CHAMPION TREZINS, PLUS 4 WINS EACH FOR OAKLEY AND BELL

Monday September 21, 2026 at 4:51pm

A fantastic day’s racing, in beautiful weather conditions and the first champion of 2026 crowned at the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club’s penultimate race meeting of the season, Rounds 11 and 12 on Sunday 20^th September 2026, at the Darley Moor Sports Centre, near Ashbourne, DE6 2ET (or What3words: bounty.behalf.charm).

Just the second race of the day provided spectators with the closest finish when Richard Hughes (Wolverhampton) and Zac Leigh (Middlewich) had a race-long battle at the head of the field in the opening Honda CB500/Suzuki Bandit race. Separated by no more than 0.6sec during the opening four laps, Hughes crossing the line first, with Leigh in close pursuit. Lap5 saw the pair cross the line side-by side, then on Lap6 Leigh was, again, 0.5sec back, but Lap7 they again crossed the line side-by-side, but Leigh could not find a way to make the move stick and on the final circuit Hughes was able to hold a very slim 0.13sec advantage as they took the chequered flag. The second race was similar, but Lap3 and 4 saw the pair at the closest this time around, split by just 0.5sec and still within 1sec by Lap6, but then Hughes found the quickest route through the backmarkers, stretching his lead to more than 3sec on the final lap. Rian Galvin (Scropton) taking 3^rd spot on both occasions, 9sec adrift of the leader.

The opening race of the day, the Open 600 class, gave spectators a taster of things to come when Ben Luxton (Stockport), on a non-points scoring test-run on his British Championship machine (or maybe an early test for the forthcoming Stars at Darley meeting?) and Ricky Tarren (Swadlincote) had a battle at the head of the field. Tarren had the better start, finishing Lap1 0.8sec ahead of Luxton, reduced slightly on Lap2, but then Luxton posted the fastest lap of the race on Lap3, bringing the advantage down 0.3sec. Lap6 saw the gap at 0.2sec, but then, on the penultimate lap, Luxton fought his way through, just 0.16sec ahead and managing to stretch it out to 0.57sec at the flag, with Tarren’s closest championship rival, Ben Dale (Warrington) in 3^rd. The second race played out in a similar way, but with Luxton passing Tarren on Lap6 of 8, then stretching out a 1sec advantage at the flag, with Dale 3^rd, once more. With Luxton ineligible for championship points, Tarren claimed yet another 30pts, having just dropped the 3pts at the opening Round, when he finished 2^nd in the first race, he now only needs another 3pts to claim the championship.

In addition to the close racing two competitors were able to take four wins apiece, the first of these Freddy Oakley (Chesterfield), claimed his opening win in Race3, the Lightweight Championship. Finishing Lap1 with a 2.6sec lead over Arnie Carr (Beverley), who then trailed him throughout the race, dropping to 6sec behind on Lap6, but then with the help of the Fastest Lap, on Lap8, Carr had reduced Oakley’s advantage down to 2.4sec, at the flag. Oakley, again the faster starter, in the second Lightweight race, with a 3.2sec lead, over Carr, after Lap1 and adding another 0.5sec to the advantage on Lap2, until Carr then started to turn the tables, again the Fastest Lap, on the final lap, the lead was reduced to 2sec, at the chequered flag. Championship leader, Ant Porter (Chesterfield) finished 3^rd in the opening race, but failed to make the grid in the second race allowing his closest championship challenger, Steve Price (Stockport), who was 4^th in the first race, but claimed 3^rd spot in Porter’s absence, in the second, reducing the gap to the championship leader to just 18pts. However, with Oakley winning all eight races he’s finished, he is just a further 4points back in 3^rd place.

Oakley’s two other race wins came in the combined Darley Cup and Wilson Trophy races; 3^rd place in both races after the opening lap, highest placed Wilson Trophy machine, and able to maintain his position throughout in the opening race, but succumbing to pressure from Darley Cup competitor, Martyn Cooper (Stoke on Trent), dropping him to 4^th on Lap6 of 8. Oakley’s nearest challenger, Ant Porter, Wilson Trophy, and Lightweight, Championship leader, finished overall 10^th in the opening race, but again, never made the grid for the afternoon’s race, allowing Oakley to reduce his championship advantage to just 8pts.

At the head of the field, on his Darley Cup machine, Jonathan Trezins (Wisbech), claimed another two start – finish victories, ahead of Ryan Garside (Fleetwood), overall 2^nd in both races and Cooper, 3^rd. However, because of the number of riders battling for podium places, on a regular basis, Trezins, who has failed to register maximum points in just one race, the gap to the Runner-Up place, David Carson (Northwich) is now 76pts, with just a maximum of 60points up for grabs at the final meeting, Trezins becomes the first Champion of 2026.

Garside and Carson were also out in the combined Super Twins and Mini Twins races. Unsurprisingly, the Super Twins machines were out front and whilst Garside finished the opening lap, of the first race in 3^rd place, behind Josh Froggatt (Worksop), 1^st and David Glossop (High Peak), 2^nd, Carson down in 9^th. With Garside and Glossop battling throughout the race, it allowed Froggatt to stretch out a lead of 16sec at the chequered flag, with Garside finally able to cross the start/finish line ahead Glossop, when it mattered, at the chequered flag, split by just 0.05sec! Carson picked his way steadily through the pack; 7^th on Lap2, 5^th on Lap3 and his final position, 4^th on Lap4. Second race saw Froggatt claim another start – finish race victory, with an advantage of 14sec over Garside, who was able to keep Glossop’s race-long challenge at bay, finally finishing 1sec ahead. Unfortunately, Carson, who had a better start, finishing Lap1 in 6^th, then up to 4^th on Lap2, but then failed to finish Lap7. Anthony Thane (Stoke on Trent) recorded two victories in the Mini Twins class, finishing 8^th Overall in the first race and 5^th Overall in the second. Behind Thane, finishing 10^th Overall, Craig Bishop (Shrewsbury) recorded his highest position in his first season of racing, 2^nd place in MiniTwins his first ever trophy, but then repeated the feat, this time finishing 7^th Overall and another 2^nd place trophy, for the second race.

After 3^rd place in the Open 600, Ben Dale claimed two start – finish victories in the Golden Supersport 600, ahead of Trezins, 2nd and Martyn Cooper, 3^rd.

The second competitor to achieve four wins over the course of the day was Matt Bell (Sheffield) in the Open Solo and Ben Godfrey Trophy races. The first Open Solo race saw Bell finish the opening lap over 2sec ahead of Adam Walters (Derby), very closely followed by Andy Taylor (Chesterfield), with Mark Goodings (Doncaster) a further 1sec back. Bell’s pace was quicker than the rest and he was able to stretch out a winning margin of almost 5sec at the end of the 8lap race. With Goodings passing Taylor on Lap2 it then set-up the battle for 2^nd spot between Walters and Goodings, with the gap getting down to just 0.16sec on Lap4, but Goodings was unable to find a way through, then being thwarted by backmarkers on the penultimate lap, eventually finishing almost 4sec back, at the flag. Walters was quickest off the line in the second race, with Bell in 2^nd, just 0.06sec behind, Taylor, 3^rd and Goodings, 4^th. Bell found a way past Walters on Lap2, whilst Goodings moved into 3^rd after Taylor failed to finish the lap, then Goodings moved into 2^nd on Lap5 and the trio then maintained those positions until the chequered flag, with Goodings 6sec back from Bell and Walters a further 5sec behind.

Ricky Tarren was the only person to cross the line, throughout both Ben Godfrey Trophy races, less than 1sec behind Bell, but that was only on the opening lap of each race, the first with Walters 3^rd and Goodings 4^th, 2sec back. Goodings moved ahead of Walters on Lap3, 1.5sec behind Tarren, who was a further 2sec behind Bell. Goodings was able to squeeze pass Tarren on the penultimate lap and stretch an advantage of almost 1sec, with Bell a further 3sec ahead, Walters down in 4^th, 14sec back. The opening lap of the second race was the same; Bell, from Tarren, Walters 3^rd and Goodings 4^th. Bell stretching his advantage, but Walters finding a way pass Tarren on Lap4, but he could not pull out a gap, the pair stuck in the battle for 2^nd until the flag, Walters having the advantage by 0.4sec, with Goodings 4^th, almost 18sec back, Bell taking the chequered flag, 5.4sec ahead of Walters. These victories giving Bell a 40pt lead in the Ben Godfrey Trophy class, aiming for a fourth consecutive title and the only name on the Trophy, so far!

It was a family affair in the Sidecar class, brothers Sam and Jack Laidlow (Appleby) taking two overall victories on their Open class outfit, but only on testing duties, following an accident whilst racing in the Sidecar World Championship. Following these ‘home’ on both occasions was the father and daughter pairing of Mark and Amelia Berry (Bolton), taking the Formula 600 Sidecar victories on both occasions. The 15pts for the Open Class victory went to Alan Molyneux/Daniel Rudland (Rufford/Barton upon Humber), who finished 3^rd Overall, 5sec behind the Berry’s, on both occasions.

That brings the penultimate meeting of the season to a close, now there is just two racing days of the season, the big one, the 2026 RICHARDSON Stars at Darley, on Saturday 10^th/Sunday 11^th October 2026. As always, the action will begin at 1000hrs, with the start of Practice and first race scheduled to start at 11.30am. Advance tickets at are available now, just visit www.darleymoorstore.com.

Stars at Darley race days - Adults £20 (£17 in advance), Seniors £17 (£14 in advance). Weekend tickets - Adults £38 (£32 in advance, Seniors £32 (£26 in advance).

Camping is now only available from 2pm Friday, at £10 per night, through to 10am Monday morning.

The Chequered Flag Café, open to all, every weekend, but with longer hours on a race weekend (Friday 9am - 8pm, Saturday 8am – 8pm, Sunday 8am – 6pm) and with its own set of very regular customers. There will also be a Refreshment Unit serving the Hairpin Viewing Area on Saturday & Sunday.

2026 Championship (after Round 12)

Wilson Trophy

1st Ant Porter, 128pts; 2nd Freddy Oakley, 120pts; 3rd Mike Lees, 67pts

Darley Cup

1st Jonathan Trezins, 165pts; 2nd David Carson, 89pts; Martyn Cooper, 86pts

Ben Godfrey Trophy

1st Matt Bell, 151pts; 2^nd Mark Goodings, 111pts; 3rd Ricky Tarren, 81pts

Open 600cc

1st Ricky Tarren, 177pts; 2nd Benjamin Dale, 119pts; 3rd David Carson, 98pts

Open Solos

1st Matt Bell, 162pts; 2nd Mark Goodings, 114pts; 3rd Stephen Parsons, 66pts

Golden SuperSport 600