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  HEWITT
NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND 4) AT MIDFORD ON
SUNDAY,29TH JUNE, PROMOTED BY THE MIDWEST MCC REPORT
AND PICS BY MIKE WOOD
After ten laps of the latest Hewitt National Cross-Country championship round at Midford, near Bath on Sunday, Expert rider Darren Wheeler (left) appeared all set to record another victory. Leading the contest, Wheeler was forced to eventually retire from proceedings after losing his Husaberg oil breather pipe. Despite his frustration, the Midwest supported rider did gain some consolation though by taking home a trophy donated in memory of Nick Phillips who just a year earlier had been tragically killed in a farming accident. The trophy was awarded to the rider posting the fastest lap of the day, with Wheeler recording a time of 8 minutes 44 seconds on his sixth circuit.
In the Clubman 2T class, Ben Roberts produced a stunning performance to finish a full two laps ahead of his closest rivals. Triss Ball was to eventually take the runners-up slot over three minutes ahead of Seb Dexter. The next three riders all completed a total of 15 laps with Stuart David the fastest ahead of Simon Prideaux and Richard Multon. Over in the Clubman 4T class, Tyson Maytom-Jones recorded another victory chased hard by Jason Webb. Although Webb posted the fastest lap time in this class, he was nearly three and a half minutes behind Jones at the chequered flag.
RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND 4)
Regardless of the terrain, three hours of non-stop cross-country racing is a severe test of endurance for any competitor and machine. So, throw in a challenging seven mile lap and scorching temperatures and that battle to reach the finish line also becomes a stern examination of a riders physical and mental strength. At Chavenage on Sunday during round three of the Hewitt National cross-country championship, an event again superbly promoted by the Midwest MCC, the heat was to be further increased by the appearance of top enduro rider Daryl Bolter (above) and Chris Tett.
In the Experts class for Veteran riders, the first ten riders home at Chavenage all completed a total of nine laps. So, the verdict was decided by who was the quickest to the chequered flag. First man home was Marcus Barnes who after a full three hours of competition held a remarkably slender advantage of just 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Alastair Bramwell. Winner of round two of the Hewitt series, Jerry Adams, finished a further 2 minutes 25 seconds down on Bramwell and thus earn a very determined 3rd place finish. Clubman two-stroke racing saw victory go to Seb Dexter. Like the Veteran Experts, speed was to be the deciding factor as the first eight riders home all completed nine laps. Dexter finished Sunday's event 2 minutes 34 seconds clear. In a couple of very tight scraps to the finish line, Ben Roberts beat Matthew Woodham, the winner at Chavenage during round one back in February, by just 8 seconds for the runners-up slot whilst a narrow 6 seconds separated Dane Palmer and Nerys Williams in 4th and 5th positions.
All of the leading riders in the Veteran class at Chavenage managed a total of 8 laps. Taking victory in another extremely tight contest was Husaberg mounted Robert Shore, just 16 seconds in front of James Browning. Completing the top five in this class was Guy Mansfield-Smith, David Johnson and Pat Poole. Over in the always well supported Sportsman classes, victory went to Jeff Cripps and John Bradley respectively. Sportsman two-stroke winner Cripps held a 3 minute 19 seconds advantage over Paul Jones. In the Sportsman four-stroke competition, whilst Bradley took the win, his closest challengers also completing eight hot Chavenage laps proved to be Stephen Walker, Garry Price, Nathan Kennedy and Andy Chubb. RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES Rd3 EXPERTS 1 Daryl Bolter 2 Darren Wheeler 3 Chris Tett 4 Rich
Warner 5 Gary Baker 6 Derek Bawn.
At the beginning of 2008,the Midwest MCC promised to introduce new venues for their Hewitt National Cross Country championship. So keeping to their word, virgin land at Ston Easton in Somerset was selected for round two of the current series although typically the unpredictable British weather did its very best to ruin proceedings. Following persistent rain during both the previous day and overnight, ground conditions were left rather soggy in both the pits area and out on track. However the Midwest MCC are a very determined bunch, and refusing to admit defeat they decided to proceed with Sunday's event, a move which to prove totally correct as raceday was to be blessed by pleasant warm, sunny and most importantly, dry weather.
In the Veteran Expert class, winner Jerry Adams finished one full lap ahead of his closest rivals Marcus Barnes, David Lote, Stuart Keedwell, Alastair Bramwell and Gerald Poole. In the battle for 2nd place, Barnes was a clear seven minutes in front of his challenging pack.
Over in Sportsman 2T,Benjamin Wyles, Jeff Cripps, Paul Jones, Wayne Tibbles and Daniel Hosznyak all completed nine laps. At the flag, Wyles was nine minutes ahead of runner-up Cripps. In the battle for Sportsman 4T honours, John Bradley, Scott King and Colin Smith were locked together on 8 laps completed. Whilst Bradley took the win some twelve minutes ahead of his rivals, King just edged out Smith for the right to be runner-up. In the final Ston Easton class and completing another super Midwest MCC promotion, Guy Mansfield-Smith was top Veteran, just over a minute ahead of Stephen Milling whilst David Johnson took 3rd.Round three of the Hewitt National cross country championship is due to take place on Sunday, May 11th. RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP Rd2 EXPERTS 1 Darren Wheeler 2 Derry Milling 3 Rich Warner 4
Jeremy Box 5 Gary Baker 6 Derek Bawn.
Following a heavy overnight frost which had seen temperatures drop to minus 6 centigrade, Conditions were decidedly slippery for the opening round of the 2008 Hewitt National Cross-Country series at Chavenage on Sunday. Whilst the wooded sections remained frozen, the open fields slowly started to thaw and it was not until well past the halfway mark of the three hour blast that the going started to improve. Right from the off,the cambered downhill corners saw numerous riders parting company with their machines. Giving a clear indication of just how tricky the early stages were, eventual Experts class winner Darren Wheeler aboard his Midwest Racing supported Husaberg posted an opening lap time of 28 minutes,25 seconds. Eventually, Darren (left) was to complete a total of 9 laps of the seven mile
circuit, a total matched by all of the leading to six riders in the Experts
class. At the finish, Darren the 2007 Hewitt championship runner-up had
reduced his lap times
Aboard his GasGas machine, Paul Jones was a convincing winner of the Sportsman 2T class at Chavenage. Jones finished a full lap ahead of runner-up Daniel Hosznyak who in turn just edged out 3rd placed Shaun Street by a very narrow ten seconds. Whilst Stephen Walker topped the Sportsman 4T class, the battle for 2nd place was very tight with just one minute forty seconds separating John Bradley, Lee Burgess and Nathan Kennedy. The new class in the 2008 Hewitt championship is for Experts Veteran riders. Taking victory at Chavenage was the 2007 Hewitt Veteran champion Gerald Poole, completing 8 laps, his winning margin being just over one minute ahead of Jerry Adams. With Poole now in the group for Experts, it was Guy Mansfield-Smith who took the win in the other Veterans class. Mansfield-Smith managed 7 laps, a total also matched by James Browning, Paul Hoskins, Andrew Taylor and David Jarman. RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP Rd1 EXPERTS 1 Darren Wheeler 2 Chris Dustow 3 Rich Warner 4 Dave Nuttall 5 Gary
Baker 6 Neil Thomas.
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With Midford another new venue in 2008,the forward thinking,
ambitious Midwest MCC organisers were rewarded yet again by a bumper
entry. At just after 11 o'clock, the Experts led the charge up the hill
and onto the fast flowing, grassy track. Quickly Wheeler took control
only to be halted by that afore mentioned mechanical gremlin. In his
absence Gary Baker completed a grand total of 19 laps to earn a deserved
win and the top award, one circuit ahead of Jeremy Box, Derek Bawn,
Derry Milling and Neil Thomas who were separated by just 2 minutes 37
seconds.
Sportsman 4T resulted in victory for Paul Jones, a full lap ahead of
Troy Webb, Jeff Cripps, Wayne Tibbles and Benjamin Wyles who all
completed 15 circuits. In a tight finish to the Sportsman 2T battle at
Midford, John Bradley, Colin Smith and Garry Price all recorded a total
of 14 laps. In the chase to the chequered flag, Bradley was to be the
victor, just over four minutes better than Smith. There was also close
finishes in both Veterans classes at Midford. In the Experts group
Alastair Bramwell, Jerry Adams, Gary McCoy and Marcus Barnes were the
leading group. Although Adams posted the fastest lap time,he was still 1
minute 37 seconds behind Bramwell when the finish flag eventually
dropped. Guy Mansfield-Smith, Andrew Taylor and Robert Shore disputed
the Veterans honours on Sunday, enjoying fifteen laps of the grassy
going. Taking the eventual victory was Mansfield-Smith some 1 minute 9
seconds better than Taylor with Shore in 3rd.
Despite
the welcome inclusion of Bolter and Tett, Midwest Racing supported rider
Darren Wheeler (right) was looking for an hat-trick of Expert class wins
and he made a fantastic start to Sunday's event, and by the completion
of the first seven mile blast had already forged a big early advantage
with Bolter in tow. From here onwards a superb contest developed as the
lead changed hands following required fuel stops. With just two laps
remaining, the gallant Wheeler's challenge was then effectively
destroyed by a fall. Remounting and quickly firing his Husaberg back to
life, he still managed to take 2nd spot a clear eight minutes ahead of
Chris Tett with Rich Warner 4th,Gary Baker 5th and Derek Bawn 6th.
Sunday's
event saw Midwest Racing supported Tyson Maytom-Jones record his third
victory of the series in the Clubman four-stroke class. However his
march to victory was far from comfortable after he suffered an early
scare on lap one, bending his gear lever. Undeterred, Maytom-Jones
(left) along with Gary Sims, Wayne Partington and David Fowler all
completed nine laps. At the finish, Tyson eventual winning margin was to
be just over three minutes.
Although
the saturated terrain, featuring plenty of open blasts along cambered
banks, uphill turns and a ride through a fast flowing stream claimed
many victims on the opening laps, the top Expert riders made a fast
start. Indeed before the traffic became congested and the ruts axle
deep, the eventual top five riders, Darren Wheeler (right), Derry
Milling, Rich Warner, Jeremy Box and Gary Baker all recorded the fastest
lap time of the day on the opening circuit. Aboard his Midwest Racing
supported Husaberg, Wheeler, the round one winner, was again to be
victorious completing 13 laps, a total matched by both Milling and
Warner. At the finish, Wheeler's winning margin was to be just over
three minutes.
Mitch
Pearce produced an incredible performance in the Clubman 2T class at
Ston Easton, completing 12 laps which was a full two more circuits than
runner-up Ben Roberts. In a tight tussle to the chequered flag, Roberts
was to be just a minute ahead of Andy Howes whilst a slender 43 seconds
separated the next four riders, Jez Dance, Peter Kyte, Seb Dexter and
Gary Taylor. Completing a great day for the Midwest Racing team, Tyson
Maytom-Jones was the top Clubman 4T rider at Ston Easton. Leading the
contest from start to finish, Maytom-Jones was a full lap ahead of two
incredibly tight battles. Kye Banks beat Gary Sims by just 24 seconds
for the runner-up slot whilst David Fowler outgunned Adrian Francis by
28 seconds for 4th spot.
by over ten minutes. When the chequered flag fell,
Wheeler was seven minutes ahead of Chris Dustow with Rich Warner 3rd,Dave
Nuttall (right) 4th,Gary Baker 5th and Neil Thomas 6th. In the Clubman 2T class, the
top four of Matthew Woodham, Martin Hillman, Ben Roberts and Peter Kyte all
completed a total of eight laps. Woodham's eventual winning margin was just
over three minutes.
Over in the Clubman 4T action, the top three of Tyson
Mayton-Jones (left), Mark
Saunders and Wayne Partington also recorded a total of eight laps during their
three hours of competition. At the finish Mayton-Jones was a clear eleven
minutes ahead with Saunders a further one minute plus in front of Partington.