Thursday August 21, 2014 at 2:40pm
Chris Martin (Dave Dean Honda) made it nine wins in succession in rounds 10 and 11 of the ACU 250 Championship at Anglesey and increased his lead in the series to 47 over his closest rival, Ant Hodson (FCL Yamaha).
Martin, the 33-year-old Yorkshire man and reigning ACU 250 Champion, may have been fastest in qualifying and winner of both races, but he was again under severe pressure from Hodson and Phil Atkinson (Declan’s Racing Yamaha).
Hodson, the 38-year-old Lincolnshire racer, was getting back to full fitness after a long period of problems with his injured wrists. He was only four fifths of a second slower than Martin in qualifying. Atkinson, the 31-year-old South African-born racer, now living in Horley, was third fastest, just over a second down on Martin.
Martin led the first race from start-to-finish, eventually crossing the line over seven seconds clear of Hodson, who had been down in fourth place at the end of the opening lap. He passed quick-starting Gary Vines (MPS Enterprises Yamaha), the 24-year-old from Colchester, who had qualified sixth fastest, on lap two to move into third spot and then passed Atkinson, to go second, on the fourth of the 12 laps.
Atkinson’s clutch burnt out after three laps, but he was third home, just over six seconds behind Hodson. Half a second behind Atkinson was Dave Hampton (J & RB Racing Yamaha), the 37-year-old from Southampton.
Adam Hoare (A M H Rail Services Ltd Honda), the 37-year-old from Heanor, Derbyshire, was fifth home, with Darrell Higgins (Dennis Trollope Racing Yamaha), the 55-year-old from Melksham, Wiltshire, just over a second back, sixth. Vines had gradually slipped back and was seventh home.
Andrew Sawford (St Neots Motorcycles/TSM Yamaha), the 36-year-old from Sandy, Bedfordshire, was back in action after missing the previous meeting through an injury sustained in his fitness programme and he was eighth home, first of the Pre 92 machines. Adrian Martin (J & RB Racing/File Tuning Yamaha) was ninth, ten seconds further back. Simon Hunt (Pork Pie Power Racing Yamaha), the 41-year-old from Messingham, near Scunthorpe, completed the top ten, once again topping the NG Cup category.
Thomas Lawlor (GTL Life and Pension Honda), the 39-year old from Naas, County Kildare had managed only a couple of laps in Friday’s practice day before being forced to stop with a cracked cylinder. He then had to pull out of the opening race after a couple of laps with damaged reed valves. Atkinson was quickest in Sunday morning’s warm-up, just over a tenth of a second faster than Martin, but the times were two seconds slower than the previous day’s qualifying.
There was more bad luck for Atkinson. Four laps from home the engine bolt broke and fell out. From then on the vibration was so bad it was difficult to hang on. Atkinson led the race two until the 12th and final lap.
Then, not for the first time this season and to Atkinson’s growing annoyance, Martin passed him, going on to win by 1.7 seconds. Hodson was third, eight seconds further back.
Lawlor had a trouble free run in race two, battling hard with Hampton and taking fourth place from him by half a second. Hoare was a lonely sixth, over 16 seconds ahead of Vines. Paul Metcalfe (Honda), the 47-year-old Manxman, was an early retirement in the first race, but he raced home in eighth spot in the second outing, just over three tenths of a second ahead of Hunt, to take maximum points in the NG Cup class. That good ride earned Metcalf the Dunlop Rear GP Tyre award. Hunt now leads Metcalfe by 60 points.
Sawford was tenth over the line, the only Pre 92 bike in the race, so taking the 25 points and stretching his lead over Ste Howard, away at the Manx GP by 66 points. Adrian Martin was forced to stop after two laps with a water leak and Higgins pulled out early in the race, believing wrongly there was something wrong with his bike.
ACU 250 CHAMPIONSHIP
Chris Martin 225, Ant Hodson 178, Phil Atkinson 156, Dave Hampton 130, Darrell Higgins 107, Andrew Sawford 80, Gary Vines 76, Simon Hunt 65, Adam Hoare 61, Jonathan Stamper 57, Thomas Lawlor 55, Rich Grinling 42, Paul Metcalfe 39, Carl Hudson 28, Adrian Martin 27, Ste Howard 25, Mark Strudwick 20, Bruce Dunn 16, Tom Snow 16, John Lewis 13, Mark Linton 13, Derek Clark 13, David Ibbotson 11, Adrian Morris 10, Stuart Thomas 9, PhIl Guillou 9, Lee Goddard 7, Neil Smith 6, Martin Thrower 5, Tony Russell 2, Rhys Hardisty 2, Alec Cottam 2, Peter Thorne 1, George Murray 1.
Pre-92
Andrew Sawford 215, Ste Howard 149, Rich Grinling 131, Adrian Morris 51, Tom Snow 40, Tony Russell 36, Rhys Hardisty 16, George Murray 13.
100% Suspension NG Cup
Simon Hunt 215, Paul Metcalfe 155, Neil Smith 16.