Six shooter
By TMX Archives on 20th May 15
Kristian Whatley (Buildbase Honda) notched up another two dominant wins at last weekends third round of the Michelin MX Nationals at Culham and remains unbeaten with six wins out of six in the MX1 class this year.
In MX2 Frenchman Steven Lenoir (Dyer & Butler KTM) consolidated his series lead by coming home first 250F pilot in both combined pro motos and was more than happy to mix it with the big bikes in the process.
The MX Nationals team put a tremendous amount of hard work into the Culham Park track next to the River Thames in Oxfordshire and it paid off as the whole venue looked very professional.
They had built a spectacular triple jump just after the finish line in full view of the main spectating area.
And this along with loads of other jumps, banked turns and a whoops section along the top of the track made the whole weekend very interesting.
Alex Snow (Phoenix Husqvarna) led Whatley into the opening turn at the start of the first pro race with Harri Kullas (Heads & All Threads Suzuki) and Martin Barr (BRT KTM) chasing hard.
Lenoir was sixth and the first of the MX2 riders with Lewis Trickett (MBO Power ASA Yamaha) in his wheeltracks and pushing all the way.
Whatley took over the lead by the end of the opening lap and that was the last any of his fellow racers would see of him – unless he lapped them.
Snow hung on in second until the halfway stage when Barr found a way past but all the time Graeme Irwin (Heads & All Threads Suzuki) was closing on the leaders after messing up the start and was now in fifth place from 10th.
Lenoir was still the first MX2 rider in sixth with Trickett two places further back and Rob Davidson (Hardcore Husqvarna) third.
With three laps to go Irwin was up to second as Barr pushed Snow down to fourth, with Lenoir now fifth on the track.
Whatley took his first win by just under 13 seconds from Irwin, Barr and Snow, with Lenoir first MX2 from Trickett, Davidson and Nathan Dixon (Feehily KTM).
Kullas got the holeshot in race two and was followed around the opening lap by team-mate Irwin, Neville Bradshaw – mounted on a 450cc Suzuki – and Snow as Whatley messed up the start when his Honda went sideways and he became boxed in going into turn one.
On lap four Irwin snatched the lead from Kullas but it was short-lived and Whatley passed the pair of them for the lead and his second win of the weekend.
FOR FULL REPORT & PICTURES SEE TMX NEWS, THURSDAY, MAY 21 (ISSUE 1972)
