It was Ledbury Leader time on Sunday, and what a slick, super event it was to be as Shaun Moss and the Ledbury MCC crew got the 48-race programme all wrapped up by just after 4pm. The main focus at the Leader was on the 1,000cc Right-Hand sidecar class which was competing for the big Tony Brown Challenge cup and some tasty prize money. With those golden carrots being dangled, the action was always going to be red hot, and that’s just the way it played out!
In the heats, there were wins for Terry Saunters/Liam Brown, Mark Cossar/Carl Blyth, Tom Cossar/Wayne Rickards and Paul Whitelam/Richard Webb. Indeed, Whitelam was to be involved in some of the closest finishes early on, just getting the better of Dale and Jordan Fish in a great heat 2, then pushing Saunters all the way to the flag in his next outing. Having already won the Tony Brown Challenge Cup twice, Saunters was determined to make it a hattrick and looked super-fast, winning all three of his qualifying heats, including a victory over arch-rival Mark Cossar. Cossar, though, was to get revenge in defeating Saunters when they met again in semi-final 1 as they were joined in final qualification by Kieran Hicks/Frankie Courtney. Semi-final 2 was to produce a win for Tom Cossar chased home by Whitelam and Matt Fumarola/Andy Wilson.
So, as the tapes rose for the deciding final, Whitelam got off to an absolute flyer, leading the pack into turn one with Saunters and Mark Cossar hot on his heels. Coming out of the turn and Saunters then edged ahead, only for Cossar to surprise both crews with a daring inside move entering the pits corner. Racing down the back straight and with the three crews now in very close proximity and all heading for the same line, available room was rapidly running out! Unfortunately, it then got far too tight with Saunters the victim, crashing heavily and his outfit cartwheeling down the track. Thankfully both Terry and Liam were eventually able to get back to their feet before walking off for a medical examination. Obviously, out of the rerun, Mark Cossar was to then claim the Tony Brown Challenge cup victory leading all the way in style from brother Tom, Whitelam, Fumarola and Hicks.
The other Sidecar action at the Ledbury Leader was for Old and New. Although only three crews were to eventually come to the tapes, the racing was still very competitive. Mark Courtney/Leon Torres won the first three races, with Liam Brown/Frankie Courtney in a close 2nd place and Sam Jacobs/Guy Jacobs waiting to pounce in 3rd. In the last clash, Brown outgated Courtney to be first past the chequered flag.
So, what about the solo racing at the Leader? Well, the undoubted entertainer was the spectacular 500cc winner Chad Wirtzfeld. In all four heats, Chad absolutely stormed to victory, with Luke Harris chasing him home. The consistent Ryan Ashcroft took 3rd overall in the 500cc contest, just ahead of Jordan Derrick and Jamie Fenn-Smith. On what was a good day for the Ashcrofts, Liam took the overall win in the 350cc class with a 2/2/1/1 scorecard. Eventually having to settle for 2nd overall, Barry Powell had started the day in style with a couple of heat wins whilst Welsh rider Steve Garside took the third step on the podium ahead of the Broadhurst’s Wayne and Max.
For the 250cc boy’s it was three heats and a straight final. In that class, Graham Thomas started in style with a couple of impressive wins, with Hayden Watts and Aidan Arthur being the other heat victors. Thomas, Watts and Arthur then all met in the last 250cc heat with Arthur taking the flag first to thus signal his intent for the main final. The last two places at the tapes for that ‘A’ 250cc final were to be decided by a last-chance ‘B’ clash, and it was Liam Cox and Jake Breeze doing the business in that one!
In the straight ‘A’ final big clash, Thomas edged the advantage going into the opening turn before Arthur then produced one of the moves of the meeting! In daring fashion, Arthur stuck it onto the outside line at full gas, blasting around just about the whole pack in one big, brave move. Riding that fast line all day long, Arthur found the drive in spectacular fashion before then holding on for the win ahead of Thomas as Shane Knight edged a thrilling tussle for 3rd, getting the better of Tim Greig and Ben Phillips.
Also, having three heats and a straight final, the GT140s produced some stunning action typified by a classic race one, which saw Adam Shipp and Ian Clark continually swapping positions in a tough dispute for the win! Along with those aforementioned riders, Wayne Broadhurst and Mark Chessell also scored heat victories, eventually amassing enough points to comfortably earn their place on the ‘A’ final start line. For ten riders, there was then the last chance salon as they attempted to earn a place in the main event by contesting a ‘B’ final. Doing the business, Paul Smith, despite an earlier fall and home Ledbury club member Adam Hawker, made it through. After starting with a thriller, the GT140s also finished in the same manner as Shipp, Clark, and Broadhurst hotly disputed the top slot. Shipp looked to be in control of the situation until experienced campaigner Clark cleverly drove past in style to snatch the win.
In the remaining solo action, there was certainly no doubting the victor in the Uprights as Tony Atkin stormed to four untroubled wins. Darren Phillips was always on Tony’s trail to earn 2nd overall, with Edward Rouse in 3rd. After painfully crashing out of his second ride in the Uprights, Dave Hammond made amends by then topping the Pre 75’s score chart, his only defeat coming in his last heat when Phillip Kynman was first past the chequered flag.
Results
250cc A-Final – Straight Final 1 Aidan Arthur 2 Graham Thomas 3 Shane Knight 4 Tim Greig 5 Ben Phillips 6 Max Derrick 7 Karl Bedingfield 8 Hayden Watts 9 Jake Breeze 10 Liam Cox.
350cc 1 Liam Ashcroft 2 Barry Powell 3 Steve Garside 4t Wayne Broadhurst 5 Max Broadhurst 6 Charlie Wood 7 Jody Hodgson 8 George Pardoe 9 Karl Miles.
Pre 75s 1Dave Hammond 2 Phil Kynman 3 Ken O’Brien 4 Martin Adams 5 Steve Dowling 6 Russell Hall.
500cc 1 Chad Wirtzfeld 2 Luke Harris 3 Ryan Ashcroft 4 Jordan Derrick 5 Jamie Fenn-Smith 6 Harrison Rogers 7 Sam Hall 8 Arran Butcher.
GT 140s A-Final – Straight Final 1 Ian Clark 2 Adam Shipp 3 Wayne Broadhurst 4 Mark Chessell 5 Max Broadhurst 6 Luke Wicks 7 Mark Collins 8 Steve Newsham 9 Paul Smith
10 Adam Hawker (DNF).
Old & New Sidecars 1 Mark Courtney & Leon Torres 2 Liam Brown & Frankie Courtney 3 Sam & Guy Jacobs.
Uprights 1 Tony Atkin 2 Darren Phillips 3 Eddie Rouse 4 Luke Tuck 5 Michael Norton 6 Jack Westbrook 7 Dave Hammond 8 Paul Clifton.
1000cc RH Sidecars Final 1 Mark Cossar & Carl Blyth 2 Tom Cossar & Wayne Rickards 3 Paul Whitelam & Richard Webb 4 Matt Fumarola & Andy Wilson 5Kieran Hicks & Frankie Courtney 6 Terry Saunters & Liam Brown (Fell in first run of final. DNS in rerun)
Race Report and Images by Mike Wood