Another excellent day’s racing at the Darley Moor Motorsports Centre, near Ashbourne with the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club running Round 5 of their Club Championship on Sunday 11th July 2021. A total of eighteen 10lap races having twelve different race winners throughout the day giving the spectators some quality race action.
The opening race of the day, the non-championship Allcomers race, for up to 650cc Twins, certainly set the bar to an extremely high standard for others to follow; Chris Moore (High Peak) and Jim Hodson (Wigan) battling throughout. Quickest off the line was David Carson (Northwich) who led the opening lap but was passed by both Moore and Hodson on Lap2, the pair separated by just 0.5sec, with Moore leading. Lap6 saw backmarkers begin to play a part in the racing and maybe aided Hodson to make his move into the lead on Lap8, with 0.14sec advantage over the line. Lap9 saw Hodson enjoy the largest lead across the line, 0.67sec, but Moore then fought back on the final lap to take the win by just 0.23sec, with Carson 3rd. Just three races later Hodson and Carson were out on track once more in the 700cc Twins race, with a slightly different outcome at the head of the field, Hodson enjoying a trouble-free start to finish victory, with Carson moving into 2nd place on Lap2 and holding the position until the chequered flag, with Hodson over 13seconds up the road.
Hodson never made the grid for the second race, but this did not make it easier for Carson, who finished Lap1 in 5th place, 5seconds behind leader Richard Hunt (Walshford). Carson closed the advantage down to just 1sec by Lap6 and was able to take the lead the following lap, recording the Fastest Lap of the race on Lap7 and stretching out an advantage of over 7seconds at the flag.
The second non-championship Allcomers race, for ‘Up to 1300cc’ machines saw Josh Daley (Wigan) take the first of his trio of victories on the day and whilst this may have looked a straightforward start-finish win for him, with an almost 8sec advantage at the chequered flag, the three-rider battle for the Runner-up spot ensured the spectators were happy. Richard Charlton (Co Durham), Ash Stone (Matlock) and Mark Goodings (Doncaster) were separated by no more than 0.5sec for the first 7laps, until again back markers played their part. Firstly, Stone held 2nd for the opening six laps, with Charlton 3rd and Goodings 4th. Goodings then moved into 3rd on Lap4 and with back markers approaching he passed Stone for the 2nd spot on Lap7, with Charlton 4th. The final lap saw these positions change dramatically by the flag, finishing Daley 1st, Charlton 2nd, Stone 3rd and Goodings 4th. This quartet were also to be at the front of the field in the two combined Open Solo & Pre-Injection Open class machines, again Daley taking both Overall victories, never headed across the line throughout both races. The first race saw the chasing trio maintain their finishing positions from the Allcomers race from the opening lap through to the chequered flag. However, in the second Open Solo/Pre-Injection race Goodings tried to take the challenge to Daley, 3rd place on the opening lap, moving into 2nd place on lap3, with Stone and Charlton 3rd and 4th respectively. The three circulated the remaining laps in these positions, split by just 1.4sec at the flag. Pre-Injection honours were shared between Adam Walters (Derby) and Carl Morris (Etwall); Walters Overall 5th and Class Win, with Morris 6th Overall, Class 2nd in the first race, roles reversed in the second Morris 5th Overall and Walters 7th.
The Lightweight class gave a hard-fought double victory for Andy Whale (Birmingham). The first race saw him finish the opening lap in 4th place and moving up a spot on Lap2 with a 0.6sec gap to 2nd.
Lap5 saw him move into 2nd spot 16 seconds behind Chris Moore, who had led from the opening lap. Unfortunately, disaster struck, for Moore, on Lap8 and he failed to complete the lap. Leaving Whale to take the win, with an 11sec advantage over Steve Price (Cheadle). Moore never made the grid in the second race and Price was the quicker starter, leading the opening lap, but then Whale went into the lead on the 2nd lap and was able to pull out an 18sec advantage at the flag.
Ben Dale (Warrington) maintained his 100% record this season in the Pre-Electronic 600 class with another double victory, although each time he had a slower start than Stuart Bradbury (Kilburn) who was able to lead the opening laps until Dale had got into his stride, closed the gap and fought pass the leader and stretch out a winning margin of 8sec in the first and over 12seconds in the afternoon’s race.
The first combined CB500 and Juniors race saw Ben Coyle (Liverpool) take a start-finish victory on his CB500 machine. Behind Coyle 2019 CB500 Champion, Mark Brailsford (Chesterfield) and Jamie Hanks-Elliott (Birmingham) kept the crowd entertained with a race-long battle until the Final Lap when an incident saw Hanks-Elliott drop down to 6th Overall, leaving Brailsford to take Runner-Up spot ahead of Liam Clements (Newcastle under Lyme) on another CB500 machine. The incident handed another Chesterfield racer, Freddy Oakley the Junior Class victory with Hanks-Elliott finishing Runner-Up in class. The second race started in similar fashion with Coyle leading from the opening lap and opening a near 4second advantage by Lap4, but the following lap saw him drop to 4th place overall, then failing to finish Lap6, handing Clements the lead and able to hold it until the chequered flag, with Brailsford trailing 1second behind throughout the race. The opening lap saw Hanks-Elliott in 5th place Overall, but heading the Junior class, trying once more to get on terms with Brailsford, Coyle’s ‘demise’ handed her 3rd Overall. Oakley finished 5th Overall but took the Junior class Runner- Up spot.
The opening Formula 600 race provided the closest finish of the day with a battle at the head of the field between Ben Handley (Elvington) and Albert Walker (Torquay). Handley was quickest away, having a 0.8sec advantage after the opening lap and keeping this until almost half race distance when Walker started putting the pressure on and finding a way past on Lap8 only for Handley to retake the lead when it mattered most, crossing the line just 0.18sec ahead of Walker at the flag. David Carson had the best seat in the house for this battle, circulating a short distance behind for much of the race and being just 0.7sec behind at the finish.
For the Classics and Forgotten Era races the results sheets show Dean Cully (Benthall) took two victories, leading all but opening lap of the second race, but his machine has been found to be ineligible for the class, so will not be scoring any points. Behind him there was a battle going on between two hugely different classes of machine in the early stages; James Oddy (Chell Heath) and David Bradley (Matlock) on big 1100cc road-based machines, and High Peak’s Chris Moore on his much more nimble, former GP style 350cc machine. With Oddy finishing the opening lap in 2nd, Bradley in proximity, 3rd and Moore about 1second back in 4th place. The second lap saw Moore close the gap to the pair and on Lap4 had found his way pass Bradley, who then failed to finish Lap5. The following lap Moore found his way past Oddy and set about closing the gap on Culley, but backmarkers played their part yet again and his efforts were thwarted, finishing 4seconds adrift of the overall win, but with the Class victory. Oddy the 501-1300cc Class win and Graham Oakley (Chesterfield) the Up to 250cc Class victory with 7th Overall. The second race saw Oddy muscle his machine round in 2nd place throughout, taking another class win, but 2nd Overall, just over 5seconds behind Culley. With Moore not making the grid for the second race Mike Lees (Congleton) took the 251-500cc class win with 4th Overall and once again Oakley took the Up to 250cc class victory, with 5th Overall.
Fans of three-wheeled motorsport were treated to a masterclass display when the Howard Baker/ Mike Killingsworth (Sutton Coldfield/Washingborough) pairing were totally dominant in both sidecar races, finishing with a 40second advantage on both occasions!
This Round may have been the last Round with full Covid restrictions in place, but Sunday 12th September is a long way away in these current times. Fingers crossed some sort of normality will return with competitors and spectators able to camp overnight, spectators allowed into the Paddock area once again and a return to all round viewing when the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club opens the gates next time.
Adult £13.00 Seniors £10.00 (if purchased before 9.00 am on Saturday after which the Price £16.00 Adults and £12.00 Seniors). Camping available at £6 per night in advance, £7 per night on the gate.
For any further information regarding race and test days please check www.darleymoor.co.uk;
Facebook: Darley Moor Sports Centre; Instagram: darleymoorsportscentre; telephone: 01246 866537 or 01335 343833.
2021 Championship standings (After Round 5)
Junior Championship Class A – 1st Jamie Hanks-Elliott, 45pts; 2nd Scarlett Robinson, 24pts; 3rd Jack Smith, 10pts
Junior Championship Class B – 1st Freddy Oakley, 40pts; 2nd Katie Hand, 27pts; 3rd Josh Froggatt, 20pts
Senior Championship – 1st David Glossop, 42pts; 2nd Elaine Moody, 22pts; 3rd Luke Gilby, 15pts Classic & Forgotten Era up to 250cc – 1st Graham Oakley, 30pts; 2nd Loris Hunt, 24pts; 3rd Glenn Atkinson 18pts
Classic & Forgotten Era 251cc to 500cc – 1st Mike Lee, 25pts; 2nd Hefyn Owen & David Tetley, 15pts 3rd Kenneth Perch 13pts
Classic & Forgotten Era 501cc – 1300cc – 1st David Bradley, 27pts; 2nd Martin Davis, 24pts; 3rd Martin Powell, 20pts
Lightweight Championship – 1st Andy Whale, 42pts; 2nd Steve Price, 30pts; 3rd Jamie Hanks-Elliott 22pts
Honda CB500 & Suzuki Bandit Championship – 1st Mark Brailsford, 33pts; 2nd Liam Clements, 31pts; 3rd Tom Fisher, 30pts
Formula 600 Championship – 1st Albert Walker, 39pts; 2nd Tom Fisher, 30pts; 3rd David Carson, 23pts
Pre-electronic 600cc & 750cc Twin Championship – 1st Ben Dale, 45pts; 2nd Stuart Bradbury, 36pts; 3rd Lee Smith, 18pts
700cc Twin Cylinder Championship – 1st Dave Carson, 37pts; 2nd Jim Hodson, 30pts; 3rd Anthony Thane, 18pts
Open Solo – 1st Josh Daley, 45pts; 2nd Mark Goodings, 38pts; 3rd Ash Stone, 28pts
Pre-Injection to 1300cc – 1st Carl Morris, 40pts; 2nd Adam Walters, 39pts; 3rd Andrew Boulton 16pts
Open Sidecar – 1st Keith Waddington/Mick Storey, 30pts; 2nd Steve Thomas/Danny Lewis, 27pts; 3rd Anthony Eades/James Etchels, 25pts
Formula 600 Sidecar – 1st Howard Baker/Mike Killingsgworth, 42pts; 2nd Roger Stockton/Bradley Stockton, 27pts; 3rd Andrew Bingham/Kelly Bridgland, 16pts
Report by Brian George Photography/PR
Photos by Tony Else Photography