Saturday 23rd March saw the first two rounds of the 125 and 250GP ACU National Championship and DTR 250 GP Cup, and Two Stroke GP held at Oulton Park. With no qualifying the first grid was lined up on 2023 championship positions and club knowledge of the entered riders. This put Bobby Varey on pole as 2023 Champion with runner up Nick Sansome at 2 and Jim Hind at 3.
From the start Varey on the Fastline Superbike Preston TZ Yamaha set the pace and was never challenged lapping 2 seconds a lap quicker than the rest of the field, but the battle for 2nd place was a 4-way scrap with Jim Hind, Ian Mackman, Chris Moore and Phil Atkinson, on a bike he had only seen the day before.
Defending National 250cc Champion Bobby Varey took victory in the six-lap race, along with the fastest lap of the race, in a time of 1 minute 49.13 seconds and an average speed of 88.80 MPH. Second place went to Jim Hind, with Ian Mackman in third place all on TZ 250cc Yamaha's.
Darrell Higgins led the Cup class on his DTR Racing backed TZ 350cc Yamaha but retired on his fourth lap of the race, despite this he still set the fastest Cup Class lap of the race in a time of 1 minute 56.62 seconds and an average speed of 83.10 MPH. Victory in the Cup Class went to Alex Penrice on his TZ 250cc Yamaha, second went to Joe Woodward and Roy Chapman in third place both on TZ 350cc Yamaha's. Victory in the 125cc class went to Mac Parsons on his RS 125cc Honda along with the fastest 125cc lap of the race in a time of 2 minutes 03.74 seconds and an average speed of 78.31 MPH. Ian Austin finished in second place and Spencer Hunt in third.
Race 2 had the champion Varey with his hand in the air right from the start, and the Yamaha cruising to retirement, as well as a faller in the gravel at Old Hall and a red flag.
Which was in a way fortunate as a racer on his way home hit the bridge over the track on the way out with his caravan sending some of the fence and other debris onto the track on the run up to Lodge requiring repairs and clear up.
At the restart it was Hinds turn to run away from the start and leave Mackman to deal with Atkinson and Moore and Mike Smith
Hind won the second six lap race with Ian Mackman in second place and Philip Atkinson back on the pace again in third place. Chris Moore notched up his second fourth place but only missed out on the final podium place in this race by 0.064 of a second.
Alex Penrice notched up his second victory in the Cup Class and Roy Chapman in second and Ian Perks in third place.
Mac Parsons notched up his second victory in the 125cc class and another class fastest lap in a time of 2 minutes 03.57 seconds and an average speed of 78.42 MPH. Spencer Hunt went one better and took second place ahead of Ian Austin both on TZ 125cc Yamaha's.