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Smith on the Cais. With a break in the foul UK weather and riders desperate to get back into Hare & Hounds action, the rideoffroaduk crew headed to Lincolnshire for the first of its Winter Warmer Events for 2010. The venue, Caistor, which usually plays host to MX events, was the perfect place for this club event. Most riders used this event as training or to simply blow out the cob webs from the long Winter Break. Sunday Morning at 9am sharp saw the New Youth class fire into life. With the track conditions still very sticky it was always going to be a tough run out for the smaller capacity machines. The Youth A class was won by Elliott Millburn on his 150 Honda, despite some cooling problems on the last two laps he still took the win. Second place went to Jordon Coates on his 125 Yamaha, rounding out the podium was Jonjo Walker; Jonjo had problems from the start when his KTM fouled a plug on lap one. After some pretty swift work from his pit crew he was back on track reeling off the laps. In the Youth B class for small wheel, John Joe Wright (right) was simply head and shoulders above all other youth riders, including the Youth A class. Finishing on a total of 10 laps this young man really did settle in the multi lap format. Dalton Shannon overcame a tough start to get a fantastic second place, the final podium place went to the determined Ben Clarke, and Ben who was on his new CR85 for the first time made the trip worth while taking a trophy back home to Mansfield. With a short break in proceedings to give the Ride track marshal's time to link in the adult track loops, shortly after 11am the full to capacity Adult line up were all ready to do battle. With a host of Expert riders including some top MX boys getting in some endurance training, on lookers were treated to some ultra fast lap times from the off. The race was set at two hours prior to the start by clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook, this proved once again to be a great call considering this was the first ride in months for many Hare & Hounds regulars. In the clubman class it was Lee Smith who was on the pace from the
very start. Lee who openly admitted he was just using the event for
fitness training took his Eurotek KTM to a fantastic win almost 3
minutes clear of the hard charging James Reeve, James netted a fine
second place on 24 laps. The Over 40 class battle saw Mark Waterfield take overall honours on a very healthy 21 laps. Marks pace saw him narrowly miss out on the extra lap by a mere 5 seconds at the flag. Second place went to rideoffroaduk regular Shaun Woffinden on the number 609 Honda. Shaun, who also took second place in the 2009 championship, was very happy with his pre-2010 series warm up. Third place went to Stuart Cryer with a very respectful 20 lap tally. The new over 50 class which caters for the true Vets of the Hare & Hounds world was won by the vastly experienced Brian Roper on 19 laps. Paul Outhwaite took his Gas Gas to a fine runner up spot for his efforts. As usual the most popular class was the Sportsman/Hobby riders. Stuart Waterhouse was victorious after the 2 hour race drew to a close on a highly respectful 22 laps. Stuart was another victim of just missing the extra lap at the cut off point when the finish flag came out. Second place went to young Thomas Kirk who was lapping at a very consistant rate on the 611 machine. Rounding out the podium was rideoffroaduk newcomer Steven Bullas. Steven's MX skills were on full display as he attacked the track and came away with a fine result. In the ultra fast Expert field Tom Healey took Top spot on his 250 KTM. Second place went to the stylish Midlander Josh Bendall. Josh kept his cool on Sunday and showed great maturity as he used this winter warmer event to back up his training for the 2010 season. Third place went to Lancastrian Ben Howard on his meticulously prepared KTM XC machine. Ben showed that his winter training program is working to great effect, his lap times were ultra consistant proving that his bike fitness is back on track for the 2010 season. After a great start to the winter warmer events we are looking forward to the next event at Caistor in three weeks on the 28th Feb. The track will be fully prepared and will run in the reverse direction with some subtle changes. Massive thanks to Thoresway Motoparc for the use of this fantastic venue, to all riders and especially to all our Ride Staff and Marshals for making the first event of the year a huge success. The entry will be restricted at the next Winter Warmer event due to an unexpected amount of day entries at round one. So to avoid disappointment riders are urged to pre-book which is the only way to guarantee a ride.
Next Event Winter Warmer Feb 28th Caistor. 2010 Event Schedule The 2010 season will see a new Premier Doodson Motorsport supported Championship running over eight rounds. A three round ACU Events Ltd series has also been added to our calendar for any riders who can not commit to a full season of Championship events. Classes for: Adult Sportsman - Clubman - Ladies - Over 40 - Over 50 - Expert Winter Warm Ups ACU Events Ltd ALL 3 ROUNDS TO COUNT Doodson Motorsport Best 6 Rounds to count for overall
Championship. - www.doodsonbg.com Special Event Youth Classes for 10 to 15 year olds at Doodson Motorsport Rounds one, four and six. All other information and entry booking on www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or call event mobile 07802 572023 for help and advice.
Rideoffroaduk are running an Enduro practice day at the popular Lee Dell complex near Rochdale on Sunday October 25th. The main aim is to provide our members old and new with a practice facility and FREE Enduro Hare & Hounds advice from our very own ACU qualified Coach Wayne Braybrook. Wayne will be on hand during the day to offer advice to any rider who may want help on his / her riding technique. The track will consist of a modified version of what we used for round 9 of our 2009 Championship back in September. The cost for the day is just £30. Toilet and catering facilities will be on site. The track Opens at 10am and will close at 4pm. On arrival riders will sign on and receive a track access wrist band, they are then free to ride as much as they like during the day. There will be a break for half an hour at 12 noon for lunch. Riders are urged to book in on 07802 572023 to help caterers prepare their numbers for the day. No Licence or Club membership is required for practice sessions, Just £30 ride all day. The venue will be signed with Orange arrows from the A680 Edenfield to Rochdale road. For more information visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or call 07802 572023
"Bunts Blast" Kirkby in Ashfield Nottinghamshire October 11th. The Rose is in Bloom. Rideoffroaduk have during the 2009 season delivered ten quality Hare & Hound Enduro events as promised at the best venues available to them. With only two out of the ten Championship events being held in wet conditions, and with five different venues used during the season, the ride team has certainly let the events do the talking during the 2009 campaign. Bunts Blast was the final round to this years Championship, held near Kirkby in Ashfield. The event was always meant to be a fun end of year thrash around for all competitors. With the Clubman and Over40 Championship winners already decided only the Expert and Sportsman classes were hanging in the balance. The Midlands area weather had been very kind to our latest new venue, with only a couple of light rain showers to dampen the track into near perfect Hare & Hounds condition. At 10am prompt the Sportsman and Ladies event was fired into life. With the Special test style start field in full view of spectators and teams, it was easy to see who made the best starts as the riders blasted out of the IPONE Oils horseshoe bend and up the fastest part of the track. Series leader Danny Clarke made a determined start with his closest Championship rival Lancastrian Matty Bell in hot pursuit on his 250 Suzuki. Making the long journey from Burnley was newcomer Chris Glass. Chris hit problems straight away as his 250 Honda refused to start on the line, with some help from other pit crew and marshals he was helped on his way and set about the task of threading his way around the track to gain his second finish from as many starts. First back into lap scoring was Danny Clarke on the number 700 machine, around 10 seconds later the chasing pack started to filter into lap scoring. Matty Bell was still in with a shout of being Champ and his determination was clear to see. On lap two somewhere in the woodland area Clarke made a mistake allowing Bell to catch up, only for the pair of them to tangle once more, the fight was on. Waiting in the wings and as usual pacing himself was Pete Middleton. Pete always has a steady start and despite him being a few years older than the likes of Clarke and Bell his race craft and fitness levels always pull him through for strong results. With the fast open going consuming more fuel than usual, riders started to pit for a top up of fuel to avoid running out on track and risking a non finish. After a full 2 hours on track and much to the appreciation of his local following it was Danny Clarke who clinched not only the race win but the overall Championship. Danny has had ups and downs this year, to see him take this class win ahead of his 2010 Clubman upgrade was a proud moment for his family and rideoffroaduk staff. Well done DC. Second on the day and just stealing second overall was Pete Middleton, his race finish as Bunts blast was the strongest all year. Third place went to Stuart Waterhouse completing twenty laps on the number 350 machine, Lancastrian lad Matty Bell dressed in pink for the occasion took fourth place and secured third overall in the highly populated Sportsman class. In the ladies class Helen Lang once again took her trials machine fitted with Enduro tyres to another well deserved win, despite having a coming together with a tree late on in the race. Clare Featherstone confirmed her overall Championship number one position with a solid second on the day. Clare walks away with over £600 of product prizes for her efforts this year so, well done that lass. After a short break for track repairs, results and Sportsman presentation, it was time for the clash of the titans in the Expert, Over40 and Clubman class event. With Scott Austin itching to feed his big 450 KTM gears on the open going, Luke Meredith in no mood to let his grip on the Expert title slip, along with wild card entries like top MX riders Jordon and Jamie Rose out for the first time in Hare & Hounds action, the tension mounted. As the start briefing was conducted by Clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook, it was plain for everyone to see that this was going to be a hard fought two and a half hour race. As the flag dropped at 1pm prompt we had a start like never before, it looked more like a GP start as the Experts and Over40 class riders fed into the switchbacks on the first lap. Banging bars from the off were Meredith and the ultra fast starting Jason Hope. With Austin and Rose jostling for position after slower starts on the four stroke machines their intentions were also plain to see, they all wanted the win. Second away were the clubman class riders. With the class title already decided and with class champion Tom Healey on duty at Weston, a few new faces to rideoffroaduk events in the mix meant the clubman class was open and up for grabs. Oliver Cooper out on two stroke machinery instead of his usual 250 four stroke looked like a revitalized man, looking fitter and faster he proved throughout the event that lighter two stroke machinery is the favoured weapon of choice for most Hare & Hounds riders these days. As the event progressed the lap times came tumbling down, riders were using their bikes like never before as the high speed lap proved very enjoyable to ride for all rider abilities. As riders pitted for fuel and drinks, the leaders swapped places in all but the Over40 class. The keen as ever John Lofthouse looked as crisp as ever and kept reeling off the laps on his 250 Yamaha to stamp his name firmly on the vet's class trophy.
The Clubman class win was taken by George Bayliss who completed an impressive 28 laps on his 2 stroke Yamaha. George's pace would have sat him well within the expert class so based on his pace an expert upgrade could be looming. Nathan Bolton took a well deserved second podium place on his KTM, he returned to Lancashire with a nice trophy and product prize courtesy of Hope technology for his efforts. Oliver Cooper took his new Gas Gas to a fine final podium place and in doing so sets himself up with a good chance of taking overall clubman honours next season. John Lofthouse took what he described as an easy win. He was reminded at the presentation that all wins take some earning, he was satisfied with his days competition. Mark Dean stepped up to take second on the day with an equally impressive lap tally of 27. Mick Rayson rounded out the final podium place in the "old lads" class and was surprised to take home some silver wear for his efforts. All that remains is to thank all competitors for supporting this growing series of top quality Hare & Hound events. Our thanks go out to everyone who has attended this year's championship from the hard working marshals and staff, to the families and supporters who keep this sport alive for the masses. Big pat on the back to you all. Our end of year party and presentation date and venue will be announced shortly, all Championship class winners can celebrate and collect the well earned £600 product prize haul; this includes:- Gearne Boots, Dunlop Tyres, Nau Helmets, REP Clothing, Smith Goggles, Hope Bike cleaner and SIS energy drinks, plus lots of other goodies from our commercial partners. We look forward to seeing you all again for our 2010 Championship. In the mean time we won't be loosing sight of our customer base. Starting on October 25th is a series of Enduro practice days. These will begin at Lee Dell Rochdale; the lancs venue will be hosting the first of many practice and training days for riders of all abilities during the coming weeks and months. See www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk for further info or call 07802 572023 for advice.
Bell Strikes the Dell Rideoffroaduk made a welcome journey back into Lancashire for round 9 of the 2009 series. With fantastic weather blessing the stunning hill top venue for the week leading up to the event, riders flocked to Lee Dell knowing they were in for a feast of Hare & Hounds action on the new course laid out by Wayne Braybrook. Sunday morning saw thick hill fog covering the Lancashire hills, right on que at 930am it was as though someone had flicked a light switch on and the fog cleared within 5 minutes. At this point competitors could then see what an awesome track was prepared and ready for them to do battle on over the first of two races on the event schedule. Just after 10am, after the usual event safety briefing, the start flag was dropped and the popular Sportsman Ladies and Youth 125 event was fired into action. With no first corner incidents the whole field were safely underway as they spread out over the rolling grassy hillsides. Local star Matty Bell (below) was setting the pace closely followed by John Butterworth. Championship leader Danny Clarke was out on a borrowed 450 Honda and he found out to his frustration just how easy his regular 250cc 2 stroke Honda is to start. Danny was the last rider away with lots of work to do over the 2 hours which lay ahead. After half an hour and with only one wet area on the course causing some problems all riders were circulating at a sensible pace. Rideoffroaduk newcomer Sander Douglas was out on his "Specialist Breakers" sponsored 250 Honda having a good ride round, also showing he has potential was enduro newcomer Richard Solan, Richard has some valuable trials experience, and this was put to good use in the tricky wet section by reaching the top each time stood up on the pegs finding much needed traction. With many new faces joining the rideoffroaduk following, the championship positions were mixed around by riders like Jeremy Ashby and James Allen earning points for top ten finishes pushing title regulars back down the order.
The Ladies class was won by the experienced Emma Ball. Emma knows what to expect from Hare & Hounds events and she finished five minutes clear of Helen Lang, both riders clocked up 8 laps. Helen rode a trials bike with trials tyres on, take note everyone trials tyres offer unrivalled traction in greasy conditions, try one on your enduro bike they work! Clare Featherstone added to her championship points tally by clocking up a useful third place on the day. After the Sportsman & Ladies trophy presentation with product prizes from event sponsor Hope Technology, it was time for the main Expert Over40 and Clubman two and a half hour event to begin. With the track in pristine condition following the morning event, it was good to see a full line up of regular runners as well as a few "Wild Card" riders in the mix. As the Expert and Over40 competitors were given the signal to warm engines on lookers and spectators waited to see who would emerge from turn one in the lead. As the flag dropped Scott Austin (above) leapt out of the left hander going bar to bar with fast starting Jason Hope, Expert upgrade Tom Healey was trying his hand in with the fast boys ready for his 2010 Championship assault he also started well. The human dynamo Dave Salkeld had one of his customary lightning starts proving the so called 'old boys' are well on the pace. Another rideoffroaduk newcomer Andrew Hackett also had a good solid start. The Clubman class riders were next away and it was local lad Chris "Pingu" Hughes who took the holeshot to the amazement of his supporters who stood trackside, handy MX rider Andrew Hornshaw set his intentions out by getting a firm start to the race along with young Reece Moorewood and Oliver Cooper. Steve Watson, who took a podium place back in august at round 7, couldn't quite find his rhythm around the open fields, taking a big crash after catching a rock seemed to hamper his mid race progress. As the event progressed to the timed target of two and a half hours, and with second placed Andrew Hackett retired with fuel breather issues, it was Scott Austin's pace which simply destroyed the opposition. Scott riding with mousse's for the first time, was more than impressive throwing gears at the big 450 KTM drifting around corners in near perfect style. At the flag Scott took the win one lap clear of the hard charging Damian Butler. Damo now getting to grips with his new 200 KTM had a hard battle with young Tom Healey buzzing around. Tom now knows that to compete in the Expert class you have to work hard as riders of Expert calibre fight hard to retain places. Tom and Damo shook hands at the finish line, both riders happy to have earned podium places on the day. The over 40 class win went to Dave Salkeld. Salky was the only other rider along with Scott Austin to clock up 18 laps. Big respect and young riders should take note, experience is everything! Rob Butler had a solid ride to net himself second on the day, he was followed home by Gary Parr on the big Husaberg. Ian Coburn and John Lofthouse finished fourth and fifth in one of the best Over40 line ups in the series to date. The Clubman class win went to Andrew Hornshaw. Andrew set a pace which was almost strong enough to run with the top Experts, despite having to change gloves during refuelling, his pace was good enough to take a convincing win. Local Lad Chris Hughes took a well deserved second podium place despite having a monster crash when he ran wide and clipped a rock. Third place went to rideoffroaduk newcomer Kevin Seward. Sewy who comes from a trials background in the Lake District showed good consistency throughout the event and took home a well earned final podium place. Huge thanks to all the rideoffroaduk marshals and helpers. Your help is much appreciated; all competitors know how hard you work offering advice and keeping the track in top condition. The final round of the series heads to a new venue near Kirkby in Ashfield in two weeks on October 11th where the "Bunts Blast" awaits. Championship class positions will be decided and class winners will be crowned as an awesome 2009 series draws to a close. To enter Bunts Blast call 07802 572023 or see www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk for details. Enduro Practice days are then the focus for the winter months, Lee Dell Rochdale will be the host for these highly demanded leisure filled event days. Catering for raw beginners through to experts for £30 per day, rideoffroaduk will continue to improve by providing our followers with more quality enduro events.
Butts Quarry This Sunday Sept 6th All Weather Ride R8 With the week ahead looking set for wet weather for most of the UK, great news for Enduro Hare & Hounds XC fans is that round 8 of the rideoffroaduk series will be situated at the famous Butts Quarry Venue in Ashover Derbyshire. Butts is renown for its all weather track, so whatever the weather throws at us this week riders are assured that we will not be cutting short any races because of wet conditions. Clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook will have yet another new look to the Butts Quarry track, as usual he will be working hard during the lead up to Sunday to ensure riders once again get a good quality event. The main Quarry will host the new revised start area, pits / refuel bay will be located very close to the main rider's paddock. With Championship positions now getting very close across all classes, and with a superb product prize fund up for grabs worth over £600 in each class, most our regular runners are already signed up for this popular venue. This event will cater for riders from Beginner to expert, the track will have no stoppers in it, the varied mix of MX track and woodland means the emphasis will be on the competition aspect rather than survival. Riders are reminded that the Central location of Butts Quarry is very easy to locate from Junction 29 of the M1, the event will be signed from Ashover Village with orange arrows. Camping is available Saturday, Paddock entrance road is hard standing. Day Licence available, non members welcome, new to Hare & Hounds riders catered for. Entries close at start, booking in advised. Call 07802 572023 for phone entries or see www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk for event schedule.
Rideoffroaduk ran round seven of their 2009 Hare & Hounds XC Championship last Sunday Aug 23rd at the superb Low North Camp Harwood Dale near Scarborough. In the finest sunny conditions the only worry for riders was hydration during the two events, with temperatures in the mid twenties and the sun beating down it made for a fantastic days XC action for competitors and spectators making the trip to the east coast. Sunday 10am prompt saw the start of the popular Sportsman, Ladies and Youth 125 event. With yet another new track layout provided by Clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook, riders were keen to get onto the Harwood Dale soil. The addition of new grass areas and a wave section into the MX loop, coupled with new woodland tracks opened up especially for this final 2009 visit and the scene was set for a great day's action. Danny Clarke took the Holeshot on his 250 Honda, closely followed by title chaser Matty Bell from Lancashire. As the riders filtered around the massive XC loop it was Clarke leading from Bell. With the rest of the Hobby riders spread out and with a full 2 hour event ahead of them it was clear that many competitors now understand the importance of hydration during hot races, with most riders taking the opportunity to drink as they approached the Live Lap scoring area the action started to unfold. Rideoffroaduk newcomer Helen Lang made the trip from Manchester to compete on her Montesa Long ride, a bike which raised a few eyebrows as she made light work of the negotiating the technical sections. William Hillas was taking his usual flat out and hang on approach to new levels kicking up the dusty berms where ever he could. James Reeve and Arthur Wilkinson were also putting in some pretty useful lap times. With tired faces starting to show as the two hour cut off approached and with the front runners settled into to position it was Danny Clarke who took the win, despite having a rear wheel puncture on his last lap. With Matty Bell looking tired he was happy to take runner up spot and add to his points tally. Pete Middleton rounded out the podium then kicked himself when he checked the results to see how close he was to taking second spot, admitting he had energy left at the end of the event much to his younger rival's amazement. In the Ladies Class Helen Lang took the win from Clare Featherstone who has increased her championship lead and now looks set to be the 2009 Champion taking the top prize. After a short break for lunch and the Sportsman presentation and results complete it was time for the main Expert Over40 and Clubman class to begin the epic 3 hour iron man battle.
Enjoying a weekend off and despite having not ridden competitively for over 5 years, it was good to see MPS Husqvarna Spanner man Johnny Wardle back out on a bike. Despite worrying about the 3 hour event he was enjoying his time out in the Expert class at a local event. Towards the end of the 3 hour time limit and despite a valiant effort from Meredith closing the Gap to just over a minute and a half it was Scott Austin who took his first and very well deserved maiden ride win. Admitting at the finish he was beaten up after fighting the big 450 around for over three hours he was over the moon to take top honors. Luke Meredith placed runner up and in doing so looks odds on to take this year's Expert series on current form. Josh Bendall filled the final podium place taking his silver wear and product prize home for his efforts. The Clubman Class saw a record number of new to rideoffroaduk events entrants than ever before, as the series grows in providing top class no frills events it was nice to see some new and old friends taking part. As usual at most XC events Tom Healey (above) and Oliver Hart were
favorites to battle for top honors. With Steve Watson, Lee Smith and
Mark Harrison all pushing for top places on the day anything could have
happened in this class. It was also nice to see Grant Marsden back in
action after his accident at Round 4 back in May. As the weeks and
months go by Grant should be back up to full fitness which will see him
battling for the top places once again. John Bradford was out enj At the finish Tom Healey got the better of a tiring Oliver Hart, Steve Watson took the final podium place after putting in an impressive 16 lap tally. With Hart and Healey moving up to Expert for 2010 the clubman class will continue to be our springboard for younger riders but also providing the working lads a good competitive class to ride in. The Over40 class win was taken by MPS Husqvarna boss Mick Seward (left). With World and European Enduro championship fixtures' taking up most of Mick's time it was nice to see him out at a local event close the team's base in North Yorkshire. Getting in some valuable training before these weekends D2D, all he has to worry about is two blisters healing up on his hand! Nigel Smith took his Colin Appleyard RMZ450 to runner up spot and in doing so adds to his Over40 series points tally. Mark Waterfield rounded out the podium narrowly missing out on the extra lap finishing just 13 seconds over the 3 our time cut off. Massive thanks to Scarborough and District Motor Club, its committee and Club members for allowing us to use this fantastic venue. Harwood Dale is having lots of work done ready for the 2010 season, including new trials sections, land maintenance and general upkeep work. We look forward to working with the Club in the future. Thanks to the trusted rideoffroaduk marshals and officials, too many to list, you know who you are and without you these events could not take place. Next Event Round 8 Butts Quarry Ashover in Derbyshire in less than two weeks so get yourselves ready for the next ride event. Entries available from www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or call, 07802 572023.
The Butler serves a feast Round 6 of the rideoffroaduk Hare & Hounds series was hosted by the popular Norwood Teversal venue in Nottinghamshire. With a brand new track having been cut into the woodland venue by Wayne Braybrook and his team of track building assistants, the challenge was once again laid down to our regular riders as well as a few new faces to do battle on what ended up being a real Hare & Hounds Enduro event. After most of the UK was soaked during the bad weather conditions on Friday, Norwood with its free draining woodland, was drying out at a rapid rate during the Saturday pre event track inspection, with the old MX track woodland in perfect condition and the bottom track link looking only marginally greasy, the Sportsman and ladies event got underway at 10am prompt after the usual pre event briefing. With series leader Danny Clarke looking to extend his Championship points tally, and with a few new faces on the start line, no one could predict the outcome of this event. With the whole field safely flagged away onto the course, spectators and support crews waited to see who would emerge from the woodland into the plantation at the front. Local knowledge certainly stood out as Mark Shaw led the field around the first lap with Danny Clarke hot on his heels. The Lancashire boys, Matty "Pinky" Bell and John Butterworth, were all in the mix sporting their trick newly printed riding kit. As the time ticked away and with many riders finding the greasy conditions hard to handle, the track was beginning to dry out, as the leaders lapped at very consistent rates the grip level was getting better by the minute. Around 20 minutes from the end of the 2 hour time the heavens opened and all the now "drying track" once again saw riders fighting to stay on line. At the finish flag Mark Shaw took a very convincing win, one lap up on everyone with a total 13 laps. Danny Clarke ground out another impressive finish for second place, Pete "Trish" Middleton rounded out the podium taking a fine 3rd place on his Gas Gas. With the rain stopped and the Sportsman class presentation and results complete, Clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook took the decision to delay the main Expert, Over40 and Clubman race by 30 minutes to allow the track to dry out after the heavy rain which damped the morning event.
The race was on, after lap two Mark Godfrey had hit the front, Lee Sampson was in second and with a leaking radiator which needed attention on the next lap was to cost him valuable time. Damian Butler was circulating at a good rate and with consistent lap times, and not needing to stop for fuel he was soon up to second after the demise of Sampson with the leaking radiator forcing him to retire. At the finish and with the rain once again falling making the track conditions ultra greasy in the last half hour, Damian Butler took his first rideoffroaduk Expert class win. Luke Meredith had worked hard to climb back up to second to secure his points lead in the series with Matt Keeling taking his WR450 to a fine third place. The Clubman class was won hands down by Tom Healey. Over the last year Tom has matured into a top Hare & Hounds rider. His performance around Norwood in his favored wet conditions would have certainly seen him giving the top Experts some serious opposition on his little 144 KTM. Runner up in the Clubman was round 5 victor Oliver Hart, with Tom and Oliver normally locked in battle, on the day Oliver made one or two costly errors resulting in spectacular crashes which cost him valuable time. The final podium place was taken by Richard Cookland who surprised many by muscling his number 337 KTM 4 stroke around the technical track in fine style.
Well done to all competitors who took part in these difficult conditions. This was only our second wet event of the year out of six, still not bad going. A Big "thank you" to Sutton Falcons Motor Club for allowing us to use this fantastic venue. Thanks to all the hard working Marshals - you know who you are, well done. Next Event Round 7, Low North Park, Harwood Dale, August 23rd. For more info see our website www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or call Wayne Braybrook on 07802 572023.
Hart Rules the Park Rideoffroaduk returned to North Yorkshire to host round 5 of the 2009 Hare & Hounds Enduro Series in red hot conditions at the fantastic Low North Park facility. With warm weather and blue skies greeting the rideoffroaduk competitors, and with yet another new track for riders to compete on, the scene was set for the 2009 Series to keep up the momentum of providing Quality events for all who attend. After extensive ground work which the Scarborough & District Motor Club have been doing in recent months, Wayne Braybrook stuck to his pre event words and upped the challenge by not only reversing the original highly successful track, but the addition of new loops coupled with the change in direction increased the Lap time significantly to around 14 minutes for most riders. In fact the fastest expert rider could only just break the 10 minute barrier, meaning these events really are true Hare & Hounds Multi Lap events.
Round one winner and Super fast MX rider Matt Moffat had a poor start on his RM250, after the early laps Matt was having problems with rear grip only to find out that his tyre pressure was over 18 PSI!, a quick stop to adjust the pressure saw Moff then able to up his pace and get up towards the front with Salky and Mark Godfrey. At half distance Scott Austin who had made a terrible start when his Big KTM failed to spark into life took the lead from Mark Godfrey, Scott was on a mission and looked as though an epic battle would ensue between him and Moffat, within half a lap of taking the lead Austin's KTM developed a nasty rattle forcing him to retire. At the finish Matt Moffat timed his run to perfection and completed sixteen laps. Tim Pattinson took a well deserved runner up spot to compliment his fine result from the previous weekends North Riding Thorpe Enduro. The Expert Podium was rounded out by Phil Corner. The Over40 class battle saw rideoffroaduk regular and run away series leader Mark Godfrey taking the win from Dave Salkeld on his KTM. The final podium place was held by Lancastrian ex British 4 stroke Enduro Champion Phil Smithson on his little 125 YZ Yamaha. Without a doubt on the day the most competitive class was the Clubman. With Series leader Tom Healey on a roll, and with a handful of other riders capable of taking top honors the class seemed wide open.
Looking visibly tired Tom Healey then took the lead and his crew opted to fuel him on the next lap. With a refuel stop that most F1 teams would have been proud of, Tom exited the pits with the minimum amount of time lost. At the flag Oliver Hart took the win from the tired out Tom Healey. Both these riders are on a sure Expert class upgrade for next season and these epic battles will stand them both in good stead for mixing it with the top boys. Guy Corner took a very well deserved final podium place home. With all riders taking advantage of the Sports drinks supplied by Science in Sport, the usual trophy and results presentation rounded off another perfect day of Enduro Hare & Hounds Action. Well done to all riders who took part, Special thanks to Science in Sport for providing essential Go Sports Drinks to reduce the effects of dehydration. Massive thanks to Scarborough & District Motor Club for use of this awesome venue. Thanks to North Riding Enduro Club for assisting with officials duties, not forgetting everyone else who helps to make these events happen your assistance is much appreciated. Results Next Event Round 6 returns to the iconic 1960's televised scrambles venue at Norwood Teversal Nott's. This woodland based event always attracts a good entry. For Entries visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or for event info Wayne Braybrook on 07802 572023.
Round 5 2009 Hare & Hounds Championship. Rideoffroaduk make a welcome return to North Yorkshire for round 5 of the 2009 series which will take place at Low North Camp, Harwood Dale North Yorkshire on June 14th. The camp which is used as an all year round trials park also boasts a full size MX track, this coupled with the awesome woodland sections, stream crossings tracks and trails makes it an superb venue for true Hare & Hounds events. After a highly successful opening round to our championship held there back in March, the track for round 5 will be in the reverse direction offering riders lots of scope for a fresh challenge. In addition to that as usual Clerk of the Course Wayne Braybrook will have some new ideas up his sleeve to keep the regular riders on their toes. The added benefit to riders is that camping is available from Saturday, the paddock is hard standing and all access roads are permanent fixtures. Scarborough is less than 20 minutes away so that trip to the sea side for families may well see competitors making a real holiday weekend of it. Event schedule is Sportsman & Ladies 10am start, 2 hour event. Expert, Over40 and Clubman riders will take to the track at 1PM for a full two and a half hours. Caterers will again be on site and with the Harwood Dale permanent facility ready to go entries are coming in thick and fast. Non members welcome, Day Licence available and spectators will be catered for with the best viewing areas to see all the action unfold. Call 07802 572023 for info or see www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk for entry forms. Image from Chris Hudson features Nick Owen ( Sportsman ) at round 1 back in March.
Round 4 2009 Hare & Hounds Championship Butt's Quarry Ashover. Hillas Kicks Butt's Round 4 of the growing rideoffroaduk Hare & Hounds Enduro series went into Derbyshire last Sunday. A packed Butt's Quarry saw on track action which was just as hot as the scorching UK weather during Sunday's two events. With an entirely fresh new look to this popular venue, Wayne Braybrook had once again provided everyone who took part a new challenging course. This shows that his experience as a top flight rider really does shine through when plotting interesting courses for the 2009 Championship to be staged on. During the pre event briefing event director Wayne Braybrook had advised all competitors on the importance of hydration during the event, it was always going to be a tough event, with temperatures in the high twenties his advice proved very worth while for most competitors.
At the finish flag it was a very popular and well deserved win for the younger of the Hillas brothers. William has now proved that he is worthy of a clubman class ride for the 2010 season. Watch out clubman the blonde haired whippet is moving up. Second place went to a revitalized Arthur Wilkinson, the final podium place was taken after weeks of desperately trying to achieve his goal of top 3 by the popular Danny Clarke on the #700 machine. The Ladies class competition also warmed up with the weather, the Butt's Quarry event saw Clare Featherstone and Emma Ball having increased competition from Tara Johnson and Anita Gordon. With Anita and Emma both out on new bikes the result could have gone any way. At the finish flag Anita Gordon clocked up an impressive 10 lap tally with Tara Johnson in second place. Clare Featherstone took her usual calculated approach to the event and rounded out the top 3 to extend her series points lead. Emma Ball had mechanical problems and had to retire at the half way stage.
Clubman honors went to Ben Hamilton on his KTM, Ben returned to rideoffroaduk events after a break to show that he is a class act on these kinds of tracks. Tom Healey extended his Championship points lead in the Clubman class, he took his 144KTM to a calculated second place after still feeling sore from a crash in the previous week's event. Neil Marshall rounded out the Clubman podium trophy winners. All Trophy winners took away their superb Cups along with the product Goody bags including Sh1t Shifter bike cleaner provided by Hope Technology. We wish Grant Marsden a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on a bike as soon as possible. Thanks to all marshals and Event Medical staff who helped to get Grant on his way to hospital by the safest method possible. Next Event Round 5 at the fantastic Low North Camp facility in Harwood Dale North York's on June 14th where the Championship battle reaches the half way stage.
Rideoffroaduk held Round 3 of the 2009 Hare & Hounds Enduro Championship across the border in Lancashire at the stunning Lee Dell venue on Sunday may 17th. With the black clouds and rain storms working their way west over the weekend it was always going to be a traditional enduro, as most riders now know these events are where Championships are won and lost. The course designed as usual by Wayne Braybrook and his crew was planned to give as much variety as possible, the rolling hillsides overlooking the whole of the North West, coupled with the hidden valley and old mill ruins provided the perfect venue for a real enduro hare & Hounds event. As usual the Sportsman and ladies class were flagged away at 10am prompt, within minutes the whole hilltop venue came alive as the first riders came round to complete lap 1, with the usual runners up front along with the likes of Danny Clarke and Nick Owen getting good starts, it seemed as though this would be the most competitive class once again. Local rider Matty Bell riding his RM250 was setting the pace up front and he seemed to have a good lead. He was closely followed by John Butterworth and Danny Clarke who were going about their days work in an effective and methodical manner. Most of the usual Sportsman were about to get the wake up call, KB Racings owner Kenny Belfield who only decided to ride on Saturday afternoon was making up ground after a poor start on his 450 KTM. As many riders pitted for fresh goggles and gloves, Belfield just kept working away in a steady but very effective way, in fact using the same well prepared goggles for the whole race may well have given him the edge over his rivals, this proves that preparation really is the key to success in Multi Lap events. At the flag it was Kenny Belfield who took the win from Matty Bell in second. Rounding out the podium and celebrating his 20th birthday in fine style was local lad John Butterworth. In the ladies class off road regular Emma Ball did an outstanding job on her YZ85 to complete seven laps, this was some achievement as the two huge hill climbs definitely needed horsepower to crest them. Clare Featherstone showed her steady smooth approach to this course to take runner up. After a short break in the event schedule giving marshals time to change the course to include the old mill ruins section, and to repair other parts of the track it was time for the main race. After the superb morning weather and with rain due at 1pm race director Wayne Braybrook called it just right by setting the race duration at 2 hours prior to the start of the event. This enabled riders to plan pit stops and pit crews to be ready without the worry of if the event would be cut short after the start. Making hot starts in the main race were Expert class riders Lewis Belfield and Jason Crossland (right), the second row of Over40 riders were next away followed by two full rows of Clubman class riders. As forecast the heavens opened and for the first half hour riders were subjected to the full on North West weather at its worst, as riders filtered through lap after lap it was the old determined approach from H&H regular Lincoln Brewster on his trusty 200 KTM who was moving up through the field. Scott Austin aboard his 450 KTM was probably the most exciting to watch up the fast flowing hillsides, from corner to corner he was just throwing gears at the big four stroke and hanging on behind it, this gave the spectators the action they had come to watch. With 50% of the track visible from one central viewing point, support teams were able to track rider's progress and easily make it to the pit area if necessary. At the finish flag Lincoln Brewster took a fine victory, even more of an achievement as for most of the race he had no left hand footpeg after a collision with a rock. Second place was Brewster's team mate Lewis Belfield and rounding out the podium was the hard charging Scott Austin. The Over40 class battle was well supported with over 25 riders in the class, taking a fine holeshot was Craig Chadwick on his Gas Gas 300, with the youthful Mark Godfrey hot on his heals from the first turn. Mark has lots of experience of these kinds of traditional enduro events and this shone through right from the start, his keep grinding work ethic earned him a convincing victory. Making the long journey from North Wales was Gareth Lloyd, Gareth took his Kawasaki to runner up position, again no stranger to hard enduro terrain his skills when it comes to dealing with slippy conditions were there for all to see. Rounding out the podium was John Boden who missed out on runner up spot by a mere 35 seconds. With the fiercely competitive clubman class underway, and with some riders on a sure expert class ticket for next season it was the usual protagonists of Tom Healey, Oliver Hart and newly upgraded Chris Hughes at the sharp end of the class. As conditions faired up the track held together better than was expected but for a couple of areas, the hill climb out of the stone bridge area had a fast line for the brave riders with trials skills, with a longer route for the safe bet option. Both lines were used to great effect depending on if other riders were stuck on the hill. At the finish of the two hour race duration it was local rider Andy Noakley who took a very popular and well deserved win on his return to full fitness. Tom Healey extended his Championship points tally with a solid runner up spot, with Chris Hughes taking his 250F to a well earned final podium position. It has to be said that everyone who finished this event deserves a big well done, this is how enduros were 10 years ago, with the many MX type courses in use around the country, events such as Lee Dell are few and far between, but they are still very popular with true Enduro Hare & Hounds fans. Massive thanks to the land owner and to everyone who helped out at this stunning venue, all the hard grafting marshals, thanks for supporting the series. Our next visit to Lee Dell will be in September which gives us plenty of time to prepare a new course, with over 50% of the venue still to be used its sure to be a cracker. Next event in two weeks time at the popular Butts Quarry Round 4 entries are coming in thick and fast so anyone wishing to ride should call Wayne on 07802 572023 or visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk for details.
Round 2 of the rideoffroaduk 2009 series ran at Norwood Teversal near Mansfield last Sunday April 19th. With the midlands weather being kind to us for the time of year, the rideoffroaduk organising team was in high spirits leading up to the event. With lots of new areas available to use at the venue, the stage was set to improve the track used last September to give riders a fresh new challenge. Clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook once again stuck to his pre event words and stepped up to the challenge and didn't disappoint. With the addition of a Sportsman only event on Sunday morning, this allowed the club and hobby riders the chance to enjoy their own 2 hour battle w ithout the faster riders pushing past. At 10am sharp the Sportsman class riders were flagged away, conditions were perfect and right from the off everyone could see that this class which is mainly populated by fun riders was going to be very competitive too. As the leaders found the early rhythm it was Lancastrian Matty Bell out front setting the pace, followed by a group of riders including William Hillas, Nick Owen and Pete Middleton. Chris Hughes was circulating a good solid pace churning out the laps on the little 250F. As the 2 hour time ticked away, and with some riders able to run the distance without refueling and others opting to stop, the places swapped and changed. Going into the last lap Chris Hughes had moved to the front and had a safe last lap to take the victory. Danny Clarke who had been running very strong all race had Matty Bell hot on his heels going into the last lap, with Bells Lancastrian support crew screaming encouragement he pushed on into the woodland to attack for runner up spot. With the exit from the woods being only meters from the finish line, everyone waited to see who would emerge first, Chris Hughes took a well deserved victory, runner up was the hard charging Matty Bell, Pete Middleton took the last podium place less than three seconds ahead of Danny Clarke who had a tough last lap in the hot conditions.
With a one hour scheduled break for lunch, shortly after 1pm the main event riders were ready and waiting to get underway. Ady Smith was a surprise entry at this event and with a rider of his experience sitting on the front row the young guns of Hillas, Meredith and Butler were going to have to work hard to stay on the pace. First into the woods on lap one was Smith, looking smooth and controlled on his 140 KTM, some would be fooled into saying that he would have any easy win coming. At the end of lap one it was over 40 rider Mark Godfrey leading, followed by Smith and Harry Hillas out on his 125 KTM, Buxton's Luke Meredith on the 200 Gas Gas was pressing on hard too. Without doubt the contrasting styles of Hillas, screaming every last drop of horse power out of his machine, with old hand Ady Smith looking relaxed and smooth, proved a pleasure to watch for all who attended. At half race distance and with Smith and Hillas swapping the lead, it was a two horse race as the pair had consistently reeled off laps and had pulled almost three minutes on 3rd placed Meredith. Hillas took longer in the refueling area than expected, Smith used that to his advantage putting in his fastest lap of the day to seal the victory. Hard riding Harry Hillas was runner up just missing out on the extra lap by 32 seconds. Luke Meredith still returning to full fitness was the last podium place and now leads the Expert Championship race just ahead of Hillas. The Over 40 class started at the same time as the expert class, this was won by local enduro ace Mark Godfrey on his 200 KTM. Rideoffroaduk newcomer Tim Sabine took the runner up berth with a very respectable 19 lap tally. The last podium place was filled by regular runner John Brindley.
The top three finishers in each class took away Class trophies, as well as product prizes from Hope technology and the usual goodie bags donated by our industry linked partners.
Massive thank you to all the marshals who attended this fantastic event, without your support and hard work events like this could not happen. Thanks Sutton Falcons Club for use of this fantastic venue. Next Event May 17th The Lanc’s Grand National Rochdale. For entry form or info call Wayne Braybrook on 07802 572023 or visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Round 1 2009 Championship off to a dream start. Round 1 2009 of the rideoffroaduk Hare & Hounds championship got off to a flying start at Low North Camp Harwood dale last Sunday. After a break of nearly 10 weeks the rideoffroaduk team were all ready to get the new season up and running to show all who attended just how much behind the scenes work has been done to ensure this series will be packed with quality and value. With a "new for 2009" Lap scoring system that works faster than most transponder systems on the market, coupled with a new staff communications system allowing constant feedback to the timing crew on lead riders, this was the perfectly organised start we have spent weeks planning. Clerk of the course, Wayne Braybrook, had stuck to his pre event words and provided riders with a new and improved track consisting of the old MX track, no fewer than 8 woodland sections strung together with numerous stream crossings tracks and trails. The ex army tarmac tracks linking the wooded areas allowed riders a short breather before dropping back into the technical parts of the track. Our new youth class was the first event on the schedule running on Sunday at 9.30 am for a full 90 minutes, the youth class was treated to use of the full loop without the need for a shortened track proving just how versatile this Yorkshire based venue is. First away were the senior A riders on 125 machines, as the 90 minutes past it was Lancastrian Alex Clegg and Jordy Hayes who had made the long journey from Aberdeen battling for the lead. Hayes seemed content to follow Clegg during the early stages before making his move to the front position. At the flag Jordy Hayes took a well deserved and controlled winning ride with Alex Clegg runner up and George England taking a credable Third. The Senior B class was won by the stylish Scott Altass. Scott looked every bit as though he could have been a top runner from the adult race, pushing the little KTM on the open sections and using style and finess in the technical going, Billy Steinman took runner up berth, after a couple of early stage falls he soon found his feet and settled into a good rhythm to secure a solid finish. Both Youth classes were presented with trophies and product prizes from Hope Technology.
At 11.55 prompt the event briefing took place for the main adult event, As planned shortly after 12 noon the adult event was under way, the usual Expert class were the first to be flagged away and right from the start it was clear to everyone that the level of competition in this class was going to be high. Local rider Tom Hicks took full advantage of his local knowledge and trials experience to lead the way through the technical sections. With the likes of hot shot MX rider Matt Moffat and MX turned enduro ace Luke Meredith making average starts the battle started to heat up. With a good mix of MX and technical going the track proved to be just as Braybrook had planned, a chance for each rider to use their own particular skills to move up the standings. Summer series champ Harry Hillas looked every bit as fast as the lead runners but somehow he just couldn't run with the leaders, an average start and maybe bad tyre choice could be to blame. Rob Reece was a welcome addition to the classy expert field and made his trip from Wrexham, North Wales, very worth while taking third place on the podium with a very respectful 17 lap tally. The battle for top honors went down to the last lap last corner, with supporters around the track encouraging leader Luke Meredith on to what looked like a sure win, and within sight of the finish flag it was the hard riding Matt Moffat who somehow squeezed through and took the win on his RM250 less than 2 seconds ahead of the now runner up Meredith. With Moffat doubled up with cramp and Luke kicking himself for letting him through watch out at future events for what promises to be highly competitive Expert Class Championship. The over 40 / vets class was won by pre event favourite and rideoffroaduk newcomer Dave Salkeld, Salky did his usual reliable focused ride on the Six Days KTM to take the overall win. On 15 Laps taking runner up spot in the event and for the second furthest travelled rider was Wrexham's Ian Barnett, Ian happily took his trophy and product prizes back to north Wales. Hare & Hounds regular Tom Healy looked to be pre event favorite to take the clubman class honors, As it happens week in week out for many riders Tom missed out and getting an extra lap in by a mere 15 seconds allowing Oliver Hart to take a very well deserved overall win in the Clubman class with an overall finish time of 2 hours 37 minutes on track. David Wardell was the runner up with the same lap tally as Hart and finishing less than 45 seconds down on the winner. The Sportsman class again proved to be packed with lots of regular runners as well as many new faces; it proved to be the Lancastrian invasion squad from who were to pack the top places. With one area on the track proving challenging for the sportsman riders in the second woodland section, lap on lap the top few were concentrating on staying out of trouble by making a controlled pass up the switchback section. At the finish line it was Matty Bell who stood on the top step with an impressive 14 lap tally. Second was David Shaw on 13 laps with the younger of the Hillas brothers William bagging third place. Steven Thornton was forth, John Butterworth fifth with MTB specialist Nick Owen grabbing a credible sixth place and winning coolest looking numbers with the 101 plate. Harwood Dale will now rest until we return in June. Now only 4 weeks away is Round 2 at Norwood Teversal on April 19th. Massive thanks to all the hard working rideoffroaduk staff and marshals, you know who you are and your assistance is always appreciated. Special thanks to Scarborough and District Motor Club for use of this fantastic venue. Results
Over 40 1 David Salkeld 16 Laps 02:37:37:879 2 Ian Barnett 15 Laps 02:34:17:611 3 John Brindley 13 Laps 02:34:17:611 4 Marcus Croft 13 Laps 02:34:33:274 5 Mark Oxley 12 Laps 02:31:18:093 6 Steve Shaw 12 Laps 02:33:32:036 Clubman 1 Oliver Hart 15 Laps 02:37:15:177 2 David Wardle 15 Laps 02:38:03:997 3 Tom Healey 14 Laps 02:30:15:533 4 Gavin Williams 14 Laps 02:32:24:108 5 Adam O'Neil 14 Laps 02:33:17:465 6 Ian Harrison 14 Laps 02:34:02:369 Sportsman 1 Matty Bell 14 Laps 02:39:21:168 2 David Shaw 13 Laps 02:32:37:297 3 William Hillas 13 Laps 02:32:56:435 4 Steven Thornton 13 Laps 02:35:09:957 5 John Butterworth 13 Laps 02:35:41:512 6 Nick Owen 13 Laps 02:38:37:555 Youth Senior A 1 Jordy Hayes 9 Laps 01:36:33:880 2 Alex Clegg 9 Laps 01:37:57:156 3 George England 7Laps 01:33:53:698 Youth Senior B 1 Scott Altass 8 Laps 01:30:17:271 2 Billy Steinman 7 Laps 01:39:45:143 Full results Photos available from Chris Hudson
New Youth Class For rideoffroaduk March 22nd 2009 sees the rideoffroaduk Hare & Hounds Championship kick back into life at the fantastic Low North Camp at Harwood Dale in North Yorkshire. With round 3 of the winter series now on hold until a much needed break in the weather helps venues recover to some thing like ride-able, the focus is now firmly set on Harwood Dale in March. The great news for Enduro Hare & Hounds fans is that for 2009 the ACU have introduced a new youth class structure to the ever growing sport of multi lap events. Race director Wayne Braybrook was delighted by the official announcement that finally the keen youth riders who have previously been turned away from ACU events can now take part in the event weekends. It opens up our events for families to now come and enjoy the whole weekend of Youth and Adult action at our new and existing crop of venues. The youth class will be split into two categories, Senior A and Senior B. Senior A riders will be on 125cc machines with Senior B competitors on 85cc, both classes are strictly limited to 14 - 16 year olds. The youth class event will run on Sunday mornings starting at 9.30am and the duration will be 90 minutes, this will give our new group of youth competitor's ample time on track. Trophies and generous product prizes will be awarded to the top 3 in each class. Adult main event will start at 12.00 lunch time so that gives parents plenty of time to clean up from the youth event should they wish to ride the adult class. The Harwood dale venue offers unequalled facilities with its Hard Standing paddock and concrete entrance roads no one will have a problem with access. The course will again use the many woodland sections, full mx track loop with the various stream crossings. We aim to add some extra loops to show that our series really is focussed on quality rather than quantity. Adult entries strictly limited to the first 150 completed forms received through post. This event may well be declared full before the event date so advice is to enter early to avoid disappointment. Adult Entries £40 Youth class £35, day licences available, info and entry forms for adults and youths are posted on the events page of our web site www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk or call 07802 572023 to get your name down.
Round 2 Winter Series
Armthorpe 21st December Round 2 of the rideoffroaduk winter series took place last Sunday in near perfect weather conditions. The event was very well supported by regular riders with our highest number of newcomers attending. With our organization now established as one of best organized in the North of England many riders are now making the change to come and Rideoffroad with us. With all the riders signed on and bikes on the line before the official start time the pre event rider briefing was conducted by clerk of the course Wayne Braybrook. After some new to Hare & Hounds riders caused problems at our first winter series event by course cutting, the entry were informed of the new track marking and penalties on offer should anyone not stick to the marked course. It was simple, any course cutting would result in instant exclusion, with the clerk of the course being true to his word and armed with a black flag should it be needed it was onto the start line for the well attended field of riders to begin the event. As usual it was the experts off the line first and onto the ultra fast field section, with the track in reverse direction for this our last visit to armthorpe the idea was to allow riders to string out and avoid bunching up in the first stages of the lap. It worked perfectly and as intended. First through lap scoring on lap one after his usual cautious start was the mighty fast Harry Hillas, Harry back on form was in no mood to let anyone spoil his winter series campaign, he was to be unchallenged all day and showed great maturity and discipline during the 2 hour race to take a very controlled victory one lap up on the entire expert field. Second in the experts was Shaun Wigan who proved determination was the key to getting a good result. Rounding out the podium was rideoffroaduk regular Damian Butler, Damo once again made the long journey from Lancashire and it was only an unscheduled mid race exhaust change which kept him from doing battle with the top 2 runners. The Over 40 class was once again won by the impressive Ian Shannon, Ian has made the over 40 class his own and has shown that he will be very competitive in the expert field should he make the move in 2009. Second was regular Darren Purdy, Darren's ktm had no rest and his consistent lap times earned him a good result. The last podium place was filled by Simon Bastow who narrowly missed out on an extra lap going through lap scoring 54 seconds after the flag.
The rideoffroaduk team now has a well earned rest for a couple of weeks before work begins on round 3 of the winter series on February 8th. Massive thanks to all the rideoffroaduk marshals for keeping the event moving and ensuring no course cutting happened at this venue. We are true to our word and thankfully all riders respected our experience and knowledge of enduro events and behaved accordingly. Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to all our members and riders for making this our first year of events a very positive one, roll on March 22nd 2009 when our first Championship event takes place at the superb Low North Park off road facility, with Hard Standing car parking, full MX track loop, not to mention the woodland sections, stream crossings and general perfect enduro Hare & Hounds track at our sole disposal it will be an event not to be missed.
A Winter Ride Round 1 of the rideoffroaduk winter series got underway at Armthorpe last Sunday amidst the threatening winter weather that we had all been warned was to be arriving over the weekend. At 6am we woke to the sound of not so welcome hail stones and biting icy wind in the paddock area, thankfully lady luck played her part once again and by the time signing on was almost half way through the sun broke through providing a pleasant but cold day ahead for the bumper entry to do battle. The rideoffroaduk crew had spent 4 days marking and pegging the special test style field section of the track, the woodland was kept in by popular demand and the infield MX section found a new more enduro style route between the big scary MX track jumps. With the event underway after a short delay to the 10.30 start time the whole field of Expert, Over 40, Clubman, Sportsman and our new ladies class were out doing battle on the course. Included once again was the mini extreme track, an easy route was marked through the obstacles to allow free movement of riders and prevent snarling up of the better populated classes, this left riders with the chance to pit their skills on the technical side of the track without having the need to battle over logs and tyres. With the event scheduled to run the full 2.5 hours by race director Wayne Braybrook, he stuck to his words and gave all the riders value for money by giving everyone maximum time on the bike. After around 40 minutes it became apparent that a small number of careless individuals had took it upon themselves to cut the technical corners off the special test part of the track, as the rideoffroaduk marshals did their best to repair the damage parts of the track it was clear to see that the culprits were MX riders trying their hand at Hare & Hounds for the first time on big capacity 4 strokes, they clearly didn't have the enduro skills to keep to the marked course. Rider numbers were taken and all our rideoffroaduk regulars can be safe in the knowledge these individuals will not be welcome at our future events. At the finish flag the expert class win was taken by Daz Carter on his 250F KTM, this is proof that technical ability and style can win at one of the fastest going tracks we have available without the need for blatant cheating. Second in the experts taking a hard earned and well deserved results was Rochdale's Damian Butler, 3rd place went to Summer Series Champ Harry Hillas with another Lancastrian Ben Howard taking forth place on his return to full fitness. Our Ladies class was won by the impressive Jane Daniels, this young lady really has made the ladies class her own and clocking up an impressive tally of 15 laps would have left her at the sharp end of a couple of the other classes, "watch out boys ", Emma Ball took second with an overall time of two hours thirty five minutes well done Emma. As the saying goes cream rises to the top this was certainly the case in the clubman class with Lee Smith taking the win on 17 laps, he just pipped Ripon based Andrew Hornshaw with Lee Hattersley rounding out the podium. As proof that some of the super fast clubman are well on the way to the expert class ranks, the entire top 10 places finished on 17 laps separated by only 7 minutes. The Sportsman class was once again the largest, Mick Reynolds was overall victor completing 16 laps and winning by as considerable 4 minute margin. Second place went to Gary Aitchison and the last podium place was filled by Alan Flint. Forth place went to Simon Chatham who pipped Pete Middleton by only 39 seconds at the flag. Top of the Over 40's class was Ian Shannon on 17 laps; second place was John Brindley with Andy Barford taking third two laps down on the leader. Forth Place went to Bryan Roper with Steve Sharpe stealing fifth place by only 44 seconds at the finish line. Our usual top class trophy and product prize presentation was not carried out on the day due only to the number of riders reporting course cutting, the presentation from this event will now take place at our next event on December 21st. After scrolling the lap times and looking into the issues on the day we are now happy this will not happen again by the individuals who caused the problems early on in the event. Rideoffroaduk prides itself on staging quality events for Hare & Hound enthusiasts, we will be having discussions with the tenants from the outfield sections of the armthorpe land as there is a very real possibility this land can't be used again due to the course cutting incidents. Riders you ALL have to behave responsibly or loose your sport. Massive thanks to the land owners and all the hard working rideoffroaduk team, without the team effort these events simply couldn't happen. Next Event back on track December 21st, watch the web site for updates.
Norwood Teversal, a welcome return. The rideoffroaduk team headed to Norwood near Teversal in Nott's for the final round of the Summer Series for 2008. Norwood was the host for many televised scrambles during the 60's and 70's and was last used for MX over 10 years ago, Wayne Braybrook and his team spent the week leading up to the event plotting an entirely new Enduro multi lap loop which was to see all riders having the chance to compete in perfect conditions for a full two and a half hours at this fantastic venue. Shortly after 11 am the Expert and Over 40 class were flagged away, during the pre race rider briefing all riders were informed of the greasy conditions due to some morning drizzle that had thankfully swept through the Midlands area and moved eastwards. At the end of the first lap it was Mark Godfrey who had taken notice of the advice from Clerk of the course during the briefing and came through the lap scoring area in the lead, he was closely followed by Richard Elwood Lee Sampson with Harry Hillas looking in determined mood after his usual steady start. With the course drying by the minute and its clay base layer ensuring no ruts would develop all the experts circulated at a pace far quicker than was originally anticipated, Mark Godfrey had an excursion into the trees on lap 2 or 3 and lost his front mudguard off his KTM, thankfully with very little mud around he was able to continue without too many problems. Hillas meanwhile was upping the pace and the two swapped places up to the last couple of laps and when Godfrey stopped for fuel giving Hillas the breather he needed, Harry then stamped his authority on yet another rideoffroaduk event proving he can come up with the goods when needed. Trials ace Lee Sampson took a credible 3rd place with local rider Jon Birchall only one lap down on the leaders at the end. Richard Elwood's Honda suffered overheating problems forcing him to retire at the one hour forty mark which robbed him of a solid top 3 finish. The over 40 class battle was one of pride, with Steve Poulsom having to only finish the event in the points to take the overall in this class his methodical approach saw him cruise round for a 21 lap tally and fifth place, this was enough to take home the Summer Series Overall and a Brand new Pair of Gaerne boots for his efforts courtesy of Malcolm Rathmell Sport. Victor on the day was rideoffroaduk regular Simon Critchley completing 22 laps, second place went to John Bowden who missed the win by just over a minute, David Baldwin rounded out the podium with Darren Purdy coming home in forth place. In the clubman class we had many new faces at this final round leaving Standings leader Lee Smith with all the work to do to ensure he came away with the overall in class win. Ben Hamilton was in a good position to spoil the party and had an outside chance of taking the overall in the Clubman class with a good result at Norwood. Also stepping up to the challenge were the boys from Motobrox in Derby, all regular MX riders they decided to give the Enduro Multi lap discipline a go and by no means were they outclassed. After a show of controlled riding at the chequered flag it was Jason Hope who took the win completing an impressive 24 lap tally, second place went to Chris Neesan with rideoffroaduk newcomer Josh Taylor overcoming mechanical problems on his 125 Yamaha to round out the podium. Lee Smith used all his recent experience gained at Red Bull Romaniacs to dig deep and secure 4th place and the overall title as clubman class victor, Ben Hamilton's charge for the title chase took a nasty blow when he crashed on lap 21 twisting his knee badly and was unable to continue. Fifth place went to stylish looking newcomer Joe Severn who will be one to watch at future events. Once again the Sportsman class as well as being the backbone of our sport it also proved to be the most competitive class with any one of 7 riders able to take the overall class standings should there be any problems for riders at the sharp end of the points table. After a two and a half hour display of what can only be described as calculated riding Thomas Healey took a well deserved class win and overall title aboard his 144 KTM, admitting to having only slipped off once during the event Thomas proved that his upgrade to the Clubman class for 2009 is much needed for him to develop into a more confident Multi Lap contender. Second place on the day went to regular runner Matt Strong, Matt again proved his recent run of form continued by securing a very solid second step on the podium. The final podium place went to Shaun Redmond who completed 22 laps, Simon Walsh made a worthwhile trip from Lancashire taking home well earned forth place points to secure second in the overall standings. Harry Hillas's younger brother William took a credible fifth place on the day back to Yorkshire with him.
The overall winner of each class receives a brand new pair of Gaerne boots for their efforts courtesy of UK Importers Malcolm Rathmell Sport. With the rideoffroaduk summer series wrapped up work now begins on the winter series which will see a five round Championship running through to February 2009, details will be posted on our website. Massive thanks to all the hard working rideoffroaduk marshals and well done to all riders who competed with us during this season, until next time that we Rideoffroaduk. Report: rideoffroaduk Images: rideoffroaduk
September News Summer series Standings now posted on our website. Details Final round Summer Series Norwood Teversal 28th September. Winter Series FatCat moto-parc Having made a great success of our first event on 31st August at FatCat moto-parc the rideoffroadUK crew is now very confident that our winter series will be one not to be missed. The track was fantastic and with some small changes to be made for the winter series the lap times should increase by around 2 minutes. This venue is virtually an all weather track and with the UK weather serving up more than its fair share of rainfall we know that getting in and out of this site and providing riders with a rideable whatever the weather track is a must for events during the winter months. For those riders who missed this cracking event don't make the same mistake twice, for those who attended get booked in for the winter series as we already have a lot of interest from riders wishing to compete at this superb facility. Check out the images of all our award winners from the last event. FatCat moto-parc Event Award Winners
Well Done All Award Winners from rideoffroaduk
Brewster Storms the Park Rideoffroaduk Round 4 Summer Series Results Round 4 of the rideoffroaduk summer series headed for yet another new to enduro Hare & Hounds venue. FatCat moto-parc was the latest offering from the rideoffroaduk crew, this completely new enduro course with its woodland section complimented the awesome MX track, loamy fields linked the MX track and Enduro loop providing riders with an awesome multi lap enduro course. Added in was a WEC style grass special test to keep the competitive spirit going and ensure riders were able to use their bikes to the full potential. Shortly after 11am the full to capacity Expert class were flagged away, with this class having to negotiate the newly constructed extreme section it was certainly going to make all riders work hard. Lincoln Brewster took the hole shot and emerged from the MX track in the lead closely followed by rideoffroaduk newcomer Scott Austin who was really showing his intentions of keeping the regular experts honest aboard his big KTM. The ding dong battle saw the lead change several times between Brewster and Austin, Brewster seemed to be able to make up time in the technical going whilst Austin's full on attacking riding style saw him close the gap on the fast flowing field sections. Expert series leader Harry Hillas was never far behind and after his usual steady start soon started to reel off the laps in his consistent way. At the finish flag it was Brewster who took a highly deserved win less than two seconds ahead of Scott Austin. Harry Hillas rounded out the podium with this years most improved rider by far Lewis Belfield taking a credible forth. Alex Owen rounded out the Expert prize winners in fifth. With some new faces in the Over 40 class the championship points tally will now ensure that the summer series will go down to the last round to decide the overall positions. CF Racing's Gareth Lloyd made the long trip from North Wales with WOR's Steve Ireland to enjoy a weekend of competing for fun and enjoyment aboard his big 515 Gas Gas. Well respected as the UK's number 1 off road events promoter Steve showed his support to the rideoffroaduk series and enjoyed having a ride out with no pressure. At the flag it was Gareth Lloyd who took the victory and a pocket full of points from the consistent Mark Malony in second. Third place went to rideoffroaduk regular Simon Critchley with Darren Purdy taking forth place and being the last over 40 on 14 laps, Steve Poulson took 6 valuable series points home for a well deserved fifth on the day. Ben Hamilton was the run away winner in the Clubman class completing his 14 laps and stamping his authority on this ever popular class. The likeable Richard " Biddy" May had a return to Hare and Hounds events after a break of over 3 years to emerge as runner up aboard a borrowed 2009 Gas Gas from Importer John Shirt. Lee Smith proved his return to fitness is well underway by taking third place. Paul Mulholland netted forth place with newcomer Piers Waddington taking a well earned fifth. As usual at rideoffroaduk events the Sportsman class was well supported, Mathew Chamberlain was the fastest man on the day and proved that his speed is worthy of an upgrade in class fairly soon. Tom Healey was super consistent with just one lap thwarting his bid to take overall honours on the day, again Toms speed is showing good and for 2009 he can only grow into a more established Multi Lap contender. David Haith took the final podium place with Scunthorpe teamster Matt Strong gaining a credible forth. Simon Walsh just pipped Paul Brown to take the last product prize bag home. Amid an emotional week for all the crew we must say a huge thanks to FatCat moto-parc for their continued support, particularly Martin and Sarah Craven, huge respect well done all. Final round summer series September 28th.
Harwood Dale hare & Hounds Multi Lap Enduro Milner Grabs Harwood Dale Low North Park Harwood Dale was the setting for the latest event of the summer series from rideoffroadUK. With the MX track at this superb venue not being used for over 3 years the course was prepared in the days leading up to the event by Wayne Braybrook and his team with one thing in mind, the objective was to allow all riders the chance to go full race distance 2.5 hours on a track that would hold up without the need to cut out loops or have riders stuck on any part of the course. With the weather forecast looking good for Sunday on the east coast, the 6am wake up call brought blue skies to many smiling faces, with most riders having never ridden this venue the opportunity to view two sighting laps conducted by Wayne Braybrook was the medicine most riders needed after the previous weeks excessive rain fall. Shortly after 11am the Expert and Over 40 classes were fagged away followed by the clubman and Sportsman classes. With Pre race favourite Andrew Noakley's bike failing to start on the line this left the likes of Milner and trials ace Tom hick to do battle during the early laps. Sam Taylor used his experience in these wet conditions to continually reel off lap after lap at a good pace. Eventual winner Rich Milner showed real determination during the 2.5 hours and his timing on the penultimate lap saw him finish 1 lap up on Dan field who took a well deserved second place. Sam Taylor rounded out the podium places followed by Hick and Noakley. In the well supported Clubman class Ben Howard looked super confident in the greasy conditions and took the winners spoils clocking up an impressive 15 laps in his 2 hour 38 finishing time, second place was Russell Taylor and Alex Collins took the final trophy for a hard fought third place on the day. Harrogate rider Lee Smith was enjoying his day and took home forth place on his return to full fitness, he was followed by Alex Finnigan rounding out the top 5. . As usual the Sportsman class provided some of the most competitive rivalry on track, with the Scunthorpe connection providing most of the entertainment during the race many of them having only just started riding enduros it became clear that the emphasis on this event for this team of riders was to enjoy a day off road riding. Gareth Parr was the man on a mission reeling off an impressive 11 lap tally in 2 hours 35 minutes, Simon Walsh didn't let the mid race shower hamper his progress through the field taking the runner up berth and rounding out the top 3 was Craig Ridgley both riders clocked up 10 laps. Spare a thought for Jez Newbery, the Scunthorpe team leader who was the last rider home after 2 hours 56 minutes of riding on his CRFX, with the whole support team at the finish to see him home this was some achievement, well done. The Over 40s dual was a clean cut affair with Gary Parr earning himself a possible upgrade to the expert class for the 2009 season by winning convincingly from 2nd place rider Gareth Wilkinson notching up 12 laps. Rounding out the top 3 was Roger Worsley who's consistency during the race really showed through. The battle of the Steve's was for forth and fifth places with Poulson just getting the nod on trials convert Steve Shaw. Massive thankyou to Scarborough & District Motor Club and all the hard working rideoffroadUK marshals, well done team. Next Event 31st August Armthorpe.
After a recent visit to the awesome facility at Fatcat Moto-Park Armthorpe, Wayne Braybrook has signed a deal with the sites development chief Martin Craven, to run a 3 round Winter Series, running on an entirely new Hare & Hound Enduro Course to be constructed over the coming weeks ready for a pre-winter series event on 31st August. The new Enduro course will have use of the MX track, surrounding fields and an awesome woodland section which will link in to provide enduro riders with a jaw dropping place to ride. The site has permanent facilities including toilets and catering. The parking is hard standing with room for over 200 vans. Winter series events will have a training school running the day before for a maximum of 10 riders. These will be guided by ACU registered coach Wayne Braybrook who needs no introduction to off road riders in the UK. His wealth of knowledge when it comes to training enduro & trials skills are the best on the planet and his method of delivering that info is simple and informal. The Fatcat Moto-Park will be open for enduro practice with Wayne Braybrook on hand to give advise and tips, you can also book a one hour one to one training session during practice days with Wayne if you so wish. Visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk for practice day schedule or call Wayne on 07802 572023 for more information. |
In the Expert class Jordon Rose to many onlooker's amazement had
taken the standard CRF250X Enduro bike, albeit massively underpowered
for a top MX rider, into a commanding lead. As Jordon was sucked in by
the big bikes on the fast straights his out and out pace in the woodland
sections was simply awesome. Scott Austin's departure due to a heavy
fall less than an hour in meant that the Stylish Luke Meredith could
secure second on the day and the overall expert class Championship on
his borrowed 300 Gas Gas. A fine and well earned final podium place was
taken by Oliver Hart who has recently upgraded himself to the Expert
class in preparation for the 2010 season. Oliver has signed up for a
training program with Wayne Braybrook to prepare himself through the
winter months for a serious attack on next years Expert Championship.
Watch out boys this lad is one tough cookie.
At
the finish flag Matty Bell earned himself his home round victory much to
the satisfaction of his friends and supporters. John Butterworth took a
very well deserved second place and Stuart Waterhouse rounded out the
final step on the podium.
Shortly
after 1PM Wayne Braybrook gave the signal to warm engines. When the
start flag was dropped fast starting MX convert and Expert class leader
Luke Meredith took his 250 Gas Gas into the first woodland section ahead
of his rivals. As the riders went out of sight around the perimeter of
the Harwood Dale venue it was over ten minutes before they came back
into sight on the MX track section. Meredith was still leading but the
familiar 4 stroke sound was not too far behind, Scott Austin (right) was
in no mood for anything less than a win. Despite leading last time out
at Harwood Dale Austin's efforts came to an abrupt end when mechanical
gremlins hit the 450 KTM. Through lap scoring first was Scott Austin;
Meredith had caught his front wheel on a large rock which had pitched
him into the undergrowth loosing him over 2 minutes. Another
rideoffroaduk newcomer Josh Bendall was showing his XC capabilities
around the track by pressing on at a good rate, looking stylish and
smooth coupled with lots of aggression and desire this young man is one
to watch for future events.
oying
being back on an Enduro bike after trying his hand at trials for some
time. CCM Flat track racer Richard May made the long trip from Cheshire
to have a run out on his old CRF250, despite being a bit ring rusty May
still put in very consistent lap times.
Shortly before 1.30 the signal was given to warm engines for the main
event, taking the holeshot from the dead engine start was Jason Hope
from Championship leader Luke Meredith. With Over40 run away leader Mark
Godfrey hoping for his first overall win, and with local trials ace Lee
Sampson now looking to move up the rankings in enduro Hare & Hounds
events, the battle was underway. Surprisingly leading onto the
plantation at the end of lap one was Lee Sampson, closely followed by
Mark Godfrey, Dave Salkeld and Damian Butler, but no sign of Meredith or
Hope. As the top riders moved around the second lap, when Meredith
appeared he signaled to his crew that he had a derailed chain and had to
free off the jammed chain before getting moving again. Jason Hope had a
mechanical problem resulting in him hitting a tree and sustaining a
shoulder injury, forcing him to retire on lap one.
In the Over40 class the youthful Mark Godfrey not only took the class
win but he also was overall winner on the day. Mark has many years
enduro experience and is now in his own words "riding better than
he has ever done before". Experience shows in wet conditions and
this controlled ride impressed all who saw it. Local Heating engineer
and FOK woodland management officer Steve Shaw (right) earned a fantastic runner
up spot by simply keeping going at a good pace and not stopping for fuel
or goggles. Colin Appleyard Car Sales manager Nigel Smith took the final
podium place on his RMZ450. Nigel made great use of the four stroke
power to secure third place. 
Shortly
after 10AM the Sportsman event got underway, Danny Clarke led the usual
top runners into the first of 6 woodland sections on the course, after his
first podium place at Butt's Quarry 2 weeks before Danny who seems to have
more confidence than ever at the moment stamped his authority on this
event right from the off. William Hillas took his usual steady start and
was holding seventh on the first lap, the likes of Arthur Wilkinson Joe
Pearce and Steve Burton were all in the mix. Stuart Simpson in only his
fifth ever event was holding a top six place until an excursion on one of
the up hill sections dropped him just outside the top ten. With a good mix
of Woodland sections, stream crossings and use of the old MX track, riders
had the chance to perform in all kinds of changing terrain. At the 2 hour
mark the cheqered flag came out and Danny Clarke took his first ever
series victory much to the delight of his pit crew and supporters. Pete
Middleton took a very well deserved runner up spot back to Derbyshire,
Arthur Wilkinson held on to the final podium place by a mere 46 seconds
from Joe Pearce. The Sportsman podium places were treated to trophies and
product prizes kindly donated by our sports drink sponsor SIS (Science in
Sport).
After
the Sportsman presentation the afternoon event featuring Expert, Over40
and Clubman class riders were eager to get on track. After the pre event
briefing, Wayne Braybrook flagged the Over40 and Expert riders away. Mark
Godfrey and David Salkeld were the fast starters who gained the advantage
going into the first woodland section. As the riders filtered round the
first lap, the pair of Godfrey and Salkeld proved how competitive the Vets
class is by showing the Experts a clean pair of heels. The first Expert to
appear was Tim Pattinson on his KTM, Tim who knows just how to be
effective in Hare & Hounds events looked ready to keep a good pace for
the full two and a half hour duration.
As
the race progressed it was Oliver Hart and Healey who were at the sharp
end of proceedings, Guy Corner, James Roe and local trials ace Mark
Harrison were all doing consistent laps and battling for the top places.
With Hart and Healey only 15 seconds apart the pit stops for fuel were to
be critical. Oliver stopped first and had problems with his fast filler,
having to take the nozzle out and start again seemed to take up precious
seconds.
Shortly
after 10am the Sportsman and ladies class event was underway, with lots of
new faces in this class it was difficult to see who if anyone could cause
an upset to the usual top runners in the Championship to date. At the end
of lap one it was Lancastrian Matty Bell with a 16 second lead over the
chasing pack, hot on his heels were Danny Clarke aboard his 250 Honda with
Arthur Wilkinson William Hillas and Nick Owen close behind. As most riders
used the slower sections of the lap to have a drink or relax, it was plain
to see that the riders at the sharp end of this popular class were very
intent on stamping their authority on this new venue. With the super fast
live lap scoring system meaning riders don't have to stop to record a lap
the pace hotted up. With William Hillas hitting the front at mid race
distance, and with Matty Bell having to retire with a damaged chain guide,
Hillas Jnr then showed everyone that he has his elder brothers full on
attacking style, which he is now starting to develop into his own riding.
Towards the end of the event Hillas was challenged by the hard charging
Arthur Wilkinson aboard his new Six days Gas Gas 300, going into the final
laps Wilkinson was less than 19 seconds behind the leader, with the Hillas
pit crew pacing up and down keeping an eye on the lap times, nerves were
on edge as the clock ticked towards the two hour race duration.
After
the lunch break the Expert, Over40 and Clubman class riders lined up ready
to do battle, with the Expert class series points now getting close it was
the usual Hard Charging Lincoln Brewster who would be the man to beat.
Luke Meredith (above) had a point to prove after his disappointing result
at Round 3 and the battle ensued. At the finish Brewster planned his last
laps to perfection threading through to lap riders and take the overall
win despite being pushed by Meredith by a gap of less than 6 seconds at
one point. Luke was happy to be back on form and take second place to
extend his Championship points lead. Harry Hillas (top) rounded out the
final podium place in his preparations for the upcoming Erzberg Rodeo race
in Austria. Jason Hope netted forth place with Lewis Belfield (left)
struggling to find his pace in the dry conditions.
The
Over 40 Class battle went once again to the super fast Mark Godfrey,
Second was Hare & Hounds regular Ian Shannon with long standing Colin
Appleyard employee Nigel Smith (right) taking his Suzuki to the final
podium place.
With the rideoffroaduk course crew waiting in the woodland for the
end of the sportsman event, two further new loops were added for the
main event where the best experts, Clubman and over 40 riders were to do
battle.
The highly competitive Clubman class was the largest of the main
race. With many riders all up for the top honors, all of them on totally
different capacity bikes this made a superb class to follow. After the
two and a half hour distance rideoffroaduk regular Thomas Healey (left) took a
well deserved win, Tom had to work hard for this win and his consistency
allowed him to gain the vital extra lap just before the full distance
had elapsed. Oliver Hart earned himself second place and now leads the
2009 Championship chase. Rounding out the final podium place was Adam
O'Neil. Clubman standings are now Hart, Healey and O'Neil, so keep an
eye on this class at round 3 as the battle intensifies.
Expert 1 Matt Moffat 17 Laps 02:36:42:440 2 Luke Meredith 17 Laps
02:36:44:052 3 Rob Reece 17 Laps 02:36:59:613 4 Harry Hillas 16 Laps
02:33:46:166 5 Tom Hick 16 Laps 02:35:13:452 6 Damian Butler 16 Laps
02:36:23:913
Our
Super competitive Clubman class was the shake up of the day with two
regular runners having new some lightning fast newcomers to deal
with. Stuart Mowbrey was the top of the Clubman class notching up 16
laps and is a sure fire expert rider for the 2009 Championship season
when it kicks off in March. Robert Minnitt took second place with a
14 lap tally, third in the clubman class was Andrew Hornshaw (right),
after a small mechanical problem half way through the race which cost
vital minutes to repair Andrew was on a mission trying to get back to
the sharp end of the class, at the flag he missed second place by a
mere 9 seconds showing that these Hare & Hounds events are always
won and lost in the last half hour. Andrew now heads the winter
series going into round 3 ahead of his closest rival Lee Smith. Lee
didn't have his best day at round 2 and getting stuck on the mx water
hole section cost him time although his forth place adds to his
points tally nicely keeping his series well and truly alive. Once
again the backbone Sportsman Class had the regular runners scratching
their heads as some ever improving riders edged to the front of this
popular class. Mick Reynolds took his second victory of the winter
series clocking up 13 laps in the 2 hour duration, Mick now seems to
be odds on to take the winter series and well deserved it is. Tim
Miller earned himself second place on the day, Tim was another rider
who only just missed out on getting the extra lap in which would have
seen him on the same 13 laps tally as the class winner. Third place
went top Lee Pallett on 12 Laps, John Butterworth took Forth and Ryan
Armitage rounded out the product prize winners for this the second
round of our ever growing winter series.
For
the first time the rideoffroaduk crew introduced a trials class into
our event, this threw up a few surprises with the trials boys
clocking up some impressive lap times. Local rider Rob Bunting took
first place on his Beta notching up 22 laps, second place went to
John Steeples on 21 laps, rounding out the podium was Martin
Stanistreet with Simon Foulke taking a well deserved forth in class.
