The International Whoppa on Sunday afternoon was won by Andrew Appleton in the 500cc solo class, William Matthijssen and Sandra Molema in the 500cc sidecars with Mark Cossar and Wayne Rickards in the 1000cc sidecars. The meeting was held at Merley Hall Farm the popular venue used for the successful 2105 British Masters and again won many plaudits on Sunday from riders and supporters alike, smooth fast racing with the only hindrance the wind blowing across the track.
Injuries and unavailability played a major part in proceedings but those outfits and solos who were able to take their place did the big crowd proud with some fantastic racing with overtaking both inside and out in all classes throughout the afternoon.
Matthijssen and Molema settled into the grove from their opening ride with only Goodwin and Brown able to really push them, losing only one race the Dutch pair won the hearts of the supporters trackside reeling off three stunning victories.
With Cossar and Rickards in the big chairs opening second place thereafter running away unbeaten Winterburn and Brown were right on their tail with Blackbourn and Pugh never far from the front running action.
Appleton suffered a mechanical failure in his second outing which piled on the pressure from then on, a win and a second saw him into the 'B' final with first place in that he stormed off to win a thrilling battle with Wright and Harris for top spot. Wright suffered one blip in his third outing whereas Harris ran through to the final unbeaten and everyone's favourite for the title, but Appleton and Wright gated and although there was never much in it Appleton took home top spot from Wright and Harris respectively.
500cc Solos:
1st : 22 Andrew Appleton 9, R, 9, 7, SF1, F1, = 25
2nd : 69 James Wright 9, 9, 6, 9, F2, = 33
3rd : 37 Chris Harris 9, 9, 9, 9, F3, = 36
4th : 11 Paul Cooper 7, 5, 9, 6, F4, = 27
5th : 86 Paul Hurry 7, 6, 6, 9, F5, = 28
6th : 1 Tom Perry 6, 7, 5, 5, SF2, F6, = 24
7th : 88 Ben Barker 7, 7, 7, 7, F7, = 28
8th : 2 Tim Nobes 6, 9, 7, 7, F8, = 29
9th : 7 Steve Boxall 5, NS, 5, 6, SF3, = 16
10th : 12 Daniel Winterton 4, 7, 4, 4, SF4, = 19
11th : 17 Gareth Hickmott 5, 4, 7, 5, SF5, = 21
12th : 170 Mark Taylor 6, 3, 3, 5, SF6, = 17
13th : 130 Ben Millichap 4, 6, 6, 4, SF7, = 20
14th : 51 Nathan Moreton 5, 5, 5, 3, SF8, = 18
15th : 47 Callum Walker 3, 6, 0, 6, = 15
16th : 200 Scott Creswell 4, 2, 2, 4, = 12
17th : 198 Lee Madgewick 3, 5, 2, 2, = 12
18th : 80 Jason Newitt 2, 1, 4, 3, = 10
19th : 56 James Hartley 2, 3, 3, 2, = 10
20th : 53 Jody Hodgson NS, NS, 3, 2, = 5
RACE RESULTS :
Heat 1 : 69, 11, 2, 17, 130, 21, 80, (1.13.93)
Heat 2 : 22, 88, 170, 51, 200, 198, 53(NS), (1.14.05)
Heat 3 : 37, 86, 1, 7, 12, 47, 56, (1.12.48)
Heat 8 : 69, 12, 47, 51, 21, 56, 22(R), (1.14.52)
Heat 9 : 2, 1, 130, 198, 53(NS), (1.14.27)
Heat 10 : 37, 88, 86, 11, 17, 170, 200, 80, (1.12.66)
Heat 15 : 22, 2, 86, 7, 12, 170, 200, (1.14.69)
Heat 16 : 37, 88, 69, 1, 21, 56, (1.13.78)
Heat 17 : 11, 17, 51, 80, 53, 198, 47(R), (1.11.80)
Heat 22 : 69, 88, 47, 17, 200, 80, 53, (1.12.98)
Heat 23 : 37, 22, 11, 1, 12, 51, 198, (1.14.27)
Heat 24 : 86, 2, 7, 170, 130, 21, 56, (1.15.41)
Heat 30 : 22, 1, 7, 12, 17, 170, 130, 51, (1.15.19)
Heat 32 : 22, 69, 37, 11, 86, 1, 88, 2, (1.12.06)
500cc Sidecars:
1st : 1 William Matthijssen & Sandra Molema 7, 7, 5, 14, = 33
2nd : 3 Josh Goodwin & Liam Brown 5, 5, 7, 10, = 27
3rd : 56 Wayne Read & Curtis McAlinney 3, 3, 3, 8, = 17
4th : 57 Mike Read & Mark Hopkins 4, 2, 4, 6, = 16
5th : 7 Barrie Bennett & Eifion Hughes 2, 1, 2, 4, = 9
6th : 68 Dan Berwick & Ant Goodwin 1, 4, X, NS, = 5
RACE RESULTS :
Heat 4 : 1, 3, 57, 56, 7, 68, (1.23.13)
Heat 11 : 1, 3, 68, 56, 57, 7, (1.23.88)
Heat 18 : 3, 1, 57, 56, 7, 68(X), (1.23.57)
Heat 25 : 1, 3, 56, 57, 7, 68(NS), (1.21.72)
1000cc Sidecars
1st : 37 Mark Cossar & Wayne Rickards 5, 7, 7, 7, F1, = 26
2nd : 49 Gareth Winterburn & Liam Brown 7, 5, 7, 7, F2, = 26
3rd : 25 Colin Blackbourn & Carl Pugh 7, 7, 5, 7, F3, = 26
4th : 9 Myles Simmons & Kevin Woodley 4, 5, 5, 5, SF2, F4, = 19
5th : 15 Matt Fumerola & Gareth Williams 7, 4, 4, 5, F5, = 20
6th : 92 Paul Whitelam & Alan Elliott 5, 4, 7, 4, SF1, F6, = 20
7th : 12 Neal Owen & Jason Farwell 4, 3, 5, 5, SF3, = 17
8th : 98 Joe Mogg & Jake Cutler 2, 3, 3, 4, SF4, = 12
9th : 99 Pete Colvin & Steve Colvin 4, 3, 3, 3, SF5, = 13
10th : 184 John Hiscock & Terry Madley 3, 4, 3, 3, SF6, = 13
11th : 80 Will Offen & Steven Hargreaves 5, 7, 4, 3, = 19
12th : 24 Rob Wilson & Terry Saunters 3, 5, 4, X, = 12
13th : 375 Pete Shaw & Michael Chittenden 2, 2, 3, 3, = 10
RACE RESULTS :
Heat 5 : 15, 92, 9, 24, 375, (1.33.86)
Heat 6 : 49, 37, 99, (1.32.77)
Heat 7 : 25, 80, 12, (1.33.52)
Heat 12 : 37, 9, 184, 98, 375, (1.30.66)
Heat 13 : 80, 24, 15, 99, (1.36.22)
Heat 14 : 25, 49, 92, 12, (1.32.98)
Heat 19 : 37, 25, 80, 184, (1.28.13)
Heat 20 : 92, 12, 24, 375, (1.33.15)
Heat 21 : 49, 9, 15, 98, 99, (1.32.89)
Heat 26 : 49, 12, 99, 184, (1.38.05)
Heat 27 : 25, 15, 98, 375, (1.36.68)
Heat 28 : 37, 9, 92, 80, 24(X), (Awarded)
Heat 29 : 92, 9, 12, 98, 99, 184, (1.31.58)
Heat 30 : 37, 49, 25, 9, 15, 92, 12, (1.30.80)