Reports AMCA MX Championships at Shobdon
Written by MIKE WOOD Tuesday, 06 September 2011 00:00
Although the Summer of 2011 as not been particularly hot and sunny,it as however produced almost constantly dry weather,thus resulting in water table levels dramatically dropping.
So with the wet stuff in short supply,the Shobdon and District MCC must have been very happy to hear the expected weekend weather forecast for rain showers!.Unfortunately though,that big watering can in the sky failed to deliver the goods,so with menacing dust clouds rising and the programme already running late,the club then decided to pull the plug and eventually abandon their staging of the penultimate round of the AMCA MX Championships after just two blocks of racing.
Before that premature conclusion though,there was to be some dramatic action out on track as AMCA MX1 leader Lee Dunham saw his title advantage slashed from 77 down to just 19 points.With Dunham suffering a rear-wheel puncture which relegated him to last place,his closest rival Clinton Barrs took both wins and also top the podium ahead of Richard Cannings and Jamie Dobson,producing his own best performance of the season.Back to his very rapid best,and making it a Delkevic Kawasaki double, Jack Taylor took both MX2 wins to head home Ben Saunders and Paul Neale.Sunday’s results now means that Jack has narrowed the gap on 2nd placed Saunders in the title race to a very narrow three points but it’s still Shane Holmes who is hot favourite to take the crown!!.
Earlier in the day on an already very dry track,Jack Taylor had made his intentions perfectly clear by posting the fastest MX2 qualifying time just ahead of Lewis Abbott and Sean Frayne.When the gate dropped for moto one though it was Abbott who grabbed the holeshot to lead the pack chased hard by Taylor,Ryan Morris,Holmes, Saunders,Kristofer Ayres and Scott Mathia.By lap two it was already all change as the super Taylor hit the front whilst both Frayne and Paul Neale had relegated Mathia.Holding a massive 111 points advantage at the top of the MX2 standings,Shane Holmes could afford to ride with conservation although in this clash he did surprisingly drop down to finish 8th.First past the flag was Taylor as Abbott and Morris made it a Kawasaki 1-2-3. Saunders, despite having a holed radiator which was rapidly losing its coolant still got home in 4th ahead of Frayne and Neale as Carl Benjamin blasted from 13th back to 7th.After starring in the previous round at Nympsfield,Ayres was to disappear from proceedings on lap five.
Right from the off in moto two,Taylor led the way, stylishly fabricating an eventual winning margin of a big eleven seconds ahead of his rivals.Whilst Jack dominated in style,there was plenty of super action going on just behind him. Neale and Saunders locked horns in a great battle for 2nd whilst Joseph Del-Busso,Frayne and Holmes disputed 4th, later to be joined by Benjamin who again initially started the moto in 13th.Despite having some track marking rope wrapped around his rear sprocket,Saunders eventually claimed that runners-up slot with Neale in 3rd,Frayne 4th, Holmes 5th,Benjamin 6th,Del-Busso 7th and Mathia 8th.After his great moto one ride,the unlucky Abbott had to settle for 9th in this clash,clipping a post and falling on lap one.
Whilst all eyes were on the big guns in the opening MX1 clash,it was to be Edward Reynolds who jumped out of the gate first and thus lead the way.Edward’s advantage lasted for just one lap though as Clinton Barrs then Richard Cannings quickly found a way through.What about series leader Lee Dunham?,well gating in 8th,disaster was to strike as he picked up a rear-wheel puncture on the very first lap!.As Lee slowly slipped down the leaderboard,Lee Payne smartly moved in the opposite direction,slotting into 3rd with Jamie Dobson also having a great ride and moving up to 4th as Reynolds was further relegated downfield.On completion,Barrs took the win nearly two seconds ahead of Cannings with Payne,Dobson,Reynolds,Stephen Tillotson,Glen Phillips,Luke Meredith,Matthew Williamson and James Lane rounding off the top ten.One of the best battles in this moto though was just outside that top ten as Shaun Pearce,Aran Agius and Michael Reynolds slugged it out.Early puncture victim Dunham was still to claim eight crucial Championship points in this moto despite being one lap down on the leaders.
Desperate to make amends for his disappointing moto one deflation!,Dunham made a supersonic start in the second MX1 clash as both James Lane and Lee Payne amongst others both crashed on the opening turn.Upfront though Dunham was flying and in a very determined mood as he led the way with Barrs,Cannings,Dobson,Pearce and Williamson chasing hard.However five laps into the contest and Dunham was to make a very uncharacteristic mistake,overshooting a berm and going off the track.Although he then quickly rejoined proceedings,getting back into the rhtymn,it was not before a rather surprised Barrs was able to zoom past and into the race leadership.From here onwards, series leader Dunham gallantly gave chase but Barrs was not to be denied,storming to another win and possibly a massive sixty Championship points.Taking 3rd spot was that man Cannings,comfortably ahead of a super tussle between Pearce,Dobson and Tillotson.The battle of the moto though was for 7th,featuring Williamson, Rich Meakin and Meredith,the latter unfortunately falling on the final lap.Unluckiest rider of this moto was surely Lee Payne.After recovering from that turn one incident,he brilliantly blasted through the pack and up to 10th only for his Honda’s rear hub and sprocket to break up just three laps from home!!.
In the Shobdon support racing completed,there was to be overall victories for James Hockenhull and Cameron Evans in the respective Juniors and Seniors classes whilst Duncan Powell won the only Experts/Non-Qualifiers moto.
Mike Wood (www.moto-action.co.uk)
Results
