Reports AMCA MX Championships at Hawkstone
Written by MIKE WOOD Monday, 30 May 2011 00:00
Hawkstone Park,the most demanding and unforgiving circuit in Great Britain,is a venue which requires a riders total concentration and respect at all times,failure to comply and you do so at your own peril!!.However,during an incident packed round three of the AMCA MX1/MX2 Championships on Sunday,although the famous Shropshire track was to claim yet more victims,it was to also witness a truly incredibly brave performance of heroic proportions.
Just four weeks after badly dislocating his shoulder and suffering fractures of both his heel and elbow,tough Yorkshireman Richard Cannings bounced back to reel off a memorable maximum score in the MX1 class despite still being in immense pain!!.Also making a stunning return from a badly broken hand,Brad O’Leary was to take a super 4th overall behind Lee Dunham and Brad Turner.In the Championship standings,the super consistent Dunham now leads the way whilst early series leader Clinton Barrs suffered a Hawkstone nightmare,falling and tasting the soil on no less than five separate occasions,injuring his ankle in the process!!.There was also a memorable performance in MX2 as Ben Saunders aboard his two-stroke 150cc KTM took a super overall win after earlier recording the fastest qualification time!!.Ben bagged a 3/2/1 scorecard to top the podium infront of series leader Shane Holmes and Paul Neale.The Hawkstone MX2 result means that Saunders has also moved up into 2nd in the title standings,just 41 points off the top slot!!.
In a dramatic start to the Hawkstone action,it was a very determined O’Leary who grabbed the opening MX1 holeshot as Barrs fell on turn two,restarting last.Upfront,Turner and Cannings quickly got past O’Leary but by lap four it was all change yet again.With Cannings now gloriously hitting the front,Turner was to fall and O’Leary in hot pursuit clipped the stricken riders machine,also crashing.Taking full advantage,Dunham was up into 2nd and charging hard after the leader with Glen Phillips slotting into 3rd,Lee Payne 4th and Turner and O’Leary now back in 5th and 6th place respectively.Showing no ill effects from his recent injuries,Cannings marched onto victory with Dunham in tow whilst Turner recovered for 3rd ahead of O’Leary,Phillips and Payne.After his earlier tumble,series leader Barrs got up to 21st,fell again and dropped back,before producing a super effort to eventually claim 13th.
With Phillips deciding to switch from his four-stroke KTM to 250cc two-stroke power,it was Turner who grabbed the MX1 moto two holeshot and thus lead Cannings,Dunham,Phillips,Luke Meredith and O’Leary.Quickly the three leading riders broke away from the pack with that man Cannings passing Turner on lap five for another win.O’Leary eventually won a tough battle for 4th by edging out Phillips and Payne who had initially gated in 11th.Whilst young Matthew Williamson bagged an impressive 7th place,moto two was another nightmare for Barrs.Knocked off twice, Clinton was to finish a lap down on the leaders and in 23rd spot!!.
There was to be more carnage in the final MX1 moto as Cannings and Turner collided on turn three with the latter falling heavily and dropping well downfield.Meanwhile it was the super Dunham who had grabbed the holeshot only for Cannings to dramatically then leap into the lead off a downhill jump on lap two.From here onwards a great scrap developed as Dunham inserted heavy pressure on the Honda rider until the closing stages of the contest.However it was to be another victory for that bionic man Cannings with Dunham sensibly settling for a safe,unchallenged 2nd spot and bagging a massive 54 Championship points in the process.Taking 3rd with a typically gritty and accomplished ride was O’Leary as Payne finished 4th.After his early fall,Turner was superb,blasting back to earn a great 5th ahead of Aaron Crowder and Shaun Pearce,back aboard Honda machinery.Having his most productive ride of the day,Barrs after gating 5th was to finish 10th ,whilst the unlucky Phillips was forced out by a snapped chain when holding 5th spot and with just two laps remaining!!.
MX2 series leader Shane Holmes claimed the opening race holeshot at Hawkstone but a mistake at the end of lap one was to allow Carl Benjamin into the pole position.With another uncharacteristic fall on lap three,Holmes dropped down to 7th spot as Benjamin stylishly controlled at the front followed by Sean Frayne,Paul Neale,Scott Williams, Edward Briscoe and Ben Saunders.Also enduring a Hawkstone nightmare,Jack Taylor fell twice in moto one before eventually finishing down in 9th.After a frustrating start to the new season though,Benjamin remained very composed before racing onto a deserved win chased all the way by Frayne whilst Saunders passed Neale on the final lap to snatch 3rd as Holmes got home in 5th.
Following that great victory,Benjamin was hungry for more success in moto two,quickly moving into 5th behind Holmes,Neale,Ryan Morris and Saunders.However proving what a cruel and totally unpredictable sport motocross can be,Carl’s charge was to then be halted as his Kawasaki stopped with electrical problems on lap five.Up at the front,the super quick Morris,winner of round two at Tunstall was rapidly reeling in Holmes however the Suzuki youngster was to then also disappear from proceedings with just three laps remaining.So it was victory to Holmes with Saunders 2nd, Neale 3rd,Aled Bellis a great 4th after initially gating 13th,Lewis Abbott 5th and Matt Porter 6th.Enduring another painful encounter,Taylor crashed heavily on lap two before recovering for 19th.
Despite having competed at the very highest level in both Youth and Adult racing,Ben Saunders had remarkably never recorded a race win at Hawkstone.However in stunning fashion,Ben was to put that record straight with a brilliant victory in the final MX2 moto.Quickly passing Holmes,Ben then cleverly kept his rivals at bay to earn that elusive moto success whilst Taylor at last gained some compensation for an otherwise painful and disappointing day by earning 3rd ahead of Neale,Frayne and Porter with Jack Jones having a great ride in 7th.Also enduring an unproductive day,Morris tangled with Williams on lap one,the two riders bikes being locked together and devouring valuable time. Morris eventually got back to 13th with Williams 18th.Earlier in moto three it was Benjamin who had actually claimed the holeshot before badly jarring his ankle.Despite being in immense pain,Carl finished in 21st,surely his fortunes can only improve soon!!.
Also on the card at Hawkstone was round two of the AMCA Veterans Championship.After missing the opening round of the series,Andrew Watkins was back with a vengance,bagging a superb maximum points score.The runners-up trophy on the day went to the Championship leader Graham Nicklin with David Livesey in third.With Watkins in such dominant form,Nicklin(twice) and Barry Goodman proved to be the closest challengers in the three motos contested.Indeed,Goodman could well have been in contention for a podium place only to suffer a final race DNF,going out on the opening lap.With a very consistent hat-trick of 5th placings,Colin Conduit went onto earn 4th overall in the final standings ahead of Stephen Baddeley and Robert Prosser.In total,32 riders contested the Hawkstone meeting,a great effort by all!!.
In the AMCA Championship Non-Qualifiers,Matthew Dixon bagged two moto wins on his way to eventual overall victory,with 3rd placed Alec Everitt claiming the other moto success,Stephen Meikle joining them both on the podium.Completing day one of the Hawkstone action was a combined Experts/Seniors contest,with top Youth rider Adam Sterry and Timothy Gardham the star performers.
Mike Wood (www.moto-action.co.uk)
Results
