Going into Oulton Max Symonds was a six-time NG champion (two-time 125cc, three-time 600cc and the 2020 Open). But is now a seven- time champion after securing the Powerbike title with two stunning races to grab maximum points from the meeting on his J and C Symonds BMW S1000R. It’s a tight run family and friends’ team with Dad, former NG champ Joe and Mum, Corina doing the lions share of the work. Another former NG champ Adam Jeffery with wife Halee have come on board with some valuable help this year and Max is repaying them in spades with his results and setting the fastest lap of the weekend at over 86mph despite the puddles and constant rain, along with a few rare dry spells!!!
His Powerbike wins were over Chris Pope, who consolidated his runner up spot in the championship with two podiums, and Chris Oliver who with his two podium finishes lifted him from eighth to fourth in the title table.
In what was a weekend to mark out for Symonds he also took both Open finals to take over the lead of that series too with just three races at Pembrey to go. Symonds is the reigning Open champion but has had to contend with former British champ Dan Cooper this year. Cooper and the DCM 600 Honda have been an ever-present thorn in Max’s side this year despite giving away a lot in the power stakes Cooper has ridden the wheels of the little 600 with great effect to see him top the points table going into this weekend……. however they have been suffering with a mysterious problem with the clutch on the Honda. A new clutch was fitted before this meeting, but the issues continued resulting in Cooper having it lock up as he went into Knickerbook on lap two of the first Open race of the meeting…. No points! The team stripped the Honda down and discovered an issue with the lengths of the bolts and some shims (…… yep, it went over my head too!!). With a rapidly rebuilt bike Cooper started race two from the back of the grid and fought through to take a stunning third place setting the fastest lap of the race. He ran out of laps to get any further with Greg Allsop ahead of him and race winner Symonds still ten seconds up the road. This result gives Symonds a four-point lead going into Pembrey, a circuit they both enjoy. The BMW will have the power advantage but the little CBR Honda will have the weight and handling advantage at Pembrey’s notorious hairpins of Brookland and the aptly named Hatchetts…….. we have six weeks to wait….. let the best man win.
125/250GP ACU National Championship.
After taking three wins last time out Bobby Varey and the team made the decision to continue with the National 250cc series and Varey duly took the Club 59 Fastline Superbikes of Preston TZ to another two convincing wins here at Oulton, both times over defending champion and current series leader Philip Atkinson. Atkinson to be fair was in championship conservation mode on the Declan’s TZ250 rather than the regular Rose MOT TZ350 as they simply cannot get wet spec tyres for the older 350. The plan worked as they increased their series lead over Chris Moore who only managed one trip to the podium. James Hobson was looking good this weekend with a podium in race one, but a cruel DNF in race two robbed him of more champers. Simon Hunt too had an up and down weekend with a crash from the leading group in race one, before recovering to fourth in race two. Hunt and Hobson are in the battle for third in the championship.
Former 250 champ Ant Hodson has put himself right back in the fight for the National 125 series as he took two wins with Tom Hayward the current championship leader not adding to his tally. There are just three points separating them now with just Pembrey to go. Dean Hodson took two second placings but Jack Worth was very unlucky not to get a point all weekend after challenging up the front in both races….. two DNF’s did not reflect his weekends work.
The big question is, can we encourage Varey and the Fastline team to make the long tip to Pembrey in September for the final round? answers on a postcard!!!!!
Race Round-up.
Teenagers Finn Smart-Weeden on his KDC Coatings EX400 Kawasaki and Joe Farragher with the JC Utilities EX took a win apiece in the Junior Super Sport Finals, with James Rose picking up two third placings on another of the popular little Kawasaki’s. The older F400’s saw Tim Bradley secure his fifth title in seven years with two wins this weekend on his A and Z Taylor FZR, both times over the hard charging Paul Daley. Another double winner was Michael McKerr on his TZ250 in the 500cc Open. Behind him Steve Richards and James Seath fought over the other podium spots. Seath went into the weekend with a solid championship lead, but McKerr’s maximum has narrowed the gap to thirty points with seventy-five up for grabs at Pembrey. The luckless Seath was leading the second outing with two laps to go but a machine issue saw him loose over 30 seconds over the last two circulations with his ZXR limping over the line.
Bradley Richman is enjoying being back on his own Hel Performance ZX6R as he took both wins in the 600 class. Class leader with a 100%-win record so far in 2021 had to surrender that run as they were still beavering away in the garage trying to fit a new clutch in the CBR. Race one saw Richman lead from the lights but James Rose was starting on the back of the grid on his 600 Kawasaki. Rose set fastest lap after fastest lap as he carved through in the wet to close to within a second at the flag….. he needed one more lap!!. Impressive newcomer George Edwards took third just three seconds adrift. With no Rose on the grid for race two Richman set off with intent to make it the double, a feat he managed with Edwards second and Kiaran Hankin third.
Current Mini Twins series leader Richard Harris took race one on his HP Racing SV after an early race battle with Max Silvester. As the weather worsened young Silvester drew on all his off-road experience to control the slides on his SV. Silvester led for most of the race with Harris literally in his wake. Silvester is new to road racing and the SV, which belongs to his dad. On the last lap Harris pounced to take the win by less than a bike length to give him an almost unassailable lead over his brother Dan who had dominated the early part of the season but was not racing this weekend.
Paul Wardell on his Bee Lighting ER6 had to give second best to Timothy Sayers with a similar ER6 but in Priest Bikepaint colours in the first Super Twins outing. Despite having already secured his second Super Twins title Wardell was not going to let Sayers have it easy in leg two. Sayers though pushed hard for the double…. A little too hard as he fell at Hizzy’s on the last lap, Wardell calmly took the 25 points with another former Twins champion Dean Ratcliff in second.
Dean Jones took the distinctive Dragon Racing 959 Ducati to two wins with Illiam Quayle and Olly Savage fighting for the other podium spots, both grabbing one second and one third. Top two in the points table are Benjamin Falla and Owen Hunt, but neither were on the grids this weekend, third place man Chris Lavisher was unable to make much of a dent in the points gap as he fell in race one and scrapped to fifth on his LBR Racing 675 Triumph in race two…. A definite missed opportunity.
Daniel Nelmes took over the series lead of the 700 Streetstock class at Cadwell after dragging himself of his sick bed (…tonsilitis and ear infection). Early season pace setter Kurtis Butler was in no mood to give up without a fight but unfortunately Butler became one of a host of riders to fall at Knickerbrook ruling himself out of any racing for the day. Nelmes on his Paul Sanders R6 taking both wins by 30 seconds or more to put the title out of Butlers reach with just Pembrey to go, he adds the Streetstock title to the Pre-Injection championship that he won in 2019. Allan Mcgonagle had his best meeting of 2021 with two runner-up spots. The 1300cc Streetstock saw no Jon Wright, so it would be a straight fight between Chris Oliver on his Garage Trowbridge R1 and Jason Hill with the RJ M/C’s, WSM and JT Training ZXR. Hill had no answer for Oliver as he struggled with rear grip in the wet race one, citing suspension issues. With a few clicks here and there, Hill was in better shape for race two but was still unable to match the pace of Oliver who really looked at ease in the wet conditions on the R1. The championship will be decided at Pembrey with Welshman Hill on home soil.
Bandit front runner Harley Prebble pitted his Suzuki against the R6’s and CBR’s in the Pre-Injection 700 class and to everyone’s surprise…. except Harleys, he took both wins heading home Thomas Pickford in race one and Rob Mawby in race two. Mawby was closing in on Harley lap on lap but despite setting the quickest lap time he was unable to close the advantage that Prebble built up in the early laps. Meanwhile in the 1300 Pre-Injection James McHardy took both wins on his Mac 1 Racing R1, both times over Richard Stather. Stather on his RS Moto Racing R1 has only been off the podium on two occasions this year and had a string of six wins on the bounce early season and can final relax safe in the knowledge that he has an unassailable lead as we make ready to head off the South Wales for the season finale at Pembrey in mid-September
Suzuki Bandits and Formula Prostocks.
Harley Prebble was in dominant form taking two confident wins on the Redneck Racing Suzuki GB bike in the Motul Suzuki Bandit Challenge. Neil Attenborough was the best of the rest over the weekend along with Dave Crampton, Gary Cutts and Lee Marks, but no one could get within sniffing of Prebble and his Bandit. With Prebble still on a 2021 100% winning run the battle it’s all about second, and Crampton elevated himself into that spot in the championship with one meeting to go.
In the FPR series Mick Godfrey took two wins in the F1 class on his immaculate Team Winfield Harris. Richard Hewitt did the double in the Battle of the Twins on his tricked-out Mirror Image Body Repairs TL1000 despite pressure from Christian Holt on his 999 Ducati. Tom Vear crashed out of the lead in race one for the 750 Superbikes leaving the way open for Matthew Jones to take his first win since Donington. Vear came through from the back row in race two to grab the win and see his retain his series lead. Nick Allison was runner up in both.
To find out more about the Formula Prostock Series: www.formulaprostockracing.co.uk
Ducati Desmo Series.
The Desmo Due Ducati’s have two classes, class A for 620cc fuel injected models and the B class for the older 600cc carburettor fed machines. The A class saw two more dominant races from the championship leader Chris Norris to consolidate his series lead. Defending champ Dan James took two runner spots but is resigned to letting go of the championship silverware this year. Scott Wilson crashed out of the lead group in the early stages of race one but bounced back to nick a podium in race two.
Lee Brackenbury on his Lea Ash Desmo and Michael Smith shared top honours in the B category, but Brian Tipple kept his title challenge on track with two podiums.
To find out more about the Desmo Due Series: www.ducatisportingclub.com
Wiz Knee Sliders Performance of the Meeting.
At every NG round one lucky rider is selected for the Wiz Sliders Performance award. This meetings winner Chris Oliver on the The Garage Trowbrige R1 Yamaha.
To find out more about WIZ Sliders: www.wizkneesliders.com
Words : Russ Gardner - NG Road Racing Media Officer
Images courtesy | Hairy Beast Pix | www.hairybeastpix.co.uk