The season’s opener proved a success for the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club over the weekend 12th – 13th April 2025 at the Darley Moor Sports Centre near Ashbourne, DE6 2ET (or What3words: bounty.behalf.charm).
Saturday, 12th April was a Test Day for all competitors, giving them a chance to ensure all machinery was in fine fettle and ready to go on Sunday, as all races are now being awarded championship points, as introduced last year. The twenty-race programme certainly kept marshals on their toes and a few competitors busy, with several signing-up for three classes, giving them six races throughout the day.
The opening race of the day, the Golden Formula 400 race, saw a former Darley Moor regular, Ant Porter (Chesterfield) made a successful return to the circuit after taking victory from last year’s Forgotten Era & Classic (up to 500cc) Champion, Steve Price (Stockport). Price was off the line quicker, but Porter, just 0.2sec adrift after the opening lap found a way through on the second lap and stretched out a 1.3sec advantage, at the flag. After missing the opening race Stephen Gorton (Leigh) line-up on the grid for the afternoon’s race and gave the rest a wake-up call, lapping approximately 1sec per lap quicker he led from start – finish, with a 12.3sec advantage at the flag. Behind, Porter made his way through from 4th on the opening lap to 2nd on Lap2, this time having to find a way past last year’s Runner-Up, Iain Davis (Ashbourne) in addition to Price, finishing 4sec ahead of him, with Davis, 2sec adrift in 4th spot.
The second race of the day, the combined Open Solo and Golden Superbike, saw a battle between the fast-starting Matt Bell (Sheffield) and Stephen Parsons (Carnforth). Bell with a 0.7sec lead, over Parsons after Lap1, but reduced it by half after Lap2, Lap3 the gap was 0.2sec, but then Lap4 saw a change of lead with Parsons passing Bell and began to stretch a lead, which despite Bell recording the fastest lap of the race, on Lap5, in an effort to stay with Parsons, was almost 6.5sec adrift at the end of the 8-lap race. Last year’s Open Solo Champion, Mark Goodings (Doncaster) could only watch on in 3rd place, which for the majority of the race was an unchallenged 3sec cushion over Sam Johnson (Minskip) until the final few laps, where Johnson had a better run passing backmarkers and reduced the gap to 3rd place down to just 0.7sec at the chequered flag. Mark Brailsford (Chesterfield) was the highest placed Golden Superbike competitor, finishing the opening lap 7th and eventually crossing the line in an overall 8th position. Bell came out fighting for the second race, not only starting quicker than Parsons, but maintaining the momentum and heading the field for the entire race, finishing 7.5sec ahead of him, with Adam Walters (Derby) making amends for an overall 9th, on his Open Solo machine in the first race, finishing 3rd, 3sec ahead of Goodings, in 4th, again Brailsford, the leading Golden Superbike, finishing an overall 7th place.
Next-up, the new Golden Supersport 600 class and Benjamin Dale (Warrington) stamped his authority over the class with two start-finish victories, the first by 9.8sec and the second by over 13sec, Liam Ashton (Hyde) his closest challenger in both races.
With a change of machinery for the Open 600 Stephen Parsons succeeded in similar fashion to Dale’s, taking two start-finish victories, although the competition behind him was a little more frantic. Jack Worth (Barnsley) was able to hold-on to 2nd spot throughout the first race, with Jordan Poole (Stoke on Trent) making his way through from a first lap 5th, to finish 3rd, 1.2sec behind Worth. Fellow Stoke on Trent competitor, Matthew Zschiesche was down in 10th after the opening lap, but made his way through to 4th, a further 1sec behind Poole. The second encounter saw Zschiesche and Poole enjoy a race-long battle behind the distant Parsons, ensuring the spectators were kept entertained, eventually separated by just 0.3sec, Zscheische, 2nd, Poole 3rd, with Worth enjoying the spectacle throughout, finishing 1.5sec behind the battling pair.
The combined Darley Cup and Wilson Trophy race saw Josh Froggatt (Worksop) claim a start-finish victory in the morning’s race leaving David
Carson (Northwich) trying to reduce the gap to David Glossop (Wilmslow) for 2
nd place.
From the end of the first lap the pair were circulating within 1sec of each other, but on the final lap Carson found a better route through the backmarkers and was almost able to pip Glossop at the flag, however Glossop’s advantage at the end was reduced to just 0.09sec.
The second race may have played out the same way but, coming to the grid on this occasion was Benjamin Dale and whilst Froggatt was at the front from the opening lap, the gap between him and Dale fluctuated between 1.2sec and 0.17sec, at the start of the penultimate lap Dale was 0.8sec behind the leader, but once again, backmarkers seemed to play their part and Dale turned the ‘tables’ on his rival, finishing with a 0.8sec advantage over Froggatt.
Glossop again finished ahead of Carson, but this time with a 10sec advantage over him.
Wilson Trophy honours went to Stephen Gorton on both occasions, finishing 5
th Overall in the first and 6
th in the second race.
Fans of three-wheeled action were treated to a masterful display, in the first race, by Ben Birchall (Cumbria) and passenger, Paddy Rosney (Blackburn), although this was purely an extra test for the team, with no championship points or trophies being available to the pairing. However, 2024 F600 Sidecar Champions, Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth (Sutton Coldfield/Lincoln) put their own display in and stretched the opening lap advantage, 1.2sec, over Dan Knight/Ash Gibson (Congleton/Tameside) to just over 10sec at the flag. Initially, ahead of the Knight/Gibson pairing for the opening couple of laps, the first Open Sidecar outfit of Alan Molyneux/Rob Coppock (Rufford/Runcorn) finished overall 4th, a further 10sec back from Knight /Gibson. The second race saw Baker/Killingsworth complete a start-finish overall victory on the F600 machine, with Open Sidecar outfit of Molyneux/Coppock circulating 2nd Overall throughout and claiming the Open class victory.
SuperTwin mounted David Glossop led the opening lap of the race, combined with the MiniTwins, until Josh Froggatt hit the front once more and opened out a lead of almost 6sec at the flag. Whilst Andy Whale found a way through on Glossop on Lap3 and tried to chase down to the leader to no avail, but stretched his advantage to almost 4sec to the now 3rd place competitor. MiniTwins honours went to Ben Wilkinson (Birmingham) who chased down class leader, Peter Fell (Burton on Trent), turning Fell’s 1.3sec advantage over him on Lap6, to a 0.4sec deficit on Lap7 and taking the class victory by 0.25sec. Race 2 and another start-finish victory for Froggatt, but Glossop was in 2nd for the opening lap, only for Whale to pass him on Lap2 . However, even with Whale’s advantage stretching to almost 2sec in parts, on the penultimate there was just 0.06sec, but Glossop squeezed through and took 2nd by just 0.04sec! Wilkinson was leading the MiniTwins class until Lap 8, of 10, when Fell passed him and opened out a 11sec advantage at the chequered flag.
Freddy Oakley (Chesterfield) secured a start-finish victory in the opening Lightweight/CB500 class, but with Stephen Gorton ready to capitalise on any error he may make, eventually finishing 1.8sec adrift of his Lightweight class rival. Overall 3rd spot went to Richard Hughes (Wolverhampton), on the first CB500 machine. The second race was a little different, the battle between Oakley and Gorton kept the crowd on their feet, never split by anymore than 0.6sec throughout the race. Oakley led across the line for the opening three laps, then Gorton got ahead for two laps, across the line anyway. Oakley reclaimed the lead back on Lap6 and stretched the biggest margin on Lap7, but Gorton wasn’t done and set the Fastest Lap of the race on the penultimate lap, another quick lap reduced the deficit to just 0.12sec, the closest finish of the day. Hughes once again secured CB500 honours with 5th Overall.
Last year’s Ben Godfrey Trophy winner, Matt Bell has made his intentions perfectly clear and showing he is not ready to relinquish his grip on the Trophy just yet. Recording two start-finish victories over Adam Walters, 2nd and Mark Goodings, 3rd on both occasions. The first race, a six-lapper, saw the top three each separated by 5.5sec at the head of the field, whilst the ten-lap second race saw Bell with an advantage of 8.2sec, over Walters, with Goodings a further 4.4sec back.
This opening meeting saw five competitors secure 3 victories in their respective classes, Matt Bell, Ben Dale, Josh Froggatt, Stephen Gorton and Stephen Parsons, so all were thwarted in their attempts at a clean sweep, an exciting season lays ahead! The next meeting, Rounds 3 & 4, is scheduled for 11th May 2025. Remember camping facilities are available, including for you four-legged friends, if kept on a lead and under control. To camp over the weekend (on offer from Friday night through to Monday morning, for just £10 per night, or £8 if booked in advance), with the Chequered Flag Café, open to all, every weekend, but with longer hours on a race weekend (Friday 2pm – 8pm, Saturday 8am – 8pm, Sunday 8am – 6pm) and with its own set of very regular customers.
Sunday practice will, again, 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 £13, respectively).
2025 Championship Standings (after Round 2 (tbc))
Golden Formula 400
1st Ant Porter, 27pts; 2nd Steve Price, 22pts; 3rd Iain Davis, 16pts
Wilson Trophy
1st Stephen Gorton, 30pts; 2nd Corey Brown, 25points; Mike White, 20pts
Darley Cup
1st Josh Froggatt, 27pts; 2nd David Glossop, 22pts; 3rd David Carson, 18pts
Ben Godfrey Trophy
1st Matthew Bell, 30pts; 2nd Adam Walters, 24pts; 3rd Mark Goodings, 20pts
Open 600cc
1st Stephen Parsons, 30pts; 2nd Matt Zschiesche, Jordan Poole, Jack Worth, 20pts
Golden Superbike
1st Mark Brailsford, 30pts; 2nd Emmett Burke, 24pts; 3rd Joshua Allen-Douce, 20pts
Open Solos
1st Matt Bell & Stephen Parsons, 27pts; 3rd Mark Goodings, 18pts
Golden Supersport 600
1st Ben Dale, 30pts; 2nd Liam Ashton, 24pts; 3rd Wayne Kemp, 16pts
Mini Twins
1st Ben Wilkinson, Peter Fell, 27pts; 3rd Lee Stanaway, 20pts; 4th Connor Woodman, 16pts
Super Twins
1st Josh Froggatt, 30pts; 2nd David Glossop, Andy Whale, 24pts; 4th Stephen Taylor, 14pts
Lightweight Class
1st Freddy Oakley, 30pts; 2nd Stephen Gorton, 24pts; 3rd Iain Davis, Corey Brown, 18pts
Honda CB500 & Suzuki Bandits
1st Richard Hughes, 30pts; 2nd Zac Leigh, 24pts; 3rd Lee Threlfall, 20pts
Formula 600 Sidecars
1st Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth, 30pts; 2nd Richard Butler/Josh Saunders, 22pts; 3rd Roberts/Roberts, 16pts
Open Sidecars to 1300cc
1st Molyneux/Coppock, 30pts; 2nd Eades/Etchells, 24pts; 3rd Aubrey/Hyde, 20pts