Timed qualifying on Saturday morning ended with a surprising qualification for John Lewis on his Hicks Heating and Plumbing RS Honda in second place, along side the more established and ultra fast Jason Davis. True to form, Davis had been looking forward to Cadwell where he felt his underpowered Yamaha should be more of a match for the new machines currently heading the championship, and promptly put the TZ in pole position in the wet conditions. Derek Clark, Red Mist Honda and the in form - Ant Hodson on another RS Honda completed the front row.

Joint championship leader Ben Johnson headed the second row with his DoubleMRacing Honda, and was hoping to put the heart break of a no score at Snetterton last time out behind him. The Yamaha’s of Bruce Dunn, Darrell Higgins and Mark Linton completed the second row and notably Alex Kenchington and Andrew Sawford languished down in twelfth and fourteenth respectively, setting the scene for what were to be two superb action packed Championship races.

Fastest of the NG Cup Championship riders was Paul Lumb who currently heads the Championship with Peter Henry Cox’s PHC Racing Yamaha next, however with a couple of crashes strong qualifying was the only high point of Cox’s weekend. Sitting in second in the Cup Championship Sian Brooks continued to find form qualifying her Spyre Ltd Honda in twenty third on the grid.

With no doubt about the wet tyre choice for the first Championship race on Saturday afternoon Ant Hodson took advantage of his front row start and took the initiative from the off with Derek Clark, Ben Johnson, Jason Davis, John Lewis and Mark Linton in a thrilling freight train giving chase.

It was clear the intense pace could not continue and the first casualty was Derek Clark whose Red Mist Honda seized at the end of Park straight on lap four, whilst he was holding second position - a mechanical failure which ended his weekend. Jason Davis took up the chase with Hodson holding his own out front, and Johnson settling in third for the next four laps. The pack were visibly catching Hodson’s Honda but on lap eight, with five riders now challenging for the lead it was Davis’ turn to make a mistake as he slipped off his TZ entering Hall Bends ending his charge. Entering the final lap it was still any one of four riders in with a chance of the top slot in a nail biting battle.

As they exited Barn on the final lap though it was Ben Johnson who had kept his cool and the red number 39 Honda took the win by nineteen hundredths of a second from Ant Hodson on the TSM Stairs Honda, John Lewis a brilliant third and Mark Linton the first Yamaha home in fourth with the top four covered by 1.1 seconds. Darrell Higgins was unfortunate to slip off his Yamaha from seventh position at Barn on the final lap, but thankfully without injury.

The wet conditions did not favour Alex Kenchington and Andrew Sawford who finished in ninth and twelfth respectively. Paul Lumb was again the top NG Cup runner home in fourteenth with Mike Wilson and Paul Rogers completing the podium. Sian Brookes brought her Honda home in nineteenth position on the road and fourth in the Cup keeping her title hopes well on track.

Saturday’s Dunlop Performance of the Day award went to Duncan Fitchett who finished a credible fifteenth having qualified his Yamaha TZ–A in twenty fourth. Duncan collected his Dunlop GP rear tyre courtesy of Dunlop Motorsport following the recent introduction of the award for the remainder of the series.

The sunshine of Sunday was to paint a very different picture with morning warm up showing a hint of things to come. With ideal conditions, all rounder Jason Davis was very impressive and set the fastest time. Behind him Andrew Sawford was only two tenths down in second, with Ben Johnson winner of the previous day in the wet third and Alex Kenchington up to fourth. Despite these times, the riders’ grid slots were determined in the wet on Saturday morning so this was all just a paper exercise. Kenchington and Sawford would still have to start on the third and fourth rows.

The temperature topped twenty three degrees as the riders and team personnel formed on the grid for the fourteen laps of round six. Of course, all eyes were on the front two rows but smart money was on rider’s way back on the third and fourth rows. Once again it was Ant Hodson who made the strongest start and led a battle involving Bruce Dunn, Jason Davis, Ben Johnson and Mark Linton. But all the work and the quick laps were being quietly racked up by the hard charging Alex Kenchington and Andrew Sawford who were working intensely to get through the pack. With time and laps on their side, they reeled in the leading pack and with three to go Kenchington took over the lead from Jason Davis, and Sawford’s charge was so strong he was able to follow Kenchington past Davis on the same lap. The pace was extremely hot and consequently Johnson was dropped off the pack to his eventual sixth place.

At the chequered flag it was Kenchington on the Dennis Trollope Racing Yamaha who took the win with Sawford an equally credible second, Jason Davis third Bruce Dunn improving on his Saturday result in fourth, runner up on Saturday Ant Hodson in fifth and Saturdays winner Ben Johnson some fourteen seconds down in sixth. Ben Miller was Mr. Consistent taking seventh as he did on Saturday, Billington’s Mark Linton was eighth, local man Rich Grinling in ninth and the Delmar Flooring Honda of Carl Hudson rounding out the top ten.

Andrew Sawford’s charge through the pack from fourteenth on lap one to second place took him to a new outright NG lap record of 1:34.41 earning him Sundays Dunlop Performance of the Day award and a new rear tyre, adding to the magnificent silverware, champagne and prize money. That record was to be smashed less than one hour later in the Phoenix Open Championship race.

Once again the top five were separated by less than four seconds, and another notable point of interest being the top three on Saturday in very wet conditions were all Honda mounted however, in the dry conditions of Sunday the top four places were filled by TZ Yamaha’s.

The NG Cup saw Paul Lumb keep up his 100% record of wins on the Ken White Signs / Fonseca Yamaha to head the championship, with Mike Wilson, CLV Racing Honda in second and Paul Rogers completing the podium in third.

Snetterton double winner Toby Markham was absent from Cadwell Park choosing to concentrate on preparing for the next round of the European Championships and his Wild Card ride at the 250cc British Grand Prix later this month

The championship is now wide open and has already seen four different winners from six races: Johnson 90, Bruce Dunn 79, Sawford 67, Kenchington 64, Davis 60, Linton 53, Markham 50, Hodson 49, Grinling 42, Miller 40

Cup: Lumb 150, Brooks 88, Wilson 76, McCullagh 49, Rogers 48, Fox 29