Rounds 16, 17 & 18 of the NG road racing championship to place on the isle of Anglesey at “Trac Mon”, Wales answer to Phillip Island with spectacular views fast sweeping bends and elevation changes that prove a challenge to even the most experienced of riders.
Friday testing took place in better than forecast weather conditions, but overnight wind and rain did its best to decimate the paddock with a number of awnings and tents lost in the heavy gusts that really picked up a pace at about 4am on Saturday morning. As a result of the weather the entire paddock had a fairly sleepless night with most reporting the gusts also having effects on large vans and caravans in which many chose to shelter.
Unfortunately, the weather impacted Saturday's timetable significantly as wind speed remained in excess of that permitted for safe racing for most of the day with just six 10-minute sessions of practice squeezed into an otherwise quiet day of fettling race machinery.
Sunday morning started better and, without the chance to qualify on Saturday the NG management team had made the best of a bad situation and published grids for the Saturday morning race based on Championship positions after round 15 meaning Junior Supersport led the mixed grid with Desmodue A class (injection bikes) in the mid pack and Desmodue B class (pre-injection bikes) behind and those riders racing for the first time this season bringing up the rear. This meant that some quick riders started at the back with both Alan Ball (4) and Paul Garner (47) right at the back of the field.
From the off-A class championship leader Domonic Cann (1) settled in behind the JSS leaders closely followed by Chris Norris (22) who was lapping at a faster pace, Dan James (12) occupied third spot on track but was circulating almost 3 seconds a lap slower with Paul Garner (47) closing fast and already mid pack by the end of lap 1. By lap 4 Garner (47) was on the tail of James (12) and by lap 5 was past for third spot on the road albeit 15 seconds behind Norris (22) in second. At the end of Lap 6 Norris (22) himself had overtaken Cann (1) but at the end of the final lap Cann (1) had returned the favour to win by just 3 tenths of a second from Norris (22) in second and Garner (47), who started dead last on the grid, taking third spot.
In B class, championship leader Floyd Moody (7) had a great start to place himself 3 spots ahead of his nearest B class challenger at the end of lap one but was overhauled by both Enrico Belsito (13) and Mikey Smith (89) by the end of lap two. Moody (1) then overtook Smith (89) on lap three and Belsito (13) on lap four before posting a best lap of 1:21.685 on lap five to edge away and take the win from Belsito (13) in second and Smith (89) in third. Moodys eighth win of the season and the absence of Brian Tipple (27) together with a low B class turnout at Anglesey meant all he had to do was finish in race two to take the points and retain the championship title for 2023.
For the Sunday afternoon race normal service was resumed and grids were determined by race one finishing positions. Paul Garner (47) sensibly opted to sit out the race rather than ruin what had been a relatively uneventful event by his standards. Andrew Howes (72) suffered bike issues on the sighting lap and whilst he formed up on the grid, he opted to push his machine off the circuit ahead of the lights going on rather than run the risk of a stall at the start. Once the red lights went out Cann (1) again set the pace in A class with Norris (22) giving chase but circulating almost a second a lap slower to finish 5 seconds behind at the close, Dan James (12) concluded the A class podium.
In B class Belsito (13) led Moody (7) at the end of lap one but was overhauled on lap three which is how the positions stood until the flag, the final podium position taken by Paul Aldred (32) who claims his first trophy in his maiden year with the club. The win for Moody meant that he retained the B class championship title with the Cadwell rounds still remaining.
As always, the Ducati Sporting Club would like to express they're thanks to all of those at NGRRC for organising the event and especially the marshals and medical teams who looked out for our fallen riders and to Dunlop and Clinton Howe for the continued tyre support.
If you are thinking of joining the series in 2023 or beyond, please seek out the “Desmo Due Paddock” page on Facebook or Ducatisportingclub.com for further information or come and have a chat with us in the Paddock.
Words: Andy Hind
Pics: Colin Hill :
hairybeastpix@hotmail.com