In a weekend that tested everyone from riders and officials, to marshals and medics as weather conditions swung from perfect and fast to wet and slippery we had all four seasons in one 48-hour period. The suns shone, but we also had hail and freezing rain as well as gusts of wind that lifted awnings in the paddock. There weren’t many riders that failed to taste Donington tarmac or need assistance from the hard working NG/Racesafe marshals as the weather when it turned claimed some of the steadiest and most experienced riders out there.
When the conditions were good though, they were very very good, so good in fact that Josh Day on the WH Bond/Kinch Fuels ZX10 Kawasaki set a new outright NG circuit lap record for Donington's 1.95 mile National track. As Sunday morning saw Josh set the first NG 100mph lap, averaging 100.03mph for a stunning lap as he raced wheel to wheel with National 600 superstock leader Jordan Simpkin in the
Phoenix Open final. The previous afternoon in very wet conditions it was Chris Pope on his AFB Motorcycles R1 that set the pace winning by over 10 seconds as he revelled in the wet , as he found it easier than the dry due to tendonitis issues that often rear their ugly head. As Pope stormed (….no pun intended !!) to that wet race win he headed home John Day and reigning (…..nor here !!) champ Phil Bevan. Jordan Simpkin had been balked in the early part of the race on his AHR/Go Racing R6 and fought back up to 5
th place, setting the fastest lap in doing so.
Phil Bevan on his newly refreshed R1 Yamaha is going for his fifth consecutive Phoenix Open title this year and with two podiums the points were steadily stacking up. The wily-Welshman has not won 11 class titles for nothing and knows when to push and when to take points and after two podiums he then decided as most of his rivals had succumbed to the weather that it was now his turn for the big points. As the final open race came to the grid Bevan and Duncan Gibson on his JHP Panigale set about their bid for glory. Bevan led and Gibson stalked, but just as it looked as if Gibson would take up the running he lost 1.5 seconds as the leading duo hit the backmakers…. Again the canny Bevan put himself in the right place at the right time and grabbed the 25 points for the win. Bevan and Gibson’s pace saw them finish over 40 seconds clear of the rest….. proving there in no substitute for experience.
Josh Day leads the series after nine races…..but Bevan is now up to second….just a handful of points adrift
www.Simon Consulting.info Powerbikes
Josh Day and Phil Bevan shared Powerbike honours, but Chris Pope and Duncan Gibson kept them on their toes with a second and a third apiece in a weekend that saw the survival of the fittest. Liam Murtagh was unlucky not to be rewarded with a podium after a great weekend on his Corby ZX10 Kawasaki……The weather was so bad on Sunday afternoon that only 6 riders finished from the 30 on the original entry list !!!
Wayside Garages 600cc
Be Wiser Kawasaki man Nick Anderson took the 600cc series lead away from Chris Hawkes with two fine rides. A win on Saturday over Sebastian Kelly and the hard charging Bryan Duncanson, followed by third in the very wet race on Sunday behind rain-maestro Peter Carr and Tommy Philp. The talk of the paddock though was Dale Thomas’s charge through from the back row after falling in the qualifier. 19 year old Thomas took 14 riders between the start line and Redgate and another 16 before the end of lap one, but by then the leaders had opened up an advantage....but 4
th from the back row was nevertheless a stunning spectacle.
125GP / Moto 3
Young Novice rider Mark Strudwick on the MTS Racing RS125 stunned everyone on Saturday by heading home the more experienced Paul Hedison, with the pair separated by just 0.30 seconds at the line. Strudwick, Jake Bayford, Mark Carkeek and Joe Thomas had a race long scrap for the points on Sunday as Hedison’s bike fell foul to the wet weather, Although Strudwick’s machine was visibly slower in a straight line, his corner speed kept him in the fight. As Carkeek crashed out on the final lap it was left to a drag race to the line for the win, that Bayford on his ABC Carriers RS125 nicked over the impressive novice Strudwick. For his efforts Studwick now heads the points table.
Steve Lynham Formula 125
Liam Delves took victory in both F125 finals on his Delves Racing 80cc Metrakit…. But he had to fight hard with Jake Archer on the 80 Herbi. The pair were never more that a few bike lengths apart and Delves wins were by 0.47 seconds on Saturday and by just 0.05 on Sunday !!
Fraser’s of Gloucester 500cc Open
Keenan Armstrong took a fine set of wins in the 500cc class on his Replicast Aprilia 450 heading home Daniel Williams on Saturday and Josh Jones on Sunday, in a class that saw a huge rate of attrition…. Young Keenan though, kept his head whilst his rivals threw away points in Donington’s gravel traps.
GP45
Teenage sensation Keenan Armstrong totally eclipsed the opposition in the GP 45 class on his Replicast RRV450 Aprilia. He really has clicked with the 450 twin this year after having stepped up from the 80 Metrakit, and lapped every other rider in his class….. in both races. In a return to the grids Martin Thrower took two runner-up spots on his immaculate PDQ Precision Aprilia. Series leader Mark Carkeek had been unbeaten until this meeting, but and the wiring loom burned out whilst doing some repairs on his 450….. so no points….. but still the series lead.
A and R Racing Formula 400
Simon Gates brought out his GNG / RB Racing ZXR400 for a run at one of his favourite circuits and promptly took the race win on Saturday over reigning champion Shannon Hale who was having a nightmare weekend with a series of mechanical issues on her ZXR. Sunday came and Gates was looking for the double, but on the last lap trying to get the better of Daniel Williams on his super fast Gecko Imports TZR he fell at McLeans. Williams won, with Hale once more second, grabbing more valuable points
MPH Bikes Mini Twins
Championship leader Kevin Davies was in great form again on the NPMC/UK Aerial Media SV 650 and took a steady win on Saturday over Mark Labudek after lap one leader Justin Garret fell at Coppice. Come Sundays final we were expecting more of the same, but Davies pressing on hard in the latter stages to stave off the hard charging Sean Montgomery succumbed to the wet track and parted company from his SV at McLeans. Montgomery on the Preston Power Steering SV took no second invitation and took the win over Nick Anderson and Garrett, to add to his third place the day before. It was all the sweeter as it was on his second-string bike after the number one SV suffered gearbox problems.
Peter Hammond Motorcycles Sound of Thunder
The timekeepers had to fine tune the electronic systems to go to another decimal place to split Oliver Hill on his Fastline Superbikes/Alpha 675 and Paul Willis on his Willis Developments KTM as they crossed the line together. Hill got the nod after out breaking Willis in the final corner…. and there are not many people able to do that. Willis was in no mood for another second spot on Sunday as he took a convincing wet race win over Shane Smith (675) and Byron Beckett (848).
Metzeler and DTR Streetstock
Tom Cook took two fine wins in the 1300cc class on his TPC R1. It looked like Paul Dawson who got pushed out onto the grass on lap one could make up the ground but after doing most of the work he got clattered by a backmarker bending his front brake lever making it unusable for the last two laps. Meanwhile after doing his rain dance in the morning Murray McConnachie was very happy and splashed round in impressive style to take two wins in the 700 class on his Cabot /Bob Harvey 675. In the 400 class it was a familiar story with former BSB 125 rider Corey Lewis and Luke Collins sharing the wins, but with a no score on Sunday for Luke, Corey heads the points table on his KR1S 250 Kawasaki.
TPC Construction Pre Injection
Tom Palmer the reigning Pre-injection champ had a tough race on Saturday from the back of the grid, but managed to squeeze the win on his Palmer Plastering R1, but Paul Harlington regrouped on Sunday to pick up the 25 points with his FJ1100. Despite some very close attention from Mark Labudek, Kevin Davies on his NPMC/ UK Aerial Media SV took a fine pair…. And set a new class lap record on Saturday.
Dutch Ducati Dealer 3D Cup
This Donington meeting saw over 30 entrant’s travel from Holland to compete in the 3D Cup. There was a host of exotic 848’s… 996’s… 1098’s… 1198’s as well and a raft of Panigales. Andre Niemantsverdriet set pole in Saturday’s dry qualifying but unfortunately both finals were in the wet and Andre was not so happy as he managed just 10
th and 7
th positions. The experienced Harold Kock stormed through the field and on the last lap took over 3 seconds out of the fading race long leader Jan De Boer to steal his first ever 3D cup win. The taste of victory was obviously to his liking as he following it up with another on Sunday in a super race that saw Harold, along with both of his racing brothers Marcel and Johnny along with Chris Van Thiel fight it out for 8 laps before the red flag halted the race….. but Harold was once more at the front, making the dash for the ferry back home seem so much shorter I am sure….. and he got family bragging rights.
TSGP
Mark Reeves and Daniel Williams shared a win apiece in the Classic two stroke GP class that were having a run out with NG this weekend. There was some lovely machinery on the grid including Paul Allender’s TZ750 and Stuart Jones’s Spondon RG500…..although to be fair the wet conditions probably favoured the 250’s
CSC Racing Sidecars
Ben Hollard and Ashley Hawes wheeled out their Finning Cat backed LCR Suzuki in preparation for the upcoming British round and fired a warning shot to their rival by setting a new lap record in Sunday mornings sunny conditions….come the wet in the afternoon they still romped home at the front ahead of Simon Gilbert and Nathan Robinson. Top F2 pairing was Dean Nicholls and Ashley Moore on the newly liveried Certain Exhibitions 600 Lumley Kawasaki.
April UK Newcomers
All three newcomers race went to the formbook with Dave Mackay (KTM RC8)… Mark Reeves (RS250 Honda…. and Sean Montgomery (SV650) all winning and ending the day at the top of the Open… 500cc and Mini Twin points tables.
Wayside Garages Performance of the Meeting
Tom Cook – No 858 – TPC Construction Yamaha R1 - Streetstock
Bardahl Top-Oils Newcomer of the Meeting
Mark Strudwick – No 145 – MTS Racing RS125 Honda – 125GP