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Final Round The final round of the 2008 Welsh Open Motocross championships sponsored by P.A.R.Homes and Bache's Bargains picked up where round two had left off, in the rain and the mud! Its been a long time since the superb mid week series has suffered so badly with the weather which again was a factor in the crowd of just over 1,000 spectators.
The weather almost lifted for the dash for cash, but it was short lived. Somewhat unsurprisingly Rowson holeshot and sped off into the lead. Kip Herring once again found himself on the floor in the opening corner and looked more like a flounder in the mud than a Herring. Carless also lost it on lap two as the back end threw him off under power. Rowson romped off to another twenty second plus win from Crockard with Jamie Lewis at tlast having some luck and picking up third place. Race one of the Junior and Senior class saw Kristian Jones holeshot and lead Phil Lloyd home over the finish table top to start lap two. Jones got caught out by the increasingly heavy rain however and ended up picking his by now brown Honda up off the floor. Lloyd took full advantage and sped off with Junior rider Luke davies in hot pursuit from Eirwyn Roberts. The lead was not to change in the opener though as Lloyd rode a well controlled race to take the chequered flag. A brave moto two holeshot saw Gary Hickey go wide and sweep past race one winner Lloyd. That was about the highlight of the evening for Hickey as he dropped back. Kristian Jones picked up the lead as Lloyd also dropped back allowing Karl Harrison into runner up spot. Harrison's Wednesday luck was in though as Jones lost his way again, this time on the penultimate lap opening the door for Karlson to take the win from Aled Bliss. Phil Lloyd got a good start in the final moto and pulled clear early on. Kristian Jones put on a wild show to get into second spot from junior class leader Luke Davies. It was not to be though and Jones was soon back on the floor. Lloyd got to the penultimate lap and then lost the lead leaving Davies coast home to take the overall and his third Junior class maximum of the night with Lloyd seemingly happy in second knowing he was picking up maximum Senior points. Louise "Little Lou" Williams took a superb holeshot in the opening Novice class race . Williams lost time in the whoops while others simply lost all hope, it seemed as if half the class fell fowl of the muddy waves in the opening lap. Williams soon had the buzzing sound of the 125cc KTM ridden by Kyle Symmons for company and the lead pair made it a two horse race. Williams looked odds on but a late challenge saw Symmons take the win. Moto two saw the novice riders decide to out whit the whoops at the top of the hill by almost all falling off in turn two at the bottom of the track! Louise Williams once again and much to Kenny Kay's delight lead home to start lap two from race one winner Symmons. The determined young Welsh lady was not letting another lead slip however and she rode superbly to take the win from Symonns. Aled Price took the local beginners wins from Ryan Jones. With Kenny Kay almost giving the final Novice race win to Williams before the gates dropped, disaster struck, or more to the point Williams front wheel struck, the gate! The curse of Kay! It mattered little though as the numbers could not been seen even after the opening lap so no race result was recorded! Results Final Standings Report: Andrew James - Photos: Keith Bowen mx247.com
Brilliant motocross entry for big finale Rhayader Motor Club once again plays host to some of the nation's hottest riders when it holds the final round of its Welsh Open Motocross meetings at Cwmythig Hill next Wednesday evening (9th July). There has been a great turnout of nearly 3,000 spectators to watch the previous two rounds of the series, sponsored by P.A.R. Homes Ltd and Bache's Bargains. There's also been some great racing on the spectacular hillside circuit just outside Rhayader, Mid-Wales. The stunning course is littered with "all action" jumps and also features a breath taking downhill ski jump, wall of death berm, the new whoop section plus the infamous 65ft finish line table top jump. And there's a brilliant national class entry taking part, led by series leader Ray Rowson (PAR Honda), Mark Jones & Ashley Greedy. Also on the cards and hoping to challenge those both are Wayne Smith, Lewis Gregory & Shane Carless. Other names competing include Jamie Lewis, Kip Herring & Alex Snow. The Club also received great news that Gordon Crockard is planning on flying back from racing in the USA to compete. With practice at 6.15pm and the first race at 6.45pm, there's a slickly run eleven-race programme with each class getting three races. The final race of the night is the big money Grand Final "Dash for Cash" where all the evening's top runners get the chance to win some real money. The track, which virtually can be seen from one vantage point, has again been fully prepared for this final round. For this final round the club will also have a firework display after the Grand Final to mark the end to this year's series. Entry fee is just £5.00 for adults while children under 14 free. As well as the ten races, there will be children's quad bike rides, bouncy castles, refreshments, licensed bar, a tarmac drive leading into the circuit with excellent hard parking and permanent toilets-everything, in fact, for the family to enjoy a night out in the open. July 9th is the night - this is the big one!! Ps. There are still Expert entries available for this Event. A staggering £800 for the winner on the night!!! Call Andrew James (01597) 810396 for more details. Round two of the 2008 Welsh Open Motocross championships sponsored by P.A.R.Homes and Bache's Bargains got off to a slightly dryer start than the opening round had some weeks earlier. The forecast for rain proved right however later in the evening and this no doubt had some effect in keeping a large percentage of the usual crowd away, still it was another good assembly of 1,000 spectators that saw the three blocks of action take place at Cwmythig hill, near Rhayader World Motocross Championships again affected the expert line up with many of the countries G.P. riders electing to stay away and prepare for the coming Irish G.P. What was missing in quantity was more than made up for by quality of racing however. Shane Carless took the P.A.R.Homes Honda to the holeshot in the opening expert class moto but his lead was brief as team mate Ray Rowson took the lead up the first hill and into the whoops. The pack bobbed through the whoops and launched themselves off the ski jump into the big downhill section of track that leads to the wall of death. Rowson (above) closed lap one with Carless, Kip Herring and Ashley Greedy in tow. Greedy got past Herring on lap three and joined the lead pair to make it a three horse race. The odds were stacked in Rowsons favour though as his 450cc Honda seems very quick in a straight line and he used the pace to stay clear of Carless and Greedy. Moto two followed a similar vein in that Rowson took an early lead from Greedy and Herring. Carless had a poor start but it only took a couple of laps for him to work his way into fourth spot. The race developed into Carless holding a 3-4 second lead over Greedy while Herring and Carless had a ding dong battle for third spot that went to the line with Herring taking the final podium spot by half a wheel. Rowson set up his hat trick of wins by taking the holeshot in the third race, a position he was not to relinquish. Carless was the first to take up the chase from Greedy (right) who then took over and moved right into Rowson's roost. Herring took over in third as Carless had slipped back but on the second lap Herring left the door open at the end of the start straight and Carless re-took third. Herring decided he liked the position though and re-took third at the top of the hill. The race spread out with around 4 seconds separating first, second and third which Herring held on to. The opening Senior and Junior class racing saw Gareth Hickey take the holeshot from fellow Dredgers MXC rider Kristian Jones and Wrexham's Aled Bellis. Hickey pulled a lead as Bliss took over second spot with Phil Lloyd moving into third after a poor start. Lloyd's luck turned again though in the third lap when he found the front of his Suzuki was out on the wall of death and lay its self down in the greasy earth. Hickey maintained his lead from Bellis while Lloyd put in a fantastic effort to regain third by the chequered flag. Moto two and Hickey was once again out in front at the start. Lloyd was right on his tail however with LLoyd Jones in third. Phil Lloyd took the lead on lap two and once out in front opened up a gap of some five seconds from Hickey and Jones with top Junior rider Luke Davies getting mixed up in the action. The race closed with Lloyd cruising to victory while Hickey and Davies went side by side over the finish line as the rain began to get heavy. Bellis picked up third spot in the Senior class while Eirwyn Roberts collected his second fourth placed finish of the night. Phil Lloyd picked up his second race win of the night in the final moto, the race following the pattern of moto two where Lloyd once out in front just had to contend with the track conditions which became slippery as the rain fell. No Worries for Lloyd though as he took the win once again from Hickey, Bellis and Roberts completing a hat trick of fourth spots. The Junior class was a tight affair with Luke Davies and Lloyd Jones taking a win and a second place apiece in the first two races, both riders giving the Senior class riders a run for their money. It was davies who was on the pace in the final mot taking a big win and the overall with Kristian Jones getting second spot from Jones. Craig Watkins took the 250cc "BPM Engineering" KTM to first place in opening two novice class races. Watkins had to battle for the wins though with Neath rider Wayde Parry and Local hero Andrew Evans from Rhayader taking second spot behind Watkins in races one and two respectively. It went a bit off track in the final moto for Watkins as the by now slippery conditions started to make life hard for the novice class riders. Parry however seemed to relish the conditions and he broke clear to take the win from Llanwrin's Gareth Davies, Watkins in third spot which was good enough for overall on the night. In the local beginner class Rhayader based rider Aled Price was unbeatable as he took his 125cc Suzuki to first place in each of the nights three races. Kevind Bond beat fellow Rhayader local Ryan Jones for second spot in the opening race but Bound failed to finish races two and three. Results Standings after 2nd Round Photo's (mx247.com)
Despite the constant drizzle which produced damp conditions and
although down on the 4,000+ that have attended on a clear and dry night it
was still a good crowd of 1,000 that turned up to see the opening round of
the 2008 Welsh Open Motocross championships sponsored by P.A.R.Homes and
Bache's Bargains held at Cwmythig hill, near Rhayader With the British
round of the World Motocross Championships being held the coming weekend,
some of the country's top race names were not in attendance, most notably
defending champion Brad Anderson. Still, the inclusion of world class
motocross racer Mark Jones (below) from Bridgend more than made it for it
as being the "local" lad Jones had plenty of support. Not to
disappoint the fans Jones took his "ARB Tuning" 450cc Kawasaki
into turn one to claim a narrow holeshot from fellow team mate Jamie Jones
and Ray Rowson (left) on the P.A.R.Homes Honda. The popular Welsh rider
launched the Kawasaki off the top of the big hill and glided down with the
sounds of air horns and the cheering fans to accompany him on his flight.
It was looking good as he took the finish line table top jump, which this
year has had a huge amount of work done to make it both higher and
generally bigger, the evenings wet conditions making the take off ramp a
little ominous for even the experienced riders. Lap two and Jones began to
pull a couple of seconds clear of Rowson who had Lewis, Mark Hucklebridge
and Ashley Greedy in tow. It was whoops in the Whoops for Jones though on
lap two, making cautious progress through the tricky section at the top of
the track Jones dropped his front wheel over the penultimate whoop into
the trench below only to find his front wheel taking a liking to the soft
Welsh Earth and digging in. The rear wheel decided it was not keen on the
location and decided to overtake its front partner by going over the top,
the slow motion action saw Jones lifted up and glide gently over the bars
to be unceremoniously dumped on the ground. Rowson took the opportunity to
take the lead with Jamie Lewis in pursuit. Like his teammate The opening Senior and Junior class racing saw pandemonium from the off with four riders failing to reach the holeshot first corner, hitting the slippery ground on the start straight. As it was a number were down in turn two before things started to settle down by the close of the opening lap. Leaping the pack were the Quartet of Jason Williams from Port Talbot, Phil Lloyd from Llangenech, Gareth Hickey from Ystragynlais and Swansea rider Kristian Jones, all four who regularly do battle with the Dredgers -Laugharne MX Club based in Carmarthenshire. Williams hung on to the lead for a couple of laps but Phil Lloyd has been on form this year and by lap three he was out in front. It mattered little to Williams who somehow was classed as Junior though he should have perhaps been classed with his fellow front runner as a senior. Lloyd was untroubled as he took the last lap lap flag, untroubled that was by any other rider. His two stroke Suzuki however was given him cause for concern with what seemed like gear box trouble, not the first time it has happened this year, Luckily for Lloyd he was at the top of the hil and used gravity and momentum to get the yellow buzzing 2-stoke engine home for the opening win. Moto two braught about a change at the front. Robert Devonald-Batt is back in the country after a couple of years out having been to the USA. Batt was always a top hitter as a youth class racer when he raced with dredgers-Laugharne MXC and now he is out with the adults the Llanbydie rider is making a big impression. Also making a big impression in this race was Lloyd. He was in second place until he took the wall of death a bit too low and got sucked down by the soft Rhayader mud, making an impression in the ground as he was dumped head first into the gloop. Gareth hickey took over in second place but Batt was away and by now around 10 seconds clear which on the fast track equalled almost a quarter of a lap. In turn hickey was well clear of top Junior rider Luke Davies from Aberystwyth riding the "E.T.James" Suzuki. Davies had taken fourth in the opening moto but now was holding off the senior challenge from Kevin Hughes, a Llandielo farmer! Devonald-Batt once again took an early lead in the final junior race. Phill Lloyd had washed himself and the bike down after the face plant in moto two, Lloyd lead from Lloyd Jones who up till know had had something of a night to forget. Farmer Hughes was in fourth spot battling with Hickey. With the conditions worsening the race seemed a little shorter but on the grounds of safety it was a good call, Devonald-Batt took his second race win from Phil Lloyd and Hickey. The result meant that it was a three way tie in overall first place between Devonald-Batt, Phil Lloyd and Hickey all on 43 points. It was hero to Zero for Ystralyfera rider Craig Watkins as he took the 250cc "BPM Engineering" KTM from holeshot at turn one to almost last at the close of the opening lap. The slippery conditions were tough for the experts, for the novice class riders it was at times something close to watching a massacre as the Whoops section seemed to open up and swallow huge numbers of rider, Watkins being one of them! Barney Moore was an early leader followed by Local Rhayader rider George Wozencraft on the "E.T.James" Suzuki and Adam Rees from Llandridnod Wells. Wozencraft was out in front by lap three leading from Moore by a couple of seconds. It was not stay that way though as Moore found some more pace and put the pass on the local hero to take the chequered flag, the lead pair being a long way clear of third placed rider Joseph Varley from Newtown. Christopher Higgins was first out of the jungle to take the holeshot in moto two of the novice race, the trick looking 450cc Honda powered the Brecon based rider to an early lead but it was once again Barny Moore that took over as front runner. He however was another rider that made a fatal mistake on the wall of death at the end of the second lap and lost the lead to Rhayader rider Andrew Evans. Evans had Craig Watkins right behind him though looking to make a return to the ranks of the night's hero's. As the laps ticked down the pair were neck and neck with Tregaron youngster Scott Isherwood now in third place in this his first ever Rhayader evening motocross event. With the last lap flag hanging heavy in the dwindling light and damp misty conditions it was Watkins who muscled his way past Evans in the final couple of corners to take a well deserved race win. Ryan Jones was the only local beginner, the Rhayader rider needs some completion so get booked in for rounds two and three yee locals!. Unfortunately the visibility became too short for the final Novice race to take place, but with the bad weather meeting out of the way Round two is sure to be another great evening on June 18th Results Photo's - www.mx247.com 2008 Series Entry Forms Entry Forms for this year's Evening Motocross Series are now out!!! Again the series will take place at Rhayader M.C.'s popular hillside motocross circuit at Cwmythig Hill in the heart of Mid-Wales. Date's for this year's series, which again are all on Wednesday Evenings are 28th May, 18th June & 9th July. Classes are split into 3 groups: MX1/MX2, Seniors & Juniors, Novice's & Local Beginners. All groups will get three races on the night, as well as the MX1/MX2 getting the "Dash for Cash Grand Finals"!!! Prize money has been increased by another £1000 per night for MX1/MX2 taking the Prize Fund for each night up to £3500, so top expert rider on the night can walk away with a staggering £950 So don't miss out, entries do fill very quickly & it is advised to enter ALL 3 rounds to guarantee your ride. Watch this space for further developments!!!! Rd1-28th May Rd2-8th June Rd3-9th July
Two things for sure in British MX racing, if you want to win any series you need to be able to ride in the rain and mud as one is very rarely without the other and it wouldn't be Wales with out the wet weather at some point! Both were in abundance at the final round of the P.A.R.Homes / Bache's Bargains sponsored Welsh Open Evening Mx championship! Despite the almost constant rain (it did stop for at least 5 minutes!) 3,000 spectators lined the wet and wild Welsh hillside circuit to see if Brad Anderson could be the first person to take the title of Welsh Open MX champion for the third time. Jamie Lewis was like white van man off the traffic lights as the gates dropped for the opening expert class race, something his sponsor, Dave Spear Commercials would have been proud off. The first corner argy bargy saw Lewis holeshot from Glen Phillip and Ashley Greedy. Both Greedy and Phillips lost drive up the second hill though and Kip Herring moved from fourth into second place, the reward for which was a face full of muddy water as Lewis put the 450cc Hondas power down through the rear wheel and churned up the muddy track. Like the ominous dark clouds above however, bad news was on the way for the lead pair as Brad Anderson had pioneered his Pioneer Yamaha into third spot by the close of the opening lap. As predictable as the rain was wet, Anderson soon reeled Herring in and the he set about taking the lead of the hard working Lewis. It was not plain sailing for Anderson though as the leaders were picking up backmarkers, some of whom were really struggling to get round. The gap between first and second was just a few bike lengths for the next couple of laps as Lewis made use of his superb wet riding ability to balance out the outstanding power and of the Yamaha, lap times untreatably well down on the usual blistering pace as riders concentrated on staying upright more than pace. Anderson almost lost concentration and his vertical position as he took a tight 180 degree left hander, the front wheel spotted a trench like rut and tried to take cover from the incoming barrage of rain! Anderson was alert to the impending dive and dabbed his foot down, the move almost braught him to a standstill but at least he was still standing! Lewis closed right up to the rear of Anderson but the Yamaha's rear wheel spun into action once more sending the mud flying into Lewis's face as it made its escape once more off into the lead and very soon to the chequered flag for the opening victory. Lewis was probably happy to pick up second place. In the almost cautious racing behind, Ashley Greedy threw caution to the wind and made some late passes to take third from Herring. Moto two turned out to be the last of the 2007series and the best for Herring. The "Off roaders" Yamaha rider was bar to bar with Lewis as the pair went sideways through the sweeping left hander and headed back down towards turn two, the greasy and slippery right hander that launched riders up the far hill and towards the whoops. Herring closed the opening lap with Anderson just a second behind him, though unusually Anderson could make no move for the lead on the second lap. Opportunity knocked at the third attempt round the Rhayader hills though and the 2004 / 2005 double champion now had his third title in sight as he slipped past Herring for the lead. Herring stayed with Anderson until the last lap when, with his Thursday flight to a Turkish Holiday looming he backed off the pace safe in second place from Lewis in third. The final action of the night was the Dash for Cash. Herring's partner Mel must had a word with him in the pits about holiday spending money, the result of which saw Herring like a flying fish as he blasted up the start straight and holeshot the race from Anderson. Anderson lost grip in turn two and so the Herring slipped away, only to be caught once more by Anderson at the beginning of lap two. The Yamaha mounted pair started lap two side by side and went into turn one with Herring holding the inside line on the approach to turn two. Anderson, the newly crowned 2007 Welsh open champion was however about to take part in the ritual Welsh mud dunking ceremony, he just was not aware of it. Herring went tight and round the right hander while Anderson went floppy and down. Such is the skill of the adopted Welsh Geordie he kept his bike revving and was soon back on though by now he had lost several places and his initiation was not over, he was to find himself lying in the Welsh mud a further two times during the race and eventual finished in sixth place. Jamie Lewis stepped up the pace and closed in on Herring and took the lead at the mid point place, Herring later saying he was happy to take the cash for second place rather than risk taking a tumble and going on holiday with less spending money, we see who wears the trousers in the Herring household! Herring's good friend and practise partner Andrew Gillett got the Paul green Tyres Honda out of the gate finally in the dash and took third spot, though his pretty blonde highlight had become mudlights in the process! Tregaron based rider Eirwyn Roberts got to grips with the Rhayader start straight in the opening combined Senior and Junior class racing, taking his Cambrian Power Tools sponsored Yamaha into the holeshot. Leominster 's Craig Badman took over the lead though and looked as if he was going for the win until he too suffered with the conditions and was caught and passed by Darrell Simms. Simms had travelled over from Evesham once more and with the demise of Badman found himself in the good fortune of being out in front once more, his accustomed position in the senior class racing. Roberts took the lead early in the second moto but with heavy downpours some of the smaller 125cc machines were struggling to climb the hills, the engines screaming their disapproval as they tried to haul themselves and rides, many of who were foot down most of the way round in an attempt to up. Simms soon took over and seemed to relish in the conditions, eventually stretching his lead to around 10 seconds from Charlie Evans, a super young rider from Llanidloes. S bad was the weather however that even the Ice Cream van left after this race! In the Junior class Kevin Williams had a storming night in the stormy conditions, he took the holeshot in moto two and followed up his opening race one win with maximum points in moto two as he lead home from Jason Williams. Despite a poor brace of results though Gareth Hickey took the title of top junior for 2007 with a narrow 4 point series advantage from Kevin Williams. Luke Davies and Llanbrynmair rider Ed Jones battled it out in the Novice class. Davies had to settle for third in the opening race where Davies had taken the win from Kevin Lewis. Moto two saw Jones holeshot and get a good early lead. It all started to go wrong though in the third lap as he came across four back makers stranded on the big hill, the result of which saw Jones weave his way through but at a wheel spinning crawl. Davies closed and took the lead on the last lap from where he went on to record his second win of the night. Overall though it was not good enough to keep up with the Jones's as Ed Jones was Novice class series winner for 2007. In the local beginners class Builth Wells Suzuki rider James Rees was outstanding as he took both race wins, the reason being the other locals had decided to go for a drink down the local and avoid the weather! Results Final Round Series Standings Previous Rounds
As is traditional there was a drop in crowd attendance for the middle round of the P.A.R.Homes / Bache's Bargains sponsored Welsh Open Evening Mx championship, still, some 3,000 brave souls attended the Cwmythig Hill track despite the showers to enjoy another great nights racing. Glen Phillips (above) took the opening holeshot on the 5Bandsracingmxstyle 450cc Kawasaki, but with round one and winner Brad Anderson right on his tail it was not long before Anderson had the "Pioneer Yamaha" into first place leading the experts home and into lap two. Once out in front Anderson started to pull away stretching his lead by 1-2 seconds per lap as Phillips sat in front of Jamie Lewis on the "Dave Spear Commercials" 450cc Honda. The front three were missing out on the action which was taking place just behind them where Neville Bradshaw was working the PAR Homes Honda into fourth spot past the fast Starting Carl Jones and Jamie Powell. It was an easy win for Anderson by the chequered flag though with Phillips, Lewis and Bradshaw following in behind. Moto two saw Lewis holeshot from Phillips. The Welsh duo were separated by just a couple of bike lengths as they cleared the whoops section and headed down hill into the wall of death for the first time. Lewis blasted back up the steep Cwmythig hill and took the 180 degree left hander with ease as he cleared the table top and headed to the close of the opening lap. Things did not go quite as well for Phillips as instead of a 180 degree turn, he made a 360 degree spin and found the back end of the Kawasaki spinning away on the floor. The loss of grip cost just a few seconds but such is the frantic pace of the racing that another 6 riders had past by the time Phillips was on the move again. Lewis was some four seconds clear with Bradshaw, Anderson and Kip herring on the "Off roaders" Yamaha in pursuit. Anderson pushed on Bradshaw but the Yamaha's stator decided enough was enough and gave up leaving the Anderson dead in the water. With Anderson out it was a three horse race as Bradshaw set about closing down Leis'es lead, Herring sitting just a second behind in third place. Despite the race pace the clock could not unwind quick enough for Lewis who by lap four could hear the Bradshaw's Honda barking right behind him and looking for the pass. When it came there was little Lewis could do to stop it as Bradshaw opened a small gap as he took the last lap flag. The Backmarkers slowed Bradshaw down a little but it was not enough and he crossed the line for the win just a second clear of Lewis who like wise had Herring the same distance behind him. Phillips had blitzed his way through the pack into fourth and was easily the fastest rider on the track but again he was beaten by the clock. The final moto saw Jamie Powell take his Yamaha to the holeshot as he went round turn one and prepared to lead up the big hill. Kip Herring had other plans though and moved past him only to find Anderson, who was lucky enough to be carrying a spare stator and had repaired his Yamaha fly past him and Phillips. By the start of the second lap it was order restored as the Pioneer Yamaha was carrying the 2005 Open Champion back up the steep hills, pulling away once more. Herring and Phillips were next up from Powell who was having a great battle with Carl Jones, though ominously Bradshaw and Lewis were just behind these two after the pair had suffered a poor start. Phillips took second spot as Bradshaw moved into fourth and a heavy rain shower descended. The pace slowed slightly as Anderson backed off the throttle and help the gap to Phillips. Bradshaw set about tasking Herring's third spot but it was on late on before [positions changed and Bradshaw took the final podium spot. The move gave him a one point overall win from Phillips. The final night's action saw the top experts battle it out in the dash for Cash. As was to be expected Anderson had his sights set on the top spot and from the gate he was in the money passing Phillips early on in the race and never looking back. Phillips picked up second spot while Bradshaw once again got on the podium in third. There wee just three local beginners out braving the conditions! Of those, Shaun Buchan of Llanbister took his very impressive looking "Fast buck Racing" 125cc KTM to three emphatic class wins while he mixed it up with the top novice rider. James Rees took his sparkling Builth Wells based Suzuki to overall runner spot, this after Grenville Kember had failed to finish the opening race. Llandewi based Kenber made up with a brace of second places in races two and three and going into the final round on July 4th the championship could go to anyone. Novice by name but not by nature, both Luke Davies and eventual class winner Edward Davies were outstanding as they battled each time out in what can only be described as bar - bar racing. Davies took the opener after Edwards had holeshot and lead. Moto two saw Terry butchers holeshot but once again it was Davies and Edwards who proved to have the top pace. Butchers managed to keep the lead pair in sight through the race and went one better than his opening race result by taking third spot as Edwards took the win from Davies setting up the final tie breaker. Christopher Higgins took is 250cc Honda to moto three holeshot but he could do little to stop the Edwards and Davies show as they soon passed for the lead, first Davies then Edwards. The lead changed not only from lap to lap but from corner to corner the pair looked for the better race line, as it was Edwards lead over the table top finish as the last lap flag went out and by now with back markers being lapped Davies could not find the room to pass the slower rider as well as the leader. The dash for the line saw Edwards take his second chequered flag of the night and the overall. Butchers picked up third spot again though this time he was a long way behind. Eiwyn Roberts from Tregaron was quickest out of the gates for the opening combined senior and junior class race. Roberts 450cc Yamaha blasted up the long start straight and round turn one with Darrell Simms and Lewis Cutter in tow. Cutter was soon cut down though as he bit the dirt and dropped out of contention at the front leaving Simms opening out his lead on Roberts. By the close Roberts had Jason Williams all over his rear wheel as the pair passed the last lap flag. Williams lost some drive out of a loose corner though and Roberts pulled clear with the chequered flag in sight and second place secured. The junior rider took it to the line in the opener with Chris Morris taking second behind Williams but the dash for third place saw Kristain Jones almost loose it as he made a last corner desperate move on Third placed Gareth Hickey. Hickey survived the challenge and with feet flaying Jones just about stayed on his Yamaha blocking Kevin Williams from passing. Llanidloes rider Charlie Evans holeshot the second race taking his 250 cc four stroke KTM round turn one only to find good friend Tragaron based rider Lewis cutter out to make up for his disastrous moto one race by passing him up hill. Cutter was dialled in for moto two and soon stepped the pace up taking Evans, Jones, Simms, Hickey and Jason Williams with him. As the laps ticked by Simms pushed and got through to second place but in another exciting race to the line he could just not close the gap enough on cutter who took the well deserved race win. With the track wet from a shower Kristian Jones went sideways around turn one but managed to stay on to claim the holeshot. It was not long though before Simms was once again out in front showing expert class pace as he started once more to open a lead, this time with Charlie Evans in second spot from Jones. With the light dimming it was a slightly shorter race which suited Simms has he was not put under any real challenge for the lead, Evans taking runner up while Jones although in third spot actually took maximum junior class points. The results showed Simms the clear winner in the senior class with two wins while Evans had improved his results each time out. Meanwhile Kristian Jones took the junior class top spot again with two wins on the night. Final round takes place on Wednesday evening 4th July - Don't miss the action!! Results Standings after Rd2 Photos by Keith Bowen
With a number of national and international motocross events surrounding the date of round one of the P.A.R.Homes / Bache’s Bargains sponsored Welsh Open Mx championship, there was a smaller entry of experts than of previous years. Despite the start gate only being half full however what was missing in quantity was certainly made up for in quality and the 4,000+ crowd were treated to another amazing night’s entertainment over the 3 hours of racing. Kicking off as always the Experts are the crowd pleasers with their flat out pace and table top antics that always get the air horns going. 2005 Champion Brad Anderson (left) took the opening holeshot to lead the 20 odd riders out of turn one and up through the new track sections, the whoops being a super new feature that certainly sorts the men out from the boys. Anderson took the early lead and never really had to look back as he began to stretch the distance between himself and early chaser Jamie Lewis, Lewis recovering from a bought of food poisoning the week previous. As the race developed it was clear that the battle for the lead was going to go to one of four, Anderson was out in front by about 3 seconds with Lewis leading from Glen Phillips on the “5bandsracing” 450cc four stroke Kawasaki with Ashley Greedy on the P.A.R.Homes 250cc Honda in fourth spot, hardly a second splitting second – fourth spot. The expert racing is always over too soon and by the close of the opener Anderson was well clear with Phillips making a late pass to take second spot form Lewis. Anderson took the holeshot again in the second moto and this time out was determined to break away early on the super fast track. By close of the opening lap he had his main threat on the night, Glen Phillips in second place with Wayne Smith, Lewis and Greedy in tow. Three laps down though and Anderson’s 450cc Pioneer Yamaha was showing its extra power over Phillips standard 450 Kawasaki as the gap between first and second was already out to six seconds, only a mistake or mechanical looked capable of stopping the Ex-champion picking up his second win of the night. Having suffered some bad luck at the championship in previous years though it was all going ok for the Yamaha rider this time and as the last lap flag went out Anderson was almost 10 seconds clear having set a blistering pace. Phillips was secure in second spot with Smith holding third while Lewis used the extra power of his “Dave Spears Commersials”450 Honda to keep the 250 Honda of Greedy at bay, Lewis stretching the gap on the flat out straights while Greedy pulling the gap back in through the twisty bits setting up a great race between the two. Having got his racing boots on in the second moto Wayne Smith was dialled in for the start of the final expert race and took the holeshot, Anderson only managing about fifth into turn one. Such was the pace of the Pioneer Yamaha though by the top of the track Anderson was in second and showing his superb abilities that have got his Grand Prix points this year for the first time, Anderson pinned the Yamaha open and took the lead through the tricky whoop section. With order restored by the close of the opening lap Anderson flew over the finish line table top with Smith, Greedy, Lewis and Phillips in tow. From here there was only going to be one winner and again it was big win as Anderson collected his hat trick of chequered flags and the very nice £250 that goes with being number one on the night. Smith had the young Greedy in his roost throughout but the big hills mean the smaller cc bikes are always going to struggle against the big thumpers and so it was smith who took second in the race and overall with Greedy behind. Lewis had held Phillips at bay until the last lap when a late move left no more time for a re-pass and the Kawasaki rider took fourth spot. The senior and junior class saw a full line up of some forty bikes power up the start straight with Darrel Simms taking the early lead on his 250cc Kawasaki. Simms had Lee Pritchard in tow early on but by the mid point the talented young P.A.R.Homes rider David Games who had entered in the junior class was showing expert class qualities as he cut through the pack into second spot. Craig Badman was in third in the race but being a senior this actually gave him second spot in his class while Charlie Evans and Lee Prtichard battled it out for third to the line Riding a borrowed 450cc Honda, Kristian Jones took the holeshot in the second hoto with Eirwyn Roberts so tight to his side, the pair looked like a sidecar crew! The lead was short lived though as Games was in no mood for playing this time out and was first over the 80 foot finish line table top to start lap two with Simms, Gareth hickey, Badman and Jones in tow. The race as a game was over however at the mid way point as Games was four seconds clear of the super battle that was developing between Simms and Badman, who were actually battling it out for top senior spot. Simms made a mistake though as Badman made good his escape to open up a gap of some five seconds by the chequered flag, the same distance he was behind race winner overall, Junior class rider Games! Gareth Hickey had followed Suzuki rider Chris Morris home in the opening race but the roles were reversed this time out as Hickey’s KTM took him to second spot. It was the extra power of the 450 Honda that took Kristian Jones to another holeshot in the final moto. After the initial triumph of doing this in moto two it all went wrong for the Port Talbot based youngster as he dropped the bike and failed to pick up any points. Things seemed better this time out though and the rest of the pack were playing keeping up with the Jones’s! It did not take Charlie Evans on the E.T.James KTM long to catch up though and the lead exchanged hands on the second lap as first Evans then Hickey and Eirwyn Roberts passed. Simms, Badman and Games were soon in the hunt as the frantic action came to a close Simms and Games were out in front. Games took the last lap flag only to have Simms make a pass and take the lead. With the corner count coming down Games made a late play and snatched the lead back with no time for Simms to do anything but take a dramatic late runner up spot from Evans. The Local beginners and Novice class action saw some mixed fortunes, not least for Luke Davies. Davies took the lead on lap one of the opening race and soon was pulling clear with only Edward Jones for company. The duo put on an entertaining race for the watching spectators right the way to the end. Davies must had thought the points were in the bag as on the penultimate lap Jones stalled exiting a corner and the gap which had been 6 inches suddenly was 6 seconds! With the Chequered flag beckoning Davies went over the top of the course but must have taken a wrong turn and entered the Bermuda triangle as he did not return! Instead, Jones swept by and came home for a win just half a lap before he must have thought was a million miles away. Kevin Lewis came storming over the line just ahead of terry butchers in the battle to fill the podium places while poor old Davies limped home out of the points. Jamie Bufton picked up the maximum points for the local beginners with James Rees in second. If Luke Davies thaught he had it tough in the opening race, he was in for more in moto two! Edward Jones took the holeshot and the lead on the opening lap with Kevin Lewis for company, Davies soon moved into second spot though and was pushing Jones right the way through the race ubntil the penultimate lap when he made a mid air pass over a table top and took over at the front. The timing seemed perfect as Davies took the last lap flag and powered back up through the course seemingly on his way to victory! That was, until he came flying down the track toward the wall of death just 20 seconds from the waiting chequered flag. As Davies went into the 180 degree high berms that form this fantastic track feature he made a mistake and found himself the wrong side of the ropes, dazed and confused as to where his bike had gone! Once more Jones moved from second to leader with out doing anything else but staying on, and by now with it being a Wednesday night must have been thinking about doing a late lottery ticket as his luck was certainly in! Kev Lewis also benefited by taking another runner up.Full credit to Davies though he was dusted off and back on the KTM for the final moto. This time it was Kevin Lewis who was hitting the dirt first as he over cooked it on the line and as soon as the start gates dropped found his Yamaha’s front wheel pointing towards the shy, from where it proceeded to point further back until Lewis was sitting on the deck. Those that got away cleanly were following Jones and Butchers who lead from Christopher Higgins, with Davies in fifth spot. The lead was good enough for Jones as he went o to take his third win of the night and at last Davies stayed on to pick up some well deserved points eventually finishing in second spot from Butchers. Grenville Kember had picked up the 20 points for the local beginners class race win in moto two, this aftyer finishing third in the opener. The final race saw Kember take his position on the only step of the podium he had so far failed to fill, taking second spot with Jamie Bufton picking up the race win once again. The evenings final action is the dash for cash, one race with £250 up for grabs to the winner of the 125/250 class and the same amount for the open race. The 125/250 action was almost over from the first corner as Ashley Greedy made the race his own, his lead was such that he even had time to do some crowd pleasing tricks over the finish line. The open race was almost as predicable with Anderson once again taking the early lead and despite a late heavy downpour which at times made it a bit slippery, the Yamaha rider had the £250 in his sites from start to finish.
The Final round of the Bache's Bargains / PAR Homes Lmt. sponsored evening motocross series yet again saw a top class line up providing another superb nights entertainment for the 4,500 strong crowd.. The 2006 series has to have been one of the best supported by the elite of British MX with the likes of the P.A.R.Homes Mx team, top G.P. Riders Gordon Crockard, Mark Jones, Mark Hucklebridge and defending Bache's Bargains Open Welsh Champion Brad Anderson all in attendance for the final nights action. As in round two John May once again took the opening holeshot but the Maximum Solutions Suzuki washed out on May in turn two dumping him into the loose Welsh dirt. Wayne Smith took over and lead the Charge up the far hillside and on towards the thousands of spectators on top of the Cwmythig hill track who greeted the riders with air horns blasting as Smith lead Mark Jones, Gordon Crockard, Mark Hucklebridge, Anderson followed by top young Welsh riders Ashley Greedy and Jamie Lewis.
Smith showed his quick starting ability by taking the holeshot in moto two to lead race one winner Jones home from Jamie Lewis who was doing a top class job for the P.A.R Homes team despite only just being told he has lost the ride for the 2007 season and felling somewhat gutted. Jones set about Smith again but this time the pass seemed as if it was going to elude the Welshman. The 15 minute race wound down with Jones stuck on Smiths rear throughout being pebble dashed with stones from the spinning Honda's rear wheel until the last lap when the P.A.R.Honda rider stuffed a move on the inside of the 180 degree right hander that followed the big 60 foot tabletop finish line to take the lead. Smith held second from Anderson while Crockard sneaked through into fourth just ahead of Jamie Lewis. It was Smith scything through the pack to take the early lead in the final moto once more from Anderson and Jones looking to complete his hat trick. Smith was cut back by the close of the opening lap as defending champion Anderson looked to finish what has been a trouble strew championship on a high, Jones had other ideas though and by the third lap was once more out in front. Anderson was content to the let the Honda lead though with rival championship contender Crockard now sat on the side of the track with a dead Wulfsport Honda. As the lead pair pulled clear the battle went on behind as Smith and Lewis went wheel to wheel to claim the final podium spot, Smith eventually claiming it from Lewis and Hucklebridge who continued to struggle to find any descent pace out of the KXF. As the last lap flag went out Anderson closed in on Jones and produced a massive jump almost clearing the finish line tabletop and landed in the lead. Jones looked as if the mid air move was the last thing he expected and now found himself chasing the Pioneer Yamaha into the last lap. Anderson took the win with Jones content to cross as runner up, claiming the points needed to take the 2006 Championship for team and sponsor, P.A.R.Homes. The 125/250cc Dash for Cash saw a mystery rider on the line who blitzed his way into the lead from Kawasaki mounted Ashley Greedy. The lead pair quickly made it a two horse race crossing the finish line on the opening lap already some way clear of the pack, the lead bike now identifying itself as a 250cc Pioneer YZF with Anderson holding the throttle wide with the £250 first prize in sight. 10 minutes later and with the cash in the bank from holding the lead from Greedy, who according to an inside source will be on a P.A.R Homes Honda in 2007, Anderson put the blue Yamaha back in the van and jumped onto the waiting 450 YZF that was sitting on the start line awaiting the open Dash. The big Yam did not take long to launch Anderson into the lead with Smith and Jones in pursuit. This is how it stayed through the 10 minutes with Anderson pulling away slightly at first before being reeled in mid race only to find a gap again to clinch the second dash for cash win, and another £250 in the bank. Luke Chessell took the opening Senior class moto which he followed up with two runner up finishes to secure the Championship, Nathan Davies taking the moto two victory with Ben Sweeney getting the final race win, one where Davies should have taken runner up but his slipped in the last corner having done all the hard work to find himself crossing the line in 6th place. Having made the trip up from Neath, Lloyd Jones followed Jason Rowlands, Eirwyn Roberts and Guy Langmead home for runner up in each moto to secure the overall on the night. Langmead's win was enough to help him take the Junior championship title from Jones. Ross Whitcombe could not get into the junior class so rode in the Novice which he dominated with three big wins. Ex A.M.C.A. expert Nigel Ryder, now just the over side of forty took the Novice championship from Neil Whittingham while top lady rider Louise Williams took third in the series. Builth Wells rider Martin Rowan continued his fine performances in the local beginners class with wins in the first and second races from Llandrindod Wells rider Mathew Wiley on the Gas Gas in moto one and Marc Evans in moto two. Willey stepped up the pace in the final race to take the win from Rowan who by then was Champion with Willey runner up from Evans, the lead trio having dominated the series. Results Round 3 Final Standings Bache's Bargains / P.A.R. homes Welsh open Evening MX championship, 2006, Rd 2 - 14th June Round two of the Bache's Bargains / PAR Homes sponsored evening motocross series held at Cwmythig hill just outside of Rhayader produced another superb night's entertainment. Despite the upcoming British MX GP this weekend it was another top line up of British MX riders that entertained the 4,000 crowd. John may holeshot the opener but by the second corner the Kawasaki of Mark hucklebridge was powering away from the Suzuki of May as it pulled away up the Welsh hillside. GP riders Gordon Crockard (above) and Mark Jones followed Hucklebridge as the trio pulled clear of defending champion Brad Anderson who was having trouble with his Yamaha. As the laps whizzed by the front riders encountered the first of the backmarkers and while Hucklebridge had little trouble in lapping the slower riders Crockard and Jones were slowed up allowing Hucklebridge to break clear for the win. Moto two and top S.Wales rider Kip Herring the jump on the gates dropping and flew up the long start straight on the S.A.S.Yamaha to take the first corner with Hucklebridge banging his way into second spot. Herring lead Hucklebridge, Crockard, Anderson and Jones over the finish line table top to close the opening lap and held off until the third lap before Hucklebridge passed for the lead. Herring now found himself under pressure as Anderson began to look for the move into runner up position with Jones just behind, while Crockard had dropped the bike and slipped back to seventh place. Anderson moved past Herring and had Hucklebridge's lead in sight when for the second time on the night disaster struck with the Yamaha deciding flat out racing was not for it tonight! Mark Jones was now in second and went after Hucklebridge but the gap was already to big to close down and the MotoExtreme Kawaski rider took his second win of the night with Herring seemingly giving up third spot late on far too easily to Crockard who had been on a charge through the pack. The Honda of Jody Smyth was first round turn one in the final moto but he was ousted from the lead in turn two where Herring took over only to find once more the Wulfsport Honda passing him as Crockard took the lead. Jones was soon past herring into runner up spot while Hucklebridge had struggled on the start and was now blitzing his way through the riders to reach third spot. The lead trio pulled clear with hardly anything to separate them until late on when backmarkers came into play again. Crockard passed a lapped rider on the approach to the finish line but the move spooked the rider who cut across Jones and sent him into the dirt as Hucklebridge took second. Jones recovered for third spot from John May who had a good ride to lead Herring and Danny Smyth home but it was Hucklebridge who picked up the £250 for overall first on the night. Hucklebridge seemed the favourite to double his money and taker the £250 Dash for Cash prize but Crockard was first to pass holeshot rider Danny Smyth and in the short four lap race there was little time for Hucklebridge to close. Mark Jones was in second spot out washed out in a rut. The 125/250 dash for Cash saw the continuing battle between Ashley Greedy and Stephen Clarke which had been entertaining the crowd during the three main races quickly take shape. Greedy holeshot with Clarke having to work his way into second spot and although he was closing the young S.Wales Rider down the clock was ticking over faster than the Honda Motor and Greedy produced a sideways flick laying the Kawasaki down flat as he crossed the finish line mud air to take the win. Following the expert class racing the Senior action was top notch again with Jason Williams taking the holeshot in the opening race. This was about the highlight of the evening though for Williams as he lost the lead to fellow Dredgers and Teifi MX rider Eirwyn Roberts. Roberts lead another Dredgers rider, Nathan Davies home on the second lap before Ben Sweeney came charging through to take the first of a hat trick of wins on the 450cc Honda. Davies held on to second spot in a close four way battle as Craig badman closed down for third place from Llanidloes rider Charlie Evans who was doing exceptionally well on the 125cc 2 stroke E.T.James KTM machine. Moto two saw Luke Chessel gamble on a rolling start and reap the rewards as the gate dropped just in time to let his 250cc Honda out and break clear to take the holeshot. Sweeney was like the flying squad though and soon was out in front of Darrel Simms. Simms was the only rider able to stay with Sweeney as they pulled a big gap to finish one-two with Davies taking third from Kevin Hughes who was doing his best to impress the watching Australian fan club! Sweeney was on his todd from the start of moto three as he cut loose from the rest. Davies was holding onto second spot until Chessell stuffed him with a smart move on the inside to rob Davies late on. Louise Williams carried on from round one with a superb win in the novice class in the first race. The young Welsh lady star took the lead from the start and never looked back as the battle for runner up started. Ross Whitcombe eventually his way into second spot from Tregynon rider Kevin Lewis. In the local beginners class Martin Rowan from Builth Wells took his KTM to the first of his two wins from Llandridnod Wells based Suzuki jockey Marc Evans. Evans followed Lewis home again in moto two with another Built welss rider, Ashley Evans repeating his third place finish. Rowan failed to finish the third moto where Evans moved into first spot from Ashley Evans and Mathew Wiley on the 250cc Gas gas. MOTOCROSS IS BACK - bigger than ever !!!! It was another packed house of over 5,500 spectators that lined the Rhayader MCC's Cwmythig Hill track just outside of Rhayader to watch what was undoubtedly the best line up so far of British Expert class MX riders in the P.A.R. Homes / Bache's Bargains sponsored Welsh Open Championship Evening MX series. With a line up including G.P. winners Mark Jones and Gordon Crockard (above), 2004 & 5 series champion Brad Anderson, Tom Church, Alex Rach, Danny Smyth, Mark Hucklebridge plus top Welsh riders, Jamie Lewis, Ashley Greedy, Kip Herring, Glen Phillips and a host of local MX riders the sun drenched crowd were treated to another superb evening of fast paced and extremely well run races. The Experts kicked off bang on the 6.45pm start time with Danny Smyth making it round the first turn to claim the opening holeshot. His lead was short lived though as Mark Hucklebridge took the 450cc Motoxtreme Kawasaki into top spot at the close of the opener from Smyth, John May, Glen Phillips and Gordon Crockard while current British Four stroke championship leader Mark Jones and defending welsh Open champion Brad Anderson found themselves stuck way down after a second corner pile up. Crockard went on a charge and moved into second spot by the fifth lap but Hucklebridge had opened up a five second gap as the last lap flag went out. Easing up slightly to take no chance of making a mistake at the race end the Kawasaki glided over the table top finish with style as Hucklebridge claimed the maximum points with John May taking third behind Crockard with Jones having a storming ride to work his way back up to fifth spot. Moto two saw Anderson on a mission after the disastrous opener, taking the lead from the start with Glen Phillips, Smyth and Jones in tow. Jones is on top form this year aboard the P.A.R.Homes sponsored Honda and he made short work of getting onto Anderson's rear wheel. The lead pair pulled away but Jones made a mistake mid way through the race and dropped back to third behind Phillips. The mistake was soon rectified but Anderson had the gap he needed to take his first win of the night from Jones and Phillips who just about held off Crockard's attempt to take the final podium place. Smyth was on the gas again as the gates dropped for the start of moto three as he once more took the early lead only to loose it on the second lap as Anderson and Jones flew past. The lead pair pulled away from the pack who were trying to sort themselves out in the battle for third place which initially was in the charge of Smyth, before Phillips was displaced at the death by Crockard. Jones seemed to be lining Anderson up for a pass late on to snatch the win but the backmarkers played their part in blocking Jones's race lines and costing about a second gap which at this pace equalled some 40 yards! As Anderson lined up the last two corners Jones had resigned himself to second and coasted home to finish the night tied on points with Anderson and so setting up another great nights close racing in round two on June 14th. It was not over for the experts though as the nights finale was the dash for cash with £250 up for grabs for 1st place in the open class. Crockard got the drop of the gate and holeshot to lead from Anderson. The front two had made a big gap to third place by the end of the opening lap and so it remained throughout with Crockard showing his delight to the crowd as he took the top prize from Anderson.Carl Jones riding a borrowed Honda after his Yamaha had given up the ghost on Sunday took the holeshot in the 125/250 dash for clash race but Tom Church took over the lead and in a similar fashion to Crockard carried it to the chequered flag. The evening MX series is not just about the stars though as it gives local mx riders a chance to line up on the same circuit as Championship and G.P. riders and show what they are made of. Of the local beginners Builth Wells rider Martin Rowan was on top form taking all three race wins from Mathew Wiley and Marc Evans both of who ventured out of LLandridnod wells for the action. Despite being on the 125cc KTM Rowan did not find he was under powered against the bigger 250 and 450 cc machines. " I thought I would be too slow up the hills but it was ok and I made up places through the twisty sections" said Rowan. Out with the Locals were the Novice class riders where top Bridgend based young lady rider Louise Williams had the backing of Sky Sports commentator Kenny Kay and the air horn blowing crowd. Every time the pink Kawasaki flew high above the table top a big cheer went out as the 18 year old took third place in the two opening races. Moto three brought the biggest cheer though as Williams lead for most of the race only to be ousted by Nigel Ryder later on as the forty something ex AMCA Expert took his second race win of the night, this after Llanfair Caereinion rider Neil Whittingham had taken the opening chequered flag. The senior and junior class put on three excellent races that produced three different winners in the senior class. Charles Evans is no stranger to the hillside track and worked hard to come from mid pack in the first race to take a late win from Luke Chessell after Craig Badman washed out and lost his lead. Moto two saw Chessel go one better though and take a dramatic win from Michael Hand after Kevin Hughes had holeshot on the 250cc KTM. Chessel took over the lead and pulled a gap of some 10 seconds as the riders banged and clashed bars in the fight for runner up. The final race braught another twist as Nathan Davies got to grips with his new Honda to lead from the off. Carmarthen based Davies was a Rhayader junior class champion in 1998 but was riding tonight for the first time in three years, having got engaged to be married next year he has been allowed to buy a bike and race once more!!! Hand took third place behind Davies and Chessell. The junior class riders produced some close results with Kevin Curtain looking set to take all three wins before he hit the dirt in race two Curtain took the opening and closing race wins with Jason Williams claiming top spot in moto two. Consistency is the key to racing though and Guy Langmead was never out of the top three results to claim the overall on the night by a narrow one point from Williams. Results.
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Those who did attend had a bit of extra quality to observe in the
experts line up this time out however as local hero Mark Jones
returned, as did former champions Gary Davies and Gordon Crockard,
the Crockster (above) flying in from the states less than 24 hours prior to
the event. It was however the new kid on the block, Ray Rowson, that
was to show the elder statesmen the way! Shane Carless took the
holeshot but Ray Rowson (right) was quickly past and lead up the first hill
climb out of turn two where Kip Herring had got tangled up with a
couple of other riders, the trio hitting the soft slippery Welsh Mud.
Rowson pulled clear taking Carless with him while Crockard, some six
seconds adrift lead Gary Davies and Mark Jones. Carless got careless
though and dropped the bike, falling back to sixth place leaving
Rowson some fifteen seconds clear. Rowson pushed on relentlessly
while it would seem the experience of the Gp riders told them there
was little point in trying to catch a flying rider with such a big
lead on what is essentially a very fast track. Rowson eventually took
the win over twenty seconds ahead of Crockard, Jones, Davies and
carless who made up a place to take fifth from Jamie Lewis.
Moto two and once again it Rowson into an early lead from Mark
Jones and Davies (left). The race progressed along the same rutted lines as
the opener in that Rowson by lap three was some twelve seconds clear
of Jones and thats largely how it stayed, with riders probably more
preoccupied in staying on rather than winning! Moto three and Rowson
was already two bikes clear by the sweeping first left hander.
Leading home and starting lap two Rowson had the hat trick of wins in
his sights, that was until his front washed out as he exited the wall
off death leaving him to watch his fellow expert class riders stream
past. It mattered little though as the championship was in the bag
and the message from the pit board read slow down, "Dash For
Cash" to come. Shane Carless took over the lead with Crockard
just behind him, the result of which was to turn the red Irishman
Brown. The race was probably the closest of the night with Carless
holding out for a notable win.
P.A.R.Homes Lmt. /Bache's Bargains 2008 Welsh
Open Motocross championship, Rd. 2
P.A.R.Homes Lmt. /Bache's Bargains 2008 Welsh Open
Motocross championship, Rd. 1
Jones
though, on the next lap Lewis also found the whoops to be troublesome but
he managed to stay on the Kawasaki but the time lost meant on the
blisteringly quick Cwmythig track that Rowson now had a huge lead of
around ten seconds. Jones was back in fifth place but he quickly found a
way round the young Ashley Greedy from the Rhondda on the "Talbot
Cabs" 450cc Suzuki. Despite the battered appearance of Jones machine
now with no tail piece and a side panel flapping in the wind holding on
for its worth to the side frame, the world class pace of Jones was there
for all to see as he then set about fourth and third places by passing
Hucklebridge and Lewis. It was too much though to close down Rowson who
took the chequered flag to set up the first of his nights victories. Jones
got the start again in moto tow leading from Rowson, Hucklebridge, Glyn
Neath rider Kip herring on the "Off roaders" 450cc Yamaha with
Lewis and Greedy just behind. With no spares with Him Jones was tail-less
but it had no effect on the pace which quickly saw him pull well clear by
about 6 seconds from Rowson. The race was fairly uneventful, a fact no
dought Jones was glad of as he collected the maximum 20 points for the
race win from Rowson, the pair now being tied after two races on 37 point.
Herring moved up a couple of placings from his opening race fifth place
with Lewis just about holding off Hucklebridge for fourth spot. By the
final expert class the mist had almost developed to fog conditions with
visibility just about good enough for racing to continue. Rowson took the
holeshot from Jones and Herring. Jones took the lead on the second lap but
almost immediately Rowson re-passed as Jones had to take his hand from the
bars to clear his goggles. With a clear view again Jones powered passed
Rowson once more to lead up to the top of the track and the whoops! Sure
enough Jones had more trouble in the whoops and lost the lead once more,
but with a World Championship race this weekend you can't really blame him
for being cautious after the opening race tumble in the whoops. Rowson
pulled three seconds clear of Jones with Lewis now ahead of Herring who in
turn had Greedy in his roost looking for fourth spot, something he was to
find his way to on the next lap. It seemed that Jones had decided he may
have used up all his luck for the night and he seemed happy to sit in
second place following Rowson home as he took the second of his nights
wins and the overall by three points from Jones.
P.A.R.Homes
/ Bache's Bargains 2007 Rhayader Welsh Open MX Championship, 
P.A.R.Homes
/ Bache's Bargains 2007 Rhayader Welsh Open MX Championship, Rd.1.
Bache's Bargains /
P.A.R. Homes Welsh open Evening MX
championship, 2006, Final Round
Bridgend Based Mark Jones was in no mood for second place though and
after spending the second lap crawling all over Smith's rear wheel looking
for the pass he finally powered past as the pair headed up the start
straight section. The move opened the gates on Smith who soon had Crockard
passing him and Hucklebridge also looking for the move into third. Smith
regrouped however and with the Motoextreme Kawasaki of Hucklebridge
seemingly struggling for out and out pace it remained a Honda 1-2-3 to the
finish line, Jones cruising home after using the backmarkers to pull a few
seconds clear of Crockard.
