Southern-based ACU club NORA-MX staged round three of its popular DWT-backed quad championship at Milton Park near Northampton on Sunday (June 9) where the series regulars were treated to some stiff competition from a strong and very welcome contingent from the north!
With no meetings in the top half of the country every class across both youth and adult ranks featured some new names on the grid, which helped ensure some spectacular racing on the technical and jump laden ACU-run track.
With timed qualifying being introduced for the first time to determine start positions it looked as if the packed 250 Youth class was heading to 14-year-old Murray Graham from Scotland after he set the fastest time, only for his machine to seize before the end of the session leaving him without a ride for the day!
That left the way open for Connor Fitzgerald to pick up where he left off at the last round with a three-race maximum, each time ahead of fellow 250 Open ride, Jamie Smith.
By race three Smith had got the winning margin down to just three seconds but Fitzgerald always looked in control.
Third overall went to Jack Naylor, the leading 250 Modified rider, thanks to two thirds and fourth in the final race behind Harry Walker.
With over 30 riders in the 250 Youth group and four championships being contested (Open, Modified, Standard and Stock) there were battles all the way down the order throughout the three races.
In the Modified class Naylor dominated proceedings with three wins, ahead of Daffyd Davies, who notched up three seconds, while Dean Porter tied up third overall with three third places.
In the Stock class Bradley Lightfoot was equally dominant taking three wins, ahead of Declan McKenna with three seconds and Shanice Mott with a trio of thirds.
In the Stock class, however, Joshua Crane was run closer, after he won the first two outings ahead of Kieran Heath, before Heath overturned the positions in the final outing. Harry Ruby was third overall.
In the 100cc class no one could match the pace of visiting rider Harry Carmichael, who set the fastest lap in every race. However problems in race left one left him way down the order in 19th, which meant his chances of overall victory was always distant despite convincing wins in the next two races.
Overall victory, by three points from Joshua Birch, went to James Rawlins who almost blotted his copybook with a sixth in the final race after a win and second. Birch scored two thirds, split by a fourth.
In the individual classes Rawlins won the Geared, Catrin Davies with Modified and Reece Swann the Standard.
In final youth class, the 50s, another visitor, Robbie Wood got stronger as the day went on to run out winner over Alfie Walker and Brad Hopps.
In the combined adult Expert/Inter race, the addition of Lindsey Duke and Connor Smith to the already competitive class ensured some enthralling racing.
And both men showed they had the speed for a potential overall victory after Lindsey won the opening encounter (Smith slipped to 12th with a misfire), then Smith won the second race (with Duke in fifth).
However, their overall chances ended with a mighty crash over a big jump in the third race while battling near the front, which left both men heavily battered.
Luke Cooper won the third race, but his overall chance had already been wrecked in race one when his rear axle snapped.
Victory instead went to the ever-impressive Paul Winrow, whose unflappable consistency in a series of hectic races helped him to three second places.
Oli Sansom continued his fine run of form to take second overall thanks to two thirds and a fourth. And, Josh Waring notched up a career best result in third overall as he got better each race, ending the day with a fourth.
In a strong Inters class three riders took race wins – Frazer McFadden, Jake Smith and Harry Miller – and they finished in that order in the overall points.
In the Clubman class rally and Side X Side driver, Jack Rowe, notched up his maiden quad race win in dominant style. Riding a Stefan Murphy Honda he won all three races.
Connor Taylor was second to him twice, his only glitch being a fifth in the second outing. That almost cost him second overall to Jordan Hickman, who he tied on points with. However Taylor’s better final race result meant he got the nod.
However, Hickman’s performance was enough to give him overall victory in the Rookie class, ahead of Mick Tucker and Callum Bates.
Once again Ed Davies dominated the packed Masters class with three dominant wins, ahead of Ant Barrett in all three races.
Darren Bridge secured third overall thanks to two thirds, but his clean sweep of the final podium spot was ruined in race two by a fine ride from QRS club stalwart Ian Neill. It was enough to help Neill to fourth overall.
A new sub category within the race - ‘Masters B’ – has now been added and victory when went to Barrie Dennis thanks to three wins.
RESULTS:
Expert/Inters Overall: 1 Paul Winrow, 2 Oli Sansom, 3 Josh Waring, 4 Luke Cooper, 5 Frazer McFadden, 6 Jake Smith.
Expert: 1 Paul Winrow, 2 Oli Sansom, 3 Luke Cooper, 4 Josh Waring, 5 Ant Barrett, 6 Lindsey Duke.
Inters: 1 Frazer McFadden, 2 Jake Smith, 3 Harry Miller, 4 Bradley John, 5 Ryan Turner, 6 Taylor Gibb.
Clubman/ Rookie Overall: 1 Jack Rowe, 2 Connor Taylor, 3 Ameelie Miller, 4 Sam Brown, 5 Charlie Harrison, 6 Luke Ryan Davies
Clubman: 1.Jack Rowe, 2 Connor Taylor, 3 Jordan Hickman, 4 Nick Tucker, 5 Callum Bates, 6 Ameelie Miller
Rookie: 1 Jordan Hickman, 2 Nick Tucker, 3 Callum Bates, 4 Connor McKenna, 5 Leon Patmore, 6 Thomas Yates
Masters: 1 Ed Davies, 2 Ant Barrett, 3 Darren Bridge, 4 Ian Neill, 5 Clint Eagle, 6 Chris Murphy.
Masters B: 1 Barrie Dennis, 2 Lee Waring, 3 Trevor Humphris, 4 Marcus West, 5 Richard Clark, 6 Pat Carr
250cc Youth: 1 Connor Fitzgerald, 2 Jamie Smith, 3 Jack Naylor, 4 Harry Walker, 5 Daffyd Davies, 6 Jack Holmes
250 Open: 1 Connor Fitzgerald, 2 Jamie Smith, 3 Harry Walker, 4 Jack Holmes, 5 Bailey Edwards, 6 Ayrton Knowles
250 Modified: 1 Jack Naylor, 2 Daffyd Davies, 3 Dean Porter, 4 Alex Bethell, 5 Alex Headington, 6 Connor Paxton
250 Stock: 1 Bradley Lightfoot, 2 Declan McKenna, 3 Shanice Mott, 4 Richard Flaherty
250 Standard: 1 Joshua Crane, 2 Kieran Heath, 3 Harry Ruby, 4 Kieran Taylor, 5 Daniel Hares, 6 Cai Lindsay
50cc/100cc Overall: 1 James Rawlins, 2 Joshua Birch, 3 Harry Carmichael, 4 Catrin Davies, 5 Marcus Sprason, 6 Jack Evans
100cc Modified: 1. Catrin Davies, 2 Jack Evans, 3 Shelley Smart, 4 Dylan McKenna, 5 Thomas Fitzgerald
100cc Geared: 1 James Rawlins, 2 Harry Carmichael, 3 Joshua Birch, 4 Marcus Sprason, 5 Ben Charlesworth, Joseph Jukes
100c Standard: 1 Reece Swann, 2 Josh Talent, 3 Charlotte Sprason, 4 Lewis Humphris, 5 Conor Davidson
50cc Youth: 1 Robbie Wood, 2 Alfie Walker, 3 Brad Hopps, 4 Logan Paxton, 5 Woody Jackson, 6 Dillon Stepney