|
enduro
news |
|
|
Ride XC |
|
  Ride
xc gets ready to lazerRound 1 - National Lazer XC Championship 7th March After months of work in persuading the leisure lakes mx team to allow a xc race the event is at last nearly upon us , with 2 weeks to go entries are coming in steadily and the adult class looks set to be full before the event starts , with classes for youth solo riders from 8 years onwards and separate adult races for quads and solos the day is going to be action pact . ride xc are pleased to welcome lazer helmets as the title sponsor to the series and have put up some generous prizes for the series winners . with 9 rounds and lots of new venues including the timber trail cullpepper hill the bad lands ride xc is the place to be this spring and summer. The leisure lakes mx complex will be turn into xc heaven on Sunday the 7th march as the ride xc team combine both mx tracks and surrounding woodland before some fast and flowing grassland , the course will be ideally suited to both quads and solos as the wide track winds its way around the leisure lakes complex. Ride xc will provide up to the second race positions as each race unfolds having recognized the problems with race timing they have hired in state of the art race timing . The ride XC food support unit will supply gastronomic delights to keep the hunger and thirst at bay. Camping is available from Friday at £15 per night at the main caravan park with full electric hook up showers and clubhouse with licence bar and entertainment each night or you can camp in the paddock area @ £7.50 per night , the leisure lakes also offers fishing golf paintballing and a host of other activities check out their website http://www.leisurelakes.co.uk the mx tracks will be open for practice on Saturday at the normal rates. at the end of Saturdays practice the tracks will then be graded in readiness for xc heaven and round 1 of the national lazer xc championship to enter visit www.ride-xc.co.uk or ring the support team on 07973374147
There's snow stopping TRC Westwood - Grimbo wins the day - Biffstar wins the series The ride XC crew set up camp at Westwood near Barnsley for the final round of the TRC truck rental challenge and for the second time in a month found themselves on the wrong side of the weather. But the crew worked hard to alter the course over the previous event and provide the riders with a ride able route of mainly woodland going. with a top quality line up of expert riders including gncc star Jason Thomas. extreme enduro specialist Graham Jarvis on the factory backed sherco 250i, Lincoln Brewster on a gas gas and the Biffstar to name a few, Thomas was left high and dry when his promised ktm failed to arrive, it was doubtful that the gncc star could even start as riders tried to locate a spare machine. But after some epic spannering by the ride-xc boss Justin Wilson he was presented with the elderly ride-xc Honda crf 250 x which normally only sees light marshalling duties. With the riders assembled on the start line , and as soon as the clock struck 10 am the start signal was given and the first wave of riders set of into the woods, the Biffstar took the RAS sport hole shot and lead the expert group through the early stages of the first lap , before the halfway point on the first lap Thomas showing his class on an unfamiliar machine had gained a 20 second lead over the now second placed Biffstar, with mark Houson in third , Graham Jarvis sherco was in 4th place and on mark Houson's tail passing Houson in the quarry , by the end of the second lap Thomas had increased his lead over Biffstar to nearly 40 seconds but Jarvis was closing down the Biffstar and passed early on the third lap ,, Jarvis was now making inroads in to Thomas's lead , but it was all in vain as the race came to an unexpected end when a generator failed at race control. The clerk of the course made the decision to restart and within ten minutes the race was restarted and underway, the Biffstar took the early lead, by the end of the lap the flying Thomas was in the lead, but the old Honda was starting to struggle and smoke with Grimbo pressing. the strain on the old bike was too much and Thomas limped back, Grimbo by now had a commanding lead over lee Sampson with the Biffstar in third Thomas Healey was going well in 4th place on his new xc 250 ktm, Grimbo took a well deserved win with lee Sampson in second, the Biffstar held on to third which was enough him the overall series of the win, lee Sampson was second overall and Dave Wilson third overall.
ride-xc two recent trips to Westwood have proved interesting, both occasions marred by adverse weather conditions, but the riders have seen the potential of the venue and when the creative and dynamic ride-xc team return to the venue in spring when riders can expect something special, a big thanks must go to the enthuastic land owner Tim Reynolds and his company TRC truck rentals who provided the cash prizes The next XC event for the ride-xc team is on the 3rd Jan at Whitworth near Rochdale Lancashire where a quarry base venue is at the disposal of the ride -XC track construction squad who will create another ride able course with the emphasis on fun, entries are available on line at www.ride-xc.co.uk
As the race entered its final stages the Biffstar was pushing hard and was steadily increasing his lead over David Wilson, Lee Sampson was now into 3rd place just after the 2 hour mark the Biffstar crossed the finishing line to take a well deserved win with a seven minute margin over David Wilson with Lee Sampson taking 3rd all the top 3 completed 9 laps . The clubman class was a close run race with only 2 minutes separating the top 3 rider Jim Buchanan took the clubman win from David Dudley second, with local lad Declan Helliwell in third all completed 7 laps. James Reeve won the sportsman class with Stuart Waterhouse 2nd and Nick Owen 3rd all completed 7 laps and all would have finished inside the clubman top 10 which would suggest that for 2010 a trip in to the clubman class is on the cards for these lads .Lee Stansfield won the TRC sportsman line hole shot award , the novice class win was taken by Jason Parkin with Jason McGarry 2nd and Nathan Dixon 3rd ,Jason Parkin also won the TRC hole shot for the novice line . well the rain or was it a monsoon made the day harder than planned but the riders enjoyed the conditions never the less the rider certainly saw the potential that this woodland has in drier conditions , and that's been reflected in the number of entries already received for the second instalment on the 20th December when the second and final round of the TRC truck rental xc challenge takes place. A big thanks to the riders for sticking to the course and to the land owner Tim Reynolds, the club would like wish regular ride Mathew Bott a speedy recovery after breaking his leg , all trophies and awards will be presented after the final round on the 20th December Photo Luke Lusher
Riding forward to 2010
After a year taking stock and viewing the current XC hare scramble scene the time is right for ride XC to move forward. having added new members to the ride xc team the time is right to launch a new series of events starting with the TRC truck rental challenge 2 rounds of xc competition with a prize fund sponsored by Tim Reynolds the boss of TRC truck rental Sheffield , the events uses the TRC woodland , Tim's personal playground and the dates for this exciting challenge are 29th November and the final on the 20th December were the awards and prizes will be presented .Then starting early in the new year a new northern based championship will kick off with new venues and a new ethos of putting the rider first . Having looked at the best aspects of many clubs and promoters we feel we can put the best points we have seen into practice, the events will be open to youth riders from 8 years old, to adults with a ladies class. Starting early in 2010 a new 8 round championship kicks off offering some exciting new venues the ride xc crew are still in negotiations with prospective sponsors of this high quality northern based series, as this article goes to press we will be launching our new website with on line payment system which will enable us to reward the riders who commits to the event early with a smaller entry fee than the pay on the day entry fee, visit our new website www.ride-xc.co.uk
Ride-XC's second annual running of the annual Doug Hacking Memorial Hare and Hounds Enduro took place at Abram on Sunday the 23rd of August 2009. During the lead up to the event we were blessed with excellent weather which left the course in an awesome condition. The changes which were made by the ride-XC team of hard workers ensured an excellent days riding for all those not wanting to miss out on the fast and furious action. The planned format for the day was a single 2.5 hour competition which unfortunately had to be abandoned after an injury to a rider. The incident necessitated the attendance of the air ambulance and the race had to be stopped to enable the helicopter to land on the track. The rider was soon transported to a local hospital for treatment. Fortunately he quickly recovered. The event organiser Justin Wilson was determined to ensure that everyone got what they came for and split the race into two halves ensuring that all riders got their track time in. The day would be decided on each riders combined score.
The forever competitive over 40 class saw the return of an old face with Burnley based Manny Smith giving his new KTM a run out and taking the overall win on the day. Cumbrian rider Anthony Crowe claimed the runners up spot and could not get quite enough out of his 125 KTM on the open going and fast track. Third sopt went to MPS Husky veteran Mark Houson who just managed to edge out another Batley based rider Simon Bastow. The clubman class was dominated by a regular rider from over the border in Yorkshire Honda mounted Dom Garnham who completed an excellent 17 laps of the circuit ahead of Kawasaki mounted Jake Ingham in the runners up spot. Probably the man who had travelled furthest to the event KTM mouted James Jenkins from Port Talbot finished the day in third place after an excellent ride. As usual the sportsmans class was very competitive with all the riders setting a fierce pace. Lee Stansfield from Sowerby Bridge riding his KTM was the winner at the end of the divided race followed by Mr John Kerwin riding his Husqvarna to a very creditable second place. Third place went to Craig Thorpe riding his KTM. Following the event trophies were presented to award winners by Grant Hacking the son of the late Doug Hacking. As well as the trophies Grant presented the winners with quality products for their valient efforts on the day. Justin of Ride-XC would like to take the opportunity to thank all those who attended this successful event and those who assisted in running the event. The event was certainly made even better by the good weather. In conclusion Justin would like to thank the crew of the Air Ambulance who attended from Sheffield to deal with the rider who needed their assistance. The rider has now been released from hospital and is back at home. RESULTS. EXPERT. 1. David Wood Yamaha 2. Andrew Cripps Kawasaki 3. Joe Deakin Husqvarna 4. James Wood Honda 5. Grant Hacking Kawasaki OVER 40. 1. Manny Smith KTM 2. Anthony Crowe KTM 3. Mark Houson Husqvarna 4. Simon Bastow Yamaha 5. Chris Ball KTM CLUBMAN. 1. Dom Garnham Honda 2. Jake Ingham Kawasaki 3. James Jenkins KTM 4. Mark Lakeland Honda 5. Paul Park KTM SPORTSMAN. 1. Lee Stansfield KTM 2. John Kerwin Husqvarna 3. Craig Thorpe KTM 4. Paul Jackson Honda 5. Mick Bottomley KTM. Monster energy Fred Andrews Yamaha rider Jason Thomas will be returning to the UK as the GNCC series heads into the summer break, and ride-xc are pleased to announce he will be riding at there evening event at Abram motopark Wigan on Wednesday 8th July. Jason is currently in excellent form after winning the XC2 prolites class by a considerable margin at the last round and currently holds third in class in the worlds most competitive XC series. Also making his cross country debut in his hometown will be popular world supermoto and current British Supermoto number one Matt Winstanley, whilst Husqvarna rider Matt has a wealth of offroad experience including GP motocross it will be the first time he has undertook the 2hr cross country format and he assured event organiser Justin Wilson he looks forward to the challenge. Thomas and Winstanley will have some excellent competition as WEC Husqvarna rider Gav Houson, Eurotek KTM extreme specialist Paul Bolton and local KB Racing team leader Lincoln Brewster also head the line up and will all be giving 100%. Current feedback from the over 40 sportsman and Clubman classes suggest these classes also look set to be hotly contested as riders are keen to take advantage of the current British Summertime and this one off event. With regret this event will have a limited entry of 100 riders, and with entries now coming in thick and fast anyone who wishes to ride should be thinking about giving Justin a call on 07973 374147 to confirm there entry . Gates will open at 4pm and action will start at 6.45 pm with a trophy presentation at 9pm. With Ride-XC still awaiting confirmation on a few riders it promises to be a great evening !
Ride XC's woodhouse winner Ride XC's decision to use the spectacular Woodhouse Farm venue at Great Ayton NR Stokesley proved to be an excellent one, after visiting the venue a week prior to the event for a course inspection it was clear this was going to be a round of the series not to miss and the potential to be there best to date so far. The fantastic course situated high above Captain Cook's birthplace on the magnificent Yorkshire hillside features mature woodland with numerous tracks and trails flowing through it along with the added bonus of a motocross track. With conditions near perfect and many riders taking advantage of the camping facilities it was clear to the team from the off that an excellent weekends action was in store, with a training day on Saturday and race action right through Sunday, the Ride XC team had plotted a course which would see competitors enjoy lap times around the 10 minute mark around the flowing yet technical course. The Youths got action underway on Sunday morning with Scott Altass putting in a very impressive performance over all his rivals leading from the word go to take the win, the young True Grit KTM rider proving he will be one to watch in the future. Whilst brothers Josef and Will Westgarth battled for second, Josef taking second and edging out his younger sibling who suffered from mechanical problems. The juniors again saw great performances none better than Dalton Shannon who revelled in the technical going, putting in lap after lap on the little KTM 65 even choosing at times to make the course a little longer and challenging. Eventual runner up Ross Johns put in a spirited performance with the little Suzuki rider battling away for 90 minutes on the technical course with another great ride. After the Ride XC work party implemented track changes the full XC loop was ready and in place for 2.5 hours of race action, with the sun beating down and riders briefed on the importance of hydration, Event organiser Justin Wilson signalled the start of the adult race. Cumbrian Sandiford Husqvarna teamster Adam Smith made his intentions clear with an excellent start pushing from the very first lap to the last with a faultless display of riding keeping the well prepped husky singing for the entire 2.5 hours to take the overall win over Kawasaki mounted Andrew Cripps. Crippsy busy making final preparations for this years Scottish six day trial decided the usual all action Cripps style had to be tamed, with order of the day being a finish all be it a second placed one. Third place looked wide open until Ian Shannon managed to steer his little 200 KTM on to the last step of the podium with a cracking ride for third, edging out popular B+B Gas Gas rider Jason Crossland who made a welcome return to action after busy work commitments for round 2 . The Clubman class possibly saw the best action of the day with some really close racing in the early stages it was Dominic Garnham who proved to strong for his rivals eventually pulling away to a classy win on the little fourstroke KTM completing 18 laps and being 3 minutes ahead of his nearest rival and eventual second place finisher Neil Marshall who in turn was being kept busy with Paul Johnson hot on his heels, the KTM rider losing out by just 22 seconds at the flag both completing 18 laps. Dean Johnson really deserved his win in the sportsman class, the Lancastrian KTM rider and Ride-XC regular finished on 16 laps beating nearest rival Karl Chadwick the only other sportsman rider to complete 16 laps by 2 minutes at the flag. But it was James Allan who in only his second XC event in exhausting conditions banked himself a podium finish and a fantastic trophy for his efforts coming home third on his trusty Yamaha, with an excellent ride. As the weekend drew to an end, a fantastic venue along with excellent weather made round 2 of Ride XC's Champs the best so far, the new championship is really taking shape with well structured classes ensuring great racing and worthy winners. Ride XC's Justin Wilson would like to thank all his marshals and everyone who attended and looks forward to seeing you all at round 3 which will be back in Lancashire . Wilson now heads to Back Cowm quarry were the team are busy preparing for Rnd 1 of the Endurocross Series on 3rd May, with a few surprises in store for the series and limited places available anyone wishing to ride or register for the entire series should give him a call on 07973 374 147 or visit www.ride-xc.co.uk EXPERTS 1 - Adam Smith Husqvarna 20 Laps 2 - Andrew Cripps Kawasaki 20 Laps 3 - Ian Shannon KTM 19 Laps 4 - Jason Crossland Gas Gas 19 Laps 5 - Grant Hacking Kawasaki 18 Laps CLUBMAN 1 - Dominic Garnham KTM 18 Laps 2 - Neil Marshall KTM 18 Laps 3 - Paul Johnson KTM 18 Laps 4 - Robert Pierce Honda 17 Laps 5 - Colin Blunt Husqvarna 17 Laps SPORTSMAN 1 - Dean Johnson KTM 16 Laps 2 - Karl Chadwick Yamaha 16 Laps 3 - James Allan Yamaha 15 Laps 4 - Luke Gorse KTM 15 Laps 5 - Danny Sillatoe KTM 15 Laps Youths Senior B's 1 - Scott Altass KTM 20 Laps 2 - Josef Westgarth KTM 16 Laps 3 - Will Westgarth KTM 6 Laps JUNIORS 1 - Dalton Shannon KTM 14 Laps 2 - Ross Johns Suzuki 12 Laps 3 - Sam Gardener KTM 8 Laps NB The next Ride XC Practice Day will be at Abram Motopark Wigan April 26th
Ride- XC's 2009 cross country series got underway at Abram motopark Wigan, with fantastic weather conditions leading up to the event the team had been busy undertaking some extensive track repairs to the popular northwest venue. This hard work paid off as Sunday morning dawned to provide a great opener to Ride-XC's up and coming championship. The days event was underway at 11am prompt with the experts and over 40's being first off the line , it was Biff Smith who managed to get the Ipone oils Holeshot award with the KB Racing KTM trio hot in pursuit .GBXC rider and Man on form Lincoln Brewster would take the lead but was coming under pressure from a hard charging team mate Roland Morris, who at half distance looked a sure bet for the win until his pace proved maybe a little to quick with a big get off at the 2 hour mark leaving top honours open for Brewster and Smith, with the ever improving Smith edging out Brewster on the penultimate lap to claim the win leaving Brewster second and KB Racings youth division Lewis Bellfield third. Wigan teenager Gary Daniels fourth and Husqvarna mounted Martin Sandiford fifth . The Over 40's class always throws up a mixed bag of riders, many of which would be at home in the experts hence the decision to start the class with the experts. Yorkshire rider Ian Shannon battled for the win all day over D3 KTM rider Karl Greenall both eventually finishing on 18 laps with Husqvarna Timecard man Leo Cordingley third. Rob Butler fourth and Ian Coburn fifth . The Clubman class saw Paddy Langham put in faultless performance managing to put a lap on all his rivals, claiming a well deserved win after a long lay off through leg injuries. Second place went to Billy Robinson who put in an excellent ride to finish on 16 laps with Ride- XC newcomer Yorkshire based Gas Gas rider Chris Berrill in third. Fourth place went to Husqvarna rider Paul Horridge relegating Robert Maxwell to fifth. Last away but by no means least where the sportsman who seem to enjoy some of the closest riding ,but stand out class winner on the day was Mark Fletcher finishing a good six minutes ahead of second placed Ride-XC regular Chris Hey who was locked in a race long battle with third place finisher Mike Leadbetter. After 16 laps of competition 25 seconds separated the pair at the finish. Next home was Jake Ingram on 15 laps who was just 13 seconds up on fifth placed Dean Johnson. With all trophy winners receiving there quality awards after an excellent days sport blessed with great weather ,round one was hailed a major success. Results With hard working Event Organiser Justin Wilson the Ride-XC team are now heading to Woodhouse Farm Great Ayton for Round 2 of the Series, Which will be run over the weekend 18th/19th of April the venue is perfect offering the perfect mixture of woods with an mx track looping through it. This event will also have the added feature of a youth and ladies race with excellent camping facilities and fantastic course in store riders are urged to book in early . For event info visit www.ride-xc.co.uk or call Justin on 07973 374147.
Ride-XC got underway again this weekend after a short layoff with the running of their 'Back from the Ashes Enduro'. After a late venue change because of recent bad weather an entirely new course was plotted by the Ride-XC team at their Abram Motopark venue. With the week running up to the event blessed with sunshine it seemed to be too good to be true, when the Ride-XC team woke on Sunday morning to be greeted by even more sunshine. With an excellent entry seeing all the local faces and friends in the Enduro world taking part in Ride-XC's first event, the stage had been set for some cracking racing. At 11am the race was underway with the expert and over 40 classes heading the field away first. After lap 1 it was no surprise to see KB Racing's Lincoln Brewster appear at lap scoring first closely followed by the pack of pursuing experts. As the race developed Brewster again put in another classy performance pulling away to take his little 200 KTM to yet another win. Second place went to a rather sore Andrew Cripps, who was nursing a leg injury after an uncharacteristic big mid week crash, which as it turned out after a trip to casualty needed to be placed in a pot! Third and fourth positions were finally settled after what seemed like a race long battle between Sandiford teamster Adam Smith and Grant Hacking, with Adam finally claiming third and relegating Kawasaki supremo Grant to fourth. By far the most dramatic ending to the day was between local rider Lewis Belfield and Cumbrian D3 KTM rider Andrew Hackett whose race long battle ended in a big heap at the last corner. Both riders showed great sportsmanship and crossed the line with nothing between them to finish fifth and sixth. With the excellent track conditions it wasn't just the experts who were enjoying all the close racing as the over 40's joined in on the action, it looked like it was going to be a three way scrap for top honours. Unfortunately regular top over 40's rider John Lofthouse was put out of action early on due to a mechanical failure, which turned it into a two way race long battle between Anthony Crowe and Ian Shannon. Both riders rode an excellent race but unfortunately for Shannon a small mistake in one of the extreme sections saw him lose time relegating him to second whilst Crowe took top honours. Third place went to Husqvarna mounted Simon Bastow (pictured) whose trip over the Pennines proved a worthwhile decision. Coming home in fourth place was local 'big man' Ian Edge who put in an excellent performance riding his trusty Gas Gas. The clubman class were the second line away from the start, but like the experts this class again was dominated by another KTM rider in the form of Levi Johnson. His race win and performance would suggest a trip to the expert class is looming for the big Lancastrian but nonetheless a great ride. Second place was also another classy performance by Chris Ball on his little Honda 250X. who was obviously enjoying the great course laid out. Dominic Garnham had also made the trip over the Pennines, like many others, to take third place and his first piece of Ride-XC silverware home. Unfortunately Lee Ioannou ran into trouble late in the race costing the Husqvarna rider out of a certain trophy, position allowing Rob McCloud through to fourth and Neil Marshall into fifth. The sportsman class who were last to leave the line saw David Dudley claim the win over the ever improving and very impressive Jane Daniels, who claimed second and looks like a young lady who will be creating a stir in the clubman class anytime soon. Local KTM rider Craig Hey secured the last podium spot with another great performance. Taking part in his first Enduro was local trials ace Paul Heys, who managed to take fourth place without sitting down for the entire race suggesting we may see a new trend in removing the seat to save weight. In fifth place and claiming the last trophy was Clitheroe based Sherman Lofthouse. Whilst all the Ride-XC trophy winners rode excellent races great performances were seen right through the field from riders of all abilities. However it was the Sportsman class which really stood out at this event. This class for Ride-XC is the lifeline for riders coming into the sport and couldn't have been better demonstrated by female KTM rider Michelle Thiele who put in a cracking ride to complete her first event and sum up what Ride-XC is all about, a great days sport for everyone!! RESULTS EXPERT. 1. Lincoln Brewster KTM 2. Andrew Cripps Kawasaki 3.
Adam Smith Honda 4. Grant Hacking Kawasaki 5. Lewis Belfield KTM
After competing in the recent WEC round in Llanidloes, Wales the Ride - XC team are now back at Abram Motopark Wigan for their ever popular practice days. Riders are now invited to come and brush up on their off-road skills from this Thursday. Thursdays begin at 12 noon sharp and go right through to 7.30pm. Whilst Saturdays will rum from 10am to 5 pm. This should give riders plenty of time in a relaxed friendly and safe environment. Justin Wilson of Ride-XC would like to stress that everyone is welcome from the total beginner to the expert. With tips and friendly advice to anyone who may need it being all part of the Ride-XC day, there really is something for everyone. The feedback on these days is proving very rewarding for the Ride-XC team with the facility welcoming new faces and friends each week. The team are now seeing riders growing in confidence on a weekly basis with the relaxed atmosphere giving riders the time and space needed to improve his or her skills to conquer those difficult situations which races throw up. At present after the recent bad weather the track is due to be graded with some changes to keep things a bit different for the regulars. With practicing becoming an increasing problem the venue will be open through August, so check out www.ride-xc.co.uk for up and coming dates and details or alternatively call Justin on 07973 374147. July dates still to come are Thursday the 24th Sat the 26th and Thursday the 31st at Abram Motorpark, Park Lane, Abram. Wigan. WN2 5XP |
The
clubman class was a close run race 59 second separated the top 3 with
Declan Heliwell taking a narrow win from lee Hattersley 2nd and Jon
Buchannan 3rd after a year of virtually no riding Mick Hammond returned
and claim 4th in the clubman class, the O40 class was won by the ever
smiling John Bradford with Chris Ball second and Colin Blunt third, Stuart
Waterhouse took the sportsman win from James Reeve second and lee
Stansfield third.
First
away at 11am were the expert class with Andrew Cripps (right) leading from
the off. It was obvious that the Hacking Kawasaki rider would be a hard
man to beat. However Cumbrian rider Yamaha mounted David Wood pressurised
Cripps throughout the first session before stealing the win in the second
session ensuring overall victory. Cripps was relegated to the runner up
spot. The final podium spot went to Husqvarna mounted Joe Deakin who
managed to get his new little Husky on the podium first time out with two
good rides.
