SUPERB START TO MILESTONE SEASON

Tuesday April 1, 2014 at 12:11pm

Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club’s 50th season could not have got off to a better start, with no less than fourteen Champions from last season defending their titles and two former World Champions ‘testing’ their new machine, all on the warmest weekend of the year, so far. In addition to this, one 2013 Champion who has switched classes immediately recorded two race wins, beating the Champion of the previous two seasons!

If the first race of the day provides an insight into the rest of the year then this certainly will be an excellent season, the top 3 finishing within 0.5sec of each other! It was the Peak Cup getting things off to a flyer, Jim Hodson (Wigan), the Champion since 2012, led for the first four laps until Tim Poole (Northwich), current For-mula 600 Champion, squeezed by on Lap 5 and was able to resist the fierce challenge from Hodson until the flag, on Lap 8. Whilst Hodson was trying to find a way past Poole, Mark Littler (Burntwood) was determined to take the challenge to Poole himself, but could not find a way past Hodson. Eventually the three crossed the finish line separated by just 0.41sec; Poole 1st, Hodson, 2nd and Littler, 3rd. The second Peak Cup race took a very similar pattern, to the delight of the spectators, but 0.52sec being the gap between the three at the end of the 10 lap race. Their battles continued in the Open Solo class, Poole taking the honours from Hodson by 0.48sec, with Littler a short way back. In the second Open Solo race Poole never made it to the grid, but Hod-son was still unable to record a win, Littler leading across the line after each lap, eventually his winning margin being the largest of all, in the bigger class, just 0.68sec!

The combined Formula Darley/125 races were a little different with current Formula Darley Champion Brad Vic-ars (Tadcaster) winning both races, the first with James Ford (Whaley Bridge) less than 2sec behind at the flag, with Anthony Porter (Chesterfield), 3rd. In the second race it was Ford and Porter providing the entertainment with their battle for 2nd, the Runner-Up spot going to Porter on that occasion, just 0.13sec in front of Ford.

Current 125GP Champion, Mark Tyrell (Evesham) was the victor in both races for the 125 class, managing to get amongst the quicker Formula Darley machines, overall 7th in the first and 8th in the second race.

With current Pre Injection Champion Anthony Porter now moving to the Formula Darley class the combined race with Steel Framed machines only saw Dean Ephgrave (Hucknall), Steel Frame 600 Champion, defending his title. Although this didn’t quite go to plan as Jake Hingley (Darlaston) took both class victories with Ephgrave finishing 2nd each time. Jamie Pearson (Derby) made his intentions known in the Pre Injection class, taking both race wins from Andrew Lowe (Stone).

The combined Lightweight/Classic races saw three of the Classic champions defending their titles; David Bradley (Matlock), Classic 1000 Champion taking second place in his class from, new to the class, Jamie O’Brien (Liverpool) in the first race. With O’Brien not taking to the grid in the second race Bradley was able to take the Class victory. Gordon Thorpe (Matlock), Classic 500 Champion and John Leese (Stoke on Trent), Classic 350 Champion were able to successfully begin the defence of their titles, taking their class victory, on both occasions. With Adam Hoare, Lightweight Champion not entering the meeting 2013 Runner-Up Mark Tyrell may have thought he could capitalise, but he would have been unaware of the threat posed by Paul Hedison (Gainsborough), in the first race anyway. Hedison taking victory in both races with dominant flag-to-flag rides, Tyrell taking the Runner-Up spot each time.

The Sound of Thunder (SoT) races look like they will be providing some very close racing throughout the year, current Champions Steven Hill (Runcorn), SoT Champion and Brad Vicars, Mini Sound of Thunder (MSoT) Champion will be under extreme pressure to defend their titles. Gary Henriksen (Matlock) taking victory in both races, although the first was by just 0.37sec from Steve Poulson (Chapel en le Frith), with Hill 3rd, all on SoT machines. James Ford (Whaley Bridge), the first MSoT machine across the line with Vicars in 5th place. In the second race Hill ‘won’, but was disqualified from the results for riding the wrong machine, handing Henriksen the overall victory, but the battle behind was very fraught! Vicars was determined to reverse the tables on Ford for Mini Sound of Thunder honours, their battle lasting throughout the 8 laps and taking them into 2nd and 3rd place overall, Vicars taking 2nd place by just 0.01sec from Ford!

With current Formula 600 Champion, Tim Poole moving up to the bigger classes Daley Mathison (Co Durham) recorded two flag-to-flag victories in the class, although not scoring championship points, but there was a battle for 2nd a 3rd in the second race. Jamie Medhurst (Long Eaton) was 2nd, whilst James Edmeades (Loughborough), also not scoring championship points, 3rd and Jamie Hodson (Wigan) 4th in the first race. In the second encoun-ter Hodson beat Edmeades to the line, by just 0.16sec, with Medhurst, 4th on this occasion.

Both Pre98’s races followed on from the 2013 season, the current Champions taking double victories in their respective classes; Shane Pearson (Derby) the ‘Up to 1300cc’ class and Fred Burbidge (Market Harborough) the ‘Up to 500cc’ class.

The last of the championship classes gave fans of the Sidecar class a real treat with former World Champions Ben and Simon Birchall (Mansfield) using the meeting to test their 600cc machine, and so also not scoring championship points. We trust everything went well as they showed their world championship speed winning the first race by over 30 seconds, but didn’t take to the grid in the second. Champions Dean Banks and Ken Edwards (Stone) came out on top in their race long battle with Roy Hanks/Julie Hanks-Elliott (Birmingham), taking 2nd and 3rd respectively, in the first race. In the second, Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth (Sutton

Coldfield/Lincs) fought their way to the front on Lap 5 and were able to pull out a 5sec advantage by the end of Lap 8, with Hanks/Hanks-Elliott, 2nd, Matt Williams/Jevan Walmsley (Northampton/Louth), 3rd and Banks/ Edwards 4th.

If that was the action that we can look forward to, roll-on Round 2 in a few weeks, on Easter Monday, 21st April 2014, keep your fingers crossed the weather will be similar.

The cost of adult admission to Darley Moor for all meetings, except the end of season Stars at Darley meeting, is £12.00 per day, children under 16 are free, and Senior Citizens are £8.00. Parking and Paddock Transfer is free and a programme costs just £3.00. Adult admission to the Test Days is £6.00.

For the Stars at Darley event on 12th October the adult admission price is £16.00 and Senior Citizens £12.00.

Advance Tickets at discount prices are also available on-line just visit the Darley Race Shop for full details - http://www.darleymoorstore.co.uk/.

A 2014 Season Pass for Darley Moor is also available and admits to ALL motor cycle events at the circuit including test days and the Thundersprint Festival. The cost is £85.00 (Senior Citizens £55.00) and can be purchased online or by sending a cheque made payable to Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd, together with the full name of the season pass holders to:

Season Passes, Darley Moor MCRRC Ltd, Anvil House, Derby Road, Old Tupton, Chesterfield, S42 6LA

There is ample room for spectators to camp and caravan at Darley Moor over the race weekends. The cost is £5.00 per unit per night. You can normally arrive after 5.00 pm on the Friday and stay until 10.00 am on the morning after the meeting.

Darley Moor is one of the few circuits in which dogs are welcome, provided they are kept on a lead at all times during race day and the owners act in a responsible manner.

Championship positions (after Round 1)

Peak Cup

1st Tim Poole, 18pts; 2nd Jim Hodson, 12pts; 3rd Mark Littler, 8pts

Open Solo

1st Tim Poole, 9pts; 2nd Jim Hodson, 6pts; 3rd Mark Littler, 4pts

Open Sidecars

1st John Potts/Neil Dutton

Lightweight

1st Paul Hedison, 18pts; 2nd Mark Tyrell, 12pts; 3rd Fred Burbidge 8pts

GP125

1st Mark Tyrell, 18pts; 2nd Justin Brown, 12pts; 3rd Stephen Campbell, 8pts

Formula 600