National + Senior TAG Endurance

Visiting BSB team Co-Ordit Racing (Phil Bevan/Richard Cooper/Pete Bradshaw/R1) grabbed pole by over a second from title chasers Sweatshop Moores Racing 2 (Hugh Brasher/Rod Lynn/Ben Wylie/R1) with last years champions GBMoto (Mark Smith Halvorsen/Mick Godfrey/Mike Dickenson/R1) rounding off the top 3. Newcomers Ecclectic Racing (Guy Bolam/Robert Pike/Paul Noble) and T3 Racing (Andrew Marriott/Lance Carey/Simon Marriott) were next up whilst both Senior TAG teams were followed home by freelance motorcycle journo Paul Smyth on the Best Choice Endurance R6 (Richard Greenland/Alan Stevens/Paul Smythe).

Drama occurred at the very start of the race with Co-Ordit being last off the grid in drying conditions. The mercurial Cooperman rocketing into 6th spot after lap 2 when the pace car appeared after an early off by John Higham on the Black Flag Racing 600 (George Duncan/John Higham/Sam Smithson), which also involved George Bicket on the AMA R1 (George Bicket/Mark Westcott/Robert Knoyle). By 30 minutes Cooperman was comfortably in control from Sweatshop Moores & GBMoto as MAD Racing (Darryll Elliot/Mick Watts/Andrew Browning) went missing from the field. Pitlane was busy with AMA rejoining without a fairing – a sort of street fighter/endurance hybrid, MAD pitted for repairs before the one hour mark which saw Co-Ordit less than 2 seconds in front of GBMoto whilst BSB Supersport warrior Ben Wylie dumped the R1 at Russells necessitating a trip to hospital with a dislocated shoulder. Best Choice were in the wars and required a spell in the garage to repair the effects of a low-side and Rod Lynn pitted the R1 again after much shaking of the head on the quick side of the pit wall indicating concerns as to the bike’s condition and speed.

At third distance GBMoto held a 6 second lead over the ‘quicker on track’ Co-Ordit R1, Ducks Cross Racing (Jon Railton/Grant Wagstaff/Martin Landmann/R6) were a couple of laps down with Senior newcomers Ecclectic Racing in a handy fourth place on a line up which included the KTM LC8. On the same lap were the consistently quick R6 of Darkside Endurance (Andy Buik/Darren Jones/Kevin Upstone), Moores Racing (Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/Jim Agombar/R6) were a lap down from their class rivals. The third hour was not, however a good one for Ecclectic, from challenging for a podium place on their debut, they tipped off at Russells requiring the transponder to be picked up to allow the KTM LC8 to continue. Best Choice spent a while too long in the garage following that earlier spill and coupled with two penalties for infringements it was always going to be a tall order to recover a higher position.

Co-Ordit held a three lap advantage over GBMoto at the half way point with Ducks X a solid third from the Moores Racing R6 who was now ahead of Darkside. On the same lap was White Tiger Racing (Nigel Bryan/Ash Joice/Chris Lang) – Nigel travelling from Australia to contest the final four HMRC rounds of the championship, Ecclectic & T3.

Pit stops shuffled positions and the Sweatshop R1 was a regular visitor to the pits as the gear selector was flexing under pressure making gear selection difficult. The trick here was for the team to complete at least 75% of the winning distance to keep at the top of the table going into the final three races of the season.

Co-Ordit kept their 3 lap lead going into the final third of the race ahead of a chasing GBMoto who never gave up hunting down the BSB visitors, Ducks X consolidated a good third 3 laps up on Moores R6 with again Ecclectic, T3 and White Tiger sharing the same lap. Earlier Team Viking (Paul Clarke/Crispin d’Albertanson/Barry Salmon/R6) had experienced a punctured slick costing them time lost out on track as well as in the pits. Barry was enjoying his comeback ride after injury at Round One in Anglesey.

When it really mattered Co-Ordit Racing secured their first win in the National Endurance championship ahead of GBMoto who did their title hopes no harm by finishing second a mere lap down. Ducks X were a brilliant third and first 600 home ahead of class rivals Darkside and Moores who could have been second in class but for an infringement during the race. Sweatshop Moores - championship leaders going into Round Four - finished 14th on the road but more importantly fourth on class to make it nice and close at the top of the table with GBMoto.

The Senior class was won Ecclectic Racing from White Tiger and Throttle Monkey 72 Racing (Andy McKnight/Eric Chitty/Kevin Doughty) and series newcomers T3 – originally planning to contest three Hinckley Triumphs – were delighted to take the Senior 600 class.

First Form Racing (Paul Robey/Jay Smith/ZX10R) plugged away throughout the six hours and was rewarded with a third in the ProSuperbike class, whilst Feisty Racing (Susie Grayson/Deb Cartright/Amanda Wake/R6) worked hard to consolidate 11th place overall and 4th in class. Phoenix Endurance (Shelley Pike/Andy Jones/Pete Gibson just lost out to 5th in the ultra competitive Supersport class being passed by Team Viking in the closing stages. Phoenix will be missing the next round at Cadwell as they are away contesting the Manx Grand Prix during late August.

Massive congratulations to Andy Jones who married the lovely Annie on the Friday before the meeting, Annie hails from the village of East Harling (next door to the circuit) and the honeymoon was spent in the wet at Snetterton! – The couple celebrated on track aboard Andy’s Ducati and we wish them all the best for the future.

Junior TAG Endurance Championship

Another massive grid amassed at a changeable Snetterton, following dryish qualifying it was British Supersport Cup leader Craig Fitzpatrick who secured pole by well over a second from other national 600 runner Jenny Tinmouth with championship leaders Team Trackcraft in third. At the start of the three hour race it was obvious that the weather and tyre choice would be paramount for race success. Fitz established an early lead with Trackcraft (Mark Linscott/Mike Dickenson) and Freaks of Nature Too (Dave Stewartson/Kevin Tait) following in his wake, sometimes literally. A couple of riders alighted around the circuit as they tried to judge conditions including Jenny Tinmouth which introduced the pace car for the first time for 20+ minutes leaving teams to make their minds up how to best utilise the pit stop to gain maximum advantage from the situation.

Around the hour mark the heavens opened and wets were order of the day - Trackcraft were now at the front ahead of Co-Ordit (Dave Wardle/Ian Walker), GBMoto Junior (Sam Neate/Maria Costello) & Advanced Bike Shipping (Mike Bull/Jason Pittaway) who had earlier lead on the roads. At two thirds distance Trackcraft led before another pace car appearance caused a spate of carefully timed pit stops. In the final 30 minutes doused in warm sunshine, GBMoto Junior held a slender lead over Freaks of Nature Too which was maintained to the flag; however both teams were two laps adrift of the first place R1s of Linscott & Dickenson. In fourth place was Advanced Bike Shipping - their best placing of the season. The Rawlings Racing brothers, Lee and Matt, finished in fifth and rounding off the top seven were Spellframe Racing who was 20 seconds ahead of MIB with second 600 home, ETA Racing in eighth.
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