CARLESS DOMINATES ROUND 2 TO LEAD PRO CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday April 19^th saw the return of the Phoenix Tools Ifly Premier motocross Championship with round 2 taking place at Crediton Raceway in Devon. After what was a very dry week leading up to the event every effort had been made to prep the track and with water being put down prior and during the day the track produced some really fast and thrilling racing which was witnessed by many spectators.

 

In the Pro Expert class the day started well for the Phoenix Tools/Ify Husqvarna rider Alex Snow after his disasterous opening round as he was to notch up the fastest time in qualifying, but unfortunately for Snow the day was again one to forget. In the opening race it was a blistering start for the Oakleaf Motorsport Honda of Shane Carless from Championship leader Alfie Smith, but with just two corners completed several riders were to go down which included Snow who was right in the thick of it who was to pick up a arm injury which was later revealed as badly bruised and not broken as first thought. Meanwhile Carless was to lose the lead to Smith on the opening lap and Smith was soon pulling away. Jamie Skuse on the Tony Maunders Racing Suzuki had moved up in to 3^rd and was giving chase, but the front two of Carless and Smith was getting away all the time. By the end of lap 5 Smith had a cushion of 5 seconds over Carless, but on lap 6 Carless had closed that deficit and was soon all over Smith who he was to catch and pass two laps from the end and from there took the win from Smith and Skuse.

 

In the second moto it was the Cab Screens Yamaha of Dan Thornhill who had the best start from Carless with Skuse again there in 3^rd. Thornhill really had the bit between his teeth at the front and was to pull away from Carless for the first couple of laps, but as the race went on Carless was to gradually close in on Thornhill and was soon to pass and take the lead and from there went on to the chequered flag ahead of Thornhill with Skuse a close 3^rd.

 

In the last race this time it was the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki of Sunny Thompson with the holeshot with Carless again there right in his wheel marks and Smith tucked in 3^rd. Thompson had loads of support and was cheered on and he was to get away at the front and led for the first 4 laps comfortably until a slight mistake on lap 5 saw Carless close right up and was to find away pass a lap latter. Thornhill hadn’t had the best of starts in this one, but had worked hard and was now in 3^rd and was closing in on Thompson all the time which in the closing stages of the race turned in to a real battle royal with Thornhill getting the better of Thompson on the very last lap to take 2^nd behind Carless who made it a hat trick of wins and with it takes the Championship lead after 2 rounds.       

               

In the Expert class there was some really good tussles and the class was to produce three different winners and with it a new Championship leader as the early leader Ty Kellett was a non starter. There were wins each for the Phoenix Tools/Ifly Husqvarna rider Charlie Putnam, Ben Butler on the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki and Ryan Redwood, but it was Redwood on the G V Motorcycles Honda who had been more consistant who took the overall and now leads the Championship.

               

In the Over age class which consisted of Over 35, Over 40 and Over 50’s there was some really fierce battling especially between Nick Life current Over 35 Championship leader and Terry House who heads the Over 40’s Championship. House looked good on the Crescent Suzuki in the opening race and was soon on the gas at the front, but a mistake on lap 2 was to cost him the lead and several places. Life was to be a clear winner in this one, but there was some hard racing for 2^nd between Ben Harmon and Rick Hanson, with Hanson taking Harmon on the last lap as did House who came through to take 3^rd and leading over 40’s rider with Graham Beale taking the win in the over 50’s category.

 

In the second moto again this was one to watch as it was to go right down to the wire between Life who had led for most of the race and House, as House was to challenge hard on the last corner with both riders going down with both bikes stalling, but it was House who thought the quickest and pushed his bike over the line to take the win with Life 2^nd and top over 35 with Beale again taking the honours in the Over 50’s class.

 

In the last race the battle was on at the front in this one between Life and Harmon who had led the race early on, but in the end it was Life who took the win and top Over 35 with Chris Brown denying House a hat trick of wins in the Over 40,s but there was no stopping Beale in the Over 50,s who made it a hattrick of wins on the day.

               

In the Junior Championship class again there was some of the best racing to be seen as in the first race it looked as if it was going to be a easy win for wildcard Bill Farleigh after he got the better of Reagan Skinner on the Cheddar Mx Store Honda early on, but this wasn’t the case after Championship leader Jamie Carpenter on the Phoenix Tools/Ifly Husqvarna who had made a mistake early on was to claw his way back and was to be challenging Farleigh in the closing stages and literally was within half a bikes length at the line. Farleigh again was to dominate most of race 2 with Carpenter again well down the field, but this time Farleigh had to hold off Gareth Artus which again was a nail biting finish. Farleigh was out to make it a hat trick in race 3, but this time it was a better start for Championship leader Carpenter who was to have the hole shot and from there went on to take a comfortable win and now leads the Championship by 61 points after two rounds.  

 

Report and Photos by Dave Rich

 

RESULTS

Phoenix Tools Ifly Pro Expert Championship Race 1

1^st Shane Carless (450f Oakleaf Motorsport Honda) 2^nd Alfie Smith (350f Phoenix Tools/Ifly Husqvarna) 3^rd Jamie Skuse (450f Tony Maunders Racing Suzuki) 4^th James Dodd (450f Bransons/TwoNineTwo Honda) 5^th Dan Thornhill (450f Cab Screens Yamaha) 6^th James Harrison (250f Phoenix Tools/Ifly Husqvarna)

Race 2

1st Carless 2^nd Thornhill 3^rd Skuse 4^th Dodd 5^th Smith 6^th Harrison

Race 3

1^st Carless 2^nd Thornhill 3^rd Sunny Thompson (450f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki) 4^th Skuse 5^th Harrison 6^th Luke Mellows (Parklane/IDS Transport KTM)

Tony Maunders Expert Championship Race 1

1^st Ryan Redwood (G V Motorcycles Honda) 2^nd Ben Butler (450f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki) 3^rd Charlie Putnam (250f Phoenix Tools Ifly Husqvarna) 4^th Luke Hill (450f Hill Power Racing Honda) 5^th Sonny Oliver (250 KTM) 6^th Joe Clayton (250f Oakleaf Motorsport Honda)

Race 2

1^st Putnam 2^nd David Keet (250f Danger UK Husqvarna) 3^rd Clayton 4^th Redwood 5^th Hill 6^th Butler

Race 3

1^st Butler 2^nd Keet 3^rd Redwood 4^th Jack Stevens (450f D S C Cornwall Kawasaki) 5^th Putnam 6^th Clayton

M D Racing Over 35’s Championship Race 1

1^st Nick Life (450f Gibbs Performance Yamaha) 2^nd Rick Hanson (350f Readypower KTM) 3^rd Ben Harmon (450f Honda) 4^th Martyn Tucker (SR75/Molson Suzuki) 5^th Carl Dezis (????) 6^th Jamie Deadman (450f Gibbs Performance KTM)

Race 2

1^st Life 2^nd Harmon 3^rd Hanson 4^th Elford 5^th Dezis 6^th Richard Marsh (450f KTM)

Race 3

1^st Life 2^nd Harmon 3^rd Hanson 4^th Elford 5^th Tucker 6^th Dezis

M D Racing Over 40’s Championship Race 1

1^st Terry House (450f Crescent Suzuki) 2^nd Chris Brown (450f Cheddar Mx Store Honda) 3^rd Richard Green (450f T R Green Engineering Yamaha) 4^th Justin Carpenter (250 Husqvarna) 5^th David Ford (350f Projuice KTM) 6^th Steve Locke (450f Honda)

Race 2

1^st House 2^nd Brown 3^rd Green 4^th D Ford 5^th Carpenter 6^th Rob Lewis (350f Tony Maunders Racing KTM)

Race 3

1^st Brown 2^nd House 3^rd Green 4^th Lewis 5^th D Ford 6^th Locke

M D Racing Over 50’s Championship Race 1

1^st Graham Beale (250 KTM) 2^nd Mark Gleadhill (250 Honda) 3^rd Ryan Pugsley (250f KTM) 4^th Adrian Toy (150 KTM) 

Race 2

1^st Beale 2^nd Gleadhill 3^rd Adrian Toy (150 KTM) 4^th Watson

Race 3

1^st Beale 2^nd Gleadhill 3^rd Watson 4^th Toy

Tyremarks Junior Championship Race 1

1^st Bill Farleigh (250f KTM) 2^nd Jamie Carpenter (350f Phoenix Tools/Ifly Husqvarna) 3^rd Gareth Artus (250f Honda) 4^th Luke Craig (250f KTM) 5^th Reagan Skinner (250f Mx Store Honda) 6^th Billy King (250f Kawasaki)

Race 2

1^st Farleigh 2^nd Artus 3^rd Carpenter 4^th Ryan Butler (250f Poole Yamaha) 5^th Jason Brooke (250f Honda) 6^th Harry Linton (250f Wright Racing KTM) 

Race 3

1^st Carpenter 2^nd Artus 3^rd Farleigh 4^th Butler 5^th Craig 6^th Jay Lewis (350f Tony Maunders Racing KTM)

Junior B Race 1

1^st Ali Wood 2^nd Lee Randall-Smith 3^rd Jamie Dixon 4^th Ethan Davies 5^th Curtis Mears 6^th Jordan Watts

Race 2

1^st Dixon 2^nd Wood 3^rd Randall-Smith 4^th Davies 5^th Mears 6^th Marcus Feltham

Race 3

1^st Randall-Smith 2^nd Feltham 3^rd Matt Wells 4^th Wood 5^th Ricky Britton 6^th Mears

Junior C Race 1

1^st Cole Baker-Edwards 2^nd Ryan Poolman 3^rd Jonathan Budd 4^th Matthew Husk 5^th Daniel Budd 6^th Shaun Groves

Race 2

1^st Poolman 2^nd J Budd 3^rd Groves 4^th Husk 5^th D Budd 6^th Lee Scriven

Race 3

1^st J Budd 2^nd Husk 3^rd Adam Barfoot 4^th Joe Phillips 5^th Adrian Hatcher 6^th Ryan Keeling