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Next stop Canada Heights for Maxxis Motocross Championship round 2

Ray — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 06:17:55 +0000

Let hope the rain gods are on our side as round 2 of the Maxxis British Championship is heading to Swanley this coming weekend for one of the best events of the year at Canada Heights.

The weather forecast is showing the following.

Checkout the trailer for this weekend and enjoy what went down in 2012.

Luke Norris ends season at Little Silver

Ray — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:33:43 +0000

Little Silver was the last round of the British championship and I was set to end the season on a high note. We’d had a lot of rain the week before but the track was surprisingly dry. It’s not one of my favourite tracks but I put that behind me and focused on doing my best.

Qualifying was extremely close, I got a good lap in early which put me into 10th, as the session went on I put more laps in but couldn’t better my time. I dropped back to 17th but if I’d have been a second a lap faster I’d have been inside the top 12. 17th gave me a reasonable gate pick so I wasn’t too down after that.

Race 1
Lining up for the first race, yet again someone stole the gate I had prepped and I was left with a very soft rut to line up in. I didn’t get a very good jump out the gate and was left near the back of the pack. The first few laps were carnage and I tried my best to pass as many people as I could. About 5 laps in the rider in front of me dropped it in a rut right in front of me, I had nowhere to go and ended up losing more positions. I controlled my frustration and got my head down, within a few laps I had gone from 32nd to about 25th. I made a few more passes which put me into 22nd. With 3 laps to go the next group of riders were a good 8 seconds in front of me. I reeled them in and was only a bikes length behind them at the finish. A very frustrating race but I learnt a lot from it.

Race 2
After getting a terrible start in race 1 I knew I had to get a better start in the second race. I got a better jump out the gate and was inside the top 20 going round the first corner. The first half of the lap I lost a few places by making a few mistakes and going off line. Within the first few laps I’d made some passes and got inside the top 20. There was a group of riders about 5 seconds in front of me which I could see. I tried my best to be smooth and ride some consistent laps. Within 3 laps I’d caught the group and passed my way into 16th. I was also closing in on 15th but with the races only being 20 minutes I ran out of time. Looking back at the lap chart my times were good enough to get me inside the top 12, just need to work on perfecting my start technique.

Race 3
The final race of the day was mixed MX1 and MX2 which was 30 minutes + 2 laps. Luckily I got enough points from the second race to just get me into the final race. I had 33rd gate pick which meant I had to start right on the outside. I got a very good jump but got out dragged by the 450’s down the straight. There was a big pile up on the second corner and unfortunately I found myself in it, dropping right to the back. With 30 minutes I knew I had time to catch back up, I just needed to not make any mistakes. Within the first few laps I’d caught up to a few riders and put myself into the top 30. The next group of riders were quite a way ahead of me but I didn’t give up trying to catch them. With about 10 minutes to go I caught and passed my way into 28th, pulled a big gap on the riders behind me and rode my own race. Unfortunately the next few riders were quite a way ahead and I ran out of time to catch back up. I was fairly happy with 28th but knew I could have done a lot better with a decent start.

Being the last race of the season we’re now having a few weeks off the bike ready for training over the winter and getting ready for 2013. A huge thank you for all your help and support over the 2012 season, without everyone’s help we couldn’t do it. It hasn’t been what I expected with ongoing injuries but I’ve learnt a lot and know how to improve on next year. 2013 will be a better year for us and expect to see some better results!

Law Takes in British Championship For Team STR KTM In Day Of Mayhem

Ray — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:05:57 +0000

The British Championship saw the final round held at Little Silver near Exeter and despite terrible weather leading up to the event and an even worse forecast for race day, the rain stayed away and the conditions were perfect.

Jamie Law started the day sitting in sixth overall, 15 points behind Martin Barr. His target for the weekend was to take fifth place from his rival and after a day of mayhem and exciting racing Law eventually secured the points he needed.

Qualifying:
Law was in 10th after the timed qualifying session but improved to 7th after the one lap super-pole.

Race 1:

It didn’t look too good for Law as Barr took the holes hot and lying back in 9th it was going to be a tall order for the Team STR KTM rider to claw points back from the Irishman. However as Law progressed to eighth he found Barr gradually dropping back towards him and by lap nine there were only two riders between them. A couple of laps later Barr’s bike started to play up and he was forced to withdraw from proceedings. Law couldn’t believe his luck as he crossed the line in seventh, securing 14 points and closing the gap to just a single point in the Championship.

Race 2:
Law made the better start this time out in sixth with Barr three places back in ninth. As the race unfolded Law closed onto the back of Alex Snow but Barr improved to close in on Law. Law just couldn’t find a way past Snow and it looked like it would cost him dear as Barr stuck a pass on him instead. But Law wouldn’t let him off the hook and the pressure paid off as Barr suffered a big crash and a DNF. The drama wasn’t over yet though as Law crashed himself on the very last lap and could only bring it home in a disappointing ninth place. However, with Barr unable to finish either of the first two races he didn’t qualify for the final race of the day. With Law now eleven points ahead of Barr his lead could not be overturned and he had secured fifth place in the British Championship, his best ever finish and one he richly deserved.

Race 3:
The final race of the season was a mixed race where the top twenty from MX1 and top twenty from MX2 battle it out. Law made a great start in fourth place and after losing a place to eventual winner, Simpson he settled into a great rhythm. By mid-race he was closing in on Krestinov and Snow in front, while at the same time managing to hold off the advances of two times British Champion Brad Anderson. Disaster was just around the corner though and on lap ten he suffered a big crash at the far end of the circuit. After taking a while to get to his feet he was left to nurse his battered bike as well as his own batted body back to the truck for a disappointing DNF and only tenth overall on the day.

Speaking after the event Jamie Law said: “In race one, I made a decent start but it took me two laps to find the pace. I soon got comfortable and kept pushing. A little bit of arm pump held me back. In race two, I had another good start and went with the pace from lap one. I was happy with my riding until the last lap when I made a mistake and had the weirdest crash ever and looped out costing me three places. In race three, I went for it from lap one and soon found my pace. I was running really comfortably in fifth twenty minutes into the race when I lost the front end when braking down a fast hill. Hitting the floor hard my wrist was instantly painful and I knew my race was done. On the whole I was happy with the way I was riding but don’t feel the results showed that.

“Managing to finish fifth in the Championship is awesome, I’m not only pleased for myself but everyone around me who helps me week in week out. The MX1 class was tough this year but I managed to keep my head down and keep working so fifth overall is a nice bit of payback for all the effort and support that people have put into me. Massive thanks to Steve and Diane for giving me the season of a lifetime, the GP experience was unreal. Looking forward to 2012 already.”

Team Manager, Steve Turner said: “What a strange day. Was it the track conditions or just the pressure which resulted in so many ups and downs, I don’t think we will ever know but I don’t really care, I’m just really happy for Jamie that he managed to get fifth overall in the Championship. It’s been a tough season with all the injuries to Matiss Karro and Nez Parker. At least we still finished with a smile on our faces. Jamie rode great today and got better and better as the day went on which is similar to his season in general. Shame about the crash in the last one but it doesn’t really matter. He came to get fifth and did enough on the day to take it.

“Matiss Karro also managed to hang onto fourth in the Championship despite missing the last three rounds because of injury. Happily, he is on the mend and will be back in the saddle for Team STR KTM next season.”

2012 ACU Maxxis British Championship – Final Standings
1st Kevin Strijbos – 530
2nd Shaun Simpson – 477
3rd Gert Krestinov – 363
4th Matiss Karro – 308
5th Jamie Law – 272
13th Nathan Parker – 140

Runner up spot for Dan Thornhill in Red Bull Rookies

Ray — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 05:14:54 +0000

With the track looking in absolute awesome condition on arrival, I felt keen for qualifying. Yet again the Rookies were out first thing and feeling good set out on getting a good qualifying. Things didn’t go to plan managing 7th position; but could still get a good gate.

The first Moto of the weekend started with a top five gate pushing hard, having a small fall whilst trying to push into 3rd position set me back a few places but managing a solid 4th at the flag.

Only having two Motos on Saturday with the Pro’s being in the program of racing, our last race the track was looking super rough and in prime condition. Gating well in the top five I soon pushed into 2nd position for a solid ride to the flag.

Sunday, went out for Moto 3, the rain was just holding off, again securing a top five start I rode a solid Moto to finish in 5th position at the flag.

Moto 4; the rain came making the track more technical and very slippery. Not getting the best start for the conditions I pushed hard all race to move up to 4th position.

The final Moto of the championship and the track had really deteriated making the start very important grabbing the import holeshot started my race off well until bobbled on the second corner and lost a couple of positions. Getting filled as visibility was slim I had another small fall and this put me way down in the pack.

Regrouping the best I could make it back to 9th position at the flag.

After not one of the best weekends for me I managed 4th place overall on the day and secured 2nd overall in the Rookies championship.

My season has been very good claiming the Maxxis British MXY2 Title and 2nd in the Redbull Pro National Rookies; I would like to say a massive Thank You to everyone who has given me the chance to race at this level and get to me to where I am today!!

My Special thanks to Simon from Grittenham MX, Nigel from Meredith MX, Simon from Fusion, Jez from Zook, Ryan from Shocktech, Roy from Frampton Damproofers, Matt from MX Zone, Ray from Whites Transport, Guys from Scott/Acerbis, Sean from DBMX.

Thor’s Riders Battle at EnduroCross and GNCC Races

Ray — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 05:31:48 +0000

Both the EnduroCross and GNCC series’ returned to action after taking a short break over the summer, making the riders eager to get back out on the track. At the fourth round of the EnduroCross series at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., Thor’s Taylor Robert scored a top five finish, while Mike Brown raced to seventh in the main event. Destry Abbott also made the main event to finish eighth. With four rounds complete, Brown currently sits in third in the points standings, and Robert is not far behind in fourth. Even though Thor’s Maria Forsberg did not compete in Ontario, she still holds a five point lead in the Women’s class.

At the GNCC at Unadilla in New Berlin, N.Y., the riders had to battle through muddy conditions after rain came through the area on Saturday. Thor’s Kailub Russell and Charlie Mullins both started the race at the front, but both were struck with bad luck. After Mullins took over the lead, he had to make an unexpected pit stop after losing his rear brakes, eventually making it back to seventh. Russell was also a contender for the lead, but went down in the motocross section, pushing him back to fourth overall for the day. After securing the Women’s class championship at the previous round, Forsberg didn’t back down as she claimed her 10th consecutive win of the season.

Charlie Mullins
(Photo: Shan Moore)

For all the latest from Thor, be sure to visit the NEW thormx.com, Thor on Facebook and follow@ThorMXOfficial on Twitter.

Holmes Dominates at Langrish

Ray — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 05:48:51 +0000

Paul Holmes took maximum points as he dominated a thrilling fifth round of the ACU British Quadcross Championship. Held during the prestigious Ken Hall Trophy weekend at the demanding Langrish circuit, the event attracted huge crowds who witnessed some of the best racing so far this year. Luke Cooper, Justin Reid and Connor Smith unleashed superb and entertaining performances to finish joint second on points.

{Paul Holmes took the fastest lap in qualifying – Click for High Resolution Image}

Organised by Langrish MCRC, the Manor Farm circuit was in perfect condition as riders undertook qualifying. Despite some rain during the night, the hard-packed track was drying out and the sun looked set to make for a glorious day’s racing. Holmes was fastest with the on-form Smith 1.13 second behind. Cooper, Leon Rogers, Reid and David Cowan all finished within three seconds of the fastest lap.

{Leon Rogers taking the holeshot in race one - Click for High Resolution Image}

16 year old Rogers bravely took the holeshot as 26 quads launched into the first corner before Sam Bryan made a pass and took the lead. Bryan spun in lap two as Holmes came through and immediately began to pull a gap from the chasing pack. Cooper held his second place position well until midway through the race when he came off his quad while trying to pass a backmarker. Fortunately he was able to upright his KTM and rejoin the race to battle with Reid for fourth and fifth positions. With Holmes way out in front, the focus was on second place. Rogers, giving his best British Championship performance so far was fully aware of Smith chasing him down.

{Reidand Cooper battle it out - Click for High Resolution Image}

The two battled hard for the remaining laps, encouraged by huge crowds who were enjoying the closely fought action. Holmes comfortably took the win with a 28.7 second lead. As the two under 21 champ riders blasted through the finish it was Rogers who took second with Smith in third. Meanwhile Reid took his CanAm to fourth after an exciting contest with the impressive Cooper who made a superb comeback to take fifth.{Holmes takes the win in race one - Click for High Resolution Image}

Full of confidence from his earlier win, Holmes powered his Laeger’s Yamaha into the first corner taking the holeshot before smoothly riding his own race from the front. Luke Cooper held the second spot with George Calloway, Oli Sansom and David Cowan closely behind. In sixth Reid was looking for a top three finish. “I managed to pass a couple of guys and catch up to Luke in second but I just couldn’t find a way round.” Reid explained as he had to settle for third place behind Cooper and the unstoppable championship leader Holmes. Smith and Cowan took fourth and fifth while Sansom took sixth.

{Paul Holmes - Click for High Resolution Image}

“I’ve really enjoyed the circuit here today. I’ve been full of confidence coming into this round and did what I wanted to do in qualifying, posting the fastest time. In both races I was keen to get to the front quickly and keep out of the roost, manage the gap and ride my own race” explained Holmes who now has a 68 point lead at the top of the leaderboard with two rounds left. He finished first overall with Cooper second and Reid third overall. They finished on 68 points each alongside Smith who was unlucky not to get a podium finish.

Current overall 2012 ACU British Quadcross Championship standings:
1 Paul Holmes (Yamaha) 273, 2 Oli Sansom (Yamaha) 205, 3 Justin Reid (CanAm) 204, 4 Connor Smith (KTM) 199, 5 Carl Bunce (Suzuki) 175, 6 David Cowan (Yamaha) 175

Cooper won the Under 21 Championship by one point ahead of Smith with Rogers in third. “I’m really happy with the result here and hope I can get a similar result at Dean Moor” commented Cooper. All three had a superb day’s racing showcasing the skill and talent that today’s top UK youth riders have to offer. Darren Bridge took maximum points in the Masters Championship with Martin Sayer taking second overall in front of Clint Eagle.

{Under 21 Championship round winner Luke Cooper - Click for High Resolution Image}

Round six will be taking place next Sunday (2nd September) as the Championship heads North to Dean Moor in Cumbria. Hosted by the NETT Quad Championship, this fast paced track with panoramic views of the Lake District will be a breathtaking backdrop for the penultimate round. The postcode for the venue is CA14 4RH. Further information about the track can be found at www.deanmoormotocrosspark.co.uk.

RESULTS:
British Championship: 1 Paul Holmes (Yamaha) 40 + 40 =80, 2 Luke Cooper (KTM) 31 + 37 =68, 3 Justin Reid (Can-Am) 33 + 35 =68, 4 Connor Smith (KTM) 35 + 33 =68, 5 David Cowan (Yamaha) 29 + 31 =60, 6 Leon Rogers (Kawasaki) 37 + 23 =60

British U21 Championship: 1 Luke Cooper (KTM) 35 + 40 =75, 2 Connor Smith (KTM) 37 + 37 =74, 3 Leon Rogers (Kawasaki) 40 + 29 =89, 4 David Cowan (Yamaha) 33 + 35 =68, 5 Thomas Claireaux (Honda) 28 + 33 =61, 6 Sheldon Seal (KTM) 31 + 27 =58

British Masters Championship: 1 Darren Bridge (Yamaha) 40 + 40 =80, 2 Martin Sayer (Suzuki) 35 + 37 =72, 3 Clint Eagle (KTM) 37 + 33 =70, 4 Andrew Willcock (KTM) 33 + 35 =68

British Clubman Championship: 1 Anthony Canavan (Honda) 40 + 40 =80, 2 Karl Robinson (Suzuki) 37 + 37 =74, 3 Jonny Harper (Suzuki) 35 + 0 =35, 4 Michael Campbell (Suzuki) 33 + — =33

Outsider – JS7 MotoX rain or shine – Episode 5

Ray — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 09:17:15 +0000

Still feeling the effects of a crash back in Colorado at Round 3 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships, James Stewart found himself frustrated and out of patience. With the #7 Suzuki docked in the garage, James worked through his frustrations in the gym. Taking a hard look at the championship and his career, he looks to refocus his efforts and get back on top.

With the rest of the series in question, the team and James work together to create a plan for success.

Picture of the Day: Pretty much sums up motocross in the UK at the moment

Ray — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:42:08 +0000

Look familiar? Yes it could be any rider at any event or practise track anywhere in the UK at the moment. This weather is not doing us any favours – we just want to ride.

Top 5 for Thornhill at Red Bull Pro

Ray — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:32:10 +0000

Dan – Image by Ray Chuss

The weather this week has been absolutely unbelievable, it has not stopped raining, conditions have been really bad, but to my surprise turning up at Canada Heights, for the 3rd round of the RedBull Pro Nationals; the track was dry, and the sun was out.

Woke up Saturday morning, with the sun shining, out for qualifying first, the track had been prepared well.

Qualifying did not go as well as I had wished, and I qualified 11th, a little disappointed.

First race, left the concrete start, but the bike seemed to sink in the sand, and I gated about 15th, managed to push hard and got into 6th, but disaster struck dropped it in a turn, back on my bike and managed to finish 9th.

Second race was determined to get out the gate, had a reasonable start about 9th, pushed hard round the first three corners and found myself in the top 5 pushing harder and harder and eventually finished 3rd.

Third race, not to bad a start, pushing hard, the track was rough and technical, had a good race and finished 4th.

Sunday woke up to the rain pounding the van, we had had so much rain, the track was unrideable, and the Redbull made the decision to cancel the meeting.

I finished 5th overall.

I would like to thank all my sponsors for their continued support.

Overall Results for the weekends:
1. Jake Millward
2. Liam Garland
3. Ben Watson
4. James Harrison
5. Dan Thornhill

Red Bull Pro Nationals are Go Go Go!

Ray — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:06:29 +0000

Rain or shine round three of the Red Bull Nationals will go ahead at Canada Heights this weekend – and according the eggheads at the Met Office we’re going to be treated to a mixture of both with bright sunshine broken up by the occasional shower.

Of course, this means ideal conditions for rainbows which is very apt given the colourful nature of a Red Bull Pro National where top class racing across pro, youth and two-stroke classes combines with the family festival feel to offer something for everyone.

There will be plenty of shelter in the Kidzone marquee and under the Red Bull wigwams but bring your brollies, waterproofs and wellies – as well as your suncream – and get ready for a great weekend of racing!

As you can see from our picture taken today the track’s in prime condition so it’s all systems go…