As ever at this time of the year, with this being the tenth and eleventh rounds of the fourteen round season anyone who has half an eye on one of the coveted class championships, is in a tricky situation….do you risk all, and keep pushing for points…..or do you sit back and see what your challengers are doing.
Each rider will treat this round differently. The Anglesey Coastal Circuit is one that most riders love, but being hung out on the top of North Wales the weather can play a huge part in the weekend.
In recent years it has seen the championship hopes of several riders take a knock.... just ask Dean Richards, Ant Hodson, Peter Carr or Darren Rumley ! Sorry to remind you guys, but this circuit can bite !!
On track there is a bonus for fans of the 2-stroke GP machinery as the 125 and 250GP ACU National runners will have an extra outing after the aborted Oulton Park round that saw the weather intervene. Defending champ, Phil Atkinson is defiantly in the driving seat, but Dan Jackson is on a good run of form at the moment, as is 2016 surprise package Rich Grinling who is stringing a good run of points scoring race together to sit third in the series just above Dave Hampton with former champ Ant Hodson down in an unaccustomed fifth after an injury stricken season. Arnie Shelton heads up the 125GP grid but Stephanie Waddelow is making him work for his points.
Nev Jones heads up the sidecar grid, despite using three different passengers during the first five meetings of the year, but Tom Bryant is back in the chair for this one.
As ever all classes are catered for with NG and the action will come thick and fast from the F400's where Tom Bradley is defiantly in the driving seat, but his early season rival John Price is back on the grid after missing the last round. Josh Day is on top of the championships in both the 600 and Phoenix Open but has no breathing space as Max Symonds is back on form with his 600 and Roo Cotton is fully fit and prepared to take his first open win of the year. Roo leads the way in the Powerbike though on his R1 Yamaha, but Chris Pope, Jamie Harrison and David Irons are all keen to rack up a race win.
Dave Hampton has had more than his fair share of bad luck this year with mechanical woes, but Dave and the Tigcraft Single historically go well at this Anglesey circuit, so will be hoping to peg back 500 series leader Greg Maden, who swept to the table topping position after a good Castle Combe meeting.
As I said the full gamut of race bikes will be out on this stunning Anglesey coastal circuit. Streetstock, Pre Injections, GP45's, Desmo Due Ducati's, Mini Twins, Super Twins, Sound of Thunder.....there is something for ever racer and racer watcher......
The Circuit
This spectacular 1.55 mile Anglesey Coastal circuit overlooks the Irish Sea and the Snowdonia Mountains and offers competitors and spectators something very different to almost any other race venue. It is one of the few circuits to be designed and constructed with an entirely new concept. They have taken full advantage of the undulating landscape with two hairpin bends and banked corners….plus the extremely popular corkscrew. The track offers a host of overtaking opportunities for the competitors, so spectators are in for a real treat.
The Fastest
Phil Crowe still holds the fastest NG lap here at 1min 08.47 seconds, which equates to 81.49mph, set way back in August 2010 when he was riding his sorted Superbike spec GSXR 1000 Suzuki. If the weather is playing ball that time will be ripe for the beating......
So........
With just this Anglesey meeting followed by two days at Pembrey down in South Wales and then the traditional season finale at Thruxton on the 8
th October the championships chases are hotting up nicely. This round could turn heroes to zeros.....or launch you into pole position...... in rider parlance "....it's squeaky bum time !!"