BUMPER CROWD FOR OPENING ROUND OF PHOENIX TOOLS CHAMPIONSHIP

Report and Photos by Dave Rich

  Last Sunday the opening round of the 2014 Phoenix Tools Premier Motocross Championships took place at Phoenix Moto Parc, Kingsteignton on what could only be described as a glorious day with the sun out in all its glory and with a well prepared track after the wet weather of late spectators were there in numbers to witness a brilliant opening round.

                             

In the Phoenix Tools Expert Open class there was one of the best line ups seen and expectations were high. Defending Champion Luke Hawkins onboard the Phoenix Tools Rocket Honda had set the fastest time in qualifying, but it was one of his team mates Kelvin Townsend who was to get the best start in the opening race, but this was short lived as within half a lap Alex Snow had powered his Phoenix Tools Rocket Honda to the front to take the lead. Hawkins was to move up in to 2^nd on lap 2 and was giving chase while there was a real battle going on behind him for 3^rd between Townsend and John May on the St Blazey Suzuki who was breathing all over the back wheel of Townsends Honda. This tussle went on for several laps and soon to join in the scrap was the Crescent Racing KTM of Jake Shipton and wildcard Lewis Gregory on the GL12 Racing Yamaha. Shipton tried a bit too hard on lap 7 and went down and through went Gregory passing both May and Townsend on the same lap. Snow was to go on to take the win with Hawkins a comfortable 2^nd with Gregory taking 3^rd.

  In the second moto again it was Townsend with a blistering start, but right behind him was team mates Hawkins and Snow who were looking to get pass early on, but Townsend was to hold the racing line until lap 4 when a slight mistake saw Hawkins and Snow sneak through and these two just as they did in the opening race started to ease away. Townsend was soon under pressure from young 16 year old Josh Gilbert on the Amped / St Blazey Honda, but a mistake from Gilbert saw him drop back and it was now the H M Plant KTM of James Dunn who had stormed his way up through the field who was to get the better of Townsend and was giving his all, but in the end it was a win for Hawkins from Snow with Dunn a commendable 3^rd.

  The last moto it was Snow who looked to of had the best start, but he ran a bit wide at the first corner and through into the lead was to come Dunn who was soon into his rhythm and was powering away at the front. Snow was giving his all to stay with Dunn, but a mistake and then a problem with the bike on lap 4 saw Dunn ease away at the front. Shipton was now in 2^nd trying his upmost to close on Dunn, but there was only going to be one winner in this one and that was Dunn, Shipton 2^nd with the Oakleaf Kawasaki of Shane Carless taking 3^rd.

  In the Over 35 Championship class there were several new names on the line including Nick Life who this year had registered to compete in all the series. In the opening race it was Jamie Deadman who set the early pace and led for the first 3 laps, but was soon under pressure from Life who after not the best of starts had forced his way up through the field and on lap 5 got pass Deadman and from there life stormed away to take the win.

  In race 2 it was Martyn Tucker with the best start in this one with race 1 winner Life again with a terrible start well down the field. Tucker held the lead for the first 4 laps before he was caught and passed by last years runner up Gavin Flagg and then was demoted to 3^rd after Life was to get pass. Flagg was giving his all at the front trying to hold off Life, but it wasn’t long before he found himself back in 2^nd as Life took over and from there went on to notch up race win number two.

  In the last race it was Tucker again with the early lead, but with a better start in this one it wasn’t long before Life took over at the front and was to go on to lay down the gauntlet with a convincing hat trick of wins.

  In the over 40 Championship class it was all about one rider and that rider was wildcard entry Brian Wheeler who is no stranger to riding in the South West who was to totally dominate all 3 races from yet another wildcard and fellow Southwest rider Wayne Butt on his 125  

 

The Over 50’s Championship class saw a welcome return to riding for Mark Gleadhill who demonstrated that he has still got what it takes to compete and was to notch up a brilliant hat trick of wins to start his 2014 Championship campaign off with maximum points.

  In the Tyremarks Junior Championship class there were many new names in attendance including many schoolboys moving up into the adult ranks so it was a guess to know who was be a threat. In the opening race it was Leon Burt who set the early pace after a blistering start, but as the race commenced he was gradually reeled in by Luke Sturgeon who was soon pressing for the lead. These two were to swop places several times mid race before Sturgeon took control and was to take the win. Sturgeon was to waste no time in the second race once he hit the front and he was to do exactly the same in the last race, hitting the front early on to race a was to complete a hat trick of wins and lead the Championship after the opening round.

  RESULTS

Phoenix Tools Expert Open Championship Race 1

1^st Alex Snow (450f Phoenix Tools Rocket Honda) 2^nd Luke Hawkins (450f Phoenix Tools Rocket Honda) 3^rd Lewis Gregory (250f GL12 Racing Yamaha) 4^th Todd Kellett (450f S J Hodder/Apico/Talon Honda) 5^th James Dunn (250f H M Plant KTM) 6^th James Dodd (450f NineTwoNine/A T Mx/Factory Touch/St Blazey Honda)

Race 2

1^st Hawkins 2^nd Snow 3^rd Dunn 4^th Shane Carless (450f Oakleaf Kawasaki) 5^th Kellett 6^th Jake Shipton (450f Crescent Racing KTM)

Race 3

1^st Dunn 2^nd Shipton 3^rd Carless 4^th Hawkins 5^th Kellett 6^th Gregory

M D Racing Over 35’s Championship Race 1

1^st Nick Life (450f Gibbs Performance/St Blazey Yamaha) 2^nd Gavin Flagg (450f J A S Building Contractors Suzuki) 3^rd Jamie Deadman (450f Moto 64 KTM) 4^th Martyn Tucker (450f SR75/Molson Suzuki) 5^th Ross Parry (450f A J Cleaning Honda) 6^th Rob Lewis (350f Tony Maunders Racing KTM)

Race 2

1^st Life 2^nd Flagg 3^rd Parry 4^th Tucker 5^th Lewis 6^th Stephen Elford (450f Gabriel Insulations Honda)

Race 3

1^st Life 2^nd Flagg 3^rd Tucker 4^th Elford 5^th Lewis 6^th Parry

M D Racing Over 40’s Championship Race 1

1^st Brian Wheeler (450f GL12 Racing Kawasaki) 2^nd Wayne Butt (125 Honda) 3^rd Chris Brown (450f Factory Touch Honda) 4^th Jon Rutherford (450f J R Racing KTM) 5^th David Ford (350f Projuice KTM) 6^th Andrew Watkins (450f Kernow Auto-Body Suzuki)

Race 2

1^st Wheeler 2^nd Butt 3^rd Brown 4^th Rutherford 5^th D Ford 6^th Richard Tapscott (250f Honda)

Race 3

1^st Wheeler 2^nd Butt 3^rd Rutherford 4^th Steve Locke (450f S J Hodder Honda) 5^th Watkins 6^th Tapscott

M D Racing Over 50’s Championship Race 1

1^st Mark Gleadhill (450f Honda) 2^nd Steve Chugg (450f Honda) 3^rd Adrian Toy (150 KTM) 4^th David Lidbetter (450f Ilumina Honda) 5^th Peter Ardren (450f Ardren Racing Kawasaki) 6^th Sammy Doble (250 M D Racing KTM)

Race 2

1^st Gleadhill 2^nd Chugg 3^rd Toy 4^th Ardren 5^th Doble 6^th Lidbetter

Race 3

1^st Gleadhill 2^nd Chugg 3^rd Ardren 4^th Toy 5^th Lidbetter 6^th Doble

Tyremarks Junior Championship Race 1

1^st Luke Sturgeon (450f Kawasaki) 2^nd Leon Burt (450f Gibbs Performance Honda) 3^rd Jack Stevens (450f D S C Kawasaki) 4^th Daniel Hartley (????) 5^th Dan Wade (450f Hawkins Motors Yamaha) 6^th Olly Jones (450f Bob Jones Heating KTM)

Race 2

1^st Sturgeon 2^nd Jordan King (250 Apico Yamaha) 3^rd Wade 4^th Toby Harvey (450f Honda) 5^th Josh House (350f KTM) 6^th Stevens

Race 3

1^st Sturgeon 2^nd King 3^rd Jason Brooke (250f Buildbase Racing Honda) 4^th Harvey 5^th Burt 6^th Hartley

Junior B Race 1

1^st Oliver Foord 2^nd Liam Brown 3^rd Michael Green 4^th William Ell 5^th Edward Lewis 6^th Graham Beale

Race 2

1^st Brown 2^nd Craig Garrett 3^rd Ell 4^th Beale 5^th Foord 6^th Lewis Hunt

Race 3

1^st Foord 2^nd E Lewis 3^rd Ell 4^th Richard Grills 5^th Stuart Barfoot 6^th Garrett

Junior C Race 1

1^st lee Hocking 2^nd Aden Prout 3^rd Joshua Symons 4^th Jack Smith 5^th Mark Tillyer 6^th Alex Groves

Race 2

1^st Hocking 2^nd Brian Hutchings 3^rd Smith 4^th Groves 5^th Tillyer 6^th Tom Matthews

Race 3

1^st Hocking 2^nd Groves 3^rd Hutchings 4^th Prout 5^th Matthews 6^th Tillyer