Thursday July 19, 2012 at 11:27am
Sorrymate.com-Hottrax Motorsport 2012 Round Five at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire on 14th and 15th July 2012 – ACU/Sorrymate.com National and Junior Endurance with Fuchs Silkolene, MICHELIN Power Cup, Parkitt MotoGrande 600 and SBK City MotoGrande 1000, Parkitt Modern Classics/Street Triple Cup/Maxitwin Ducati + Ducati Desmos – Race Report - words by Alfonso Lygo
3 Hour Endurance
A massive grid of 36 quality teams saw Sam Warren grab pole for Ridgeback Racing 2 (with David Stolliday) but it was TANC (James McBride/Mike Dickinson) and Sweatshop Racing (Hugh Brasher/Mick Godfrey) who battled, after an hour the gap was 2 seconds, advantage Sweatshop and at the two hour spot TANC were 8 seconds ahead. With a couple of pace car incidents it was just as close going into the final minutes as TANC maintained a 40 second advantage making it two wins on the trot and getting back on terms with Sweatshop for the title. Ridgeback (Mark Clark/Hudson Kennaugh) were third but only thirty seconds up from TEC-Supllies.com (Tim Cripps/Westley Crozier) with the pole setters back in fourth in front of Insignia (Rob Loveday/Patrick Medcalf) and Pumpkin Council (Larry Halliday/Dan Cruickshank) in seventh.
In the National 600s two Triumph based teams excelled with Daniel Western Racing (Tom Hayward/Richard Steadman) and 11kv Power2connect (Alex Olsen/Tommy Dale) coming home a lap apart, just seconds away were third placed Brand Brothers (Martin/Peter) and Pit Stop (Steve Bridle/Marc Dilks).
Team Traction Control (Keith Flint/Ben Neeves) are developing a habit of winning in the Clubmans 1000 class - fastest in practice and never challenged throughout despite rivals Team Avus Solutions (Carl Dodwell/Paul Whiteman) being under a minute away at the end, also on the same lap were third placed JaCasely Ace of Harts (Ian Hart/Spencer Casely). Only a lap adrift were two other teams looking to join in the fun; Anglia Interiors (Arron Bird/Jamie Loveday) and In the Doghouse (Del Saunders/Richard White).
Team XG Group (Gavin Howell/Warren Verwey) were delighted in a Clubmans 600 win which saw them running half way up the field at times and having a massive seven lap lead over nearest rivals J & B Racing (Jase/Brad Bradlaw), Still Game Racing (Ian Butterworth/David Muir) were third a further five laps down.
Michelin Power Cup 1000
Andy Rouse made a brilliant tyre choice on Saturday to enjoy a dominant victory over series leader James Cox whilst Kevin Allen was rewarded with a third spot. Cox took no prisoners on Sunday winning both races in dominant style, second on both occasions was Greg Allsop who was lapped the day before with a bad tyre choice. Rouse added a third and fifth onto his win whilst Gaz Evans, returning from a brilliant Rookie outing at the Southern 100, bagged a third and fifth. Tony Kielty who also had a desperate day on Saturday managed a brace of fourths in Sunday’s sunny conditions.
Michelin Power Cup 600
Wayne Humble took two race wins with the slimmest of margins, fighting off Richard Charlton and Brett Carter in the process - these two reversing their finishing place in the opening couple of races. The third race was a win for Charlton from Carter whilst Humble was dumped into fourth by a buoyant Ady Allsopp who got better as the weekend progressed. Adam Reeve added points to his campaign with two fifths and a fourth. Terry Merritt, Marc Dilks and Lee Piercey had a successful couple of days just off the podium as did Simon Tucker with a solitary fourth.
MotoGrande 1000
With four races to go at over the weekend, new to the MotoGrande, Sam West smashed a trio of wins dicing with Liam Marchant on a couple of times as well as Julian Hughes. Points leader Hughes put more distance between himself and Rhalf Lo Turco with a solitary win, two seconds and a third whilst Rhalf had to be happy with two fourths, a third and a second place. Other hot shots to bag some points and places were Andy Fenton, to fourths and two fifths; Andy Haines, Dominic De Leon and Gary Arden also had decent runs out in this hotly contested championship
MotoGrande 600
Four or five new faces fronted up to Cadwell to challenge the regulars and blag the silverware; Matt Layt returned to Hottrax on his 675 and escaped with a couple of wins despite being chased home closely by Craig Neve and Jack Newstead after Ben Grindrod won both of the Saturday races from Neve who also came third in the final encounter. Lee Wells nailed two thirds and a fourth and Stuart Haslam had a couple of fourths and a fifth. Of the series regulars; Taryn Skinner, Mark Trowell, Paul O’Connor and Mark Horberry and Tim Cornforth all added points whilst Chris Bexon and Arron Harte took two Rookie wins apiece.
Modern Classic Superbike/Supercup
Neil Appleby grafted hard to secure a Supercup win by less than 2 seconds over Steve Bentley, for the remaining races had to be satisfied with a couple of third places whilst points leader Dean Skipper took the other two wins, Stuart Bayliss did double seconds. Mark Dicken who so far has dominated Superbikes struggled all weekend and left with nil points but still stands head and shoulders above the others in the tables, Rick Owen and Craig Bell split’s the wins 2 to 1. Harvey Bowden had a ball on his Triumph Triple, Craig Fisher had three Ducati wins as did Robert Eagling on the MaxiTwins.
Ducatis
To date Andy Challis has bossed the Ducatis but Cadwell in July was a twist with Challis posting a win, a second and an uncharacteristic DNF. This allowed Dallas Hornblow to shine with a couple of wins as well as a second spot. Andy Pike added a welcome second place to his two thirds whilst Phil Wilcock, Paul Payne, Kevin Palmer, Matthew Larrett, James Gerrard, Chris Clark and Richard Spencer-Fleet all appeared in the top six.