NG Road racing moved on to Cadwell park for the next 3 rounds of the 2024 Championship with hopes that the weather was going to be kinder than Oulton Park!
Cadwell always brings a few fast local riders to the grids and others looking for some early seat time and we were not disappointed as the big bike class entry contained Craig Neve and Phil Crowe getting set up time for the TT.
IMS National 600 and HM Racing Clubman 600 were the first out for qualifying just as a brief shower of rain decided to coat the course with rain and had the session bought back to the paddock for tyre changes. Eventually the session got underway with Ricky Elder who is known for his pace in damp conditions on pole with Matt Walker and Gareth Roberts on the front row.
Race 1 was a completely dry track and the local experts came to the front with Will Leaning and Daniel Frear coming from the lower parts of the grid to force their way up to leading positions and put pressure on Elder and eventually push him down to 3rd with Frear now flying in first from Leaning the gap was increased to 8.5 seconds at the flag with Elder 3rd with Gareth Roberts only 0.5 behind in 4th.
Michael Rees was the first of the Clubman in 7th Harry Hinchcliffe some 5 seconds adrift next up, Will Fowler 3rd.
Race 2: with Frear and Leaning on the front row and Elder on the remain slot the start was ging to be crucial and at the lights Frear was off into a lead never to be Challenged although Leaning was right on the limit in second and almost matching Frear on lap time but not able to get near the gap at the flag being 6.5 seconds with Elder another 3 seconds behind. Club was again Micky Rees from Fowler and Hinchcliffe
Race3: front row was the same as race 2 but looking different after the warmup lap as Elder had fallen and not able to rejoin. With almost a replay of race 2 Frear was off and running Leaning trying to play catch up but had no answer to the speed of Frear some 9 seconds adrift at the flag with Gareth Roberts up to 3rd
No triple win for micky Rees in the HM Clubman’s, falling off on lap 2 giving Will Fowler the points Mike Knorr 2nd and Dave Tilling 3rd.
Phoenix Open was eagerly awaited with Phil Crowe and Craig Neve, Joe Thompson and former NG Champion Max Symonds looking to put a real challenge down to series leader George Edwards and it was looking like fireworks were going to fly with Crowe putting down a 1:30:081 in qualifying from Neve’s 1:30.513, Thompson 1:30.690, Edwards 1:31.708.
Race 1: and nerves were getting frayed on the first couple of rows at the lights( or just before) Edwards, Thompson and Hind were all judged to have jump started and given 10 second penalties as Crowe and Neve were battling at the sharp end both riders pushing the lap record of 1:29.898 Neve finally getting it down to 1:29.203 but still finishing up 2nd to Crowe Edwards despite the 10 second penalty finished 3rd just holding off Thompson, Hind and Joe Moore.
Race 2: Crowe , Neve and Edwards made up the front row and while Crowe and Neve were fighting for the for the line into Coppice, Edwards slipped under the radar and got them both for the lead for the opening lap, on the run down from Barn to Coppice Neve powered past Crowe for 2nd and then had Edwards in his sights and a lap later put exactly the same move on Edwards to move into the lead, Crowe moving through on Edwards a few laps later for second, both Neve and Crowe were into 1:29 second lap zone Neve into a settled race pattern and Crowe doing the chasing gradually chipping away at the lead to finish up just 0.468 of a second behind at the flag ,Edwards trailing some 8 seconds adrift.
Race 3: with all the set up and testing done for their weekend pole man Neve called it a day for the third Phoenix Open leaving Crowe and Edwards on the front row, Hind, Thompson and Moore row 2.
From the lights it was looking like Crowe’s race all day again on lap record pace a 1:29.216 his fastest lap and Edwards again in 2nd pushing the 1:30 second laps all weekend and proving even after just 3 meetings on the Honda Fireblade the pace to run with some very quick established riders is there finishing only 7.5 seconds away from Crowe at the flag and ahead of Joe Thompson by 3.2 seconds
Love Life and Ride PI 1300: Was a straight sweep for Cambridge rider David Abraham with 3 wins and 3 fastest laps.
RE Performance Powerbike & NL Motor Services Sound of Thunder: Qualifying had a familiar look about it with Neve, Crowe and Edwards the fastest 3 in that order and Max Symonds with his J&C Symonds Yamaha R1 in 4th looking to test some new set ups prior to the BSB season.
Race 1: was Neve and Crowe blaze away from the light’s and be less than a bikes length apart all 6 laps of the race just 0.362 of a second in favour of Neve at the flag with Edwards7 seconds behind in 3rd. Max Hardy was the top Sound of Thunder runner on his 675 Triumph in 5th overall from Stephen Parsons 675 Triumph and Charlie White Ducati 3rd.
Race 2: was again the now familiar trio on the front row who cleared off at the lights, Symonds pulled in after warmup lap with a technical problem and Max Hardy went missing on the same lap as did Jim Hind. Dan Nelmes was trying to stay with the front 3 but was being quickly out paced and coming under pressure from Forest Dunn. Neve had the race under control from Crowe to the tune of 1.165 secs at the flag with Edwards 3rd again. Charlie White took Sound of Thunder honourers from Stephen Parsons and Finn Smart Weedon
Race 3: both Neve and Crowe had elected to save both men and machine with other races planned on the run up to the roads season and gone for an early finish leaving Edwards as the sole front row rider.
But still with Symonds and Dunn right behind him on the grid still not looking to be an easy run, however the lessons of the weekend had stuck with George as he made his intentions clear getting the start and hammering in some fast early laps. Both Nelmes and Hind retired on the second lap and Symonds was 2nd but chasing in vain 12.738 adrift at the flag, Max Hardy was 3rd overall and Sound of Thunder winner from Charlie White and Stephen Parsons.
Edwards now leads both Phoenix Open and R E P Powerbike classes by 30 points in each.
T W Tech Suspension Mini twins was a dominant performance from 2023 champion Joe Woodward no1 qualifier and 3 race wins from Brandon Wright and Scott Larkin.
The JCR Open 500 saw a real surprise in the form of Andrew Taylor on his CB500T being the fast class qualifier and taking the win in the race 1, after a slow qualifier Richard Hewitt came back in the races with a 2nd and 2 wins.
Love Life & Ride PI 600 was a bit of master class from Aarron Staniforth no 1 qualifier and 3 overall wins. The JCR Supertwins was all about Finn Smart Weedon and Chase Collymore trading places for twins points now running 1 and 2 in the championship.
Words: Martin Bennett , Pictures colin hill, hairybeastpix@hotmail.com