2013 Norasport.com British Supermoto Championships Sponsored by: want to live afloat.com

Friday May 24, 2013 at 9:16am

Round three, Finmere, Bucks

Words by: Dave Cornish

Photos by: Michael Ruszel

The former RAF Finmere airbase near Buckingham hosted round three of the televised 2013 British Supermoto Championships sponsored by ‘want to live afloat.com’ and on this previously unused and improvised track it was a supermoto with a big difference. This was due to the fact that the hard working Norasport crew had built the circuit with very much a bias to the off-road section as the tarmac only accounted for 10% of a lap it would prove to be extremely demanding with punctures and crashes really shaking up the form book.

450 Elite

Setting the early qualifying pace was reigning champion Chris Hodgson (Skyzone) who took pole ahead of Lewis Cornish (Nameplate Services/DCR) in second. With the two quickest riders setting sub one minute laps it was left to Chris Walker (698 Racing) to grab third and Davey Todd (Nameplate Services/DCR) rounding out the front row. There was drama before the riders even gridded up for race one as Cornish and Todd were late to the holding area and were penalised by being demoted to the back row of the grid. As the lights changed Hodgson made the most of his rival’s absence on the front row and took an early lead ahead of Walker. With Walker shadowing Hodgson and threatening to make a move on the number on plate holder all eyes were on Cornish and Todd as they began an inspired ride up through the pack from the back row. Cornish forged ahead but his team mate Todd had to pit to have a broken gear lever replaced. Richard Sharp (MWR Racing) shook off the early attentions of Jay Smith (MS Husqvarna) and looked good for a third place but Cornish pushed past the Barnsley rider but couldn’t make any further progress as Walker took the lead and the chequered flag in front of Hodgson and Cornish. Race two looked likely to be a repeat performance from the leaders but Walker suffered a nasty fall whilst chasing the leaders. Hodgson took the win from Cornish and Sharp with Todd grabbing fourth from another back row start. Race three and it was the two DCR team mates of Todd and Cornish who took the battle to Hodgson as Todd took the lead with an impressive move over table-top to pass his rival. Cornish tangled with a back marker which gave Sharp an incentive to push hard for the third place spot. Leader Todd pulled a comfortable 2 second lead from Hodgson with Cornish picking up the pace to finish third in front off Sharp. The overall podium went to Hodgson with Cornish runner up and Sharp a deserved third.

Open Elite

Unsurprisingly in Sunday's Open Elite qualifying it was Chris Hodgson once again the rider the others were trying to catch as he took pole from Sharp, Cornish and Todd. Race one and it was Hodgson into the lead once more as the pack powered off the line whilst Cornish, Todd and Sharp all had problems which gave Hodgson an easy victory in front of a distant Todd but it was an on form Dale O’Connor who managed to hold off Cornish for third place. Race two saw the upset of the weekend as Hodgson suffered a puncture, and Cornish endured the same fate and several crashes whilst Sharp suffered clutch problems. This left the way clear for Todd to take and easy race win from O’Connor and Graeme Norris (Norris Racing) who showed no signs of slowing up following a massive crash the previous day. With Hodgson trailing in sixth and Cornish eighth behind John Earnshaw (698 Racing) and an injured Richard Blakeman (D3 Racing) the form book was well and truly turned on its head. The final race and Todd was in stellar form as he took the lead and pulled away from Hodgson, Cornish pulled into the pits whilst running third with yet another puncture and following a rapid wheel change he managed to rejoin to salvage some valuable points. This allowed O’Connor to put the pressure on Sharp and take up third place which he held to the flag behind Hodgson and winner Davey Todd. The overall Open Elite result was the same as this race order.

Michelin Cup

The Michelin Cup qualifying had former MX racer Kayla Barrington (TKB) set the early pace as she took pole narrowly ahead of her big brother Tom Barrington, Ashley Saunders and Ben Williams completed the front row. Kayla couldn’t put her pole position into good use as she fell in race one, brother Tom took up the challenge and took the first two race wins from Saunders. However in the final race Barrington came in runner up as Saunders took advantage of a back marker to make the pass for the lead and took the race win. The day ended with Tom Barrington on the top step of the podium from Ashley Saunders with Alan Henderson in third place.

Open National A

Lee Rudd (LR Designs/TRM) could only manage second place on the qualifying grid as this time Tom Barrington made no mistakes to take pole. In race one Barrington took the lead and pulled out a comfortable gap as Rudd finished runner up in front of Alan Henderson (Husaberg). Although race two and race three were carbon copies for the first three positions Rudd pushed harder in the final and the gap was closed to less than 3 seconds as they crossed the line with Henderson and Edgars Ivuskans on his TM a distant third and fourth respectively. The riders on the overall podium were Tom Barrington in first, Lee Rudd runner up and Alan Henderson on the third step.

Open National B

Ben Hallam and Joe Edwards shared the race wins but it was the consistency of Andy Burgin that gave him the top step of the overall podium from Dan Spencer and Dylan Henderson.

2013 British Supermoto Championship Standings

450 Elite

1 1 Chris Hodgson Skyzone Pope KTM

2 8 Lewis Cornish Nameplate Services/DCR

3 155 Chris Walker 698 Racing

4 54 Richard Blakeman D3 Racing

5 724 Davey Todd Nameplate Services/DCR

6 217 Richard Sharp MW Racing

Open Elite

1 1 Chris Hodgson Skyzone Pope KTM

2 724 Davey Todd Nameplate Services/DCR

3 54 Richard Blakeman D3 Racing