This weekend the sixth round of the Maxxis ACU British Championship took place at the famous Hawkstone Park. With fantastic weather leading up to the event the track was in great condition and produced some close racing.
In a drama packed day, Mel Pocock on the Monster Energy Bike It Yamaha regained the red plate as Series Leader after his main rival Elliot Banks Browne on the HM Plant KTM UK suffered a rare mechanical failure after taking the lead in the opening moto within just two laps remaining. Banks Browne fought back in the second moto to claw back two points from Pocock, but it was Nico Aubin on his Buildbase Honda who took his second moto win of the season. Pocock was the highest point scorer in the final mixed race with a seventh place, closely followed by EBB to keep his championship hopes alive. Banks Browne now trails Pocock by sixteen points. Class leader going into the final race, Aubin pulled out of the moto before half distance, but the points he scored in the first two races was enough to net him second overall on the day with 3-1-dnf finishes. Evotech Stevens Honda rider Neville Bradshaw also suffered in the final moto after a first lap crash, but remounted and came through the competitive field to finish an important seventeenth which was enough to put him on the lower step of the podium.
In the MX1 class it was business as usual for sand specialist Kevin Strijbos on the larger version of the HM Plant KTM machine who took three straight moto wins, including the final mixed capacity race after chasing down the early leader Max Anstie on the 450f Honda. Anstie was making a rare wildcard appearance in the British Championship and produced a strignof strong results. With Matiss Karro still side-lined by injury, it was left to Monster Energy Bike It Yamaha’s Shaun Simpson to take the challenge to Strijbos, but a couple of small crashes and a complaint of a lack of power in the final 30 minute moto and now leaving him 49 points - almost two motos - behind Strijbos with two rounds remaining. With Strijbos scoring three straight wins and Simpson going 2-3-3, Anstie's 3-2-2 results was enough to put him on the second spot on the podium and hoisted him to 17th in the series standings.
Hawkstone Park also featured the second round of the MXY85 series, where Will Keogh maintained his series lead in the MXY85 championship after the second of three rounds. Keogh managed to back up his disappointing first race sixth with a second in the final moto which puts him six points clear of Josh Gilbert who returned 2-7 results on the demanding Shropshire circuit. Although the series is not a full blown British Championship (this is awarded in the British Youth Nationals) a lot of prestige is associated with the series as it is performed in front of all the Team Principals at the Maxxis events. On the day it was Gradie Featherstone who took the top honours with a win backed up by a second moto fifth position which puts him into contention when the series visits Little Silver for the final round in early October. Indeed, three riders, Gilbert, Todd Kellett and Featherstone are all tying on 75 points each - just six points away from the red plate holder Keogh.
“Factory” Phil Mercer rode through the pain barrier to record third and second moto finishes at the second round of the ACU Veterans Championship at Hawkstone Park, which put him third overall on the day, but more importantly, gives him a ten point advantage with one round remaining.
It was Terry House who stood on the top step of the podium at the end of the two twenty minute motos on the famous Shropshire venue with 2-1 results which put him two points ahead of Gary Hoptrough who went 1-3. Mercer now takes his lead to the Devon venue for the final round, but just two points separate House, Hoptrough and reigning Champion, Greg Hanson who was disappointed with his 4-4 finishes.
The series now has a four week break until the battle resumes at Langrish on August Bank Holiday Monday.