WILDCARD CLARKE ON FIRE AT FOXHILLS

Report and Photos by Dave Rich

 

Last Sunday round 4 of the Phoenix Tools Ifly Premier motocross Championship took place at the ironic Foxhill Moto Parc Nr Swindon where the heavens had opened up overnight which was to make things a bit slippery and slushy to begin with, but with the sun coming out late morning things were soon to dry and the track was to produce some brilliant racing and with the Maxxis British Championship been held at Foxhills in just 5 weeks time there were many wildcard entries.

 

In the Pro Expert class there was a fair entry, but there was no Alfie Smith who was 2^nd in the Championship standings going in to round 4 as he was out with a broken hand, but in to the equation there were a few wildcard entries from the likes of defending Champion Luke Hawkins on the Dave Thorpe Off road Honda who was on home soil, Jake Shipton who had recently returned from racing on the Crescent Racing KTM in Dubai where he won the DMX Championship and also 2014 European 250 Champion Steven Clarke (Pictured No 511) who for a change was onboard a 350f instead of his usual 250 Apico Husqvarna.

 

In the opening race it was Clarke who was to get the best start from Hawkins and Championship leader Shane Carless on the Oakleaf Motorsport Honda and it wasn’t long before Clarke got in to his rhythm and started to get away at the front. Shipton had a moderate start and was soon to get pass Carless as was James Harrison who was also on a 350f rather than his usual 250 Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna and these two had a real tussle for several laps and were soon all over Hawkins pressing for 2^nd. Shipton eventually got pass Hawkins mid race, but Clarke had a fair lead by this time. Harrison was to finally get pass Hawkins on lap 8 and really had to throttle wound back as he caught and passed Shipton 2 laps from the end, but he wasn’t going to catch Clarke who took the win.

 

In the second moto it was a fierce bit of riding at the front in to the first corner between the Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna of Alex Snow and Clarke with Snow not giving an inch at the second corner which left Clarke no option but to tuck in to 2^nd with Harrison there in 3^rd, but it was a disasterous start for Shipton who had a front wheel puncture. Snow was giving his all at the front to try and get away from Clarke, but Clarke kept with him and on lap 3 Clarke hit the front passing Snow dropping down one of the steep hills. Clarke and Snow were absolutely flying at the front and this turned in to a battle royal in the closing stages when Snow was all over Clarke looking to get pass, but Snow was to be hampered by backmarkers which was to slow his progress and Clarke took the win with Harrison again taking 3^rd.

 

In the last race it looked as if Clarke had the holeshot, but he ran a bit wide and nearly went down which let Harrison through to take the lead with Hawkins there in 2^nd ahead of Clarke. Hawkins got the better of Harrison on lap 2 and took over at the front, but a lap later a mistake was to put him back in 4^th and up in to the lead was now Clarke who had found a way pass Harrison. Snow was soon up in to 3^rd and was climbing all over Harrison mid race and eventually moved up in to 2^nd and was closing on Clarke all the time, but Clarke held on to take the win by literally a second and a half with Shipton coming through to take a well deserved 3^rd.

 

In the Expert class there were several riders missing including 2^nd & 3^rd in the Championship, but there in 4^th was David Keet on the Danger UK Husqvarna who was just 7 points adrift of Charlie Putnam on the Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna.

 

In the opening race it was the Goss Mx KTM of Luke Sturgeon who was to lead early on, but a nasty tumble mid race saw him withdraw with a leg injury and in to the lead came wildcard George Clarke who from there went on to take a the win with Sam Gabriel on the Gabriel Insulations Honda taking 2^nd just ahead of Putnam.

 

In the second moto there was no Sturgeon and it was the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki of Ben Butler who led from the off from Jake Penny with Clarke there in 3^rd. Clarke moved up in to 2^nd on lap 2 and was soon breathing all over Butler and this battle was to go on for several laps before Butler made a slight mistake and Clarke shot through to take the lead and from there went on to take the win.

 

In the third moto this time it was Putnam with the best start from Butler and Clarke which turned in to a real scrap early on. Butler got the better of Putnam on lap 2 to take the lead, but Clarke took a further 3 laps to find away pass Putnam which had let Butler get away a bit, but again a slight mistake from Butler in the latter stages of the race was to let Clarke close right up on him and with just 2 laps remaining Clarke hit the front and went on to take a hattrick of wins on the day.

 

In the combined Over 35, Over 40 and Over 50’s races it was Terry House on the Crescent Racing/New Milton Tyres Suzuki who had led the opening race early on, but a mistake entering the whoops section where his stalled his machine was to let both Rick Hanson on the Readypower KTM and the Gibbs Performance/St Blazey Yamaha of Nick Life through. Hanson was to lead momentarily before Life hit the front, but soon to be back in to 2^nd after Hanson had a problem was now House who was soon all over Life pressing for the lead which he eventually took 2 laps from the end and he was to hold off a late challenge from Life to take the win, with Hanson absolutely having a stormer of a race coming back from 19^th after his earlier problem to take a well earned 4^th just behind Stephen Elford who took 3^rd. In the second moto there was no stopping House who led from the off to the chequered flag, but in the last race it wasn’t the best of starts for House who had to work hard before catching and passing Life mid race to take yet another win.

 

In the Junior Championship class again there were many wildcards and it looked as if this was set to be a cracker, and the many spectators were not disappointed as Championship leader young 15 year old Jamie Carpenter (Pictured No 184) on the Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna had to be at his best, which he was in all three races as he was put under huge pressure from wildcard Josh Coleman on the Cab Screens Yamaha in the first two motos and Billy King in the last one, but the youngster handled it well and took all three race wins to extend his Championship lead even further.

 

RESULTS

 

Phoenix Tools Ifly Pro Expert Championship Race 1

1^st Steven Clarke (350f Apico Husqvarna) 2^nd James Harrison (350f Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna) 3^rd Jake Shipton (450f Crescent Racing KTM) 4^th Luke Hawkins (450f Dave Thorpe off Road Honda) 5^th Shane Carless (450f Oakleaf Motorsport Honda) 6^th Alex Snow (350f Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna)

Race 2

1st Clarke 2^nd Snow 3^rd Harrison 4^th Hawkins 5^th Carless 6^th Ross Hill (450f Gabriel Solution Services Honda)

Race 3

1^st Clarke 2^nd Snow 3^rd Shipton 4^th Harrison 5^th Carless 6^th Hawkins

 

Pro Championship standings (after 4 of 10 rounds)

1^st Shane Carless 551 points 2^nd Jamie Skuse 515 3^rd Alfie Smith 406 4^th Alex Snow 401 5^th Ross Keyworth 392 6^th James Harrison 345 7^th Ross Hill 344 8^th Tom Moore 323

 

Tony Maunders Expert Championship Race 1

1^st George Clarke (450f Yamaha) 2^nd Sam Gabriel (450f Gabriel Insulation Services Honda) 3^rd Charlie Putnam (250f Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna) 4^th Ben Butler (450f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki 5^th David Keet (250f Danger UK Husqvarna) 6^th James Kensington (250 Rocket World/M D Racing/Tony Maunders Racing KTM)

Race 2

1^st Clarke 2^nd Butler 3^rd Putnam 4^th Keet 5^th Gabriel 6^th Kensington

Race 3

1^st Clarke 2^nd Putnam 3^rd Butler 4^th Gabriel 5^th Keet 6^th Jake Penny (450f Yamaha)

 

Expert Championship standings (after 4 of 10 rounds)

1^st Charlie Putnam 328 Points 2^nd David Keet 307 3^rd James Kensington 291 4^th Josh Taylor 272 5^th Jack Stevens 267 6^th Sam Gabriel 261 7^th Jake Penny 247 8^th Ben Butler 246

 

M D Racing Over 35’s Championship Race 1

1^st Nick Life (450f Gibbs Performance/St Blazey Yamaha) 2^nd Stephen Elford (450f Gabriel Insulation/Chichester Honda) 3^rd Rick Hanson (350f Readypower KTM) 4^th Carl Dezis (350f KTM) 5^th Richard Marsh (450F Yamaha) 6^th Jamie Deadman (450f Gibbs Performance KTM)

Race 2

1^st Life 2^nd Hanson 3^rd Dezis 4^th Elford 5^th Deadman 6^th Marsh

Race 3

1^st Life 2^nd Hanson 3^rd Elford 4^th Deadman 5^th Dezis 6^th Marsh

 

Over 35 Championship standings (after 4 of 10 rounds)

1^st Nick Life 588 Points 2^nd Rick Hanson 544 3^rd Stephen Elford 426 4^th Carl Dezis 417 5^th Jamie Deadman 378 6^th Richard Marsh 369 7^th James Knatchbull 287 8^th Daniel Marsh 228

 

M D Racing Over 40’s Championship Race 1

1^st Terry House (450f Crescent Racing/New Milton Tyres Suzuki) 2^nd Richard Green (450f T R Green Engineering Yamaha) 3^rd Tony Bayliss (250f Honda) 4^th Daniel Cavanagh (250f R S Racing Honda) 5^th Simon Smart (450f Poole Yamaha) 6^th Rob Lewis (350f Tony Maunders Racing KTM)    

Race 2

1^st House 2^nd Chris Brown (450f Cheddar Mx Store Honda) 3^rd Green 4^th Lewis 5^th Bayliss 6^th Richard Tapscott (250f MVRD Honda) 

Race 3

1^st House 2^nd Brown 3^rd Green 4^th Lewis 5^th Tapscott 6^th Shaun Brooker (350f S B Surfacing KTM)

 

Over 40 Championship standings (after 4 of 10 rounds)

1^st Terry House 566 Points 2^nd Chris Brown 486 3^rd Richard Green 462 4^th David Ford 3815^th Richard Tapscott 337 6^th Rob Lewis 291 7^th Justin Gibbs 273 8^th Elliot Waldron 262

 

M D Racing Over 50’s Championship Race 1

1^st Mark Gleadhill (250 Honda) 2^nd Graham Beale (250 KTM) 3^rd Adrian Toy (150 KTM) 4^th Dave Watson (250 Honda) 5^th Brian Pugsley (250f Solar Engineering KTM)

Race 2

1^st Gleadhill 2^nd Toy 3^rd Pugsley 4^thWatson  

Race 3

1^st Gleadhill 2^nd Toy 3^rd Watson 4^th Pugsley

 

Over 50 Championship standings (after 4 of 10 rounds)

1^st Mark Gleadhill 330 Points 2^nd Graham Beale 240 3^rd Adrian Toy 193 4^th Dave Watson 182 5^th Brian Pugsley 98 6^th Sammy Doble 67 7^th Steve Lyons 62 8^th Shaun Annetts 28

 

Tyremarks Junior Championship Race 1

1^st Jamie Carpenter (350f Phoenix Tools/Ifly Husqvarna) 2^nd Josh Coleman (250f Cab Screens Yamaha) 3^rd Gareth Artus (250f Honda) 4^th Billy King (250f R J King Kawasaki) 5^th Like Smith (125 Yamaha) 6^th Ben Cryer (????)

Race 2

1^st Carpenter 2^nd Coleman 3^rd Artus 4^th King 5^th Smith 6^th Ryan Butler (250f Poole Yamaha)

Race 3

1^st Carpenter 2^nd King 3^rd Coleman 4^th Artus 5^th Butler 6^th Smith

 

Junior Championship standings (after 4 of 10 rounds)

1^st Jamie Carpenter 1677 points 2^nd Billy King 1571 3^rd Jay Lewis 1486 4^th Jason Brooke 1482 5^th Josh House 1433 6^th Bradley Barfoot 1418 7^th Jonathan Cole 1386 8^th Elliot Cook 1366

 

Junior B Race 1

1^st Oliver Claxton 2^nd Jack Griffiths 3^rd Josh Griffiths 4^th Paul Barrand 5^th Oakley Harrison 6^th Jordan

Race 2

1^st Claxton 2^nd Jack Griffiths 3^rd Ryan Southern 4^th Watts 5^th Ethan Davies 6^th Harrison

Race 3

1^st Claxton 2^nd Jack Griffiths 3^rd Watts 4^th Harrison 5^th Davies 6^th Sam Cheeseman

 

Junior C Race 1

1^st Shaun Groves 2^nd Cole Baker-Edwards 3^rd Jamie Knight 4^th Ryan Keeling 5^th Ben Botterill 6^th Edward Gilfoyle

Race 2

1^st Baker-Edwards 2^nd Groves 3^rd Adam Barfoot 4^th Knight 5^th Keeling 6^th James Foden

Race 3

1^st Baker-Edwards 2^nd Groves 3^rd Barfoot 4^th Knight 5^th Botterill 6^th Keeling

 

(Next round Sunday July 26^th at Pontrilas)