pack around turn one at the start of the only MX2 race but crashed down the valley, handing the lead to Mel Pocock (GTCI Revo Kawasaki). But by the end of the lap, Pocock was passed by a flying Bobby Bruce (ASA United GASGAS).

However, Bruce's time in the lead was short-lived, as he hit the dirt twice on lap two. The first one was at the far end of the hilly circuit, and the other had the front wheel slid out from under him almost at the end of the lap, dropping him back to 25th position. He ended the race in 17th.

While Bruce was having his problems, Elliott Banks-Browne (Geartec Husqvarna), who had gated third, slipped by Pocock and into the lead, a lead he retained to the end of the race.

Charlie Cole (Blades Bikes Kawasaki) took second place from Pocock a lap later and put pressure on Banks-Browne several times but just couldn't get close enough to affect a pass. So, he finally settled for second place.

The star of the race was Taylor Hammal (Gabriel SS24 KTM). He gated way down in 14th position but methodically picked his way through the traffic to end his race in third place.

Wildcard rider Jack Chambers (Big Van World MTX Kawasaki) made similar progress through the field. He crashed on the opening lap, came around to finish the lap and was down in 29th place but despite having another off on lap five, he still managed to finish in fifth after passing a slowing Pocock on the very last lap.

Banks-Browne took the win by just over five seconds from Cole, Hammal, Gifting, Chambers, and Pocock.

In the fast and furious combined 125cc and 250cc youth race, Billy Askew (GTCI Revo Kawasaki) took a convincing victory to take top 250 honours with 125 riders Reece Jones (SJP Moto KTM) and Wal Beaney (Store 114 KTM) finishing second and third outright but first and second in their class with wildcard Freddie Gardiner (MGMX KTM) third.

In the 250 class, Jak Taylor (WM Tatchell Husqvarna) and Liam Bennett (GMR Magic Mushroom Husqvarna) took second and third behind Askew albeit over 40 seconds behind the moto winner.

Charlie Richmond (JP KTM) led the 85cc race from start to finish, with the on-form Josh Vail (SJP Moto KTM) chasing him all the way as the pair of fast youngsters crossed the finish line separated by just under six seconds.

Jamie Keith (MBRPX KTM) found a way past Drew Stock (Madison GASGAS) on the opening lap of the race to claim third, with Stock holding on to fourth place.

The next round of the Revo ACU British Motocross Championship is at the Woodbridge Club's Blaxhall Circuit in Suffolk on May 28.

Revo ACU British Motocross Championship Race Report - Foxhill

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