Sagar tops Muntjac
By TMX Archives on 27th Feb 08
The 2008 Metzeler British Enduro Championship swung into action last weekend with the EMG Motor Group-sponsored, Diss MCC-organised Muntjac Enduro. With dry conditions and a challenging 20-mile course, ridden six times by the Championship class, the event proved to be anything but easy. Leading and heading into the final test of the event, MPS Racing Husqvarna rider, Daryl Bolter, saw his hopes of victory disappear following a fall, which handed overall victory to '07 British Enduro Champion Tom Sagar aboard his D3-Racing KTM...Words and Pictures: Jonty Edmunds
REIGNING British Enduro Champion Tom Sagar started the defence of his BEC crown in the best possible way last weekend by topping the 2008 opening round, the Muntjac Enduro, aboard his D3 Racing
KTM. Under pressure to make a good start to the championship Tom, now an official member of the KTM Factory Enduro Team, wasn't quite able to match the pace of MPS Racing Husqvarna rider Daryl Bolter for much of the day but a mistake by Bolter on the final test saw Tom edge ahead and claim his first win of the season.
With the Muntjac Enduro starting the series with an event a little different to the norm' Championship class riders were faced with six laps of a rough and sandy 20-mile course with three special tests used on
laps one, two and six.
With each test taking around five minutes there was no room for error and those riders that did make mistakes paid the price and were unable to challenge for class honours.
With just a short four-mile section between the start and the first special tests riders had little time to get properly warmed-up but it was Bolter, who's switched from a 125cc two-stroke to a 250cc four-stroke for '08, who recorded the best time around the then smooth woodland test.
Topping the opening test by just under one second ahead of Sagar, Daryl's MPS Racing Husqvarna team-mate Si Wakely, who's also made the switch from two-stroke to four-stroke this season, placed third with TM UK's Euan McConnell fourth, Relentless Suzuki's Paul Edmondson fifth and D3 Racing Mounter KTM's Greg Evans sixth. Less than five seconds separated the top six riders.
The second run through the test saw the same six riders finish in exactly the same order, Bolter extending his winning margin to almost two seconds.
Between the second and final test of the day all Championship class riders had to complete four more punishing laps of the course. With times for the 20-mile check tight but not tight enough to see any of the top riders receive penalties, the third and final test was to prove decisive.
Although Bolter's lead at the top of the class was small he looked strong all day and his first ever overall BEC event win seemed all but assured. But it wasn't to be.
Attacking the test just as he had earlier in the day, Bolter made a small mistake and fell as he neared the finish. Stalling his bike Daryl lost precious time re-starting it and dropped from first to a disappointed fifth.
"I felt better on the first half of the last test than I did on the first or second tests, which I won,” commented a despondent Bolter. "It was a really small crash – I just lost the front end in a corner. I almost got to the bike before it stalled but when it stopped I just couldn't get it going again. It's my first season on a four-stroke and I'm learning how important it is to have them jetted perfectly.”
With Paul Edmondson not quite as fast on the opening two tests as many expected, the Suzuki rider was one of the first Championship class retirements having crashed heavily while trying to overtake a slower rider. Banging his head Paul decided to call it a day and was joined by his brother Lee shortly afterwards.
With Daryl snatching defeat from the jaws of victory Tom Sagar did enough to stay ahead of Si Wakely and claimed the event win having topped the final test of the day.
"I've been working at improving my sand riding and I've been pleased with the way I've ridden. I didn't ride above myself and I didn't make any mistakes. I had settled for second if I'm honest. Daryl was riding really well and I wasn't expecting to beat him in the last test. It's great to start the series with a win.”
Overall runner-up and winner of the Enduro 2 class went to a pleased Si Wakely. Having worked hard to adjust to riding a four-stroke Si looked at home aboard his 450cc Husqvarna and came close to winning the final test.
EMG Motor Group-sponsored Muntjac Enduro –
2008 METZELER British Enduro Championship
Rd 1 – Thetford (Diss MCC)
Championship: 1 Tom Sagar (KTM) 855.76 penalty points, 2 Si Wakely (Husqvarna) 858.55, 3 Greg Evans (KTM) 868.19, 4 Euan McConnell (TM) 870.86, 5 Daryl Bolter (Husqvarna) 882.96, 6 Gordon Crockard (Gas Gas) 884.81, 7 Ollie Moyce (Yamaha) 885.45, 8 Ashley Wood (Honda) 886.86, 9 Darren Carter (KTM) 887.23, 10 Dylan Jones (Yamaha) 888.35, 11 Edward Jones (KTM) 892.91, 12 Chris Hockey (Honda) 895.40, 13 Robert Jones (Yamaha) 896.44, 14 Andrew Edwards (KTM) 896.66, 15 Richard Hay (KTM) 901.95, 16 Paul Bolton (Honda) 905.19, 17 Kev Murray (Yamaha) 906.45, 20 Tim Forman (Kawasaki) 930.88, 21 Gethin Price (Honda) 935.47, 22 Sam Connor (Husqvarna) 950.03, 23 James Jackman (Husqvarna) 954.38, 24 Jamie Paget (TM) 998.09, 25 Carl Tiley (TM) 1168.18, 26 Gordon Clarke (TM) 1349.43, 27 Robert Lynn (Suzuki) 1430.64, 28 Steve Hunt (Yamaha) 2650.95.
Expert: 1 Gavin Houson (Husqvarna) 608.64, 2 Bradley King (Gas Gas) 609.59, 3 Jamie Roper (Yamaha) 611.21, 4 Gareth Hopkins (KTM) 612.09, 5 Mark Roberts (Kawasaki) 617.89, 6 James Yearly (KTM) 618.21, 7 David Brick (Kawasaki) 620.82, 8 Julian Harvey (KTM) 621.32, 9 Steve Mason (Yamaha) 623.44, 10 Luke Lusher (Husqvarna) 623.93, 11 Derrek Little (KTM) 626.13, 12 Rich Warner (KTM) 626.45, 13 Rheinallt Davies (Husqvarna0 628.48, 14 Keith Horsnell (KTM) 640.18, 15 Adam Smith (Honda) 640.77, 16 Craig Bounds (Gas Gas) 643.98, 17 James Giddings (Husqvarna) 651.07, 18 Grant hacking 651.16, 19 Mark Cornick (KTM) 661.40, 20 Mark Godfrey (KTM) 695.19.
Clubman: 1 Tom Braddock (Husqvarna) 638.20, 2 David Lloyd-Jones (Husqvarna) 638.45, 3 Freddie Broadway (Yamaha) 642.97, 4 Paul Wallace (KTM) 645.70, 5 Andy Howes (KTM) 660.03, 6 Wesley bean (KTM) 662.02, 7 Richard Ely (Gas Gas) 668.54, 8 Adam Ranson (Honda) 682.36, 9 Kalem Hicks (Yamaha) 719.31, 10 Chris Nunn (Honda) 720.53, 11 Jason Naruszerwicz (KTM) 739.69, 12 Craig Altass (Yamaha) 741.86, 13 Richard Walter (KTM) 745.67, 14 Ed Hopkin (KTM) 793.52, 15 Jason Fowler (KTM) 850.35, 16 Jack Berry (KTM) 856.23, 17 Dominic Cole (KTM) 867.13, 18 Jon Cox (KTM) 869.25, 19 Steve Parry (KTM) 878.24.
Veteran: 1 Dave Salkeld (KTM) 638.94, 2 Murray Thompson (KTM) 642.54, 3 Graeme Naismith (Kawasaki) 650.17, 4 Derrick Edmondson (KTM) 653.14, 5 David Grimshaw (Honda) 653.40, 6 Chris Roberts (KTM) 708.27, 7 Leo Cordingley (Honda) 720.15, 8 Dennis Harrison (KTM) 728.51, 9 Keith Reedman (Honda) 738.72, 10 Ian Barnett (KTM) 789.76, 11 John Boden (KTM) 854.08, 12 Craig Beattie (Yamaha) 856.54, 13 Phil Smithson (Aprilia) 864.45, 14 Paul Hearn (Honda) 1058.29, 15 Mark Houson (Husqvarna) 1074.81, 16 Colin Bryan (KTM) 1104.72, 17 Andy Quorn (Husqvarna0 1114.95, 18 David King (Honda) 1189.64, 19 David Lewis (KTM) 1298.15, 20 Dave Coles (TM) 1317.69.
For full report and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, February 29, 2008