New toys for the boys at Thruxton
The Thruxton end of year meeting normally throws up a few surprises. The pressure is off if the championships have been secured, and it is a chance to try something that may be on the cards for 2017.
This year was no different. Newly crowned NG 600 and Open Champion Josh Day added a new ZX10 Kawasaki leant by his sponsor to the Dayo Racing stable sitting nicely alongside his own R6. Josh used the 10 in the Open and Powerbikes and revelled in the extra power on tap. He was joined as a new ZX10’er by Levi Day. The young Aussie who rides in BSB Supersport was having his first ride on the Morello ZX10. However the biggest coup was recent Assen BSB Supersport race winner Luke Jones having his first taste on the Appleyard Macadam Racing R6, the bike he will race next season after singing for the team just days before the Thruxton meeting. On the unfamiliar bike Luke was quick right from the off, setting a new lap record on his way to taking the win in the Clubs prestigious Phoenix Motorcycles Open. Lapping at nigh on 109mph Luke took the win by some 6 seconds over Josh Day on the ZX10, Scott Pitchers on his BMW and Levi Day on his new mount. Impressive rides by all especially young Scott Pitchers who has sunk all his savings into his own BMW, after proving in the past that he can ride and win on 250 TZ’s and Triumph triples. Pitchers just needs more races to stay at racing speed and then will be a true force at National level……budget allowing!
In his goal of getting as many laps as possible on his new R6 young Herefordshire lad Jones, who has previously won the British 125GP championship also set about his own 600cc class lap record set two years ago on the 675. By then the cooling track, stronger wind and late afternoon gloom was arriving at Thruxton and conditions were not up to lap record but Jones still racked up 6 consecutive laps within half a second of the lap record that he set was set in warm sunny conditions in 2014. His win by an astonishing 15 seconds over a manic four-way battle between Sam Thompson on the Vapertrails 675, new class champ Josh Day, Max Symonds who continues his return to form and Luke Shelley on the ESB R6. Shelley looked like he had the pace to grab second after catching the group but a front end slide lost him nearly a full second leaving him detached from the group and finishing fifth.
Thruxton proved that getting your toys early can prove great fun…. Just ask Day, Day and Jones !!
125GP and 250GP ACU National action.
As has been the way of things over the last few years the 250GP ACU National series came right down to the wire. This year is was a straight shoot-out between 2012 champion Dan Jackson on his Team Sigie TZ and defending champ, South African all-rounder Phil Atkinson with the Declans Racing TZ. With 10 points between them Jackson knew that even if he managed to take the win he had to have “help” to get other riders in between himself and Atkinson. Dan set pole with another former champ Ant Hodson alongside him, but the good news for Dan was that Thomas Lawler and Mark Linton looked like they both had the pace to be in the mix.
Come the final Jackson set off with Hodson, Lawler and Atkinson in close company. The four dragged away, but as the race went on Aktinson picked off the rivals one by one…..then disaster for Dan’s plan as Lawler’s TZ went pop!. All South African Phil had to do was sit in third. But that was not who he wanted to win it and the Declans TZ rider first put a pass on Hodson, and then lined up Jackson. With two laps to go Phil hit the front… set the fastest lap… took the win and successfully defended his title.
Meanwhile it’s worth mentioning that Dave Hampton stormed through to grab a fine fourth place after starting from the back of the grid after his TZ seized solid in morning practice.
James Hind on his Bass Tyre Services took the 25 points for the 125GP ACU National win but just failed in his bid to grab third in the year long series that was taken by Arnie Shelton.
Local Sidecar Champ Lovelock comes out to play.
Nev Jones took last years F2 sidecar championship but for 2016 Nev and Tom Bryant the Lincolnshire based crew too on a new challenge moving into the Open class and the Hyundai British series on the Lincoln Refrigeration ZX10. The result is another championship as the pair secured the CSC Open class in convincing style. They had a tough task this weekend though as local sidecar ace and former British Champ and Euro Cup winner Roger Lovelock unpacked his mothballed LCR BMW after taking a year out of BSB to blow the cobwebs out of the big BM. He even invited his old (….as in former!) passenger Rick Lawrence to squeeze into his old leathers to partner him. Rick had not been in the chair for over three years but the old team soon clicked back into action. Nev and Tom set the easily pave with Roger and Rick taking their time to get up to speed. Roger then sat behind the new champs weighing up a plan. When the pass came it was decisive and Lovelock and Lawrence gradually got quicker and quicker as the confidence came flooding back taking a convincing win come the flag. Jones and Bryant knew the title was secure and gratefully took the 20 points to stamp their authority on the 2016 point’s table.
Top F2 crew was Rob Handcock and Ken Edwards who headed home Andy King and Annie Garnish who was also called out of “retirement” to race at Thruxton.
The best of the NG action.
Being the final round of the season most racers want to end the year a championship, if that is not possible then at least with a win. Adam Jeffery has won the 1300 Pre Injection class for the third time but unfortunately in this his very last race before retiring and concentration on helping out sponsoring younger riders, thing didn’t go to plan. Adam got involved in an on track clash on the first lap of the Pre injection final. He pulled into pit lane but there was nothing the team could do so Adam sat out his last ever race to watch Mike Hobbs take the race over Paul Harlington who started from the back of the grid after ignoring (…..failing to see) a black flag in the qualifier. The 700 pre injection was a four way fight with Phil Webber just coming out on top after a great scrap with Kai Masters and Liam Turberfield on 600’s and surprise package Ben Harrison pitting his ZXR400 against the bigger bikes. Harrison used the race as extra track time for his main focus, the F400 final. Which he won by over 10 seconds from Mark Thompson and Simon Gates. Gates came though from the back of the grid on a borrowed bike (from Andy Green) that suffered a puncture in the qualifier forcing him to start dead last. Harrison impressed so much here that he was a natural pick for the Clive and Pam Flood Performance of the Meeting Award.
Mike Wilson took his third win of the year in the F125 to grab second in the series whilst Greg Maden took his fourth win to take the GP45 series over Tony Bridgefoot. Maden was also in the hunt for open 500 honours but a sixth place was not enough, especially when his rival for the title Dave Hampton stormed to a 21 second win on the Single Cell Tigcraft 450 Yamaha based bike.
18 year old young hot shot William Holland stormed to pair of wins taking both the Mini Twins and Super twins on his JHS Racing Suzuki SFV 650 Gladius heading off challenges from Jake Dettloff, Paul Wardell and Tom Blackwell. In the bigger Sound of Thunder class Dave MacKay parked his regular True Heroes 899 Panigale for the weekend and rode his old KTM RC8 to victory over the 675 Triumph of Sam Thompson in a very close fight. Behind them Peter Carr the newly crowned champ was forced to start from pit lane as he had missed the call to the grid. He fought all the way though to take third place from Francis Williamson on the last lap. However the wily old Williamson on the Knight Road race 1098 Ducati was in no mood to give up without a fight and nicked third place back on the last lap.
Mark Dangerfield took his second win of the year on his Space Centre Honda Fireblade to head home Paul Jeffery and Richard Hughes in the 1300 Streetstock. Dangerfield’s all-action-leave-it-all-out-on-track style suited the fast flowing Thruxton circuit. In the 700 street category Tom Williams stunned everyone by hanging onto the back of the bigger 1300 bikes that were out on track at the same time. Again Tom has an all action hang it out style that obviously pays dividends at the super fast Thruxton.
Josh Day took a 10 second win in the Powerbike final on the borrowed ZX10 from Levi Day on his maiden ZX10 ride who was in a two way tussle with Scott Pitchers. Behind them Greg Allsop and James Kiff were in an equally intense tussle for points. New 2016 champ stayed out of all the frantic elbow to elbow action to take seventh safe in the knowledge that he could not be caught for the hard earned Powerbike title on his DTR Racing R1.
James Gerrard took both Desmo Due A class wins over the new class A 620cc winner Andy Blomfield. Whilst Jack Younge returned to the series in the 600cc B class reminding everyone just how quick he is by taking a pair of 25 point earning wins over Lee Moxham and James Robinson.
Formula Prostock have been a new feature on the NG calendar this year and Andrew Howe with his new to him GSXR 750 Suzuki took the FP1 class. Performance Bike Magazine Journo taking the win in the FP3 Suzuki Bandit class over James Harrison with class co-ordinator and new FP3 champ taking fifth.
….and finally.
Travelling to race meetings but it is all part and parcel of the racing weekend, however not many people can say that they have ever racked up as many miles to go racing as Ali Rowland-Rouse. Ali is a Junior Aerodynamicist with the Sauber Formula One team and lives and works on Zurich, Switzerland. He made the 1400 mile round trip to have his annual blast round Thruxton on his Black and Blue Racing 675 Triumph Daytona and was rewarded with a couple of top 15 finishes in the super strong 600 Open…… so no more moaning when you get stuck for an hour on the M25 !!!
Jer Thomas Tribute Lap.
On Saturday 2
nd July 2016, Jer Thomas tragically succumbed to injuries received following an accident in the Open Championship race at Castle Combe. Just 3 months on, the Club was delighted to welcome Jer’s wife Abi along with Daughters Rebecca and Caitlin, and close family along to Thruxton for a day with their extended NG Road racing family.
A vast number of riders took part in the tribute lap followed by a minute of reflection on the grid to remember Jer Thomas – number 22.
Words: Russ Gardner - NG Road Racing Media Officer
Images: EDP Photo News - www.edpphoto.co.uk
Web Info: www.ngroadracing.org