Four Wins for Daley at Round 4

Tuesday July 16, 2019 at 4:51pm

Round 4 of the Darley Moor Motorcycle Road Race Club Championship provided spectators with some excellent racing at the Darley Moor Motorsport Centre, near Ashbourne on Sunday 14th July 2019. There were several very close races throughout the day, but if you made an early exit you would have missed the closest race of the day as the final Championship race was won by just 0.11sec!

Josh Daley (Wigan) was the most successful rider of the day taking victory in both Peak Cup and the combined Open Solo, Pre-Injection & Sound of Thunder races. The only person to lead from Daley throughout the day was Ash Stone (Matlock) who was quickest off the line in the first race of each class, but by Lap2 Daley was heading the field every time. Stone recorded three 2nd places and a 7th place in the final Open Solo race after being last, 19th, at the end of the opening lap. Harry Jackson (Mansfield) followed Stone home on three occasions for 3rd place, but gratefully accepted the 2nd place spot when Stone was languishing down field in the last race. The Pre-Injection class victories were shared between Anthony Froggatt (Worksop) 6th Overall in the opening race, and Adam

Walters (Derby) who was 8th in the second race. Rich Baker (Crewe) was the Sound of Thunder class winner in both races, recording an 8th and 5th. Baker was also out, on the same machine, in the Formula 600 races but after leading the first three laps of the opening race and Lap1 of the second race Scott Stevens (West Yorkshire) passed him and went on to record the victory, leaving Baker to claim 2nd place in both.

The Formula 600 sidecar of Howard Baker and Mike Killingsworth (Sutton Coldfield/Lincs) took a start to finish victory in the first Sidecar race whilst Roger and Bradley Stockton (Winsford, Crewe) trailed them, on a similar machine, throughout the race finally finishing 7sec behind at the flag. However, the second race was totally different after Baker/Killingsworth made a slower start, finishing the opening lap in 3rd place. Lap2 saw them move into 2nd place and set about closing the gap on the leading outfit of the Stockton’s. The Baker/Killingsworth pairing made a pass into the lead on Lap6, but that wasn’t the end of the Stockton challenge, following in very close pursuit for the remaining laps, within 0.5sec as the final lap started they succeeded in making a pass into the lead and take the chequered flag by 0.11sec. The Open Sidecar class was won by Roy Tansley/Jack Fox (Derby) who finished 3rd overall in both races.

Closest finish in the solo classes was almost identical to the sidecars, the second Pre-Injection/Mini Sound of Thunder race being won by Tim Walsh (Buxton) just 0.13sec ahead of a race long battle between Stuart Bradbury (Kilburn) and Liam Weston (Leyland). After passing Bradbury on the second lap Weston crossed the line in 2nd place for the remaining laps until Bradbury found a way back pass on the final lap. Bradbury took the honours in the opening race, with Walsh in 2nd and Weston 3rd. David Carson (Northwich) took the Mini Sound of Thunder class victory, finishing 5th Overall, in both races.

Chris Moore (High Peak) took the opening CB500/Lightweight race victory by just 0.4sec after chasing down fellow High Peak, and Lightweight competitor James Ford throughout the race, hitting the front on the penultimate lap. Tony Griffiths (Pontypridd) took 3rd place, unable to get on terms with the leading pair on this occasion. However, the second race saw Griffiths lead the opening 2 laps from Ford, with Moore in 3rd place. Lap3 saw Griffiths drop to 3rd, with Ford leading until Moore hit the front on Lap4, the trio then circulated in this order until the finish line, but after jumping the start Moore was handed a 10 second penalty which demoted him to 3rd, handing victory to Ford and Griffiths the Runner-up spot. Mark Brailsford (Chesterfield) took the CB500 class victory with Liam Clements (Newcastle under Lyme) the Runner-up placing, finishing 6th and 7th Overall respectively, on both occasions.

Griffiths was able to take Overall victory in the second Classic & Forgotten Era race on his 251cc – 500cc class machine, enjoying a 10second advantage over Geoff Martin (Telford) on a 501cc – 1300cc machine. Although in the first race he was unable to complete a single lap leaving Martin to take victory with Loris Hunt (Walshford) 4th overall taking the middle-class honours, whilst Graham Oakley (Chesterfield) recorded a double victory in the Up to 250cc class with two 8th places overall

McAuley Longmore (Willenhall) was first pass the chequered flag in both combined Junior/Senior races, whilst he had a comfortable margin the battle for 2nd place was hard fought, David Glossop (Wilmslow) taking the place in the opening race and with it the Senior Championship class win, whilst Katie Hand (Cabourne) was 3rd in the opening race, but resisted the pressure to pip Glossop by just 0.07sec in the second encounter.

Fans of four wheeled motorsport saw Chris Purdie (North Shields) take a start to finish victory in the first Superkart UK Championship race, but in the second race he had to settle for 2nd place, after leading the opening lap he was passed by Mark Gellatly (Stafford) who went on to take the victory.

Excellent racing and ideal weather, fingers crossed for more of the same for Round 5 which is not too far away on Sunday 4th August 2019.

The cost of adult admission to Darley Moor for all meetings, except the end of season Stars at Darley meeting, is £13.00 per day, accompanied children under 16 are free, and Senior Citizens are £9.00.

Parking and Paddock Transfer is free and a programme costs just £3.00. Adult admission to the Test Days on 6th April 13th July and 12th October is £6.00, Senior Citizens 65 and over £4.00.

For the Stars at Darley event on 13th October the adult admission price is £16.00 and Senior Citizens £10.00. There is ample room for spectators to camp and caravan at Darley Moor over the race weekends. The cost is £6.00 per unit per night. Camping will normally be available from 2.00 pm on the Friday

evening until 12.00 noon 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 always kept on a lead during race day and the owners act in a responsible manner.

2019 Championships (After Round 4)

Junior Championship

1st Katie Hand, 42pts; 2nd Scarlett Robinson, 28pts; 3rd McAuley Longmore, 27pts

Senior Championship

1st David Glossop, 32pts; 2nd Freddie Simcox, 24pts, 3rd Simon Hart, 16pts

Classic & Forgotten Era up to 250cc

1st Graham Oakley, 59pts; 2nd Glenn Atkinson, 47pts; 3rd Daniel Pritchard, 15pts

Classic & Forgotten Era 251cc to 500cc

1st Tony Griffiths, 32pts; 2nd Mike Lees, 32pts; 3rd Chris Moore, 22pts;

Classic & Forgotten Era 501cc – 1300cc

1st David Bradley, 48pts; 2nd Geoff Martin, 31pts; 3rd Gordon Clark, 16pts

Lightweight Championship