Silver service for the lads
By TMX Archives on 27th Sep 07
THE honour of bringing the curtain down on this season's Race Spec sponsored BSMA Best of British series went to the Torbay club at the Little Silver circuit, near Exeter, and what a superb job they made of it with their organisation and efficiency totally spot-on.
All the top championship positions were up forgrabs so it ensured some nail-biting moments. Add to that a hugemarquee in which to host the end of season knees-up, that went on wellinto the small hours of Sunday morning, and the BSMA national seriesended the season on a real high.
LIAM Knight came into the meeting with acommanding lead in the Junior 65cc class and always looked in controlas he sped to three race wins and a third place finish to ensure helifted the tiddler class crown in real style.
He didn't have it all his own way though, as RyanSnaith turned in a gutsy performance with the other race win, a secondplace and a turn of speed which, with a bit more luck, might have seenhim snatch the overall win on the weekend. Michael Burfield did all hecould with four cracking rides to keep the pressure on for thechampionship placings, clim-bing a few notches with his efforts forsecond overall on the day. Likewise Taylor Vernon, who had fourconsistent rides to finish third overall on the day, but an excellentrunner-up spot in the final champoinship standings.
In the Small-wheel 85cc class, both Dan Thornhilland Josh Brine had eyes on the crown as they fought out twotremendously close scraps, two of the best of the weekend in fact, inraces one and four as they took a win apiece. However, in between thoseraces, Dan really did the business with another race win and secondplace finish behind the flying Jack Timms and, in the process, hecollected enough points to easily head the final standings and takehome a well deserved national title.
For all his valiant efforts, Josh had to settlefor third on the weekend but a terrific runner-up spot in thechampionship, while Jack Timms, with a 3-2-1-4 race card, impressedagain with other good shows coming from Luke Dean, Jim Lycett, andLloyd Pettett.
Connor Walkley did all he could to keep JoshSpinks in his sights in the chase for Big-wheel 85cc glory, includingthe race of the weekend accolade as he chased down a rampant AaronJenner in the final outing, only nailing the victory on the very lastturn before the chequers dropped for a pulsating race win. At the endof the day though, Spinks had a magnificent weekend with threescorching race wins and a third place finish in the final race, all ofwhich was more than enough to take the title and the glory from Connorin second place. Lloyd Morgan hassled and harried, never out of the topfour all weekend, and was always a threat at the front of the field, aswas Aaron Jenner, especially in that last memorable race for the flag.
All he had to do was stay on the bike and, bySaturday evening, Lewis Trickett was dancing around the paddockcelebrating in style as he lifted the Senior 125cc title with two thirdplace finishes in races one and two.
Meanwhile, Lewis Tombs, David Games and LewisAbbott weren't giving an inch as they ripped into each other,with twocracking race wins for Tombs, now on a Dixon Yamaha, and two for Games.Tombs ended up the overall winner on the weekend but Games set the fourfastest laps of the weekend, one quicker than anyone else, even the AMXguys, but a seized engine in race two added up to an eventful andspectacular couple of days for the young Welshman.
Lewis Abbott was always in the thick of the bestaction with three second places and a fourth, and snatched a welldeserved runner-up place for the weekend.
The record books will show Josh Waterman with amaximum 180 points from his weekend's efforts, and a Senior 250Fchampionship won in style, but three times out of four, support riderBen Field on the Relentless Suzuki, took the chequered flag first as heshowed the pack a clean pair of heels with three wins.
Josh made a tremendous recovery in race one tosecure second, followed it up with two more, and only when he had thechampionship in the bag turned the screw, reeling in Ben for the racefour win. Nicholas Wadge had his moments over the weekend where heimpressed, as did Jamie Smith who ended the season in style, constantlygetting the better of Charlie Evans and taking the runner-up spot onthe weekend and the championship from Charlie.
Kieran Coburn and Dominic Foreman shared two winsapiece in the AMX section and were always waiting in the wings ifchampionship leaders Rob Lewis and Tim Truman were about to slip-up.The action was fast and furious at times with Coburn, Foreman and LukeBlanchard looking like men on A mission at the front of the pack.However, Rob Lewis, coming home in second place in the final race, wasenough for him to claim the championship ahead of Tim who only managedto get in front of Rob in race one.
RACE SPEC BSMA BEST OF BRITISH SERIES
Rd 6 Little Silver Moto Park, Exeter (Torbay MXC)
Junior 65cc: 1 Liam Knight 176 points, 2 MichaelBurfield 162, 3 Taylor Vernon 154, 4 Danny Lanfear 152, 5 Ryan Snaith148, 6 Joe Jeffries 138.
Small-wheel 85cc: 1 Dan Thornhill 176 points, 2Jack Timms 168, 3 Josh Brine 162, 4 Luke Dean 156, 5 Jim Lycett 141, 6Lloyd Pettett 139.
Big-wheel 85cc: 1 Josh Spinks 176 points, 2 ConnorWalkley 172, 3 Lloyd Morgan 164, 4 Aaron Jenner 158, 5 Ty Kellett 150,6 Ryan Houghton 139.
Senior 125cc: 1 Lewis Tombs 174 points, 2 LewisAbbott 168, 3 Lewis Trickett 154, 4 Ross Keyworth 152, 5 KelvinTownsend 146, 6 Alfie Smith 132.
Senior 250F: 1 Josh Waterman 180 points, 2 JamieSmith 168, 3 Charlie Evans 156, 4 Nicholas Wadge 151, 5 Matthew Hornby149, 6 Alex Hussey 143.
AMX: 1 Kieran Coburn 176 points, 2 Dominic Foreman174, 3 Rob Lewis 157, 4 Luke Blanchard 156, 5 Tim Truman 152, 6 GarethRees Jones 141.
Final Championship Standings (Provisional)
Junior 65cc: 1 Liam Knight 843 points, 2 TaylorVernon 728, 3 Aaron Coupland 691, 4 Michael Burfield 675, 5 AlistairEvans 672, 6 Danny Lanfear 668.
Small-wheel 85cc: 1 Dan Thornhill 835 points, 2Josh Brine 798, 3 Jim Lycett 682, 4 Luke Newman 662, 5 Lloyd Pettett651 6 Tom Rogers 628.
Big-wheel 85cc: 1 Josh Spinks 878 points, 2 ConnorWalkley 853, 3 Ty Kellett 717, 4 Aaron Jenner 626, 5 Jake Alsop 596, 6David Sweet 572.
Senior 125cc: 1 Lewis Trickett 828 points, 2 DavidGames 732, 3 Lewis Abbott 728, 4 Ross Keyworth 725, 5 Jamie Houghton648, 6 Connor Pearce 594.
Senior 250F: 1 Josh Waterman 894 points, 2 JamieSmith 836, 3 Charlie Evans 809, 4 George Purchase 735, 5 Ryan Pottenger703, 6 Nicholas Wadge 690.
AMX: 1 Rob Lewis 813 points, 2 Tim Truman 798, 3Kiran Coburn 795, 4 Dominic Foreman 767, 5 Gareth Rees Jones 695, 6Kevin Hughes 608.