SACU/ Safe Access Scottish MX Championship Rd4
By TMX Archives on 14th Aug 08
JUST a stone's throw from the battle field of Culloden, where the Scottish team saw its downfall on April 16 1746, the Highland MXC's battle ground at Ardersier, just outside Inverness, was the site of yet more historic duels where Englishman Graham Riley came to defend his Scottish Motocross Championship lead from another Scottish onslaught.
However, through hellish bad luck and a huge get off, Riley lost his championship lead during the fourth round last weekend to former Scottish champion Neil Flockhart.
Even so, it was super-fit Tony Craig's day with two race wins splitting a second race second spot who took the overall honours with Neil and his come-back king brother and reigning Scottish MX champ Stuart Flockhart who completed the podium in runner-up and third places respectively.
TC........TOP CAT........NUMERO UNO....
Craig had his best day of the season so far start with fastest time in the qualifying session ahead of Bryan MacKenzie and Riley.
However, a ‘coming together' on the start line of the first race as MacKenzie's rear wheel spun on the concrete grid resulting in him hitting Craig's rear wheel hard leaving MacKenzie on the ground and away last with Craig not that much in front of him, saw the two lads fight to get back in contention.
At the front early leader Graham Riley hit a stone on taking off from a jump and crash landed heavily and was out when his machine wouldn't re-start.
Tony Craig was on a charge and came through to the lead just before the flag for his first win of the day in exciting fashion followed by Neil Flockhart and a hard riding and stylish MacKenzie.
Race two saw Craig and MacKenzie battle it out at the front with MacKenzie taking the win from his rival and the ever green current champ Stuart Flockhart in third spot – but "..Absolutely knackered.”
MacKenzie's luck, like his cousin Billy's, as the news came through of the GP man's injury, ran out in race three as his con rod gave out and out the Kawasaki man went.
This helped give Craig the race win and the thereafter overall honours for the day with spare bike-mounted Tommy Fenwick second spot and Bobby Gold third place.
Neil Flockhart now leads the championship on 427 points with Bobby Gold and Tony Craig in second and third places.
Riley slipped to fifth place after his luckless weekend.
In the B class group Greg McDonald went home the happiest with two race wins after a first race third spot on a day of typical Scottish summer weather – sunshine mixed with torrential rain...
Morton Hannah grabbed runner-up position after his first race win helped, with super-Vet Paul Chiappa in overall third place.
The Championship has Youths supplying support races and the Autos were won by super-quick Aiden Campbell on the separate Auto track, with Owen Hendry and Aiden Darling taking home runner-up and third places respectively.
AIDAN CAMPBELL, STAR OF THE FUTURE....
Ben Edwards got his day off to a grand start with the first Junior 65cc class' race' win, however, Keiran Hunter bettered his first race's second spot with two subsequent wins, to snatch the overall honours leaving Edwards with the runner-up spot.
Third place went to the consistent RJ MacKenzie.
Ian Findlay snatched the overall Small-wheel 85cc class honours from Ash Darling and Keiran McCarroll in runner-up and third places respectively after some demon battles in the sand.
In the Big-wheel class a red flag was shown after early leader Lachie Josey had fallen hard and had to be stretchered off.
The re-start saw Ian MacKenzie take up the charge and the subsequent three races' wins for the top spot on the day.
Runner-up was Murray Clunie with three consistent seconds and Kyle Angus rode his heart out for third place overall.
The Youth MX2 class provided colour and skill, the skill from overall winner and triple race victor David Plank and the colour from Crewe visitor, 16-year-old lady rider Kelly Newton, all in pink!
KELLY NEWTON........GIRL POWER........
However, the runner-up spot went to Nick Watters and the consistent three thirds for Gavin Clunie slipped him into third place overall.
RESULTS
Championship class overall: 1 Tony Craig 132 points, 2 Stuart Flockhart 111, 3 Neil Flockhart 110, 4 Sean MacDonald 108, 5 Gavin Robertson 106, 6 Greg Gourlay 90, 7 Ryan McLean 88, 8 Bryan MacKenzie 85, 9 Jamie Duncan 85, 10 John Soutar 85.
B class: 1 Greg McDonald 130, 2 Morton Hannah 127, 3 Paul Chiappa 106, 4 Ian Wilson 106, 5 Tamer Tasasiz 104, 6 Scott Smith 103.
Youth MX2: 1 David Plank 135, 2 Nick Watters 126, 3 Gavin Clunie 120, 4 Ruairidh McArthur 114, 5 Ross Shaw 107, 6 Stephen Shaw 106, 7 Kelly Newton 68.
Big-wheel 85cc: 1 Ian MacKenzie 135, 2 Murray Clunie 126, 3 Kyle Angus 118, 4 Jake Anderson 114, 5 Paul Baillie 107, 6 Scott Foote 104, 7 Katy McNeill 101.
Small-wheel 85cc: 1 Ian Findlay 128, 2 Ash Darling 122, 3 Keiran McCarroll 121, 4 Calvin Sharp 114, 5 Greg Queen 82, 6 Kyle Urquhart 35.
Junior 65cc: 1 Keiran Hunter 132, 2 Ben Edwards 129, 3 RJ MacKenzie 120, 4 Bradley Sharp 114, 5 Kyle Shaw 108.
Autos: 1 Aiden Campbell 135, 2 Owen Hendry 124, 3 Aiden Darling 122, 4 James Haddow 114.