Thursday May 19, 2011 at 9:34am
Having dominated at the first round of the ACU Clubmans championship at Snetterton, Peter Baker on pole for race 1 at Cadwell started as the hot favourite; especially so as two of his main rivals Phil Crowe and Daz Bellworthy didn’t make the grid. The Cadwell meeting was oversubscribed and by the time Daz and Phil enquired the grids were full. However, pre-race predictions went out of the window on the first lap at the Goose Neck as Peter Baker, trying to make up for a poor start which saw him back in about sixth place, crashed out; Baker was one of a number of riders to get caught out at the Goose Neck on the first lap by the sunny but cold conditions. This left club regulars Neil Watson (Honda 1000), Jules Croft (Honda 1000) and Kerrigan Read (Suzuki 1000) to battle it out for the lead. Watson prevailing to take his first win ahead of Croft and Read. Read shadowed Croft for the entire race but couldn’t find a way past the experienced racer who was out getting track time in preparation for his first TT meeting in June.
Croft went one better in the second race, taking the win in what was a closely contested race. Croft again frustrating Read who could find no way past. Watson came third the top three separated by one third of a second at the line. Having to start the race from the back of the grid, race position being allocated on your finishing position in the previous race, Baker made slow progress through the field to sixth ahead of Byron Beckett (Yamaha 1000), but just failing to pass Lee Wilson (Suzuki 1000) at the line. Monday a new day and yet another new winner, Read finally getting his first win of 2011 in the third race. Getting past early leader Croft, Read pulled away to build up almost a four second gap a head of Charlie Wilson (Honda 1000). Wilson managed to get the past Croft at mid-race distance but couldn’t close the gap to leader Read. Croft faded as the race went on but managed to hold off Watson to take third place. Baker’s meeting didn’t get any better as he went out of the race in the Woodland section on the fifth lap and decided that that was enough. Beckett who had taken a tumble in an earlier Allcomers race had tried to join the grid but pulled off before the start with gear box problems. Race 4, fast starter and early leader Croft was soon hunted down and passed by Read. As Read pulled away from Croft, Wilson was the next man past. Setting off after Read, it took Wilson until the penultimate lap to catch him. Getting past Read in Chris curve Wilson held fended off Read as he fought back to take a very popular win; four races and four different winners. Read (141 points) now leads the championship from Croft (112 points), Baker (110 points) and Watson (103 points). The next round of the ACU Clubmans championship is at Anglesey on the 4/5 June.