After taking a year out of racing Adam Tempest is back with a bang this year. The Homologation Engineer for the Triumph factory has unsurprisingly chosen the 675 Daytona as his racing tool. Although the bike is the same one that he used back in 2006 when he won the NG Sound of Thunder class he has added a few tasty goodies that he has been able to procure from the Triumph parts bin.

After four and a half years with Triumph he has made enough good contacts to be able to get engines built by those that really know how to put the 675 together well….. and at a good price too!. This weekend at Pembrey he had arrived with an ’09 front end grafted on to his ’07 spec bike and it certainly seemed to do the trick as he took both Team Spidey Sound of Thunder finals in impressive style to extend his lead in the championship after the first four rounds.

However all is not good news in the Tempest camp as he only has the funds available to get his as far as June, which still leaves him three meetings to find the cash for. If the 36 year old from Stafford feels that the championship is within his grasp he says he might just run the rest of the year on the credit card, and hope for the best…… or he may swap the 675 for pedal power, as he has taken up mountain biking at a competitive level.

Tempest with the Triumph took both points scoring races ahead of class new boy Darryl Alexander on his Monk Racing MW Surfacing Aprilia RSVR Factory. Alexander took last years Mini Twins title and has moved classes but has lost none of his form as he took two strong top three placings. Freddie Nickless had a great day on Saturday with his best ride so far on his Chippenham Motorcycles 675 piping Alexander for the runner up place on the final lap, but was unfortunately a no show on Sunday.

2005 class champ and series sponsor Andy Peck had a weekend to forget as his Aprilia Mille was wheeled off the grid on Saturday after part of the flywheel broke up and took out the alternator. The team burned the midnight oil to get Andy back out on the grid for Sunday only for the bike to stop on the grid once more.

As everyone else left for the warm up lap the big Aprilia had stalled, due to a dragging clutch on the spare engine. After some frantic fiddling from his mechanic “Big” Chris the Mille burst into life, but Andy was forced to start from pit lane, eventually fighting through to 6th position setting lap times that would have seen him battling with Darryl Alexander for second spot.

Even the normally exuberant Team Spidey Crew found it had to crack a smile after such a tough weekend… But be assured they will be back!. It was also great to see Ricky Ross back on the Benelli Tornado 900, and in the points too, especially after you think that he smashed up his ankle in a motocross accident at the end of 2007. Doctors wanted to amputate his lower leg at the time…..and told him he would struggle to walk again…..and would almost certainly never ride a bike again, let alone race. I guess that’s one-nil to bike racers over the NHS then.

Local man Phil Bevan used all his Pembrey track knowledge to achieve his pre meeting bold prediction…… he wanted the outright circuit lap record back. He had held in for years when he rode Ducati’s and then Suzuki’s taking it into the 58 second bracket.

But 18 months ago Brian McCormick bettered his figures at the BSN Autumn Championship meeting, Bevan has been itching for the right day to come along to get the record back. He needed the right races and this weekends Phoenix Open and Progressive Solutions Powerbikes proved the right time. He battled with Co-Ordit team mate Richard Cooper all weekend. And although Cooper took all four finals Bevan used Cooper to lower that time.

Cooper had gone under the 58.52 lap record in the morning taking it to 58.24 but Bevan, after a below par get away in the Powerbike Final chased had to clock an amazing 58.07 second lap. It wasn’t all just for show though as Chris Pope, Shaun Hennessey and Mark Compton all got under 59 seconds for the 1.456 mile lap. Gary Teague, Lee Keeble and Paul Shook also all dipped under the magic minute such was the pace on the weekend.

Adrian Shaw on his Hennessy Builders GSXR took four wins from the weekend in the Metzeler/DTR Streetstock class. Both finals saw him head home last seasons series runner-up Hilary Phillips. Shaw never put a foot wrong as he dominated the early laps on each occasion forcing Phillips to push hard, which saw him loose the front end of his Fox Enterprises Suzuki more times than he would have liked. Shaw who only lost his novice licence just over a season ago was given the performance of the meeting award. As some small reward Phillips set a new class lap record.

That Performance award could have gone to a number of riders and 13 year old Rowan Miller was in well in the running after taking a fine win on his 125TZ Yamaha in the Refined Recruitment 125 GP final on Saturday. 4.5 seconds off the leaders early on he passed Alistair Ray, Philip Stiles, George Martindale, Sam Burman and Josh Henry Eversfield in the last two laps to take the win out of the final corner setting the fastest lap and crossing the line just 0.08 second ahead on his immaculate TZ. Rowan and reigning champion Corey Lewis held centre stage for the 9 lap final on Sunday with three or four changes of position each and every lap. Corey just had the advantage at the line although Rowan once more set the fastest lap.

Josh Day was the man to beat in the George White Superbikes 600 class, but no one managed it all weekend as 19 year old Josh was in top form taking home a 100% win record and a new class lap record on 59.24 seconds on his R6 Yamaha. Adam Tempest pushed him hard on Sunday but succumbed to the pace parting company from his Triumph injuring his shoulder. That left mates and rivals Rich Bearcroft and Tim Woodhouse to battle it out for the minor places as they both got the best out of their GSXR 600 Suzukis.

Phil Dongworth and Gary Partridge thoroughly enjoyed their weekend on the WAS Autocentre F2 Ireson Honda. Taking three wins and setting a new class lap record in the process. They were only headed once as Ian Drowne and Ken Edwards muscled their 1000cc Shelbourne Suzuki to the front in Sundays qualifier for the CSC and Century 2000 Sidecar races.

Big C Mini Twins series leader Rich Troth had a weekend to forget as after two wins at Brands last month, he went away from Pembrey with two crashes and a damaged SV….and both crashes were at the Dibeni left hander. That left the way open for Mark Bulgin to grab 2 wins on his JHS SV backing it up with two fastest laps. Stephen Sweetman’s two runner-up spots see him now top the points table.

A back to full fitness, after food poisoning, Chris Beverley took two convincing wins in the A and R Racing F400 finals in the defence of his ’08 title on the newly rebuilt and refreshed France and Li Asia CBR 400, although 15 year-old Sam Hornsey made him work hard for Sundays win. Whilst in the Dara Brady Racing 400 Two Strokes it was another 100% record for another defending champ, Tony Davies on his New Road Garage TZ.

James Francis took his third win of the year in Saturdays NG 400 Streetstock final, but Ben Cole bounced back on Sunday to grab the top points on his Commercial Vehicle Services ZXR after he was ruled out of Saturdays race when his Kawasaki overheated on the line. Jason Oakes and Matthew Billington on R6 and 675 respectively shared the Metzeler/DTR 700 Streetstock wins.

Lee Jackson got his just rewards too with two good wins in the Steve Lynham F125 event after making the 550 mile long round trip from Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire……. I’m sure a fuel sponsor is being sought as we speak.

When it came to the newcomers the top two were Scott Witts on his SV650 Suzuki in the smaller Lougi Moto backed class, in what is only his second race meeting and James Kiff in the Gary Vardy Open. Kiff was nominated the Newcomer of the meeting as he backed his newcomers win with a fine pair of third placings in the streetstock class.

Next stop Snetterton the 16th ad 17th May