Monday April 15, 2013 at 11:56am
Last Sunday round 3 of the 2013 Phoenix Tools Premier Motocross Championships took place at a new venue in the shape of Crediton Raceway. As a mark of respect this meeting was dedicated to one of the hard working Premier Mx Team, in the shape of Si Higgins who sadly lost his life in a freak accident earlier in the Month whilst doing what he loved, preparing a motocross track in readiness for race meetings. A lot of rain had fallen overnight and early morning and it was a bit showery to begin with, but that didn’t deture many Spectators and friends of Si putting in an appearance to show there respect to this well loved person with a minutes silence being observed before racing commenced.
In the Phoenix Tools Expert Open Championship it was Welshman Shane Carless on the Oakleaf Kawasaki who went in to round 3 with a 4 points advantage over the Phoenix Tools Honda of Luke Hawkins, but it was all to play for with yet again a top line up including Wildcard Josh Waterman. Hawkins was to set the fastest time in qualifying, but it was the St Blazey Mx Honda of John May who was to get the holeshot in the opening race from 16 year old Tommy Alba on the DirtbikXpress/HPR Honda and was to start to pull away. Hawkins was back in 5th, but was soon on the gas and by the end of the opening lap was up in to 3rd and was all over Alba who he got pass on lap 2 and within half a lap was to take the lead after May dropped it. Waterman was now in 3rd with Carless right on his tail and they were soon to catch Alba with Waterman getting pass on lap 4, but it wasn’t until a lap later that Carless found away pass Alba. Hawkins by this time had a 4 second lead at the front, but Waterman was lapping nigh on a second quicker and as soon as Hawkins was to catch backmarkers, Waterman was to close the gap. As they went in to the penultimate lap Waterman was all over Hawkins and did pass at one stage, but Hawkins came right back at him and this went on in to the final lap with virtually nothing between them with Hawkins just taking the win by half a second from Waterman with Carless well back taking 3rd.
In the second moto this time it was Luke Hill with the best start from Alba with Hawkins there in 3rd that soon had Carless breathing all over him. Hawkins and Carless were in a real hurry in this one and both found away pass Alba and Hill on lap 2 and were on a mission with Hawkins gradually pulling away mid race, but as the clock went down Carless dug in deep and was to close right up again and was all over Hawkins looking to get pass, but it wasn’t until the closing stages of the last lap that Carless had a chance when Hawkins got stuck behind a backmarker and Carless shot through to take the win by a whisker with Waterman after having to claw his way through from a bad start taking 3rd.
In the last moto it was May with a flyer off the line from Alba and Hill, but a mistake from Alba saw him drop right back the field and up in to 2nd was now Carless with Jackson Evans there in 3rd. May was in cruise mode at the front and was pulling away all the time and by the end of lap 2 he had a full 8 second lead and was still pulling away, but a mistake on lap 3 which nearly threw him off the bike seemed to damage his confidence and Carless was now closing in at a rapid rate and caught and passed May mid race and from there went on to take the with Waterman taking 2nd and Hawkins eventually finishing 3rd.
In the over 35 Championship class there was some really good racing. In the opening race it was the SR75 Molson KTM of Martyn Tucker with the best start from Mark Wilde who was soon to pass Tucker and who to set the early pace. Wilde looked well comfortable at the front until he was to come up behind backmarkers mid race and was gradually caught by Jamie Deadman 2 laps from the end and was passed, but Deadman was to stall his bike on the last lap and Wilde went back in front. Wilde did drop it before the flag, but was able to remount and with it took the win ahead of Jason Fraser on the Fraser Racing Honda and Gavin Flagg. In race 2 it was Wilde from the off in this one and again was pursued by Deadman mid race along with Flagg, but Deadman again was to make a mistake and went down. Wilde cruised to take the win from Jason Fraser who had a real tussle with Flagg who took 3rd. In the last race it was Flagg who had the best start and led the opening lap, but on lap 2 Wilde really piled the pressure on and forced his way to the front and tried to get away, but Flagg was to keep with him and took back the lead a lap later and was to go on to take the win with Wilde just holding off a late charge from Fraser taking 2nd.
In the over 40 Championship class the day belonged to Cornishman Johnny Hawkins who totally dominated all three races, but there was some good battles behind him between brother Justin Hawkins, fellow Cornishman Mark Roberts and David Ford.
In the over 50 Championship class there was only one winner on the day who increased his Championship lead and that was Keith Hanson.
In the Tyremarks Junior Championship class it was the K J Services KTM of Jay Thomas who led the Championship going in to round 3, but experience from the Championship so far it is not been plain sailing as there has been many different winners and this round was no different as the opening race was won by Ty Kellett who took his first win in the series so far. In the second moto it was Todd Kellett who initially had the lead, but on lap 2 was caught and passed by Ryan Williams on the A T Motocross KTM who was soon on a mission. Todd did challenge Williams in the latter stages, but to no avail and it was Williams who notched up his first Championship win. In the last race it was Championship leader Thomas with the holeshot and with a clear track he was to ease away from Williams in 2nd who was under pressure from young 15 year old Josh Gilbert. Gilbert managed to pass Williams on lap 2, but had a lot to do to catch Thomas who was flying. Well as the race progressed Gilbert was starting to close and on the last lap did Challenge, but made a mistake, but it was not all over as the unlucky Thomas with just two corners remaining nearly went down and through went Gilbert to take the win.
RESULTS
Phoenix Tools Expert Open Championship
Race 1
1st Luke Hawkins (450f Phoenix Tools Honda) 2nd Josh Waterman (450f IDS/Tillit/County Flat Roofing KTM) 3rd Shane Carless (450f Oakleaf Kawasaki) 4th Tommy Alba (450f DirtbikeXpress/HPR Honda) 5th Jamie Skuse (450f Mx-Zone Suzuki) 6th James Dodd (450f TwonineTwo/Burfield
Creative/St Blazey Mx Honda)
Race 2
1st Carless 2nd Hawkins 3rd Waterman 4th Alba 5th John May (450f St Blazey Honda) 6th Jackson Evans (450f Phoenix Tools Honda)
Race 3
1st Carless 2nd Waterman 3rd Hawkins 4th May 5th Evans 6th Skuse
M D Racing Over 35’s Championship
Race 1
1st Mark Wilde (450f S J Hodder/D W Racing Suzuki) 2nd Jason Fraser (450f Fraser Racing Honda) 3rd Gavin Flagg (450f J A S Building Contractors Suzuki) 4th Jamie Deadman (450f Compressed Air Systems Honda) 5th Martyn Tucker (450f SR75 Molson KTM) 6th Jon Tarr (????)
Race 2
1st Wilde 2nd Fraser 3rd Flagg 4th Tucker 5th Rob Lewis (350f Tony Maunders Racing KTM) 6th Tarr
Race 3
1st Flagg 2nd Wilde 3rd Fraser 4th Deadman 5th Lewis 6th Tarr
M D Racing Over 40’s Championship
Race 1
1st Johnny Hawkins (250f Hawkins Motors Kawasaki) 2nd Mark Roberts (450f Alan Roberts Garage Honda) 3rd Justin Hawkins (450f Hawkins Construction Kawasaki) 4th David Ford (350f Projuice KTM) 5th Steve Locke (450f S J Hodder Honda) 6th Jason Roberts (450f Alan Roberts Garage Honda)
Race 2
1st Johnny Hawkins 2nd Justin Hawkins 3rd Ford 4th M Roberts 5th Locke 6th Carl Robinson (250f Honda)
Race 3
1st Johnny Hawkins 2nd Justin Hawkins 3rd Ford 4th M Roberts 5th Wayne Gill (250f Suzuki) 6th Locke
M D Racing Over 50’s Championship
Race 1
1st Keith Hanson (450f Hansons Garage Honda) 2nd Ian Nott (450f S J Hodder/J R Racing Kawasaki) 3rd Tom Lowe (250f Honda) 4th Tim Hawkins (450f DirtbikXpress Honda) 5th Steve Chugg (450f Honda) 6th Nicholas Grenney (????)
Race 2
1st Hanson 2nd Lowe 3rd Nott 4th Hawkins 5th Chugg 6th Grenney
Race 3
1st Hanson 2nd Lowe 3rd Chugg 4th Grenney 5th Hawkins 6th Not Classified
Tyremarks Junior Championship
Race 1
1st Ty Kellett (450f S J Hodder/Rusty PT Kawasaki) 2nd Jay Thomas (250f K J Services KTM) 3rd
Ryan Williams (450f A T Motocross KTM) 4th Craig Callow (450f KTM) 5th Todd Kellett (250 Team Green Kawasaki U K) 6th Josh Gilbert (250f Dave Thorpe Off Road Honda)
Race 2
1st Williams 2nd Todd Kellett 3rd Thomas 4th Gilbert 5th Ty Kellett 6th Callow
Race 3
1st Gilbert 2nd Thomas 3rd Ty Kellett 4th Todd Kellett 5th Williams 6th Callow
Junior B
Race 1
1st Josh Taylor 2nd Carl Dezis 3rd Jason Wells 4th Andy Bushin 5th Robert Bassett 6th Joel Worthington
Race 2
1st Taylor 2nd Jon Morrissey 3rd Dezis 4th Wells 5th Bushin 6th Doug Wynne
Race 3
1st Morrissey 2nd Dezis 3rd Grant Bryant 4th Bushin 5th Frank Carter 6th Riley Lowe
Junior C
Race 1
1st William Ell 2nd Danni Marsh 3rd Curtis Wright 4th Adam Ford 5th Andrew Watkins 6th Jack Cunningham
Race 2
1st Ell 2nd Watkins 3rd Ford 4th Marsh 5th Paul Beale 6th Wright
Race 3
1st Ell 2nd Ford 3rd Marsh 4th Wright 5th Ryan Parker 6th Beale
Words and Photo by Dave Rich
Next round Sunday May 5th Waggadon Farm, Torrington