Peter Baker the vastly experienced 55 year-old (sorry !!) from Kings Lynn will be campaigning his Morello Services ZX10R in the MCE British Superbike Championships, the first round of which is at Brands Hatch on the Indy circuit. So this meeting was an ideal test to see how his pace was, and dial in the big kwaker. He was up against fellow National runners Jonathan Howarth, new Quelch signing Josh Wainwright and Sam Coventry on his very rapid Road and Race ZX6R. Plus the usual top NG runners headed by 13 time champ Phil Bevan on his new ZX10.
Baker swept all challengers aside to win all three finals, and astonishingly it was Coventry on his 600 that worried Baker the most in the third and final Phoenix open of the weekend.
Bevan and Howarth tasted time at the front but once Baker got into his stride he set some astonishingly fast and consistent lap times.
Pre meetings tip Jonathan Howarth had come into the weekend as NG lap record holder and soon bettered his old figures in the superb warm and sunny conditions with his Simon Consulting ZX10. But no sooner had the record books been updated Baker popped in three laps under Howarth’s new time to eventually set a best of 47.38 secs (91.78mph).
With some tweeks to his bike overnight Howarth was sure he could run with Baker but unfortunately the sunbathing crowd did not get to see the Barnsley Fireman out on track. He was not willing to risk pushing things after a big oil spillage from an earlier sidecar blow up left the track not at its best through Druids and Graham Hill. He has a good bike under him for the national title tilt and took the decision to sit the day out, not wanting to re-injure himself now that he is back to full fitness after his well-publicised Bray Hill crash at last years TT. But three wins and 75 points for Baker shows that there is still fire in the belly even after having started over 1200 races in his 30 year career.
“Double glory for Rumley”
Defending NG Sound of Thunder champ Darren Rumley considered a switch of bike to a ZX10 over winter, but decided in the end that he loves his KTM RC8 too much, and so is back to try and take the Thunder class for a third year in a row. After setting pole in qualifying ahead of other KTM men Paul Willis and Dave Mackay he knew he was in for a fight. But on the way to the grid the clutch on Willis’ KTM gave out....one rival down. Then as the warm up lap set off Mackay and Peter Carr collided taking them out of the action…. so two more gone. As the race set off Sean Smith’s 675 stuck in second gear….another top man out !!!. So Rumley rubbed his hands together and romped home to a 17 second win over class new boy James Harrison and James Stacey also a pair of 675’s.
Sunday saw Willis’ bike patched up, although not 100%. Also joining the fray for Sunday we had Swindon’s Triumph Triple series front runner Scott Pitchers. Rumley again lead the race from lights to flag to make in a 50 point haul for the meeting, but Willis and Pitchers were on his tail for the whole race. Willis held second for most of the race with a frustrated Pitchers trying to find a way through. It was on lap 9 that Pitchers got into second and immediately got right with Rumley, but as he mounted a challenge the red flags came out for an on track incident, and with just two laps to go the result was called by the Clerk of the course. The results though show the top three covered by just three-quarters of a second. Rumley was delighted as his title defence got off to the best possible start, and later discovered that his machine was not at its best as the fuel filter was blocked, knocking back the performance a tad !!!!
Hegarty proves he is ready for National series
Former two time British sidecar champs Sean Hegarty and James Neave arrived at Brands to get a good set up for their Eastern Airways National campaign on the LCR Suzuki. Saturday had them about a second off lap record pace but tweaking and tinkering was done overnight. On Sunday they reeled of 6 consecutive laps in the 49 second bracket, setting new lap record figures at 49.13 sec. Simon Gilbert and Ashley Moore the current NG champs followed Hegarty home in each of the four outings for the chairs. 2013 British series runner up Andy Peach/Charlie Richardson had a troubled weekend trying to track down gremlins in their new L&W LCR BMW. The gremlins won...as Peach's new BM blew up and caught fire on the exit of Druids in practice on the second day.
Matt Dix and Shaun Parker were the top F2 outfit all weekend, with defending class champions, Tom and Thomas Quaye spending the weekend searching for race pace after tipping the Meon Valley Suzuki on its roof in the gravel first thing on Saturday.
Sam is the man on 600's.
Sam Coventry, loves Brands Hatch, and his new ZX6R. The switch from the one make 848 series to the Supersport 600 has been quick and easy. The 20 year old controlled all four 600 races from the front getting quicker as the races went on to stretch out winning margins of 19 and 11 secs as the team tried our a host of new settings.
The battle behind though saw Alistair Black, Dave Manley squabbling over which step of the podium they wanted with Black just getting the nod. Whist behind them all hell was breaking out as Scott Pitchers, Corey Lewis, Paul Jeffery, Max Symonds and Sean Montgomery along with Tom Weeden revelled in the sunny and warm conditions but were just off the pace of the top three, although no one had an answer for Coventry.
Coventry left Brands Hatch happy and headed off to Spain for more track time on the Road and Racing/Future Moto ZX6R at Almeria.....will it be as sunny as Brands Hatch through !!
Wilford wins 8 from 8.
16 year old Sam Wilford has recently relocated to the UK after living in Germany, and took his IDWe RRV450 Aprilia to 8 wins from 8 starts in the 500 open and GP45 races in just his second meeting on the bike. The Meopham teenager lives just 5 miles from Brands Hatch, and clearly loves the Indy Circuit. Wilford splits his time between working for his Dad's electrical company and continuing his education with a private tutor. But one thing is for sure.... he does not need teaching how to race a bike....he has that nailed.
Despite racking up 8 wins, he definitely did not have things all his own way as he had to withstand pressure from two more very quick teenagers in the shape of South African Jordan Weaving on his moto3 KTM and Carmarthan's Mark Clayton with the RS125 Honda. A resurgent Phil Guillou on his TZ, gave the kids a good run on Saturday, but sat out Sunday’s race.
The rest of the action in brief....
David Ince and Shane Faber shared the honours in the Formula 125 class whilst James Hobson and Jordan Weaving, both on Moto 3 KTM’s tasted victory in the small GP class with Mark Clayton easily the best 125 GP rider. Daniel Tilley and Ben Harrison each scooped a win in the Formula 400 with Harrison also winning his first ever race in the 500 newcomers. That earned him the Bardahl newcomer of the day award. Forrest Dunn dominated the big newcomer class, and Paul Williams headed up the Mini Twins for the newbies.
As ever there are three streetstock classes and Daniel Tilley took maximum points from the 400cc on his NC30 whilst Adam Grosch took the pair in the 700cc class a feat that saw him win the Metzeler tyre award. The 1300cc class had Simon O’Donnell and Richard Hughes end the meeting honours even. Rob Garland took Saturday’s 700 pre injection final on his street-fighter Yamaha but struggled to match Clayton Grovers’ pace on Sunday as Grover set a new class lap record. There was another new lap record in the 1300 pre-injection for Mike Hobbs as he narrowly headed home former champion Adam Jeffery in both finals.
Dan Couzens was unbeatable on his Team V Speed SV in the Mini Twins although Grant Robertson, Paul Holden and Richard Goode kept him honest. Couzens lowered the old class best lap times three times over the weekend. Wayne Axon took both Super Twins wins in the new to NG class. In the Powerbikes BSB Supertsock runners Josh Wainwright and Jonathan Howarth shared honours at the flag as they used the meeting as preparation for the upcoming Pirelli backed National series. Howarth set a new lap record on his way to victory in the ideal conditions.
This meetings special award winners……
Performance of the meeting Dan Couzens
Bardahl Newcomer of the meeting Ben Harrison
250 GP Dunlop performance tyre winner Rich Grinling (Saturday) – Jonathan Stamper (Sunday)
Streetstock Metzeler performance tyre winner Adam Grosch
Jay Russell – Jay Care Sidecar Performance Award Tom Quaye / Thomas Quaye
Saturday
http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2014/brands_15mar/results_table_selector.php
Sunday
http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2014/brands_16mar/results_table_selector.php