DARLEY MOOR READY TO WELCOME THE RICHARDSON STARS

Tuesday October 6, 2026 at 4:14pm

Once again, the Darley Moor Motor Cycle Road Race Club are preparing for their traditional season finale, the RICHARDSON Stars at Darley meeting over next weekend, 10^th – 11^th October 2026, at the Darley Moor Sports Centre, near Ashbourne, DE6 2ET (or What3words: bounty.behalf.charm).

Due to last weekends’ British Superbike Championship meeting entries are a little slower than normal coming through but heading the list are seven time winner, Richard Cooper (Papplewick), six time winner John McGuinness MBE (Morecambe) and 3^rd in last year’s RICHARDSON Stars at Darley races, Rob Hodson, SMT Racing (Wigan) along with Brad Clarke (Derby), Powerslide Racing, TJ Toms (Bridgenorth) and Cameron Hall (Barnsley) G&S Racing, Josh Bannister, (Nuneaton), Dunsley Heat Racing , Tom Fisher, R&G Racing (Castle Donington), Joey Thompson (York), Seventy Four Racing, Jake Hopper (Durham) MGR Racing.

In addition to finding this year’s RICHARDSON STAR OF DARLEY there is the matter of crowning all, bar one of the 2026 Season’s Club Champions. Only Jonathan Trezins (Wisbech) has managed to secure his championship early, dropping just 3pts all season to become the 2026 Darley Cup Champion.

With a maximum of 60pts up for grabs anything could happen this weekend, a little bad luck could open the door for those chasing the championship leader. Several competitors have all but secured their respective championships, whilst others will be certain they have a hard battle on their hands and will need to ensure they a ready for that challenge.

Trezins could also add the Golden Supersport 600 championship to his name, but firstly he must overcome Warrington’s Ben Dale, who is currently the championship leader, by just 2pts, after winning ten out of twelve races this season, but failing to register any points in those two races. Trezins, however, won those two races and has finished Runner-Up to Dale every time, except on one occasion, when he finished 3^rd. If anything should happen to Dale and Trezins, then Martyn Cooper (Stoke on Trent), is 46points behind, in 3^rd place, finishing no lower than 4^th place in all, but the opening race, where he failed to finish.

Chesterfield based competitors Ant Porter and Freddy Oakley are separated by just 8points in the Wilson Trophy standings, but Oakley has won each race he has finished, to date, if Porter finishes 2^nd on each occasion, Oakley could take the title by just 4points! Porter also leads the Lightweight class, but with a more positive 18points, over Steve Price (Stockport), with Oakley 22pts behind Porter. Once again Oakley has won all races he has finished, but Porter has always finished on the podium and winning all in Oakley’s absence, except for the final race, in which he failed to finish. Price, however, has scored points on each occasion, with two 4^th places being his lowest results.

Sheffield’s Matt Bell is the only name to have been on the Ben Godfrey Trophy, since its inception in 2023, in memory of the 2017 Star of Darley. Again, Doncaster’s Mark Goodings has been a strong challenger to Bell, both competitors taking points in all but one race, this season, but Bell has always finished in a podium position and currently enjoys a 40pt advantage over Goodings. Bell also leads the Open Solo class, from Goodings, 38pts behind, and whilst he has recorded points in all races, one of those has been off the podium, so there is a chance for Goodings, who again has only failed to register points in one race in the class.

David Carson (Northwich) currently leads the Super Twins class by just 23pts, securing seven race wins, a 3^rd and 4^th place but, unusually, failing to score any points on three occasions. His challengers, all season, have been Russell Dodds (Bedale) who has failed to score points just once, but also, only finished outside to top four once. Whilst Paul Evans (Awsworth) has finished every race inside the top six, including three podium finishes, leaving him 30pts from Carson, at the head of the championship table. Lining up on the grid at the same time will be the Mini Twins machines, with Anthony Thane (Stoke on Trent) luckily enjoying a 51pt lead, after winning nine out of twelve races, a 2^nd and 3^rd, but failing to record any points on just one occasion. However, he is only able to race on Saturday this time around, so will be hoping to stretch his points tally out Liam Clements (Stafford) reach. Clements has seven podium finishes, including one victory and has also failed to register a point on just one occasion.

After eight victories and two Runner-up places Bolton’s father and daughter team of Mark and Amelia Berry have a 22point lead in the Formula 600 Sidecar class over the Richard Butler/Derek Taylor (Leicester/Eccles) pairing, who have six Runner-Up spots and only finished off the podium on three occasions, this year. After eight victories, two Runner-Up finishes, a 3^rd and 4^th place finish Alan Molyneux/Courtney Anderson (Rufford/Houghton le Spring) head the Open Sidecar class by 42pts, from Keith Waddington/Kyia Illman (Barnsley/Crewe), who have finished on the podium in all but the opening meeting of the season, recording three Runner-Up placings on the way.

Ricky Tarren (Swadlincote) and Richard Hughes (Wolverhampton) both enjoy a 58pt lead in their respective classes, only requiring to register just 3points, over the weekend, in total to lift their respective championship trophies. Tarren dropping just 3pts, in Round 1 of the Open 600 Championship then winning the following eleven races, ahead of Benjamin Dale, who won the first race, 4^th in the second, then Runner-Up from Round 5 onwards. Hughes, meanwhile, in the Honda CB500/Suzuki Bandit 600 championship has won eight races, registered three 2^nd places and a 5^th spot to give him the championship lead over Zac Leigh (Middlewich) whose first points of the season, was a victory at Round 5, securing two more victories and registering five Runner-Up places.

Be sure to get there early to claim your favoured viewing spot.

Saturday: Gates open 8am, Practice 10am, RICHARDSON Stars at Darley Qualifying 11.45am, first race scheduled for 12.10pm, RICHARDSON Stars at Darley race approx. 2.30pm. Same on Sunday, but RICHARDSON Stars at Darley Superpole 11.45am and Race approximately 2.30pm Advance tickets at are available now, just visit www.darleymoorstore.com.

Stars at Darley race days - Adults £20 (£17 in advance), Seniors £17 (£14 in advance). Weekend tickets - Adults £38 (£32 in advance, Seniors £32 (£26 in advance).

Camping is now only available from 2pm Friday, at £10 per night, through to 10am Monday morning.

The Chequered Flag Café, open to all, every weekend, but with longer hours on a race weekend (Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturday 8am – 7pm, Sunday 8am – 6pm) and with its own set of very regular customers. There will also be a Refreshment Unit serving the Hairpin Viewing Area on Saturday & Sunday.

2026 Championship (after Round 12)

Wilson Trophy

1st Ant Porter, 128pts; 2nd Freddy Oakley, 120pts; 3rd Mike Lees, 67pts

Darley Cup

1st Jonathan Trezins, 165pts; 2nd David Carson, 89pts; Martyn Cooper, 86pts

Ben Godfrey Trophy

1st Matt Bell, 151pts; 2^nd Mark Goodings, 111pts; 3rd Ricky Tarren, 81pts

Open 600cc

1st Ricky Tarren, 177pts; 2nd Benjamin Dale, 119pts; 3rd David Carson, 98pts

Open Solos

1st Matt Bell, 162pts; 2nd Mark Goodings, 114pts; 3rd Stephen Parsons, 66pts

Golden SuperSport 600