|
enduro
news |
|
|
Gas Gas UK XC Series |
|
|
FAST EDDY'S RELENTLESS! "Once again the rain tried to dampen the spirits at the latest WOR events production, the GAS GAS XC championship, round 2 at the superb TYFOS Estate in North Wales. Once again the wet stuff failed!! Two quality XC events ran on time and to the usual Standards that this class leading club always run to. The circuit to be fair, although very slippy after torrential overnight rain, remained totally ride able and offered the riders a very varied circuit indeed with technical woodland, awesome open mountainside and some fast forest roads. It was a shame that the rain came down and made things trickier than they need have been because on the day before (sat) the course was bone dry with powdered berms and loamy, peaty soil. All said and done though all of the riders crossed the finished line with a smile and a handshake for the clerk of the course. Testament to yet another great WOR event. The usual 2 race format catered for all categories and had the intermediate race start at 9.30 am and the pro race start at 12.30pm. The clubs ban on noisy four stroke MX pipes (and noisy unpacked 2 ts) is certainly working as several riders were simply turned away and not allowed to ride as their machines did not comply with the new zero tolerance rules that WOR have established. This is very positive move forward for the sport and one that will surely take a few more disappointed riders before the riding public finally understand the logic behind it.
Top rider was Allan Hopwood with another solid ride in the over 40's class. Second place over 40 was Dave Ellis, Ellis however did struggle with his bike for the duration of the event and was not on his usual pace. Husky mounted Kev Humphries was third. On his 16th birthday the ever improving Sportsman rider, Ben Ball (left) took a great class win and a superb 2nd overall in the entire race. Runner up sportsman was Paul Englan with Darren Heyes taking a very well deserved bronze. The best lady rider of the morning session went to Kate Lloyd on her CF racing GG125. Kate had been trailing a fair bit behind young Jane Daniels but a mechanical DNF put an end to Daniels day. In the always competitive youth class it was Gethin Humphries that took a very impressive win from the flying 85 of Joe Wootton. George Knowles was a solid 3rd place on his 125 Suzuki. Top Novice rider was Gareth Lewis with a sportsman level result and a clear winning margin from Ollie Coop in the runners up position. Final place on the winner's rostrum in the Novice class was Carl Thomas. With results and presentation complete within 5 minutes of the finishing rider all was set for the main event and the Pro's to go out and show what they were made of. Results
The Afternoon race at WOR now has an Elite class (pro's) and after a
slow start has now picked up and is totally worthy of it involvement as
some of the best riders in the UK took on the GGXC challenge. One of these
riders is one of the best riders in the World never mind the UK and simply
cruised to a start to finish win. That Rider is Paul Edmondson. Riding the
RELENTLESS Suzuki RM 250 2t, Edmondson showed that nearing 40 years of age
that he still has and probably always will have t
As always the clubman class is super competitive and the 3 youngsters that usually top the class have a combined age of less than 50!! Third place went to Owain Humphries and was fully deserved as he leapt past his rival Daffyd Jones on the final hill decent to take a 5 second advantage and the bronze award. Runner was the always consistent Jamie Robinson, who was 3 minutes down on the smooth and flowing class winner Gary Daniels. Both Daniels and Robinson were on 11 circuits to their credit. In the over 35 Championship Veterans it was once again the ever green Jack Twentyman with a convincing class win. Jack finished 3 minutes clear of the hard charging Ian Barnett who in turn was a fair way ahead of third placed Darren Griffiths. Richard Main seemed to be having an off day but still came in a strong 4th.
The morning race ran for 2 hours and 40 minutes and the Pm race ran for 3hours and 10 minutes so once again the riders had been given their fill by the enthusiastic and always professional WOR events team. Results WOR' next event is on the weekend of 10/11 May and sees the Junior FMF series rnd2 and the MICHELIN Fast Cross round 1 unfold at Carrog, Near Corwen. Gas Gas release Wayne Braybrook finished runner up to Paul Edmondson at Yesterdays GG Sponsored WOR Event near Llandrillo in Wales. Wayne has not ridden an Enduro bike since the Tough One back in January and thoroughly enjoyed the race and cruised to a comforable second place. Yet again it was a wet event which suits the ultra smooth power of the Gassers with their torquey motors and plush suspension. Add this to Waynes incredible talent in these conditions he hardly broke into a sweat. He had a bad start whereas Eddy got the holeshot and by the time Wayne got into second Eddy had a good lead. Wayne always gets better as the race goes on and was looking the fastest in the last half hour. The two Buxton Boys Luke Meredith (GG EC250) and Chay Granbee (GG EC300) were 3rd and 6th respectively in the Expert Class. Luke rode a good race and his strength is now returning after breaking his scafoid. Congrats to Eddy for the win and Thanks to WOR for a superb event. POST SCRIPT A minutes silence was held on the start line of the pro race for the very sad passing of one of WOR's best friends and sportsmen. Expert rider and semi pro Rugby Player, Aled Evans (29) was tragically injured in a work related fall and passed away on April 20th. He will never be forgotten and a memorial Enduro will run every year in Aled's name from 2009. Race winner Paul "Fast Eddy" Edmondson whom had visited Aled in Hospital the previous week with Steve Ireland dedicated his awesome race win to ALED. RIP mate from all at WOR! x
"SERIES KICKS OFF WITH A CRACKER!" "It was all systems go for the WOR Events team yesterday (last Sunday) as the 1st round of the organisations Race Series kicked off with the GAS GAS X Country championship and a full field of riders were out to support the event. Returning to a two race format after a winter of just a single event on a race day had the mood very high in the paddock as the split of the races means that a 2 hour race runs in the morning for the Sportsman, Novice, Youth and Over 40 and then the 2.5hr event in the afternoon looks after the Elite, Experts, Clubman and Championships Veterans. Heavy overnight rain had left the place very wet underfoot but blue sky's and some sunshine ensured that within a few hours the track had become awesome and fully rideable. The venue is awesome and offered the riders a challenging 5.2 mile circuit that had just about everything that a good multi lap, Short Course Enduro event should have, including rolling open moor land, tight and technical forest sections, rocky lanes and some stream crossings for good measure. The parking even turned out ok in the end and judging by the happy faces on the riders as they were leaving the venue a great day had been enjoyed by all. Some great racing took place over the two races with some new and familiar names taking the spoils. 2.5HR EVENT: This event had some new and technical going added in that the AM race did not have……………. A proper Enduro Challenge. Jason Thomas, One of the UK's top XC riders was in superb form as he led from lap one and produced a very determined ride indeed to secure his overall win. Jason was riding as a guest on Steve Ireland's SHERCO 450 and seemed to gel really well with the bike and looked in flying form on the smooth 4 banger. However Thomas did have some problems and the fact that he still won and beat off some very strong challenges is a testament to the rider's ability. First off Thomas lost the back brake on the machine in the second lap then he bent the gear lever right back to the foot peg on lap 4, somehow he just kept on pushing , even changing gear with his hand on the mountain sections to take the events top place. Jason commented at the end that it was one of the hardest races he had ever done because of riding with the two disabilities and he was glad to see the chequered flag. Young KAWASAKI mounted Mark Roberts was second in the Elite class with a top notch ride. Mark has been training over the winter and it is certainly paying off for him now as he is developing into a fine scrambles rider with a very fast approach. Mark put over 3 minutes in-between himself and third placed Elite rider, Lincoln Brewster, that in it's self shows how well the season has started for Roberts, coming after his Expert class win at the GBXC a few weeks ago. Brewster on his KBR GASGAS 300 was once again consistent and smooth all over the welsh mountainside.
The highly competitive Clubman class was dominated by the three young Hare Scramble starlets that are Lewis Belfield (1st), Jamie Robinson (2nd) and Gary Daniels (3rd). These 3 are very much up and coming experts and ride with a lot of maturity for their modest count of years. Belfield's advantage over Robinson was almost the same as Robinsons' over Daniels come the end with all three finishing on 10 laps. Great Racing and well earned trophies. The always competitive championship veterans were out in force for this first round and with an Over 35 and an Over 45 class there were lots to challenge for. In the over 35's Jack Twentyman simply blitzed away from the rest and took a brilliant 7 minute advantage over second placed Richard Main. Ian Barnett was third and took the final podium place. The provisional results that came out for this over 35 class at the end of the event had some glitches in them as a mix up had occurred, Once the timing team had had chance to analyse the data on Sunday evening the top 3 were easily established even though the awards had gone to the wrong people on the day, the important championship points have not! All three of the top Over 35's completed 10 laps as did 4th placed Chris Roberts.
THE 2HR EVENT: Starting the day's proceedings was the very well supported 2hr GAS GAS XC series. The circuit was at its wettest and most challenging for these guys and girls and they all bravely took on the challenge and ended up enjoying a much drier track by the halfway mark. Topping the race overall was Over 40's racer Allan Hopwood. Hoppy had had a very late night coming from his birthday party but it did not stop him revelling in the conditions. Allan took the class win by 2.25 minutes on 9 laps from 2nd placed Kenny Belfield. Belfield (boss of team KBR) was flying early on but lack of bike fitness saw him tire slightly towards the end allowing the "Hopster" to get away. 3rd place went to the super smooth Dave Ellis on his screaming little KTM 125. The Sportsman group was topped by the ever improving Aaron Tiley. Tiley the road racer showing he can also do it in the dirt. Aaron topped the class with 43 second advantage over Ryan Faulks in second and and a 51 second advantage over 3rd placed Stephen Thornton. Novice victory was achieved by a Jaraslav Ceri whom easily took a 1 lap advantage in the class. 2nd podium novice was Colin Bott with Glyn Boughton in 3rd. Best lady was the hard charging Kate Lloyd on her little 150 Honda with 6 laps and a top 7 novice finish to her credit. Gethin Humprhies on his KTM 125 was a good 6 minutes clear of little Joe Wootton although Joe matched Gethins laps with the pair finishing on nine each. The final podium place went to George Knowles on his flying SUZUKI 125. The youth riders all put on a very good show early on when they had to take on the wet grassy test type fields. And so…. The season is off to a cracking start for the WOR Events team and riders alike. A quality start to a very busy season of events and run with the same high standards that you would expect from the countries leading events promoters. WOR' s next events are on the 15/16th March with the start of 2 new Championships…The TRAILTECH DARK ONE'S and the MICHELIN FAST CROSS…..more details at www.worevents.com "Congratulations to Team KB Racing for their efforts yesterday at the 1st Round of the WOR/GG Race Series... Kenny Belfield was 2nd in the Over 40s. Lewis Belfield won the Clubman. Lincoln Brewster was 3rd in the Elite... Well done to all" Cheers Shirty
THE PM 2.5 HOUR EVENT Results "Wayne Braybrook was back on a bike in a competitive environment for the first time since having a play at the Welsh Two Day Enduro. It has been a quiet year riding wise for GG UK's Top rider as work and family commitments have taken priority, however it was throttle to the stop on Sunday in Rd 4 of the Gas Gas Motos UK XC series for Braybrook as he took a brilliant win on his 300 2 stroke. The circuit and weather were both awesome and the flowing mountain based loop had everyone shaking the clerk of the course's hand at the end. The track was perfection and with rolling hills and massive jumps everywhere, was not really the type of going to suit one of the Worlds best Extreme Enduro Riders but Braybrook just simply adjusted to the conditions and led the main event from start to finish in a very smooth and relaxed style. With the nature of the circuit being fast for everyone it makes it a harder race to win because all of the riders are going well so for a "Rusty" Braybrook to come in and win the event really deserves some credit.
So the onto the Clubman 2 stroke class and once again it was the Young Harry Hillas that stormed the class with another quality ride. Only 37 seconds separated Hillas from 2nd placed man, Aled Humphreys. Filling the podium in 3rd spot was Lewis Belfield in the Clubman for the first time and showing how much he has improved in the last 6 months. All the top two stroke Clubman did 13 laps. The Clubman 4t riders had Lee Essex in a fine 3rd place and Jim Buchanan in 2nd position and Lewis Cutter took the spoils with a lap advantage at the top of the class. The over 35's category is always very competitive and was no different on Sunday as Rob Morris (Betws Beta 450) took the 3rd place trophy on 13 laps but had to give way to two ex mx guys who certainly can still motor. Jack Twentyman being one of those guys and he secured 2nd place only 40 seconds down on the class winner, Richard Main. Richard really had the bit between his teeth and suited the fast circuit to perfection with his Yam 250 certainly on full song. Over in the over 45's class it was the Ray Whittal show and the Shrewsbury based rider fully deserved his overall class win. Always there or thereabouts Whittal (GG300) has had some bad luck over the last few months but on Sunday he led the race from start to finish and did so in a really smooth and committed way. Dave smith was in second place just under a minute down on Whittal and 3rd went to the always-smiling local farmer Rob Edwards. A mix up at the end had seen Smith awarded another lap by accident as he passed lap scoring from the pits after the race and that meant a trophy presentation mix up too with poor Mr Whittal missing his moment of glory on the podium. However it was Ray that took the spoils. In the sportsman class it was Russel Wooley in 3rd place with Rob Ellis in 2nd and Steven Hughes out in front in first place by managing to get an extra lap in on Wooley and Ellis. THE 2HR MORNING EVENT Results The 2 hr race that started on Sunday morning was a cracker with as in the afternoon race a fast and flowing circuit with not too many tough sections to hamper the riders. Josh Taylor (Yam 125) put on a splendid display of riding and took not only the youth class win but the morning event overall with a brilliant 10 laps to his credit. Gary Daniels was second in class and 2nd overall nearly 2 minutes down on Taylor. Tom Beedles was 3rd in class and 3rd overall in the race, this remarkably shows the depth in talent in the youth class at WOR when the top 3 riders in the class top the event overall and this from starting at the back of the start line too…quite amazing really. Well done to those young riders. Emma Clack had some bad luck early on in the race and showed true metal to chase down Kate Lloyd and Georgina Hayhurst and take a fine win. Hayhurst finished in second place as early race leader Lloyd got the woods section wrong and through her lead away. Tom Potter took the Sportsman class win from Jamie Carrol and Lee Cotterill although Potter and Caroll were a lap clear at the end of the race. Novice spoils went to Yamaha Mounted Ben Ball with Liam Clarke in second place and Paul Hughes in 3rd place. Finally in the beginners class it was Guy hemmings in 3rd place with Dave Sarson in second and a brilliant win for Young Jack Evans who had problems at the start but battled on at some pace to take his class win. So once again another quality WOR Events production had taken place with a safe and well-organized day of racing. The GAS GAS MOTOS UKXC final round takes place on October 21st and remember one lucky rider wins a brand new 2008 GG of their choice, The next WOR Event is at a fantastic new circuit that race boss Steve Ireland thinks is "The Best yet!" and it takes place THIS COMING WEEKEND 18/19th August on the B4391 near Llanfyllin. The event is open to anyone and is not part of a championship. Saturday is a Race ExP Day and the Sunday sees a 2-hour event in the morning and a 3-hr event in the afternoon. Entries open for this event today via IAN on 07944378432 or entries@worevents.com
This was the 3rd round of the hugely popular GAS GAS MOTOS UK XC series and was once again very well supported. GAS GAS MOTOS UK boss man John Shirt Jnr was around on the Sunday and was suitably impressed with GAS GAS display area and the KB Racing set up that was promoting his brand admirably. The Saturday had seen one of the WOR RED's (race exp days) take place which was packed to the rafters with newcomers and riders out to generally enjoy themselves and get some great practice and ride time under their belts. The Sunday was the serious stuff with a 2 hour inter level event in the morning preceding the main 2.5hr open race. The championship is now more than half way and it's turned out to be a cracker so far. WOR Events have released the positions after 3 rounds along with this race report so well done so far to class leaders and front runners.
Rudy Austin on his Honda 4t (he rides a 2t in the fast eddys) is always neat and tidy and he fully deserved his class win. The 4t top 3 all did 8 laps and after some early lead changes and swaps Jim Barrie finished second and the king of Buffoonery Mark Cheetham took a well-deserved 3rd. Nice to see Cheetham back racing after a nasty hand injury (crushed at work!!). The over 35's had Richard Main in a strong 3rd place which is enough to put him in the overall lead in his class with 8 laps. Second place on the day went to Dave Carthy also on 8 laps. However the man to beat was the on song Anthony Crowe. The Cumbrian based Husky 125 rider was simply flying and did 9 laps to take the class spoils.
The event if anything got easier towards the end with new lines appearing in the woods and full credit goes to the gallant sportsman riders that made up the top three positions. To be fair these riders are on Clubman pace and will surely be promoted to the higher ranks very shortly by the keen eye of race boss Steve Ireland. The top man was Young Barnaby Moore who has literally come up through the WOR ranks and is an accomplished rider indeed. Second place was Dylan Taylor and 3rd Neil Hawksey. Moore did a clubman level 9 laps with Taylor and Hawksey on 8 a piece.
The novice class was well supported and saw KB racing's rider Lewis Belfield take a well earned win from his competitors and knock out a result that will soon see him moving up the WOR ladder. Belfield held off the challenge of the ever-improving Ieuan Brooks and 3rd placed Tim Buckland. Lewis on his GG 300 was just over a minute ahead of Brooks who was in turn 20 secs ahead of Buckland. The beginners are always competitive even on the first rung of the structure. Jack Evans took the win on a fine 8 lap with Tom Potter 2nd and Adam Jenkins 3rd. With two sportsman classes running, one AM and one PM it was Young Kawasaki mounted Jamie Carrol that put in a great ride leading from start to finish and pulling over a 6-minute advantage from Gareth Jones. Jones getting better and better as each meet goes by..Not bad for 40 something beginner!!!! 3rd place went Lee Cotterill a further 2 mins down on Jones. And so another quality WOR Events production drew to a close and the riders and spectators left the venue all having had a great day. On time, presentations done, weather who cares anymore and looking forward to the next event. WOR'S next event is this coming Weekend 2/3 June at another brand new venue on the mid/north Wales border. A non-championship event with a 2-hr morning race and a 3-hour PM race. This race is the second of a 3-week period for WOR were they have a meeting every week. The commitment of the WOR team is simply the best at this time and with their 10th birthday looming, here's to another 10…. Results 2.5hr 2hr Standing after 3 rounds 2.5hr 2hr
"PAUL BOLTON & YOUNG SCOTT HUGHES STAR AT ROUND 2" "Sunshine and Dust was the order of the day at the latest WOR Events production at the superb Maeshafn venue in Mold last Sunday. The event was round 2 of the very well supported GAS GAS MOTOS UK XC series, A 5 round cross-country championship sponsored by one of the countries leading bike importers. At the end of the series a lucky competitor from the championship will win a brand new Gas Gas EC 2t of their choice…. Just by having their race number drawn from a lot. Stuff like this really keeps this club at the forefront of "giving something back" to the sport and riders. The series is attracting a lot of interest and the vast numbers of newcomers is a refreshing fact along with the seasoned riders that have committed to the championship. The track was a bumpy, dusty, demanding 5-mile loop that had just about everything in it bar the usual WOR bog! With so much dry weather of late, the baked hard ground eventually turned into a powdered sandy consistency that offered grip as well as some big banked berms. As an outsider the track looked fun to ride but from talking to the exhausted riders around the pit area and at the end of the event the circuit was a tough one with concentration and rock avoidance the paramount factors. Riders did enjoy the challenge though and many a brown dust colored face shook the clerk of the course's hand on the passing of the checkered flag.
The 4t class was topped by Rudy Austin with nearly a clear one-minute advantage of 2nd placed man Jim Bucanan. Third went to Ben Haycock a further minute down on Bucanan.
In the sportsman class Dylan Taylor took the win from Lee Jones whom in turn placed ahead of Neil Hawksey. The top three all within a minute of each other.
Sportsman rider Jamie Carrol topped the group with a great ride that saw Andy Myers and Ashley Jones squashed into 2nd and 3rd respectively. Edward Briscoe followed by Ben Ball and Lewis Belfield filled the top 3 places in the Novice class and soon all will move to sportsman as their riding skills improve event by event. Nice to see as they are all young lads that add to this growing surge of talent at WOR of riders under 18. Finally in the beginners class the top 3 seemed to be riding out of class by completing 10 laps and maybe should have been in the novice or sportsman class instead. 1st was David Frisby followed by Tom Potter and Jack Evans. So another fine weekend had been had and the two stars of the show, Paul Bolton and Scott Hughes could sit back and relax on Sunday evening in the knowledge that they were quite simply the best on the day. WOR's next event is on Wednesday night (2.5.07) as they run round 1 of the 4 round "CF RACING" welsh summer hare and hounds series back at the superb Maeshafn track, although on a totally new and fresh course. The famous MOTUL OIL GBHS also starts next weekend (12/13th May) and so starts the exciting period that lays ahead for the hardworking WOR Events team.
ROWLANDS ROMPING WEEKEND Results 2.5hr Rowland Morris the Young farmer from Meifod, had an unbelievable
weekend at Nantmawr Quarry. Not content with winning the Trail Tech Dark One in
style on the Saturday night, The 22 year old WOR sponsored Gas`Gas 250 rider
(left) then took the overall win in round 1 of the new 2007 GAS GAS MOTOS UK XC series
on the Sunday afternoon. Riding with a style and determination that is gaining
him a lot of fans at the moment, the likeable lad knocked out 11 of the day's
fastest laps. After leading from the start then chasing Paul Bolton for a bit
(Bolton lost his back brake) and had to settle for another 3rd place finish,
Rowland then held off the challenge of Lincoln Brewster to take first place.
Once again a GAS GAS 1,2,3 topped the podium overall and shows how these
remarkable machines can cope with the rigours of cross country racing, In fact
with Conan Mayman in a strong 4th place it was top 4 for the Spanish marque.
The circuit was fantastic, dry and dusty in places, with brilliant woodlands
and flowing mountain passes. It really is one of the aces in the WOR events
pack of venues. Rocky technical woods slowed the riders down to trials pace in
some places and Morris and Bolton feet up in here two gears up on other riders
were a joy to watch. In the Clubman 2t as usual the ever Ian Barnett as usual made the podium in the over 35 class with a solid third place. Barnett finishing just behind Richard Main (nearly 2 minutes). Main was flying early on and showed his experience of dirt bike riding with a well deserved trophy. The win in class went to the evergreen Jack Twentyman. Jack took the win by over two minutes and all the top 3 finished on 12 laps. The older guys in the over 45's had a real battle and the top two at the end were only 2 seconds apart after nearly 3 hours racing. The win went to Dave Smith although Colin Jones at such a short distance behind would prefer to call it a draw. However there has to be a winner and Smith took the honours. 3rd went to Gareth Lloyd, out on his new Gas Gas 300 for the first time and seemingly enjoying it with a strong podium finish. The as always well supported sportsman class had Lee Jones from near Corwen in 3rd place with Gareth Roberts , also Corwen based only 7 seconds ahead of him in second position. The win going to Stefan Kojs with a good 3 minute advantage. All top 3 sportsmen were on 11 laps. So the first round of the series is out the way, run with top notch organisation as always and a cracking atmosphere around the venue. The star of the weekend was Rowland Morris and the weather at last stayed kind to the riders and organisers alike. A footnote must be made though….as we were leaving the venue a torrential snow storm with high winds ascended on the quarry and left a coating of white everywhere very quickly indeed, just what the" wind or rain " events team needed as they started to clear up the place. Well done again WOR. Results 2hr
2 HOUR INTERMEDIATE CROSS COUNTRY EVENT SUNDAY MORN. "After a night of terrible winds and some substantial rain the course was in unbelievably good condition. The strong winds had certainly damaged the tapes and course markers but it had also removed any signs of the rain and left the loop in perfect shape. Round 1 of the Gas Gas MOTOS UK XC series was about to start. Just one of multi prestigious championship calendar that WOR have running throughout this year. The track maintenance team were out and about at the break of dawn to go and fix all the ropes and tapes and by a quarter to ten the first riders group were away and the racing had begun. The well supported entry for this 2 hour race series for intermediate level riders was given a challenging but totally enjoyable and ride able near 6 mile circuit that was taking around 15-25 minutes a lap depending on ability. The winner in the ever growing and popular ladies class was the 2006 MOTUL GBHS champion, Sophie Thomas. Little Sophie travelling all the way from Devon again to get her dirt bike fix. Sophie was a superb 8 minutes clear of new WOR lady rider, Emma Clack. Emma finishing in a strong second place from final podium visitor Jane Daniels. Thomas and Clack doing an extra lap to Daniels. In the novice class the 3rd place trophy went to Rob Lambert who was only 30 seconds behind 2nd placed Youngster Ben Ball. Ball had ridden with a rear puncture for over 1 hour so well deserved his trophy and podium place. The spoils in the class went to Rhodri Ellis. All the top 3 were on 8 laps. In the beginners John Roberts was third with Iuean Brooks and Jack Evans ahead of him. Jack taking a clear win on 9 laps and a result that should not have seen him in the beginner class really. Well done to him though. Onto the Youth class and the determined young souls that just take anything that is thrown at them. Tom Beedles from the family of three including dad that ride was a well deserved podium visitor in 3rd place. Second went to a great ride from Josh Taylor. These two were on 8 laps. The win in class and a really fast solid ride went to Scott Hughes on his KTM 125 with a blistering 9 laps and a fantastic second overall in the whole race. Scott has really improved over the last 12 months and I'm sure will be around for a long time to come in this sport. Finally onto the sportsman class and the top rider in here was the morning race winner as well. Richard Buckley took nine laps and put them under his belt on his Honda with Jamie Carroll in second place also on 9 laps. 3rd place went to Lee Cotterill on 8 laps. At the finish point I was stood by chequered flag and could here the riders praising the course with different comments. It just shows the difference when the ground underfoot is not wet. With the curse of the bad weather behind them now lets hope that the WOR team get some better weather for the rest of the coming year, It goy so bad a one stage with the rain just seemingly to pick on the WOR`team that Steve Ireland jokingly renamed the club, Wind or Rain events. I was worried that was starting to come true but Sunday stayed fine and dry, apart from, can you believe it…snow!! WOR's next event is at a brand new venue on 1st April in Ruthin, N Wales and is not a championship round just a normal multi lap event for all classes. The time card Enduro `event for the 15th of April is filling nicely and anyone interested in getting a place in this event is urged to do so sooner rather than later as the 150 limit will soon be reached. More details and info at www.worevents.com Gas Gas Motos UK Cross Country Series 5 rounds ALL TO COUNT WOR Events are pleased once again to be working alongside GAS GAS UK and welcome John Shirts Company onboard the WOR Events ship for 2007. Helping to promote the fantastic range of GAS GAS Trials and Enduro machinery throughout 2007.GAS GAS will be the title sponsor to the new 5 round XC series taking place from March 2007 through till October 2007. The events are going to be on Sundays only and will be Multi lap off road cross country circuits ran over various venues and lap distances….with a 2hr class in the mornings for Beginners/ladies/novice and older youth's(13-16.) Then in the afternoon session a 2.5hr event will cater for Open/Clubman/over 35/over 45 and Sportsman. Just like in 2003 when WOR gave away a brand new Honda CR250 to the winning clubman in that years championship and in doing so raised the whole profile of the sport in the UK…This year see's a return to the" Bike Give Away" with the lucky rider winning a brand new 2t GAS GAS of their choice to call their own from October 2007 onwards (last round) and plan their 2008 challenge in the knowledge they have won a brand new bike. This time however the winner will NOT simply be the best clubman (riders riding out of class etc)..The winner will be the name drawn from a lot containing ALL of the race numbers of ALL of the riders that have competed in the series (GGUK) throughout the year, from beginners through to ladies and youth, Experts through to sportsman and clubman. It could be anyone….It could be you!!!!! AND as is customary with any WOR championship quality silverware and high profile press coverage also will follow this Unique XC series. Again an off road series not to missed… The dates for the GAS GAS MOTOS UK XC SERIES ARE: ROUND 1 18th MARCH 2007 ROUND 2 29TH APRIL 2007 ROUND 3 27TH MAY 2007 ROUND 4 12TH AUG 2007 ROUND 5 21ST OCT 2007 All details can be found at www.worevents.com
|
The Morning race…
THE MAIN RACE….
he ability to make tough
off road riding look easy. Almost floating over the tougher sections of
the track and hardly even revving the machine made the svelte Midlands
racer look effortless in his quest to take the win. GAS GAS UK's top rider
and certainly no slouch, Wayne Braybrook (left) was always looking good and not
far from Edmondson. A fair testament to Wayne and Paul is the fact that
neither of them has been racing on a bike much in 2008 and to just show up
and blitz the rest of the field like they did is simply awesome. Braybrook
used all of his feet up trials and extreme enduro skills to look as
impressive as Edmondson on the courses gnarly sections and come the end of
the race was only 36 seconds down on Fast Eddy after being some 1.45 mins
down earlier on. Riding for the first time with WOR and very impressive he
was to was the strong Welshman Gethin Price (right). The Honda mounted rider fully
deserving his 3rd place trophy and podium glory. After battling for what
seemed like a life time with former British 125 Enduro Champion Andrew
Edwards, Price finally pulled away with aid of the big Grunt his 4t Honda
had. KTM's Edwards finally finished in 5th place after Justin Wilson
(ROCKET CENTRE/RFX YAM 250) nipped him on the last lap and took a 2 second
advantage at the chequered flag. To be fair to Edwards though his little
125 was down on power with the bigger bikes on some of the fast open moor
land bits. A special mention to Mark Roberts…riding on his 21st birthday
and putting in another solid performance. Happy Birthday Mark.
Onto the experts and it was Ben Woottons day
(right) with a comprehensive
victory over his peers. Ben on his day can run with the best of them and
the he showed this today being the only expert to match the Elite rider's
12 laps. Martin Jones took a great runner up placing with over a minute
advantage from GG rider Luke Meredith.
Finally onto the super vets in the over 45 group and after leading for
most of the first 1hour and a half Ray Whittle tired and eventually
succumbed to the demanding roots and ruts in the woods and finished in a
solid 3rd place. Whittle was a lap down on paper behind the hard charging
Gareth Lloyd in 2nd and class winner Dennis Harrison (left). Harrison out on his
two wheel drive KTM CRISTINI was only 6 seconds ahead of Lloyd whom had a
terrible start and dropped at least 1.5 minutes with a schoolboy error.
That mistake costing the aggressive Lloyd the class win. Harrison however
deserved the win for never letting Whittle get to far away and showing
that battling on to the end brings its rewards.
With the new Elite class catering for the really quick riders, it has
opened the door to some new names to sit aloft the Expert podium and a
real battle went off in this first round meeting. Ben Wootton (CR250)
secured the class win with a 1 second advantage over Harry Hillas. These
two had been neck and neck coming into the events last stretch and after a
slight coming together at the results zone the win was eventually awarded
to Wootton by the race director as he was on hand to witness the photo
finish. Big credit goes to Wootton though who had to catch over 5 minutes
deficit from early race problems to catch the leaders. Hillas's KTM was a
full 1.30 secs ahead of 3rd placed Expert, Pete Lightfoot. Lighty did well
to make the finish after riding very well for the duration; he had a
massive crash on the last lap and bent the front end of his HUSABERG.
Colin Jones is always a front runner in the Over 45's and out on a
brand new KTM 250XCF was in fine form indeed. Jones was the only rider to
complete 10 laps in his class as he took a comfortable victory from Dave
Smith in second and Ray Whittle in 3rd.
MOTOS
UK XC SERIES Rd 4 SUNDAY 12TH AUGUST 2007 @ PENYBONT FAWR, POWYS. Race
Report: Gwynne Turner. Photos Aspect Event Photography
Second to Wayne and about 40 seconds adrift at the end was the on form
Martin Sandiford (left: Honda 250f) who was absolutely flying and on the jumps
was easily the spectators favorite as he flew threw the air at every
opportunity. Sandiford did close the gap on Braybrook at one stage to
about 15 seconds but after Braybrooks pit crew informed him he seemed to
pull away. Dutchman Mike Kock(Honda 250f) made a welcome return to WOR and
took the 3rd place overall with a fine ride. After a slow start Kock
started to set some lap times that rivaled both Braybrook and Sandiford
for the quickest times.
"R0BINS MOUNTAIN really is a fantastic venue that offers the
Enduro/ cross country rider a real challenge. No matter what the
unpredictable UK weather decides to do this truly unique venue stands up
brilliantly to it. The lap was taking anything between 15 to 30 minutes to
complete and was about 5.5 mile per loop. With 10 separate sections of
woods along with purpose made bike trails and farm tracks, the circuit,
even with the bad weather stayed ride able throughout the duration.. This
is down to the fact that the ground under foot is mainly shale based hence
the solid feel under the top layer of water. Unlucky certainly is a word
that can be used to describe the WOR Events team's current luck when it
comes to the weather. Lovely conditions on the Saturday followed by rain
all night and a full day's rain on the Sunday was the order of the day but
as always this did nothing to dampen peoples spirits.
The open class was quality racing from start to finish. The leader
after the first lap was former British 125 enduro champion Andy Edwards
(top: KTM
250F). Edwards was flying and with his usual flowing style took the
eventual overall win albeit though after a huge committed challenge from
his piers and Edwards self confessed words "if there had been another
lap he would have caught me…I'm knackered" Edwards was talking
about the guy just 37 seconds behind him at the end, Lincoln Brewster.
Lincoln is 36 years young and as determined as they come. In the last 12
months he must be the most improved enduro rider on the circuit and his
pace now really allows him to mix it with the best. Even with some slight
technical hitches Brewster was never far away. Third place went to a WOR
newcomer, which was nice to see..A new face on the podium, David Myers.
Myers rode a solid race and eventually finished well ahead of 4th placed
Conman Mayhem. A special mention for the unlucky Kiwi star and HUSKYSPORT
pilot Chris Hockey (above) . Making a 6 hour journey (one way!!!) to yet another
WOR Event the likeable Essex based rider was out on a great sounding and
looking Husky 310 fourstroke. Hockey was in great form and was never off
Edwards or Brewsters pace at all….in fact he set the events fastest lap
and took the lead around the 1 hour mark which had everyone saying
"There's your winner! …Unfortunately for Chris it was a short lived
lead as a freak technical hitch saw his front spokes come loose and the
front wheel almost collapse on him. Shame, as reports were coming in from
the travelling marshals about how quick he was going in the trickier
sections.
The Clubman 2 stroke top three were all on 9 laps each and about 3
minutes apart from each other. Top man was Warren Hazlett with Alun Jones
in a fine second place. Daffyd Jones was consistent again to take a
well-earned trophy at the end in third.
Dave smith
(left) on his KTM 450 really is the man to beat in the over 45's
and rides very smooth and fast indeed. Smith cruised to an easy win in
class as rival front runner Gareth Lloyd retired due to an existing knee
injury. With usual class front runner Colin Jones also out with injury the
class really is wide open albeit Smith has the edge over Lloyd and Jones
when it comes down to consistent pace and results. Chris SIMM took a
well-deserved 2nd place and as always had a big smile at the end of the
race. Paul Davies took the 3rd place silverware.
The 10 am 2 hour event that had preceded the main open race was also a
real cracker with some storming rides from certain people. One of those
people is young Gethin Humphreys. Gethin is from a big family of off
roaders from B Festiniog in North Wales. He is a young man with a very
bright future in this sport and has showed skill and promise for a long
time. On Sunday he had his best ride yet. The little yam 85 of his stormed
from the back row start to lead the event overall from lap 3. He went on
to win his class by a mile and the event by over 40 seconds…great
achievement considering the going and the bigger adult bikes in the race.
Gethin was simply flat out in all the tougher sections of the track and
put a committed show on for his proud dad. His older brother Owain, was a
solid second in the youth class ending up 4 minutes ahead of Tom Beedles.
The ladies class was topped once again by Emma Clack. Emma really is
the girl to beat at the moment and deserved her victory of a complete lap
clear of 2nd placed Kate Lloyd. Lloyd getting herself back on the podium
after some steady riding. 3rd went to TTR mounted Jane Daniels. Daniel's
always there or there abouts.
Results %20lincoln%20brewster%20(3rd)%20paul%20bolton%20is%20winner.JPG)
WOR
Events don't run easy races and the quality of riding throughout the
ranks from youth and ladies through to veterans and experts is really
good. This always makes for tough, competitive racing with not a lot
in it between the front runners. The quickest front runner on Sunday
was the newly appointed Sandiford Honda rider, Paul Bolton. Out on
his new 250 2t Bolton used his usual smooth trials based riding to
ease out in front and keep a well deserved lead from the hard
charging and visually very impressive former British 125 Enduro
Champion, Andrew Edwards. Edwards was setting the events fastest laps
on his KTM 250F and was clearly catching Bolton right throughout the
2.5hr epic, However Bolton turned up the speed after fueling and his
moto x based bike tackled the moto x based circuit to ensure him the
winning cushion. KBR Gas Gas ambassador and "Mr.
consistent" Lincoln Brewster secured a well earned third place
from Husky UK star Chris Hockey who had traveled along way again from
Essex to take part in another WOR Event. Great to see riders of the
caliber of Hockey and Edwards supporting the XC scene along with
their Time card enduro commitments.
The
fastest clubman by far on Sunday was the youngster Harry Hillas.
Simply improving by the race the young Yorkshire rider stormed to a
convincing win in the 2t category but was also faster than the
winning 4t rider. What made the win even more enjoyable for Hillas
was the fact that he had to ease his KTM 125 around for the last 2
laps as it sounded very unwell indeed. Hillas had pulled enough of a
lead early on though to ensure that the hard charging Gas Gas Mounted
pair of Jamie Robinson and Craig Reynolds could not quite catch him
as they finished in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
The
WOR organization split the veterans into two categories, over 35's
and the over 45's, this always has been a popular move and ensures
fair racing with the genuine Golden Oldies not having to battle
against 40 year old wipper snappers. The victor in the golden Oldies
(over 45's) was the impressive Dave Smith. Smith (left) always has
the edge over the class and manages to consistently keep ahead of the
other class front runners, Gareth Lloyd and Colin Jones. New GAS GAS
dealer Lloyd finishing in a strong second place this time with Jones
in a firm 3rd after having some mechanical troubles along the way.
The over 35's is always strong. The winner in that class was Richard
Main (right) with a fantastic ride that not only saw him win the
class but beat all the clubmen and finish in a fine 6th overall
amongst the experts too. This position coming from starting near the
back aswell. Well done Richard, showing true off road riding ability.
Second went to Jack Twentyman who managed nearly a four minute
advantage over 3rd placed "Human Train" Ian Barnett.
The
morning session had seen a 2hour race for the
Beginners/Ladies/Novice/Youth and Sportsman classes. Starting from
the back of the start area behind all of the riders bar the Ladies
class was the very impressive youngster SCOTT HUGHES. Hughes (left)
out on a new TM125 was simply flying and is improving by the minute.
Here is a stunning fact for you, Hughes would have matched Paul
Bolton on 15 laps as the overall event winner had he entered the main
event. Setting lap times that matched Bolton's and on 2 occasions
beat Bolton's by around 10 seconds shows that with the right guidance
and support this teenager is one to certainly keep an eye on. Scott
won the youth class and the 2hour event overall. 2nd place youth was
the consistent Tom Beedles and 3rd went to Josh Taylor.
The
ladies were topped by Emma Clack (left) with Leah Jones in a
well-deserved 2nd place (Leah rode most of the race with a flat) and
Jane Daniels in 3rd.
Round 1 18th March 2.5 HOUR CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY EVENT SUNDAY PM
Reports by Gwynne Turner.
improving 17 year old
Craig Reynolds (left) took the honours on would you believe it, another GAS`GAS this
time a 200. Reynolds being closely shadowed by the also ever improving
youngster, 16 year old Harry Hillas. Third place went to Marcus Jones with a
strong ride after moving himself up to clubman. The strength in depth of talent
at WOR, both with up and coming and experienced riders is fantastic and in the
likes of Reynolds, Robinson, Hillas, Knoakley etc the young riders under 18
that can really motor is brilliant. A special mention for young Andrew Knoakley,
he was well clear at the front of the Clubman pack and was running in the top7
experts until he sheared the teeth from his front sprocket. After a quick
repair he still managed a creditable 8th position. The 4 stroke clubman was
topped by Shrewsbury's Jim Buchanan again as he steered his KTM 250 to a solid
12 laps, On lap clear of 2nd placed Rudy Austin. Rudy just back from riding 2
rounds of the GNCC in USA were he did very well and did us Brits proud. 3rd
place in the 4 strokes went to Paul Waterhouse.
MOTOS XC SERIES 2007 - RND 1 SUNDAY 18.3.07 @ NANTMAWR QUARRY,
SHROPSHIRE. Reports by Gwynne Turner.