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Muntjac

2009 Muntjac
22nd February - Thetford Report by Richard Snowden

Results

Diss MCCs EMG Motor Group sponsored 1st Round of the 2009 Metzeler ACU British Enduro Championship kicked off the season with a full entry of 236 riders. The conditions were ideal - dry but overcast. The riders were soon faced with the first of the 2.5 mile special tests.

The Championship class were there at 9:10 and the crowd were treated to some high quality woods racing. Ed Jones out on a 125 KTM was first on the test and set a blistering time. Only Si Wakely 450 MPS Husqvarna could outdo Ed's time but Si managed to be at the front - half a second ahead of Ed with David Knight at his first BEC on the factory 480 BMW in third a second behind Wakely. Daryl Bolter 250 KTM/4 pulled fourth some 1.9 seconds down on the leader, Greg Evans slotted into fifth and a very sharp Lee Edmondson was sixth. Rodrig Thain factory TM rider was seventh, Tom Sagar - the current BEC champion and 2008 Muntjac winner - was eighth, Fast Eddy Paul Edmondson was ninth and Dylan Jones was tenth.

Championship class lads were back to the test in just over an hour and the pack was quickly changed. This time Rodrig Thain showed why he was fourth E2 in the WEC in 2008 and topped the second test times. Si Wakely was 0.15 seconds behind and then third to sixth were split by less than 0.3 second - it was electric...

Tom Sagar shot up to third, Aston Bird current Eastern Centre Enduro and MX champion put the MPS Husky into fourth, the Knighter slotted into fifth and Daryl Bolter was sixth. Overall after the two tests Si Wakely was in front, Knighter had moved up to second, 3.4 seconds down, Daryl Bolter was in third, followed by Rodrig Thain and Tom Sagar in fifth.

The riders then had to grit their teeth and face the punishing 22 mile lap with six laps in total for the championship class - the bumps and ruts got deeper ad the times got tighter. Knighter started to find his form and came into the sixth time control with 2 minutes to spare. Several other riders, Wakely, Sagar, Bolter and Fast Eddy got a quick breather before clocking in and in total 10 championship riders managed to clean the last lap in the required 41 minutes. Then he sting in the tail - the third and final test of the day.

The action continued keeping the crowd on their toes. Daryl Bolter was quick, Tom Sagar faster, Si Wakely (right) quicker still, then Knighter put in a stormer - more than 6 seconds ahead. To split the pack Paul Edmondson gave his best ride of the day to slot into second position just under six seconds behind the Knighter.

And yes he had done enough - David and the factory BMW just took victory from Si Wakely by just 3.2 seconds with Tom Sagar on the Midwest Husaberg slotting into third, just 0.18 seconds ahead of Daryl Bolter at the end of the day. Paul Eddy had done enough to pull fifth from Aston Bird who has certainly demonstrated that he can up his pace in the top flight of British Enduros.

Frustration for Rodrig Thain who was clearly on the pace - the factory TM having a rare carburetor problem.

In the expert class no-one managed to clean on time on the grueling five laps - five riders lost one minute and Matt Ridgway took the win - third on the first test but fastest on the second. Gav Houson was second from Mark Roberts, Eastern Centre's Julian Harvey was fourth and Stuart Houlston took fifth.

Again no clubmen cleaned the four laps with the four top riders losing a minute. Gareth Davies took the win from Faser Norrie, and Kalem Hicks took third.

In the Veterans Carl Tiley was in front after the 2 tests but Murray Thomson ended up in front - the only veteran to go clean on their 4 laps. Carl Tiley (second) and Jack Twentyman (third) managed to lose just one minute on the punishing sandy terrain that faced the entry.

The MPS Husqvarna team of Simon Wakely, Gavin Houson & Mark Houson won the Team Competition Details

The Metzeler ACU BEC has certainly started for 2009 in the most exciting way - despite the significant gap before the next event the UK Enduro World cannot want for closer competition - it was great!!!

David Knight Results Service - BMW Motorrad Motorsport
Knight wins ’09 BEC opener

BMW Motorrad Motorsport team rider David Knight has made the perfect start to his participation in the ’09 British Enduro Championship by winning the opening round of the five-event series, the Diss MCC organised Muntjac Enduro. Competing in the event for the first time, and returning to the BEC after a two-year absence, Knighter ended the one-day event ahead of 450cc Husqvarna mounted Si Wakely and 450cc Husaberg rider Tom Sagar.

Following several weeks of testing with the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team in preparation for the ’09 World Enduro Championship all eyes were on Knight at the start of the Muntjac Enduro as he made his first ever outing on his 480cc BMW in a time-card enduro. Knowing that mistakes on the event’s special test would be costly, David made a cautious start to the day and placed third on the opening test. Just one-second behind the fastest rider Si Wakely, David then placed fifth on the second test having staled his bike in one of the tight, rutted turns. The second test was won by won by TM mounted Frenchman Rodrig Thain.

Close to four seconds behind Si Wakely in the overall results with only the final special tests remaining, David comfortably cleaned the event’s tight time control after completing the rough and sandy 41-minute loop notably faster than any other rider.

With the third and final special tests set to decide the event’s finishing order Knight made sure he didn’t make any mistakes. Feeling more and more comfortable on the test with each passing lap Knight set a time close to seven seconds quicker than any other rider and in doing so moved to the top of the results and claimed victory at the Muntjac Enduro.

David Knight: “It’s great to start my return to the British Enduro Championship with a win. The Muntjac is a tough old event, especially because there are two tests early in the day and then one right at the very end. It’s the type of special tests where it’s hard t pull any real advantage but easy to lose time if you make any mistakes. I didn’t make too many mistakes but the first test was really slippery. I tried to push hard in a few corners and almost came off, so I took it easy.

“The second test was much better. There were a few lines in the corners, which made it a lot easier. I was going well but then I stalled it in a corner, which made it hard to keep my rhythm. I knew that me performances were going in the right direction, and although I didn’t win that second test I was quite confident that I could go a fair bit quicker in the last test.

“The unique thing about the Muntjac Enduro is that after your first two tests you have all day to think about the last test because you don’t ride it again until right at the end of the day.

“The tight time controls sorted me out. I knew that I wouldn’t lose any time. The final tight time control was great - I knew I was up on time so I took it steady during the second half. I was able to carry that pace into the final test. I’d also made a few small adjustments to the bike, which helped, so I felt good during the last test. I knew I needed to do and had a good run. I guess not winning the first two tests meant I had it all to do in the last one but that’s the way it goes with a test like this. I didn’t win the first two but I wasn’t too far behind. If I’d have pushed too hard too soon there’s a good chance I would have made a mistake, crashed, and then winning probably wouldn’t have been possible at all.”

MPS Racing Husqvarna
Wakely secures top spot in E2 class at BEC opener

MPS Racing Husqvarna's Si Wakely has started the defence of his Enduro 2 British Enduro Championship title in the perfect way - topping the competitive E2 class at the opening round of this year's five-event BEC series, the Muntjac Enduro. Placing a deserved second overall behind Manxman David Knight at the end of a seriously tough day's competition, Si held the overall lead for much of the day having put in two highly impressive special test performances during laps one and two. Adapting to the slippery conditions that faced the Championship class riders on the first test, Wakely cautiously rode his TE450 to victory, before then placing a close second to visiting WEC regular Rodrig Thain on the second test.

Setting the scene for a thrilling final special test, Si comfortably completed the event's demanding tight check at the end of the day and was well set to try and claim the outright win. With Knight just over three seconds behind him Si knew that he would need to ride out of his skin to hold onto the lead and finished third, behind Knight and Paul Edmondson having stalled his bike close to the finish of the test. Despite his one small mistake Si placed as the best Enduro 2 class rider in the final end-of-event results, which had been his priority coming into the race, and as a close second overall to Knight as just three seconds separated the two riders. At the end of what was a demanding opening round to the BEC series Si was extremely pleased with his performances.

Making his BEC debut for the MPS Racing Husqvarna team Aston Bird (right) performed well aboard his 250cc four-stoke and finished a creditable sixth overall to start his first full season of BEC competition in style. Aston also placed second in the Enduro 1 class, just 15 seconds behind class winner Daryl Bolter.

MPS Expert class rider, Gavin Houson on his WR125 also had a good weekend, finishing 2nd overall in the Expert class.

Si Wakely: "It's a little disappointing not to have won considering I lead after the first two tests, but when you're racing against someone like David Knight winning is always tough. But I'm really, really happy with the way the event went for me. I felt so confident on the bike, I really enjoyed the whole event. The team have put so much work into helping me get ready for the event; it's just nice to be able to repay them with a good performance. I had to calm myself down a bit early in the first test because it was so slippery. Lap two was much better because there were more lines so I was able to really attack it. I stalled it once on the last test, which cost me a few seconds, but Knighter put in a great time so the end results wouldn't have changed. It's been a great start to the season."

Midwest Racing Husaberg 
Sagar's solid start

Round one of the ACU British Enduro Championship, kicked off with the Muntjac Enduro held by Diss MCC, in Thetford Forest. With the return of BMW's David Knight, 2009 looked set to be a interesting year. The Muntjac is a unpredictable event and you never know who the winner is until the last test is finished, this year was to be no different. Tom set out on the Midwest Racing Husaberg 450 to defend his Enduro Champion title.

Edward Jones on a ET James KTM was first into the test and set the fastest test time which took him straight to a comfortable lead. Close behind were Si Wakely on MPS Husqvarna, David Knight, Daryl Bolter on KTM, Lee Edmondson on Honda and Tom. Tom knew what he had to do on the next test as the first test had been slippy. Test two saw Tom beating David Knight, and closing the gap on Si Wakely who was now leading the event. Three tight checks, would sort some of the results out, as only 10 Championship class riders cleaned the checks. It was all down to the last test,

Tom was currently lying in 4th position overall, but was desperate to gave a place to be on the podium. Daryl was first out of the test, he had set a very good time, next came Si with again a good time, then Tom came through with a quick time despite visiting the trees. All eyes were on David Knight depending on the time he set would decide the podium positions. David set his fastest time on the day on the last test, which resulted in David taking the lead, Si a close second and Tom a hard fought Third.

Tom commented "Muntjac is a strange event, all riders are so close throughout the day, the last two years of this event its been down to the last test. At one point in the top five there were five different  manufactures. The three tight checks really took there toll, the course by the last laps was really biting back. Overall I'm pleased with the day, the bike ran fault free, it's a good starting block for the rest of the season". Photo courtesy of Lee Leightwood

Next event:- GBXC Cross Country Championship Round One , 8th March Ribbesford, Stourport on Severn

Sponsors: Husaberg, Midwest Racing, Putoline, Renthal, Metezler, Acerbis, Scott, TCX, Airoh, Regina, Carbon Lorraine, Twin Air, ISO2, Redlynch, Rygor Commercials, Evoke Concepts,

Daryl Bolter

A strong start to British Enduro Championship 2009

With competition close in all classes at the BEC opener the Muntjac Enduro proved to be a demanding one-day event, not least due to the inclusion of several extremely tight time controls.

With just 10 riders remaining clean on time several expected front-runners found themselves out of contention after failing to remain on time. One rider who disappointingly failed to claim the result he’d hoped for was KTM UK/Insight/Mounter Motorcycles Greg Evans. After two solid opening special test performances Greg was sitting sixth overall and second in the Enduro 2 class when he crashed on the last lap of the event. Clipping a tree stump and then hitting a tree it was all Greg could manage to simply finish the event as he suffered blurred vision after the accident.

Thankfully for Premier Bikes KTM rider Daryl Bolter the opening round of the ’09 BEC series ended not only without problems but also with a winning Enduro 1 class performance. Looking forward to the event Bolter rode well throughout the day and was never far from the top of the overall results. Third overall after two of the event’s three special tests, Daryl ensured he claimed the E1 class win with a mistake free final test. Although dropping to fourth overall behind Tom Sagar Daryl got his ’09 Enduro 1 BEC campaign off to the perfect start.

Daryl Bolter: “I’ve enjoyed myself and it’s been great to get my season off to a such a positive start. My bike’s been great, which allowed me to really enjoy myself all day. I was a bit nervous on the first test, but I rode well and was pleased with my result. It was fast but safe although I didn’t feel that fast. On the second test I was faster but so were most riders. Then on the last test I really went for it because I knew there wasn’t much between myself and Tom Sagar. It would have been nice to have finished third overall but the most important thing was to get a good result in E1, which I did.”

Strong ride for Edmondson in Muntjac 25 February 2009

Paul Edmonson began his 2009 British Enduro Championship challenge in style over the weekend aboard his newly liveried Suzuki GB RM250.

The Muntjac Enduro, organised by Diss Club, turned out to be a great season opener, with the competition hot from the start. Edmondson closed to within six seconds of the leader, David Knight, eventually finishing fifth overall, third in the E2 class and the only two-stroke rider in the top ten - quite an achievement considering the big bikes of the opposition in the E3 class.

Fast Eddy rode well without any serious problems or mistakes and was always in the top five as the lead constantly changed hands.

Edmondson commented, ‘It was tough, fast and as ever, unpredictable. I am very pleased with fifth place and third in class but even more pleased to be the top 2T rider in the whole event. The Suzuki ran well and I am pleased with both my own and the bike's performance.’

Electraction TM UK
Joy for Mclaughlin and disappointment for Thain at ’09 BEC round one

Making his Championship class debut and having switched from a 250cc two-stroke to a 450cc four-stroke Irish youngster Phillip Mclaughlin claimed one of the most impressive results at the opening round of the ’09 BEC series finishing in a strong seventh place overall and fourth in the competitive Enduro 2 class. Helping Phillip claim his best ever BEC result was the fact that he was one of just 10 riders who ended the event without time penalties as the Diss MCC competition saw the BEC series get off to a demanding start.

Disappointingly, TM UK’s guest rider Rodrig Thain - who stood the team’s best chance of a claiming podium result – saw his hopes of the Enduro 2 class win ended mid-way though the event. Although a little slow to get going on the slippery opening special tests, WEC regular Thain was quickly up to speed and posted the overall fastest time on the event’s second timed special test. Then, while pushing hard on the course Rodrig’s carburetor slide fractured, which resulted in a premature end to the Frenchman’s day. Needless to say having travelled to Norfolk for the one-day event from his home in France the TM factory rider was far from pleased to be heading home early.

But for McLaughlin the event ended with a hugely satisfactory result. Still a relatively inexperienced BEC campaigner, Phillip was clearly enjoying both the event and competing aboard his new 450cc machine. With competition tight throughout the Championship class Phillip’s opening special test performance certainly wasn’t his best but after the second test he lifted himself to 11th overall. In completing the final time control of the event without penalties Phillip lifted himself further up the results with a fine seventh place final position.

Also competing in the Championship class for TM Jamie Paget finished in 18th overall, posting one of the best Under 23 performances aboard his 250cc two-stroke.

As well as contesting this year’s British Enduro Championship in the Championship class Phillip will also compete in the Enduro Junior class of the ’09 World Enduro Championship, which starts on March 21 in Portugal.

Nick Craigie – Electraction TM UK team manager: “Rodrig was anything but pleased with the way his event ended, and so is everyone in the team. He found the first test much more slippery than he was expecting but showed on the second test that his speed was good. It’s frustrating that such a small and generally unheard of problem put him out of the event. The performance of Phillip was extremely encouraging though. Ever since he stepped onto the 450 he’s been riding well and clearly loves riding the bike. Moving up to the Championship class for the Diss MCC organised event is never easy, but Phillip rode superbly. I’m extremely pleased for him and hope he can carry his good form into this year’s World championship.”

Lee Edmondson Muntjac report

Friday night me and my mechanic arrived at the Muntjac with our new camper driver and cook for 2009 Paul ed. Saturday morning we got up bright and early to walk the test. We walked the test 3 times and had a good chilled out day. Sunday morning we all woke up ready to go my first test went really good stayed on and put in 6th fastest time overall 3 seconds behind the leader Simon Wakely who was riding really well. Second test went well to everyone was picking up the pace I was 8th overall after 2 test 10 seconds behind the leader which was still Si. Now it was down to the last tight check which was going really well until I crashed I got back on and only lost a minute. After the tight check we had to go and do another test. The last test went good for me again I felt really good and my speed was still good. I ended up 6th overall on test times 23 seconds behind the big man David Knight which I was really happy with. Having lost a minute on the last check it put me down to 10th overall. I was really happy with the way I rode and it’s a good start to the season. I would like to thank joe man and my bro for looking after me. PAR homes and all my other sponsors. Also a big thanks to tim for all the work he did on Friday Next event GBXC

Chris Hockey - Morris Lubricants Yamaha Race Report

The 2009 British Enduro Championship kicked off at its usual venue of Thetford Forest in Suffolk at the weekend. The conditions couldn't have been more perfect with unusually warm weather for February. This was Chris's first outing on the new Yamaha WR250F and with very little time to prepare for the start of the season 5th in class and 11th overall out of 31 very fast championship class riders isn't bad for starters!

The first test was very slippery and struggling to keep the bike pointing in the right direction Chris only managed 22nd fastest. On the second test Chris fared little better, moving up to 20th. Not his usual form - being a past winner in this enduro. However, one of the good things about the Muntjack is the physically tiring terrain and tight time controls on the going. This gives an experienced rider every chance to make up places as the event wears on. And so it was the sixth and final check of the day, after 120 gruelling miles, saw only 10 riders (including Chris) arrive with no time penalties. Having made excellent progress throughout the day's riding Chris jumped from 20th to 10th overall.

Then after hours on the very rough sandy woodland trails it was time to visit the special test for the very last time. Unfortunately disaster struck here as Chris lent a bit too far into a right hander and the footrest caught one of the many tree stumps and pitched him straight over the bars. Now battered and stripped of all energy, Chris had to pick the bike up, start it and make up the time. Only Chris fell again and then again later in the test, remounting and restarting the bike each time. Consequently Chris' last test time was 40-seconds down on his previous visits. As it happens so many of the others riders suffered the same fate and in such testing condition the damage was limited. Chris finished a very credible 5th in class and 11th overall.

While not wildly exciting a result, no championship has ever been won at the first round - but plenty have been lost! Chris is still very much in the running and is keen to make up the points to see him improve on his 3rd in last year's championship.

And with the first round over we're looking forward to some very wet tough Welsh enduros later in the season.

Many thanks to: Team Morris Lubricants Yamaha; Yamaha Off Road Experience; George, Rich and Vicky my pit crew, and of course all my other sponsors...... Ribco racing, EMG Ford, Core, Matrix Helmets, Alpinstars, Cti, Reef, Dragon Goggles, Morris Lubricants, Acerbis, Dunlop, DEP Pipes, Renthal, Fro, Dr Shox, Rock Star Energy Drink.

McConnell toughs it out for Aprilia

The first round of the 2009 British Enduro Championship kicked off in near-perfect conditions at Thetford Forest in Suffolk yesterday. Aprilia UK rider Euan McConnell put in a committed performance, ending the day in 6th place out 15 riders in the E2 class and 12th out of 31 riders in the championship class overall.

The weather remained overcast yet dry as the Scottish talent contested in the E2 class aboard the Aprilia RXV 450cc. Thetford Forest is a notoriously tough venue for Enduro riders and yesterday was no exception. McConnell took to the course in the morning for two 2.5-mile timed tests, giving him the opportunity to adjust the suspension and get a feel for the bike ahead of the afternoon's punishing final stage.

The 22-mile, six-lap challenge saw McConnell tough it out until the end, despite blistering both hands in his efforts to finish in the fastest time possible. The 2007 British Enduro E3 Champion was frustrated to drop a minute in a time penalty, however his combined timings saw him finish in a respectable 12th position overall in a field of 31 riders.

The next round of the 2009 British Enduro Championship will take place at Powys in Wales on the 11th/12th July.

Euan McConnell: "Taking everything into account, I couldn't have expected a better result. I didn't have a huge amount of time on the bike before the first round and I'm not at full race fitness yet, so the fact that I finished where I did speaks volumes for the capabilities of the Aprilia RXV 450cc. It was a really tough day, but I have a couple of months before round two so I'll take the opportunity to get on the bike and prepare myself well in advance."

Tony Campbell, Piaggio UK Group General Manager: "Euan did a great job all things considered. The Muntjac is a tough course and that last stage really is gruelling for the riders. The bike coped well and we are all looking forward to seeing the results in round two of the championship."

For more information please contact Beth Robinson or Seb Swarbreck at the Piaggio Press Office c/o Focus PR, 6th Floor, 9 Kingsway, London WC2B 6XF. Tel: 020 7845 6600 or email Piaggio-FocusPR@focuspr.co.uk

Notes to editors: Founded in 1884, Piaggio & C. S.p.a., is today one of the leading world manufacturers of 2-wheeled motor vehicles. It is one of the four world leaders in its two wheeled reference market. The product range includes scooters, mopeds and motorcycles from 50 to 1,200cc under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Derbi brands. Piaggio offer a complete range of original, intelligent and creative solutions for getting around which appeal to the modern individual who is open to change.

Busy Weekend for the new GasGasuk team

The 1st Round of the 2009 British Championship Enduro took place in Thetford Forest which was fantastically organised by the Diss Club. This was the first event for the new GGUK Enduro Team managed by Steve Plain. This 'one day' BEC is always a 'full-on' day with not only the special tests to worry about. The one check lap always tightens up considerably and the last two laps have to be ridden flat out. In fact only ten riders in the Championship Class stayed on time and all the experts riders lost time. The superb test was unfortunately only ridden 3 times by the Champ Class and twice by the Experts.

The event was won by Knighter who was under pressure after the first two tests but blitzed the last test to take the win. No1 GG rider Ashley Wood finished 8th in the E2 Championship Class after crashing in the second test and losing just one minute on the last lap. Ash looked very smooth all day and his EC250 performed very well. Gareth Hopkins (GGUK) had to retire on the fifth lap after hitting a tree and aggravated his shoulder injury that happened before Christmas. Lets hope his shoulder recovers in time for the first GBXC in two weeks time. Bradley King (GGUK) finished 11th in Champ E2 Class with average test times and lost 5 minutes on the final lap. Luke Meredith (GGUK)had a good day finishing 4th in the Expert E2 Class on his EC200. Luke was looking good in the test but a quick fall spolit his second test. Luke lost 2 minutes on the last lap. Chay Granby (GGUK) finished 4th in Expert E3 on his EC300. Its a shame the expert riders didnt have a third and final test like the Championship Class... Jack Lee (JOHN LEE GAS GAS ) rode his first Enduro and WON the Clubman E3 Class.

Bradley King "I made my first outing on the championship class of the british championship at the muntjac enduro. The event is always a tough start to the bec season with 3 special tests and 6 laps of the single time check. after spending the last few weeks preparing with the rest of the gasgas uk team i was hoping for a good result to kickstart my season.

The first 2 laps had slack check times so the priority was to put in 2 fast special test times. unfortunately i managed to make a mess of my first test. i had a small crash on the slippery test and eager to make up time i had another crash further into the test on a high speed straight losing more time. By the time we had arrived at the test second time round it had changed alot with bumps, ruts and berms appearing. My time was slightly better on lap2 but i think i took it to cautious after the mistakes of lap1. the last lap wasnt till after lap6 with the check times getting tighter each lap. i comfortably stayed on time till the last lap when i dropped 5 minutes. With blisters soaking my now wrecked gloves i pushed hard but i was a few minutes down on what i had hoped for but pleased to finish ok and learn alot in my 1st championship class outing having David Knight and Euan MCconnell catching and overtaking me on the going showd how the quicker more experienced riders attacked the checks.

Id like to thank everyone who has helped me out before and during the event especially the gasgas uk team, steve plain, rob sartin, john shirt, my mum dad and sister zoe plus my uncle tony for "kingsportin" my bike and danielle hall".

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

Photo...Just before the start... Ashley white helmet, Gareth Black helmet and Bradley Gold helmet.

Matt Ridgway - Report From The Muntjac Enduro

Terrific start to my first year in enduro and the BEC after switching from moto cross this year. It was great to win the first round in the experts. I rode the first test very steady, when I realised I was 3 seconds down and in 3rd place I new I had to turn up the gas.

I attacked the second test and turned the three seconds down into 3 seconds up setting the fastest test time of the day in the experts. With my lead from the tests i only had to stay on time but the last lap caught me out losing 1 minute like the first 5 riders in the experts.

Well done Gav and Mark it was all very close racing. Looks like the expert class at the BEC this year will be very competitive 

Thanks to Meredith Moto Cross ltd for my Suzuki RM 250 and my dad, the team and all the people that gave advice on the day, Next event GBXC 8th March.

Scottish riders report from the Muntjac Report by Campbell Chatham

David Knight pulled back 6 seconds on the last test of the day to take the win at the first round of the Metzeler British Enduro Championship. Very close times were the order of the day in all classes at this extremely competitive enduro. The weather was perfect and the ground bermed up beautifully to provide ideal riding conditions. 232 riders entered within four days to ride in one of the best events of the year. There was the usual buzz in the air for the start of the season although all agreed that this was looking like one of the most competitive championships for some time.

Ten Scottish riders made their way down to Suffolk for the start of the 2009 season. Euan McConnell was the top Scottish performer on his new Aprilia 450 V twin, by far the quietest bike on the day, 6th E2 and 12th overall as he learned how to ride this very different machine. Ricky Mair was out on a reliable and powerful Suzuki RM250 which was all he needed to see him return to the British Enduro Championship. Ricky was able to ride in his spectacular style to 7th E2 and 13th overall. Richard Hay won the E1.2 class and finished 15th overall on his Dennis Irvine Superbike KTM, Richard's pace on the course saw him only drop one minute at the finish with just a handful of riders cleaning the time sheet and Kevin Murray finished 12th E2 and 25th overall on his Yamaha.

In the Expert Class Derek Little was running in the top five until he clipped a tree, came off and took a blow to his ribs with the handle bars. After sitting beside the track for a few minutes he decided to continue, on the fourth lap the pain proved too much and he was forced to retire, the pain must have been bad as Derek is a seasoned campaigner. Neil Chatham had to carry the honour for the Scots in the Expert Class with Dereks' retirement, Neil thoroughly enjoyed his first Enduro on his Drysdale Motorcycles Suzuki RM125. 4th E1.2 and 9th overall was Neil's reward for a mature ride without a fall all day and special test times that will give him confidence for the future. Allyn Scotland was running well until his security bolt snapped and his tyre came off the rim. Allyn managed to get the tyre back on but it was just spinning round the rim resulting in his retirement.

Fraser Norrie just missed his dream debut in the Clubman class finishing second overall although he did win the E1.4 Class as compensation. Fraser suffered with traffic in his second special test as he was running number 123 that saw him mixing it with the mid pack. There was trafficon Frasers final lap that cost him a minute although no riders made it clean on time in the Clubman class. Neil Paton also travelled down with Allyn Scotland for his first British Enduro, unfortunately his bike kept cutting out and proved difficult to restart. Neil struggled on but had to call it a day at the end of the third lap.

Keeping the best until last, the story of the day for the Scottish riders was D3 Racings Murray Thomson who pulled himself up to the top of the veterans leader board. This is not Murrays' favourite event and it was obvious from his special test times that this is not his speciality, sitting in third place after the first test.. With tight times Murray was able to show his talent on the course on the last lap, the only rider to clean the time sheet Murray took the win ahead of Carl Tiley and Jack Twentyman, a truly heroic performance.

James Yearley airs the 450 BMW

Sheep Skull Enduro riders Muntjac 09

Well what can I say, the Enduro team of the most famous Motorcycle Stunt Display team in the world storm to the top of the BEC club team Championship. It was looking a bit sad for the team at one point, 3 of our regular riders from last season Karl Greenall, Charlie Bregazzi and Mike Alty were not with us this year. Our Greek ISDE team rider Karl had been poached by D3 for their shop team, Charlie was suffering with a damaged hip than he broke back in 94 whilst practicing for the ISDE in USA that had come back to haunt him and Mike not being the most computer literate missed out on an entry.

Fortunately we still had 7 Sheep Skull riders entered in the first round Russell Millward, Ady Townson, Dave Maddrell, Ben Begbie, Leo Cordingley, Mike Turner and Rob Turner the last 3 were chosen to represent the team at this event. Full report 

Team Charfield BEC round 1

As 2008 drew to a close in a succession of mud-bath enduros, Team Charfield (Gary Clarke, Flipper Kingston and part-timer Mark Gray) raised their spirits by plotting a full-on assault on the lower reaches of the the Veteran BEC in 2009. A great plan was constructed that would lead from a weekend at Geraint's (ice-bound), to the Snowrun (postponed) and the Hewitt championship round 1 (cancelled) ensuring that the team would be fully-fit and sorted in time for the Muntjac BEC. If only.

Like Rossi on Bridgestones at the start of last year, Gary took a few laps to adapt to the differences presented by the mighty TM 300, having ridden a poof's bike all last year. Still on a poof's bike (KTM 200), Flipper found that getting married recently was partly his undoing as the token of his undying devotion, a wedding ring, does not make for a comfy inteface between his soft pudgy hands and the cheapo grips fitted to the KTM (see left for damage done within 1 lap). Moping in the pits at the end of lap 3, and staring down the barrel of a DNF, Flipper applied 6ft of duct tape to the wounds and tagged on to Gary for a finish, Marks's last lap would have ended out in the woods if not for the rad braces fitted to the gasser 250(see right). Like financial investments, past performance is no guarantee for the future and successfully dodging a tree for 3 laps doesn't mean you can do it for 4. Not really designed to be single-use only, at least the rad brace took one for the team and Mark was able to ride on to a storming first place finish (in the team, that is). Another great event from the Diss club, even if the check times are a bit fanciful and I can't bend my legs on monday morning. Flipper says BEC round 1 used to be twice as long and would go on for two days, surely nobody would believe that.

Muntjac 2008 Report by Richard Snowden

The first round of the 2008 Metzler ACU British Enduro Championship took place near Thetford this weekend. The event was organised by Diss MCC &  sponsored by EMG with 15000 metres of tape plus the hire of 4 wheel drive Mitsubishi pick ups.

The forest was in perfect condition with no concerns re frost and even sunshine to kick proceedings off at 9:00. the full house of 232 riders faced an extremely challenging 20 mile course with massive bumps developing in the very dry Breckland sand. 

Daryl Bolter put down the first marker taking the first test - nearly a second in front of Tom Sagar with Si Wakely in third. To prove he was on top form Daryl repeated the exercise on ST2 pulling over 1.5 seconds on Tom with Si again picking up third place. Bradley King took the lead in the experts after the first test but was topped by Gav Houson on the second test and both riders stayed clean to top the expert rankings. Local (Eastern centre) lad Jamie Roper moved up to third after a cracking second test. The 2007 Clubman champion Gareth Hopkins vindicated his move into the Experts by finishing 4th. Clubman class winner was Tom Braddock who put the fastest first test but a slightly slower second test meant he eventually beat David Lloyd-Jones by 0.25 second with Freddie Broadway picking up third. The Vets were headed by Dave Selkeld who took both test wins with Murray Thomspon in second and Graeme Naismith in third.

After six gruelling laps for championship class the sand had beaten Paul Eddy who retired after a heavy crash but the remaining leading championship contenders returned with clean timecards to the final special test of the day. Tom Sagar agreed afterwards that he expected to pick up the runner up award as Daryl was clearly faster all day but tragedy struck as the Bolter Husqvarna stalled in the test and failed to start for some time - cruelly robbing him of otherwise certain victory. His final test over 30 seconds slower dropped him to fifth and gave Tom the chance to the first victory in the 2008 Metzeler BEC which he did with a final test half a second faster than Si Wakely who picked up the runner up spot with Greg Evans - who put in three consistent tests to take a worthy third place. Euan McConnell on the 530 TM was next home with a dejected Bolter finally having to settle for a very disappointed fifth. For Gordon Crockard - in 6th place - the Muntjac was a good training session before flying out to the United States to compete in their GNCC. Ollie Moyce has recovered well from the ankle injury that put him out of the Snowrun 3 weeks ago. He finished 7th.  

29 teams have registered for the 2008 BEC team competition. Last year's winning team of MPS Husqvarna lead after the opening round, KTM Uk are 2rd, Team Ecosse are 3rd & the Enduro News Team of Greg Evans, Gareth Hopkins & Craig Bounds are 4th. Only 4 rounds count so there is still time to enter. Details

Results  Standings Updated 1st March: Rider #187 was Keiran Hankin not Andy Howes & #98 John Bishop finished.

The Optoma Mortgages D3-Racing KTM team

The Optoma Mortgages D3-Racing KTM team got off to a great start in the first round of the British Enduro Championship, defending champion Sagar on a Factory 250 EXC-F topped the podium and new D3 rider Greg Evans aboard a 250 2 stroke claimed his first overall podium position in a BEC event in 3rd place.

The Diss Club as usual organised a first class event in the popular Thetford forest, championship riders were asked to complete 6 laps of the sandy circuit, approx 20 miles in length with each lap getting quicker. The first lap time there was a 70 minute allowance and gradually this was reduced down to 42 minutes on the final lap. With these quick check times there was little time to rest or work on the bikes, the last few laps our riders just had a few minutes to rest , fuel and drink. The tight controls claimed pre event favourite Paul Edmondson as he hit a stump trying to pass a rider and crashed out of the race.

The main positions would be settled on the special test though, a tight and twisty test of just over two miles in the forest, times would be very close on this and there was no room for error, last year Tom crashed on this same test and lost valuable seconds, costing him positions, this year he would not make the same mistake and rode safe but quick. The first test was timed on the first lap just 10 minutes after the start, after the first two tests Daryl Bolter was the fastest rider with Tom 2.6 seconds adrift in 2nd, Greg was about another 5 seconds back in 7th. After the two tests the riders would complete the remaining 4 laps of the forest before the final test at the end of the day, there was allot of excitement for the last test as 5 or 6 riders were within 10 seconds of each other and really anyone could have won.

Bolter set off very determined and his split time showed he was one second up on the previous runs, however Tom had turned up the heat also and was one second up on Bolter a third of the way into the test. Bad luck for Daryl though as he crashed and lost around 30 seconds, you can't give one second in this place, Tom recorded a test time the same as his previous two without incident and claimed the first place. Greg also put in a great effort on his final test and moved up to 3rd overall. Thanks to all the D3 team who put in a great effort this wekend to help these two riders perform.

Next Event:-

March 15/16th Rd1 WEC, Sweden , Ostersund, Sweden March 22/23rd Rd 2 BEC, Scotland, Elgin

Husqvarna and Wakely top E2 class at ’08 BEC opener

Husky Sport backed MPS Racing Husqvarna team riders Daryl Bolter and Si Wakely got their ’08 British Enduro Championship campaigns underway at the Diss MCC organised Muntjac Enduro on February 24 where both riders performed well at the head of the Championship class. Switching from a 125cc two-stroke to a 250cc four-stroke for ’08 Bolter came agonisingly close to claiming his first ever overall BEC win only to finish fifth at the Diss MCC organised event following a mistake on the third and final test of the day. For Si Wakely the event marked his first in BEC competition mounted on a 450cc four-stroke and following three consistently fast special test performances he placed a deserved second overall as well as topping the Enduro 2 class.

Recording the fastest overall times on both the first and second runs through the sandy Muntjac special test Bolter looked to be heading towards his first ever overall BEC win as he took to the start of the third and final test of the day. Close to one second ahead of reigning British champion Tom Sagar on test one, on test two Bolter claimed an even bigger overall winning margin of close to two seconds, but on the decisive third and final test the European Enduro Champion fell and stalled his bike losing valuable time. Unable to start his bike instantly Daryl knew his hopes of winning the event were over and he cruised into the end of the test to claim an eventual fifth place overall result and as runner-up in the Enduro 1 class behind Sagar.

Thankfully the opening round of the ’08 BEC series ended on a much more positive note for MPS racing Husqvarna’s Si Wakely. Placing third on both the first and second timed special tests, Wakely held a comfortable lead in the Enduro 2 class going into the third and final test of the day. Placing second in the last test of the event, having at one point momentarily stalled his bike, he finished less than half a second behind eventual event winner Tom Sagar to claim a deserved Enduro 2 class win as well as finishing as the overall runner-up.

Rounding off a solid opening round to the ’08 BEC series for the MPS Racing Husqvarna team rider Gavin Houson placed his WR125 at the top of the overall Expert class results where he finished just under one second ahead of Bradley King.

Si Wakely: “I had three really good tests and felt I was getting quicker throughout the day. I injured my ankle two weeks before the event and then hit my foot on a tree stump in the first test, which meant I struggled to use the rear brake a little on that test. The rest of the day went really well though. I’m really enjoying riding the 450. Because there was so much traction and the bike has such great power I was able to spend most of the day standing up and riding smooth. I stalled my bike in the last test but I only lost a second or two. All in all it’s been a great event for me. I’m looking forward to round two in Scotland now.”

Daryl Bolter (left): “I can’t explain how disappointed I am. By winning the first two tests and cleaning the going I’d put myself in a strong position to win the event, which would have been my first ever overall BEC win, and then on the last test I made a small mistake, my bike stalled, and that was it. My result went out the window. The first test didn’t go perfectly but I still managed to win that. Then on the second test I again made a few small mistakes and won that. The third and final test started perfectly, I know I was riding faster than on the first two, and then I hit a small hole coming into a corner and fell. It was a stupid little crash but the bike stalled and I couldn’t start it. This year is the first that I’ve raced a four-stroke so I’m not 100 per cent sure how to get the jetting perfect. I think the bike was a little too rich off the bottom and it just wouldn’t start. The bike was great all day but I just couldn’t get it started on that last test.”

McConnell tops E3 class at Muntjac

Euan McConnell secured the top position in the E3 class at the first round of the British Enduro Championship held at Brandon in Norfolk on 24 February 2008.

Read more ... 

I wanna be a Crockstar by John Shirt Jr

Gordon Crockard has just finished 6th overall at the first Round of the 2008 British Enduro Championship on a GAS GAS EC300 loaned by GAS GAS UK.

He was also 2nd in the E3 Class behind Euan McConnell.

With Gordon needing as much time as possible on a bike before his assault on this years American GNCC Championship which kicks off next week, Gordon was keen to ride the fantastic 'Muntjac' event successfully organised by the Diss MCC. Gordon has a BMW contract for USA only which allows him to ride whatever events he wants when back home. With GAS GAS UK not having an 'Official' BEC Team this year we were obviously keen for Gordon to ride the Muntjac as we were for the Tough One last month.

I think it was also good for the event to add a little more 'buzz' with an Ex MXGP racer riding the event. It was cool when Paul Malin rode the Breckland a few years ago and was also good to see Carl Nunn riding the John Banks as well.

Anyway the event went well for Gordon adapting to the trees very well with 6 laps, 3 tests and over 120 miles of abuse it was certainly 'Welcome to Enduros' for the Crockstar !

I must add that where all the other riders were thinking of going to bed on Saturday night GC was actually in London riding a SX event and got to the Travelodge at 1am Sunday morning! NOT using this as an excuse but i think a SX event on a 450 Honda is a little different to an Enduro several hours later on a 300 Gasser !

Gordys first test time was an 'average' (for his standards) 12th quickest overall, getting used to the trees (and the bike) and trying to learn as fast as he could how to ride through trees etc. His second test was better after a 70 minute check which moved him to 6th. Then there was another 4 laps of the course with no tests, just a single check that got tighter on time each lap. This was not a problem for Gordon who coped easily with the course because of his excellent fitness. After the sixth lap Andy Waters put in an extra test to decide the day. Gordon was more than ready for the test and i told him to be as aggresive as possible which he did and flattened his DEP pipe 'flat' and also managed to jam his rear brake lever for a few corners. Gordy was disappointed because he was 'gagging' for that last test but maybe he's not used to those things called 'stumps' ! He is now.....

To finish, it was an honour for me to help someone as 'down to earth' and as professional as Gordon Crockard and i wish him all the best for the GNCC season. Also good to see a Gasser in the results at a BEC again and is tempting me to run a Team again...

Many thanks to the DISS Club for orgainsing his ride and to Kev for prepairing his awseome EC300.

Also well worthy of a mention is BRADLEY KING (left on a K4 OFFROAD GAS GAS EC250) who finished a close 2nd Overall in the Expert Class only 0.95 second behind Gav Houson. Bradley won the first test by 3 seconds but Gav obviously had a better 2nd test and just beat Bradley overall. Bradley coped with the course well and stayed clean on the checks. Well done mate and 'ass in gear' at BEC2 !

Local Buxton Boy Chay Granby on a GAS GAS EC300 was disappointed because he actually won the two Exp E3 tests with some very quick times but lost time due to being completely knackered on the last lap!! Less Sheep and more Buxton water for you mate!

Essex Boy Richard Ely was 3rd in the Clubman E2 Class on his INTA GAS GAS EC250.

Cheers Shirty.

2nd at first round of BEC Report by Bradley King

Diss mcc ran round 1 of the BEC in Brandon forest. the Muntjac runs a short 20 mile lap ridden 5 times. the first 2 laps are slack and both include a timed special test. the last 3 didn't have a test but the check times got tighter. the day started good when i won the experts first test by 3 seconds over Gavin Houson. The second test didn't go quite so well as i was 9 seconds slower than lap 1. I was disappointed because over the 2 tests Gavin beat me by 0.9 seconds!!. The last 3 laps went 49 - 47 - 44 minutes. On the third lap i rode at a fast but steady pace and completed the check in 44 minutes so i knew id be ok for the last lap. the last 2 laps went without problems and i ended the day 2nd expert and 1st e2 class rider.

I'm now really looking forward to round 2 in Scotland next month. id like to thanks everyone who has helped me so far this year especially my family and my sponsors - gas gas uk, talon, kriega k4 offroad and rush racing. for more info please go to my sponsors page

Scottish Riders Report from the Muntjac Metzeler British Enduro Championship Report by Campbell Chatham 

The weather conditions were perfect for the 220 riders entered in the first round of the Metzeler British Enduro Championship in Norfolk. The Diss motorcycle club were relieved that the icy conditions experienced the previous week were not repeated. Instead the course was power dry and the cool breeze provided perfect riding conditions.

The excellent special test proved a great spectacle, especially the Championship rider's final test at the end of the hard day. There were two tests in the first two laps and the subsequent lap times were tightened to ensure only the top riders in each class stayed clean on time. Paul Edmondson crashed during the day and damaged his bike, ending his challenge prematurely. 2007 British Enduro Champion Tom Sagar took advantage of the situation to take the overall win. Daryl Bolter had been fastest in the early tests, a crash and problems re starting his 250 four stroke saw him drop down the standings.

Euan McConnell was top Scot with a gritty ride to fourth place on his TM 530. Euan muscled his bike around the tests reaching amazing speeds on the straights. Richard Hay looked totally at ease on his KTM 125 finishing clean on time in 15th place overall and fourth in the E1.2 class.

In the Expert Class Paul Chatham set the 11th quickest test time on his Honda CR250 beating Derek Little on his KTM 125 by 2 seconds. In the second test Derek was the quicker rider and a clean time sheet saw him finish best Scot in the Expert class in 11th place and third in the E1.2 class. Paul dropped two minutes that saw him slide down the order, although 8th E2 was his best result in the Expert Class so far.

Murray Thomson finished second in the Over 40 class on his D3 Racing KTM. The sandy going at the Muntjac is not his favourite terrain so he was very pleased with this result. Graeme Naismith on his Mickey Oates Kawasaki was disappointed with his special test times but pulled himself up to third place as he ended the day with a clean time sheet. Colin Bryan put in a solid ride in his first British Enduro outing. Colin dropped seven minutes that cost him dearly in the results; he did enjoy the experience and vowed to continue in the British Championship.

29 teams entered the British Enduro Championship Team Competition with Scotlands Team Ecosse Graeme Naismith, Richard Hay and Euan McConnell finishing 3rd.The second Scottish team, Ecosse Elite including Derek Little, Murray Thomson and Paul Chatham finished 10th.

Tom Braddock wins Muntjac Clubman class

Video (courtesy of DBT)

Diss MCC
EMG Muntjac Enduro
Inc. Rd.2 - 2007 EMG East Centre Championship - Thetford Forest

Results

EMG Muntjac - Diss MCC - 25th Feb 07Report by Richard Snowden

After a wet (for East Anglia) week and as dawn broke on Sunday Thetford Forest was again hit by heavy rain. Fortunately apart from odd showers it had stopped before riders set off at 9:00. Championship class were at the special test within minutes and were faced with a very slippery challenge.

Greg Evans found all the best lines and came out of the test 2 seconds ahead of PaulEddy with Si Wakely half a second back in third place. By the second test there were lots of ruts around but it was clearly much more rideable. This time Eddy was the fastest - nearly 4 seconds ahead of Si with Greg Evans 6 seconds down in third. The final test run after 6 gruelling laps of Thetford forest saw only the very fittest riders arriving on time.

Fast Eddy was first to the test having got in on his final very demanding lap with about half a minute to spare. Only 3 other riders stayed clean but Wakely, Sagar (left) and Richard Hay all used their minute on that last lap. Many of the championship riders had been tested to the limit - with 4 retirements.

In the final test both oth Paul and Si shaved a further 5 seconds off their previous best to stay at the top but Tom Sagar upped his pace and was third fastest taking some 9 seconds of his second test to secure third overall.

Clerk of the course Andy Waters made everyone work hard and in the expert class only six riders stayed clean with Darren Carter winning both tests and taking the overall. A similar picture in the clubman with 4 clean timecards and Mike Bailey a clear winner again winning both tests too.

EDMONDSON & RM250 WIN MUNTJAC ENDURO