What an amazing difference in the very fickle British weather, last August we visited Oulton Park when the weather was only fit for ducks! March in 2022 and it was shorts and tee shirts all the way and not a wet tyre in sight.
A dry track with the temperature going up and the first day back at school saw an early exit for a few runners expected to do well on the Friday test day , Sean Montgomery , Bobby Varey and lee Marks were a few of the riders not destined to even make the grid through offs in testing.
When the racing finally came about on Saturday you just had a feeling it was going to be one of those days where we were going to get some awesome racing !
The big hitters in the Phoenix Open hit the front right from lights out, Bob Collins FWR 900 Honda and Max Symonds J&C Symonds BMW 1000 the front for the first lap but were swiftly moved back a place by a flying Craig Neve BMW 1000 setting a scorching pace and then joined by Sam West Moto Hub BMW 1000 a lap later. The pace was a bit too much for Symonds but running on BSB Stock 1000 tyres ( a couple of BSB rounds later in the year) probably a bit of a disadvantage ?? West got the better of Collins but Neve was relentless with a series of quick laps including a class lap record much needed to hold off a late charging West by under 0.314 seconds to take the win.
It was very much the same script in the second race, Collins with the early start with Neve charging through and setting the pace , West again was on the pace but could not catch Neve with yet another lap record 1:39.128 an outright club record to take another win.
Bluebell Lakes Powerbikes was the same 4 bikes hitting the lead and leaving a very quality fwas the ield in their wake , Neve holding a good 4 second gap at the flag from West and Collins.
Race 2 looked like a clean sweep for Neve until the last lap when the BMW dramatically slowed through Old Hall Corner and West swept into the lead ,Collins and Symonds following suit leaving Neve to cruise home in 4th with the front brakes almost non existent West also taking the class lap record.
Race within a race was the Metzeler /DTR StreetStock 1300’s with the perfect debut for Daniel Nelmes on his new Kawasaki ZX10 with two wins from 2 rides although having to work very hard in race one to finish 0.78 seconds from Tyson Lewis BMW 1000RR and 5 seconds from ZX10’S former owner Jason Hill and his new R1 Yamaha!
The 125 / 250GP ACU National Championship was a brace of wins for Barnsley rider James Hobson in the 250’s and Luke Scofield in the 125’s , Hobson was pushed all the way by 2 Stroke Tommy Lawlor’s similar TZ 250 Yamaha with a supporting cast of Bruce Dunn, Simon Hunt and Chris Moore in some of the closest 250GP racing seen for a long time
The IMS 600’s was a dominant display from Cameron Hall and his TRIPLE M Vehicles, Kawasaki ZX 636 winning each race by gaps of 4 and 3 seconds from Lewis Jones ZX6R and George Edwards R6 Yamaha , newest recruit to the Dan Cooper Motorsport team increasing the fire power to 3 riders for their first season looking to regain the IMS 600 title held by the boss, Dan Cooper, but with a real task ahead for 2022.
The FPR Suzuki UK/Motul Oils Bandit Challenge was the normal action from first to last with current champion Harley Prebble yet again showing the rest of the pack he is still the bandit to beat taking 2 wins but the challenges of Neil Attenborough race 1 and Gary Cutts race 2 took the fight right to the wire to under a second at the flag!! And with no shoot out this year it’s a straight championship to the finish , Steve Morris was the best Senior Bandit and the Rookie Bandit was Drew Stoodley the new class for 22.
The FP1 class was dominated by the Harris Kawasaki of Keith Higgs , back in familiar works Kawasaki colour scheme taking both race wins from John Tatham finally escaping from his garage !! in race 1 and Andy green in race 2
FP2 was a three rider battle in both races , Richard Hewitt and the flying Pepsi colour scheme TL1000 Suzuki betting his normal fast start just enough to stay ahead of Ben Davies and Aaron Matthews RSVR Aprillia’s to take race 1 . it was role reversal in race 2 with Davies taking the flag Matthews and Hewitt some way behind.
FP3 was two runaway wins for Rob Hodson ,ZXR 750 and the overall race win in a 5 class combined race with Tom Vear and Paul Williams on similar machines having no answer Hodson . The Metzeler StreetStocks were having a battle royal within this race, Daniel Jones back to the form we know he has with a win and second mirrored by Eddie Whitehurst so the pair both on equal points in the 700 class
1300s saw Elliot Peach take his first ever win in class but in race 2 had the most spectacular high side when fighting Lewis Rees for second coming out of Lodge and ending up at Deer Leap with a complete “ Marquez manoeuvre “ and out for the season with hip injury , James Mchardy R1 Yamaha claiming the win.
Love Life & Ride PreInjection 600 was a 3 way dice with Brian Greenfield , Chester Norton and Harley Prebble in race long action for both races ,Norton just unable to get the better of Greenfield and current champion Prebble having to sttle for 3rd but at his home track for the next round ,. SMW Super Twins was a win a piece for Dave Hewson and Steve Moody on Aprillia 660’s hopfully more of the newer super twins to be seen as the season progresses ?
A & R Formula 400 was a lot different with no Tim Bradley so Ian Mackman , Aprillia RS 250 grabbed both wins leaving a number of established 400 runners , Dan Hanby, Steve Richards and Zak Holmes with work to do this year
Ace Transport Open 500 and SMW Mini Twins was the great mixture of 250 2 strokes , 400 four strokes and a Junior SuperSport for good measure !
Paul Metcalf RS 250 Honda was just the first race winner being perused over the line by a trio of SV 650’S of Alun Brooks , Daniel Moffa and Scott Larkin less than a second behind
Race 2 was the immaculate Yamaha TZ 250 of Bruce Dunn to receive the little vee twin attention of this time around Moffa, Brooks and Larkin this trio sharing the point for the Mini Twins
Ducati Desmo Due and Your Call ltd Junior SuperSport both fielded good grids for their opening round and it was current JSS Champion Finn Smart Weeden fire the first shot in his defence with a pair of overall wins and class from Calum Beach , 2nd twice and Aaron Lilly two 3rds as well as heading the duelling Desmos of Chris Norris and Dominic Cann a win a piece Andy Bloomfield and Scott Wilson coming in 3rd and 4th both races, the B class Desmos was a pair of commanding wins for Michael Smith.
100% Suspension Sound of Thunder was 2 run away wins for Lee Devonport and stamping his authority on the championship at a very early stage , Ben Davies , Chris Bullock and Aaron Matthews having no answer for the 959 Panigale
Next round is at Brands Hatch 23/24th April