The Goldspeed British Quadcross Championship will be held at Leuchars Scotland on the 14th and 15th August.
The two day event will also feature the British Youth Quad Championship on the Sunday only and on the Saturday the Quadracing Scotland Club championship.
More details about the venue and classes can be found at www.quadracingscotland.org.uk/
Keiran Quinns ACU British Quad Championship Preview
Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th August 2010
Leuchars Motocross Circuit, Comerton Farm, Leuchars, Fife
This coming weekend will see the elite of British and European Quad Racing converge on the town of Leuchars for a two-day spectacle of racing action not to be missed. Promoted by Quad Racing Scotland at the Comerton Farm venue on the outskirts of the town, the stunning sand circuit provides a tough challenge that will test the skills and resolve of the huge entry of riders taking part.
The action kicks off on Saturday the 14th with round four of the 2010 GOLDSPEED ACU British Quad Championship being promoted alongside the 6th round of the QRS / SACU Scottish Quad Championship, while Sunday the 15th will see round five of the 2010 GOLDSPEED ACU British Quad Championship, round four of the ACU British Masters Quad Championship and the 2nd round of the ACU British Youth Quad Championship fill an eighteen race programme.
After one of the most exciting and close fought starts to the series in many years, with a different overall winner at each of the three previous meetings, the man topping the table in the GOLDSPEED ACU British Quad Championship is ten-times British Champion, Paul Winrow, who will be aiming to extend his twelve point lead from round three victor, Mark Watson. Having dominated the opening round in Ireland and leading the charge for Scotland, John Mitchell from Stornoway in the Isle Of Lewis is no stranger to success at the venue having taken the overall win here in 2009, Mitchell currently 3rd in the series and no doubt aiming for the top step to reduce the seventeen point deficit to Watson, but there is little room for error with only five points splitting Mitchell and the two riders behind. Jason Macbeth is a strong contender around the technical circuit with a podium appearance here in 2009, while Carl Bunce’s consistency has kept him well in touch with the leaders in 5th. Having taken a race win at the venue in 2009, 2009 European Quad Champion Paul Holmes, is quickly working his way up the leaderboard and is also a contender for victory, while local rider Leon Beda will make the short trip from his Coaltown of Balgonie base focused on giving the locals lots to cheer about.
Having taken his first overall win at the previous meeting, Ben Harman now leads the British Under 21 class by nine points, but bolstered by his recent first-time European Championship podium, hard charging James Hellewell will be full of confidence. Early series leader Stefan Murphy currently sits 3rd in the class a further six points behind but will sit out the remainder of the season through injury, with David Cowan and Kieran Power well within striking distance of the top of the table just nineteen and twenty nine points adrift respectively.
After an epic battle in the Lake District which saw the top three on the rostrum split by just two points, the ACU British Masters Quad Championship is currently lead by Geoff Ingram with a twenty-eight point lead over Geoff Sharp, with Stevenston native Ian Neill heading the Scottish assault in 3rd and hoping to replicate his performance at round three, Neill taking a superb opening moto win on his way to 2nd overall on the day. Karl Robinson will be ready to pounce on any mistakes made by the top three just seven points behind Neill in 4th, while Anthony Barrett will have put the troublesome Dean Moor meeting behind him and will be a strong contender for the podium.
With a strong representation in the ACU British Youth Quad Championship, there are lots of possibilities for Scottish successes in the various classes. In the entry-level 50cc Standard class it is Matthew Straughan who leads from Bobby Carmichael and JJ Readman, Lanark’s Justin Gunning currently running a respectable 9th after the opening round. Harry Carmichael took a clean sweep at the opening round to lead from George Oliver, but local Fife rider, Aaron Swan from Lochgelly, sits a comfortable 3rd just eight points behind, with Perth native Aiden Henry running 7th and more than capable of a top five finish. Luke Gunning from Lanark leads the home assault in the 100cc Standard class, Gunning currently 5th just five points behind Declan McKenna in 3rd, with Harrison Sharpe leading the class from James Rawlins. The 100cc Modified class sees Jordan Harris lead after a hat-trick of race wins from Connor Paxton and Dafydd Davies, while Kyle Watson will travel South from Elgin and should improve on his current 6th, Stuart Kirchacz from nearby Windygates also a strong challenger and currently running 10th. The 100cc Geared class continues to deliver some superb racing, Bradley Swinbank leading from Bailey Edwards and Harry Walker, Scottish rider Zoe Neill from Stevenston currently 5th in the standings, while fellow countrymen Lawrence Whyte will travel South from Fraserburgh aiming for a top three finish to move up from 7th, Lanark’s Jay Gunning also in with a strong chance of a top-five finish to improve on 8th. The 250cc classes provide some of the most hotly contested races throughout the day, with a strong local entry. The 250cc Standard class is currently headed by Daniel Lewis from Luke Davis and Scott Wilson, but Jamie Swan from Lochgelly is just two points behind Wilson and will be hoping to use his local knowledge to move up from 4th. Galston’s Taylor Gibb currently sits 8th after a strong performance in Cumbria, while fellow Ayrshire natives James Frew and Amy Neill will no doubt have overcome their difficult final heats at Dean Moor, Frew making the trip from Kilwinning aiming to improve on 9th while Neill will travel from Stevenston to better her 14th in the standings. Leon Rogers heads the field in the 250cc Modified class with Dean Colhoun and Luke Cooper in close proximity, Murray Graham from Wishaw currently 10th in the tables with Powmill’s Blair Brown and fellow Fife rider Murray Scott just behind, all three having vast experience around the sandy venue and capable of top five finishes. As the last stepping stone before progression in to adult racing, the 250cc Open Class gives an insight in to the depth of talent coming through, Alexander Thompson leading the series after a clean sweep of race wins from Christian Morris and Mark McLernon, but despite having missed much of the early part of the race season through injury, Connor Smith will make the journey from Brodick on the Isle Of Arran as a strong challenger for Scottish success. Just eight points adrift of 2nd in the series after the opening round, Smith showed that he is getting back up to speed with an epic final moto performance in Cumbria, charging through from last place on the opening lap to finish 3rd at the chequered flag.
With in excess of thirty races planned over the two days and an eighteen race programme for Sunday alone, the chance to see the best Quad riders from throughout Europe compete at one of the most challenging venues on the racing calendar will provide some spectacular entertainment and is not to be missed. Action gets underway on both days with practice at 9.00am with the first of the racing action kicking of at 10.00am, Leuchars Motocross Circuit is located at Comerton Farm just off the Earlshall Road and will be signposted from the town, KY16 0JU will take you to within half a mile of the circuit.