Preston and District MCC Championship Round 2 Report

The club once again welcomed yet more new faces introducing themselves to the world of racing, and the Newcomers class provides opportunity for those in their first competitive season to race each other and get to grips with the scheme of things. The first race on Sunday was the Newcomers qualifier, with rookie riders Josh Dalgliesh (142) and Neil Prescott (35) – both piloting Kawasaki ZXR’s – about to compete in their first ever meeting.

The front four all held together a very fast battle, with Martin McGrath (125) qualifying in top spot and Joe Lawrence (888) hunting him down in a very close 2^nd. Mike Norbury (26) chased the pair down to qualify in 3^rd, and Adam Gittings (93) was not far behind as he warmed up for the championship race.

The rivalry between McGrath and Lawrence continued in the championship race later on, with the latter determined to up his game and challenge for the win. The plan worked, and the green R6 expertly piloted by Lawrence gave a blistering performance in almost perfect racing conditions. Lawrence held a comfortable lead all the way through the 7 laps and took the flag with a clear win, the very happy rookie clocking up a best time of 58.7 seconds overall. Meanwhile, Adam Gittings rode hard to hang onto 2^nd as the flag went out with Martin McGrath taking the final podium spot 0.05 seconds behind Gittings.

Joe Lawrence (888) initially set the pace in a very fast F600 qualifying campaign, leading the way with a couple of very quick laps from the start. Sunni Wilson (726) – a late entry into Sunday’s programme – quickly made his presence felt as he warmed to the race and took control of his F600 campaign and was quickly established at the front of the pack, hanging off the bike with some spectacular Marquez-style lean angles. Rob Barber (39) – himself literally hours from disembarking the ferry after his successful Isle of Man TT campaign – battled very closely with Wilson on the tighter areas of the circuit, however it was Wilson who pulled away to victory this time out.

The all-important championship race was absolutely breathtaking, with some extremely tough battles between the very fast frontrunners over the 7 laps. Sunni Wilson again displayed some spectacular riding, aiming to make an impression and show his dedication, and Liam Weston (77) pushed extremely hard, managing to fend off the rapidly-approaching Rob Barber for much of the race. The Bury Bullet upped the pace however, relegating Weston into an eventual 4^th place just fractionally behind BSB’s Chris Barnes (112) aboard the AP Broome Triumph. Barber then turned his attention to Wilson, edging closer and finally claiming the top spot after sneaking through on Dunlop corner in the closing laps. Barber pulled away on the empty road ahead, claiming victory just a fraction below 2 seconds ahead of Wilson. Joe Lawrence (888) was the first rookie past the winning post in 6^th place.

The Twin Cylinder and 350-750cc class qualifying was eventful to say the least, with 2 red flags and an oil spill adding to the drama. When proceedings were resumed – and the marshals had removed much of the oil from the hairpin, it was James Hargreaves (45) taking the top qualifying position for the Twins class, followed in by Keri Morgan (12) and Mark Knapman (28) all keen to make an impression in the later points campaign. David Murphy (692) qualified in pole position for the 350-750 machines, with Keith Ferrari (27) and Sam Edwards (32) making up the front row for this class.

Sam Edwards led on the track throughout the championship race in a very consistent ride, and James Hargreaves rode the wheels off the SV to finish first in the Twins class, Mark Knapman and Keri Morgan making up the top three. The 350-750 class was dominated by Edwards, with Keith Ferrari, David Murphy and Ferrari’s team-mate David Griffiths (40) rounding off the top 4.

The F400 qualifying eventually got under way after the drama-filled Twins/350-750 qualifier, and a clean race followed even though there were a few frustrated riders due to a long wait in the pits. Neil Cook (174) and Darren Higson (75) battled between themselves for the top spot way ahead of the rest of the pack in some remarkably quick racing, and Ashley Critchley (161), Philip Holmes (141), Eddie Hulme (108) and David Murphy (692) all bunched together in a very close and interesting campaign for the remaining front spaces on the grid. Mid-pack, Lee Crosbie (16) and Gavin Brown (145) also tussled closely for places, and Josh Dalgliesh (142) made up the grid after a steady ride.

The war between 2 and 4 strokes began again as the championship race got underway, with a fantastic battle between Higson and Cook almost 10 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Cook managed to hold onto the lead throughout some great cornering battles between him and Higson, but the Blackpool-based 250 rider sneaked through at Dunlops mid race before winding on the power and grabbing the flag with a good 2 seconds to spare. Mike Norbury (26) held a comfortable 3^rd position in a very good ride, with Mike Schofield (95) and Ashley Critchley (161) making up the top 5.

The Pre-Injection qualifying saw Martin Clare (5) get off to a flying start and hold onto the top spot throughout the race. Clare held a huge lead after setting the pace almost 8 seconds ahead of Mark Knapman (28), pulling away as the laps counted down but held back slightly to conserve tyres after a quick check over the shoulder to gauge the gap between himself and Knapman. Edward Hosker (31) claimed the last place on the front row as he continued his Manx warm-up, and Adam Gittings (93) also had a consistent ride aboard the Gitt Racing R6. Clearly happy with the qualifying win, Clare dedicated his performance to his best pal Stuart Hilton.

As the championship campaign began and the start lights went out, the grid immediately dispersed into a frantic battle for points and prizes. Adam Gittings (93) got away to an incredible start, mirroring Martin Clare’s earlier performance and pulling away to a massive lead. Gittings maintained this lead throughout the whole race, increasing the separating distance lap by lap and crossing the finish line a massive 12.7 seconds ahead of the field and shattering his personal best times. Nicholas Lomas (121) rode quickly and consistently, crossing the line in a somewhat lonely 2^nd place some 5 seconds clear of Simon Aspin (139) who scooped the final trophy. Martin Clare and Stuart Poulton (46) crossed the finish line in 4^th and 5^th respectively, which was good news for Clare as he set out for a top 5 finish in order to make an impression on the points table.

A full grid in the 501-1300 Open qualifying put promise to some great racing, and Liam Weston (77) made an impression in the form of a very fast campaign for the front spot in the upcoming championship run. A best time of 58 seconds proved Weston’s intentions, and a rapidly-approaching Rob Barber (39) pushed him even further. Meanwhile, Barber flipped his way through the pack to qualify in 2^nd, with James Hargreaves (45) and Kevin Duckworth (76) racing hard for grid spots, qualifying 5^th and 6^th respectively.

The championship race was re-run after a little red flag drama in the opening laps, with Weston again leading the charge. Barber meant business from the outset however, hunting Weston down and taking any opportunity to pass. Barber got around Weston midway through the race, again pulling away to take yet another win. Speaking after the race, Barber was delighted – although very tired – and also pointed out a rather worn rear tyre on the Suzuki – the same tyre that had done 4 laps of the TT in the second supersport race last week.

Although the weather was relatively warm for much of the day, the skies darkened and threatened rain as the Steel Frame championship grid was assembled. As soon as the race started, a clean battle ensued with Simon Aspin (139) and Edward Hosker, (31) with Aspin leading for much of the race. A very brief – 30 second – rain shower appeared in the closing lap and was enough to cause a bit of drama at the entrance to Lunar, enabling Aspin to grab the win and some all-important points along the way. Stuart Poulton (46) crossed the line in 2^nd place, making a difference to the steelie points table and bagging himself another trophy as he did so. Team-mates Martin Clare (5) and James Leatham (21) finished 3^rd and 4^th respectively, Gary Foster (36) and Peter Strohmaier (150) making up the final finishers in a tough, drama-filled race.

Sam Edwards (32) immediately established a comfortable lead as the up to 500cc championship race got underway. Darren Higson (75) pushed hard in 2^nd place, however the AP Broome-sponsored machine piloted by Edwards pulled away on the straighter parts of the track, allowing the Nelson youngster to take what appeared to be a relatively easy win. The top 2 finishers had quite a lonely ride head of the rest, however Max Dixon (127) and Ashley Critchley (161) battled hard for 3^rd, with Critchley eventually gaining advantage to take the last trophy of the day. Dave Grace (73) and Ryan Cox (152)  – both aboard CB500’s – battled between each other a little further back, finishing 6^th and 6^th respectively. Josh Dalgliesh (142) made up the finishers after a consistent ride and managed to shave 3 seconds from his overall lap times over the course of the meeting.

The Classics over 250cc trophies were taken care of by Mark Butterworth (24), Tony Benson (67) and Derek Heap (22) in a couple of good runs even though the class was rather undersubscribed this meeting. Only 2 machines entered the Classic up to 250cc class, the winner of the championship race on the day being David Thorp (79), followed in by Roger Smith (107). Roger Naul (146) took the first place prize for the 50cc championship class, Kerry Burton (8) and Mark Samuels (60) collecting the remaining silverware. Burton and Naul had some superb battles with each other as the race progressed – certainly some of the closest battles between the 50cc machines in recent times. Eddie Hulme (108) headed up the Forgotten Era class ahead of Max Dixon (127) and Philip Holmes (141), with reigning Forgotten Era champ Mark Podmore (91) rounding off the top 4. Daniel Booth (164), Lee Hindle (128) and Paul Whiting (132) claimed the prizes in the Single Cylinder category with Daniel Booth continuing his winning streak by emerging victorious in the 125cc class ahead of Lee Hindle (128) and Peter Strohmaier (150). Darren Higson (75), Stuart Ogden (2) and Graeme Balshaw (6) claimed the top three finishes in the 250cc class. The Earlystocks Race Club featured as guests on the day, with John Brush (225), Mark Leeding (218) and Cass Beardmore (234) winning prizes for their efforts.

Further prizewinners were Joe Lawrence (888) – voted Marshal’s Rider of the Day, and Max Dixon (127) – voted PDMCC Rider of the Day.

The next meeting is the summer double-header on 12^th and 13^th July at Three Sisters. Both days are separate championship rounds with a full programme of action each day. Guest club the Earlystocks Racing Club will also once more feature in the programme of events.