Rush'ing around a Brown'field site!
By TMX Archives on 26th Mar 08
EVERY Good Friday, Marshfield MXC stages its annual Mike Brown Memorial Motocross, an event which, despite very little advertisement, is still able to attract one of the biggest AMCA crowds of the season. However in 2008, with the local Met Office predicting bitterly cold winds and wintry showers, the club could well have been forgiven for expecting its usual attendance to be dramatically reduced. Those fears, though, were to be quickly dispelled as spectators again arrived in their droves to not only celebrate the life of Mike Brown but also witness some great motocross action.
Topping the bill was the Old Friends' class which brings together riders past and present along with Mike Brown's friends and racing companions, all of various abilities, to compete in his memory. Unfortunately, the intended stars of Friday's event, former World champions Dave Thorpe and Graham Noyce were both non-starters but there were still plenty of well known Wiltshire motocross personalities in evidence at Marshfield. Two of the competitors were Mike Church, father of top rider Tom and Emma Hucklebridge, wife of Mark Hucklebridge.
Overall winner of the class this year though was Lee King, using all of his vast experience to outgun Mitch Boyland, Tom Brown, Neil Carroll and Richard Southcott. Boyland won motos one and three, but a disastrous second outing, when he had to come through the pack for eighth spot, was to cost him the chance of top spot on the podium. Taking the win in that moto two was King who snatched the verdict right on the line from the very entertaining Carroll, aboard his super quick 144 KTM.
In the main Expert classes, it was very appropriate that Arran Poolman and Lee Dunham, two riders supported by Alan Brown of local dealers MotoXtreme should earn the overall wins.
In the MX1 action, Poolman, a renowned fast-starter, was out-gated on Friday by Rich Meakin. In the second MX1 clash, Meakin actually led all the way until two laps from home before Poolman, who had worked his way up the leader-board, eventually took control.
In all three motos, Meakin went on to earn the runners-up spot with Matthew Stokes the third man home on each occasion. By winning the Expert MX1 class, Poolman also took home the Mike Brown Memorial Perpetual Trophy, awarded to the top points scoring Marshfield MXC rider on the day.
Over in Expert MX2, Lee Dunham's hardest race proved to be the opener, when, after slipping off twice on the first lap, he was forced to move through from fifth and pass early leaders Ashley Hudson and Carl Benjamin. While Dunham went on to win all three races in style, Benjamin proved to be a very determined runner-up.
Daniel Marsh took the first win of the day in Senior MX1 before Daniel Cheese took control of proceedings from there onwards. In Senior MX2, Luke Smith, Jordan Broadway and Joe Russell filled the top three positions in all three motos. Taking the race wins were Smith, twice, and Broadway, once.
In the four Junior groups, the class victories went to Richard Newman, Michael Payne, Oliver Roddick and Joshua Roddick. Both Newman and Joshua Roddick recorded maximum points on their way to victory. For 13-year-old Josh Roddick, victory was particularly impressive, fighting off a superb entry of 30 fellow Inter Juniors including a very determined runner-up, Bradley Bird.
MIKE BROWN MEMORIAL MOTOCROSS
Rushmead Race Park, Marshfield (Marshfield MXC)
Old Friends: 1 Lee King (250 Kawasaki), 2 Mitch Boyland (250F Kawasaki), 3 Tom Brown (250F Kawasaki), 4 Neil Carroll (144 KTM), 5 Richard Southcott (250 Suzuki).
Expert MX1: 1 Arran Poolman (450F MotoXtreme Kawasaki), 2 Richard Meakin (450F Honda), 3 Matthew Stokes (450F Honda), 4 Darren Marklove (250 Yamaha), 5 Justin Parsons (250 Yamaha).
Expert MX2: 1 Lee Dunham (250F MotoXtreme Kawasaki), 2 Carl Benjamin (250F Thornbury Kawasaki), 3 Joseph Barry (250F Yamaha), 4 Ashley Hudson (250F Yamaha), 5 Joseph Meachin (250F KTM).
Senior MX1: 1 Daniel Cheese (250 Honda), 2 Daniel Marsh (250 Honda), 3 Daniel Pearce (450F Yamaha), 4 Mark Dudley (250 Yamaha), 5 Nigel Lewis (450F Honda).
Senior MX2: 1 Luke Smith (250F Honda), 2 Jordan Broadway (125 Yamaha), 3 Joe Russell (250F Kawasaki), 4 Ross Ashford (125 Suzuki), 5 Stuart Clark (125 Yamaha).
Junior MX1: 1 Richard Newman (450F Suzuki), 2 Daniel Culliford (250 Honda), 3 Rob Salmon, 4 David Hillman (250 Suzuki), 5 Steve Boddy (250 Kawasaki).
Junior MX2 Over 18: 1 Michael Payne (250F Kawasaki), 2 Lee Scrivens (250F Honda), 3 Oliver Davis, 4 Ryan Poolman (250F Kawasaki), 5 Jamie Brothers.
Junior MX2 Under 18: 1 Oliver Roddick (125 Honda), 2 Mitch Brooks (250F Yamaha), 3 Ben Stacey (125 Yamaha), 4 Thomas Woodford (125 Yamaha), 5 Ben Haggerty (125 Yamaha).
Inter Junior: 1 Joshua Roddick (85 KTM), 2 Bradley Bird (85 KTM), 3 Kieran Banks (150 Honda), 4 David Williams (85 KTM), 5 Josh Broadway (85 Yamaha).
Mike Brown Memorial Trophy: Arran Poolman (450F MotoXtreme Kawasaki).