After a long and seemingly unending winter break, the new season finally dawned on us last Sunday, and the Three Sisters paddock welcomed a good number of riders eager to get started with new championships. The only thing against us was to be the forecasted weather and the dampening conditions along with temperatures well below average for this time of year tried to lightly spoil the first round. Everyone battled on regardless in true PDMCC style, and the dedication from marshals and officials standing out in the rain as it fell heavier (along with the bravery of competitors) enabled us to complete 22 of the 26 scheduled races before we were finally beaten by Mother Nature, the Clerk of the Course calling time for safety reasons as the weather worsened.
Bikepics.smugmug.com Newcomers
First to approach the grid under the unsettled sky was the Newcomers class, in which all participants are in their first season of competition. A good mix of bikes made their way to the start line thanks to a healthy number of entries, and the unpredictable result due to a varied skill set of riders (and genre of machine) always make this class extremely watchable. As the lights were extinguished and the first lap neared completion, there was a clear separation of the fastest 3 or 4 machines from the rest of the field. Further back, Gary Kay (93) had an unfortunate ‘off’ during lap 1 after tucking the front on the approach to Dunlops, and he almost took out a couple of others in the vicinity as he frantically tried to save the bike by oversteering. Matthew Hughes (57) had a good ride, finishing 8th after only a handful of previous races on the CBR. Ashley Blake (136) was the man to beat however, and he was definitely on form after showing some remarkable progress during practice, and Paul Wood (85) gave him a good race aboard the Yamaha. Ben Charnock (86) tried to catch the leading pair, but brought the Honda home in a decent 3rd place and gaining a trophy for his efforts. Tom Jones (39) had a rather disappointing first time out due to the performance of the Aprilia as it struggled to rev out, but finished the race nonetheless.
The points race after lunch also allowed for more close competition for the newbies although Ashley Blake (136) didn’t make it out due to a crash in the earlier F600 race, and Ben Charnock (86) got off to a brilliant start as the race began, only to narrowly avoid (and dramatically save) a potentially huge highside as the pack tackled the first corner. Although he settled back down and regained his form, it was clear that the grip was fading and a similar situation was encountered during lap 4 as Charnock steered through the chicane. Although he was unseated yet again, he was able to finish 4th and the race 1 runner-up Paul Wood (85) became the eventual victor whilst Matthew Rees (125) took advantage of Charnock’s lack of adhesion to cross the line in 2nd.
50cc
A healthy entry from the 50cc gang brought a colourful mix of these immaculate and unusual machines to the grid, and the competition is always fierce between the riders battling on the low capacity bikes. The quickest (and loudest) of them all was the Kreidler machine built and prepared by local 2-stroke guru Chris Alty, but piloted by another local Scott Dootson (38). Scott went well throughout the race and it was clear that the machine had been well prepared by Alty and Scott’s Newave Heating team. Mr. Alty took time to speak after the race, stating that he was extremely pleased with the progress, and that they were only marginally away from beating the circuit lap record for 50cc classics, even though Scott had only ridden the bike a few times. They achieved a best lap time of 1:08.948, close to the current record which stands at 1:08.359 (set by Mark Tyrrell in 2011). The points race proved a bit disappointing after the previous efforts, but this was due to a mixture of worsening weather and Scott losing his visor on the second lap as he passed the pits, and spending the remaining laps blinking the rain away frantically and eventually returning home 2nd behind Andrew Frazer (134). Mark Samuels (60) had a go at piloting the Scomoped built by Adlington-based Mike Schofield, but was marred by mechanical issues which prevented a start in race 1. It was apparent that they had not been resolved by the second race as the machine struggled constantly, but Samuels completed the race albeit a lap down.
On the other hand, Derek Sloan (152) had an excellent time, and achieved his best ever result of 6th place, but he failed to make the grid for the points battle as the rain settled in for the day.
Jules Embroidery 501-1300cc Open
The premier class is a favourite for riders and spectators alike, and rapid lap times along with awesome overtaking is guaranteed.
This time, it was all about one rider, and it was clear from the outset that the Jamie Devine show was in town. His excellent positioning and racecraft was apparent throughout, and he gave a lesson to all on why he regularly races at British level, mercilessly weaving to the front of the pack to take his regular leading slot. Regardless of the wet conditions under the tyres, Devine (20) was literally flying lap by lap and emerged victorious, but fearless local Yamaha rider Richard Murray (105) certainly gave him a good run for his money and pulled out all the stops to ensure he was right behind and ready to pounce, with multiple champion Liam Weston (77) taking it relatively steady but eager for a good finish. Murray seemed to hold himself up as the race went on and allowed Garry Graves (133) to pass, but Murray managed to fend off Weston to the end, the latter eventually crossing the line 5th. Ashley Blake (136) managed another great performance and wound his way through the top few to get a well-deserved 2nd, but Devine had long taken the win a good few seconds in front. It very nearly ended in tears for David Ransome (71) as he overshot Dunlop corner and both wheels ran onto wet grass, but he carefully regained his track position on the newly-rebuilt R6 and finished eventual 11th place.
Devine also snatched the win in the points race with a 3-second lead thanks to his Stoner-esque riding style, although Weston gained valuable points as he came in 2nd, and Richard Murray rounding off the top 3 in the Open championship.
Twin Cylinder/Horwich Motorcycles 350-750 Production
E
ntries for these groups were disappointingly low compared to previous rounds - in particular the Twin Cylinder class – but a decent race was still to be had and those on the grid took advantage of the championship points on offer. Rob Barber (24) entered the meeting to warm up for the TT aboard Lee Vernon’s Kawasaki ER6. Barber managed a comfortable 2nd place even though he was reluctant in the wet conditions due to tyre choice, but he also importantly proved he was relaxed and ready for his island run aboard the supertwin. When Rob sets off from Glencrutchery Rd, he will be racing as a tribute to friend Lee, and is sure to do well thanks to excellent preparation.
Meanwhile, Lathom youngster Alex Baker was on top form (given the conditions) aboard the Aprilia, and clearly had total faith in good tyres as he wound on the power and took the flag with ease. David Griffiths (40) grabbed 3rd place in the Production class as he brought the big Suzuki across the line amongst prevailing conditions, just ahead of team-mate Keith Ferrari (27).
The Twins class (for standard machines) was headed up by Martin Buckle (110) but Roy Morris (169) had to retire early due to gearbox issues and Isle of Man resident Jack Hunter (156) dropped the ER6 exiting Rodgerson’s straight thanks to a blend of a wet surface and a change in tarmac, otherwise the two Twin riders would certainly have been in the mix for a top 3 battle.
The meeting was called off following race 22 due to worsening weather. The next round will be on 9th June 2013 at Three Sisters, Wigan.