Back on Saturday October 15th the final round of the 2011 Phoenix Tools Premier Motocross Championship took place at Ladram Bay Holiday Park, but unfortunately with no rain in the South West leading up to the event dust was to become a bit of a problem and organisers decided that the conditions were to bad for safety reasons that they would only run two blocks of racing instead of three, but never the less there was still some exhilarating racing to be seen to thrill the many spectators in attendance.
In the Phoenix Tools MX1 Championship class John May had already wrapped up the Championship at the penultimate round, but there was still some excellent racing to be seen. May had set the fastest time in Qualifying, but it was Luke Blanchard who had the best start from Luke Hill with May tucked in 3rd. Blanchard was to pull away abit in the early stages and May could see this as he was desperate to get pass Hill as not to let Blanchard get too far ahead, but it wasn't until lap 4 that he moved up in to 2nd after passing Hill. Blanchard had a 5 second lead at this stage, but May was on a mission and took a full three seconds off that lead in one lap and was closing fast and was to catch and pass Blanchard on lap 6 when Blanchard ran abit wide in to a loose berm and May shot through on the inside. Darren Shears had made a welcome return to the Championship and showed he still got that speed and was closing in fast on Hill for 3rd, but time was to run out. May took the win with Blanchard 2nd and Hill holding on to take 3rd. In the second moto May was out on his evo Honda a 1988 250R, but it was Sam Chapman who was quickest out the gate in this one from Hill and Shears with May back down in 8th. Chapman was to try and shake off Hill on the opening couple of laps, but it was to no avail as Hill was breathing all over him and was soon to hit the front passing Chapman on a fast swooping right hander. May was making good progress, but it wasn't for long as John was to lose control dropping in to one of the valleys and was winded and was forced to retire. Meanwhile back at the front Hill had eased away at the front, but the battle was soon on for 2nd as Shears was now all over Chapman trying everything he knew, but it wasn't until lap 6 that Shears moved up after Chapman made a slight mistake, but Chapman was to fight back and pressured Shears for a couple of laps but it wasn't to be, Hill took the win from Shears with Chapman a close 3rd.
In the St Blazey MX2 class it was defending Champion Luke Mellows who had a slender 16 points advantage over Jamie Skuse, but unfortunately Skuse again was forced not to race still suffering from a shoulder injury picked up earlier in the year. Mellows had set the quickest time in qualifying but it was Nick Wadge who himself was back from injury with the holeshot from Mellows with Bradley Bolitho there in 3rd, but there was a few fallers at the first corner which included wildcard Luke Hawkins who was right at the back of the field. Wadge was in full throttle mode at the front as was Mellows who didn’t let him get away and these two were to ease away from the rest of the field on the opening lap, then on lap 2 Mellows started pushing for the lead and did so passing Wadge when he got the better traction out of a slow right hander. Mellows was to gradually pull away from Wadge who was now being caught by Lee Skinner who was soon all over Wadge and this tussle went on until lap 6 when Wadge made a mistake and through went Skinner but he wasn’t going to catch Mellows who took the win by some 27 seconds with Wayne Shimell taking 3rd just a head of Hawkins who had thought his way through from nigh on last. In the second moto again it was Wadge who was quickest out of the gate from Dan Thornhill and Shimell. Hawkins and Mellows didn’t have the best of starts and were having there own ding dong on the opening lap for 4th and 5th with Mellows getting the better of Hawkins and these two were soon on the tail of Shimell on lap 2 but it wasn’t until two laps later that they both found away pass. Wadge was still there in the lead on lap 5 but seemed to being slowing a bit as Thornhill was closing in as was Hawkins who had got in front of Mellows. Hawkins was all over Thornhill on lap 7 and found away pass in the valley and now had his sights on Wadge at the front who he was to catch and pass a lap later. Mellows had got pass Thornhill and was soon to pass Wadge, but he wasn’t going to catch Hawkins, but what he did know was that 2nd in the race was to give him the 2011 St Blazey Premier MX2 Championship.
In the M D Racing over 35 class it was Chris Brown who was to have the best start in the opening race from Championship leader Martyn Tucker who got pass Brown within three corners but a mistake later on the opening lap was to drop him back down in to 5th and it was now wildcard John Lock who had got the better of Brown who was now leading with Keith Hanson in 2nd after Brown had made a mistake. Lock was being pressured hard by Hanson and he was to hit a loose berm and Hanson pounced on the opportunity as did Mark Wilde another wildcard entry. Hanson was pressured by Wilde for most of the remainder of the race, but Hanson kept his concentration and took the win with Wilde 2nd and Brown 3rd. In the second encounter it was Brown with the best start again from Lock and Tucker, but not the best of starts this time for Hanson, and it was to get worse as Hanson stalled his bike on a slow right hander on lap 2 which put him second from last. Wilde was to get the better of Lock as was Tucker and Wilde was also to pass Brown for the lead on lap 3 and was looking good as he eased away, but Brown hadn’t finished he was to dig in deep and come back and catch Wilde and regain the lead and went on to take the win with Wilde 2nd and Tucker finishing in 3rd and with it was declared 2011 M D Racing Premier Over 35 Champion.
In the Petersen Junior Championship it was going to be a nail biting finish as just 13 points separated Bill Farleigh and Harvie Templeton-Banks at the top. Well things started well for Templeton-Banks as he was to have the holeshot in the opening race from third place man in the standings Michael Rowe with Farleigh there in 3rd. Templeton-Banks had plenty of support and was cheered on at the front and with a clear track in front of him was to ease away. Farleigh was to get the better of Rowe on lap 2 to move in to 2nd and Rowe now had Anthony Milliar all over him like a rash, but it wasn’t until lap 6 that he got pass and he was now on a mission as he was closing in fast on Farleigh. Templeton-Banks was to be an easy winner, but all eyes were on Farleigh who just held on to take 2nd with Milliar a close 3rd. In the second race it was now 10 points the deficit at the front and it was a good start again for Templeton-Banks with the holeshot, but nerves had set in for Farleigh as he knew this was the last race and he had to finish no lower than 5th to win the Championship as he had a terrible start and was well down in 12th place. Templeton-Banks had a clear track in front of him and he was to pull away from Ben Denison and had a 3 second lead by the end of lap 2, Farleigh was up in to 9th and spectators and friends were cheering him on and Farleigh was responding picking them off one by one and by the end of lap 4 he was up in to 5th which was where he needed to be baring no mistakes. Milliar again was a man on a mission in this one and by the end of lap 6 he was up in to 2nd and chasing Templeton-Banks, closing all the time until Templeton-Banks went down after his back wheel went away throwing him over the bars, but he was soon up which surprised everybody as it looked a bad crash and rejoined in 2nd behind Milliar who was to go on to take his first win in the Championship with Jordan Owen 3rd and coming home in 4th to much applause was Farleigh who had won the 2011 Petersen Racing Premier Junior Championship at the age of 17.
OVERALL RESULTS
Phoenix Tools MX1 Class
1st Luke Hill (450f Maunders Racing Honda) 2nd Darren Shears (450f PCMP Yamaha) 3rd Luke Blanchard (450f Blanchard Wells Yamaha) 4th Brad Cavill (450f M D Racing Honda) 5th Sam Chapman (450f Hart Racing Honda) 6th Ben Harmon (350f Maunders Racing KTM)
St Blazey MX2 Class
1st Luke Mellows (250f Meredith Mx/JMT Suzuki) 2nd Luke Hawkins (250f Par Homes Honda) 3rd Wayne Shimell (250f Maunders Racing Honda) 4th Nick Wadge (250f Maunders Racing Honda) 5th Lee Skinner (250f Honda) 6th Dan Thornhill (250f Suzuki GB)
M D Racing Over 35 Class
1st Chris Brown (250f Honda) 2nd Mark Wilde (450f Suzuki) 3rd Martyn Tucker (450f Suzuki) 4th Keith Hanson (450f Hanson Garage Honda) 5th Colin Butler (350f KTM) 6th Mark Roberts (250 Honda)
Petersen Racing Junior Class
1st Harvie Templeton-Banks (450f Flashman M/c Yamaha) 2nd Anthony Milliar (450f A T Motocross Honda) 3rd Bill Farleigh (450f Phoenix Tools Kawasaki) 4th Michael Rowe (450f Tyremarks KTM) 5th Stephen Bain (250f Yamaha) 6th Jordan Owen (350f D L Commercials KTM)
Junior B
1st James Sanson (250f Suzuki) 2nd Luke Sanson (250f Honda) 3rd Richard Grills (450f Yamaha) 4th Stuart Barfoot (250f Honda) 5th Stuart White (250f Kawasaki) 6th Bradley Barfoot (125 Yamaha)
Junior C
1st Richard Tapscott (450f Honda) 2nd Joseph Tucker (250f Kawasaki) 3rd Nick Lane (????) 4th Robert Jamieson (250f Honda) 5th Will Turner (????) 6th Kevin spiller (????)
Phoenix Tools Premier MX1 Championship
1st John May (450f Meredith Mx Suzuki) 760 points (Champion) 2nd Luke Hill (450f Maunders Racing Honda) 692 3rd Maarten Cremers (450f Phoenix Tools CCM) 613 4th Sam Chapman (450f Hart Racing Honda) 494 5th Andrew Gillett (450f Maunders Racing Honda) 332 6th Darren Shears (450f PCMP Yamaha) 3217th Luke Blanchard (450f Blanchard Wells Yamaha) 319 8th Ben Harmon (350f Maunders Racing KTM) 313 9th Kelvin Townsend (450f Wheeldon Farm/J R Racing Suzuki) 276 10th James Kensington (250 Maunders Racing Honda) 256
St Blazey Premier MX2 Championship
1st Luke Mellows (250f Meredith Mx/JMT Suzuki) 750 points (Champion) 2nd Jamie Skuse (250f DMX/MX-Zone Honda) 674 3rd Wayne Shimell (250f Maunders Racing Honda) 630 4th Harry Snow (250f P J Couriers kawasaki) 449 5th Josh Wyatt (250f Wyatt Fencing Kawasaki) 429 6th Nick Wadge (250f Maunders Racing Honda) 346 7th Will Worden (250f Gibbs Performance Yamaha) 326 8th Grant Bryant (250f Yamaha) 322 9th Dan Thornhill (250f Suzuki GB) 314 10th Lee Skinner (250f Honda) 270
M D Racing Premier Over 35 Championship
1st Martyn Tucker (450f Suzuki) 754 points (Champion) 2nd Keith Hanson (450f Hanson's Garage Honda) 721 3rd Chris Brown (450f Honda) 698 4th Rob Lewis (450f Maunders Racing Honda) 524 5th Mark Roberts (250 Honda) 502 6th Gregg Brooks (250f KTM) 458 7th James Trethewey (450f Suzuki) 357 8th Julian Turner (450f Honda) 309 9th Richard Southcott (450f Honda) 266 10th David Lidbetter (250f Suzuki) 237
Petersen Racing Premier Junior Championship
1st Bill Farleigh (250f Phoenix Tools Kawasaki) 730 points (Champion) 2nd Harvie Templeton-Banks (450f Flashman M/c Yamaha) 724 3rd Michael Rowe (450f Tyremarks KTM) 643 4th Stephen Bain (250f Yamaha) 545 5th Jordan Owen (350f DL-Commercials KTM) 541 6th Anthony Milliar (450f A T Motocross Honda) 501 7th Curtis Hunt (450f Scoot-n-Commute Kawasaki) 336 8th Jake Owen (450f Maple Scaffolding Honda) 327 9th Josh House (250f Honda) 224 10th Toby Harvey (250f Court Group Honda) 200