Day despatches all comers one more to remain unbeaten.
This weekend was billed as the head to head between NG’s current man-on-form Josh Day with his Kendrick and Spalding ZX10 and Doncaster’s Dave “Action” Jackson on his ex-Taylor Mackenzie BSB Championship winning BMW. Both riders know how to win races around Cadwell but come from very different racing backgrounds. Josh in an ex-BSB Superstock champ whilst Dave is a former British and European Super Moto champ.
The stage was set for a head to head, and both riders were in the 1min 31’s in qualifying for the Open, some two and a half seconds quicker than the rest. Come the races though Jackson was able to put in one or two quick laps whilst Josh just kept on banging in the fast ones. Jackson was struggling to find a good base setting for the ex-Buildbase bike and eventually had to settle for being the bridesmaid in each encounter whether that was in the Open or the Powerbikes.
On Sunday with a dry and grippier track 29 year old Josh made his intentions clear to set a new NG record and duly delivered the goods (….on day old tyres to boot !!!) to take Josh Wainrights’ name from the record books by banging in a 1min 30.5 (86.70mph).
So it was yet another perfect points haul for Josh who just seems untouchable in 2017. However behind the top two Jamie Harrison was the best of the rest as he fought through to grab a bag full of third placings. His down fall on each outing was trying to get the CycleStore.co.uk S1000R off the line forcing him to work his way through the likes of Mick Goodings, Adam Sherriff, Peter Carr, Michael Blank, Sean Gilfillan and Nick Williamson. Harrison did have one blemish on his podium grabbing rides as just after moving into third place in Sundays second open final he slid off at barn corner. Luckily unhurt.
Last years performance of the meeting winner Chris Pope had a weekend to forget as he tangled with Williamson on Saturday into Coppice…… now both riders are tough and not ones to back out of a move, but Pope ended up with his AFB R1 barrel-rolling across the grass to total destruction. The good news is though that hard-man Pope got up and walked away.
250GP and 125GP ACU National Championship.
With reigning champ Philip Atkinson still out injured the way has been left for Ant Hodson and Dan Jackson to grab to points. Hodson the 2011 National champ was miffed to say the least when he saw that two of the top Hel Performance British Motostar runners in Jake Archer and Eugene McManus were on the entry list on their very rapid KTM’s. The two teenager vied to the top spot on Saturday and their frantic battle took them 25 seconds clear of the perusing riders headed by Hodson, Steven Neate, Dan Jackson and Bruce Dunn.
The two stoke riding series regulars seemed much more chipper on Sunday morning as the kids-on-the-moto3’s headed off for a BSB test prior to their trip upto Knockhill. Podiums were shared out between Ant, Dan and Bruce with Dan and Ant taking a win each in Sundays two races. Sam Burman was denied the chance to stand on the podium on her WNT Tooling KTM on Sunday despite finishing second on the road due to a (MASSIVE!!!) jump start. But she kept it pinned, eventually coming out fourth on the result sheets. Simon Hunt continued his dominance in the Cup class with another unbeaten run on the Supersonic Pork Pie TZ!!!!
The 125 National series saw two wins on Sunday for Gavin Mills on his RS 125 Honda each time over James Hind the series leader who had taken a narrow win over Mills on Saturday
The grid was also being shared with the TSGP series with Mark Stephenson and Paul Toland taking the big points on their TZR’s
Plenty of ups and downs at Cadwell title chasers.
It wasn’t all about the big bikes and National 250’s at Cadders though as NG run the full set of championship classes at every round. So lets’ take stock of what happened. Dave Hampton continues to bank the points in the 500 open, even when he starts from the back of the grid after tipping off the 450 Tigcraft in the qualifying race. Greg Maden and Mark Taylor tried to stay with Dave, but once the little Tigcraft gets rolling Dave’s high corner speed style means that no one else gets a look in. Hampton is also in the Supermono series, but this round saw him elbow to elbow with young Welshman Jay Bellars-Smith on the RW Engineering 717 KTM, ending with in it one-all for the top step of the podium.
Michael Rees and Scott Larkin shared the wins in the Super Twins with fast newcomer Sam James showing that it will not be long before he is right up front. Meanwhile in the slightly more restricted Mini Twins Paul Wardell took another race win on Saturday, this time from fast teenager Kaine Sheriff, but on Sunday Barnsley Boy Sheriff, took a dominating win on his SV over Wardell who clipped his gear-change on the curbs at the gooseneck. After that he struggled to stay in contact and sat back for the 20 points. Jake Detloff, Wardells’ nearest championship challenger was unable to take to the grid after a big get-off on Fridays test day, we wish him a speedy return to the track.
The Sound of Thunder classes carried the extra tag of the Gerry and Edna Gardner Trophy Races in memory of the NG founders and Dave Ferns on his 959 Panigale and Sean Gilfillan with the 1299 version scrapped in out on Saturday with Gilfillan leading of 99% of the race. Ferns though grabbed the lead under the trees at the hairpin on the last lap to nick the win, but Gilfillan took a dominant 16 second win over Dave Mackay and Ben Broadway on Sunday as Ferns was a no show to take some extra silverware home…..well done guys.
As ever the Suzuki Bandit challenge raises an eyebrow when they come to the grid, but these commuter 600’s are so evenly matched that they give great racing and great spectator enjoyment. James McHardy, John Warwick, and Glyn Nicholls were wide-bar to wide-bar all weekend, and with all races counting to their championship Warwick with three wins to McHardy’s one took the most points, but the exuberant McHardy still leads the series. Defending Bandit champ Keith Chambers suffered all weekend with braking issues, not a problem you need at Cadwell!. Sharing the Prostock grid are the pre 1987 Production racers and that saw another unbeaten run for the dominant Phil Webber on his GSXR750….he has won all 14 rounds so far, and has set new lap record at every circuit !
Tom Harrison took both F400 finals on his Avery’s M/C’s and Wiz Racing ZXR400 after rivals Will Bryant and Aaron Ridewood had issues both mechanical and crash related. Harrison was overjoyed with his first ever F400 win on Saturday, but had not got an entry for Sunday as his racing budget could not stretch to two days after buying tickets for Glastonbury….. Step up James Harrington and Liam Turberfield. These two put their hands in their pocket and paid for Tom to take to the grid on Sunday. He repaid their generosity in spades by taking another win, and with it the lead in the Championship.
Max Symonds got the better of a 4-way scrap for the win in Saturday’s Open 600 final as 21 year old Max held off Sam Thompson, Alex Baker and Adam Clarke. Sunday saw Joe Sheldon-Shaw and Keenan Armstrong join the grids. Keenan crashed heavily in the qualifier ( …just after setting a new lap record !), but Joe stormed off at the front to take the win over Baker, Clarke and Mark Clayton with Max in an uncustomary 7
th after having to start from the back of the grid after a tumble in the same race as Armstrong.
The Ducati Desmo Due finals saw a win each for reigning Champion Andy Blomfield and former Champ Matthew Lawson in the 620cc A class which means that Lawson keeps his slender 2017 series lead. Peter Pritchard last years B class winner is now in the A class and is getting quicker with each passing round on his new mount. I predict a win is just around the corner for the Bay Studio Designs rider. In the 600cc B class Jack Younge continued his complete domination on the season taking his winning run to seven from seven as he headed James Robinson by 38 and 40 seconds in each outing.
Aaron Staniforth took the 700 Pre injections fight to current 2017 top man and 2016 champion John Wright. Aaron took Saturdays final over Wright after a charge through, and set a new class lap record on his CBR 600, but dnf’d on Sunday to hand Wright the 25 points. Liam Turberfield took more good points with two podiums but says he is getting a bit sick of seeing the back end of Wright’s mechatronics CBR round after round !!!!. The 1300 PI’s had a win each from Mark Ess on his newly built Hi-Lite signs YZF 750 and Thomas Payne with the AFB and BAS Assessors R1. Paynes’ efforts saw him pass Paul Harlington in the point’s table to lead the way going into Castle Combe.
Simon Bastable took another double win in the 700 Streetstock after heading home Leif Williams on both occasions. Whilst in the 1300’s reining champion Paul Jeffery again had to give second best to Ciaran Blight and his all black R1 Yamaha….. However we are now coming to some of Jeffrey’s favourite circuits which is good because there is now a 25 point lead for Bligh as we hit the half way point on the year.
As ever the Newcomers get a race all to themselves at NG’s two-day meetings and here at Cadwell Mike Carr took his first ever win on the 1299 Panigale as he headed home Luke Bailey and Kayla Barrington. Michael Rees took his SV to victory over Sam James, and Tom Harrison held off Will Byant for the 500 category. All three race winners also set new lap record figures, proving the future is bright….and fast!!
Sidecar action entertains as ever.
Former British F2 sidecars champ Gary Horspole with James Connell in the chair of the Baker Plant Hire LCR Suzuki took two convincing wins in the sidecar finals. The action behind kept everyone entertained as John and Nigel Lowther who were having only their second outing on the ex-Ricky Stevens British Championship winning Kawasaki battled with the hard charging Sam Christie and Ryan Anderson and reigning NG champs Nev Jones and Tom Bryant. Peter O’Niell and stand in passenger Mick Fairhurst were also in the mix. Mick stepped in after regular chairman Jack Galligan was despatched off the back of the platform during Saturdays’ qualifier. No one could touch Horspole though once he got in his stride. It was due to the hard efforts of the number 88 pairing of Stephen Jackson and Bob Child that we had a healthy grid of competitors, even though a lot of the crews were in the Island.
The Lansdowne Classic Series.
Lansdowne series features the "Bonhams British Historic Championship" and is a full blown British championship. These stunning older Grand Prix bikes from the 1960's joined NG this weekend and defending Champion Chris Firmin took two wins with this years current top man Dean Stimpson one. As ever Glen English and Michael Russell were right in the mix in all three races, and with the way the results fell means that the championship is much tighter at the top.
For the full story on this round....
www.lansdowneclassic.co.uk Next Round: Castle Combe | 8th and 9th July. Words : Russ Gardner - NG Road Racing Media Officer Images : EDP Photo News - www.edpphoto.co.uk