Wednesday June 8, 2016 at 10:44am
This weekend, on the 12th of June to be precise, the fourth round of the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship supported by Pro Clean will take place at the epic venue of Desertmartin in Northern Ireland, and what a time to be a motocross fan!
Desertmartin is a world-class venue best known for its rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship in ’05 and ’06. It is also recognized in Great Britain and the motocross community for its ability to attract big and enthusiastic crowds, which we can expect to see once again this weekend.
As for the racing, things are bound to get heated out on the spectacular sand circuit in MX1 with both of the front-runners, Shaun Simpson and Tommy Searle, nursing injuries. Wilvo Virus Performance KTM’s Shaun Simpson will be heading in with the Red Plate and a 10 point advantage over Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Tommy Searle, which could be crucial to his championship since he pulled out of the most recent round of the motocross world championship with a broken hand. Simmo has taken to Facebook saying that he returned home early for treatment in order to be as ready as possible for Desertmartin this weekend.
Searle, on the other hand, no pun intended, has had a few niggling injuries all season long, but no broken bones or anything drastic, therefore he could be in the prime position to take a chunk out of Simpson’s lead. But watch out for the home soil hero onboard the Buildbase Honda CRF450 as he sits third in the championship and will hope to top the box for his Irish fans that gather on the hills of Desertmartin.
As for the battle for fourth, it’s crazier than ever! MVR-D 10K Fuel’s Tanel Leok, Buildbase Honda’s Kristian Whatley and Hitachi Revo Husqvarna’s Jake Nicholls are all tied on 93 points. The Estonian express, Leok, is a renowned sand rider, yet he didn’t make the box in the sand of Hawkstone at the previous round. Instead it was Nicholls who looked to have found his mojo and was on fire for third overall. All three of these stars need to have a good round this weekend as the series enters the second half of the season, and points are becoming even more vital.
In MX2, it will be all about the local lad riding the Buildbase Honda CRF250, Martin Barr, who will run the red plate for the first time in his career on home soil. For Barr it will be a pretty special day and one to remember especially if he can land on the on the box.
Meanwhile, trying to rain on his parade will be the Apico Husqvarna boys of Steven Clarke and Bryan MacKenzie. Both are huge fans of the venue and will be looking to do some damage.
Meanwhile Verde Sports Racing KTM’s Jake Millward is one rider that has flown under the radar this year and is sitting fourth in the championship. Millward is one of the most consistent riders in the class, and we all know that old chestnut, ‘consistency wins championships’, so keeping an eye on Jake is probably some solid advice.
Injuries are the hardest part of the puzzle to predict because they can happen to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. For Wilvo Virus Performance’s Adam Sterry, who got injured before round one, fifth place is a frustrating position to hold. Nevertheless, he shifted his goals accordingly and is just looking to improve every weekend. Despite only making his return at round two, Sterry has already finished inside the top three twice and was second overall at the most recent round with an incredible 2 – 2 finish.
There’s a lot to look forward to this weekend at Desertmartin in Northern Ireland. MX2 Practice will commence at 09:00 with MX2 Race 1 starting at 11:55. The postcode for the track is BT45 5QW.
Tickets are available to buy on the gate, £20 for adults and £5 for under 14’s. Family tickets are £45. Camping will be available on the Saturday at a cost of £10 per pitch and for more information please go to www.mxgb.co.uk.