ALL TO PLAY FOR

ThundersportGBs travels to Wales again this weekend as we head into our penultimate meeting of the season.

With all but two Championships yet to be decided, it’s all to play for and even the strong favourites of each class know that one slip here, could end any chances of overall glory.

Frazer Rogers is close to adding his name to the list of stars that have lifted the Aprilia Superteen crown. This year's J&S Championship has not been short of heart-stopping action this season and the field is flooded with talent to keep an eye on. He is so far ahead, it really is his to lose this weekend. It would be a cruel blow, though, for a youngster that has been one step ahead of the rest all campaign.

Steve Joy will look to guard a 55 point lead over Steve Hodgson in the Streetfighter ‘A’ Class at Anglesey, ‘Huddy’ Hodgson’s consistency has prevented Joy from running away with this one and the pair will both be looking to get one over each other come Saturday.

Sam Read is in a similar position in the ‘B’ class too, one slip at Pembrey cost him valuable points and he needs to keep the #37 machine of John Hardwicke behind him if he’s to win this title. With Sam Parry entering the series and stacking up the wins, every point is a valuable one for Read.

The GP3 Class and GP3 Cup are both being led by talented 16-year-old Ed Rendell. The rest of the field have upped their game in recent rounds but it all seems too little too late as he is mightily close to taking both titles.  Rendell also has his eye on the ACU Clubmans trophy too which is currently being headed by 14 year old Tom Weeden.

With the GP1 and GP2 class already boasting Champions in Mark Davies and Gary May, the race for second is now on.  In GP2, Chris McAloran will look to fend off Barry Utting and in GP1, Rob Elsmere will need to be careful of the freight train forming behind him: Tony Keilty, Scott Kelly and Craig Morley are all in form and full of confidence.

May, a man who has now won an astonishing 23 races from 31 starts in both GP1 and Thundersport 600 classes, is here this weekend to tie up the latter of the two Championships having won the GP1 title in style less than a week ago.  Rob Hoyles in second faces a tough battle to beat May and with the points difference being 68, Hoyles is going to need lady luck with him to change the outcome.

Lee Cutts-Bland comes into this round full of confidence after his best weekend of the season at Donington last Sunday. The Sound of Thunder class has seen his rival Lee Reveley romp off in the points table and it’s only the last two rounds that there’s been signs of mounting pressure.

85 points is a lead that requires Cutts-Bland to not only win, but get other results his way too, but Reveley will need to improve his most recent results otherwise he could see his lead disappear in no time. Chris Norris in third should be safe now, he would have a job to catch Cutts-Bland in second but is comfortably ahead of fourth placed Kevin Jones.

Perhaps the most open of the classes in the Junior Powerbike Championship. Clinton De Tarnoswky leads Tony Coombs by just thirty points but while they tussle, let's not forget Jeacock, Smith and Heaton behind. Although unlikely, it is still mathematically possible for all them to rock the boat and turn the title upside down.

LUCK OF THE IRISH

Finally it’s time to give a warm welcome to our Irish friends to this Celtic Cup round.

ThundersportGB has had a host of riders this season from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and with this round being as close to a home circuit as they can get on the Thundersport calendar, they all deserve a mention.

With the likes of McAloran battling for second in the GP2 title, Kelly for second and third in the GP1, Marty Lennon mixing it up amongst the GP1 & Thundersport 600 classes, Andy Read sitting second in the Nitro Newcomers, Rory Clarke coming back for another bite at Gary May and many many more, I caught up with one rider that joined us at Pembrey and is keen to take a podium spot in the 600 class this weekend.

Cliffy Hamilton took a win and two thirds away from Pembrey in the last round of the series and the 33 year old is keen to get the wheels in motion again this time out after an unlucky Donington last Sunday in the GP1 class.

"I had some real bad luck last week at Donington , a wrong tyre choice in race one and a problem with the bike in race two was sharply followed by someone hitting my motor home on the M6 on the way home. I had a great Pembrey though and am really up for Anglesey," he said.
 
"There’s a lot of us from Ireland that have been impressed by the way Thundersport GB is run and I for one and many others are definitely doing the series next year."

Cliffy is in his fifth year of racing and will certainly be a contender to look out for in 2009, as well as a few of his friends that are coming along with him.