VETERAN Paul Winrow is the British Quad champion for a record breaking 14th time after returning to the series this year following a two year ‘semi-retirement’.
Forty year old Winrow, who first won the title in 1992 as a teenager, clinched the series in a last round showdown at Canada Heights on Sunday here he tied up the title in the second of the three 25 minute heats – which was just as well as he crashed twice in final outing.
Honda mounted Winrow came to the hilly Kent track, superbly prepared by the Sidcup MCC as usual, protecting a 42 point lead over his nearest rivals Carl Bunce and Mark McLernon. However, despite having the option to ride conservatively, Winrow attacked from the off and picked up a brace of third places to ensure that the day did not go down to a last race decider.
“I’m pleased, of course I am,” said Winrow. “Especially as coming into this season the championship was wide open and there was no clear favourite.”
To illustrate the point, the six round series had five different winners. The only man to win twice was three-time Ulster champion David Cowan who won the first round and the last on Sunday. However, whereas Cowan had won round one at Pontrilas in April with consistency – on Sunday he dominated right from qualifying.
In race one he and former British champion Justin Reid shot out of the gate and soon established a lead over the pack. For much of the race Cowan shadowed his fellow Irishman then with three laps to go he passed and immediately established a comfortable winning margin.
Winrow in third was having to deal with close attention from Bunce and McLernon, but just as Bunce looked to be shaping up for a challenge his Suzuki shipped the chain. He managed to get it back on, but not before reigning champion Paul Homes hit his stationary machine, leaving him battered and out for the day.
At the start of race two Winrow was within four points of wrapping up the title, and his cause was aided when Bunce and McLernon got tangled up at the first turn. Bunce picked up a puncture but persevered to the end for a hard earned seventh, but that was the title lost.
Out front Cowan was flying, establishing a 10 second lead over Colhoun, with Winrow keeping Reid at bay in third and McLernon, who still had an eye on the British Under 21 title, battling back to fifth.
Going into the final race Bunce and McLernon were tied on points in the battle for second in the championship, while McLernon still need a result to ensure he clinched the Under 21s from Colhoun. However, from turn one, chaos ensued!
A pile-up involving the majority of the day’s leading lights meant that 16-year-old Scot Murray Graham and 15-year-old championship debutant Bailey Edwards led the pack.
The youngsters led out the field admirably for a while before round-five-winner Stefan Murphy, who to that point had had a luckless day, passed and moved into a seemingly unassailable lead. He then promptly got tangled with a backmarker and dropped out of contention!
That gave Colhoun the lead, which he held to the flag, but behind McLernon was forced to pit for running repairs when his silencer worked loose. He rejoined the race two laps down but it was enough to secure him the points to sew up the Under 21 title.
Reid and Cowan worked their way through the field to secure second and third, with Edwards hanging on (and blowing hard!) in a brilliant fourth. Graham also dug deep to secure a season’s-best seventh.
RESULTS: Cromwell Trucks British Championship Overall: 1 David Cowan, 2 Justin Reid, 3 Dean Colhoun, 4 Carl Bunce, 5 Stefan Murphy, 6 Paul Winrow
Connor Smith Six Sixty British Under 21 British Championship Overall: 1 Colhoun, 2 Murray Graham, 3 McLernon, 4 Bailey Edwards, 5 Callum Bates, 6 Harry Miller
Race 1: 1 Cowan, 2 Reid, 3 Winrow, 4 McLernon, 5 Bunce, 6 Murphy.
Race 2: 1 Cowan, 2 Colhoun, 3 Winrow, 4 Reid, 5 McLernon, 6 Lindsey Duke
Race 3: 1 Colhoun, 2 Reid, 3 Cowan, 4 Bailey Edwards, 5 Murphy, 6 Bunce
Final points: 1 Winrow 728, 2 Bunce 698, 3 McLernon 677, 4 Reid 671, 5 Colhoun 668, 6 Cowan
Under 21 Final Points: 1 McLernon 772, 2 Colhoun 759, 3 Luke Davies 669, 4 Graham 638, 5 Harry Miller 557, 6 Adam Robinson 552
Words and pictures: Rob McDonnell