WORDS: CRAIG EVANS Newcomers Norbury’s First Class performance exceeds all expectations
Although the pre-race pressure was at its maximum, Mike Norbury (26) literally stunned the newcomer’s class as he changed machine for a couple of races this round – borrowing a 600cc belonging to popular road racer Robert Barber.
Norbury pulled out all the stops and exceeded all expectations as he flowed effortlessly around the circuit, wowing the crowds watching from pit lane. Now a member of the 600 brigade, Norbury engaged in the closest of battles with rivals Joe Lawrence (888), Adam Gittings (93) and Martin McGrath (125) - emerging in 2
nd place in the qualifier just behind McGrath but then later on winning the championship race for rookies.
With a best lap time of 56.9 seconds on the bigger bike, it was clear that Barber had taught his racing protégé well. Later on, Norbury added another 2 wins aboard the Honda 400 to the day’s collection, as well as the coveted Rider of the Day prize after a sensational 58.3 second lap on the smaller VFR.
Now that Norbury has shaken up the Newcomers championship the final battles will be tighter than ever with Joe Lawrence, Martin McGrath and Adam Gittings (93) all looking for a place at the top.
Elsewhere in the Newcomers category, Martin McGrath managed to knock a second of his best time and getting into the late 57’s in the points race with a third place finish. Adam Gittings also changed machine for this class, leaving the R6 for the Pre-Injection class and presenting a Kawasaki 600 on the Newcomers grid, finishing 3
rd in the qualifier and later crossing the line 5
th just behind Grant Gaskell (17) as the points run concluded.
As the Newcomers championship enters the final rounds, Joe Lawrence still tops the table with 67 points ahead of Martin McGrath with 55 points. Adam Gittings is right behind with 50, and an 8-point lead over Mike Norbury in 4
th.
Forgotten Era/Single Cylinder Lunt has success whilst Single Cylinder battles lie ahead…
400cc pilot Kevin Lunt (156) proved his worth on Sunday as he made substantial progress in Round 5’s Forgotten Era class.
The Liverpool rookie made drastic suspension changes at the test day ahead of the meeting, and the bike behaved much more responsively allowing Lunt to make some serious bids at the front. With a new personal best time of 1.02s, Lunt was able to finish in the top 4 and end the day on a high.
Mike Norbury (26) won both Forgotten Era races, with Michael Schofield (95) and Philip Munday (155) finishing 2
nd and 3
rd respectively each time out. Current class champ Mark Podmore (91) finished 4
th followed by a 5
th in the points run.
As the Forgotten Era championship heads over to rounds 6 and 7, Michael Schofield has the lead with 46 points. Mike Norbury and Mark Podmore are hot on Schofields tail – both with 45 points – and a tight battle in the finals is guaranteed as the trio all bid for the 2014 Forgotten Era title.
The Single Cylinder qualifier saw a rapid performance from Derek Clark (10), and Paul Whiting (132) prepared to bid for points as he qualified 2
nd in the singles. Clark took the win in the points run ahead of Lee Hindle (128) and Whiting who battled together, the latter getting eventual 3
rd in the class.
In the Single Cylinder championship table, Paul Whiting currently sits at the top with a decent lead of 13 points. Daniel Booth is in 2
nd with 37 points just 3 points in front of Lee Hindle in 3
rd.
F600 Barber does it again
Robert Barber (39) again stunned the rest of the pack as he set another lap record for the Formula 600 class in the qualifying outing.
In perfect dry conditions, the TT champ set a new time of 55.078 seconds on the Suzuki. Eagerly getting quicker in second place was Ryan Garside (51), followed across the line by Sean Seddon (147) in 3
rd, making up the front row for race 2.
Barber was a fraction slower in the second run but set another spectacularly quick time of 55.486, winning ahead of Chris Barnes (112) and Barry Dimelow (185) however he extended his massive lead in the F600 points as the season enters the final two rounds, where again new lap records are waiting to be set as the layout of the track is changed to the perimeter circuit.
In terms of the championship, Barber has a 29-point lead over Chris Barnes – virtually guaranteeing him this year’s title. Barnes still has work to do as only a 3-point gap separates him from David Lewis (129) who currently has 43 points and 3
rd place.
Pre Injection The rivalry is immense
The Pre Injection class championship is heating up as the finals near with Adam Gittings (93), Daniel Tomlinson (54) and Martin Clare (5) all challenging for the top prize.
Clare had a very good outing after drawing peg 20 and finishing 6
th, setting himself up for a decent 4
th place finish in the points run and now lying third on the championship table in this class.
Daniel Tomlinson and Adam Gittings were second and third place finishers in both class races, but it was Nick Colley (178) who won each outing, taking maximum points and promising an exciting season finale next month.
Gittings currently sits in the top spot, however only 2 points separate him from Dan Tomlinson in 2
nd, ahead of Martin Clare (5) who is catching the pair up with 40 points in 3
rd.
Steel Frame 600 Tough Steelie battles lie ahead
Martin Clare (5) continued his run of successes in the steel frame 600 class, challenging championship leader Simon Aspin (139) throughout a breathtaking qualifier ahead of the points showdown.
Clare managed to beat current steelie champ Edward Hosker (31) to the line, getting home in 2
nd just behind Aspin and with Hosker making up the front row for the championship run. Team-mate James Leatham (21) – 2
nd in the points before this round 5 meeting – qualified in 7
th with Jack Jeffery(192), Chris Warren (214) and Gary Foster (36) in between the two rivals.
The earlier top three results were repeated in the points race giving Clare a second place pot and a chance to hunt down Aspin for points in the final two rounds of the season.
As it stands, Aspin has a 27-point lead over Clare in this class, however James Leatham sits only 3 points behind rival Clare in 3
rd place, and the gloves will be off next time out as the Wigan duo battle for 2
nd.
50cc
New and old – 50cc racing is here to stay…
The Classic 50cc grid was a bit more substantial this meeting - although a late entry from former PDMCC champ Steve Lawton(135) gave way for some very fast low-capacity battling.
New for this meeting was also the Freetech 50cc category - giving the more modern machines their own class and also the chance to race against their older counterparts.
Tony Cawte (65) set a blistering pace throughout both races for the classic fifties, crossing the line some 6 seconds ahead of second place qualifier Roger Naul (146), ahead of Mark Samuels (60) in third. Cawte repeated himself in the points run, scooping the first place pot and finishing an unbelievable 11 seconds in front of Sam Grief (114) in 2
nd, and Roger Naul in 3
rd.
The current standings show Roger Naul leading with 62 points. Alan Naul holds 2
nd with 42 points ahead of Mark Samuels and Paul Dootson, each with 16 points.
The Freetech class only saw 2 entrants in its first ever meeting, with Ian Denny (170) winning both races ahead of Chris Alty (19).The class is still very much in the developing stages, and the low budget and tight competition offered is likely to attract a large number of entries over the coming seasons.
Classics up to 250cc/251 and over
Clarke ahead of the rest
The Classics championship race was set to be a very interesting battle, with rivals Jack Clarke (14) and current 251cc and over champ Tony Benson (67) turning their attention to some serious points campaigning – with Jaeson Caunce (122) and the lovely Rocket 3 ridden by Derek Heap (22) thrown in as well, it was certainly a fast-paced scramble for the machines of yesteryear.
As predicted, former champ Caunce got going at a rate of knots to claim the win after a superb run, and Heap also set about some spectacular laps to claim a comfortable 2
nd, well ahead of Benson in 3
rd. Clarke could afford to relax a little as he currently tops the points table 14 points over his rival Benson in 2
nd.
As the finals approach, all eyes will be on the top three as the unlimited cc Classics battle commences – Mark Butterworth (2) sits 4 points behind Benson and is sure to be making a serious bid as the last rounds take place.
The Classics up to 250cc championship is currently headed by David Thorp (79) who has a decent 14-point lead over Roger Smith (107) in 2
nd, ahead of Allen Randall (210) in 3
rd. Thorp won both races in his class this time out, Smith and Randall coming home 2
nd and 3
rd respectively.
350-750cc & Twin Cylinder
Edwards tops the table
Sam Edwards (32) had another sensational weekend aboard the 450 Aprilia – winning both races in the 350-750cc production class in 2 seemingly effortless performances.
Following a comfortable first place in the qualifier, Edwards crossed the line a fraction over 2 seconds ahead of second place runner Keith Ferrari (27) in the championship race. David Murphy (692) managed a 3
rd place in both races, and David Griffiths (40) rounded off the four finishers in this class.
The Twin Cylinder qualifier saw an extremely close finish from John Goode (98) and Mathew Hammond (250) – Goode just beating Hammond over the line by 0.17 seconds. Sandy Berwick (49) also qualified for the front row, completing race 1 with a comfortable 3
rd place.
The championship run for twins saw victory from Matthew Hammond, Sandy Berwick and Ryan Cox (152) finishing 2
nd and 3
rd respectively.
As the points stand in these classes, Sam Edwards and Keith Ferrari jointly hold 60 points in the 350-750cc. David Murphy sits just behind with 55 points, and David Griffiths will be making a bid in the upcoming rounds as he sits not too far from Murphy with 42 points. Matthew Hammond has a comfortable 20-point lead in the Twin Cylinder category ahead of Keri Morgan and Mark Moffatt.
F400 Cook(ing) up a championship win…..??
Sunday’s F400 qualifier saw more rapid laps from Mike Norbury (26) on the little bike as the rookie rider repeated his earlier breathtaking performance on the track.
Once a fairly quiet class for a few seasons, the F400 has sprung back into life this year as some superb wheel-to-wheel battles have taken place. The naturally quick Neil Cook (174) has held form all year, and this time out was no different as he fended off Norbury for much of both races, but the youngster edged his way forward on both occasions.
Michael Schofield (95) has also put himself well and truly in the mix, battling with the 2-stroke 250 Honda of Darren Higson (75). After Schofield grabbed 3
rd – and a front row place – in the qualifier, Higson fought it out and took 3
rd in the points run.
Meanwhile, Kieran Smith (96) also made his own personal achievement in this race. With a lap time of 59.055, it was the fastest time the youngster has ever lapped the course at Three Sisters.
In terms of the F400 championship, Neil Cook currently has a 7-point lead over Norbury, Schofield in 3
rd and 6 points ahead of Higson.
501-1300cc Open
Barber’s Open for another title
Rob Barber (39) again took charge in this class, winning both the qualifier and championship races after 2 sensationally fast rides.
Chris Barnes (112) initially led away a very fast campaign in the qualifier but Barber got the lead early on in the proceedings, crossing the line some 5 seconds ahead of the rest at the flag. Barry Dimelow (185) also set about a good fast pace, grabbing a comfortable 3
rd in the process and the remaining front row space for the points run. Following Dimelow was a very tight cluster of bikes consisting of Keith Ferrari (27), Kevin Duckworth (76), David Lewis (129) and Darren Higson (75) – wheel to wheel at times, and crossing the line 4
th, 5
th, 6
th and 7
th respectively.
Barber’s performance later on was no different as he took charge of the championship race, and a furiously fast battle between Chris Barnes and Barry Dimelow took place just behind as the pair tried to catch up with the Bury Bullet. Barber led the pack from flag to flag, with Barnes and Dimelow following across the line 2
nd and 3
rd.
The current points standing show Barber with a 33 point lead. David Lewis is in 2
nd with 42 points, and Kevin Duckworth is current 3
rd with 36 points, although only a 2-point gap now separates Duckworth from Chris Barnes.
125/250cc Ogden and Strohmaier currently lead…
Although numbers were scarce this time out, this did not deter the competitors from engaging in some fantastic laps of 2-stroke action.
Derek Clark (10) set a blistering pace and won the 125cc qualifier with a gap of 15 seconds ahead of Lee Hindle (128). Peter Strohmaier (150) made his bid for a decent qualifying place with a good battle with Hindle, finishing in 3
rd with a time difference of 0.6 seconds.
The championship race saw Clarke’s Honda disappear to the flag almost 20 seconds ahead of the rest. Lee Hindle again grabbed 2
nd place, with Strohmaier taking the 3
rd place trophy and a handful of points.
2 entrants in the 250cc class championship race – in the form of Mark Samuels (60) and Stuart Ogden (2) – saw Samuels take the win for the class and Ogden in 2
nd.
The current points tables for these classes show Peter Strohmaier leading the 125cc as the final rounds approach. 5 points behind is Daniel Booth, 11 points ahead of 3
rd place – Lee Hindle. The 250cc class is currently led by Stuart Ogden with 60 points. Darren Higson lies in 2
nd with 45 points, a 27-point lead over Graeme Balshaw, although Mark Samuels and Simon Harris are very near indeed.
Up to 500cc
Edwards is on it…
Sam Edwards (32) had another superb ride on the 450 in the up to 500cc class, and was unstoppable as he led away, winning both races in the class.
The qualifier only saw 4 runners, and Edwards took a comfortable win ahead of Kieran Smith (96). Smith took a comfortable 2
nd place at the line, just over 2 seconds ahead of David Murphy (692) – a late addition to the class. Rounding off the grid for this class in the qualifying run was racing newcomer Jack Stezaker (63) in 4
th.
Only 3 entrants showed for the championship run – the last race of the day. Sam Edwards took the top spot as predicted, David Murphy crossing the line in 2
nd. Murphy worked hard during the race, chasing down Edwards wherever possible. A 3
rd place was almost guaranteed for Kieran Smith, however the Scunthorpe youngster retired mid-race due to mechanical issues.
The championship standings currently show Edwards with a very comfortable 32-point lead over Kieran Smith in 2
nd. Darren Higson lies 4 points behind Smith.
The PDMCC Championship Finals – rounds 6 and 7 - take place the weekend of 4th and 5th October at Three Sisters, Wigan. Each day is a separate championship round. A different circuit layout will be used – the new ‘perimeter’ circuit. For full details, regs and entry forms, visit www.prestondmc.co.uk Entries close 1 week prior to the meeting.