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2 Stroke British Championships – Round 2

Round 2 of the British 2 stroke Championships from Cusses Gorse had the added excitement of the 1st round of the British Women’s MX Championship

Cusses Gorse is a fast flowing jump infested circuit, but the racing line is very narrow and the talk in the paddock was how to stay on line and clear all the jumps as the supercross type layout offers big advantages to those riders brave enough to clear the huge jumps and triples.

The 125’s were first out on track and qualifying is always hectic in this group as theses are the mad axe men of the series, everyone eager to make it through to the holy grail know as the  ‘A group’.   In group1 it was Yamaha UK’s Dave Willet who took the honours with a fine 1:51.9 from the charging KTM’s of Christian Taylor and Lloyd Morgan. Group 2 was dominated by another Yamaha this time in the hands of supercross specialist young Jak Brunnell who set a blistering lap of 1:49.9 on his first flying lap!  Second place went to the light blue TM of Jimmy Davies who looked real strong this morning, as he was chased home surprisingly by a Honda with the rapid Sean Stevens at the controls.

Next out came the women, and these are allowed to ride whatever bike suits and some go for the more powerful 4st which just sounds and looks weird at a 2st Championship! and the smaller 2st machines seemed to be for the smaller lass! No surprises in qualifying as Nat Kane to pole with a 1:59.9 from Nikki Scott and Kerry Wilson.

After the noise came the open 2st qualifiers and in group 1 were  that man Dave Willet again proves his ‘iron-man’ status with a fine 1:49.1  putting the Yamaha UK 250 one top of the pile, chased hard by Lewis Rose and then the awesome 500cc machine of ex- British Champ Greg Hanson. Open group 2 was a younger affair with Suzuki’s James Cotterell nailing pole from the wild looking Lewis Tombs who just pipped another 500cc Honda in the hands of Luke Hill who is establishing himself and that Service Honda as title contenders!

The dust had just settled from the morning qualifying sessions and the B group125’s were called to the line for the first of the encounters!  This is a scary group and no place for the fainthearted as these guys just seem to swarm the circuit. 5ec board turned and the blast up the hill to the first corner saw Lee Yates slide his YZ under the TM of Mark Bland to take the holeshot, these were side by side until Joe Golding shoved his front wheel by Bland who then tried to square the third corner and the TM went down losing the front end, Jake Lord, Archie Knight and Danny Alsworth were three wide for most of the 1st lap, just behind these came a barbanging session between Matt Hopkins, Luke Budziszewski and Nathan Wells, these guys were swapping paint from the first corner and the ‘red mist’ had set in hard ! The only guy to take on the big triple section was young Nathan Jacobs who was making his way forward. Unfortunately this race was red flagged as part of the RedBull arch collapsed onto the circuit and riders where sent back to parc ferme. At the re-start it was Archie Knight who took the lead from a charging pack with Mark McDonnell firing his KTM up the hill trying to get under Mark Bland, Lee Yates was again screaming that Yamaha and pushing into the top 5. Craig Polden went missing from the bunch as did Bland losing the front end again on that TM. First race front runner Joe Golding was stuck mid-pack after a terrible start and while trying to pass he went down in a big crash that actually collected 19 riders!   Archie Knight settled up front as Lee Yates blasted into second place, McDonnell took a big soil sample as he cartwheeled his KTM through the berm and fencing after casing hard and getting dragged off backwards and opening the throttle even more. Just outside the top ten but racing as fast as the leaders were Bob D’erlanger, Phil Hammersley and Adrian Jessop, these had a race long tussle that entertained the crowd. Charging hard were Bland and Golding always moving to the front but time another red flag saw the win was taken by Knight followed by Yates, and Jacobs.

Race 2 B 125

Blasting out of the gate it was Sam Peedle who edged out Yates for the lead from Alsworth and Delaney with McDonnell and Toby Lightbrown all over them, Bland hit the deck again as Jake Lord made a mistake and left the circuit at speed but saved it and re-joined the track before the next corner, coming through the pack was Knight who was passing with ease as he pushed into the top 10. Peedle looked to be in control of things as Yates could do nothing to close down the leader, Jacobs surged through on the #33 TM giving Yates the hurry up and he responded by passing the leader as the front runners were caught by a freight train of riders, McDonnell had settled down and was intent on making up for a bad first moto as was Golding. Yates had enough left to hold on for the win with Peedle held off a super fast Knight who moved through to 3rd at the flag.

Race 3 B 125

Anyone of 10 riders could take the B group honours today and a good start would be needed to get any advantage, as the pack squashed into the first corner it was the Yamaha of Yates who wheelied out front, closely followed by Jacobs, Bland, Lord and McDonnell, first corner carnage this moto caught Jessop and Holmes who both remounted to continue, Bland’s TM out powered Jacobs to take second, as Lord pushed McDonnell wide after the KTM rider passed him through the tricky whoop section but drifted a little wide and gifted the place back!  Peedle was again in the middle of things as he enjoyed a battle with the KTM of Golding, as the #17 machine was trying to break the top 10 again, Yates had the job done as he continued to push lap after lap trying to separate himself from the charging pack behind, now a few seconds back was Bland in second with Jacobs and Knight, last lap action see Golding make the pass on McDonnell for 5th place as Clifton shadowed the pair.

Race 1 A 125

The fastest 125 racers in the country lined up for their first moto, the atmosphere was electric as the sound of those bikes echoed up that hill, Willett seemed to wheelie a bit to much as he caught plenty of traction just out of the gate, as Taylor and Page nailed their bikes into the corner, holeshot award to Taylor as he held the inside line with Page right there, Brunnell dived into third quickly as he knows this is a one line circuit and a start is so important, Willet had held 8th but he was 3 and even 4 wide with riders on the first lap, Davies passed at will as that TM just nailed the triple with ease, Sean Stevens had Darren Redman for company as these two ex-British Schoolboy Championship riders were mixing it again after a 15 year lay-off !  Brunnel was on rails and the supercross style track just begged him to perform, he was 3 seconds in front after just two laps which is un-heard of in this 125 class. Willet shot into 3rd right on Taylor as Page succumbed to the pace of these guys, Redman launched his YZ over triple and just held it wide open to rail that outside berm at a ridiculous speed to pass Stevens that was a move no one else had used and the Essex lad was saving for special occasion the next lap when he passed Lloyd Morgan and Page in one very impressive move. Behind these guys chaos ruled as bikes clashed all over the circuit, the trio of Jason Wells, Bradley Howlett and Luke Heaver was especially good to watch as these swapped paint at every chance with Heaver sliding out midrace, Willet went down trying to make a pass on the lose stuff and tucked the front on the little YZ, Quickly he remounted and only lost a few places, meanwhile Davies had the TM ripping and there sure is a power advantage up those hills when your on a TM.  These two must of banged bars as Taylor went missing, Redman had clawed his way onto 3rd behind Willet and these two locked horns with Redman looking like he could make the pass but such was their speed an attempted move put him in that horrible lose stuff in no mans land and he ran wide smashing his radiator off in a cloud of steam, Willet carried on charging, Stevens had continued he speedy ride to pass Page and Morgan as these were joined by John Butler, Lee Wren and Danny Tollet. An unlucky Wren got caught up in a big crash on the big tabletop which claimed four or five riders. 1st round Junior victor Luke Dean must have had terrible luck as he was stuck in the pack, battling with a rapid looking Charles Stratt.  With a commanding lead Brunnell took a well deserved win from a chasing Willett with Davies holding third.

Race 2 A 125

Second moto chaos as the first corner carnage claimed over 15 riders including Page, Davies, Brunnell, Willet and Ranton, as the leaders came back into view it was Redman out front with a borrowed radiator from those nice guys at TeeBee Racing. Stevens slid into 2nd from a fast starting Rowan Hill with Chris Povey, Tim Heasman, Howlett, and Charles Stratt holding 7th as they started their second lap.  Brunnell was already up on the pegs and passing where passes had not been made, all the sx experience was paying off as he jumped his way through the field, just on the top ten bubble was Morgan, Peedle and Nick Banks as these guys made ground in the earlier chaotic laps, this race was unfolding as Willet was just wide open and showing the YZ no mercy as the iron-man found lines no-one had even thought about, Out front Redman put it into cruise, a rather fast cruise but it looked like he was walking away with this one, Brunnel was now into 3rd place all over Stevens all the time keeping an eye on the leader as if he could catch him ! Midpack battles included a race long duel with Terry Lloyd, Tom Johnson, Alex Davies and Mark Haigh with each one of these taking the advantage as these swapped position for the entire moto, if they had settled and stopped blocking each other they surely would of moved forward!  Nick Banks held of Kev Green and Ashley Crossley who pulled some fantastic whips on the up-hill step to entertainer the crowd. Back up front Brunnell passed Stevens only to get re-passed as the Honda man was having none of it, but in typical sx aggression Brunnell just blasted in to second and nailed a couple of super quick laps to break the tow and surprisingly close in on Redman, Redman was super smooth but Brunnell was faster and with a lap or so to go the unthinkable happened when Brunnell passed for the lead, Redman gave the charger room and happily followed the flying Brunnell to watch a few lines?  Willet busted a few quick laps at the end to nail 3rd Davies had worked hard to get back to 5th place after that last place start.

Race 3 A 125

Out of the gate it was clear Lloyd Morgan had this holeshot as he had 5 yards on everyone, Davies slotted the TM into second as the pack crested that hill with Willet like a man possessed dropping into 3rd. Stevens had again got that Honda out the gate with Brunnell and Luke Kennett all over him, race two leader Redman suffered a terrible start and was getting knocked all over the place as he tasted a little ‘midpack mayhem’  Willet spied an approaching Brunnell and pushed hard to get away but Davies’s TM just pulled gaps on the straights as this track was now a very narrow race line, Davies blasted into the lead as Willet was trying to pass Morgan, Brunnell closed in on them and simply squared a corner and nailed the big uphill step from the inside passing Willet and Morgan in one go, Green, Crossley and Banks were again all elbows and it was the #609 KTM that got nudged off the track and to loose a few places re-joining, Stratt had put in a great ride with company from Howlett, Tomkins and Heasman, fast starting Highway Oliver was enjoying himself inside the top ten again as he shows the kids a thing or two as was Danny Tollett.  Brunnel passed Davies for the lead as Morgan was still holding off Willet these two were closing on Davies, Kennett was now 5th holding off a super quick Redman, who had Stevens, Oliver and Tollett all over him, as these tried to break away from Leium Morgan, Tommy Bidder, Ady Peedle and Stevie Gesner battle because at one point 5th place down to 17th place were separated by just 5 seconds, as riders pushed for those all important Championship points, Late in the moto Willet moved into second place and just kept nailing lap after lap but it was to late as Brunnell had cleared off, Davies rode the wheels off that TM to hold off a charging Redman at the flag

There you have it, another cracking days racing from the best 125cc racers in the country, Brunnell surprised everyone with his pace around here, Willett tried in vain, as did Davies and an on form Redman, and there were some brilliant races going on down the field, these 125’s always provide some classic barbanging action, well done lads. At this point we would like to say, get well soon series #1 and current Champ TM’s Jon Pettit who suffered some nasty injuries during some pre-season races. Come back soon Jon we’re all missing you!

OPEN CLASS

Qualifying action saw Yamaha’s Dave Willet set the time to beat in group 1 with a nice fast lap of 1:49.1 edging out a fast looking Lewis Rose and a returning Greg Hanson onboard a sweet looking CR500, group 2 riders had to follow the time set by a stylish James Cotterell who just beat Lewis Tombs and yet another CR500 this time in the hands of Luke Hill.

Race 1  A group

There’s a tried and trusted saying from the other side of the pond, in the USA they advise that ‘There’s no replacement for dissplacement’ and its so true as blasting out of the gate the two 500’s just plain hauled, its been a while since we saw 500cc racing and the sound alone was worth the entrance fee, Luke Hill was on fire as he held off Geg Hanson, and these two battled for the lead, Eastwood soon joine in the mix, suddenly Hanson was out with a puncture, Willet was soon to be pestering Easty and forced him to make the move on Hill who was enjoying the BHP effect up those triples, Willet passed Hill in the tight stuff and set about Easty. These two set a blistering pace but did not drop Hill that much as he had company arriving in the shape of Tombs, Trickett and Marc Dean, in comparrision to the 500 roar the open class has a few 144 machines and Ben Milward’s TM sounds awesome and is quick to, offering that light flickabilty of a 125 he rails inside lines for fun. Willet hounded the leader and made the pass to run away for the win, Easty took second and Hill steered the big 500 to a fine 3rd, Marc Dean had blown away the rest with his charge through the field..

Race 2  A group

Eastwood jumped out of the gate into a 5 yard lead before they were evn halfway up the start straight, but Hanson had hooked up that 500 and wheelied past dropping the front right on the inside of the first corner, Hill had his 500 fully stoked to as he past Easty on a big jump, Tombs was fighting Willet for fourth to top Yamaha honours although Willets #2 bike was using far less of the track than young Tombsy !    Hill passed Hanson on the big triple but over jumped it and could not hold the inside as Hanson took the lead back, Eastwood had dropped back behind Tombs and Willet who was having to eat some painful roost from the 500 of Hill, the top 6 were at warp speed and for a few laps and the pace was unbelievable, Tombs was first to suffer as Willet and Eastwood drove past with the Yamaha man trying everything he knew to pass Hills’ 500, but ever move was countered with a hefty dose of throttle which blasted Hill back past again, Willet conjured up so lines to pass the 500’s for the lead and Easty followed suit but could not catch the leader and settled for second place, Hanson took third and Hill fourth.

Race 3 A Group

Once again it was a 500cc Honda taking the holeshot, this time Hill wanted to run away for the win as his pace on the opening laps was scorching, Eastwood had to battle with Rooks who fired his KTM into the first corner followed by 3 more KTM’s, and Matt White who gated well at last, Willet though had a poor start and was trying to pass Adam Reynolds just on the top 10 bubble, while Rose was struggling with this early pace, Tomb’s was right at the back so he must have been down, on the opening lap. Willet went into hyperdrive as he forced his way to the front runners, making some classic passes enroute and this was his 6th moto of the day ! Eastwood played a great hand as he allowed Hill to make the pace until he was tiring, quick as a flash Easty was underneath Hill on the tight right hairpin and just took off for the win, Willet had somehow got back to 2nd place and Hill settled for third at the flag.

The open A class is stacked with talent and is a spectacle, but its enhanced just that bit by the 500’s who are coming and FAST. Eastwood has so much experience and he’s lines and strategies are world class, Willet has the heart of a lion and just keeps coming, both classes and every moto tapped 100%, Hill is getting fitter and he’s learning how to guide the big five O around a moto, as goes the Championship ?  Its still to wide open for us to put any money down, so get along to a round this year and watch some classic 2 stroke racing !

Race 1 B Group open class

Exploding out of the start gate Shayne Headon took the first race holeshot from Jon Tapp, Nick Phillips and a sideways Sam Beddows, as the rest of the pack hustled for position,  as they completed their first lap Phillips had passed Tapp for second and Danny Helyar had pushed into front runners too. It was not long before Phillips had control up front as Headon started to make small mistakes under the pressure, Tapp drove passed for second place a lap later giving a tow an impressive Russ Harland. With the lead group making a small breakaway the entertainment was coming from Sean Doyle, Daryl Hall and Tom Holland who had caught Helyar, and these four battled for suprmecy passing and re-passing countless times, Dan Groves was out on a 125 instead of his normal 250 and looked to be enjoying himself as did Tim Finneron who was having a blast on a 1992 cr125 !  Phillips held off a late charge from Tapp to take the win with Harland nailing third.

Race 2 B Group

Jon Tapp made no mistakes with his start as he rounded the first corner in front, followed by Alan Edminston, Rory Wooton, Headon and Lee Thornton, just behind those there was chaos as a few riders went down. Wooton was on fire as he demoted Edminston for second and was looking to find a way past leader Tapp, Phillips was charging with Thornton and Beddows hanging onto his rear mudguard. Save of the day goes to Daniel Helyar as he got all crossed up in the whoops as he tried a pass, with both feet off and a big handful of gas he was in full rodeo style using the full width of the track but somehow he stayed with it, well done Danny !  Out front Tapp was looking in control and he watched Wooton put in a charge but it was to late and a fast looking Headon claimed third at the flag.

Race 3 B Group

With their final race of the day blasting out of the gate it was Lee Thornton who claimed the holeshot in spectacular style from a speedway style Wooton and that man Tapp again, first lap carnage claimed a bunch of riders as two separate crashes removed a dozen riders from the race. Just behind Tapp was Harland, Headon, Grossman and Beddows, these top seven riders were nose to tail for ages until Tapp was pressured into a mistake and he failed to clear the uphill triple which allowed Harland and Headon blast past, and each lap he refused to jump it a rider passed him. Steve Wright out on a 250 this year tried the triple but came up well short resulting in a mess, but he was soon back on track and on the gas, although he never attempted that again !  Thornton held of to take the win from Wooton and an impressive looking Harland.

Overalls

125 juniors

Matt Thomas              117
Charles Statt               117
Ryan Tomkins            101
Jason Wells                 96
Rowan Hill                  88
Stevie Gesner              78
Ady Peedle                   72
Ash Crossley                70
Bradley Doyle             68
Chris Povey                 68
Mark Haigh                 65
Nick Banks                  62
Terry Lloyd                 58
Alex Davis                   54
Tom Johnson             50

125 Experts

Jak Brunell                 135
Davey Willet              123
Jim Davies                  111
Sean Stevens             100
Lloyd Morgan            90
Luke Kennet              84
Danny Tollett            84
Darren Redman        78
Tim Heasman            78
Highway Oliver         66
Bradley Howlett        64
Tommy Bidder          56
Kevin Green               53
Leium Morgan          38
Luke Heaver              19

Open juniors

Lewis Trickett            132
Steve Simpson           123
Ben Howard               106
Justin Penty               100
Matt Smith                  96
David Ford                  87
Anthony Mcgladery   86
Ben Anstie                   72
Daniel Ward               70
Jake Shipton              64
Shayne Headon         54
Lee Thornton             53
Jon Tapp                     53
Chris Hind                  52
Jacob Grossman       48

Open experts

Dave Willet                132
Mark Eastwood         129
Luke Hill                     114
Marc Dean                  105
Zac Blackwell             83
Lewis Rose                  78
Nathan Rooks            74
Adam Reynolds         74
Lewis Tombs              61
Tony Cuddy                59
Jason Palmer             51
Oli Rusby                    49
James Cotterell          47
Matt White                 46
Michael Deeley          43

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