Tuesday August 30, 2011 at 12:04pm
Last Sunday the Phoenix Tools Premier Motocross Championship made its way back down into Cornwall for the second time in the series to the ever popular Landrake Moto Parc. As per usual the track was prepared to an art and with rain overnight it was to produce some excellent racing.
In the Phoenix Tools MX1 class it was Luke Hill on the Maunders Racing Honda who had set the fastest time in Qualifying but the day belonged to the Gibbs Performance Yamaha of Will Worden who was having his first ride in the MX1 Class rather than the usual MX2. Even though Worden didn’t win a race he was the most consistant finishing 2nd in all three races. Current Championship leader John May on the Meredith Suzuki took the win in the opening race after a long hard battle with Worden with the lead swopping and changing nearly every lap which was thrilling the moderate crowd. In the second Moto it was May who had the early lead and was pulling away from the word go, but on lap 2 May had a problem with his back wheel which was later revealed that the bearings had broken up and it was Luke Blanchard who looked set to take the win, but he was put under huge pressure from Luke Hill and Worden and was to make a mistake 2 laps from the end and Hill just held off Worden to take the win. In the last race it was Worden who had the early lead from the Phoenix Tools CCM of Maarten Cremers, but a mistake from Cremers on the opening lap saw him drop back and was to pull out and through had now come May who was soon all over Worden who he eventually got pass on lap 4 and was to ease away from Worden and went on to take the win.
In the St Blazey MX2 class it was Championship leader Jamie Skuse on the DMX/MX-Zone who was quickest in qualifying, but it was defending Champion Luke Mellows on the Meredith Suzuki who was dominant on the day with a hat trick of wins to keep his title chase on schedule. Mellows was to have the best start in the opening race and was to ease away. Skuse was to have a bad start, but he was the rider to watch as he stormed through the field and was to come through to take an excellent 2nd with Harry Snow on the P J Couriers Kawasaki passing both young Dan Thornhill and Lee Skinner in the closing stages to take 3rd. In the second Moto it was much the same as the opening race with Mellows setting the pace and Skuse again having to work hard to make up for yet again not the best of starts to come through to take 2nd just ahead of Thornhill. In the last race it was Thornhill with the best start from Harry Sellwood with Mellows tucked in 3rd, but it wasn’t long before Mellows hit the front. Skuse yet again just couldn’t get a good start and was mid field but was soon in to a rhythm and came through to take 2nd yet again behind runaway victor Mellows.
In the M D Racing over 35 class there was no stopping Championship leader Martyn Tucker who was to take a hattrick of wins, but there was some cracking racing going on behind him especially in the first two races as Chris Brown was put under immense pressure from James Williams in the first one for 2nd and then Keith Hanson in the second race, but Brown held on in both to take 2nd and with a 3rd in the last race this was to give him 2nd overall with Hawkins 3rd overall.
In the Petersen Racing Junior Championship there was some excellent racing and this was to produce three different winners. In the opening race it was wildcard Daniel Johnson who had made the journey down from London who had the holeshot and raced away to take an easy win, but in race 2 there was no Johnson who had got his expert points from the first race and decided to move in to the MX1 class. In the second Moto it was second place rider in the Championship Harvie Templeton-Banks who was to dominate from the off and was to ease away to take the win with wildcard Aran Agius taking the win in the last race after passing early leader Templeton-Banks who is now within 34 points of Championship leader Bill Farleigh with two rounds remaining.
Words and Image by Dave Rich