Wednesday April 3, 2013 at 4:58pm
Unknown Carl Simpson tops both the ACU Clubman’s championship and the Derby Phoenix club’s 751-1300cc Four stroke series after a sensational start to his road racing career over the Easter weekend.
The 26-year-old from Stockton-on-Tees made his road racing debut on the Phil Crowe Racing prepared BMW 1000 in the No Limits Racing Endurance event at Snetterton on Good Friday and then followed that up with three sensational wins out of the four races on the Saturday and Sunday.
Simpson, a former schoolboy moto-crosser, might well have won all four, but for a near high-side at Ritchie’s on the last lap of Sunday’s first race, which relegated him to second spot, a mere tenth of a second behind Jamie Harrison (Honda 1000) and just one hundred of a second in front of Lee Wilson (Suzuki 1000).
Liam Marchant (Phil Drury Kawasaki 1000) was out of luck in that race. He led the pack for the first two laps before being forced to pull out with a stretched chain.
Marchant, third and fourth in Saturday’s two races, chased Simpson home in the final race on Sunday. His bike was slower than the BMW down the straights, though and he was beaten to the line by less than three quarters of a second. Simpson’s win in race two on Saturday was another photo finish. Wilson led for the first six of nine laps, with Simpson coming through from over two and half seconds to catch and pass him. At the finishing line less than a second covered Simpson, Wilson and Marchant.
With four more rounds to go Simpson tops both the ACU Clubman’s championship and the Derby Phoenix 751-1300cc Four-stroke series by 28 points from Wilson and Harrison. Marchant is fourth, 46 down on the leader. Wilson could have ended the weekend closer to Simpson, but for a problem in the fourth and final race. He led the pack for the first two laps, but then faded to finish fifth.
Paul Whyatt (BMW 1000) had a fifth and a seventh in Saturday’s two races, but crashed in Sunday’s first race of the day, The Allcomers and though rider and machine were not badly damaged he did not race again.
Carl Morris (S&M Yamaha 1000), who only managed half a season last year because of lack of funds, got quicker and quicker as the weekend went on. He took two fourth places on the Sunday, to finish fifth in the points’ table.
Marchant made up for those disappointments in the ACU Clubmans and Derby Phoenix 751-1300cc races with three great rides in the Allcomers class. Marchant was third in the first, behind Jamie Harrison and Stephen Parsons. Then the following day Marchant won both races heading home Harrison in one and Carl Morris in the other.
After the opening two of this year’s fourteen races in the ACU/FSRA British F2 Sidecar Championship John Holden and Andy Winkle leads with 50 points from reigning champions Ian and Carl Bell on 33. Frenchman Frank Lelias and British passenger Mike Aylott is third on 26.
In the High Street Hydro supported F2 Cup, John and Jake Lowther also have a maximum 50 points and lead from Trevor Robinson and Ben Sergeant who have 40.
With weather conditions over the two days including snow showers, rain and bitterly cold wind the meeting was a credit to the club, marshals, competitors and race fans.
The next round is at Brands Hatch on April 14.