Upgrade to Premier class
By Dave Rich on 3rd Jan 14
The Phoenix Tools Premier Motocross Championship went from strength-to-strength with some 200 plus riders registering for the 2013 series which consisted of 10 rounds and catered for Expert Open, Juniors, Over 35, Over 40 and Over 50 competitors travelling from all parts of the country along with many wildcards.
In the Expert Open Championship class expectations were high as there was no hot favourite to pick from.
The Opening round took place at Phoenix Moto Parc where Alex Snow took the overall with two wins and a second, but he was pushed hard by team mate Shane Carless and Darren Shears.
From there we went down to Cornwall to Fraddon Moto Parc, but there was no Snow who was out injured nor Shears who had a nasty crash practicing prior to the meeting.
But making his first wildcard appearance was Kristian Whatley who showed his class and took a hat-trick of wins with Luke Hawkins taking second in all three races. But taking the lead in the Championship was now Carless.
Round three took on a new venue in the shape of Crediton Raceway where Josh Waterman was a wildcard and he was involved in a real tussle in the opening race with Hawkins who took the win on the last lap, but with Carless winning the other two races he increased his Championship lead.
Round four was at Waggadon Farm where there was a star line-up including Whatley, Waterman, former World Champion Steve Ramon and Yentel Martins (Son of Jacky Martins).
In the opening race there was great drama at the first hairpin corner where several riders went down including Whatley who was last to get away.
James Dodd set the early pace from Luke Hill and they had a real tussle at the front. Martins was soon joined them and took the lead, but all eyes were on Whatley who was absolutely flying through the field and was closing all the time.
By lap eight he was up into third and within no time was challenging Martins for the lead which he took on the penultimate lap and from there went on to take the win from last position.
Whatley won the second race after a long hard battle with Hawkins. Unfortunatly Whatley was hit in the face just above his eye by a stone and was a non-starter in race thre which was won by Hawkins who led from the start and with it had now taken the Championship lead by nine points.
Round five at Tiverton Moto Parc saw Luke Mellows with the best start in the opening race. But he was hunted down by Hawkins on the opening lap who took the lead and from there went on to take a convincing win with Carless taking second after a long hard scrap with John May on the last lap.
In moto two it was Carless this time who had a blistering start and was soon into a rhythm.
Hawkins didn't have the best of starts and had to work hard to get past May and Mellows which he did in the latter part of the race to snatch second.
In the last race it was Hawkins who was in a real hurry and powered away from the off and took a convincing win.
At the halfway stage in the Championship it was Hawkins who was leading by 12 points as we moved up into Marshfield in Wiltshire.
Hawkins looked as if he had the best start in the opening race, but Carless sneaked through on the inside to take the early lead.
Hawkins stuck with Carless on the first couple of laps and took the lead on lap three.
May and Dodd were having a real tussle for third and fourth, but all eyes were on the leading two with Carless all over Hawkins until lap six when Carless was to stall his bike on a slow right-hander which let Hawkins get away.
Carless closed in on Hawkins again and then couldn't believe his luck on the last lap when Hawkins stalled his bike which gifted Carless the win.
In moto two it was Carless again from Hawkins and these two set off at a blistering pace with Hawkins taking the lead mid-race.
Carless came back on the last lap, but this time it was Carless who stalled on the same corner as Hawkins had in race one and Hawkins took the win.
In the last race there was great drama after Carless had the early lead from Mellows with Hawkins there in third.
But Hawkins slowed down after buckling his front disc on lap two.
Dodd was now in third and was all over Mellows looking to get pass which which he did round a lefthander.
He wasn't going to catch Carless who took the win with May just holding off Hawkins for third.
However Hawkins was later penalised a minute for outside assistance and finished 13th and had now given Carless the Championship lead.
Round seven was at Garlands Moor, Holsworthy where it was 2012 Champion Jamie Skuse who headed the pack, but by the end of the first lap Hawkins had hit the front with Skuse now in second under huge pressure from Alex Snow and Carless.
This battle went on for several laps which was letting Hawkins ease away at the front, Snow and Carless did pass Skuse mid race, but there was no catching Hawkins who took the win.
FOR FULL REVIEW AND PICTURES SEE TMX JANUARY 3
