Mark and Hudson in command
Linxcel Trick Moto Racing (Mark Clark/Hudson Kennaugh) were almost word perfect in the opening ACU Sorrymate.com three hours endurance race; securing pole from Team Edge (Nick Edgeley/Gary Johnson), leading all 198 laps and taking fastest lap.
There was no time to relax for Linxcel as the field was high grade; pushing were faultless Go Racing Developments 600 (Pete Hay/Seb Kelly) who won the National 600 class with second on the road and 1000cc teammates Andy Carpenter/Greg Allsop who pushed their way to a top three finish ahead of Sweatshop Racing (Mick Godfrey/Hugh Brasher) who made the same rubber last all three hours.
Team Moto Breakers 1000 (Nikki Coates/James & Jonathan Lodge) were impeded by a 30 second penalty to finish just ahead of Pit Stop Racing (Marc & Peter Dilks) who move up to National 1000s after years of successful 600 campaigns. These last three crossed the line under 10 seconds apart after three hours of racing.
Runners up in National 600s, with a four lap gap, were Team Edge, who slipped off the timing screens following an early error, but grafted to overhaul Team Moto Breakers (Russell Brown/Ben Currie) and defending champs Sorrymate.com(Warren Verwey/Colin Norris) who were a missed gear change adrift. Van Hire (Adrian Hartog/Les Liney) enjoyed a good run to slot into fourth.
Over in the Clubmans 1000 camp T Watson Bikes (Rick Dickinson/Tom Stephens) produced a perfect race to finish four laps ahead of the cluster of hard charging Big Lads Racing (Bob Barton/Joe Connolly) on Aprilia’s, Team Army 1 (Peter Brown/Dean Martin/Lawrence Williams) who posted third spot and were top rookies on the road, the next two home were eight seconds apart; Seven Racing (Tim Forman/Marc Mellon) and Tech Group Racing (Nick Ford/Matt Stevens).
Team Army 2 (Wayne Morgan/Richard Spencer Fleet) were blown away to win their Clubman 600 race in comfort from P, M & M Racing (Mark Bainbridge/Paul Harrison) and stalwarts Still Game Racing (James Butterworth/David Muir). CFS Fabricoat Racing (Karl Fitt/Kevin Lilley/Jack Russell) were tidy and finished two laps ahead of 400 Kawasaki paring Small Torque (Elwyn Fryer/Ray Petty).
Neate doubles up
With a quality entry Steve Neate was a double MotoGrande 1000 winner on his family run 2008 R1 fending off the other winners, Moto3 returnee Danny Webb and Michael Neeves. Good results were also posted by national runners Russ Mountford and Nikki Coates, Matt Smith made up for a naff first race to peg four top five places over the weekend.
Consistent James on top
Big grids of closely matched riders rewarded James Edwards with a pair of MotoGrande 600 wins and a second place, Cumbrian Wayne Humble posted a win and was in the top ten in all five races whilst other strong players were top step visitor Malachi Mitchell-Thomas and Edwards' team mate Seb Kelly. Tony Walsh was top Pre National performer and was competent in nailing three top six finishes overall.
Size doesn’t matter for Dave
Local man Dave Wood Jnr demonstrated that 600s could take it to the 1000s at Brands by taking two wins and two seconds in mixed weather conditions in the Michelin Power Cup. MPC veteran Tony Kielty took a singleton race win as did 600 man Marcus Gearing. Jamal Mahmood had a very mixed day going from crash victim to runner up and it was a good day at the office for Blade rider Graham Hornby. Rookie Chris Dickinson was stunning on his BMW posting two fifth places on the road whilst top newcomer Supersport racer was Gavin Bartlett.
Fiery Allan fights back
This fast growing and cosmopolitan class of Modern Classics Superbike, EVO and F1 threw up a variety of winners showing just how competitive it is; Jason Byard took a couple of EVO wins and Steve Blackwell shared honours with endurance man Joe Connolly. Laurie Sands looked like taking four wins until Chris Hoskin outclassed him in F1 in the final race, we had three new faces on the top step in Superbikes; Owen Richardson did the double on his SP1 whilst Aprilia powered Andy Challis and Bob Barton shone on their day. Top marks to Allan Smith who barbequed his GSXR on Saturday but was back with three finishes after hasty reconstruction work.
Sam’s the man
No real surprise that Supersports would lead the running, Sam Osborne was the consistent place taker with two wins and two seconds and named man of the meeting, rapid TT rider Grant Wagstaff had a mare on Saturday but recovered to post a first and second on Sunday whilst Adam Reeve was on the podium three times in this Modern Classic Supersport Pre-i/EVO, Lightweight and Formula 400 affair.
Of the EVO riders hard roads man Gaz Evans recorded three wins and a second on his Suzuki with nearest and dearest James Parish and Jon McNally pushing each other all the way. Lightweight honours were shared equally by Paul Sallis on his KTM Supermoto and CB500 mounted James Butcher whilst F400 was carved up by Daniel Lawlor with two wins on his Honda and Petty and Allan Clark romping home in first place on their Kawasakis.
Lawson edges Baleta
In a Ducati weekend dedicated to the memory of Rodney Wilcock it was Paul Baleta who won twice but he was out pointed by Matthew Lawson who won one and was runner up twice, other podium steps were occupied by pole man Matt Lobb, Norfolk's Chris Clarke, Andrew Claridge on his Class B machine and Michael Burke. The variable weather was a great leveller for the two classes of Ducatis and in Class B the two riders that will be pushing Claridge over the season will be Jim Brain and Andrew Blomfield – watch this space!
Osborne bags BSN Man of the Meeting
Sam Osborne was given the BSN Man of the Meeting award in recognition for his unparallelled performance in Modern Classic Supersport where he built on being second fastest in qualifying to score a sequence of a win, a second, another win and another second in what was a challenging weekend for the riders
