CRACKING START TO DARLEY’S SEASON

Tuesday April 5, 2016 at 2:35pm

The Darley Moor Motorcycle Road Race Club delivered a fantastic start to the 2016 season last weekend, 3rd/4th April, providing motorsport fans with some very close racing. From the twenty-one race programme eight races were decided by less than 1 second, five with a winning margin of less than 0.5sec!

The two Peak Cup and Open Solo races had ‘guest’, non-point scoring rides from Daley Mathison and Dan Cooper, carrying out final shakedown tests on their machines in preparation for the Irish Road Race season and they provided some fantastic entertainment. The opening Peak Cup race gave a brief glimpse of what might lie ahead, with the pair lapping two seconds quicker than anybody else, but locked together throughout the shortened four lap race, Cooper lead throughout, but Mathison was just 0.13sec behind at the flag. In their wake, Rob Hodson was the quicker off the line and held onto 3rd place for the opening lap, until Hodson senior, Jim found a way pass followed by Carl Morris on the following lap. The tables were almost reversed for the second Peak Cup race, Mathison at the head of the field for the first four laps then Cooper dived through to lead for the final two laps, with Mathison 0.22sec behind at the flag. On this occasion Morris managed the faster start and was able to stretch out a 6 second gap to Jim Hodson at the finish. Mathison turned the tables on Cooper in the first Open Solo race and even managed to pull out a gap of almost 1 sec during the race, but Cooper recorded the fastest lap in an effort to get back on terms and narrow the margin to just 0.43sec by the line. The Jim Hodson/Carl Morris 3rd place battle was creating as much entertainment as that at the head of the field, with Morris chasing down his rival, but running out of laps, finishing just 0.3sec behind Hodson on this occasion. With Cooper and Hodson not lining up on the grid for the second Open Solo race Mathison recorded an unchallenged victory with Morris taking 2nd place.

In between these races Mathison also took to the track in the combined Formula Darley/125GP races, again a non-points scoring ride. In the first race, he took the 125GP class victory, finishing 3rd overall behind Formula Darley victor David Carson, who had made up from a slower start to pass Stuart Hall for the lead on lap 5 and managed to stretch out a gap of almost 2 secs at the flag. 2015 GP125 Champion,

Brendan Brown secured his first ‘victory’ of 2016 with 6th overall, being the first points scoring 125 home. In the second race Carson again had a slower start than Hall, but on this occasion Hall was able to stretch a small lead whilst Carson tried to get pass Kaine Sheriff. Eventually passing him on Lap 4 he then set about chasing Hall down, but despite setting the fastest lap he couldn’t quite make the move, finishing just 0.06sec adrift as they crossed the line. With Mathison not completing the first lap the 125GP class saw a race long duel between Ewan Potter, on a new style Moto3 machine, and Emma Franklin on the traditional 125GP machine. Again, despite recording the fastest lap for the class Franklin could not quite get on terms with Potter and had to settle for the Runner-up spot for the class.

The combined Sound of Thunder/Lightweight races saw reigning SoT Champion, Lloyd Shelley deliver a masterclass, taking both victories with ease. The Mini Sound of Thunder class was won by David Carson, getting his smaller machine towards the head of the field on both occasions, finishing 4th overall in the first and 6th overall in the second race. Reigning Lightweight and Pre98 (Up to 500cc)Champion, Chris Moore continued were he left off in 2015, following Carson home for the Lightweight class win, on both occasions and repeating the feat in the Pre98 (Up to 500cc) class later in the day.

Lloyd Shelley was also out on the same machine in the Formula 600 races, however in these races he had to contend with the Hodson brothers’, Jamie and Rob (Wigan). In both races Rob was the faster starting with

Shelley shadowing him for the first two laps until Jamie passed him and moved into the lead on the 4th lap. Shelley then moved into 2nd place and set about chasing Jamie down, but finished just 0.9sec behind at the line. Rob slipped back to 4th place after Steven Proctor, recovered from a slow start and passed him on the final lap. For the second race there was a little more at stake, being the first round of the Curtis Milner

Trophy, in memory of a young Darley Moor racer who lost his life in a road riding accident, the final round being the second Formula 600 race at Round 2. The race saw the Hodson brothers entertain the spectators on their own, Rob the faster starting again, but Jamie finding a way past on the penultimate lap and the pair separated by just 0.36sec at the flag, while Procter turned the tables on Shelley and passed him on the penultimate lap to record 3rd place.

Mixed fortunes for Andrew Lowe in the combined Steel Framed/Pre Injection 600 races, the first race saw the current Pre Injection Champion locked in a race long battle with the Steel Framed Champion, Anthony Porter and coming out on top by less the 1 second at the line. A similar scenario looked to be on the cards for the second, but disaster struck on the 3rd lap, leaving Lowe right at the back of the field and allowing Porter to record an overall victory, Lowe finally coming home 18th overall. There were no mixed fortunes for Lowe in the Pre98 races taking the same machine to two start – finish victories on his (Up to 1300cc) machine.

The combined Classics/Formula 125 races saw double victories for all of the different classes; David Bradley two overall victories on his Classic 1000 machine; Joey Thompson, with two overall Runner-Up places on his Formula 125; Gordon Thorpe a 4th and 3rd overall on his Classic 500; Brian Prescott an overall 9th and 8th on his Classic 350 and Glenn Atkinson with an overall 8th and 10th on his Classic 250 machine.

Onto 3 wheels and after leading the first Sidecar race throughout, on their 600cc machine the Carl Bennett/Lee Cain pairing were given a 10second penalty for jumping the start which dropped them back to 4th place. This elevated Gary Knight/Dan Evanson, on their 600cc machine, into the winning position following a very tight battle at the head of the field from the second lap. The first of the 1000cc Open Sidecar outfits were Rupert Archer/Steve Thomas, 2nd overall, ahead of 2015

Champions Ray Thomas/Neil Aslaksen. The second race saw the 1000cc outfits turn the tables on the smaller machines with Archer/Thomas taking the overall victory, followed home by Thomas/Aslaksen, with Knight/Evanson, 3rd and Bennett/Cain, 4th.

If these races were a benchmark for the 2016 season then you will not want to miss Round 2 on Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd May 2016.

The cost of adult admission to Darley Moor for all meetings, except the end of season Stars at Darley meeting, is £12.00 per day, children under 16 are free, and Senior Citizens are £8.00. Parking and Paddock Transfer is free and a programme costs just £3.00. Adult admission to the Test Days is £6.00, Senior Citizens 65 and over £4.00.

For the Stars at Darley event on 9th October the adult admission price is £16.00 and Senior Citizens £10.00.

Advance Tickets at discount prices are also available on-line just visit the Darley Race Shop for full details - http://www.darleymoorstore.co.uk/.

A 2016 Season Pass for Darley Moor is also available and admits to ALL motor cycle events at the circuit including test days and can be purchased online or by sending a cheque made payable to Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd, together with the full name of the season pass holders to:

Season Passes, Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd, Anvil House, Derby Road, Old Tupton, Chesterfield, S42 6LA

There is ample room for spectators to camp and caravan at Darley Moor over the race weekends. The cost is £5.00 per unit per night. Camping will normally be available from 4.00 pm on the Friday evening until 10.00 am on the day after the meeting or by special arrangement with the circuit management – Call 01335 343833.

Darley Moor is one of the few circuits in which dogs are welcome, provided they are kept on a lead at all times during race day and the owners act in a responsible manner.

2016 Championship standings after Round 1

Peak Cup

1st Jim Hodson, 15pts; 2nd Carl Morris, 15pts; 3rd Steve Proctor, 7pts

Open Solo

1st Carl Morris, 15pts; 2nd, Jim Hodson, 9pts; 3rd, Alan Hughes, 7pts

Open Sidecars

1st Rupert Archer/Steve Thomas, 18pts; 2nd Ray Thomas/Neil Aslaksen, 12pts; 3rd Roy Tansley/Chris Judge, 7pts

Lightweight

1st Chris Moore, 18pts; 2nd David Smith, 8pts; 3rd Nick Gilman, 7pts

GP125

1st Emma Franklin, 12pts; 2nd Ewan Potter, 12pts; 3rd Brendan Brown, 9pts

Formula 600