Mixed Fortunes for Reigning Champions at Darley Moor

Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 12:05pm

The Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club kicked off their 2018 season last weekend, Saturday 7th April was set aside for a full day’s practice and Sunday 8th April the opening Round of the seven round Championship. Those spectators that got their early ‘fix’ of motorsport were treated to some excellent racing from one of the largest entries for an opening round, at Darley Moor, for some time.

Race Day saw a new race programme with the opening two races being non-championship races open to a wide mixture of machinery; Race 1 for Over 600cc machines and Race 2 for up to 600cc machines. 2017 Formula 600, Sound of Thunder Champion and one of the busiest competitors of the day, Lloyd Shelley (Burntwood) and Lightweight Champion Chris Moore (High Peak) each got their 2018 campaigns off to a winning start. Shelley with a start to finish victory in the opening race and Moore taking the lead on Lap2 of his 10-lap race.

Shelley’s Formula 600 title defence got off to the perfect start, with two start-to-finish victories in both races; taking the first with a 10 second advantage over Jamie Pearson (Derby) who managed to pass Scott Stevens (West Yorks) on the final lap. The second race again gave Shelley a start to finish victory, but not quite as comfortable as the first. Carl Booth (Swadlincote) was in pursuit for the opening two laps until the battling Matt Zschiesche (Biddulph) and Stevens found their way past. Zschiesche taking the Runner-up spot, Stevens 3rd and Pearson pipping Booth on the final lap for 4th. The second result also counted towards the Curtis Milner Trophy, in memory of a young Darley Moor racer who lost his life in a road accident.

Moore began his Lightweight title defence in similar fashion taking a start to finish victory in the first combined Lightweight, Formula Darley and Mini Sound of Thunder race. After completing the opening lap in 4th place Elliot Williams’ (Pontypridd), on his Mini Sound of Thunder machine, found a way passed Richard Stubbs (Stone) and Jason Wilkes (Telford) to take 2nd place, with Stubbs 3rd and Wilkes 4th. The second race saw the same finishing order, but on this occasion, Moore had to wait until Lap3 to take the lead. Highest placed Formula Darley machine on both occasions was Tony Griffiths (Pontypridd), finishing 11th and 8th respectively.

Jamie Pearson (Derby) also had a very successful defence of his Pre-Injection (Up to 1300cc) title, taking two start-to-finish victories by over 10 seconds.

The battle between the Formula 600 sidecar teams of Roy Tansley/Chris Judge (Derby) and Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth (Sutton Coldfield/Lincs) provided the closest finish of the day, after being split by just 0.37sec, for 2nd and 3rd respectively, behind the Open Sidecar pairing of Gary Knight/Dan Evanson (Macclesfield/Crewe) in the opening race, the second encounter was closer still, and for the overall victory. With Tansley/Judge having a 1sec advantage after the opening lap Baker/Killingsworth set about closing the gap, recording the fastest lap of the race on Lap2 they had reduced the gap to just 0.6sec, continuing the pressure throughout the remaining laps the two outfits were separated by just 0.19sec at the flag. First Open Sidecar across the line on this occasion was that of Anthony Eades/Keith Box (Hyde/Wolverhampton) a further 8sec adrift, in 3rd place overall.

The opening Steel Framed 600/Pre-Injection 600 provided another close finish when reigning Steel Framed Champion Anthony Porter (Chesterfield) was chased down by Dave Marsden (Birkenhead) once he was able to get pass Joe Walton (Preston) on Lap 2. Porter was the first across the line on each lap, but at the chequered flag the trio were separated by just 0.9sec, Marsden 2nd and Walton 3rd, but the first Pre-Injection machine home. The second race saw Marsden take a start to finish victory, with Walton 2nd and Porter 3rd. Reigning Pre-Injection Champion, Andrew Lowe (Stone) recorded an overall 11th in the first race and overall 4th in the second race; a 5th and 2nd Pre-Injection class.

The first Open Solo race saw Champion Ben Scranage (Bolton) lead for the first 4 laps until Tom Fisher (Nottingham), 3rd on the opening lap passed Harry Jackson (Mansfield) for 2nd on Lap3 and hit the front on Lap5, stretching an advantage of just 0.78sec over Scranage. The second race was better for the reigning Champion with Scranage taking the victory with a 6.5sec advantage over Fisher, who on this occasion came from 7th after Lap1, passing Jim Hodson (Wigan) for 2nd place on Lap4, then Frank Gallagher (Glossop) passing Hodson on the final lap for 3rd place.

Fisher made sure his starts were much faster in both Peak Cup races, recording two start-to-finish victories, with the top five positions remaining as they were after the opening lap in the first race; Jackson 2nd, Hodson 3rd, Lloyd Shelley 4th and Gallagher 5th. However, the second was a little different, except for Fisher’s dominance, for the opening 3 laps it was Richard Eglin (Derby) chasing the leader, then Scranage moved into 2nd place after passing Hodson then Eglin on Lap4. By the 6th lap Hodson had moved in front of Eglin, but on then after Scranage received a 10sec penalty for “anticipating the start”, Hodson inherited 2nd. After being 8th on the opening lap Jackson had a mid-race battle with Shelley, then getting the better of him and Eglin on Lap6 to finally inherit 3rd place at the flag, with Eglin 4th and Shelley the first Formula 600 machine home in 5th.

CB500 Champion Andy Whale’s (Birmingham) title defence got off to a good start, recording two Runner-up places after Daz Bellworthy (Derby) had other ideas, taking a start-to-finish-victory in the opening race, with a winning margin of 1.4sec ahead of the Champion. The second race saw him pass Whale for the lead on Lap3 and stretch out a 1.9sec lead at the flag. Behind these two competitors, Mark Brailsford (Chesterfield), recorded two 3rd places.

Two of the four Classic Champions had a successful start to their 2018 campaigns, whilst the other two suffered mixed fortunes. David Bradley (Matlock) took two start-to-finish overall victories on his Classic 1000 machine. Classic 250 Champion, Geoff Hadwin (Cumbria) took two class victories, finishing 6th overall in the first race, then following that up with a 5th in the second race. Classic 350 Champion, Simon Collins (Tetbury) followed Bradley home for a class victory and 2nd overall in the first race, but then after lying 4th in the second race, dropping to 6th on Lap 4, then failing to finish Lap5, leaving Mark Cockerton (Dudley) to take the Class victory, after a class Runner-up in the first. Classic 500 Champion Dave McCoy (Hull) recorded to class Runner-up spots after Liam Clements (Stoke on Trent) took both class victories, finishing 4th and 2nd Overall.

Running alongside the Classic machines were the Formula 125 machines and Jeremy Knight (Newbury) put in an excellent performance to take both class victories whilst recording 5th and 4th places respectively.

The Curtis Milner Trophy will be the first piece of silverware presented this season, after the second Formula 600 race at the next round on Bank Holiday Monday, 7th May 2018. In addition to the regular Championship Races Round 2 will also see a huge variety of machinery on track at the same time when the Thunderfest event returns to Darley Moor.

The cost of adult admission to Darley Moor for all meetings, except the end of season Stars at Darley meeting, is £12.00 per day, children under 16 are free, and Senior Citizens are £8.00. Parking and Paddock Transfer is free and a programme costs just £3.00. Adult admission to the Test Days is £6.00, Senior Citizens 65 and over £4.00.

For the Stars at Darley event on 9th October the adult admission price is £16.00 and Senior Citizens £10.00.

Advance Tickets at discount prices are also available on-line just visit the Darley Race Shop for full details - http://www.darleymoorstore.co.uk/.

A 2018 Season Pass for Darley Moor is also available for £80 including VAT (£50 incl VAT Senior Citizens) and admits to ALL motor cycle events at the circuit including test days and can be purchased online or by sending a cheque made payable to Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd, together with the full name of the season pass holders to:

Season Passes, Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd, Anvil House, Derby Road, Old Tupton, Chesterfield, S42 6LA

There is ample room for spectators to camp and caravan at Darley Moor over the race weekends. The cost is £5.00 per unit per night. Camping will normally be available from 4.00 pm on the Friday evening until 10.00 am on the day after the meeting or by special arrangement with the circuit management – Call 01335 343833.

Darley Moor is one of the few circuits in which dogs are welcome, provided they are kept on a lead at all times during race day and the owners act in a responsible manner.

2018 Championship standings

Peak Cup

1st Harry Jackson, 15pts; 1st Jim Hodson, 15pts; 3rd Lloyd Shelley, 7pts;

Open Solo

1st Ben Scranage, 18pts; 2nd Harry Jackson, 9pts; 3rd Jim Hodson, 8pts;

Open Sidecars

1st Roy Tansley/Chris Judge, 15pts; 2nd Anthony Eades/Keith Box, 10pts; 3rd Gary Knight/Dan Evanson, 9pts;

Formula 600

1st Lloyd Shelley, 18pts; 2nd Jamie Pearson, 9pts; 3rd Scott Stevens, 9pts

Formula Darley

1st Tony Griffiths, 18pts; 2nd Martin Robbins, 12pts; 3rd Alex Roberts, 7pts;

Formula 125