Now the rain has settled it is time to reflect on the end of season ACU British Youth Team event which took place on the weekend of 19th / 20th October. With conditions ideal leading up to the event and a forecast of very little rain, members of the ACU Motocross Committee started work early on Friday morning to prepare and dress the circuit ahead of the teams arriving at lunch time - and conditions were absolutely perfect!
However, as darkness fell on the Wiltshire countryside the rain started to fall, but the chalky circuit was just about in perfect condition for the Saturday morning practise sessions. The ACU Team Event does not have Timed Qualifying as gate choice is decided by a team ballot for the weekend, so it was time for the 220 riders to learn the abbreviated circuit due to the weather conditions.
The Auto class was given a very specific course to get proceedings underway, whilst the 65's and Small Wheels 85s sampled the Foxhill valley section. The Clerk of the Course, John Percival wisely decided to omit the steep hills on the far side of the valley, but the Open Youth and Adult class still took around one minute forty seconds per lap which was a good test for this particular event.
It was a credit to the organising team that the whole practise and three full blocks were run to schedule on Saturday which was all filmed by Greenlight Television which has already been transmitted on Sky Sports.
The heavens opened again overnight on Saturday but worse was still to follow as extremely heavy rain after lunch on Sunday left no alternative but to cancel the final Junior 65cc and Auto race.
The ACU would like to congratulate all teams who took part and enjoyed some fantastic racing with a special mention to CJSC, Salop MCC and the MCUI for taking the top three places at the end of the weekend. Unfortunately with the rain falling heavily there was no chance of any podium presentations, but all riders were out of the paddock by around 4.30pm. A special mention must also go to the Mid Sussex Club who had some riders at the sharp end of the racing during the weekend, but also took a new award for the "Best presented Team in 2013"
Auto results;
1
st Cumbria MX, 2
nd North East MXC, 3
rd Mid Sussex MCC, 4
th Norfolk & Suffolk Junior, 5
th Cheshire North West SSC
Main Event Results
1
st CJSC, 2
nd Salop MC, 3
rd MCUI, 4
th Cumbria MX, 5
th Norfolk & Suffolk Junior MXC, 6
th North East MXC, 7
th Mid Sussex MCC, 8
th Gest Hastings MCC, 9
th Cheshire North West SSC