Lee Hodge, the 26-year-old from Chesham, Bucks snatched the narrowest of victories to regain his lead in the ACU Suzuki GSX-R Trophy series at Anglesey, North Wales on Sunday.
Hodge sneaked back in front of archrival Jay Dunn on the last lap to win by just over a quarter of a second and take a three points’ lead going into the final two rounds of the competition.
Dunn, the 17-year-old from Romily, Cheshire, had been leading Hodge when the race was stopped following an incident.
Hodge led the 12-lap re-run from the first lap, but Dunn gave himself a big handicap after seeing something fall from Hodge’s bike, which he thought was the rear wheel spindle nut.
Dunn lost ground as he tried to indicate to race officials that Hodge was in danger and consequently slipped back to third place after being passed by 19-year-old Marty Lennon, from Banbridge, Co Down.
Dunn went back to race pace, caught and passed Hodge to snatch the lead on the last lap, but Hodge went round the outside on the last corner and won the sprint to the finishing line.
Lennon had his best result of the season by taking third place almost nine seconds further back.
Dunn had an eventful ride in the fifth round of the ACU Open Clubmans Championship, later in the day.
He was up with the leaders on the opening lap, when rammed by Championship leader, James Slater (Yamaha 1000), the 33-year-old from Preston, Lancashire.
Dunn was forced onto the grass at over 140mph and could not get back onto the tarmac for over 150 yards. By then he was down in 15th place.
Despite extensive damage to his Suzuki 600, Dunn charged back through the pack. He caught and passed Slater with four laps to go, but was still seconds down on winner Charlie Corner (Suzuki 1000) when time ran out.
A convincing victory for Lee Dickinson (Gailmain Engineering Honda) in the 22-lap, ACU Replicast UK BikeSport News British 250 race was enough to give the 30-year-old racer from Stanfree, Derbyshire a commanding lead with two races to go.
Dickinson led from start-to-finish in the re-started race, crossing the line almost 29 seconds in front of Chris McAloran (Honda), the 21-year-old from Portadown, Northern Ireland.
McAloran was down in fifth spot on the opening lap, but climbed up though the pack to go second when both Dan Tarratt (Honda), the 36-year-old from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire and Alex Kenchington (Yamaha), the 20-year-old from Wellington, Somerset, crashed out of second and third places on the same lap in separate incidents.
Third home, less than two fifths of a second further back, was Alex Symon (Yamaha), the 33-year-old from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, who himself came close to crashing out early in the race, chasing Kenchington.
Jonathan Lodge (Honda), the Holmfirth, Yorkshire racer who celebrated his 21st birthday a week ago, gave himself a nice, late birthday present by winning the 125 GP Open class.
That win, his third of the season, coupled with a crash for his 18-year-old brother, James, means that Jonathan climbs back to the top of the standings, James had been third overall and leading the class when he crashed and remounted. He raced on to cross the line second in the class, nine seconds behind big brother, but unfortunately remounting after a fall is against the rules and he was excluded from the results, leaving Mike Edwards (Honda), the 20-year-old from Tarporley, Cheshire to inherit second spot, just under two seconds ahead of Charles Wallace, the 21-year-old from Kings Langley, Herts.
Martin Glossop, the 18-year-old from Bristol, has one hand firmly on the Colin Appleyard 125 Academy Cup, thanks to another clear-cut win.
Glossop, quickest in qualifying, led the ten-lap race from start-to finish, but life was easier after Shaun Horsman (Honda), the 16-year-old from Bolton, Lancashire, who set the fastest lap of the race, crashed out three laps from home, whilst chasing him.
His departure let Ben McConnachie (Honda), the 15-year-old schoolboy from Ashover, Derbyshire up into second spot, ten seconds further back.
Toby Glenn (Honda), the 17-year-old from Northampton was third home, less than a quarter of a second behind McConnachie.
James East, the 18-year-old from Royston, Herts, had been running in second place to Glossop, when he fell. However, having broken the Regulations by remounting, he was excluded from the results.
George Hogton-Rusling (Aprilia), the 15-year-old from near Rotherham, won his third race of the season to climb to the top of the Sports Production 125 Championship. He passed Johnny Blackshaw (Aprilia), the 15-year-old from near Warrington, Cheshire, on the sixth of ten laps and went on to win by 1.4 seconds. Cameron Wilson (Aprilia), the 14-year-old from Dalkeith, Mid Lothian was third home.
Aiden Simmons (Metrakit), the 14-year-old from Swindon, Wiltshire, rattled his fourth win in the Sports Production 80 class to close the gap on the two riders ahead of him in the series.
Edward Rendell (Conti), the 16-year-old from Chelsmford, Essex, who was second home, stays with Tom Weeden, the 13-year-old from Maidstone, Kent, second and Simmons third.
The Yokohama ACU FSRA British F2 Sidecar race looked to be almost a perfect weekend for Championship leaders Holden/Winkle after securing pole position in qualifying and having a start to finish race win. However, third placemen on the grid Neary/Bond certainly made sure it was an exciting race. After a slow start, in which they ended the first lap in 6th place, they fought their way through Holden/Winkle’s chasing pack, including setting the fastest lap of the 24 lap race on lap 23, to finish less than 3 tenths of second behind the winners. After an early battle between Elmer/Marshall and Horsepole/Cox the final step of the podium fell to Elmer/Marshall.
Results
ACU Dunlop Tyres Sports Production 80 MotoStar Championship
1st Aiden Simmons 2nd Edward Rendell 3rd Tom Weeden
ACU Dunlop Tyres Motrac Racing Sports Production 125 MotoStar Championship
1st George Hogton-Rusling 2nd Johnny Blackshaw 3rd Cameron Wilson
ACU Dunlop Tyres Colin Appleyard 125 Academy Cup
1st Martin Glossop 2nd Ben McConnachie 3rd Toby Glenn
ACU Dunlop Tyres 125 Open MotoStar Championship
1st Jonathan Lodge 2nd Mike Edwards 3rd Charles Wallace
ACU Replicast UK Bikesport News British 250 Championship
1st Lee Dickinson 2nd Chris McAloran 3rd Alex Symon
ACU Suzuki GSX-R Trophy
1st Lee Hodge 2nd Jay Dunn 3rd Marty Lennon
Yokohama ACU FSRA British F2 Sidecar Championship
1st Holden/Winkle 2nd Neary/Bond 3rd Elmer/Marshall
ACU Clubmans Open Championship
1st Charlie Corner 2nd Jay Dunn 3rd James Slater
For clarification of Championship positions please visit the Road Race pages of www.acu.org.uk.
For more details on the ACU Dunlop Tyres MotoStar Cup or any of the individual classes, please contact the ACU Road Race Department on 01788 566406 or email rr@acu.org.uk