The 2014 Grasstrack came to an end on Sunday when the Danebury Club, on a cold but dry day, ran the Club Championships. The meeting unfortunately ended after both ambulances were in use, and with the rain getting heavier and light starting to dwindle.
The Youths were the first to the line with a combination of Intermediates and Seniors. Henry Atkins dominated the day, to go through undefeated in the Inters with Jack Dummett coming second and George Fenner third. In the Seniors Sophie Flint took the win ahead of Laura Bocking and Tom Davies who would have won had he not dropped it in the final heat.
Overall Results: (Intermediates) 1- Atkins, 2- Dummett, 3- Fenner, 4- Ashcroft, (Seniors) 1- Flint, 2- Bocking, 3- Davis.
The new class of Pit Bikes were then on show and a number of well-known riders went to the line, including Matt Fumarola, Dan Crawford, Sam Heath, Rob Mear and, the newest of the Penfold family to race, Lydia. The win went the way of Ricky Pay, despite a spectacular ‘get off’ in practice. Pay won one race and Mear, who finished off the podium, won two. Second on the day went to Dave Bryer and Russell Little got third.
Overall Result: 1- Pay, 2- Bryer, 3- Little, 4- Mear, 5- Heath, 6- Fumarola.
The Upright Solos saw Toby Golder take a double as not only did he take victory undefeated, he also got the fastest time of the day. Second & third went to Chris Mackett and Max Pankhurst respectively. Rob Snow went away with a broken leg.
Overall Results: 1- Golder, 2- Mackett, 3- Pankhurst, 4- Spencer, 5- Waterfield, 6- Tuck.
In the other vintage class, the Pre 75s, the win went the way of 350cc British Champion Chris Mackett with three out of three wins. Second went to Keith Snelling and third to Phil Spencer.
Overall Results: 1- Mackett, 2- Snelling, 3- Spencer, 4- Tuck, 5- Gurd, 6- Abbott.
In the 250cc Solos British Champion Zach Wajtknecht went through the day undefeated. Heat wins went to Wajtknecht with three, Luke Harris, Jack Nelson and Joe Nicholls all one each. In the final the fast Harris got second and third place went to a third youngster Nelson. Nicholls, who took a heat, was making his adult racing debut.
Overall Results: 1- Wajtknecht, 2- Harris, 3- Nelson, 4- Weeks, 5- M.Anderson, 6- S. Anderson.
Rob Mear showed the way in the 500cc Solos. Heat wins went to the Speedway Ace Rob Mear with three, and one each to SandAce Champion Danny Warwick, Barry Powell and Mike Eeles. With the final not being run, Mear took the win from Warwick and Powell.
Overall Results: 1- Mear 2- Warwick, 3- Powell, 4- Eeles, 5- Hodgson, 6- Newitt.
There was some great competitive action in the Left-hand Sidecars. British Champs Martin Cuff & Colin Clark won the first heat with Dave Bryer & Kyle Fish coming second. The second heat went the way of Charlie Ridley & Harry McQuirke with Cuff & Clark taking second. Ridley & McQuirke also took the third heat, with Welsh duo Eirwyn Balman and stand-in passenger Darren Morris taking second. The overall win went to Ridley & McQuirke.
Overall Results: 1- Ridley & McQuirke, 2- Cuff & Clark, 3- Bryer & Fish, 4- Balman & Morris, 5- S.Saunders & G.Saunders, 6- Aungier & Butcher.
Mitch Godden stole the show in the 500cc Sidecars. The Kent Ace, making debut on a sidecar, not only won two heats, but took overall victory in the ‘Basil March Shield’ with Natasha Bartlett in the chair, ahead of some of the country’s top stars. Also making his debut was youngster James Read, son of Wimborne’s Mike Read. James had a great day, making the final, but took a nasty looking spill in the final, fortunately though only ended up with a wrist injury. Also Sam Heath took a knock to his shoulder after he and Paul Smith flipped in the final round of heats. Other heat wins went to Shaun Harvey & Danny Hogg with two, Simon Beard & Ant Goodwin and Dave Carvill & Kai Noble. With the final not able to be re-run after the Read spill, the class was decided on the points from the heats.
Overall Results: 1- Godden & Bartlett, 2- Harvey & Hogg, 3- Reed & McAlinney, 4- Bennett & Hughes, 5- Carvill & Noble, 6- Beard & Goodwin.
In the ‘Vic Hiscock Shield’ for the Big Chairs, both James & Dave Goudge and Mark Cossar & Carl Blyth took three each. Matt Fumarola & Gareth Williams and Pete Colvin & stand-in passenger Bradley Steer took two each. Simon Beaney & Gareth Bemister and John Hiscock & Carl Bell took one each. Defending champions Neal Owen & Jason Farwell took the win in the ‘B’ final ahead of Hiscock & Bell. As a result of the meeting being called, the ‘A’ Final was not run.
Overall Results: 1- J.Goudge & D.Goudge, 2- Fumarola & Williams, 3- M.Cossar & Blyth, 4- Owen & Farwell, 5- Hiscock & Bell, 6- Colvin & Steer.