This week’s ‘What’s on Weekly’ features a selection of just a few events taking place around the country over this weekend and next.
Motocross
With less than three weeks until the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship heralds the yearly trip to the Emerald Isle. The Desertmartin round of the Championship makes the start to the second half of a very exciting season. The Cookstown Club, in conjunction with long term event sponsors, Stena Line, have released details of discounted ferry crossings for the week surrounding the event on the 24th June. The discount can be received by logging onto the Stenna website www.stenaline.co.uk/event. Both teams and race fans alike can use the benefit of a 15% discount on ferry crossings for travel between Wednesday 20th and returning by Tuesday 26th June by entering the discount code MOTOCROSS2012. Ferries operate from Cairnryan and Liverpool to Belfast which only leaves an approximate thirty minute drive to the circuit or from Holyhead to Dublin. For those who may prefer to take in more of the Irish scenery a route also operates from Fishguard to Rosslare. Desertmartin will also make the return of Gordon Crockard to British Championship action as a Wild Card entry in the highly competitive MX1 class. Crockard, a local fan favourite, will be certain to mix it with the front runners and the circuit that was once known as his playground. With support from his loyal local fans the atmosphere when the riders enter the arena is sure to be electric. The event will also feature the debut of Martin Barr – another local favourite and this year he will be riding out of the Tyco Suzuki by TAS awning which is a very local team. The Desertmartin Round will also feature the fourth round of the MXY2 Championship, Practice will be starting at 9am on Sunday 24th June, with the first MX2 race of the day leaving the gate at 12:15pm. Full details of the event can be found on the MXGB Website www.mxgb.co.uk.
The Broadhembury Motor Club regrets that they have cancelled the motocross scheduled for June 10th at their Wrangway circuit nr. Wellington in Somerset. The land is now managed, on behalf of the Landowner, by a land agent who has let the grass to a local farmer and the bullocks, put in the field towards the end of last week, have drained the pond leaving us with no back up water supply. Going on previous experience we know that we will be unable to run a complete meeting without that supply and with little or no rain forecast for the next two weeks the decision was made to reluctantly call the event off. Unfortunately due to the restrictions put on the Club by the agent we are unable to rerun this event.
Trials
With the 2012 series already reaching the half-way point this coming weekend we head off the Low North Park for the Scarborough MCC organised round of the ACU/TRC supported series.
Entries are holding up well with 60+ riders competing in the Championship/Expert and Youth groups. Practice for this no-stop series gets underway on Saturday at 2.30 pm with the trial proper starting on Sunday at 9.30. As with many of the venues this year it will be a first for them to host no stop although this piece of ground has been used for a number of years but under the old rules. If you want to get to Low North head towards Scarborough, the venue Post Code is YO13 0LA. Route Marking from the A170 Pickering / Scarborough Road and A171 Scarborough /Whitby Road. There are just the two classes this year and we will start with the Championship. Michael Brown and James Dabill have one win a piece so far this year but it is Brownie that sits in top place at the moment. Gary MacDonald currently holds third in the championship with Ross Danby on the Jotagas fourth. It is all very tight after the top two with Alexz Wigg and Sam Haslam close in contention and both will be looking for improvements in their season so far. This season has also seen a re-emergence of some of the country's top experienced riders with Sam Connor currently holding sixth overall. There is also that there is a good battle going on between Tom Dexter and Bradley Cox in the 125cc contest. Both are currently on 37 points. Two riders dominate the Expert Class so far Richard Timperley and John Crinson and both have one win apiece to date but Adam Milner finished at Westwood in good form so look out for him and others to go well at Scarborough.
Eight down, three to go, and the ACU Luscombe Suzuki Leeds British sidecar championship series is really on the boil. The Mansfield Maun club jump from staging a short circuit British Ladies championship at Bracken Rocks to running a twenty five mile road based British sidecar championship trial centred on the village of Winster in north Derbyshire. Terry Crabtree and his team have a classy forty sections to test twenty crews. All the big names start at the back of the field. It could be revelation day for Robin and Sam Luscombe who are sitting pretty with a drop score implemented and one hundred and three points in the bag. Cold comfort for standings leaders Adrian and Aaron Smith and Isle of Man compatriots Gary Flowers and Antony Smith who will be considering just where Rupert and Chris Kimber fit into the equation. The Manxmen have that cursed drop score to deal with. Tony Crabtree and Jamie Howe have Peter Dale and Barry Pocock right on their heels. Two points is not a good sign with Mr Crabtree on his home patch, not that he lives anywhere near Winster. Mark Kemp is on an Isle of Man trip and Nigel Scott is not on the Clubman entry list so Phil Sparkes should make hay with new crewman Matt Sparkes and leave the opposition to sort out the leaderboard. Alan and Rosie Maynard ride Newcomer and they may end the year with two hundred championship points!! The three wheelers depart at 10.40, after forty solos head off to knock the slime off the rocks. Camping and food will be available at The Miners Standard. Time allowance is six hours.
Grasstrack
This weekend the Mid Cornwall Premier Motorcycle Club will be hosting the UEM European 500cc Sidecar Semi Final. The event will be taking place at Roche just off the Victoria Road and will feature some of the closest racing possible. Alongside the event will be the third round of the ACU Track Racing series, after winning the opening two rounds at the BMF Show Mark Cossar and Carl Blyth will be looking to continue their winning ways. Next weekend’s event will start with the first race at 1pm and the admission prices are £10 per Adult and under 14’s free when accompanied by an adult.
If your club is running an event in the coming weeks and would like to be a part of this feature please contact Richard Blyth on pr@acu.org.uk with details of your event.