The penultimate round of the 2023 championship took place at Snetterton, the fast Norfolk circuit on the former RAF Snetterton Heath site, once home to the USAAF 96th Bombardment Group. And despite iffy weather on Friday, racing took place in perfect conditions.
Reactive Parts MRO Powerbikes and Clubman 1000
The sixth round of the MRO Powerbikes Championship delivered a weekend of action and dramatic twists, with a showdown between title rivals Nicky Wilson - series leader - and Josh Wainwright.
Wainwright showed his intent early on by securing pole position. Series leader Wilson was second during qualifying, albeit two seconds down but ready to fight.
As the lights went out in race one the two rivals catapulted ahead, creating a gap to the rest of the pack
Throughout the race Wilson led the way, keeping Wainwright at bay. However, Wainwright was relentless in his pursuit, and on the final lap made his move and out-dragged Wilson to the line, winning by a mere 0.013 seconds in a photo finish. Paul Gallington was third, 10 seconds off the win.
In race two Wainwright was determined to assert his dominance, and shot to the front as the race commenced. This time, however, he wasn't content with a narrow win. He led every lap, steadily building an insurmountable lead. As the chequered flag waved he crossed the line eight seconds ahead of his closest rival, Wilson, with Gallington trailing in third by a further seven seconds
Wainwright looked set to make it three-from-three in the final race, and pulled away at the front to establish a two and a half second lead.
He crossed the finish line first. However, this time, there was a twist in the tale, when he was handed a 10-second penalty for anticipating the start, dropping him to second place behind Wilson. Gallington was again third.
With one round to go, Wilson maintained his championship lead, setting up a thrilling finale at Brands Hatch with the championship still very much up for grabs.
In the Clubman category, championship leader Clayton Grover could have secured the title and started strongly, winning in race one, finishing fourth overall, showcasing his talent within the Powerbike class.
Thomas Bensted stepped up in race two, taking the Clubman spoils while securing a commendable fifth overall as Grover crashed out, ensuring the fight will go to Brands. He returned to his winning ways in race three, however, once again taking the victory and finishing fifth overall.
ACU Team Green Junior Cup and Senior Ninja series
Phil Atkinson was crowned 2023 Senior Ninja champion with a round to spare, with three class wins across the weekend.
In the Junior Cup Craig Dance arrived with a slender five-point series lead over Zack Weston, but with one class win and consistently beating Dance to the chequered flag, Weston took the championship lead with one round to go.
Still the Senior Ninja champion-elect at the start of the weekend, Atkinson found himself in pole position, setting the fastest time in qualifying. Zack Weston, the fastest Junior Cup rider, lined up in second, while the Junior Cup championship leader, Craig Dance, secured the third spot on the grid.
As the lights went out for race one, Dance seized the early lead on the opening lap, showing his intent. However, his race didn’t go to plan, as Weston took the lead, ultimately clinching victory by just over a tenth of a second from Senior winner Atkinson.
Dance valiantly held onto third place, finishing just half a second ahead of fourth-placed Harley McCabe. At the end of the race, both Weston and Dance found themselves tied on points.
With the only person capable of overhauling Atkinson in the title race - Oliver Arbon - scoring a DNF, Atkinson was crowned champion.
Race two brought some drama to proceedings.
Weston, eager to assert his dominance, secured yet another victory. Dance, determined to bounce back, managed to finish second. And it was Oliver Arbon who took the Senior Ninja win. Weston's triumph propelled him into the lead in the Junior Cup series.
However, it was Atkinson who initially crossed the line first to celebrate his title with another victory, but he faced a 10-second penalty for jumping the start, relegating him to fifth place.
Race three saw Harley McCabe step into the spotlight. He clinched the overall and Junior Cup victory in a thrilling battle, narrowly edging out newly-crowned Senior champion Atkinson by a mere two hundredths of a second.
Weston secured third place overall, finishing second in the Junior class, with Arbon closely following in fourth. Dance rounded out the top five. But Weston's consistent performances allowed him to extend his lead in the Junior Cup series.
Once again McCabe claimed overall and the Junior victory in race four, as Atkinson and Weston trailed closely in second and third respectively, with Atkinson taking another Senior class win. Arbon and Dance completed the top five. The fight for the Junior Cup championship will go down to the final round at Brands Hatch.
DART Motorsport MRO 600 and Clubman 600
Harry Fowle secured the DART Motorsport MRO 600 Championship at Snetterton, clinching the title with a round to spare. Aboard his HF Refinishing Racing, he took three wins and a second placed finish to take the crown.
Qualifying saw a closely contested battle for pole position. Ross Clarke, riding for RC Farriery Racing on a Kawasaki, edged out Fowle by a mere 0.035 seconds to secure the quickest time. Cameron Harris, competing in the EVO class on a Triumph 675R, claimed the final spot on the front row of the grid.
In race one Fowle led lap one, but was soon passed by Alex Latham, who, aboard a Kawasaki ZX6R for BR-8 / McCrash Racing, snatched victory by just 0.640 seconds.
Morgan Creasey secured the final podium position, finishing 0.974 seconds behind the leader. Jack Muir was top Clubman in fifth.
Fowle showed his mettle in race two, reclaiming the top spot with a commanding performance. His victory was decisive, leaving his rivals trailing by over three seconds.
Creasey held onto second place, while Harris, despite a strong effort, had to settle for third. Sam Hirst was the Clubman class winner in seventh.
Sunday’s opener saw Fowle take win number two and eighth of the season, though he won by the narrowest of margins; just 0.005 seconds ahead of Creasey, who finished second. Less than a tenth of a second covered the entire podium, as Harris took the final spot, only 0.085 seconds behind the leader.
In the final race of the weekend Fowle once again demonstrated his dominance, securing victory, though he was kept honest by Creasey, who crossed the line just under a second adrift.
Harris finished third, seven and a half seconds behind the leader.
Two more sevenths for Hirst in Sunday’s races gave him another 50 championship points in the Clubman standings.
L&W Contractors Rookie 600 and 1000
Sam Cranstone and Callum Manley shone in Rookie 1000 and 600 championship races at Snetterton, with Manley clinching the 600 with four race wins. Manley reigned supreme as title rival Jason Gamble was absent from the weekend's proceedings.
In the 1000s, Cranstone took three wins, edging closer to the championship.
Manley was the star of the weekend despite Will Hopkins and Tom Walker doing their best to run him close, though ultimately unable to match Manley's performance.
In race one Manley won from Hopkins and Walker. Race two witnessed another Manley masterclass, as he extended his winning streak. Walker improved his performance to secure second place, while Jack Allan finished third.
In the third race Manley continued to dominate the field, with Walker and Hopkins trailing behind in second and third, before he completed the clean sweep with race four proving a fitting conclusion to the weekend as Manley secured his fourth win. Walker and Hopkins once again completed the podium.
Cranstone, on his Fortis Racing BMW S1000RR took a hat-trick of wins in the Rookie 1000s.
In Race one he took the victory with a convincing performance. Title rival Karl Thompson was second, and David Wilkins third.
Cranstone was back on top in race two, with another impressive win, again followed by Thompson and James Vincer third.
In race three Cranstone extend his winning streak as Thompson and Wilkins once again occupied the second and third spots on the podium.
Race four saw a reversal of fortunes as Thompson clawed points back in the championship chase and took the top spot on the podium. Cranstone was second, followed by Wilkins.
ProperlyProtected.co.uk MRO Minitwins
David Twyford of IMP Racing/MHP Exhausts secured the 2023 MRO Minitwin Championship with one round still to go. Over the weekend at Snetterton he and Darren Dowds took two wins apiece but it was enough for Twyford to take the title.
Qualifying ended with Dowds, on his Sublime DSG Ltd Suzuki SV650, claiming pole position. Championship leader Twyford was only half a second behind, ensuring close battles in the races ahead.
Race one proved to be a closely contested affair. Dowds clinched victory after he and Twyford swapped the lead between them. Twyford ultimately finished just less than a tenth of a second behind.
Oliver Arbon secured the final podium position.
In race two Twyford showed his championship-worthy grit by taking the victory. He shadowed Dowds for the duration of the race, making the race-winning overtake on the final lap.
Dowds finished less than half a second back, while Stacey Killworth rounded out the top three.
Twyford's winning run continued in race three as he secured another victory. However, Dowds was once again in hot pursuit, and crossed the line just a tenth of a second down. Oliver Arbon and Stacey Killworth rounded out the top four, split by half a second.
The final race of the weekend belonged to Dowds, who ensured he and Twyford would share the weekend’s spoils. He claimed victory with a gap of just under a second over champion Twyford, who took second place.
Arbon and Killworth again fought for the final podium spot, three tenths of a second this time the deciding margin.
Toby Finnis took three Rookie class wins to ensure the title fight goes to the last round. Jack Bettis took the other available win.
DFDS Yamaha Past Masters
Kevin Wholey dominated the DFDS Yamaha Past Masters races at Snetterton to secure the 2023 championship early. Wholey, on his Twistgrip Motorcycles Yamaha won all four races to secure the crown.
He started the weekend as he meant to go one, and qualifying set the tone as Wholey secured pole position. He was joined by Paul Whitby and teammate Alan Cooper, also racing for Twistgrip Motorcycles, on the front row.
Wholey asserted his dominance straight away as racing got underway, and he took a commanding victory. 11 and a half seconds up the road, he secured win number one. Cooper finished in second place, and Whitby rounded out the podium, the pair covered by less than two hundredths of a second.
Andrew Burscough and Richard Hayward completed the top five and were just three tenths of a second apart, showcasing the close racing throughout the field.
Wholey carried his winning momentum into race two, once again showcasing his prowess to take another dominant victory. Cooper finished second, followed by Richard Hayward in third.
Race three was no different, with Wholey maintaining his dominance. Hayward and Cooper took second and third places respectively, with Whitby fourth, the three riders covered by three tenths of a second.
It was a full house for Wholey in the final race of the weekend. He secured his fourth consecutive victory, solidifying his status as champion. Cooper finished second, followed by Whitby in third.
BMCRC Formula 400
Andrew Gill dominated the sixth round of the Formula 400 Championship, securing all four race wins. Additionally, the Sub-64bhp class witnessed competition between Nick Smith and Alan Major, but Smith’s impressive performances earned him three class wins and ultimately the title. With one round remaining at Brands Hatch, the main championship remains undecided.
Piloting his Kawasaki ZXR400, Gill took the checkered flag in race one, securing the overall victory. However, the Sub-64bhp class showcased its own competitive spirit, with Nick Smith aboard his Hi-Precision Engineering Ltd Kawasaki claiming the class win. Alan Major of Major Performance Developments finished second in the Sub-64bhp class, and third overall.
Race two saw a continuation of Gill's winning form, with another overall win. Haydon Smith, on another HI-Precision Engineering Ltd Kawasaki secured second position. In the Sub-64bhp class, Alan Major turned the tables, securing the class victory with third overall.
On Sunday Nick Smith secured the Sub-64 title.
In the day’s opener Gill wasn’t to be denied as he clinched his third consecutive overall win. Nick Smith once again emerged victorious in the Sub-64bhp class, crossing the line in second overall. Haydon Smith took the final position on the podium.
The final race of the weekend was a fitting conclusion to an impressive display from Gill. Taking his fourth overall win, he cemented his dominance around the Snetterton circuit.
Meanwhile, Haydon Smith finished second overall to keep the main championship alive, which will be decided between himself and brother Nick Smith at Brands Hatch.
In the Sub-64bhp class, Nick Smith maintained his consistency and composure, securing his third class win of the day and, consequently, the title.
INTA Motorcycles Blue Haze GP
In the INTA Motorcycles Blue Haze GP races, all four were claimed by former 250 GP rider Andrew Sawford, while John Lea consistently secured second place. Tom Barrett managed to clinch one third-place finish, with Richard Hayward taking the three others available.
Notably, with Doug Edmondson absent from the action, Barrett took the series lead with one round to go.
Sawford, riding his Honda RS250R supported by dealership St. Neots Motorcycles Co Ltd, took the win in race one from Lea, aboard his P G & J Lea Plumbing & Heating Yamaha TZ250.
Barrett, piloting his Honda RS250, took his only podium finish of the weekend in third.
After that it was a repeat podium for the rest of the three races, with Hayward three times third on his GForce/Hayward R Ltd/SnapOn Yamaha TZ250.
Blue Haze GPF
In the Blue Haze GPF series, featuring two-stroke production bikes unlike its sister GP championship, David Ball entered the weekend on the verge of championship glory. And with three wins and a second-place finish he wrapped it all up, helped, in part, by a DNF for rival Liam McCarter in race one.
Ball steered his Gardiner Page and Roe Pension Consultants Yamaha TZR250 to victory in race one, as he took a comfortable win ahead of Denis Halil and Pete Fishwick, who engaged in a thrilling battle for second place, with the gap between them remaining under a second for most of the race. In the end Halil secured second place and Fishwick settled for third.
Ball was once again victorious in race two. Damian Lee, riding a Yamaha TZR250 supported by Leed Autos led a trio of riders across the line fighting for second. Halil completed the podium, with Fishwick narrowly missing out.
Win number three came in race three for Ball as Halil continued to be a strong contender, finishing second. Lee rounded off the podium with another commendable performance.
After the disappointment of seeing the championship go begging, McCarter made a comeback in race four. He took the win, however, Ball, the newly crowned champion, kept the pressure on, finishing just milliseconds behind in second place. Halil took third.
Illuminate Design BMZRC 250 Championship
Alexander Mann stormed to victory in all four races at Snetterton while championship rival and points leader Andrew Wales fought valiantly but faced a significant setback with a non-start in race two, leaving the title race wide open with one round remaining.
The opening race saw Mann kickstart his dominant weekend. Wales took the chequered flag in second place but a good way back of winner Mann. Gordon Ryan rounded out the podium.
Race two witnessed another victory for Mann ahead of Chris Rogers, with Ryan and John Ashmead fighting over the remaining podium spot, with Ryan ultimately emerging victorious. And with Wales failing to make the start, Mann took 25 points out of the championship leader’s advantage.
Mann continued his winning streak in Race three Ryan and Rogers joined him on the podium, reversing their positions from race two. Wales was fourth, ensuring that the title race remained close.
The final race of the weekend saw Mann once again emerge triumphant, while Wales, eager to recover from his earlier setback, secured second place. Ryan grabbed another podium finish in third.
Steve Jordan Motorcycles BMCRC Thunderbike Sport and Supertwins
Already crowned champion, Jeremy Hill took four more wins in the Thunderbike Sport class to add to his season’s tally, taking his total to 22. Tommy Downes took three Supertwin class wins, the other going to Michael Allen after Downes failed to start the final race.
Hill's Snetterton campaign commenced with a resounding victory in race one. Piloting his Yamaha R6 for Silver Arrows Racing he again left his competitors in the dust as he crossed the finish line first.
Alex Mann and Tony Russo battled fiercely for second and third places, with Mann ultimately securing the runner-up spot. Russo, representing Wymark Lubricants, secured the final podium position. Downes was fourth overall and the Supertwins winner.
Race two and Hill continued his winning streak. Russo again claimed second place. Mann completed the podium as Downes won again in the Supertwins taking seventh overall.
Hill made it three-from-three on Sunday morning with Downes second overall to maintain his winning run in the Supertwins. Russo was third overall.
Out front Hill made it a perfect score, capping off another remarkable weekend. Russo continued to showcase his consistency, taking second place, nearly fifteen seconds behind Hill. Alex Mann rounded out the podium positions. The Supertwin win went to Allen following Downes failure to make the start.
Steve Jordan Motorcycles an TBR Peformance Thunderbike Extreme and Ultra
Morgan Creasey took a hat-trick of wins in the Thunderbike Ultra championship with one round to go to put one hand on the crown, while Barry Mantell and Derek Cripps were honours even, ensuring the Extreme championship will also be decided at the Brands Hatch finale.
The opening race of the weekend witnessed a fierce showdown between Morgan Creasey and Stacey Killworth. Riding his Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7, Creasey emerged victorious, crossing the finish line just 0.294 seconds ahead of Killworth. Michael Allen, aboard a Kawasaki ZX10R, rounded out the podium, but finishing just over ten seconds behind Creasey. Mantell, who took his first Extreme class win of the weekend.
Creasey inched closer to the crown as he once again secured victory in race two, this time with a lead of just 0.219 seconds over title rival Killworth. James Fearn finished in third place, himself less than a second behind winner Creasey. In the Extreme class, Derek Cripps emerged as the winner, with a mere two seconds covering the top contenders in the category.
Creasey continued his charge towards the championship title with another victory in race three. Killworth kept him honest, taking second place, just over half a second behind Creasey. Fearn once again finished in third place.
In the Extreme class, Barry Mantell held on to secure another win, with a mere two-tenths of a second separating him from his rivals.
Race four brought a change in the Ultra class as Kieran Smith clinched victory aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Creasey, still displaying the consistency that should take him to the title, finished in a close second, just half a second behind Smith.
Killworth secured third place as Cripps bagged another Extreme class win.
BMCRC F1 and F2 Sidecars
Simon Gilbert and Anthony Hildige tied up the F1 Sidecar championship with three overall and three class wins at Snetterton. The other overall victory and remaining available F1 win went to Ricky and Wayne Stevens.
The lion’s share of the F2 wins went the Billy Pearson and Rob Child, as they took three, the class win in race four going to Ross Buchanan and Adam Evans. Pearson, as the driver, clinched the F2 title as a result, despite having a variety of passengers in the chair throughout the year.
Gilbert and Hildige won race one by half a second from the Stevens pairing, with Matt MacLaurin and Adrian Hope half a minute back in third as Pearson and Child took win number one in the F2 class.
Gilbert and Hildige doubled up a race later, in a repeat podium from race one as Pearson and Child also made it two-from-two.
Ricky and Wayne Stevens claimed their solitary win of the weekend on Sunday morning, with Gilbert and Hildige second and the F1 outfit of Chris Wright and Paul Bailey third and Pearson and Child fourth overall and F2 victors.
Gilbert and Hildige capped off a title-winning weekend with the win in race four, crossing the line ahead of MacLaurin and Hope and Wright and Bailey as Buchanan and Evans took the F2 win.