Tuesday August 23, 2016 at 3:19pm
Last Sunday the Phoenix Tools Premier motocross Championship made its way up to Cusses Gorse in Wiltshire for round 8 in the series which also hosted the penultimate round of the Evo/Super Evo Championship. A lot of rain had fallen late Saturday and through the night which was ideal to put the track nigh on perfect and with water put down midday it was to produce some good racing. In the Gabriel Insulations Expert class the Championship lead was up for grabs, as unfortunately current leader Jamie Skuse was a non starter after having to have his appendix out. In the opening race it was the Tony Maunders Racing Yamaha of Kelvin Townsend who had the best start from current 2nd place rider in the standings Jordan Carter on the MotoXtreme/Stone Supplies Kawasaki with the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki of Tommy Alba (Pictured No 681) tucked in 3rd. Townsend was on a mission at the front and up in to 2nd by the end of the opening lap had come Alba who was to stick with Townsend for a couple of laps as not to let him get away, then on lap 4 Alba took over the lead passing Townsend dropping in to a slow lefthander and with a clear track in front of him was to go on untroubled to take the win from wildcard Brad Woodroffe on the G H M/c Husqvarna and Joe Jeffries on the Gabriel Insulations KTM. In moto 2 this time it was wildcard Adam Harris with the best start from Townsend and Jeffries with Alba back in 7th. Harris really had his 2-stroke in fast mode as he was to gradually pull away at the front on the opening lap, Jefferies got the better of Townsend on lap 2 and was to set off after Harris. Alba was moving up all the time and by the end of lap 4 was now in 3rd closing in on Jeffries who he got pass on lap 6 and was trailing Harris at the front by 4 seconds, but that lead was soon down to a second within a lap and on lap 8 Alba caught and passed Harris. Townsend was soon up in to 3rd and was all over Jeffries, but a rear wheel puncture later in the race was to hamper Townsend and up in to 3rd was now Carter, but he wasn’t going to catch Harris nor Alba who took another comfortable win. The last race saw Carter who was now leading the Championship with the best start, but there in 2nd was Alba this time with a better start with Harris in 3rd. Alba was soon to pass Carter to take the lead and was soon in to a rhythm and was pulling away. Harris was to have a real tussle with Carter for a couple of laps before Harris found away pass on a fast right hander, but by this time Alba had a cushion at the front and was to go on to make it a hat trick of wins with Woodroffe getting the better of Harris taking 2nd. In the over 35’s class there was a hat trick of holeshots for James Price on the Ace Comfort Cooling Kawasaki who was to give his all at the front, but it was not to be as the Cheddar Mx/MDR Honda of Ben Harmon was to claim victory in the opening race after Championship leader Wayne Shimell on the TyreMarks Husqvarna who had been leading mid race got caught up with a backmarker in the whoops section and Shimell was to go down. However Shimell made amends in the other 2 races winning both and with it took the overall and increased his Championship lead. In the Over 40’s there was no stopping Championship leader Stuart Rawlings once he hit the front who took all 3 races as did Championship leader in the Over 50’s David Ford with a fine display of riding. In the opening Junior Championship race it was Dave Anthony who was lying 2nd in the Championship standings who set the early pace for a couple of laps, but unfortunately Anthony was to crash heavily injuring himself and the race was red flagged. In the restart it was Harry Mitchell this time with the holeshot from Jamie Dixon and Championship leader Harry Linton on the Bridgestone KTM. Linton was to get the better of Dixon on the opening lap and was soon breathing all over Mitchell pressing for the lead which he eventually took on lap 3 and from there went on to take the win, but it was Tyron Cleaver on the Thornbury Mx/Brad Turner KTM who was to take 2nd after clawing his way up from being 14th at the end of the opening lap with Ben Cryer taking 3rd. In moto 2 this time it was Dixon from Jack Brooker with Linton tucked in 3rd just ahead of Cleaver who had a better start in this one. Dixon held on at the front for a couple of laps before Linton got pass as did Cleaver who was all over Linton for most of the remainder of the race, but in the end it was Linton who took the win from Cleaver with Dixon a distant 3rd. The last race saw the Tony Maunders Racing Honda of Jay Lewis with the holeshot from Cleaver and Cryer with Linton in 4th. Lewis was to do his all to try and keep Cleaver at bay, but on lap 2 Cleaver hit the front who was followed by Linton who also got pass Lewis. Cleaver was giving his all to try and shake off Linton for a couple of laps, but Linton waited his time then pounced on a opportunity going in to a right hander and took the lead and from there went on to make it a hat trick of wins on the day. The Evo/Super Evo class as with other rounds was a bit poorly supported but never the less there was still a brave effort in all 3 races. Ricky Brown on the CR 250 Tony Maunders Racing Honda took the win in the opening race, but a tumble in race 2 whilst leading which left him a bit winded gifted the win to Sam Gabriel on the CR 125 Gabriel Insulations Honda, but Brown came back strong in the last one to notch up another win, but with three consistant finishes Adam Plant on the CR 500 Adam Plant Flooring Honda goes in to the final round in September with a 27 points lead over Brown. Report and Photos by Dave Rich OVERALL RESULTS Gabriel Insulations Expert Championship 1st Tommy Alba (450f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki) 2nd Joe Jeffries (250f Gabriel Insulations KTM) 3rd Adam Harris (250f Gibson Tyres Yamaha) 4th Jordan Carter (450f MotoXtreme/Stones Supplies Kawasaki) 5th Luke Craig (250f Richard Craig Yamaha) 6th Brad Woodroffe (350f G H M/c Husqvarna M D Racing Over 35’s Championship 1st Wayne Shimell (350f Tyremarks Husqvarna) 2nd Ben Harmon (450f Cheddar Mx / M D Racing Honda) 3rd James Price (450f Ace Comfort Cooling Kawasaki) 4th Jonathan Morrissey (350f KTM) 5th Luke Dewey (450f New Milton Tyres Suzuki) M D Racing Over 40’s Championship 1st Stuart Rawlings (450f Honda) 2nd Richard Green (450f T R Green Engineering Kawasaki) 3rd Daniel Cavanagh (350f R S Racing Husqvarna 4th James Knatchbull (350f Husqvarna) 5th Richard Tapscott (350f Tony Maunders Racing KTM) 6th Rob Lewis (450f Tony Maunders Racing Honda) M D Racing Over 50’s Championship 1st David Ford (450f Projuice KTM) 2nd Adrian Toy (250 KTM) 3rd Dave Watson (250f Honda) 4th Alan Packer (450f Simpsons Honda) Tony Maunders Junior Championship 1st Harry Linton (250f Bridgestone KTM) 2nd Tyron Cleaver (250f Thornbury Mx KTM) 3rd Ben Cryer (350 KTM) 4th Jay Lewis (450f Tony Maunders Racing Honda) 5th Bradley Barfoot (450f Yamaha) 6th Jamie Dixon (350f KTM) Junior B 1st Solly Carter (125 KTM) 2nd Marcus Alba (450f Kawasaki) 3rd Brian Hutchings (450f A C M Kawasaki) 4th Andy Bushin (250f Mark Rowe & Son Honda) Junior C 1st Michael Pearce (250 KTM) 2nd Roy Hooper (450f Framptons Honda) 3rd Adrian Hatcher (250f Rocketworld Honda) Tyremarks/Framptons Evo/Super Evo Championship 1st Ricky Brown (CR 250 Tony Maunders Racing Honda) 2nd Adam Plant (CR 500 Adam Plant Flooring Honda) 3rd Sam Gabriel (CR 125 Gabriel Insulations Honda)