Reports IMBA MX1 and AMCA MX2 at Branston
Written by MIKE WOOD Tuesday, 02 August 2011 00:00
Whilst ‘wildcard’ entrant Richard Cannings took another great IMBA MX1 overall win at Branston,fellow Brits Lee Dunham(3rd) and Clinton Barrs(5th) both produced superb performances to thus keep themselves well and truly right in contention for that 2011 title.
Continuing his recent fine up-turn in form,Shaun Pearce was the pick of the other Brits at Branston,earning a very impressive 7th whilst Richard Meakin was 12th.For the remaining two Team GB members though,Sunday’s event was to prove to be a very painful experience as Chris Neesam retired after hurting his back in moto one and Brad O’Leary suffered a broken scaphoid and injured elbow following an horrific moto two crash.
Sunday’s event also featured round five of the highly entertaining AMCA MX2 Championship,and just like the previous week,Sean Frayne,Jack Taylor and Shane Holmes all bagged a moto win.Holmes,the series leader recorded his victory in the final clash of the day,a moto which produced without doubt the best MX2 battle of the season so far,an absolute classic,but more of that later!!.In the Championship standings,Taylor has now moved up into 3rd above Paul Neale who gallantly still competed at Branston despite suffering from severe sickness bug.
It was though, round three of the 2011 IMBA MX1 Championship which opened proceedings,and despite the very best efforts of the organising Burntwood Barracudas Club,the recent weather conditions had dictated that the going was always going to be hard,dry,slick and in certain areas dusty.So,for a racer the only pace to be was out infront, thus ensuring clear vision and that’s just what Brit Lee Dunham achieved as he gloriously grabbed the moto one holeshot with teammate Clinton Barrs in tow.On the completion of lap one though,series leader Frank Jansen-Teitz had already passed Barrs.Despite having the last choice of start gate position,Richard Cannings was already up into 7th,one place behind Brad O’Leary whilst Shaun Pearce held 9th and Chris Neesam 11th.Not enjoying a good start though was Richard Meakin,falling in turn one with Belgian Vince Collet.
Upfront the classy Dunham was in great form,styling his way to an eventual victory and thus finish over seven seconds infront of the reigning IMBA Champion Teitz with Barrs a great 3rd.Having already posted a rapidly fast qualification time,Collet was the other star of the moto though,incredibly blasting from last to pass Cannings for 4th on the final lap and also almost catch Barrs!!.O’Leary eventually got home in 8th,one place ahead of Pearce with Meakin recovering back to 16th and Neesam forced out with that back injury after three laps.
O’Leary grabbed the moto two holeshot only to then suffer a frightening downhill crash with both rider and machine cartwheeling down the track,thus forcing the SHR KTM pilot out.Taking over at the front was Belgian Jelle Grade with Cannings in 2nd,Collet 3rd,Barrs 4th and Teitz 5th whilst Dunham held 7th,Pearce 9th and Meakin 17th.Quickly the super quick Collet got past Cannings to briefly make it a Belgian one-two before then crashing out and injuring his knee.Whilst the stylish Grade galloped to victory,the next three positions were brilliantly filled by Brits Cannings, Barrs and Dunham who had made a determined effort to move up and make a pass stick on Teitz.In the race to the flag,Dutchman Vince Reichers also got the better of German Teitz whilst Pearce finished a fine 9th and Meakin 11th.
Dunham again grabbed the final IMBA MX1 holeshot although by the completion of the opening circuit,fellow Brit Cannings was in control with Barrs holding 5th,Pearce 8th and Meakin 12th.Eventually both Teitz and Grade pushed Dunham backwards.Critically on the final lap,Grade was to then pass Teitz as Cannings remained composed to take the moto win and thus also ensure the overall verdict.Dunham after his fine start got home 4th to bag another vital 47 Championship points, ahead of Barrs.Just a little further down the leaderboard,Pearce and Meakin were indulging in their own private British battle for 10th spot,the verdict going to Pearce.In the title race,the action now moves onto Teitz’s home circuit of Ohlenberg,in Germany with him holding a very narrow four point advantage over Dunham and Barrs just a further three points in arrears.Come on you Brits!!.
In AMCA MX2,Lewis Abbott was the early leader of moto one ahead of Kieran Mulloy,Sean Frayne,Shane Holmes,Ben Saunders and Ryan Morris.Whilst Mulloy eventually dropped to 12th,Abbott was setting a great pace at the front with Frayne charging hard in 2nd until a rather freak incident which typifies the South Coast based youngster’s misfortune this season!!.Picking up a small,rogue piece of track marking rope from the surface,it then duly wrapped itself around his Kawasaki’s rear brake disc and sprocket,leaving him with no rear brake, dropping down to finish 13th,that’s unlicky!!.Also dropping out of contention was Morris,working very hard to get himself right up to 2nd spot before his Suzuki mysteriously lost power and stopped!!.So,taking the win on this occasion was a delighted Frayne with Taylor a great 2nd after gating 10th,Holmes 3rd,Saunders 4th,Paul Neale a very brave 5th despite his sickness bug,Carl Benjamin a superb 6th after being 25th on lap one and Scott Mathia 7th.
There was certainly no doubting the winner of MX2 moto two at Branston as Taylor blasted to a big victory some thirteen seconds ahead of Saunders.The main tussle in this moto was the struggle for 3rd as Holmes,Matt Porter and Abbott locked horns,the verdict eventually going to Champion elect Holmes.Completing the top ten was Mathia,first race winner Frayne,Benjamin moving from 20th up to 8th,Kristofer Ayres and Scott Williams.
So to moto three,the race of the season,an absolute classic and well worth the admission cost alone!!.Mathia led the charge only to be passed on lap one by Neale.Quickly joined by Saunders and Holmes,the leading quartet attacked the circuit at high speed,regularly swapping positions.Just behind those four riders,battle number two was raging featuring Abbott,Taylor,Frayne,Benjamin and then Morris on a Kawasaki machine kindly loaned to him by DK Off-Road Motorcycles.Such was the ferocity of battle number two that they were now also reeling in the leading group,so an incredible eight rider train had been formed,all in striking distance of the race leadership!!.Upfront, Cheshire charger Mathia was back in control and looking good for his maiden MX2 moto win only to then be flipped off his Honda and with Saunders also slipping off on the slick surface it was advantage Holmes.So on the completion of a truly breath taking race,Holmes was first past the flag ahead of Taylor,Benjamin,Frayne,Morris,Mathia,Saunders, Abbott and Neale,wow that was pure entertainment!!.
On a busy day of fast and furious action,Andrew Marchant,John Johnston and Kye Marshall bagged the respective Non-Qualifiers/Experts,Seniors and Juniors support class wins with both Marchant and Johnston recording maximum points scores.
Mike Wood (www.moto-action.co.uk)
Results
