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For the 4th round of the 2009 GBXC series the team chose a new venue n South Devon. The weather was atrocious on the Saturday morning but luckily the torrential rain cleared from the Southwest & by Sunday morning the course was drying quickly. The 7 mile lap was a good mix of fields, woodland, gullies & stream crossings. There was even a bit of jungle for the celebrities. In the morning race - for Sportsman, Novices, Ladies & Over 40 - veteran Keith Jenkins from Southam was the overall winner from Adrian Bradley. The best Sportsman was Chris Pryce from Leominster & Ashley Bowden from Farford won the Novices. Gethin Humphries christened his new Route 55 KTM with a win in the Youth class & Kieron Jordan from Stoke on Trent was the runner up. Jane Daniels was the best Lady from Sophie Thomas. In the afternoon race Mark Roberts whipped up his JKJ Kawasaki to take the hole shot closely followed by Paul Edmondson. By the end of the first lap Mark had dropped back & Paul had taken a good lead from MPS Husqvarna rider Simon Wakely. Paul held the lead to the halfway point before Tom Sagar & Daryl Bolter overtook him. The battle for the podium was then joined between the power of Tom's Midwest Husaberg in the open & the agility of Daryl's Premier KTM in the tight. After 150 minutes only 9 seconds separated them as Tom crossed the finishing line & Daryl in 2nd received the consolation of winning the Pro lites. Simon Wakely was 2nd in the Pros & Paul Edmondson battled the pollen into 3rd. Less than 30 seconds separated Greg Evans, Ollie Moyce & Ashley Wood in 4th, 5th & 6th. KB Racing's Lewis Belfield won the Experts from runner up Joe Jones. Local lad Max Hembroke was 3rd on a "farm bike". Kalem Hicks from Pontypool was the best 2T Clubman & Sean O'Neill was 4T best Clubman. Results Photo courtesy of Lee Leightwood. Tom Sagar - Midwest Husaberg Round 4 of the GBXC series was set in Kingsbridge, Devon. This was to be the best race to date giving all the riders different types of terrain to tackle during the 7 mile course. After 2 weeks off the bike after having a massive crash training, Tom was not quite sure how the race was going to pan out. After the heavy rain on the Saturday the track was slippery but the weather held off for both races, with an hour gap between races gave the track time to dry up even more which made track conditions perfect. The pro riders lined up with Paul Eddy joining the party. As the flagged dropped, Mark Roberts (Kawasaki) got the hole shot with Eddy (Suzuki) close behind. Tom got his best start of the year getting off the line in 5th. At the end of the first lap, Eddy led with Si Wakely (MPS Husqvarna) 2nd, Tom was 4th and was pushing hard to try and get to the front. After an hour had pasted Wakely and Tom had passed Eddy and were having their own little battle but Daryl Bolter was pushing hard and passed Tom. Wakely and Tom came into fuel at the same time which left Bolter out front on his own but yet to fuel. Tom's pit stop put him ahead of Wakley and set about chasing Bolter. 2 laps later Bolter fuelled and Tom took over the lead but not by much and the final hour was going to be any ones race. 2 laps from the end and Bolter was putting the pressure on. Tom made a mistake which allowed Bolter to close in. Tom then made a big mistake, hitting a rock forcing his hand to come off the handlebar allowing Bolter to take the lead. Tom regained his composure and chased after Daryl. The two riders came over the start line together to start their final lap. As the two riders entered the first wood Bolter took a wide line and Tom went up the inside into the lead. Tom pushed really hard to try and pull a gap on Bolter knowing that he was ready to pounce. As they rode down one of the tricky rutted climbs, Tom passed a backmarker and Bolter got stuck behind him. This gave Tom some breathing space and allowed him to take his third win in the series. Bolter finished close behind and Wakely third. "I've had an awesome race with Daryl today and didn't think i was going to beat him because he was riding so well. I was very impressed with my fitness after my big crash which hasn't allowed me to train. The course was excellent and one of the best tracks I have ridden". Tom also would like to thank all the team and sponsors for their continued support and to Chris Hockey at Dr Shox for all his help. Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts Firstly I need to say a massive thanks to my parents and Gareth `giz’ Edmunds with helping me to get everything ready in time for the latest GBXC. Giz has race prepped my bike that I will be using on the welsh 2 day and the rest of the BEC and to be sure that the bike was fine I decided to test it at this race, and well it was frankly, bloody awesome! Giz has done an amazing job with setting it up and I can’t wait to ride it again. The race started excellent for me, I wasn’t last of the line! I went into the first corner in forth and set off after the leading three, I was slightly off the pace to start with, with having to learn the new bike and the track I was losing ground on the first three and then I made a small mistake that let Tom Sagar and Phil McLaughlin through. After about half an hour I was feeling good on the bike and got myself into a good rhythm, I could see I was catching the leading group of Si, Tom and Fast Eddy, coming up to about the half way mark I was on the back of Fast Eddy and there was nothing between all four of us, I went passed Fast Eddy and was trying to find a way past Tom when he made a small mistake and the gap was just about big enough to squeeze through, I was now chasing Si with Tom trying to get back past me and we were having a great little battle between the three of us, coming up the last hill we were still really close and then Si dived off into the pits followed by Tom and fast Eddy which left me out front. I now knew I had to push like mad to get as much time between us because as I was next to fuel and I wanted to get out of the pits in the lead. Dad gave me the signal to fuel next lap so I kept pushing hard hoping to of gapped the group, I took a look over my shoulder towards the end of the lap and seen I had pulled time on Paul and Si but there was a Husaberg chasing me down, Tom must of had the same idea as me and wanted to be in the lead after fuelling. As I was just firing the bike up I could hear Tom coming up the hill and he just got in front of me as I was coming out of the pits. Tom managed to pull a few seconds on me and I just knew I had to keep pushing as anything can happen in racing, and then I came to one of the long rutty sections and he got slowed up by some back markers which allowed me to get right on his back wheel and we pushed each other as hard as we could. Tom made a small mistake on the penultimate lap which let me through and we started the final lap like it was our first and just let it hang out which was great fun, we got into the woods and tom had good line on the slippery rocks and passed me, further round the woods there was a long downhill rut and it was now my turn to get caught up behind a back marker, it allowed Tom get just to get away enough and I couldn’t do anything about closing the gap, and after two and a half hours of good close racing he crossed the line seven seconds in front of me, another good weekend for me with 1st in class and 2nd overall so I’m happy. Massive thanks to all my sponsors and my pit crew and everyone out there shouting me on, my next race is this Sunday coming at Canada heights which I’m really looking forward to. See you at the races, Daryl The 4th round of the GBXC was held in Devon and was a brilliant venue for racing with the weather holding off all day. Ollie had a poor start and was nearly last around the first corner. After the first few laps he was running in 12th position and seemed like he couldn't go any faster or catch the guys in front but this was due to excessive arm pump and slowly faded leaving Ollie with full strength to start his attack on the field. He pushed hard in the latter stages and ended up finishing the race in 6th overall and 5th in class. "The race started badly for me as I was nearly last off the line due to such a quiet engine it is hard to know when it has started with all the other bikes around. I then had to get through severe arm pump and pushed hard towards the end of the race. I really enjoyed it though and am working hard in preparation for the next one." Thanks to Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts
After another Holeshot at GBXC Round 4 Mark found himself at the front of the Pro class. At the end of the first lap he found himself in 3rd place, and after a few more laps he was past by tom sagar , darryl bolter and greg evans. After mark pitted for fuel he found himself comfortably in 6th overall, In a comfortable 6th place overall and 5 th in class. At the 1 hour and 30 minute mark, the chain derailed on the Kawasaki. Having to push the bike to the pits to repair the kwacker he found himself 3 laps down. With the bad luck from the 1st and 3rd Round Mark was hoping for a good result in Devon. But it turned out to be another bad day at the office. Finishing in last place (12th). His results not showing how much training and effort hes putting in but hopefully his luck will change. Thank You to C.E.L.E.C Ltd, landroversalvage.co.uk and JKJ Motorcycles for there support. www.freewebs.com/markmotoroberts GasGas Uk The STEVE PLAIN Managed GGUK Enduro Team were at Round 4 of the GBXC Race Series in Devon and No.1 Rider ASHLEY WOOD finished 6th overall. This was a good result for Ash who could not compete in Hungary last weekend due to illness. Ash had a bad start and with a fast course it was difficult to 'catch and pass' so to get back to 6th at the flag was a good solid race for Ashley. Bradley King (SPGGUK) and Luke Meredith (SPGGUK) were 10th and 11th respectively in the PRO Class and showed 100% commitment as normal. Brad got stuck in a rut on the first lap behind Greg Evans and then crashed shortly afterwards getting frustrated after losing valuable places. Brad settled his pace and finished just infront of his Team mate Mezza at the flag. Luke was struggling a bit for big power on his trusty EC200 on an open fast course.
The 3rd Round of the GBXC series took place at Maeshafn, North Wales on Sunday 3rd May. Heavy showers in the week softened the peaty ground but the weather on the day was perfect. In the morning race Adrian Bradley won the Vets ahead of Keith Jenkins. Chris Pryce from Leominster was the Best Sportsman & Nathan Holtby from Stourport was the runner up. In the Novice class Michael Windsor from Coventry was the winner & Danny Morris from Maesteg was 2nd. Jane Daniels won the Ladies class ahead of Sophie Thomas. The Best Youth rider was George Bayliss & Gethin Humphreys was the runner up. Matt Ridgway took the holeshot in the Pro race & led the 1st lap but on the second lap he went wide to avoid a fallen rider & Tom Sagar seized the lead. There were some large rocks on the course & Mark Roberts found one on his second lap. He broke his wrist. Simon Wakely & Aston Bird also had some air time but they were able to carry on. Euan McConnell was another rider caught in the minefield. Greg Evans retired after hitting his head on a low branch. His helmet was cracked & his vision was blurred. He was check out by A&E & given the all clear. There was some close racing with both Tom Sagar & Matt Ridgway jointly setting the fastest lap times. Tom was the winner on a Midwest Husaberg ahead of MPS Husqvarna's Simon Wakely & fellow team member Aston Bird was 3rd. TM's Phil McLaughlin was 4th & Matt Ridgway was 5th. Euan McConnell on the Aprilia was 6th & Paul Bolton has recovered from the knee injury that put him out of the Romaniacs to finish 7th. Daryl Bolter in the Pro-lite class was 2nd overall - a minute behind the leader. Lee Edmondson was the runner up. Robert Rees from Wrexham was the best Expert ahead of Ben Wootton. Callum Hicks won the Clubman 2T & Shaun Buchan was the best Clubman 4T.
MPS Husqvarna were back to full strength for round 3 with Si, Aston, Gav, Tom and Mick looking forward to a good race Vets were first away with Mick back on his 310 for the first time since round l of GBXC so feeling a little rusty! he made a surprisingly good start but threw it all away half way round the first lap damaging his clutch but battled on to the end enjoying every minute but was to knackered to go and find his result. Next up was the main race with the track having dried out a little Aston and Gav were fired up for it but Si was still suffering from a cold he picked up in Sardinia knew it would be hard work plus he had an extreme hard on! (Metzeler front tyre for hard dry conditions) as usual the Husky boys were last off the line along with Daryl they had a lot of work to do but after 1 lap Aston and Si had made good progress and moved up to 4th and 5th the pair battled through to 2nd and 3rd by half distance then Si took 2nd after Aston decided to make 2 fuel stops they then ran together for several laps with Si following Aston , after all the fuel stops had been made it was a straight race to the finish with Tom Sager way out in front And Daryl Bolter in second with Si 3rd and Aston 4th and Gav steadily moving through the field on his little 125 up to around 9th place and Tom around 10th in the expert class At the flag positions remained the same but for Gav who ran out of fuel 250 mtr from the line his new big fuel tank not quite big enough In conclusion another good day for MPS Husky with 2nd and 3rd in the pro class for Si and Aston and Gav showing that with a little bit of luck he will be in the results soon at GBXC ( he is the only Brit to have finished every World round this year and is leading the North of England championship ) one person missing from this weekend was Rob Johnson who has a broken leg but we all wish him a speedy recovery Thanks to Steve and Paul and the GBXC team for another well organized event Daryl Bolter Me and my girlfriend Kate arrived at the GBXC on Saturday lunchtime, the setting for the event looked awesome and with the sun shining we put our walking boots on and set off to walk the track. With the first two rounds being a relatively easy walk, looking up at the hills around I got the feeling this was going to be a bit harder to walk! Within about 15 minutes Kate and I were both panting away! The track was looking good and had a bit of everything in it, including a few big hidden rocks! It took us about 2 and half hours, a lot of sweat and a couple of blisters to walk round the track. With the morning race just about underway I went for a look about again and with some heavy rain through the night the track was cutting up quick, the surface layers soon disappeared and went down to rock, the climbs in the woods were getting trickier by the lap and bumps getting bigger with every rider going through. This is when I realised that we were in for a beating! My bike was now on the line and ready to go, I was feeling confident and just wanted to get going before the nerves set in, I’d fuelled my body up with food and walked up to the start line ready to put my start practice to the test. We got word that somebody was badly hurt out on the track and the air ambulance needed to come in so there would be a slight delay, in all we were delayed for about an hour and a half but they got the guy of the hill safely. With such a long wait before the start my focus had wandered slightly and guess what, I fluffed the start up AGAIN! One day I will get the start right and won’t know what to bloody do with it! Anyway with making my life hard as always I set of trying to pick my way through the pack, coming over the crest off a hill all I saw was the TM of Gordon Clarke and the Aprilia of Euan McConnell kart wheeling down the track, I managed to come through quite quick and could see Greg, Si and Aston having a good battle, all of a sudden I caught Greg, he didn’t look to good as I passed and I got the message he had hit his head on a branch. I set off after the husky’s and had a good battle with them for a few laps and once I’d passed them I was in 2nd overall and trying to chase down Tom Sagar, I managed to close the gap down from a minute and a half to about 25 seconds and then I hit a wall, I’d pushed myself so much in the beginning and with the track being so demanding I started to feel sick and everything was cramping up, I could push no more, I don’t like to settle for second but I had no choice, I started making big mistakes and with a couple of laps to go didn’t want to injure myself. So a win in the pro-lites class and second overall wasn’t too bad considering my appalling start, massive thanks to my pit crew and all of my sponsors and everybody screaming at me to go faster, and thanks to Michael Ranger for purchasing my new dump fill from Andy at flatoutracing.com that worked perfect. See you at the races, Daryl
Round 3 of the GBXC race series was held last weekend at the mid wales venue near mold. PAR honda rider Lee Edmondson had another strong ride to finish 2nd in the pro-lite class and 6th overall. Lee had to work hard for the result having not got off to a good start coming around the first lap in 23rd he pulled up though the field. Pushing hard for the whole 2 and half hours lee was looking really strong right up till the end of the race. After the race lee said "i am happy with my result today i got a really bad start and it was hard work to get though the traffic. I suffered with arm pump for the first hour but once i got rid of that i could push on" Lee would like to thank joey for all his hard work before the event getting the bike running real good on Friday and Saturday also thanks to his brother paul and all his sponsors.
The first Sunday of every month signals race day at the GBXC race series and this May bank holiday weekend was no exception as 400 of Britain's best enduro racers gathered near Chester for the third round of the highly touted cross country championship. Among the line up, Electraction TM UK were strongly represented with riders in both the Pro and Veterans classes. After missing the previous round due to his World Enduro Championship commitments, Ulster man Phillip McLaughlin was eager for a good result to add to his second place finish from the opening round of the championship in March. Gating well off the start he quickly placed his EN450 TM amongst the front runners, holding fifth place on the opening lap. Tensing up on the rough and demanding course he began to struggle to hold on with arm pump, dropping backwards and outside of the top ten. An earlier than scheduled fuel stop by his pit crew enabled him to regain his composure and from then on he set about making his charge back through the pack. Picking off riders one at a time he worked his way back up to seventh before his second and final fuel stop. With a half an hour left on the clock he had made it to fifth and by now fourth began to look possible. Giving one last final push on the final lap, he almost had it only to finish within half a bike length short at the chequered flag.
Irishman Gordon Clarke also made the short trip across the Irish Sea to compete. After a terrific start in the Pro class on his EN300 TM, he found a boulder hidden in the grass and had a big get off, bending his handlebars and severing his front brake hose but was luckily unhurt. Repairing the damage in the pits, he set off again two laps behind the leaders but soldiered on to finish the two and a half hour race. The Electraction TMUK team's next event will be opening round of the Irish Enduro championship on May 17th, followed by round four of the GBXC on the 7th of June. Electraction TMUK is supported by Moonraker Masonary, Gannomat UK, Kleenrite, HydraMaster and CCM Racing, with product support from Fox Racing, Renthal, Elf Lubricants, Metzeler, MotoShox suspension and Lappin Performance.
Scotland’s Euan McConnell suffered a major crash on the inaugural lap of the third round of the Great Britain Cross Country (GBXC) series in the Welsh village of Maeshafan on the weekend. He then managed to climb aboard his Aprilia RXV 450 to finish sixth in the Pro Class and 10th overall. Although injured and with a damaged motorcycle, the determined Scot remounted his Aprilia and was placed 18th in class at the end of the first lap. McConnell fought for the remainder of the two-and-a-half-hour race to pick away at riders every lap to safely finish in sixth position. “The crash happened so fast,” explained McConnell. “There was another rider who was flying through the air in front of me and before I knew it I was upside down. I saw stars for a moment and the back end of my bike was caught in the back wheel. I also hurt my left wrist, but the adrenaline must have kept me going, because I just jumped back on my Aprilia and kept going. “I wasn’t sure that I had managed to sort my bike out to continue, so I briefly stopped in the pits to check it over. It looked okay even though I had broken the rear subframe. I got back on and kept going. I had a lot of time to make up. “By the seventh lap I was up to 12th position and I felt like that I had lost so much time that I would be out of the points. I kept pushing on as anything can happen in these GBXC races, so I persisted with getting to the end. “I am still only managing to complete an hour on a tank, which means two fuel stops for me, while most of the other competitors are only doing one. When I came in for my final pit stop I was in eighth position and I was told that I was only a minute off Paul Bolton. That gave me a target. With the 20 minutes left, that was my mission. To catch Paul. I managed to catch him and finished a credible sixth in class. “After the race my left wrist was in a bad way and I struggled to find any strength in it. I’ve been for an X-ray and the doctors found that I have a damaged scaphoid, but it doesn’t seem to be a major break. I’ve been given a strap to support it and will be getting it checked out again next week.” McConnell is currently in fifth position overall in the Pro Class of the GBXC series with four rounds remaining. The next event will be held on 7 June 2009.
After the Snowrun I decided to make changes to my bike so I fitted a duel program ignition system and a lower compression head supplied by Hardcore Racing. By the end of the first lap I new the changes made to the bike were working well with the hole shot and first place at the end of the 1st lap. When the flag dropped I was lucky to get of the line as I kicked the bike I felt the clutch dragging but the bike fired ok giving me a perfect start leading into the first corner. I put my head down and concentrating on putting in a fast lap leaving the rest to battle behind me completing the first lap in first place with a clear track in front. A third of the way around the second lap a marshal was standing in the track directing me off the track for a injured rider lying on the track I lost concentration for a minute and Tom Sagar flew past me I chased Tom and we battled for a time but the big Husaberg with all the power pulled away. I then raced with Greg Evens but the flue I had began to tell I had no energy when Aston Bird passed I just followed him and Greg keeping them with in sight Si Wakely was next to pass I had to let him go as I was now riding in a high gear to save energy but still in 5th place, when Daryl Bolter passed I decided to use all my energy and follow him for nearly a lap which pulled me closer to the riders in front but it was time to refuel and when I stopped I was so drained I couldn't open the fuel cap I wanted to retire but decided I had to finish the race thanks to all the people in the crowd that were clapping waving and shouting even members from other teams this gave me a big boost, then 3 laps from the end Philip McLaughlin passed me like he was on his first lap but Greg was sat by the side of the track holding his head hope your ok Greg. What a good feeling when I came around the last corner to see Steve Ireland holding the flag sorry I did not stay for the prize giving but I felt so ill and wanted get home with more than a 4 hour drive ahead , In spite of the flue a great result brilliant hole shot, 3rd GBXC that I have been leading the race, 5th in my class and the 1st 2 stroke at all 3 rounds. Thanks to all my sponsors Meredith MX Ltd, SHOT from Feridax .com Hardcore Racing, DEP Pipes, J G Bricklaying, Guyan Mini Buses, Simply Saab & my team. Bradley King Gbxc round 3 was held in north wales at the weekend with me hoping to improve on my performance from round 2. the track presented more of a challenge than rd2 although very motox'y the rough bumpy hills and rocks meant that line choice and fitness would come into play. I got of to bad start but gained some places on the first lap and was in the top 10 after a few laps. I caught up to my gguk teammate Luke Meredeth and was also racing with Gav houson. after a couple of laps i felt that i could up the pace and catch the next group in front. I went for the pass on Luke only for my front wheel to drop of the edge of a bank and i had a big over the bars crash. This knocked me and the bike about abit and i rode the next lap and a half without the use of the clutch having knocked it down on the bars. I pitted and refuelled and fixed my clutch in the process but struggled to get back into the race until the last 2 laps. on the last lap i managed to catch and overtake Andrew Edwards and Tim forman as well as the unlucky gav houson who had run out of fuel. this put me 9Th in the pro open class and 14Th overall nearly getting Luke at the finish. I was abit disappointed at the finish because i felt that if it wasn't for the silly crash i could have made the top 10 overall but pleased with my recovery in the last 2 laps. May will be a busy month for me with the brecfa enduro and rd2 of the European enduo champs in Hungary.
Mark Roberts - JKJ Kawasaki - Injured Unfortunately Mark (left) Shattered a bone in his hand on the first lap at this weekends GBXC at Maeshafn. The hand is in a full cast and he could be out of action for sometime until it is fully healed. It is likely that it was Just the rough conditions that caused the injury. We all wish Mark a full recovery and a strong comeback very soon. A big Thank You to C.E.L.E.C Ltd and www.Landroversalvage.co..uk for there support so far this year 2009 GBXC Championship points – Pro Class – after round three:
Ivan Sheane, Vets. Praying for intervention! & "How big
is too big?? Must be the biggest pitboard I've ever seen".
The 2nd round of the GBXC series took place at Baden Hall on Sunday 5th April. The weather was perfect with fluffy clouds in a blue sky. There had been a last minute change of venue from Kent to the Midlands. The course was very open & flowing. Mark Roberts took the holeshot but - despite a serious burn on his forearm - Matt Ridgway led at the end of the first lap. Mark was 2nd & Greg Evans was closing in 3rd. Greg had a disappointing first round & he was fired up to take the lead on lap 3. By lap 4 Greg & Matt had pulled out nearly a minute ahead of Daryl Bolter (left) in 3rd. Daryl - in the Pro lite class - also struggled in the first round. He had ridden with an appendicitis but now fully recovered he came on a charge to take the lead at the halfway point & held it to cross the line in first place. Greg finished 2nd to win the Pro class. Aston Bird was 3rd & Matt Ridgway finished 4th. The fast going gave Euan McConnell plenty of opportunities to open up the Aprilia & drive it home in 4th. Darren Carter was 2nd in the Pro lites & Lee Edmondson was 3rd. Round 1 winner Tom Sagar was off the pace & finished 10th. Ollie Moyce dislocated his shoulder. In the Experts class, KB Racing's Lewis Belfield was the fastest. With 14 laps he came close to a top ten finish in the Pro class. Rob Reese was runner up. Shaun Kersey was the Best 4T Clubman ahead of Mark Cheetham. Kalem Hicks won the 2T Clubman & Tom Hirons was the runner up. Welsh youths did well in the AM race with Gethin Humphries from Festiniog taking the win from Welshpool's Joe Wooton. Keith Jenkins was the Best Vet ahead of Adrian Bradley. Nathan Holtby won the Clubman class & Luke Smith was the runner up. KTM UK .... Dealer Enduro Team report KTM riders had a clean sweep at last Sundays GBXC at Baden Hall. After a disappointing round one , the team of Greg Evans , Daryl Bolter and Ed Jones were fired up and looking for a good result and they certainly came through with the goods ! Daryl (above) won the event overall with Greg coming in Second , and Ed Jones securing the best 125 . Daryl Says “ I had a poor start, but by the second lap in had moved up into seventh place, I was then able to pace myself and I enjoyed picking off the riders in front of me . After two Hours I finally moved into the lead. It was a good fast MX style course which suited me fine , I initially thought that I may lose out to the 450,s at this track , but my Stock KTM 250 was awesome and I was delighted to make the top steep of the podium. “ Greg , Daryl and Ed , would like to thank KTM UK , Mounter Motorcycles , Premier Bikes, and ET James and all Individual sponsors for the support...
I had a good start 2nd behind Mark Roberts after the first corner I soon passed mark knowing I had to put in some very fast laps. At the end of the first lap I had pulled a gap on mark but I could see Greg Evens catching Mark and by the end of the second lap Greg had passed Mark and was closing in on me, then near the end of the 3rd lap Greg passed me but racing together we had pulled out a 50 second over the 3rd rider Daryl Bolter. Daryl was flying and caught me just before I stopped for fuel which was a very quick stop as I left the pits Aston Bird pitted right behind me I set of as fast as I could but the burn on my arm was becoming very painful and 3 laps from the end Aston passed me, having a big lead over the next rider I rode steady to the end. I am very happy with 4th overall and to be on the podium in my class was a brilliant result, plus being the 1st 2 stroke home again was excellent . I have to see the plastic surgeon tomorrow to find out if I need a skin graft on my arm. Thanks to Meredith MX Ltd, g.j bricklaying Ltd, Hardcore Racing, My Dad and Martino.
Scotland’s Euan McConnell put in an impressive performance at the second round of the Great Britain X-Country (GBXC) series held at Baden Hall in Staffordshire yesterday. The former British Enduro E3 Champion raced his Aprilia RXV 450 to fourth position in the Pro class, following a gruelling two-and-a-half hour battle in the April sunshine. McConnell got off to a tough start after being caught in a bottleneck section of the track and ended the first lap in 17th position. However, the Scot was determined not to give up the fight and set about working his way consistently through the pack, gaining several positions with every lap. An exciting battle with Tom Sager towards the end of the race saw McConnell leave his rival for dust as he gained his final two places to finish in fourth. “I had a really bad start to the race,” explained McConnell. “I was probably one of the last riders off the line. Then there were two tight corners which were clogged with traffic, but I managed to get through, then pass a group of riders and I was in about 17th position as I raced around the lake and towards the rest of the course. “The ground was hard packed and bumpy to ride, but overall the course was fast, which suited the Aprilia perfectly. On the first lap I crashed and went over the handlebars twice, before picking myself up and battling on. I kept passing riders and by the end of the first lap I was 11th overall. “I just kept going, and as I rode on I felt how much I could push the bike. Over the two-and-a-half hour race, I had to refuel twice because I was having to push so hard to close on the leaders. Re-fuelling did eat into my time, but I still managed to get ahead of plenty of fast riders to climb up to sixth position overall and fourth in the Pro class. “I’m pleased with my result. I think that the time I have invested in riding the bike before this race has paid off. With a month to go before the next round, I will be able to get some more time on the bike and make some changes to help with the upcoming round in Wales.” Tony Campbell, Piaggio UK Group General Manager: “Euan’s performance yesterday was very impressive. To go from 17th to fourth place shows great determination and skill and he is obviously getting on well with the bike. With another month to practice before the next race, we are very excited to see how far Euan can go”.
PAR Honda rider Lee Edmondson got off to a good start at round 2 of the GBXC series running about 8th into the first corner lee went round the outside of the second corner and moved up into 4th. Running 5th for most of the race lee moved up into 3rd overall at the half way point then he had to fuel. The track was fast and rough from the start. At about the 2 hour mark lees hands started to blister up so all he could do was try and hold on till the end. Eventually lee came home in 3rd in the prolite class and 6th overall. Lee said " I am happy with the way I rode today my riding speed is getting better each week just a shame my hands blistered up. I would like to thank my brother and Joey for all their help."
GasGas Uk Ashley Wood was best GasGas Uk riders in 7th, Gareth Hopkins in 10th (full of painkillers), Bradley King 16th and Luke Meredith (right) in 18th... nothing special but good strong results for all riders with no problems... Charlie Evans was 4th in the Expert Class. Photos by John Shirt Senior
Mark took the Holeshot at Baden Hall ahead of Matt Ridgway, Lincoln Brewster and Greg Evans. With a strong pro line up it was crucial to get a good start, doing Just that Mark found himself in 2nd place after the first lap, within a few seconds of race leader Matt Ridgway. Half way around Lap 2 Mark was caught out by the dust, not being able to see anything and crashing into a rock and having a big off, he rejoined the race in about 6th position, behind Lee Edmondson. The next 3-4 laps were spent battling with Euan Mcconnell, Euan eventually passed Mark gaining a bit of a lead. Darren Carter also went past Mark when pitting for fuel. An 8th place overall in the Pro class. Fantastic result especially after losing rhythm and places due to a big crash on the 2nd lap. A big Thank You to JKJ, C.E.L.E.C and www.Landroversalvage.com See www.freewebs.com/markmotoroberts for more info
Tom Sagar has won the first round of the 2009 GBXC series at Stourport onboard his Midwest Husaberg. Greg Evans was the first rider across the line in the shortened main race but he was disqualified for refuelling with the engine running, 4 minutes behind Tom, TM rider Phil McLaughlin was awarded 2nd & new MPS Husqvarna signing Aston Bird was 3rd. Talented newcomer Matt Ridgway was 4th. Wayne Braybrook had a great start to take the holeshot but lost his front wheel on the next corner & had a heavy fall in traffic. He did well to recover & finish in 6th. Simon Wakely had a big crash near the beginning of the race on a long straight and hit his head. He tried to keep going but his vision was funny so he decided to call it a day. Fellow MPS rider Gav Houson also retired with an electrical problem. The weather had been 4 seasons in a day & when a heavy shower arrived at the 2 hour mark the organiser decided to end the race early. Last year's winner David Knight was competing in a local race on the IOM & having his own problems . Par Honda's Lee Edmondson was the best of the "Pro lites" & 6th overall. Lincoln Brewster was the runner up & Daryl Bolter was 3rd. The next day Daryl went into Hospital With Suspected Appendicitis ! Obviously he was unhappy with way he rode yesterday, but even in great pain wanted to finish the race.. Ben Wootton from Welshpool won the Expert class with a result that would have placed him 14th overall. Robert Reese from Wrexham was the runner up. John Deakin of D3 Racing was 3rd & KB Racing Lewis Belfeild was 4th. Calem Hicks from Pontypool was the best 2T Clubman rider ahead of Scott Clifford. The 4T Clubman class was won by Mark Cheatham & Richard Tucker was the runner up. In the morning race. veteran Keith Jenkins won from Adrian Bradley. Mark Houson was thrid. Local rider Liam Garbett won the Sportsman class ahead of Chris Pryce. Ian Blackwell started his career well with a win in the Novice class & Chris Coulson was the runner up. George Bayliss won the Youth class, Gethin Humphries was 2nd & another Wootton from Welshpool - Joe - was 3rd. The Best Lady was Jane Daniels from Wigan ahead of Sophie Thomas.
Sagar's
Storm at Season Opener The GBXC (cross country series), started with a well turned out event on Sunday at Stourport on Severn. The format of the day consisted of two races, race one hosted the classes Over 40’s, Sportsman, Novice, Youth and Ladies. Tom’s dad Paul rode in the over 40’s to a well placed 21st overall. The main race, race 2 hosted classes Pro, Pro Lite, Expert, Clubman 2 stroke and Clubman 4 stroke. The Pro class was a highly contended class with riders such as Tom Greg Evans, Daryl Bolter, Si Wakely and Aston Bird all competiting in the British Enduro Championship. Tom finished 3rd overall in the GBXC series last year and was looking to improve on his performance this year. Tom didn't get the best of starts off the line, he was placed about 17th overall, Tom was pushing hard to climb up the order, by lap 4 Tom had placed himself in 2nd place behind Greg Evans on a KTM. Tom was closing the gap on Greg, with Philip McLaughlin on TM close behind Tom. Tom knew that no mistakes could be made. Unfortunately the event was cut short due to the amount rain fall, and was cut to 2 hours. Tom had been pushing hard, he had increased the gap between him and Philip to 4 minutes, but was unable to pass Greg. With the chequer flag dropped, Tom was given the news that Greg had been excluded, due to refuelling with his bike running, so Tom moved up a position to claim victory.
Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts
The opening round of the highly anticipated GBXC race series finally took place this weekend at Stourpourt on Severn. Among the 220 rider line up that took to the stage was Electraction TM UK's rider Phillip McLaughlin aboard his EN450 TM. Following on from his impressively successful debut in the Championship class at the opening round of the British Enduro championship, Phillip was keen to prove the result was no fluke. Unfazed by the 40 strong rider line up in the Pro class, he set about doing just that. Gating well off the start, he found himself at the head of the pack midway through the first lap. Passed by a hard charging Greg Evans knocked him off his rhythm, where he fell back to 6th place by refuelling. After a swift and efficient pit stop by his team he set about making a charge back up through the field, steadily picking off riders as the laps ticked by. With signs of severe weather closing in, event organisers announced that the race distance would be shortened to two hours instead of the scheduled three. Getting an earlier than expected last lap pit board, "Factory" Phil gave one last final push for home to cross the line in a fantastic 3rd place. He would later be promoted to 2nd place on the rostrum after a technicality that saw race winner Greg Evans disqualified. "Today's race worked out really well and I'm delighted with the result", commented Phil afterwards. "Maybe I was a little surprised to find myself in the lead so soon and got a little tensed up, but a slick pit stop recharged me. Finding a 2nd wind, I was able to dig deep and push hard to the flag. I feel bad for Greg, he rode great but either way I made the podium, so I'm chuffed. I'd like to thank everyone on the team that's been helping me this year but especially Nick Craigie and the Paget family" Phil hopes for the good results to continue as he prepares for the opening round of the World Enduro championship in Portugal on March 21st. Electraction TMUK is supported by Moonraker Masonary, Gannomat UK, Kleenrite, HydraMaster and CCM Racing, with product support from Fox Racing, Renthal, Elf Lubricants, Metzeler, MotoShox suspension and Lappin Performance.
Matt Ridgway
continued his run of top class results at the GBXC on his Meredith Suzuki
RM 250. Lining up on the
front row alongside the top Pro Enduro riders there was a long wait while
the organizers moved the large crowd back from the tapes for their safety. After
refuelling Matt rejoined the race in 4th position after Greg
Evans was excluded for refuelling with his engine running. Matt set of
after Aston Bird closing to within 2 bike lengths when a lapped rider sent
Matt into the trees losing some ground. The weather was against Matt when
the heavens opened just before the 2 hour mark. Steve Ireland deciding to
reduce the race to 2 hours which ended Matt’s chance of a podium
position. Matt commented
that he was very satisfied with the result in the first round of the GBXC.
Especially because the first 3 riders are all competing in this year’s
World Enduro Championship, 4th position was a very good result
as I am new to these events.Also being the first 2 stroke home was a very
satisfying result. Proving that the switch from motor cross this year was
a good move. Matt is still working to improve the bike setup for these type of events but enjoying the new challenge and the friendly atmosphere between riders. Matt would to thank Meredith Moto Cross Ltd for his Suzuki RM 250. All the team and Jack Stringer for Matt’s photos. Matt’s next event is 22nd March at Midwest Championship 1st round Chevenage Farm. The first round of the GBXC championship was held on Sunday at Stourport on Severn. The tight and bumpy circuit greeted a total entry of over 500 competitors to a day of mixed weather and eventually heavy rain. The MPS Husqvarna team suffered mixed fortunes at what was expected to be a good day for all! Aston Bird had his first taste of the TC450 Husqvarna in battle, and brought the open class bike home in a fine third place, despite having to pit 3 times for fuel with the small capacity tank. Simon Wakely did not fare so well, having an enormous crash after the first hour and then suffering from double vision (and not just when seeing his manager!) ; Simon had to withdraw from the race. Gavin Houson was having a fine ride in 2nd place in the Prolite class on his CR125 until his modified ignition cried enough and left him stranded out on the course and he registered a dnf. Father Mark Houson upheld family honour by finishing third in the Vets class on his TC250 model. Well done to all concerned, the next big outing for the Team is the world enduro championships in Portugal and Spain in 2 weeks time, and we wish them every good fortune out there in the WEC.
Ollie Moyce - Midwest Husaberg report Photo Jack Stringer With a strong pro line up it was crucial to get away fast. I didn't have the best start but made my way through the pack on the first few corners and by the end of the first lap was running in about 7th. At the moment I am struggling with severe arm pump at the start of XC events so really struggled to push early. After 3 or 4 laps I had a small incident whilst trying to pass a rider causing me to crash and lose a considerable amount of places. I had to then re-adjust and relax resulting in less arm pump and much more control. I felt good for the second half of the race, pushed hard and pulled back through the field finishing in 7th. Thought it was a great event and cant wait for the next one. Hopefully the weather will allow it to run the full duration. Thanks to Midwest Husaberg UK, Renthal, Putoline Oils, Airoh Helmets, ISO2 Nutrition, Carbone Lorraine, Scott Goggles, Metzeler tyres, Twin Air, Regina, TCX and Jackson Rowe.
Scotland's Euan McConnell has raced his Aprilia RXV 450 to finish the first round of the Great Britain X-Country (GBXC) national series held at Coney Green Farm in Worcestershire on the weekend. The enduro rider finished the shortened race in 12th position overall. Over 220 riders contested in the first round of the championship with the off road circuit combining tight woodland tracks and open grass fields. The changing conditions saw the competitors faced with sunshine, rain and then snow, and as a result, it was cut from a two-and-a-half hour event, to a shortened two-hour race. "It was my first cross country event on the Aprilia," explained McConnell the former E3 British Enduro Champion. "The course was good with plenty of varied terrain, although it was really rough and bumpy to ride after the track was cut up after the first race. "I didn't have a good start and then I worked hard trying to make up places, which was tough as the track was crowded with riders. As I made progress I then got stuck behind slower riders which held me up and I just kept passing slower riders to make up time. "Before the event I only made one modification to the bike which was to change the foot pegs to Raptor Racing titanium foot pegs. In light of the muddy conditions this was a good decision as they are made to keep the pegs clear of mud. "I found the Aprilia great to ride. It performed faultlessly throughout the event and I'm keen to get some more time to ride it before the next event in April." Tony Campbell, Piaggio UK Group General Manager: "The weather obviously made this course tougher than usual, and combined with the fact it was Euan's first Cross Country event on Aprilia his ranking shows he is obviously becoming more accustomed to the bike. We are looking forward to April and hopefully drier conditions"
PAR Honda rider lee Edmondson has won round 1 of the high profile GBXC series. Coming from a very bad start Lee was down in 25th place after lap 1. Each lap he was coming though the field of very good pro riders picking one by one off. He fueled 90 mins into the race knowing that he could push hard for the last hour. A heavy rain storm came down so the organisers had to shorten the race down to 2 hours. Lee had the last lap pit signal from his pit crew to push hard so he did catching and passing 2 riders on the very last lap he put in his fastest lap of the race. Coming over the finishing line he had moved up all the way to win the prolite class. After the race lee said " I had a very bad start so I had to come though the field which was hard work it's a shame they had to cut the race short as I felt I was getting faster. I would like to thank steve , paul and the gbxc team for putting on a great event. Also par homes, joey and sade for making it all possible " The first round of the gbxc series was held at stourport today. It was my first ride in the pro class. the pro class had now been split into two classes - pro "open" and pro "lites" but with both classes starting together the first row of the afternoon race start was certainly packed with the uks best cross country and enduro racers. The track had abit of everything with woodland sections on a hill and flowing fields with rain hitting the track on and off all day long. I got off to a bad start but managed to push my way through and finish lap 1 in the top 15. I picked off another couple of places in the following laps and was around the top 10 and having a great race with oli moyce, jon hinam, jason fraser, tim forman and luke merredith. I pitted after an hour and a 1/4 but lost quite abit of time with a difficult pit stop. i rejoined the race just in front of dylan jones and rode the rest of the race - which was shortened to 2 hours - swapping places but dylan just beat me to the flag. i finished in 13th pro open and 17th overall. Once again i would like to thank all my sponsors and everyone who helped me this week especially mum and dad, my sister Zoe, Steve plain, John Shirt, Danielle Hall and Rob Sartin. plus my uncle tony for king sporting my bike. Brad king - enduro and hare scrambles on GAS GAS UK EC250 - www.freewebs.com/bradking25 - supported by K4OFFROAD, TALON, STEVE PLAIN M/CS, MICHELIN, GAERNE, NAU, RENTHAL, MOTUL, KRIEGA, ROGERSHILL RACEWAY AND RUSH RACING. This was the second full Team outing for the Steve Plain Managed GAS GAS UK Enduro Team and we had some good solid results with all Team riders pushing hard and all having respectable results. In the main afternoon race Wayne Braybrook holeshotted the race with an awesome start on his EC300. The new Michelin S12 provided the launch Wayne needed to get to the first corner ahead of the charging pack. This was short lived as Wayne went down hard at the next corner where he was bulldozed by Mark Roberts and also nearly by his GG Team mate Luke Meredith on his EC200 who then found himself leading the first lap !! Go on lad.... Wayne started flat last with no front mudguard and a badly twisted front end, but casually remounted straightened the gasser and set off after the pack. No fuss just got on with the job in hand to recover after his crash ;-) After the usual first lap chaos, Greg Evans led the race with Tom Sagar and Phil Mclaughlan in hot persuit. Ashley Wood was the first GGUK rider after the first lap in approx 6th place with Wayne next who had pulled through really well. Bradley King (GG) was pushing hard, with GG Teamsters Luke Meredith and Gareth Hopkins (still struggling with a bad shoulder) all in the top 15 or so... At the planned half way fuel stop both Wayne and Ashley pitted together and spent the next hour of the race nearly holding hands! As the rain came down again the organisers cut the race to 2 hours. I gave all the lads the 'one lap more' signal and they pushed hard for yet another 12 minutes. Wayne crashed again on the last lap letting Ashley and Lee Eddy past to lose 5th place. Still Wayne can be proud to have started flat last and to finish 6th in the Pro Class....not bad for a 39 year old who hardly ever rides ! So at the finish Team GGUK had Ashley Wood best GG in the Pro Class finishing 5th, Wayne 6th, Bradley King 13th and Gareth Hopkins 19th. Luke Meredith was 6th in the Pro Lite Class and SPGG Rider Charlie Evans finished 8th in the Experts. Charlie was charging hard and was gutted the race was shortened.. Ross Danby (Team JST GGUK Trial Rider) enjoyed himself and finished 16th in the Experts on his EC200...
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GBXC Round 4 - Devon 7th June
Mark
Roberts
GBXC
Rd3- 3rd May - Maeshafn
MPS
Husqvarna Report
Lee
Edmondson's Strong 2nd at Round 3
Phil Fights For Fifth
Report
by Robert Lynn
"I
had to work hard for it today", reflected Phil afterwards. " I
got off to a good start and was well placed early on but due to the delay
in the start I hadn't warmed myself up properly beforehand and quickly
struggled to hold on with arm pump. Luckily my pit crew spotted this and I
got an earlier call than I expected for my fuel stop which gave me a
chance to relax myself. It did the trick and from then on I was able to
put my head down and ride like I wanted to. Unfortunately I just came up
short at the flag for fourth!"
McConnell
suffers crash but manages a top six finish at GBXC
Matt
Ridgway report from the 3rd GBXC Photos
Martin Harding
Brad
king - enduro and hare scrambles on GAS GAS UK EC250 - www.freewebs.com/bradking25
- supported by K4OFFROAD, TALON, STEVE PLAIN M/CS, MICHELIN, GAERNE, NAU,
RENTHAL, MOTUL, KRIEGA, ROGERSHILL RACEWAY AND RUSH RACING.
Daryl
Bolter wins GBXC rd2 Photos by Martin Harding
Matt
Ridgway
McConnell
battles into fourth for Aprilia
EDMONDSON
PODIUMS AT GBXC RD 2 photo courtesy of lee
leightwood
JKJ
Kawasaki Mark Roberts
Tom wins GBXC rd1
Photo Jack Stringer
Results 
Tom commented “Obviously I am pleased to win the event but its in
unfortunate circumstances, the track was brilliant, a fast flowing event.
Again the bike ran like a dream, unfortunately I got a stick stuck in my
back brake, which I had to stop and get out, but overall I’m happy with
my bike and my performance. Obviously this event is really good training
for me as I have the World Enduro Championship starting now in two weeks.” 
The team sends grateful thanks to all sponsors and helpers.
