Tuesday July 31, 2012 at 10:58am
What do the UK’s front running BSB riders do when they have a rare weekend off?…… go motorcycle racing of course!
The Cadwell Park NG Road Racing meeting was used by a whole raft of Britains best as they started their preparations for the upcoming MCE British Superbikes meeting at the Lincolnshire circuit. However even if the original intention was a weekend of testing when the “racer’s” came to the grid, testing was the last thing on their mind and racing was the order of the day.
The 125 GP grid had Ryan Watson (Appleyard Racing), Tom Carne (Repli-Cast Racing), Catherine Green (RS Racing), Arnie Shelton (Pateman Racing) and Sam Burman (WNT/Burman Racing). The 600’s saw Luke Stapleford (Profile Kawasaki) and Jake Dixon (Moto Breakers) heading the list with also Craig Neve and Daniel Frear. Whilst Jonathan Howarth headed the list of 1000cc Superstock runners.
Howarth fully admitted that so far he has not had the season that he had been hoping for on the Adaptive Cooling, and that he was at Cadwell to test a new Maxton front end on the ZX10. By the end of the weekend the Barnsley Fireman had a big broad grin on his face setting lap times that shout see him well in the points when the next National Metzeler Superstock race come to the grid on the August bank holiday weekend.
Stapleford too had a testing and set-up agenda on his ZX6R Profile Kawasaki. After also using a recent EMRA Mallory Park meeting for similar race pace set up testing things are certainly looking up for the Motorpoint 600 Superstock rider. He not only broke the NG 600cc class lap record but also set the fastest lap of the weekend at 1min 31.90 that’s an average of exactly 85mph.
The Pro Bolt 600cc
National Motorpoint 600 rider Luke Stapleford and Metzeler 600 Superstock young star Jake Dixon dominated the Pro-Bolt 600 finals. Stapleford on his Profile ZX6R eventually grabbed both wins and also set the fastest lap of the weekend as he battled with Dixon. Dixon, who at just 16 years old, and with two National race wins to his name already this year on his Moto Breakers R6 must be marked out as one our best young prospects. His line into Hall bends was very fast and precise, and he was one of only a couple of riders all weekend to make a pass stick at that part of the circuit. Other National runners Daniel Frear, Craig Neve and Josh Leaning had no answer to the top two. Of the NG championship regulars Darrel Jones was on the best form with fourth and sixth to give him a good points haul against such opposition on his Absolute Marquees GSXR
125GP
With the National Motostar contenders, Tom Carne, Ryan Watson, Catherine Green and Arnie Shelton on the grid the 125 GP finals were bound to be cracking good races…. and we weren’t to be disappointed. Arnie Shelton on the Pateman RS125 and Tom Carne with the Replicast RS along with Cat Green’s RS Racing 125 set the track alight on Saturday but as the race went on Green just started to loose contact as Shelton and Carne pressed on. The front pair were so keen to take the win that they went into hall Bends on the last lap side by side…. and that really is not possible…. through the hairpin and Barn they were still two abreast and in the drag to the line Shelton grabbed it by just 0.10. Ryan Watson, who on paper would have been the pick of the grid, got an awful start…. then cut the chicane and never really settled into the race coming home a distant fourth just ahead of current NG series leader Andrew Fisher. It was a very different Watson that came to the grid on Sunday though and after catching early front runner Catherine Green the Appleyard Racing rider swept through and set a series of 1:36’s to pull away for the win. Green held a strong runner up sport ahead of a race long tussle for the final podium spot between Sam Burman and Andrew Fisher. Saturday’s winner Shelton crashed his RS125 at the Hairpin on the first lap after trying to recover from an uncustomary slower start after already making it up into third in just three quarters of a lap.
The Phoenix Motorcycles Open
Jonathan Howarth on his ZX10R and Luke Stapleford ZX6R raced wheel to wheel of 7 of the 8 laps in the Open final. Howarth lead race long, but Stapleford was all over him forcing him to go faster and faster as the race went on. It was only on the last lap that Stapleford eased off the pace to give Howarth a win by 3 seconds. The pair thoroughly enjoyed their race. Phil Bevan, current defending champ and current series leader had a terrible start from the front row as his front brake locked on as the lights changed, eventually getting into turn one in 10th place. He fought through hard to grab third by passing eventually passing Dean Brown and his BMW in the dying yards of the race. Sunday’s premier class final saw a series of unprecedented events as in the space of a few minutes the conditions went from sunny and dry to sunny but drenched as a flash storm hit Cadwell. Not wanting to risk a spill most of the qualifiers stayed parted up. Just Bevan, Chris Pope, Chris Beverley and Andrew Booth came to the line. Pope was sidelined after his chain snapped on the warm up lap…. that left three… obviously with a championship to fight for Bevan was keep to race, and as the bright sunshine glistened off the puddles Bevan and his R1 Yamaha splashed to an easy win from Beverley and novice rider Andrew Booth…..well done guys.
The CSC Sidecars
Jim Hamilton and Mick Fairhurst made the trip from Fife in Scotland worthwhile after two convincing wins over championship rivals Paul Corfield and stand-in passenger Nick Roberts. Despite loosing points on their rivals Corfield was happy to come away with a machine still I one piece after a raft of mechanical problems this year. With maximum points Hamilton and Fairhurst on the JEBS Performance LCR Suzuki have put themselves on the brink of 2012 glory in the open series.
Steve Lynham Formula 125
Joseph Thomas and Jordan Rushby shared the spoils in the F125 races with a win apiece which seen Thomas extend his series lead after his closes rival failed to finish on Saturday. He bounced back on Sunday to take second place behind Thomas…. well I say behind, they were absolutely side by side at the flag and everyone had to turn to the timekeepers to separate them. The decision went to Thomas by just 0.05 second.
450cc Open
Catherine Green and Arnie Shelton put on a wheel to wheel race long show in the 450 open. Shelton just could not find a way past the inch perfect Green…..that allied to the blistering pace of the Ryan Saxleby Honda saw Shelton finish a frustrated second. Sunday was a thunder shower drench the Cadwell circuit just prior to the final and despite the fact that Shelton has the upcoming Motostar National series as his focus he wheeled the custard yellow Pateman RS to the grind and set a blistering pace in bright sunshine…. but a soaking wet track, heading home current championship leader Chris Beverley.
A and R Racing Formula 400
Shannon Hale took another maximum points haul with two wins in the F400 class on her Black Lion Transport ZXR400. Hale the defending champion had close company from Max Alexandre on Saturday but Sunday saw Alexandre forced out after the warm up lap as his Midland Ladders ZXR lost all but first and second gears. That allowed Dave Matchett to take his best position of the year with a runner up sport, albeit some half laps adrift of 2012 champion elect Hale.
Simon Consulting Powerbikes
Barnsley Boy Jonathan Howarth powered to a fine double in the Powerbikes on his Adaptive Cooling ZX10 Kawasaki, in what was a fine weekend test in preparation for the upcoming National Superstock series. Defending champion and current series leader did the best he could behind Howarth with two runner-ups finishes ahead of Byron Beckett and Dean Brown. Chris Pope on his AFB R1 had a good haul to move up the overall point’s table into third behind Bevan and Peter Baker.
Performance Red Sound of Thunder
National Ducati 848 rivals Dyron Beckett on his Williams Engineering 848 and Mike Dawson on the md-racing.co.uk Duke shared the honours in the Sound of Thunder. Despite leading in the early stages on Saturday Paul Willis, former class champ could not run the race pace of the 848 pair, not surprising seeing as he is still suffering from early season injury. This years top man Darren Rumley on his KTM RC8 took two third placings with Sundays race proving hard work after not making the best of starts, fighting his way past Matt Billington, Willis and Nicky Wilson as he powered through to the podium.
MPH Bikes Mini Twins
Reigning and defending Mini Twins champion Ben Marsden on the NP Motorcycles had two agonising runner up placings as in both finals he was hunted down and passed by 18 year old Dale Thomas with the T&E/Fast Rads SV. The winning margins were 0.22 seconds on Saturday and on Sunday even closer at just 0.14 secs.
Pirelli UK GP45 Singles
Two more emphatic wins in the GP45’s for Peter Carr on the Pistol Racing 450. James Stacey took a distant runner up spot in both outings as Pete showed how well he has clicked with the little 450 single Kawasaki. Pete’s normal sparring partner and defending champion Matthew Andrew failed to score after his Suzuki seized in practice, a downbeat Andrew may well now park the bike for the rest on 2012 and concentrate on his GSXR 600 in the open class.
Metzeler and DTR Streetstock
Martin Parkhouse took maximum points in the 400 Streetstock with two wins on the Parkitt Racing ZXR 400 with two wins from Mark Ireland who was nursing his ailing ZXR to the flag. Series leader going into the weekend Josh Jones failed to make in to the grids after breaking his collarbone during Fridays testing. David Mitchell and Dean Richards shared the points in the 700 Streetstocks. Mitchell hangs on to his series lead, but rest assured hard riding Welshman Richard’s will never give up. In the biggest Steetstock class and with a lot of local support Lincoln man Paul Dawson staked his claim for the 1300cc championship after a couple of non scoring rounds with two fine wins in front of the home crowd
Pre Injection
The long trip from Somerset to Cadwell proved well worth it as Tom Palmer took two more wins in the 1300cc Pre-injection class. In both points scoring races he headed two-time class champion Adam Jeffery across the line….. but it was close….both wins were by less than half a second. Palmer’s trip home though was probably very upbeat after two wins…..so spare a thought for Adam Jeffery….two narrow defeats, and a long long 310 mile trip home…..that’s nothing though he will have a 700 mile round trip for the next meeting at Anglesey !
700cc Pre injecton honours were shared between Williams James and Nick Colley, both using R6 Yamahas
April UK Newcomers
NG Road Racing runs a newcomers championship at each of the two day meetings so with just one more two-dayer to go at Anglesey it was vitally important to get points on the board. Dale Thomas took the Mini Twins win on his T&E/Fast Rads SV, Joseph Thomas the 500cc win on his RS125, whilst Tom Cook took a last gasp win in the Open from race long leader Dave Manley in a drag race to the line.
Wayside Garages Performance of the Meeting
Peter Carr was a worthy winner of the Wayside Garages performance of the meeting award with four impeccable races on his Pistolracing.co.uk 450 Kawasaki. Unbeaten all weekend and dominating in both dry and wet so made his long trip back from Cadwell to home on the Isle of White so much sweeter.
Russ Gardner