John Ingram the 36 year old from Wigan was unstoppable in his bids for wins at Mallory Park for round seven of the NG Road Racing’s season. Ingram, on one of Robin Croft’s SMT Superstock S1000RR BMW’s won both the STP Motorsports Powerbike and Phoenix Open finals setting the fastest lap on both occasions, and in pretty much ideal racing conditions was only a tenth or two each time of the circuits lap record. The new surface that was put down last year affords more grip and therefore better lap times and John best lap was a 52.57, which as I said is just a whisker of the fastest on the new track which is a 52.4.
As ever though results never tell the whole story, and although Ingram bagged the wins he was pressured by Phil Bevan and Phil Crowe. Crowe, especially made Ingram work very hard and they ran each other very hard indeed, but in both finals with Crowe right in Ingram’s wheel tracks Phil pulled out with issues with his Holbeach Tyre/GB Directional Drilling BMW. Bevan, as every then, with a season long championship to think about settled for a pair of strong runner up spots after getting the better of Mark Littler. Ingram will now look forward to the upcoming “Race of the Year” knowing he has the pace to beat some of his main rivals for that prestigious event.
Of the season long superbike campaigners, we cannot end without mentioning Roo Cotton, who led both main finals in the early stages on his DTR R1 Yamaha. Mark Compton too, who came away with two 5th placings after never having been to Mallory before and Paul Shook who still seems to be the only rider to get the best out of the ZX10 Kawasaki, he grabbed a 4th place in the Powerbike final. Shook struggled in the early laps on his standard Kawasaki, but boy did he out some quick laps in as the race went on.
Jody Lees, wheeled out his two week old ex-Parkalgar, now Midland VW CBR 600RR after ditching the Triumphs he started the year on, and immediately set quick laps, taking the big points in the Air Racing 600 open, and putting his right back in championship contention. Lees missed the last round at Pembrey and that allowed Jason Oakes to take over on his R6, and although Oakes ran the pace early on, be gradually succumbed to pressure from behind. Oakes on his 2008 Seton Tuned R6 was passed forst by Lee Newton who was having a one off ride on the Mack Rory ZX6… then Chaz Beale… Daniel Fuller… and finally Dylan Roberts, but in the back of his mind was that sixth place and decent points will still see him lead the series.
Having the weekend of his so far short racing career was Maxwell Alexandre who took his first ever race win on the Midland Ladders ZXR 400 in the A and R Racing Spares F400. Alexandre only started racing last season and was 8th in the newcomers series, but this year he has moved into the F400 series and got quicker and quicker culminating in the win this weekend. As with the big bike the results don’t tell the full story as Luca Gaslawski on the BMC ZXR swept past team mate Alistair Rowland-Rowse to grab second an set about Max ahead of him when his Kawasaki failed and the frustrated youngster coasted to a halt. Series leader Shannon Hale had a nightmare weekend as her Black Lion ZXR just was not on the pace but at 7th place saw he salvage a handful of points.
Nigel Palmer and Rich Grinling had great fun in the Two Stroke GP Classics as their TZ’s took on RG500’s and other past GP machines. The pair swapped places lap on lap and everyone was looking forward to a great last lap showdown. Just as things were shaping up Grinling’s TZ coasted to a halt at the end of pit lane leaving the way open for Palmer and the Froggy French TZ350 to take that flag alone with Fred Burbidge in second and Paul McCullaugh in third. Not content with taking on the 1980’s machines Palmer also pitted his 350 against the more modern stuff in the Gofasterbits.co.uk 450 Open and he won that too.
Matt Page continued his winning ways in the Euro Auctions Mini Twins as he clawed back some more points on current series leader Ben Marsden who had his work cut out keeping Jamie Morris behind him. All the wins this year have gone to either Ben or Matt and Matt is now ruing his Cadwell crash at round 3.
It was all to the form book in the Pirelli UK GP45 classes with both series leaders taking the wins. Chris Harrison once more almost lapping all of his rivals on his Motobits SXV Aprilia in the twins division, whilst Matt Andrew racked up another single cylinder win on his Wedds/Utilscan Suzuki.
Darrel Jones continued his winning ways in the Metzeler/DTR 700 Streetstock series on his Aviva speed shop GSXR 600, but Matt Billington will be mare that happy with second place on the My Gosh Photography 675. Just three weeks ago Billington separated his shoulder from the ligaments but a session of very expensive laser therapy has not only got back on the grid but able to keep the points loss down to a minimum….. he also set the fastest lap!. Tom Louth, Phil Evans and Dave Beynon had a race long scrap in the Metzeler/DTR 1300 Streetstock, well that was until they hit the back markers, when Beynon on his 1098 got the worst of things. That left Louth and Evans, with Louth on his Mark Cramer R1 and Evans on a borrowed SWM/Dale Thomas Fireblade. Evans had the loan of the bike after his own GSXR had been suffering electrical problems, the results of a big end-over-end in testing for the previous round. The offer of the Blade came up so he too it to keep himself at the top of the points table, although now by just 7 points from Tom Louth who has ominously won the last three rounds. Ben Marsden now has a lead of over 100 points in the UK Bike Track days 400 Streetstock after racking up win number 5 of the year on his G F Racing CBR 400 Honda, although Benedict Ireland was this time out only a couple of seconds adrift of Marsden.
Max Symonds continues to take the wins in his defence of the Steve Lynham F125 championship and thoroughly enjoyed his Mallory meeting. It was also a relaxing meeting for Bradley Hughes in the 125 GP class as he took time out from his bid for ACU Academy Cup honours at National level. The teams are contemplating whether they will attend the next National round that is up at Knockhill as it will take a big budget…. which the Brad H / Hallmark Team can ill afford. Jamie Ashby on his Ducati Coventry RS125 struggled to 8th position, but again was thinking of the bigger picture as he now sits in a safe second in the series, just six points behind Kyle Ryde.
Nick Colley had things pretty much his own way in the MPH Bikes Pre Injection on his Auto electric R6. But the happiest man will be Adam Jeffery who after taking second place to rival Phil Hacker’s fourth heads the series in his title defence. Jeffery was celebrating his wedding anniversary, but I’m not sure if wife Haylee was quite as happy as hubby Adam as it wasn’t quite the…. “I’m taking you a way for the weekend that she was expecting !.
Duncan Gibson finally got the win that he deserved this year as he swept to an impressive 5-second win over defending champion Paul Willis in the Performance Red Sound of Thunder. Gibson has suffered a multitude of mechanical problems on his JHP/AFB 1098 Ducati, and a few accidents along the way…. but Gibson remains ever smiling, so really did deserve this win. The day didn’t look to be going his way during the qualifying race though as although he took the flag first he had been adjudged to have jumped the start, pushing his down the grid. This though just acted as an extra spur for the final as by the exit of Gerrards the big 1098 Ducati hit the front and Gibson was never headed. Paul Willis fought through from a poor start to grab second from the in form Dave Beynon and Darren Rumley.
CSC Racing Formula 2 Sidecar honour went to Dave Wallis and Steve Wareham on the LCR 600 Honda with an impressive half a lap win over Ralph Remnant and Ashley Moore. Whilst in the CSC Racing Open Sidecar impressive newcomer pairing of Rupert Archer and Jason Grimes with their Hannafin Construction LCR R1 took the 25 points for the win to put them just one point off the series lead currently held by Simon Gilbert. Redline Racing’s Chas and Kris Greatrex took second after a very eventful day after failing to finish the qualifying race for grid positions and having to start the final from the back of the grid.
So after a very successful return to Mallory Park for the NG Road Racing Club for just over 25 years there was just one thing to be decided, and that was the Vital Equipment / Carless Fuels Performance of the Meeting winner. There were several riders on the list but with the decision down to NG’s Russ Gardner and Mallory Park’s General Manager John Ward it was felt that for his faultless ride to his maiden victory the nod went the way of Maxwell Alexandre.
