Northern Ireland’s Mark McLernon is the new ATVS Only British Quad Champion after a tense final round at Canada Heights on Sunday where he clinched the ACU-series in the very last race of the year.
The 21 year old arrived at the hilly Kent track with a healthy 36-point lead over the defending champion Paul Holmes, but that was reduced to just five points at the end of the day after an electrical fault in race two meant McLernon failed to score.
Former European champion Holmes in turn was at his imperious best taking a faultless maximum over the three races to keep the pressure cranked up on his rival until the very end!
It was a thrilling end to a classic season-long contest between the two that saw them win three rounds and seven heats apiece.
In a double celebration for the Irish, Leon Rogers from Navan in the Republic clinched the Willcock Holeformers Under 21 British Championship, albeit in a rather less stressful manner than McLernon.
Rogers arrived with a 46-point lead over Welshman Luke Cooper, who was the only person who could overtake him. But when Rogers was the first Under 21 home in heat one and Cooper, who had taken the Putoline holeshot, suffered not one but two punctures, the title was won.
In qualifying McLernon had made clear statement of intent, topping the times ahead of George Callaway and Justin Reid, with Holmes a second off the leader in fourth.
When the first heat fired up the start hill it was Holmes tucked in behind Cooper, with Bunce third and McLernon in fourth. With Cooper’s early demise Holmes took the lead with McLernon now his shadow. However a board from McLernon’s experienced pit crew suggesting he take safe points not risks saw him back off and Holmes stretch out a 24-second winning margin.
Behind McLernon a fine scrap raged most of the race between Bunce, Rogers and Justin Reid, who was in his own private battle with Bunce for third in the championship. But mid-race Reid lost ground after he accidentally pulled out his kill switch, while Bunce in turn pushed on hard and almost caught McLernon napping at the flag.
Going into race two, McLernon had a 33-point advantage over Holmes, with Bunce and Reid was now tied on 273 points in the tussle for third spot. Then the drama started!
First Bunce took the holeshot, ahead of Holmes and Reid, with McLernon getting boxed-in up the hill leaving him well down top ten. Holmes and Bunce soon swapped places and held those positions to the flag, but first Reid dropped out with a seized motor, then McLernon ground to halt and lost two laps with an electrical fault that keep causing his Honda to keep cutting out.
Rogers ended the race third, just half a second behind Bunce, while impressive Dutch wildcard, Marc de Vries, took a strong fourth to back up his fifth in race one.
Going to the final race McLernon’s series points lead was now down to just eight and, knowing he a required a top four finish if Holmes was to win, he took the bull by the horns and took the holeshot.
Within a few laps Holmes was in his shadow, constantly showing a wheel trying to egg McLernon into an error. After a few tense laps though McLernon deferred to Holmes, who realising that tactic was not going to work cleared enough for another convincing win.
McLernon now just had to hold his position, but when Rogers passed him and then the charging de Vries, Bunce and Cooper started to close in there was briefly the prospect of him losing crucial places in the very last laps. However, McLernon, sensing the danger, pulled his socks up, retook second and with it the title.
In the Under 21 Championship Rogers took all three wins, while de Vries took three second places for second overall. Welshman James Bevan secured his best result of the year with third overall, but it was not quite enough to overhaul Harry Walker in the championship, whose fifth place finish secured him third in the series behind Rogers and Cooper.
In the Komfort Services Vets Cup, Bunce took all three wins and thanks to Reid’s problems in race two he also took the title.
Ireland’s Kyle Murphy was victorious in the Rookie Cup, but the title had already been secured by to Welshman, Dafydd Davies at the previous round.
Words: Rob McDonnell Pictures: Paul Ervine
Results: ATVS Only British Championship Overall: 1 Paul Holmes (Yamaha), 2 Leon Rogers (Kawasaki), 3 Carl Bunce (Suzuki), 4 Marc de Varies (Yamaha), 5 Mark McLernon (Honda), 6 Brad Frost (Honda)
Race one: 1 Holmes, 2 McLernon, 3 Bunce, 4 Rogers, 5 de Vries, 6 Reid.
Race two: 1 Holmes, 2 Bunce, 3 Rogers, 5 de Vries, 5 George Callaway (Yamaha), 6 Sheldon Seal (Yamaha).
Race three: 1 Holmes, 2 McLernon, 3 Rogers, 4 de Vries, 5 Bunce, 6 Luke Cooper (KTM).
Championship points: McLernon 367, Holmes 362, Bunce 311, Reid 275, Rogers 274, Cooper 211.
Willcock Holeformers Under 21: 1 Rogers, 2 de Vries, 3 James Bevan (Yamaha), 4 Zdenek Polacek (KTM), 5 Harry Walker (Yamaha), 6 Cooper.
Championship points: Rogers 402, Cooper 321, Walker 257, Bevan 249, Dafydd Davies (KTM) 249, Jake Smith (Honda) 205.
Komfort Services Rookie Cup: 1 Kyle Murphy (Yamaha), 2 Davies. No other finishers
. Championship points: Davies 381, Murphy 321, Jamie Morgan (Honda) 253.
Komfort Services Vet Cup: 1 Bunce, 2 Ant Barrett (Suzuki), 3 Lindsey Duke (KTM).
Championship points: Bunce 423, Reid 407, Duke 333