Pattinson And Goodings Record Four Each At Darley

Tuesday June 25, 2024 at 1:57pm

The second meeting of the year for the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club last Sunday, 16^th June 2024 at the Darley Moor Sports Centre, near Ashbourne, DE6 2ET (or What3Words:bounty.behalf.charm) with Round 3 and 4 of this year’s 12 Round Championship and the results showed a few surprises, matching the apparent ‘arrival’ of the Summer towards the end of the afternoon!

The opening race of the day brought the Pre-Electronic 600’s to the grid and it was a new name adding himself to the Darley Moor race winners’ list Mark Pattinson (Lancaster) who was quickest off the grid, leaving Championship leader Adam Sherriff (Barnsley) in his wake, with a lead of almost 3sec after the opening lap! Eventually taking a start-finish victory over Sherriff, with Nick Clare (Winsford), a distant 3^rd. Their second visit to the grid saw a similar pattern, although without any great distance between the three competitors. Another start – finish victory for Pattinson, but just 4sec ahead of a race-long battle between Sherriff and Clare at the Chequered flag, who were separated by just 0.5sec after 8laps. These three were again lined-up together in the combined Forgotten Era and Darley Cup races, albeit Clare on his Forgotten Era machine, whilst Pattinson and Sherriff were battling for Darley Cup honours. Add in Darley Cup Championship leader, David Carson (Northwich) and the spectators were in for a treat. First lap saw Pattinson at the front once more with Clare, Carson and Sherriff a short distance behind. Pattinson had stretched his lead to 2.5sec after Lap2, but Clare and Carson were locked in a battle, with Sherriff a further 2sec back. Pattinson, was again never headed, finished the 10lapper with a 4.2sec advantage over Carson, who had passed Clare on Lap5, with a 6.5sec gap to the leader, but by the end of the race and with the help of the Fastest Lap of the race, on the final lap, had reduced Pattinson’s advantage significantly. Sherriff was the first of the Forgotten Era class machines home, in 4^th place, on his 501cc -1300cc machine. Pattinson took his fourth victory of the day when the same competitors lined up for the second race, again with a dominant display. However, behind him was a superb battle finishing with Sheriff taking a class victory and an Overall 2^nd place ahead of Clare, with Carson Overall 4^th, but with just 0.4sec separating the trio!

With just enough time to give his machine a once over and a splash of fuel Carson was out again in the combined Twins and Wilson Trophy races, of which, after two victories at the meeting earlier in the year, he stood at the top of the standings in the ‘Twin Cylinder 655 to 700cc’ class. However, he was to be denied any victory last weekend with Josh Froggatt (Worksop), on a similar machine, heading him throughout the two races. The first race saw the pair never split by any more than 0.5sec until Lap7, when passing backmarkers Carson was slightly baulked, allowed Froggatt to stretch a lead of 1sec, but Carson fought back on Lap8, only to suffer a similar fate on Lap9 and after posting another Fastest Lap, on the Final Lap, reduced the gap by 0.5sec, to the leader. Finishing the opening lap in 7^th place Overall, Peter Fell (Burton on Trent) fought his way through the field to finish 3^rd Overall, but taking victory in the Wilson Trophy Class, at the expense of Daniel Pearson (Brough) who had been 3^rd, from the opening lap, but Fell’s speed in the closing stages saw him lap almost 4sec quicker on the final lap, dropping Pearson to 4^th Overall, but victor in the ‘Twin Cylinder up to 650cc’ class.

Another trio to ensure the spectators were kept entertained were Mark Goodings (Doncaster), Adam Walters (Derby) and Matthew Bell (Sheffield) in the Ben Godfrey Trophy and the combined Open & Pre-Injection Open races, in a similar repeat of Rounds 1 and 2 in April. The trio arrived on the grid for the first time in Race 3, on the day, the Open/Pre-Injection Open class, but all competing for Open Championship points. Proving April was no fluke Walters was again quickest off the line, finishing the opening lap with a 0.74sec advantage over Goodings and Bell, who crossed the line alongside each other. The end of Lap2 saw Goodings with a 1.4sec advantage over Bell, but 1.75sec to Walters at the front. On Lap7 Walters advantage was still 2sec, but Goodings then turned the tables, reducing the gap to 1.75sec on Lap8, with Bell just 0.6sec back. Recording the Fastest Lap on the penultimate lap saw the deficit to the lead down to 0.9sec, then able to find a way through on the last lap and take the victory by 0.3sec over Walters, with Bell 3sec back in 3^rd place. Circulating in an Overall 5^th place from Lap2, Daniel Stubbs took the honours in Pre-Injection Open Class. Once more, in the opening Ben Godfrey Trophy race, Walters was the master off the line, finishing it with a 0.8sec advantage over Bell, with Goodings 0.7sec back. By Lap4 just 0.6sec separated the three, then on Lap5 the ‘blanket’ was 1.8sec, but Walters had dropped to 3^rd place, with Bell taking the lead, 0.14sec ahead of Goodings. These two would battle it out for the remainder of the 10lap race, the gap never anymore than 0.4sec until that final lap when the gap grew to almost 1sec, Bell taking the victory by 0.9sec from Goodings, with Walters a further 8sec back. The second Open/Pre-Injection Open race saw Bell secure a start-finish victory, albeit still a close race with the 2^nd place runner. The usually fast starting Walters finished the opening lap in 2^nd, but then Goodings found a way through on Lap3, with a deficit of 0.8sec to leader, Bell, but unable to make any significant in-roads and challenge the leader. Ben Godfrey Trophy Race 2; this time Bell found the best launch off the line, finishing 0.4sec ahead of Goodings on the opening lap, with Walters 1sec behind. Goodings hit the front on Lap2, with Bell just 0.05sec behind as they crossed the line, but then Goodings began slowly stretching out a lead, which at the end of the 8lap race was 2.4sec over Bell, Walters a distant 3^rd.

Both Goodings and Carson were on the grid for the Open 600 races, in the first race the pair were separated by less than just 0.4sec throughout the entire race. Goodings taking the ‘holeshot’ and just holding the advantage throughout the 10lap race. The margin at the head of the field was only 0.13sec back to Carson, in 2^nd whilst Adam Green (Stone) was 3^rd, 9sec behind Carson, moving up from 4^th on the opening lap into 3^rd on Lap3. Joe Holdsworth (Huddersfield) made the grid for the second race and was quickest off the line this time around, finishing the opening lap with 1.4sec advantage over Goodings, with Carson down in 5^th, behind Adam Mather (Nottingham), 3^rd and Adam Green, 4^th. Lap3 saw Carson move from 5^th up to 3^rd, then Goodings hit the front on Lap4 and Green get the better of Mather. Goodings was able to stretch his lead to 2.6sec at the flag whilst Holdsworth and Carson battled it out until the flag, Holdsworth taking 2^nd place by just 0.08sec from Carson, with Green, 4^th.

The remaining two solo championship classes, the Lightweight and Honda CB500/Suzuki Bandit were on-track together and it was Peter Fell who secured two comfortable start-finish victories on his Lightweight machine, leaving two Stoke on Trent competitors, Matt Zscheische and Jordan Poole, to battle it out for CB500/Bandit honours. Less than 0.5sec separated the pair throughout the race until the final lap when back markers made the difference, the advantage Zschiesche enjoyed as they crossed the line was 2.2sec.

Fans of three-wheeled motorsport saw the pairing of Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth (Sutton Coldfield/Lincoln) take two overall victories on their 600cc outfit. The first race saw Alan Molyneux/Rob Coppock (Ormskirk/Ormskirk) lead the opening lap, but then as Baker/Killingsworth hit the front Molyneux/Coppock dropped down to 4^th, on Lap2. While Baker/Killingsworth stretched their lead throughout the race, 4^th place seemed to be Molyneux/Coppocks position, until the final lap when they put a fight and squeezed back through into 2^nd place. For those that stayed to the final race of the day witnessed the best of the weather and one of the closest finishes all day. Out of twenty races, three finished with the top two separated by less than 0.5sec, including this final Sidecar race. Quickest off the line was the Molyneux/Coppock outfit, finishing the opening lap ahead of Baker/Killingsworth, with Simon Horton/Maverick Davies (Nottingham/Newbury), 3^rd. Horton/Davies hit the front on Lap2 and dropped Baker/Killingsworth down to 3rd, behind Molyneux/Coppock . Whilst Horton/Davies held the lead until the penultimate lap, Baker/Killingsworth were in a battle with Molyneux/Coppock, regaining the 2nd place on Lap4 and then began closing the gap to the leaders, eventually passing them on final lap to take Overall victory by just 0.27sec.

In addition to the usual Championship classes last weekend saw the return of the annual Thunderfest event, open to any motorcycle, road or race, built before 1978, from 50cc through to 990cc. After practice, the riders set their own target speed and attempt to lap the circuit for 20 minutes plus 2 laps, as close to this time as possible, the rider nearest to their target wins. With the wide variety of machinery on track at the same time this requires a high degree of riding skill and concentration. Amazingly, Mike Harvey (West Hallam) on his Ducati was able to lap the circuit within 0.18mph of his set time.

With summer finally arrived you will be hoping for a return of more racing as soon as possible, not too long before August will be with us and Round 5 and 6 on the 11^th August 2024. Children off school so what better reason to camp over for the weekend; from Friday night through to Monday morning, for just £7 per night, or £6 if booked in advance).

With the Chequered Flag Café open to keep you entertained, opening from Saturday 9am – 8pm, Sunday 8am – 6pm),

The action on track will begin at 10am, with the first race scheduled for 11.30am. Advance tickets at are available now, just visit www.darleymoorstore.com: Saturday Adults £7, Seniors £5 and Sunday Adults £13, Seniors £10 (Sunday On The Day prices of £16 and £12, respectively).

Championship Standings (after Rounds 3 & 4)

Forgotten Era & Classic up to 500cc

1^st Steve Price, 60pts; 2^nd Iain Davis, 42pts; 3^rd Mike Lees, 28pts

Forgotten Era & Classic up to 1300cc

1^st Adam Sheriff, 600pts; 2^nd Martin Davis, 48pts; 3^rd Martyn Cooper, 20pts

Wilson Trophy

1^st Peter Fell, 45pts; 2^nd Matt Zschiesche, 37pts, 3^rd Jordan Poole, 34pts

Darley Cup

1^st David Carson, 52pts; 2^nd Nick Clare,464pts; 3^rd Mark Pattinson, 30pts

Ben Godfrey Trophy

1^st Mark Goodings, 57pts; 2^nd Matthew Bell, 47pts; 3^rd Adam Walters, 44pts

Open 600cc 2024