Spectators at round five of the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club Championship on 24th July got an extra bonus when the BMW Motorrad British Superbike Team got in some early practice for the end of season Stars at Darley meeting. Although not eligible for Championship points Richard Cooper (Nottingham) and Lee Jackson (Lincoln) used their BMW Superstock machines in the Peak Cup, whilst Barry Burrell (Bishop Auckland) joined them on his Superbike in the Open Solo races.
Cooper certainly made his intentions known, after leading from the start he won the first Peak Cup race by over 20 seconds, from Jim Hodson(Wigan), Jackson, Simon Wright (Stone) and Richard Wardle (Stoke on Trent), the first 600 home in 5th place.
The next Peak Cup encounter resulted in a similar performance from Cooper, with Jackson finding a way past Hodson on the second lap and fending off the challenge to the flag, Wright and Wardle repeating their results from the first race.
The BMW machines continued their domination in the Open Solo class, but with Cooper not coming to the grid in the first race it was Barry Burrell who took the start to finish win, with Jackson once again having to fend off the challenge from Hodson and Wright taking another 4th place. All three BMW Team riders lined up on the grid for the final Open Solo race, but there was a familiar outcome – Cooper taking another victory with a flag to flag win and getting within 0.75sec of his own lap record. Burrell took 2nd, Hodson 3rd, Jackson 4th and Wright 5th.
A late entry for Round 5 was Dan Knight, the third generation of the Congleton family to race in the Darley Moor Sidecar Championship, following in the tyre tracks of grandad, Eric and father and World Championship competitor Gary. Dan along with Dan Evanson finished 2nd in their first race, but failed to finish the second.
In the combined Lightweight and Steel-framed 600’s it was Gavin Salt (Leek) who took the overall victory on his Steel-framed machine from Rob Hodson(Wigan) on a Lightweight machine. Ben Godfrey (Long Eaton) finished 5th, but was the second Lightweight machine, with Chris Spooner (Stoke on Trent) the 3rd. The second race saw Hodson take the overall win from Salt, with Godfrey and Spooner taking similar class positions, but being 3rd and 4th riders home.
Ricky Tarren’s (Tamworth) 2nd place in the first 125GP encounter, followed up with 5th place in the second helped reduce the gap to 2nd place in the Championship to just 1 point, although yet another Hodson, Jamie
increased his Championship lead with two wins.
Jamie Medhurst (Long Eaton) took both Sound of Thunder victories, with James Ford (High Peak)2nd and Chris Gardner (Whitwick) 3rd in both. First of the Mini Sound of Thunder machines home was Chris Spooner again, giving him a 100% record in the class. Gardner was able to taste victory in the final race of the day, theNewcomers Handicap race, lying in 7th after the first lap he passed 5 riders during the last two laps to take the win by less than 1 second.
Richard Wardle took victory in both of the Formula 600 races with a flag to flag victory in the first, from Danny Smith (Rugeley) 2nd,but he had to work hard for the second win. Medhurst led from Wardle for the first few laps befoWardle at the re suffering mechanical problems, but then Smith put in a strong challenge that resulted in the closest finish of the day, just 0.77sec from flag.
Kevin Cooper (Stoke on Trent) and Anthony Porter (Chesterfield) took their respective class wins in the combined Formula Darley and Pre98’s races, Cooper taking both overall wins on his Pre98 machine, with Porter
following him home on both occasions for the Formula Darley class wins.
The 6th Round of the Darley Moor Motorcycle Road Race Championship takes place on Monday 29th August 2011.
The circuit is open from 5.00 PM on Friday 26th August 2010. Spectators are welcome to camp or caravan on the site. The cost is £5 per tent or caravan per night plus the cost of admission to the Race Meeting on Monday 29th August. With dogs being allowed at the circuit, if kept on a lead, it provides an ideal opportunity for another short break.
As always Practice begins at 10.00 AM with the first race expected at 11.30 AM. Entrance admission Adults £11.00, Senior Citizens £6.00, kids under 16 free, parking & paddock transfer free, with Programmes £3.00. Food is available throughout both days at the ‘Darley Diner’. For further information please log onto the Club’s website www.darleymoor.co.uk where you can also listen to Live commentary direct from the meeting if you cannot attend.
Championship Standings (after 5 Rounds)
Peak Cup
1st Jim Hodson, 81pts; 2nd Shane Pearson 51pts; 3rd Richard Wardle 35pts
Open Solos
1st Jim Hodson 81pts; 2nd Shane Pearson 51pts; 3rd Louis Turner-Laurent 16pts
Open Sidecars
1st Anthony Eades/Iain Greensmith 53pts; 2nd Allan Schoefield/Steve Thomas 45pts; 3rd Roger Golling/Rob Dean 34pts
Lightweight Championship
1st Rob Hodson 55pts; 2nd Ben Godfrey 48pts; 3rd Chris Spooner 47pts
GP125
1st Jamie Hodson 60pts; 2nd Andrew Fisher 46pts; 3rd Ricky Tarren 45pts
Formula 600
1st Richard Wardle 71pts; 2nd Jim Hodson 50pts; 3rd Danny Smith 25pts
Formula Darley
1st Anthony Porter 87pts; 2nd Gary Dangerfield 39pts 3rd Chris Spooner 39pts
Formula 125
1st David Carson 78pts; 2nd Jordan Rushby 48pts; 3rd Rhys Hutchinson 34pts
FII Sidecars
1st Roy Hanks/Julie Hanks Elliott 51pts; 2nd David Saunders/Grace Bradbury 26pts; 3rd Matthew Kingsmill/Mark Handley 15pts
Steel Framed 600
1st Steve Price 69pts; 2nd Dave Thomasson 40pts; 3rd Dean Ephgrave 23pts
Pre Injection 600
1st Jon Skelson 51pts; 2nd Gavin Salt 43pts; 3rd Daniel Pritchard 26pts
Mini Sound of Thunder
1st Anthony Porter 90pts; 2nd Gary Dangerfield 58pts; 3rd Alex Woodhouse 29pts
Sound of Thunder
1st Jamie Medhurst 72pts; 2nd James Ford 57pts; 3rd Paul Martin 44pts
Pre 98s (up to 500cc)
1st Wez Pearce 48pts; 2nd David Carson 40pts; 3rd Adrian Morris 9pts
Pre 98s (up to 1300cc)
1st Kev Cooper 66pts; 2nd Jon Skelson 31pts; 3rd Gavin Heath 27pts
