As ever with nigh on perfect racing conditions at Oulton Park for round 10 of the NG Road Racing series the Phoenix Open gave us the fastest race of the day. With Josh Day on his WH Bond ZX10 taking the win in preparation for the upcoming BSB National Superstock round. He was using this weekend as a relaxed and confidence rebuilding meeting after two big off’s at Snetterton and Brands for the last two BSB meetings.
A relaxed Josh is a fast Josh and set a series of laps just half a second off the time he was on when BSB rolled into Oulton back in May when Day was 7th overall. It was Phil Bevan that made the best start from an uncustomary third row, but Day Leon Jeacck, Gavin Hunt and Ben Grindrod soon set off at the front. Day’s early lap confidence saw him take charge, but Manxman Gavin Hunt on the JAR Racing set about closing down Day. Both were on the class lap record pace and it was only a matter of time before Gavin eclipsed the time set by Jack Kennedy with a 96.77mph lap at 1:40.1. Josh though had by now a two and a half-second buffer and took the flag first followed by Gavin and Leon. Meanwhile further back hole-shot man Phil Bevan and 11 time NG Champion was slipping off the pace as the tough Welshman was suffering with the R1 and the conditions as he slipped back to tenth at the flag…..and did not even win the battle of the Welsh as Dale Thomas and Paul Shook, both headed Phil home. Bevan though still leads the overall point’s table aiming for and unprecedented twelfth title. Wayside Garages 600cc
On qualifying form the 600 class looked to be the story of two men, Nick Anderson and Dale Thomas. Thomas had been quickest in the morning, but come the afternoons final Anderson upped his game on the Be-Wiser ZX6-R Kawasaki. He immediately grabbed to front followed by Thomas. By lap 4 Thomas who is still just 19 was shaping to mount a challenge, but is reputation of pushing a little too hard on occasions went before him…… and just as the leading pair had dipped under the lap record figures Thomas lost the Kawasaki a Knickerbrook. He got up, but the kwaker looked very sorry for itself. This left Anderson with a 25 second lead over 18 year old Daniel Stamper who stormed trough from 13
th on the grid to grab runner up spot from Richard Stanbury on the last lap. Dave Manley had his best ever ride on his A1 Grafix R6 taking a fine 4
th place on the last lap from Peter Carr who was riding a borrowed streetstock spec 2005 675 courtesy of Shaun Wynne after Carr’s ZX6 gearbox had blown. Carr rode the wheels off the borrowed bike to keep his championship hopes alive……. overheating the little trumpet more than once !!!!!
www.Simon Consulting.info Powerbikes
Josh Day and his WH Bond ZX10 took another race win and another lap record in the Powebikes and he headed home the ever exuberant Leon Jeacock who looks like he is now much happier with the set-up of his new ZX10. Chris Barnes and Ben Grindrod fought over the final podium spot with Chris and his BMW nicking it in the latter stages. Series leader Phil Bevan is still suffering with niggling injuries and some arm pump. Bevan lead lap one but the pace and the heat added to those injury issues meant that he slipped down to sixth at the flag after being piped by fellow Welshman Paul shook on the last lap.
125GP / Moto 3
13-year-old BSB Moto-star rider Daniel Costilla had the edge in the 125GP class all day on his Replicast UK Honda. He just had the edge all day over frustrated team-mate Asher Durham. Series leader Mark Strudwick grabbed the third podium step to keep him firmly at the top of the point’s table on his MTS Racing Honda.
Steve Lynham Formula 125
Despite Keiran Smith taking a convincing F125 win on his Rs125 Aprilia, Liam Delves pocketed 20 points for second. Those 20 points see Delves now head the point’s table for end of year honours
Fraser’s of Gloucester 500cc Open
Despite Dave Hampton getting the hole-shot and leading for the first three laps he could not quite hold onto Mike Hose and Adam Hoare as they came through. Hose on his Declans Racing TZ lead for the rest of the race, but Hoare was never more that a bike length or two adrift. Adam took more than a few looks-up-the-inside at Kinickerbook but inch perfect Hose, had the moves covered. For all of his pressing through Adam Hoare got the consolation of setting a new class lap record.
GP45
Sam Edwards took almost 30 seconds out of his rivals on his Duncan Edwards Decorators Aprilia 450 Twin, heading home Mark Carkeek, who once more had mechanical issues with his Corby Kawasaki…..but still managed despite starting from pit lane to come through to that valuable runner up spot.
A and R Racing Formula 400
Shannon Hale took her fifth win of the year on her Black Lion Transport ZXR. In the hot and sticky conditions Andy Carden made Shannon to work hard for the win, and in the early laps it was anyone’s race. A concerted effort on the final lap saw defending class champ Hale take the victory and keep her well on course for her third F400 title. Novice James Millard had his best result on the year with a fine third place on his DDR Racing ZXR. James has had more than his fair share of mechanical issues this year, but here proved that when all goes well the results are there for him.
MPH Bikes Mini Twins
There literally was nothing to choose between Kevin Davies, Justin Garrett, Sean Montgomery and Jordan Rushby in the hectic squabble for Mini Twins honours. All four raced under the old lap record race long. Davies on the NP Mini Twins / Pink Elephant Photography SV looked to have done enough with a 1 second lead going into the last lap, but a combination of backmarkers and a blistering last lap from Justin Garrett (….with another new lap record !!) saw photo finish called for. Davis got the nod. But the effort of Davies’s race in the hot and sunny conditions showed as he pulled into pit lane, immediately downing several bottles of cold water…..but with a big bread grin on his face.
Peter Hammond Motorcycles Sound of Thunder
National 848 front runner Leon Morris was using Outlon to chase lap times in preparation for the upcoming BSB round. Despite not being overly happy with his times he set a new NG Club Sound of Thunder lap record… and won the race on his Stockbridge Racing 848 by nigh on 11 seconds. I suppose it’s that attitude that makes you a national championship winner….ever searching for more. Garry Hamilton on his KTM Mare a great start to the race but was squeezed out at turn one and Darren Rumley, Byron Beckett, Paul Willis and Chris Matthews came through. Will Morris stretching away the focus was for second and Beckett and Rumley set about each other. Rumley with that extra bit of KTM RC8 grunt took the battle, and grabbed more good points for the season long war as his nearest series rival Paul Willis struggled all day finishing in an unaccustomed eighth place.
Metzeler and DTR Streetstock (400cc / 700cc / 1300cc)
Corey Smith continued his 400 Streetstock domination. Another win, his fifth from the ten rounds puts him 121 points clear of his nearest rival. It is astonishing to think that the KR1-S Kawasaki rider needs just 4 points from the next five rounds to lift the title (…..there are still 125 up for grabs !!). James Harrison had to first catch then pass Murray McConnachie on his way to the 700 Streetstock win. This is Harrison’s second win on the trot backing up his Mallory Park performance. In the big 1300 Streetstock class Paul Dawson has a reputation for being very fast, but sometimes his race craft can let him down….. not so here he clicked with Oulton and did not put a foot wrong taking the race win over Tom Cook….setting a new class lap record…..and lifting himself to the top of the point’s table on his PMB Contracting R1.
TPC Construction Pre Injection (700cc / 1300cc)
Both Pre Injection classes went to the form book, with defending champion Tom Palmer taking the 1300 class on his Palmer plastering R1 over Gary West and Kevin Davies taking his eighth win of the year on his NP Mini Twins SV….. although Phil Webber made him fight for it all the way with barely a bike length between them at the line.
Two Stroke Classic GP
Mike Hose on his Declans Racing TZ250 had the measure on the Classic two-stroke GP grid win a pair of impressive wins over Andrew Sawford and Rich Grindling. Daniel Williams kept his hope of being a double champ on his Gecko TZR250 by taking two 5
th placing adding more points to his GP F tally for modified road bikes and the Aspire Open series. All this was despite the bike failing on him in practice.
Wayside Garages Performance of the Meeting Peter Carr – 600cc and Sound of Thunder – Sean Wynne 675 Triumph Daytona
Bardahl Top-Oils Newcomer of the Meeting Sean Montgomery – Mini Twins – F Brown Racing SV650
Russ Gardner