That's Iddon 'well
By Dick Law on 11th Nov 10
Both Elite class 2010 British Supermoto championship's came down to the wire as last weekend's round nine took place at the Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire.
Guest riders and former champion now turned road racer, Christian Iddon on an old Husaberg stole the show in the Open class by winning all three races in great style, as South African Craig Venske won both titles with some of the most conscious and steady riding we have seen from him all year, playing it safe and doing just enough to be champion, twice.
The NORA Sport organisation, once again where very lucky with the weather, and yes it did rain, and hard, but only at night when the racing was over, but this made the track damp and slippy in the morning but by the time the practice was over it was on with the slicks.
James Addy got the holeshot at the start of the first 450 Elite race on Saturday and set off at a very fast pace leaving Sami Salstola and Chris Walker to fight over second, while Douglas Canningham hung onto the pair for half the race till first Richard Sharp, the Venske managed to find away past him.
Contender Chris Hodgson started in sixth, passed Venske on lap five but crashed down to 16th a lap later.
Addy crossed the finish line after 12 exciting laps just under a second and a half in front of Salstola and Walker who were inseparable, with Sharp and Venske filling the next two places.
Once again it was Addy that led the pack at the start of the second race, but this time Venske and Sharp where on his case as they went up the "mountain” for the first time.
Hodgson had a good start but was involved in a first turn collision, which happened most races, and was down in eighth as they crossed the finish line for the first time.
By the halfway point, Addy still led Venske as Hartley, having a better race then the first was in third, with Sharp in his wheel tracks with Hodgson reeling them both in.
With two laps to go it looked like the tension was getting to Venske as both Hodgson then Hartley and Walker managed to get past as he wobbled in the barn turn.
Once again Addy won by almost four seconds from Hodgson and Hartley, with Walker fourth and Venske one place behind him.
For a change it was Walker that got the holeshot in the last 450 Elite race of the year, but by the start of lap two Hodgson was through and into the lead, with Addy moving up to second three laps later.
By the halfway stage Addy had closed the gap on leader Hodgson and two laps latter found away past and into the lead and his third win of the day by the narrowest of margins from Hodgson, Walker was third and Sharp fourth with Venske almost beside him as they crossed the finish line.
The 450 Clubman class was all about Dean Hillier, as he was making a welcome return to Supermoto after two sessions away.
Lee Le Feuvre got the holeshot in the first race, but by lap three Hillier was through to take the first win of the day by just a quarter of a second from Simon Walker. With Le Feuvre hanging onto third with Paul Plevin fourth.
In race two as Le Feuvre led the pack on lap one, Hillier had someone go down in front of him putting him to the back of the field.
By the end of the lap Hillier was 13th, and by the halfway stage he was fifth taking riders on the left and right almost anywhere on the track.
As Le Feuvre took his one and only win Hillier was in second and only just under ten seconds behind him, with Plevin third and James Bartette fourth.
Race three paled by comparison as Hillier led from start to finish with Barette chasing him all the way.
FOR FULL REPORT AND PICTURES SEE T+MX NOVEMBER 12
BRITISH SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP
Rd 9 - Cadwell Park (NORA-Sport)
Saturday
450 Elite
Race one: 1 James Addy, 2 Sami Salstola, 3 Chris Walker, 4 Richard Sharp, 5 Craig Venske, 6 David Hartley.
Race two: 1 Addy, 2 Hodgson, 3 Hartley, 4 Walker, 5 Sharp, 6 Venske.
Race three: 1 Addy, 2 Hodgson, 3 Walker, 4 Sharp, 5 Venske, 6 Cunningham.
450cc Clubman
Race one: 1 Dean Hillier, 2 Simon Walker, 3 Lee Le Feuvre, 4 Paul Plevin, 5 Michael Craig, 6 Ryan Metcalf.
Race two: 1 Le Feuvre, 2 Hillier, 3 Plevin, 4 Barette, 5 Marsden, 6 Jason Bonhomme.
Race three: 1 Hillier, 2 Barette, 3 Bonhomme, 4 Metcalf, 5 Marsden, 6 Johnson.
250cc/ Junior
Race one: 1 Ben Stafford, 2 Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, 3 Michael Ford, 4 Owen Connell, 5 Stuart Sharp, 6 Neil Crayston.
Race two: 1 Stafford, 2 Connell, 3 Ford, 4 Sharp, 5 Crayston, 6 Saunders.
Race three: 1 Stafford, 2 Mitchell-Thomas, 3 Connell, 4 Ford, 5 Crayston, 6 Sharp.
Quad
Race one: 1 Mike Taylor, 2 Justin Reid, 3 Aaron Ebbitt, 4 Cathal McCarten, 5 Craig Kilner, 6 Niall McDermott.
Race two: 1 Reid, 2 Taylor, 3 Ebbitt, 4 Kilner, 5 Lawry, 6 McDermott.
Race three: 1 Reid, 2 Taylor, 3 McCarten, 4 Lawry, 5 Kilner, 6 O'Hanlon.
Sunday
Open Elite
Race one: 1 Christian Iddon, 2 Lee Jones, 3 Chris Hodgson, 4 James Addy, 5 Sami Salstola, 6 Chris Walker.
Race two: 1 Iddon, 2 Jones, 3 Addy, 4 Sharp, 5 Salstola, 6 Hodgson.
Race three: 1 Iddon, 2 Jones, 3 Hodgson, 4 Addy, 5 Sharp, 6 Venske.
Open national
Race one: 1 Robert Hartley, 2 Lee Metcalf, 3 Kevin Drayton, 4 Ben Stafford, 5 Jordon Bonar, 6 Phil Gee.
Race two: 1 Hartley, 2 Metcalf, 3 Gee, 4 Kirkman, 5 Stafford, 6 Bentley.
Race three: 1 Hartley, 2 Kirkman, 3 Metcalf, 4 Barette, 5 Bentley, 6 Norris.
Open Clubman
Race one: 1 Graeme Wiles, 2 Rob Dickens, 3 Harry Kampz, 4 Dan Spencer, 5 Kyle Wingate, 6 Grant Cunningham.
Race two: 1 Wiles, 2 Rob Dickens, 3 Metcalf, 4 Spencer, 5 Wingate, 6 Michael Ford.
Race three: 1 Wiles, Rob 2 Dickens, 3 Metcalf, 4 Spencer, 5 Wingate, 6 Ford.