Tom takes the Silver for CCM
By TMX Archives on 26th Feb 09
THE ACU British MMX Championship season kicked off in style at the Little Silver Moto Parc, near Exeter, on Sunday. Conditions on the picturesque hillside circuit were near perfect for the 2009 season opener and produced some spectacular racing.Victory in the Open class went to CCM debutant Tom Church, the 27 year-old Wiltshire man claiming the overall with third and second placings in his two outings.In the Under 21 class, there was a convincing victory for Jake Nicholls on his Red Bull KTM, the 18 year-old walking away with a maximum points haul after two stunning rides.
There were no surprises in the Dirt Bike B**** Ladies Champion-ship with 16 year-old Irish talent Natalie Kane claiming two effortless wins in her two races. The MVRD Suzuki rider showed her intent from the outset, being a clear 10.4 seconds per lap quicker than her nearest rival in qualifying, a margin that she managed to extend in her two races.
There was drama however, as the first of the Open class races got under way, a horrific crash on one of the fast downhill sections saw both Jonathan Pettitt and Matt Stephenson cartwheeling down the track after the two tangled. The incident immediately brought out the red flag, as the duo remained motionless, with both bikes and riders strewn across the track, much to the dismay of early race leader, CCM mounted Jason Dougan who held a commanding lead at the time. The 21 year-old Portsmouth youngster suffered more cruel luck in the restart, after being brought down in turn five when he was rammed from behind by a pursuing rider.
However, it was Carl Nunn on his MVRD Suzuki who took maximum advantage of the restart, overhauling early leader Wayne Garrett on the opening lap. with the 29 year-old Cambridge-shire man never being seriously threatened throughout the 25 minutes + 2 lap race. Behind him raged a terrific scrap between KTM mounted Steven Sword, Bryan MacKenzie, Tom Church and young Kristian Whatley who was out for the first time on the Refurb Hanson Kawasaki. MacKenzie, who had initially moved into second spot after
a mistake by Sword, slipped back at one quarter distance, losing three places to the Sword, Church and Whatley trio. Whatley, who had only received his new green machine 24 hours earlier, was holding his own against the two more experienced GP campaigners and wasn't letting them get away.
Pre-race favourite Brad Anderson, who was joint fastest in practice with Whatley, was at the back of the field after suffering contact with another rider in the first turn which left him minus a clutch. The PAR Honda man, who had to have pain killers prior to the race following a slipped disc and a trapped nerve in his back, was stopped out on track and frantically trying to adjust the slack out of the clutch, but it was all to no avail as the cable had come dislodged from the lever following the first turn clash.
Starting from dead last, the 29 year-old North Easterner shadowed Dougan for several laps as they both fought their way through the pack. Dougan, who had earlier shown a great turn of speed, eventually came home in 19th spot while Ando trailed home a further six places back and out of the points.
In the first of the Under 21 championship races it was Meredith Suzuki's Joe Dark who grabbed the early initiative, albeit shortlived as he was quickly displaced by Shane Carless on the opening lap. Nicholls though, who had started back in third spot, forged his way to the front on lap two and was never headed. 16 year-old Scott Elderfield on his PAR Homes Honda rode a great race, claiming a well deserved second spot after displacing Carless on lap three. The final podium placing went to 17 year-old Graeme Irwin after the Irishman took over the spot on lap three at the expense of Carless.
FOR FULL REPORT SEE T+MX NEWS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2009