Monday September 19, 2016 at 9:21am
With two rounds of the championship left some of the classes could be decided at the National Finals on the 24-25th September.
Top Fuel Bike
Top Fuel Bike only has three rounds in the ACU Championships and this event is the final round. Reigning ACU Top Fuel Bike Champion Rene Van Den Berg leads with 525 points and ran a personal best 6.151 at the European Finals recently at Santa Pod. Multi-time ACU Top Fuel Bike Champion Steve Woollatt is the only rider who can stop Berg winning his third ACU Top Fuel Bike Championship and Woollatt is 50 points behind Berg. Chris Hannam announced early this year that this was his last year of competing. He reached his first ever final at the recent European Finals meeting on his V Twin.
Funny Bike
The last two seasons this event has had some surprise results. Phil Crossley will be hoping to win his third event of the year with 490 points ahead of Allan Davies and Eric Richard a further 200 points behind. Bob Brooks and Nick Daniels make their first appearance of the year in the ACU Championships. Former winner Stefan Hagenstein has entered and Dale Leeks will be trying to run his first six-second pass.
Pro Stock Bike
Reigning ACU Pro Stock Bike Champion Alex Hope has a 160 points lead over former champion Len Paget. Another former champion Mark Smith will be testing during the event.
Comp Bike
After winning the last two rounds Eddy Smiley leads the field by 570 ahead of Reigning ACU Comp Bike Champion Kevin Osman, who is 30 points ahead of Mick Winyard. Two riders to watch out for are Martin Walker who reached his first ACU Final at Open Sports National and ran p/b 8.036 and could run his first seven-second pass. The other rider is Dave Batcheler who ran a p/b of 8.381 on the ex Crossley bike.
Super Street Bike
Steve Venables has a 500 points (1615) advantage over teammate Graham Balchin (1115). Nigel Barker is having his best season ever and is third on 765 points with Richard Hann on 720 points. Two-time European FIM Champion and Reigning ACU Super Street Bike Champion Garry Bowe will be hoping for another six-second pass, after running his first at the European Finals 6.980. Three other riders who could win the event are Richard Stubbins, Pete Field and Daniel Donat Lencses from Hungary.
Report by Steven Moxley