Super Sheffield!
By TMX Archives on 30th Oct 08
THERE'S nothing like a good night in when outside it's blowing a gale, it's cold and the rain is coming down in stair rods, and what a GREAT night in we had at the opening round of the 2008/9 British Supercross Championships last weekend at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield.
Twelve years ago, Yorkshireman John Hellam and his Future West organisation brought us our first good night in at the popular Sheffield Arena when Supercross superstar Jeremy McGrath wowed us with his Nac-Nacs and all-American indoor style. However, going by last Saturday night's displays, some of the Brits, at least, have well and truly caught up with awesome shows of style, panache, technique and at times full-on aggression to warm the cockles of the sizeable crowd that turned up to settle down for another quality night in.
Quite possibly Hellam provided the best line-up of stars we've had on show since McGrath's era for the Pro classes, including our own Tommy Searle, making his last appearance racing on British soil before em-barking on his ‘American dream' stateside. Former World Supercross champ, American Heath Voss,
the former French Supercross champ Ben Coisy, defending SX1 and SX2 champs, American Mike Brown, his countryman Jeff Alessi and
the Canadians Colton Facciotti and Kyle Beaton also brightened the gloom of outside.
However, Alessi was riding injured after totalling himself during a practice crash earlier in the week and arrived at Sheffield in a wheel-chair... "It shows how much I wanted to ride at Sheffield,” he added.
We also had Youth races with the ‘next big thing', Max Anstie, son of 80's Brit GP star ‘Merv The Swerve' showing why the teenager, who now races in America, is likely to be even bigger in the future than many of the Pro riders just now.
No Sheffield gig would be complete without the all-out attacks on the first corner and the wall at the end of the whoops straight, and for that matter on each other, by the Clubman classes.
The British Champion-ships are only open to those with an ACU licence and this was the first of four rounds, the final three to be contested at Liverpool Echo Arena and the London O2 Arena in January '09. As usual, the evening kicked off with the popular dance routines by the even more popular dancing girls before Eurosprot commentator Jack Burnicle introduced the competing stars, and then we were off...
British Supercross Championship
Round 1 – Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield
British Open: 1 Tommy Searle (KTM UK) 25 points, 2 Carl Nunn (MVRD Suso Suzuki) 22, 3 Gordon Crockard (PAR Homes Honda) 20, 4 Martin Barr (Relentless Suzuki) 18, 5 Neville Bradshaw DB Racing Honda) 16, 6 Scott Elderfield (PAR Homes Honda) 15, 7 Jack Brunell (IHLE Racing Suzuki) 14, 8 Glen Phillips (KTM)13, 9 Ashley Greedy (Talbot Cabs Suzuki) 12.
Pro Open (SX1): 1 Colton Facciotti (Blackfoot UTag Yamaha) 25, 2 Heath Voss (PAR Homes Honda) 22, 3 Jeff Alessi (Moto XXX PAR Homes Honda) 20, 4 Mike Brown (Red Bull KTM) 18, 5 Tyler Bright (Suzuki) 16, 6 Steven Clarke (Relentless Suzuki) 15, 7 Ben Coisy (PAR Homes Honda) 14, 8 Gordon Crockard (PAR Homes Honda) 13, 9 Kyle Beaton (UTag Yamaha) 12, 10 Ashley Greedy 11, 11 Luke Remmer (Kawasaki) 10.
Pro Lites (SX2): 1 Mike Brown 25, 2 Tommy Searle 22, 3 Kyle Beaton 20, 4 Tyler Bright 18, 5 Carl Nunn 16, 6 Neville Bradshaw 15, 7 Martin Barr 14, 8 Rasmus Jorgensen (Relentless Suzuki) 13, 9 Steven Clarke 12, 10 Lloyd Vercuil (Wildmoor KTM) 11.
Clubman Open: 1 Chad Yarranton (Buster Kawasaki) 25, 2 Carl Jones (Motopross/ PDR Honda) 22, 3 David Handby (??) 20, 4 Ryan Mason (Shock Tech Suspension Yamaha) 18, 5 Oliver Brunskill (Silvester Yamaha) 16, 6 Danny Blakeley (Bricon Yamaha)15, 7 Paul Seamer (Super MX KTM) 14, 8 Edward Briscoe (Hacking Kawasaki) 13, 9 Ryan Barette (Deans Yamaha) 12, 10 Martin Downer (??) 11, 11 Jack Young (??) 10.
Clubman Lites: 1 Brad Nixon (Wildmoor Honda) 25, 2 George Purchase (MXW KTM) 22, 3 Ryan Mason 20, 4 Luke Spence (Spence KTM) 18, 5 Kristofer Ayres (Honda) 16, 6 Ashley Tate (Kawasaki) 15, 7 N/A 14, 8 Chad Yarranton 13, 9 Oliver Brunskill 12, 10 N/A 11, 11 Martin Downer 10.
Youth:
Auto (All KTM unless stated): 1 Jamie Clark (Cobra) 25, 2 Dylan Woodcock 22, 3 Harry Wichman 20, 4 Brandon Sharples 18, 5 Joe Etches 16, 6 Albie Wilkie 15, 7 James Dutton 14, 8 Carl Budge 13, 9 Josh Verdugo 12, 10 Chris Mills 11, 11 Ross Innocent 10, 12 Dex Trivett 9.
Junior 65cc (All KTM unless stated): 1 Alfie Bowtell 25, 2 Sid Evans 22, 3 Grady Featherstone 20, 4 Jamie Carpenter (Cobra) 18, 5 Connor Hughes 16, 6 Dylan Hodgkins 14, 7 Jordan Eccles 13, 8 Josh Coleman 12, 9 Alfie Mountford 11, 10 Tommy Schofield 10.
Small-wheel 85cc: 1 Ben Watson (CI Sport KTM) 25, 2 James Dunn (Relentless Suzuki) 22, 3 Bradley Ward (Team Green Kawasaki) 20, 4 Michael Eccles (Team Green Kawasaki) 18, 5 Max Acres (Fox Suzuki)16, 6 Tom Neal (Moto Shack KTM) 15, 7 Corrie Southwood (Williams Suzuki) 14, 8 Chris Bayliss (Wooldridge Honda)13, 9 Scooter Webster (Fly Racing Honda) 12, 10 Robert Davidson Plumco KTM) 11, 11 Daniel Neale (KTM) 10.
Supermini: 1 Luke Norris (TRM Honda) 25, 2 Matt Bayliss 22, 3 Luke Hawkins (PAR Homes Honda) 20, 4 Ben Watson 18, 5 James Dunn 16, 6 John Hawkins (Marsh MX KTM) 15, 7 Michael Eccles 14, 8 Scooter Webster 13, 9 Troy Wharton (Magic Muffins Suzuki) 12, 10 Bradley Ward 11, 11 Robert Davidson 10, 12 Chelsea Gowland (??) 9.
Youth Lites: 1 Max Anstie 25, 2 Christian Taylor (Shack KTM) 22, 3 Rowan Hill (Kanos Racing Suzuki) 20, 4 Nathan Rooks (CI Sport KTM) 18, 5 Tom Bennett (Magic Muffins Honda) 16, 6 N/A 15, 7 Joe Jones (??)14, 8 Jordan Booker (??) 13, 9 Lewis Ellis (NGK/Spy/A1 Signs Suzuki) 12, 10 Jimmie Jackson (One11MX KTM) 11.
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2008
Tommy Searle was in fine form as he took the hard fought British Open class.