Around all the race circuits across the country there are signs highlighting that ‘Motor Sport is Dangerous’, but at Round 4 of Darley Moor Motorcycle Road Race Club’s Championship on Sunday 26th June, if sensible

precautions were not taken it could have been dangerous just spectating with temperatures reaching 28 degrees Celsius!

Whilst the spectators were sweltering in the heat with t-shirts and shorts, spare a thought for the competitors increasing the temperatures even higher with some blistering on track action – leathers, gloves, crash helmet and a hot engine!

After an absence of over two years the Darley Moor Club were delighted to see James McBride (Kettering) return to the circuit for some ‘test runs’ on his new machine. Testing was obviously going well throughout the day as his performances got better and better as the day went on, finishing with a victory in his final race.

Luckily for the Championship regulars he was not taking any points away from them. His first Peak Cup race resulted in a 3rd place, almost 10 seconds behind the on-form Jim Hodson (Wigan) and Shane Pearson (Derby), who were split by just 0.16sec at the flag. However, while Hodson and Pearson were at the front throughout, McBride was 11th after the first lap, his progress to the front definitely kept the crowd entertained.

The next battle was the first Open Solo race - Hodson again taking a flag to flag victory. This time Pearson was 4th and McBride 8th after lap 1, finally finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively, with McBride taking the Fastest Lap and 5 seconds behind Hodson. Peak Cup, race 2 – Hodson crossing the finish line at the front on every lap again, but with McBride, separated by no more than 0.75sec throughout the 10 laps and just 0.36sec at the flag, Pearson having to settle for 3rd.

The final Open Solo race was totally different, Pearson lead until lap 3, when McBride took over, with Hodson following in his slipstream and separated by just 0.24sec at the flag, Pearson having to settle for 3rd again. Hodson recording the Fastest Lap of the day and, with McBride, the only riders to lap in under 56 seconds.

Hodson was the fastest rider of the day, but Jamie Medhurst (Long Eaton) was the most successful taking four victories and the Fastest Lap in each of his races. Anthony Porter (Chesterfield) almost copied Medhurst’s achievements, three victories, plus a Runner-Up and three fastest laps in his class, all in the same races as Medhurst.

The first race of the day was the Formula Darley and the East Midland Racing Association’s

machines, Jamie took a flag to flag victory in both this and the second encounter comfortably. Porter, in the Formula Darley class, had to fight for his first victory, battling throughout with Rob Hodson (Wigan) and taking the victory by just 0.25sec at the flag. In the same class Gary Dangerfield (Stonnall) finished 3rd, Alex Woodhouse (Chesterfield) 4th and Chris Spooner (Stoke on Trent) 5th.

Hodson took the second race from Porter (2nd), Spooner (3rd), Woodhouse (4th) and Dangerfield (5th). Medhurst and Porter then shared the grid and winners’ accolades in the Sound of Thunder races, Jamie again taking flag to flag wins, but this time with James Ford (High Peak) pushing him all the way in both races. Anthony, racing in the Mini Sound of Thunder category led all his laps, followed home by Dangerfield on each occasion, with Woodhouse recording a 3rd and 4th in the class.

Local riders took the honours in the combined Pre Injection/Steel Framed 600 and Lightweight races. In the first encounter Jon Skelson (Leicester, Pre Injection class) led for the first three laps, but then failed to finish the fourth, leaving the chasing Gavin Salt to take the win. After leading the Lightweight class on the first lap Ben Godfrey (Long Eaton) had to settle for 2nd place, with Chris Spooner (Stoke on Trent) 3rd. Skelson manage to avoid bad luck in the second race and took the Pre Injection victory from Salt and Godfrey took the Lightweight win from Spooner after Rob Hodson was given a time penalty for jumping the start.

Jon Skelson was also competing in the Pre 98’s and secured a 4th place in the first race, behind race winner Kevin Parker (Burton on Trent), who benefitted after the leader failed to complete lap 5. Gavin Heath (Leek) finished 2nd, after recovering from a slow start, lying 7th after lap 1.

Skelson won the second race after leading through-out, both Heath and Parker fighting their way through to finish 2nd and 3rd respectively. In the combined Formula 125 and GP125 races Asher Durham (Derby) equalled his best finish to date, taking his 80cc machine to 3rd place in the Formula 125 class, in both races.

Ricky Tarren (Tamworth), GP125 class, secured 5th in the first race and 3rd in the second race. Richard Wardle (Stoke on Trent) secured a flag to flag victory in the first Formula 600 race, despite coming under pressure from Jim Hodson, who recorded the fastest lap while chasing him down.

The tables were almost turned around completely in the second encounter with Hodson setting the pace at the front and Wardle chasing him down, but while trying to snatch the lead on the final lap the two riders collided and crashed out leaving Brendan Brown (Stoke on Trent) to take the win.