Round 1 Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Championship

The Darley Moor Motorsport Centre, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire (DE6 2ET (What3words: bounty.behalf.charm)) burst back into life last weekend, 25^th – 26^th March, when the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club staged the opening Round of their new look Championship season.  With several new trophies available this season, the Wilson Trophy in memory of Allan and Joyce, who were lifelong supporters of the Club and the Ben Godfrey Trophy in memory of the 2017 Stars at Darley winner, then the Darley Cup, an older Trophy that hasn’t been contested for many years.

Whilst Saturday was a test day, to allow competitors to finalise set-up of their machinery after the winter strip down and rebuild, or to run-in any new machines, Sunday was race-day, Round 1, of the 2023 season.

‘Straight out of the gate’ it was two of the new classes that lined up on the grid together; Wilson Trophy, for machines no bigger than 500cc (and Suzuki Bandits) and Darley Cup competitors, open to machines between 500cc – 850cc.  As the flag dropped it was the start of a dominant day for 2022 700 Twins Champion and Formula 600 Runner-Up, David Carson (Northwich) who completed the opening lap with a 2sec advantage over Andy Sellars (Barlby), 2^nd, with Adam Green (Washington) and Patrick Lord (Hatton) crossing the line side by side, all striving for Darley Cup honours.  Behind these was the first of the Wilson Trophy competitors, Peter Fell (Burton on Trent).  With Carson stamping his authority lapping almost 2sec quicker than his rivals and stretching out a 17sec winning margin over Sellars at the chequered flag.  However, Green and Lord kept the spectators happy, locked together throughout the 8-lap race, eventually separated by just 0.4sec at the flag, Green taking 3^rd place.  2022 Lightweight Champion, Fell taking the opening Wilson Trophy victory by 22sec, overall 6^th place, ahead of Jordon Giddings (Derby).  The second race was similar for Carson, but with a 4sec advantage over Green after the opening lap this time, leaving Sellars to have the race long duel with Lord, for 3^rd and 4^th place.  Whilst Fell was the quicker starting Wilson Trophy runner, in 5^th place overall, his race was cut short when he failed to finish Lap3, handing the Wilson Trophy lead to Aaron Howe (Derby), who had just passed fellow Derby competitor, Jordan Giddings.  The pair then provided additional entertainment for spectators with a race-long battle, Howe taking the class win, after his opening race 3^rd spot and Giddings following up with another 2^nd place.

The Darley Cup competitors were lined up on the grid once more in the Formula 600/Pre-Electronic600 race and as far as Carson was concerned it was another repeat, around 2sec quicker per lap than most and start – finish victories in both races.  However, maybe if reigning Open Solo Champion Mark Goodings (Doncaster) or Louis O’Regan (Didcot) had made a better start perhaps it would have been a different matter.  After finishing Lap1 in 8^th, O’Regan battled through to 2^nd place by Lap4, which he held until the flag. Whilst Goodings faired worse at the start, finishing the opening Lap in 10^th before battling through and getting up to 3^rd by Lap 6 of the 8Lap race, the only rider with a Best Lap time within 2sec of Carson.  The second encounter saw Matthew Rostron (Formby) try and stay with Carson from the opening Lap, which benefitted him in getting away from the chasing pack and able to hold onto 2^nd place throughout, almost 6sec ahead of 3^rd place, Green.

Carson finished his weekend’s tally with the successful opening defence of his 700cc Twins Championship, again two more start – finish victories; the first over Jack Petrie (Christchurch) who had been in the 2^nd place spot from the opening lap, finishing just over 12sec behind the winner.  The Honda CB500 class started alongside the Twins and Richard Hughes (Wolverhampton) who took the class victory with an overall 4^th place.  Carson repeated the start – finish victory style in the second encounter, but after failing to complete Lap3 in the first race, whilst in 3^rd place, Andy Whale (Birmingham) was the only competitor to record a Best Lap time of just 1sec slower than Carson, finishing 10sec behind him in the 10lap race.  With Petrie not making the grid this time around Andy Thane (Stoke on Trent) repeated his 3^rd place finish of the first race, a further 7sec behind Whale.

Winner of the first Wilson Trophy race, Peter Fell (Burton on Trent) set about the defence of his own Lightweight class title in a similar fashion to Carson, taking 2x Start-Finish victories, lapping over 3sec quicker than his closest rival, throughout both races.

The Ben Godfrey Trophy is certainly one that a few regular Darley Moor competitors will have a personal attachment to having been lined up on the grid with the 2017 Star of Darley Winner, either in the Stars of Darley races, the Open Solo class, or from his earlier exploits in the Formula 125 and Lightweight classes.  Stephen Parsons (Carnforth) took the opening race victory after passing Matthew Bell (Sheffield) on Lap2 and opening-up a 13+sec lead at the flag.  Behind there was a fantastic battle for 2^nd place with Bell succumbing to the pressure from Ben Scranage (Answorth) who was still in 5^th on Lap3.  By Lap 6 he was into 3^rd spot and closing down Bell, finally managing to squeeze past on the Final Lap, finishing 0.2sec in front of him.  The battle for 4^th was certainly very fraught with three riders finishing just 0.3sec apart.  After being 10^th on the Opening Lap Mark Goodings battled through to pass Daniel Stubbs (Derby) on the final corner and take 4^th place, by 0.04sec, with Ben Dale (Warrington) in 6^th.  The second race was not quite so ‘simple’ for Parsons, although the Lap Charts do show that he lead across the line after each lap.  With Goodings getting a better start than previous races, lying 3^rd, behind Bell after the opening lap.  Up into 2^nd on Lap2 and setting about closing-down Parsons, but despite setting the Fastest Lap of the race and being the only rider to break 58sec barrier on the day, he could not get on terms with Parsons, crossing the line 0.62sec adrift at the flag.

The Open Solo/Pre-Injection Solo races would show that this Round 1 was not to be Goodings day.  In the first race after finishing Lap1 in 6^th place, moving up to 5^th on Lap3 and then taking another place each lap, including recording yet another Fastest Lap on Lap5 of 6, it wasn’t quite enough to beat Adam Walters (Derby), crossing the line just 0.09sec in 2^nd place.  The second race saw Walters lead the opening two laps with Bell chasing, but with Goodings languishing down in 8^th, after Lap1.  Bell then moved into the lead on Lap3 and attempt to stretch out a lead, but no more than 1sec until the final lap.  Ensuring the crowd were kept entertained Goodings was up to 4^th by Lap5 and a 4.5sec gap to 3^rd place rider, Walters.  After recording the fastest lap of the day on Lap7 the penultimate lap, saw 2sec separate Walters, now in 2^nd and 4^th place Goodings, with Scranage in 3^rd.  The final lap was a thriller with Goodings going from 4^th to 2^nd, Walters dropping from 2^nd to 3^rd and Scranage from 3^rd to 4^th with Bell ‘enjoying’ a 0.8sec victory margin.  Stuart Bradbury (Kilburn) recorded two class victories in the Pre-Injection Solo class, finishing 7^th Overall in both races and withstood a late charge by Ian McKenzie (Long Eaton) who recorded the fastest lap for the class in the second race, on Lap7, finishing just 6sec behind Bradbury.

The first Forgotten Era & Classic race saw Lee Brocklebank(Louth) lead from the opening lap, with Adam Sheriff (Barnsley) 2^nd and Mark Brailsford (Chesterfield) 3^rd.  Lap3 Brailsford moved into 2^nd place and stretched out a 4sec advantage over Sheriff, but without closing down the 7sec gap to the leader.  However, after Brocklebank was deemed to have jumped the start and being given a 10sec penalty at the end, Brailsford inherited the win.  Race 2 saw Jack Petrie, record a start – finish victory over Brailsford, who trailed him throughout the 10Lap race.

Fans of three-wheeled motorsport were treated to a near perfect display by Dan Knight/Ben Hughes (Congleton/Northwold) on their Formula 600 sidecar.  Leading all but the opening lap which saw 2022 Formula 600 Sidecar Champions Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth (Sutton Coldfield/Washingborough) fastest off the line, but dropping to 2^nd place by Lap2, then being passed by the Steve Ramsden/Matty Ramsden (Hebden Bridge/Halifax) machine on Lap5.  The second race saw the same top3 positions, but with Knight/Hughes recording a start – finish victory despite ‘Team Ramsden’ recording the fastest lap of the race and following the Knight/Hughes machine across the line, just 1.6sec adrift.

Visitors to Darley Moor this weekend also saw the ACU 50cc & Streetstock Championship open their 2023 season and the exciting battle at the head of the field between Morgan Fulop (Bolton) and Max Taylor (Somerset) saw them provide the two closest finishes of the day.  After leading across the line for all 6Laps, with an advantage of no bigger than 0.7sec Fulop was able to hold off the incredible challenge from Taylor, who missed out on the win by just 0.01sec!  Their second encounter saw Taylor leading after Lap1, just 0.4sec advantage, but Fulop passed him on the second lap.  The pair then circulated just 0.2sec apart for the majority of the 8Lap race with him finally taking the win again, by just 0.05sec!  Behind these Dominic Gardner (Accrington) was also trying to get on terms with the leaders after finishing Lap1 in 9^th place.  By Lap6 he had made his way into 3^rd place, but 4.4sec adrift of the leading pair, then with the help of recording the fastest lap of the race on the final lap he managed to reduce the margin to the leaders to just 0.7sec at the flag.

A fantastic meeting for many competitors and setting the scene on what should be a fantastic season, be sure to mark the Championship dates in your diary:

Sunday 21st May                            Round 2 Club Championships Darley Moor MCRRC

Sunday 18th June                           Round 3 Club Championships Darley Moor MCRRC

Sunday 13th August        Round 4 Club Championships Darley Moor MCRRC

Sunday 10th September               Round 5 Club Championships Darley Moor MCRRC

Saturday 7th October Club Round 6 Championships Darley Moor MCRRC and 2023 STARS AT DARLEY

Sunday 8th October        Round 7 Club Championships Darley Moor MCRRC and 2023 STARS AT DARLEY

Refreshingly, the Darley Moor Club were able to keep the entrance fees down to the same as last year with Advance ticket prices for Adults £13, Seniors £10 or On The Day prices of £16 and £12, respectively.  Be sure not to forget that it isn’t just the competitors that are able to spend the whole weekend at the circuit, spectators are also able to camp over throughout the weekend, for just £7 per night, or £6 if booked in advance and take advantage of getting an early opportunity to claim their favoured vantage point.  Please visit www.darleymoorstore.com.

All events start at 10.00 am

Championship Standings (after Round 1)