Castle Combe has become “THE EVENT” on the NG Road Racing calendar, the chance to race on one of the UK’s fastest circuits is always a draw to riders, the Prestigious King of Combe headline races have ensured that the fastest riders bring everything to the line to be the King for a year.
The return of Charlie Nesbitt with the Mastermac Honda was always going to be the rider to chase and rumours of lowering his own lap record again was paddock gossip as was the arrival of an OMG Racing truck, but only to display the BSB winning bikes along with Ryan Vickers!
The regular riders of NG Road Racing were up for the challenge along with the points in the overall championships, Dan Cooper Racing and George Edwards looking like the best bet to run near Nesbitt and a host of 600s Ricky Elder, Mikey Hardie and Gareth Roberts all with an outside chance.
SATURDAY 27th
RE Performance Powerbike and NL Motor services Sound of Thunder.
In qualifying Edwards was quick to get out and put down 4 quick laps and then wait as Nesbitt dialled the Honda in getting down to 1.08.199 to Edwards 1.10.171, Dan Nelmes next up with 1.11.783
Leon Morris was SoT Top qualifier on his v2 Ducati 1.11.954 just in front of Dave Mackay on the KTM Rc8.
Race 1
Edwards made the start on Nesbitt the plan to see how long he could stay with the superbike spec Honda on the DCM Stock 1000 Honda and managed to hang on for a lap before Nesbitt took command and stretched a lead not pushing too hard and with scrubbed tyres, keeping the new ones for the Sunday races. Nelmes was in 3rd but with Morris no more than a second behind and leading SoT rider. Nesbitt was in his race pattern and dropping down to single figure lap times, 1.07.942 best, and opening the lead to extend to over 10 seconds at the flag over Edwards, Nelmes hanging on to 3rd from Morris and Dan Brooks on the Mastermac stock 1000 Honda from the 5th row of the grid.
Phoenix Open with the IMS King of Combe
This was the big one, in recent years King of Combe has grown to be the Title to win, after the first Powerbike race the pattern was set with the top contenders of Charlie Nesbitt and George Edwards the favourites, this was reflected in qualifying Nesbitt posting a 1.07.502 for pole, Edwards at 1.08.799, Nelmes just bit back 1.10.218 Leon Morris push the Ducati to 4th then followed by the 600’s of Mikey Hardie, Morgan McLaren Wood and Ricky Elder.
Race 1
Lessons from the earlier race were learnt from Nesbitt as he got in front of Edwards at Quarry and set about building a lead Joey Thompson had slotted into 3rd from Nelmes and the pack of middle weights McLaren Wood, Elder and Hardie. Nesbitt pushed for 5 laps in the 1.08 zone before easing off knowing that he had the race sealed and could react to any challenge, but behind him and Edwards Thompson and Nelmes were locked together for third Nelmes getting the better of Thompson and then all the front runners hit the Traffic lap times dropped and it started to get very fraught, Hardie was on the move Nelmes lap times plummeted ( tyre done ??) and dropped back behind Thompson , Hardies Kawasaki was flying and overhauled Thompson for 3rd on the final lap.
IMS National 600 and HM Racing Clubman 600
The signs were there in 600 qualifying of the speed of Mikey Hardie the Swindon rider was the only rider to hit the 1.10 zone 1.10.592 for pole for the Rockit 636 Kawasaki, Elder on home track next at 1.11.261, Maclaren Wood at 1.11.411 Josh Davis Motorsport R6 yet another new track to learn.
Race 1
Maclaren Wood got the start with Hardie in tow and the two started to trade fast laps getting down to the 1.10 mark and less than half a second apart,Lap3 and Hardie took the lead and held off pressure from JDM Yamaha to win by 0.694 seconds Elder 3rd but 8 seconds adrift followed in by NG regulars Michael Tustin and Gareth Roberts to get valuable points in the championship chasing leader Ricky Elder.
Sunday 28th
REP Performance and NL Motor services SoT
RACE 2
A warm day and promise of a dry day too the first race saw the Power bikes be the first out with the race pattern from Saturday in mind and had anyone an answer to the Mastermac Honda.
At the race start the answer was no as Nesbitt again streaked away from Edwards and with fresh tyres was trying 100% to get near the lap record! 1.06.9 from last year but after 4 laps backmarkers came in sight so 1.07.471 was his best as he rolled off the power and settled in for the win. Edwards had a lonely second and Nelmes had his problems with Leon Morris all race long but claimed 3rd Morris being SoT winner again from Mackay
RACE 3
The line up for the last encounter was looking to be a Nesbitt clean sweep and with a text book start and set about getting up to speed which he did on the second flying lap and hit a 1.06.676 to lower his own and the circuits motorcycle lap record , Edwards was still trying in second and got down to a 1.09 lap trying to better the bosses , Dan Coopers 1.08 mark. Dan Brooks was up to 3rd and gradually getting away from Dan Nelmes and local rider Tyson Lewis. With Leon Morris being a non-starter Dave Mackay took SoT honours.
Phoenix Open with the IMS King of Combe
RACE 2
The crunch race for the King of Combe as the points would mount up for the leading contenders?
Nesbitt was looking untouchable but Edwards and others waiting to take any advantage if he slipped up??
At the lights the no 86 Honda streaked away from the grid and that was pretty much all they saw for most of the race Edwards led the chase but Nesbitt threw down the fast early laps to break the field and a commanding maximum points lead for the Rodney Gooch trophy Edwards kept up the challenge with second but a great fight was going on with Joey Thompson and Mikey Hardie for third , the Kawasaki of Hardie slipping past on lap 7 and making good use of the traffic kept the R1 of Thompson at bay.
Race 3
It was in most peoples mind that Charlie could just cruise to the title, but every racer wants to see that chequered Flag and it was steaking off from the lights again and maybe looking to get the lap record lower, but the focus was the top step on the podium.
Normal service was resumed at the lights the 86 machine was first away and never headed Edwards trailed in second but encouraged by his lap times ahead of wild card at Thruxton BSB having a steady weekend but it was anything like that behind those two with the Thompson , Hardie and Nelmes all over each other with Brooks showing up as well, Hardie had the measure of Thompson and passed him on lap 6 only to have it paid back one lap later for Hardie to claim the last step on the overall podium.
IMS National 600 and HM Racing Clubman 600
RACE 2
Grid was short of Morgan McLaren Wood who had machine troubles in warm up with an oil leak so left a hole in the front row by now Hardie had his confidence up and starting to dominate the class , lights out and Hardie was off and running putting time into Elder in 2nd who had his hands full for the first couple of laps with Tustin and Roberts which allowed Hardie to escape. Elder put the hard work in as the laps rolled down to draw back in on the leader rehearsing a run from the Byebrook chicane through Camp, a lap later he was close enough to with one more lap to go but Hardie hit a false neutral as he changed gear for camp Elders front wheel touched Hardies rear and tucked the front end of the 35 bike which dropped onto the infield grass Hardie carried on the final lap to win Elder was on the grass having what can only be described as a frustrated moment right in front of Mrs Elder watching from Camp Corner, gloves were thrown helmet ditched and then some of the advertising boards received what John Cleese would call a dam good thrashing !!
This promoted Tustin and Roberts to 2nd and 3rd and gain some ground on non-finishing Elder in the points standing.
RACE 3
Elder would start on the final row of the grid and Hardie on pole with just over 30 bikes on the grid it would be an uphill task you would think?
Hardie got the start with Tustin and Roberts in tow at the end of the first lap Elder was up to 7th and flying not quite on lap times with Hardie, but this was through an M25 traffic jam, well sort of!
Lap 2 it was 4th lap 4 up to second and chasing the leader but he was too far away but closed to just over 6 seconds at the flag to salvage the weekend points wise with Roberts landing up 3rd.
DCM/ JSS
Junior Super sport saw new rider Olli Sims for the first time at Castle Combe where he did his ACU test with NG back in March, runs in the British Supermoto Championship but also has an eye on road racing, took 2 wins and a second with Alfie Jenkinson a win a 3rd and a 4th
TW TECH MINI TWINS
With no series leader Joe Woodward William Holland and Combe specialist Justin Garrett were looked at as race winners, enter new kid on the mini twin block David Lindermann who took 3 wins the last 2 2 by a fair distance from Garrett and Holland
Chace Collymore grabbed a trio of wins in the JCR Motorsport Super Twins , Vincent Butler came out top in the Love Life and ride PI 600 with 2 wins and a 2nd, local track day rider turned racer Tyler Smith was making the most of some help from Castle Combe track day instructor Neil Sutton in the form of some slick tyres for the weekend a first ,second and third places to keep him firmly in charge at the top of the PI championship.
The interest did not stop on the Race track with OMG Yamaha turning up with triple BSB race winner Ryan Vickers and the BSB bikes and chatted about what he had to go through to keep his performance levels to race winning standard and Team Boss Alan Gardener on his take of running a top flight race team and all the hidden parts we don’t see, could have been a good post-race chat for the paddock.
Current BSB Champion and local sheep herder Tommy Bridwell was on track on Sunday with his road bike ahead of one of the 4 parades of NG past masters over the 2 days and was signing and selfie mobbed by the spectators and getting his merchandising stand selling everything and a quick chat in commentary.
A great weekend of racing and entertainment for everyone before the serious stuff kicks off again at Donnington Park.
Words: Martin Bennett, Race Commentator
Pictures: Colin Hill, hairybeastpix@hotmail.com