Chilly, but more importantly clear blue skies and sunshine greeted everyone at the start of the 62nd Steve Henshaw International Gold Cup Road Races at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough on Saturday morning 15th September, 2012.
Practice and qualifying safely out of the way, the first of nine races, the first leg of the 250cc Lee Pullan Trophy, combined with Classics got under way at 1.00pm.
The eight lap race saw Paul Owen get the hole-shot into Mere Hairpin, but it was Phil Harvey who led and the end of the opening lap from Owen and Davy Morgan. Staring from the back of the grid William Dunlop was up to sixth. Davy Morgan had acquired the lead after another lap from Harvey and William Dunlop. By half distance Morgan had opened a three-quarter of a second advantage over Dunlop who had moved into second, demoting Harvey to third. William Dunlop completed the fifth lap only to ride into the Paddock with machine problems as Harvey took the lead from Morgan bi one-tenth of a second. But at the chequered flag, Davy Morgan took the chequered flag by one second, with Paul Owen third.
Second race of the day the first leg of the 125cc Stu Reed Trophy, over six laps saw Dan Frear leading by half a second at the end of the opening lap from James Cowton and Chris Palmer.
Positions remained the same at the half distance lap with the leader’s gap up to three-quarters of a second. Cowton took the lead on the fifth lap and held to the flag.
Third race, the first leg of the 1000cc Darran Lindsay Trophy, another eight-lapper Dean |Harrison and Jamie Hamilton lead the pack into Mere Hairpin, but by the end of the opening lap, it was Guy Martin who had the lead, a lead he was to hold until the chequered flag. Behind the leader Harrison and Hamilton battled for second and third, finishing in that order. Michael Dunlop finished fourth.
Next up was the first leg of the F2 Sidecars, over six laps, which saw Michael Dunlop make his Sidecar racing debut... The opening lap saw Ian and Carl Bell in the lead from Carl Fenwick and Mark Sayers with Dave Molyneux and Patrick Farrance third. Positions remained the same on the second lap with the leading standing at 3.129 seconds. Half distance lap saw Molyneux and Farrance move into second place as the Bells increased their lead to four and a half seconds.
The lead was cut by half a second by the end of the fourth circuit. A further two-tenths of a second had been shaved off the lead by the end of the penultimate lap. At the chequered flag, Ian and Carl Bell took the victory by just 0.994 of a second from Dave Molyneux and Patrick Farrance, with Carl Fenwick Mark Sayers. Michael Dunlop and Dan Sayle finished a creditable seventh.
Race five, the opening heat one of the David Jefferies 600 Cup over four laps, won by Guy Martin from Bruce Anstey and Ivan Lintin. The second heat was won by Dean Harrison with Michael Pearson second and Ian Lougher third.
Race six, the first leg of the Phil Mellor SuperTwins Trophy Race, another eight-lapper. Ivan Lintin got the hole-shot from Dean Harrison and it was Harrison who was leading at the end of the opening lap from Lintin and Davy Morgan. Lintin closed the gap on the second lap getting it down to under one second, as Ian Lougher moved into third. The gap was reduced even further on the third lap to just over half a second, with positions remaining static. At half distance, Lintin had brought the deficit down to half a second. Lap five saw the gap move in the opposite direction opening out to 2.208 seconds, with Lougher dropping back a further 18 seconds, but still retaining third. At three quarters distance the gap had extended even further to 5.289 seconds and at the chequered flag Dean Harrison took victory by 9.367 seconds from Ivan Lintin with Ian Lougher third some 25 seconds down
The penultimate race of Saturday’s programme was the first leg of the David Jefferies 600 Cup, once again over eight laps. Guy Martin led from the start and by half distance he enjoyed a 3.7 seconds over Dean Harrison with Michael Pearson holding third. By three-quarters distance, lap six the gap had grown to six seconds, as Daniel Frear moved into third ahead of Pearson, but on the seventh lap Pearson had retaken third spot from Frear. At the chequered flag it was Guy Martin, Dean Harrison and Michael Pearson.