With this Pembrey meeting being the penultimate round of the 2013 season (….just Thruxton – 12th October to go) every rider who wants some end on season glory must lay it on the line this weekend. There can me no more holding back, this is the sharp end of the year…. point’s mean everything.
Local man Phil Bevan is hoping to grab two more titles to add to his record breaking tally of 11 by taking the Open and Powebike titles on his R1 Yamaha. This is Bevan’s favourite circuit so if Ben Marsden, Roo Cotton, Liam Murtagh or Darren Rumley can better Bevan here it will be all the sweeter for them. Teenager Mark Strudwick is also after two titles as her leads both the 125 GP and 500 Newcomers list in his first season on track. Liam Delves at just 13 years and 1 month is looking to become one of the youngest ever NG Champions by taking the F125 series on hi 80 Metrakit. Darren Rumley is on the verge of retaining the Sound of Thunder class but will have Paul Willis, Shane Smith and Dave MacKay to fend off. The 600cc class though is a tough one, Peter Carr leads the way but there are more possible winners…. and proven race winners here than any
other class as Andrew Fisher, Chris Hawkes, Dave Manley, Paul Jeffery and Dale Thomas are all on the grid.
This is also the last round of the year for the newcomers so Mark Strudwick (500cc), Sean Montgomery (Mini Twins) and Dave MacKay will all be hoping to leave Pembrey with their respective classes tied up……so, as I say….there is no holding back now!
The Circuit
This 1.456 mile Pembrey circuit throws up a series of demanding challenges for the riders. The circuit has two very distinct sections split by the Hachetts and Brooklands hairpins. The technical section from Hatchets, through Spitfires, Dibeni, Paddock and the Esses changes after heavy braking at Brooklands as the fast sweeping sections through the Speedway, Woodlands and Honda Curve take over. Despite the hairpin sections lap speeds in excess of 90mph are needed for glory.
The Fastest
Phil Bevan set the fastest Club lap around Pembrey at an April meeting back in 2009 on his 1000cc R1 Yamaha at 58.07 seconds, which equates to 90.26 mph. With the right competition and track conditions we could see the first sub 58 second lap.
The 250GP ACU National Championship
NG Road Racing are once more hosting the prestigious 250GP ACU National Championship. This is the only place that you will see these machines competing in a full National championship backed by Dunlop and The ACU and 100% Suspension anywhere in the UK. Reigning and therefore defending National champion Dan Jackson leads the current standings by just 9 points over Chris Martin, who has taken 7 wins so far. Jackson took his first win of 2013 at Anglesey last time out, and Jackson knows Pembrey better than Martin……. A betting man might just have even-odds on the win for either man.
The Phoenix Motorcycles Open
This is the big one for the NG riders. It really is the best rider on the best bike that comes out on top. There is dedicated timed qualifying….longer races…and more laps on offer than any other class. That’s why it’s the premier club class with big end of season money from Phoenix Motorcycles of Trowbridge, all the top riders want to win. Defending champ Phil Bevan sits at the top of the points table once more. Darren Rumley is aiming to grab second in the series on his very trick KTMRC8.
Keep an eye on…. Phil Bevan…. R1 Yamaha No 13….Open and Powerbike
It might seem like an obvious choice, but Bevan is THE man around here, and has been for over 10 years, whether it be on 996 Ducati… GSXR thou or now R1. Despite Phil running a track day school here he does not do as many laps as some people think (most of his time is spent in the office organising or running at slower pace as an instructor). Phil has suffered this year with arm-pump but is ominously for his rivals still leading the Open and Powerbike series….he is the benchmark….THE man to beat.
Wayside Garages Performance of the Meeting
As with every meeting there is the Performance of the Meeting Award. Open to everyone, this rewards one rider per meeting for his or her efforts. It is not all about winning races (….. although that really helps !!!!), the judges take all classes and all riders into consideration. Last time out at it went to Ben Marsden on the NP Motorcycles ZX10 Kawasaki.
Bardahl Top-Oils Newcomers Performance Award (www.top-oils.co.uk)
This is a new award for 2013 from Bardahl Top-Oils and rewards a newcomer for his or her efforts on track. This can either be for a good weekend result, or a one off performance against more experienced opposition. Last time Forrest Dunn took it.
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