Last Sunday round 2 of the St Blazey Mx Premier Motocross Championship made its way down in to Cornwall to the ever popular Landrake Moto Parc which as per usual was in prime condition and was to produce some fast racing.
Before racing commenced riders and spectators were united in making as much noise as possible for a minute to show their respect to a fellow rider and friend of many people in the South West Mark Hucklebridge who sadly passed away after a long battle against illness. (RIP Mark)
Going in to round 2 it was Todd Kellett who was leading the St Blazey Mx expert Championship, but Todd was a nonstarter after picking up a hand injury prior to the event so the Championship lead was to change.
Josh Gilbert on the Dave Thorpe Off road/RFX Honda had set the best time in qualifying and was to set the pace in the opening expert race with the holeshot from the Cab Screens Husqvarna of Dan Thornhill (Pictured No 95) and Jake Shipton on the Crescent/RHR Yamaha, but a slight mistake on the opening lap saw Thornhill hit the front, but it wasn’t long before Gilbert took the lead back with Shipton also getting pass Thornhill on lap 2 and giving chase. Tommy Alba, Loukas Maggio and Jamie Skuse were to have their own little tussle mid race with the Tony Maunders Racing Suzuki of Skuse eventually passing both. Shipton was giving his all to close in on Gilbert, but it was to no avail, Gilbert took the win from Shipton with Thornhill a distant 3
rd.
In Race 2 this time it was Thornhill who had the best start, but not so good for Gilbert as he went to go around the outside of Thornhill exiting the first corner and went down heavily. Shipton was soon on the gas and was all over Thornhill and was to take the lead by the end of the opening lap and Thornhill was soon to have the Marsh Mx Honda of Shane Carless breathing all over him. Shipton was to ease away at the front and had a fair cushion by the end of lap 3, but on lap 4 Shipton took a tumble losing the front and up in to the lead now came Thornhill. Carless tried to stay with Thornhill, but he was put under a lot of pressure from the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki of Alba mid race which went on for several laps with Carless eventually making a mistake which dropped him well down. Thornhill went on to take the win with Alba 2
nd and coming through to take 3
rd was Michael Ellis on the P & H Motorcycles/MRS Ktm.
In the last moto, it was the Cheddar Mx Ktm of Corey Hockey with the holeshot from Gilbert and Carless with Shipton tucked in 4
th all over Carless who he soon passed. Gilbert was to take over at the front and Shipton moved ahead of Hockey on the same lap, but he had no answer to Gilbert who was to power away at the front and went on to take a comfortable win with Thornhill finishing in 3
rd which was to give him the overall on the day and the Championship lead.
In the R C Motorhomes MX1 2-stroke Championship there was some good racing as with the opening round. Ricky Brown on the Tony Maunders racing Yamaha led the opening race early doors before losing out to 2016 Champion Leighton Holmes on the J D Racing Ktm and Championship leader Ty Kellett on the 98 Vision Husqvarna who was in a real hurry as he was soon to pass Holmes and from there went on to take the win with the JCT Developments/Inchains Yamaha of Ben Milward after not the best of starts coming through to take 3
rd.
Race 2 saw Kellett lead from the off from Holmes and Brown, but Holmes was to stay with Kellett in this one and on lap 3 was to get pass and took the lead. Kellett was to keep with Holmes mid race as not to let him get away and with just 2 laps remaining Kellett piled on the pressure and with it found away pass and went on to take another win from Holmes with Milward again taking 3
rd.
In the last moto Kellett led from the start and was soon in to his rhythm and eased away to make it a hat trick of wins, Holmes came home in 2
nd with Gareth Northam getting the better of Milward in the closing stages taking 3
rd. In the MX2 2-Stroke class there was no stopping young Tom Darlow on the N D Cycles Ktm once he hit the front who notched up a hat trick of wins.
In the M D racing over age classes entries were full right up as with the opening round and there was some good racing in all classes. Defending over 35 Champion Wayne Shimell on the TyreMarks/St Blazey Mx Honda was to win the first two races, but was to be denied a hat trick of wins in the last one by Darren Banwell on the Cheddar Mx Ktm. In the over 40’s there was no stopping wildcard Ben Harmon who took all three wins as did Championship leader in the Over 45’s Richard Green with Steve Elford doing likewise in the Over 50’s.
In the JCT Developments Junior Championship there was some of the best racing on the day with Championship leader Jake Curtis-Stevens on the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki yet again showing his class with a hat trick of wins, but there was some good battles behind him between Jordan Barrs, Jamie Dixon, Harry Prichard and Jake Parker.
Report and Photos by Dave Rich
OVERALL RESULTS St Blazey Mx Expert Championship
1
st Dan Thornhill (450f Cab Screens Husqvarna) 2
nd Tommy Alba (450f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki) 3
rd Jamie Skuse (450f Tony Maunders Racing Suzuki) 4
th Josh Gilbert (450f Dave Thorpe Off Road/RFX Honda) 5
th Michael Ellis (250f P & H Motorcycles/MRS Ktm) 6
th Jake Shipton (450f Crescent/RHR Yamaha)
R C Motorhomes 2-Stroke MX1 Championship
1
st Ty Kellett (250 98 Vision Husqvarna) 2
nd Leighton Holmes (250 J D Racing Ktm) 3
rd Ben Milward (250 JCT Developments/Inchains Yamaha) 4
th Gareth Northam (250 Yamaha) 5
th Henry Ebbutt (250 Ktm) 6
th Tristan Rowe (250 Mark Rowe & Son Honda)
R C Motorhomes 2-Stroke MX2 Championship
1
st Tom Darlow (125 N D Cycles Ktm) 2
nd Clayton Coaker (????) 3
rd Richard Churchill (125 R C Motorhomes/Gibbs Performance Yamaha) 4
th
Ryan Aiston (????)
M D Racing Over 35’s Championship
1
st Wayne Shimell (450f TyreMarks/St Blazey Mx Honda) 2
nd Darren Banwell (250f Cheddar Mx Ktm) 3
rd Martin Holman (450f Honda) 4
th James Price (450f Ace Comfort Cooling/Trade Counter Direct Honda) 5
th Tim Pearce (350f Ktm) 6
th Luke Dewey (450f Milton Tyres Suzuki)
M D Racing Over 40’s Championship
1
st Ben Harmon (300xc Ktm) 2
nd Stuart Rawlings (450f Honda) 3
rd Leigh Williams (450f J D Racing Ktm) 4
th James Knatchbull (350f Ktm) 5
th Christian Seldon (250f Ktm) 6
th Bryan Tucker (450f Ford Fuels Honda)
M D Racing Over 45’s Championship
1
st Richard Green (450f T R Green Engineering Husqvarna) 2
nd Justin Napier (350f TyreMarks Ktm) 3
rd Simon Chamberlain (350f Ktm) 4
th Mark Gleadhill (450f Honda) 5
th Laurence Watkins (450f MVRD/Totally Transporters Honda) 6
th Adrian Retallack (450f Thirty4 Racing Honda)
M D Racing Over 50’s Championship
1
st Steve Elford (450f Gabriel Insulations Honda) 2
nd David Ford (450f Projuice Ktm) 3
rd Rob Lewis (450f Tony Maunders Racing Honda) 4
th Alex Buckingham (250 Alex Buckingham Motorcycles Husqvarna) 5
th Alan Packer (450f Simpsons Plant Hire Honda) 6
th Ian Smith (250f Yamaha)
JCT Developments Junior Championship
1
st Jake Curtis-Stevens (250f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki) 2
nd Jordan Barrs (450f Honda) 3
rd Harry Prichard (????) 4
th Jamie Dixon (350f P & S Autoservices Ktm) 5
th Luke Oldfield (250 Tonic Racing Ktm) 6
th Jake Parker (250f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki)
Junior B
1
st Michael Merrick (250f Dmx/L & M Contractors Honda) 2
nd Harry Day (????) 3
rd Jack Griffiths (450f A T Motocross/Factory Touch Honda) 4
th Maverick Smith (250 Spartan Rescue Yamaha) 5
th Andy Bushin (250 Mark Rowe & Son Honda) 6
th Jason Worth (250f Yamaha)
Junior C
1
st Lewis Smith (250f Ktm) 2
nd Steve Nicholls (250f Ktm) 3
rd Graham Pugsley (250f Tanks Direct Honda) 4
th Adam Bush (250f Ktm) 5
th Kurt Pugsley (250f Solar Engineering Yamaha) 6
th Darren Brock (????)