Thanks to the typical British weather, both days of the final meeting in the 2012 season were in stark contrast to one another. Saturday was a rather warm day considering the time of year, and the sun shone all day, enabling perfect track conditions and a fantastic show of racing. Sunday was totally the opposite, with overnight temperatures plummeting close to the dreaded zero, giving cause to a bout of early morning fog which halted proceedings until almost lunchtime. Steadily the sun peeped through and rose the temperature ever so slightly and allowed a paddock full of anxious and eager riders the chance to warm their machines and get going once again. Amazingly, the full programme of races was run (although to an extremely tight schedule) and thanks to the fine calculations of the Clerk, the expertise of the whole race officialdom and the absence of major incidents, the final meeting of the year ran smoothly and with an hour to spare before curfew.
Steve Porter Transport Classics
The first bikes to burst into life were the Classic machines, and the paddock rumbled with the sound of yesteryear as the riders made their way to the pits. On form and ready for action was reigning championship leader Tony Benson (67) and waiting to challenge the title was Jonathan Nell (157), along with a grid full of hopefuls looking for the remaining silverware. Back for more Three Sisters action was local Master of Classics Jaeson Caunce (22) aboard his supremely quick K4. The absence of both Mark Butterworth and Jack Clarke on Saturday gave both Benson and Nell a guaranteed head start, but there was still work to be done. As the lights went out, Caunce shot into the lead and well ahead of the frontrunners, but Benson and Nell were only interested in their own battle for championship success. Caunce won both races on Saturday as expected, and Benson became the victor in the title lead in order to set the pace for Sunday’s final, although it looked as though the gearbox problems from the previous round momentarily returned as Benson appeared to tour past the pits, however the troublesome selector cured and allowed the current champion to once again wind on the power and attempt his title retention. Sunday’s races saw a very similar situation, with Caunce once again emerging as winner, but Benson set his sights on a good grid position for the points race, beating both Nell and Jack Clarke (14) to the finish. Speaking after the first race, Benson said that he was concentrating on his own battle with Nell rather than trying to get a tow from Caunce, and Nell spoke of similar ideas, although selflessly admitted that Benson was the better rider due to knowing how and where to apply power on the circuit. True to form, Caunce won easily, but Benson crossed the line almost 2 seconds (but only one point) ahead of Jonathan Nell and becoming the Classics champion once more, although word in the paddock suggested that this may be his last as he was considering retirement. The final didn’t go without its fair share of drama as a DNF from Jack Clark due to a broken drive belt put an end to any hope of a last minute points dash. Meanwhile, the Classics up to 250cc champion was headed up by local riders Mike Schofield (95) and David Thorp (79) and thrown into the mix was returning PDMCC competitor Mark Jackson (155). Although on equal points with Thorp, Schofield became the title holder due to accruing the most race wins over the season.
Bikepics.smugmug.com Rookies
Due to the class being restricted to riders in their first season of competition, the grid regularly attracts new faces each meeting and is one of the favourites amongst spectators as the bikes meander through the bends, frantically holding onto whatever line the rider can manage. That said, the class contains some emerging talent, and newly-crowned champion Liam Weston (77) is right up there, and certainly another step closer to his TT dream. Practice on Saturday saw some worrying smoke escaping from the number 80 steelie ridden by the remarkably fast Mike Bampton, but the issue was resolved before race 1, made clear by the fact that Bampton was back on form and displaying his usual fast performance. Weston suffered a huge highside during the Saturday points race but thankfully walked away unscathed, the CBR suffering minimal damage considering the circumstances. Lorna Winstanley (313) also went well and looked yet even more at ease aboard the Hornet-powered CBR, and racked up a best finish of 9th in Saturday’s points battle. James Leatham (21) showed that he has made some remarkable progress in getting used to racing the steel-framed CBR as he held off many of the faster riders for the first 2 laps, but team-mate Martin Clare’s (5) Saturday 2nd place enabled another trophy for the collection. Rookie Fireblade pilot Stuart Hilton (23) commented on Leatham’s improvements, stating that no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn’t catch the nimble Bryn rider and that his confidence was really building. Leatham finished 5th, just a shade in front of Richard Whitton (321), but the places were swapped in the points race as Whitton beat Leatham marginally. Sunday’s final saw yet more vast improvement from Leatham as he beat father-in-law-to-be Martin Clare to the finish in 4th place, and a last ditch attempt to finish the year within the top ten gave him another 4th but Clare yet one more 2nd, and winner Liam Weston walked away with the race win and the title after notching up a massive 35 point lead – even though his mechanic spotted a holed radiator on the CBR as it waited in the pits and concerns of overheating became apparent, and Saturday’s huge crash seemed a distant memory. PDMCC newcomer Cyrus Wania (188) made his debut appearance in the Rookie class, and managed to knock off 6 seconds from his lap times on Sunday compared to his first race on Saturday. Wania is a member of the pit crew for Metzeler National Superstock 1000 contender Lee Costello (Halsall Racing Team) and was aboard the ex-Tom Fisher Triumph Daytona 675 Superstock 600 machine, displaying a seemingly natural approach to racing. Meanwhile, Lee was on hand as special guest throughout the weekend, giving out trophies at the Saturday evening presentation. Lee himself began his road race career with PDMCC and was delighted to be back where he found his roots.
Classic 50cc Racing Club – Classic 50
Weird and wonderful 50cc classic bikes are a firm favourite at the Wigan track, and a diverse mix of machinery is always guaranteed to give some first class 2-wheeled entertainment. Former club competitor and 50cc wizard Chris Alty loaned Scott Dootson (37) his prized Kreidler machine for the weekend, and was on hand to offer guidance as the former AR50 rider got to grips with a true classic. The beautifully presented smoker was a head turner on pit lane as it was kept ‘zinging’ due to the fact that it will not run below 12000rpm thanks to its finely tuned status. Dootson’s 2-stroke tuner Dad Dave appeared nervous as Scott set off on warm-up, but Alty insisted that the youngster ‘abuse the clutch’ as much as required in order to get maximum propulsion through the tight bends and steep gradients. Scott did just that, and appeared quite fast at first, although the immaculate Yamaha ridden by Mark Tyrrell (179 - in place of Richard Hope) proved a touch mightier as Tyrrell powered past the Bolton racer on the approach to Paddock Bend. Tyrrell stayed at the front, and although Andrew Frazer (134) stuck his AR50 into the mix, Dootson brought the Kreidler home in 3rd place in the Sunday trophy race. Scott’s Uncle Paul (70) finished the trophy race in 14th and a lap down from Tyrrell but insisted that he had enjoyed it, and improved marginally in the points battle by gaining a 12th. Scott Dootson won the afternoon race although this was assisted by a DNF from Tyrrell, but its points that count, and Kevin Burton (11) emerged as the champion with a 7 point lead, whilst his brother Kerry (8) finished the year in 4th place.
Single Cylinder/Forgotten Era
Although the bulk of 125cc battles tend to occur in the respective class, the Single Cylinder grid usually contains pretty much the same line-up and many a fantastic race has been had this season, but the wheel-to-wheel scraps involving Andrew Jackson (94) and Alex Baker (122) over the weekend can only be described as simply breathtaking. Using Saturday’s races as a bit of a warm-up, the pair got serious on Sunday – even though it looked like Baker had sealed the championship, Jackson was not giving up and set to work. Jackson set the pace during the final points race, pulling well ahead of Baker’s Aprilia and virtually lying the Honda sideways through the curves as the first lap got underway, but Baker’s determination and focus paid off as the laps counted down. Jackson tried hard to maintain his lead but Baker moved in gradually and narrowed the gap so much that a pass was inevitable midway through the 9-lapper. The Lathom youngster pounced, crossing the line just less than half a second in front of Jackson, sealing both a race win and another PDMCC title, whilst Jackson was forced to settle for 2nd. Scunthorpe youngster Kieran Smith’s (96) hard work this year paid off as he took 3rd place in the Single Cylinder championship, although a bit of contact from a Forgotten Era rider in Saturday’s points race which resulted in a fall surely knocked his confidence slightly.
Moto GD Steel Frame 600
Club veteran and winner of multiple titles Gordon Draper (13) said goodbye to racing in style over the weekend, retiring from a club racing career spanning 3 decades and achieving his target of winning 2 North West championships in the same year. Draper had his final full race aboard the well prepared CBR in the Steelie class, taking with him the championship in which he worked so hard for. The remarkable power of the 110bhp Honda was apparent as it launched the Burscough rider along the straights, and it was clear that hard work both on track and in the garage is the only way to achieve success if you are serious about racing. Finishing the season 8 points clear of Mark Rayment (62), Draper had to work hard as Rayment tried every move possible to grab the title. Edward Hosker (31) was also in the mix, and the 3 local steelie stalwarts manoeuvred each corner virtually side by side, displaying expert racecraft and proving exactly why the Steel Frame 600 class has been the closest and most exciting championship this season. Draper and Rayment continuously traded places throughout the 9 laps – Rayment better at cornering but Draper having the power along the straights, and the number 62 machine was first home, the Moto GD Honda just over a second behind. Edward Hosker was right on the rear wheel in 3rd place but Draper wasn’t bothered – he could have pushed a tiny bit more but the championship was his and he had done what he set out to do. Rayment finished the season in 2nd place, with Hosker 10 points behind in 3rd. Stuart Poulton (46) concluded the year in 4th, and will hopefully return in 2013 fully recovered from wrist problems in order to build on his achievements so far.