“Ice cool Hickman” BSB Paddock refuge Peter Hickman has been left without a short circuit ride for 2014 so has made the decision to switch to the pure roads scene with Paul Shoesmith’s Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade team. So to get Peter familiar with the teams new S1000 RR’s the crew rocked up at Oulton, which is very akin to a roads circuit.
I think it is safe to say that Pete likes the bike, as in the premier NG series the Phoenix Open he set a time almost 4 seconds quicker than his rivals, headed up by Jamie Harrison and Phil Bevan in timed qualifying.
Everyone expected Hickman to disappear into the distance in the final, but it was reigning NG champ Phil Bevan on his ZX10 that got the hole shot and lead for the first two laps. Hickman then picked his moment and took the advantage, but did not give up the fight as he clung onto the back of the big BM for the next 3 laps. Eventually Hickman’s pace though meant that a tenth here and a tenth there pulled him clear of Bevan who was in a safe second, with Harrison third and a fast finishing Chris Barnes in fourth. Darren Rumley came though with a fine fifth on his KTM just ahead of Corey Lewis using his R6 up against all the 1000’s. One of the tips for a podium, Duncan Gibson had to pul into pit lane after the warm up lap with handling issues on his Panigale.
Hickman also took the top spot in the Simon Consulting Powerbike, again of Bevan on his new ZX10 which saw sporting a new swing arm this weekend. Rumley was third with Gibson an the Panigale hot on his heels.
Safe to say then, that Hickman and the team are looking forward to this year’s TT, North West and Macau.
“Hegarty’s warning shot……”
Former two time British Sidecar champion Sean Hegarty, with James Neave in the chair used Oulton to get up to race pace before the start of the 2014 Eastern Airways series. Not content with just winning races…..Hegarty totally dominated, the CSC Open Sidecars with winning margins of 32 and 41 seconds over his nearest rivals who were John Holden and Andy Winkle. It was thought that Gary Horspole and Justin Sharpe might make a race of things but the pace of Hegarty was just too hot. Horsepole ended the day in pit lane in the main final with a sick LCR. Leaving the way open for local Crewe based pairing Daniel Knight and Daniel Evanson on the RSR Suzuki to come in second.
Hegarty and Neave not content with the wins, set a series of lap record……in fact the only lap that wasn’t under the old figures was the one from a standing start !!.
Eventually the crew that aims to take their third British title this year (…previously having won the British title in 1999 and 2005) rewrote the record books with a time of 1min 44.47……some 7 seconds quicker that the previous record that has stood since 2008 by Williamson and Two !!!.
With such pace at Oulton it is a shame that the Eastern Airways British series don’t come to the Cheshire circuit !!. One thing is for sure though…..Hegarty is ready for the tilt for that third title………
John Holden and Andy Winkle were the top F2 crew all day with a pair of impressive wins on the Silicone Engineering/Barnes Racing LCR Honda….again at F2 class lap record pace in the afternoons perfect sidecar racing conditions. Both wins were over Mick Cookson and Alun Thomas.
Wilford winning streak continues…..
After racing up eight wins at Brands Hatch for round one we saw 16 year old Sam Wilford continue his winning ways at Oulton with four from four. He took both qualifier and final in the GP45 on his IDWE Ltd 450 Aprilia heading home Sam Edwards for the 25 points. The Open 500 class was a bit of a different affair though as 15 year old Carmarthen schoolboy Mark Clayton shadowed Wilford all the was on his Refined Recruitment RS125 Honda. Wilford had the top speed on the 450…. Clayton rode the wheels of the 125 round the turns. Two very different styles but both effectively giving the same lap time. At the flag Clayton tried to get the drive out of Lodge and through the scary Deers Leap, but just lost out as Wilford took it by half a wheel. Wilford, was awarded the performance of the meeting trophy for his winning run.
Hankin hangs on…. as all hell breaks out behind him……
Kiaran Hankin took his KH Hire ZX6R to the Simon Consulting 600 final win as he held of a late charge from local man Chris Mort and current British 125 Motostar champ Tom Carne who has switched full time to a 675 Triumph in 2014. Mark Cronshaw saw up there too until R6 cried enough and retired as too was Corey Lewis, but unfortunately after two runs through the chicane he was slapped with a 10 second penalty. With Hankin, Mort and Carne 1-2-3, they were unaware that behind them Max Symonds, Dave Manley, Dale Thomas and James Harrison, Sean Montgomery and James Stacey were neither giving nor asking a quarter in a frantic battle. Former Aprilia superteen champ finally got the better of the group to grab fourth proving he has now clicked with his new ZX6R.
Three-way teenage tear-up….
At the just 16 years old it seems astonishing that South African Jordan Weaving was the oldest rider in the 3 man (…..erm…boy !!!!) battle for the win in the NG mini GP class on his Burkart Moto3 KTM. Weaving didn’t qualify strongly, but come the final he was in no mood to hag around and soon got to the head of the pack, but a pair of pesky 15 year olds in the shape of Mark Clayton and Anthony Alonso the 2013 American WERA Moto3 champ. At the flag it was Weaving, Clayton, Alonso covered by just 0.3 of a second. It was Clayton second narrow miss for the win on the day…. although he did get the consolation of setting the fastest lap on the last lap, on his Refined Recruitment RS125. If the line had been 50 meters further on Clayton would probably have nicked it !!!!
The rest of the action in brief....
Shane Faber took the F125 win over defending champ Liam Delves who just got the better of Daniel Booth to decide the podium order. After returning from RAF duties in Afghanistan Anthony Van Looy got back into his racing with a fine win in the F400 class over Daniel Tilley. Tilley’s bike though is in Streetstock trim and as a consolation he took a massive 32-second margin win in the 400 Steet class. Tom Blackwell picked up his first race win in a number of years on the Newman Stallard SV headed home Aaron Silvester in the Mini Twins class. The Super Twins saw Brad Vicars set a new class lap record on his SV, but that was enough to stop Kevin Davies taking the win on his NP Motorcycles SV.
Darren Rumley continues in his bid for a third Sound of Thunder title with another convincing win over David Irons, Dave Mackay, James Harrison and James Stacey who squabbled over the minor placings, with Irons on his Panigale just nicking it. Leif Williams and Chris Dickinson took the wins in the 1300 and 700 Streetstocks with Dickinson visibly exited at the line as he pipped current series leader Richard Hughes. Lee Teasdale took a 15 second win in the 700 pre injections, but the bigger 1300cc class had Adam Jeffery, Phil Hacker and Mike Hobbs race wheel to wheel for the 6 lap final.
This meetings special award winners……
Performance of the meeting Sam Wilford
Bardahl Newcomer of the meeting Chris Dickinson
250 GP Dunlop performance tyre winner TBC
Streetstock Metzeler performance tyre winner TBC
Jay Russell – Jay Care Sidecar Performance Award Sean Hegarty / James Neave
Full race results http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2014/oulton_5apr/results_table_selector.php
Report by Russ Gardner