Share 

SEEC Hare n Hounds 
Hosted by LFB at Penwood 01-06-2014
Andy Marriner Memorial

Andy Marriner’s funeral was the Friday before the event which ironically was his chosen club and instead of a minutes silence we revved the bikes for a minute which seemed the right thing to do for the lovable rogue who will be missed by many in the SEEC.
A full entry for the mainly forest loop and sunshine as well, still a fair bit of water under foot but no stoppers which is what we wanted.
Also a very special day for us as our 7yr old Bunnie Layla came with us for the first time and bought her camera and took some 400 photos and did us proud.

Championship Class
No doubting the winner today Sherco mounted Jon Hunt who made a gap early on and just kept pulling out and very much controlled the race and pace and with Dad Andrew at hand advising what was going on behind he was not really troubled, however another Sherco made the runners up spot with the ever smooth Phil Wiffen at the helm who did have the very animated Elliot Davies(3rd) hot on his tail but the experienced Phil kept him at bay, 4th went to Neil Bowker whom to me had the best lines everywhere.

Expert Class
Very much a three way battle between Gav Maggs, Richard Ball and Dom Wilson with the very smooth Gav Maggs taking the win with what i call intelligent riding as he seemed so much more smoother and aware of the terrain in front that gave him the edge and victory, Richard Ball whom i love to watch just did not look as confident as he can and was even apprehensive at times so i imagine he is very happy with the podium, Dom Wilson rode his socks off and really gave Richard a hard time and will also be happy with that podium place, 4th Steve White whom was running top 3 for most of the event so not quite sure what happened towards the end but looked happy and confident out there, 5th Tristan Robinson on the Gas Gas and did not to me seem to do anything wrong and very much a fair result and placing, The Kirbinator Mark Kirby was flying early on and looked very much on a mission so i presume in true Kirbinator style he had a few arguments with some trees, Jack Hooper retired early due to his crash helmet messing up his perm (Bless Him eh!!).

Veteran A Class
A superb lesson by Neil Challice on how to ride a true forest event to all and sundry, it was a delight to watch such a master at work that really makes it look child’s play and very much deserved the win, Chris (Ginge) Howman and Chris (Stangerous) Stanger were having a great battle with both of them very much respecting each other, sadly Stangerous had a nasty off which left him bemused and winded but still fought to the end but the wily ginger one sneaked the runners up spot from Stangerous, Darren Osborne 4th and today he can be excused due to new bike but the excuses stop here ;-) a better showing by Mick Stradwick who seems to have upped his game a bit and confidence looked a lot higher here today, Rich Smith had a DNF and to be fair has not ridden for a long time but great to see him out there.
Paul Armstrong took the Vet A over 50 class victory
Andrew Greenwood took the EVO class victory

Clubman A Class
Liam Thomas very much a sleeping talent and so great to see him competing more regularly since he stopped being a minder for World Trials, style has tamed down a bit which is the way to go and looked at one with the terrain to take the victory, 2nd Felix Warren just lacked that punch today and seemed to err towards the cautious points make prizes riding which very much worked despite a separations from his steed, 3rd Alex Mace has very much upped his game and was one of the most confident out there and i for one hope it is not a flash in the pan, Aaron(Dibs)Dibnah (Father to be) fooled me out there as he never really looked happy or unhappy and looked casual but a 5th place so great result Dibs, 7th Rob Knight who does frustrate me at times but today he was very consistent and very much picked his own lines to his advantage which was good to see, 8th Matt Lawrence whom we have not seen as often as we have but whatever he has been doing he without doubt has improved especially confidence, The much travelled Cooper boys (Daniel and Steven) whom are both entertaining riders that are fast and talented so i have no idea how they ended up 9th and 10th, Mark Lander was having a great ride in the top 5 but posted a DNF which must have been very late in the race.

Veteran B Class
Another victory for Tim (Tick Tock) Newman who really has gelled with his new steed and really seems to be enjoying his riding again which for me is great to see, runner up Manny Bernardez whom i could not read today as result is good but he never looked that happy and seemed to be fighting his steed a lot, 3rd Andy Sharp who towards the end had to up his game due to 4th place Ian Mace catching him who really seemed to gel today with the TM which also sounded a lot healthier, 5th Michael Toussaint who as always gives his all and his French swearing always amuses me, 9th and 10th to the Turner brothers whom might as well stayed at home despite their 101 excuses so far (Love you both really).

Veteran B over 50 Class
First and Second for the two best poker faced riders in the SEEC, a great and popular win for Gas Gas rider Ade Wilkins who simply loves to ride and will be a happy man with the win, runner up Carl Smye (The Happy One) whom has recently defected to the colour orange and gets a podium and today’s loop was tough and physical and what Carl does possess is grit and that very much helped his podium placing, 3rd went to Orlando Bayne-Powell who got his head down early and dug deep to keep his good friend and adversary Hans Gilham 4th who really did try and bring the fight to Orlando but i feel the big 500 was a tad too much for today’s conditions, Bernie Coyne 6th who looked better than his result depicts and was very confident over areas that his rivals looked at apprehensively, 7th Rob Giles who never takes the same line twice but i am not sure that’s by choice lol, Paul Chandler (Yes the very loud Blue and White kit) from Croydon MCC posted a DNF after suffering clutch problems which his sponsors DAZ and PERSIL won’t be too pleased.

Clubman B Class
Lee Boulden took the most deserved victory of the day as he had a nasty off in front of me and he will be happy getting on the top podium spot after that, Richard Jones on the second podium spot which is a superb result knowing what Rich has been through with serious back problems and despite such a long layoff he is riding better than i have ever seen and long may it continue, Felix Upton 3rd which is a great and worthwhile result for the likeable Oxfordshire lad, 6th Tristan Bushnell who looked very nervy the first two laps but then found a rhythm he was comfortable with and made up some good ground, 8th Jonathan Casey, 9th to my good friend Russ Johns who rode damn well in the conditions carrying an injury but dug deep to finish( Bollocks..... just come back from holiday in which he over ate and drank and turned up here in the worst shape of his life and waddled round like a mobile chicane and only finished as not to be out done by his son in law to be Jack (Hairspray) Hooper), was great to see the man in black back Shaun Hayward who will be happy in the fact he beat Rob Mussell, Connor Smith you little super star, you can be very proud little man of what you achieved today on that bike in these conditions, i salute you Connor, Thomas Vandy who looks far scarier off the bike than on it completed 9 laps as did Michael Chandler, Carl Boraman did not look his usual confident smile for the camera rider today but posted a finish with 9 laps, Tim Lunn also posted 9 laps and really looked like he was enjoying the course and looked a lot more confident than usual, Harvey Bish to me looked quick and confident so not quite sure why he was not top 10 but very much a rider on the up, Brad Warton was very at the pointed end but a rare DNF ended his day early, Rob Mussell..... what can one say except retire gracefully and save yourself, your son Adam and your lovely sexy wife Helen the embarrassment of you waddling around looking like an advert for Jaffa oranges. Daniel Dicker would have won class but no result as late entry.

Sportsman Class
A hard earned and fought victory for Martin Delves whom used his head to his advantage by taking his own lines and not following the norm, 2nd to Neil Marshall who led for a while but it looked like his pace dropped towards the end, 4th to Dorset’s James Bowman who seemed to enjoy his rare SEEC outing and hopefully we will see more of him in the up and coming events, 5th to Jolly John Coyne whom probably enjoyed every minute out there but will tell you how he hated it and everything about it, i so love you JC, 7th Andrew Rayner who is very much getting to grips with this enduro lark and very much an improved rider, 8th Phil Harding was filling in for his injured son Ben and i don’t think he embarrassed young Ben too much..... well maybe a little, 9th for Adam Mussell on his first enduro and it was a tough debut event and without doubt you out shone your Dad and can be well proud of yourself and the only advice i can give is leave Dad at home, (Bring Mum though lol), Aiden Murphy spent a lot of time laying down but still looked like he was having fun out there, Andy Wright posted a DNF. Rupert Upton would have been 8th but no result as late entry.

What a wet windy week right up to now named Stormy Sunday night that caused chaos in the South of England but The Team at London Fire Brigade are made of tough stuff and worked in all the mixed conditions all week to make this event happen at a new venue in the SEEC Calendar at Great Pen Wood near Newbury and with the event sold out many weeks before it was one of the most eagerly awaited events on the Calendar, very much a true forest loop that was tight and naggery and very technical and with the amount of rain it was going to be tough and very enduring race.

Championship Class
Max Varney took the holeshot from Jon Hunt but nothing worse than an injured animal and that was in the guise of Rich Ely who was having his first Enduro back after serious injury and was soon on the tail of Max and by lap 2 was in the lead and just simply pulled away and controlled the pace when he needed too and took a much deserved win, Super Teen Jon Hunt who was a substitute late entry and has just moved into the SEEC area was runner up and has showed that he is a capable race winner and Championship contender for next year's series, Jack Turner was 3rd and simply got better as the event wore on and made up some good ground before the 3 hours elapsed, sadly Max pulled out whilst in 2nd simply due to the ill effects of being poorly all week.

Expert Class
I keep saying it but Trials ace Phil Wiffen gets better and better, although always been a good rider but never rode regularly enough, but since he has concentrated on the Enduro side and rode week in week out he has developed into a true Championship Class rider and he not only won The Expert class today but was 2nd overall, Ben Wibberley was 2nd and showed yet again his skills but in my opinion never looked that happy out there but got the job done never less, Elliot Davies was his usual spectacular self even in such testing conditions even on a borrowed bike to take the final podium spot from Mark Kirby after battling with each other throughout the day and Kirby never once gave up the chase and battled to the line to try and get that final podium position.

Veteran A Class
Yet another victory for Neil Challice and great preparation for his assault on next years Romaniacs but was made to work hard for first 2 hours by runner up Steve White who surprised me with his overall pace in such physical conditions and can be very proud of his performance, Paul Armstrong got final podium but never looked that comfortable out there but as usual dug deep and produced a great result. The Over 50 Class was won by Steve Bird who was having his first outing since competing in The Romaniacs a few weeks back but was given a tough time by Steve Taylor whom surprised me today in the way he handled the tough conditions.

Clubman A Class
It has been a long time coming and no one more surprised than me especially in these conditions was his first win in the class for the very popular Dom Wilson who has been plagued with mechanical woes but has great never give up attitude and what makes the victory so much sweeter is that he beat in my opinion the best riders in the class Richard Ball and Stuart King who made the up the rest of the podium in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Veteran B Class
Manny Bernardez is having a great season and true to form takes the win today but in conditions i thought he would struggle in but he certainly proved me wrong yet again and has shown this year no matter what the conditions or terrain he masters and then has this amazing consistency throughout the events and is becoming a very technical skilled veteran that never stops learning, runner up was Martin Turner (Yes the one with the pink helmet) whom i thought i would not finish in such conditions due to his Motocross background and first year in Enduro but as fiery and aggressive he maybe he has proved what an all rounder he is, 3rd was Tom Moore who was on his new bike and did look happy early on but once he found his mojo he made better progress and looked far happier despite his pained expressions face. The Veteran B Over 50 Class was won yet again by the very experienced Colin Cowley but was put under pressure all day by Phil Davies who adapted well to the terrain and conditions and was close to class win but had to settle for runners up spot, 3rd and another podium for Stephen Scott with well earned but lonely ride.

Clubman B Class
Chris Welch is very much one the most dedicated veteran aged riders out there who has an unbelievable appetite for this sport and has no natural ability at all but will ride every weekend and over the last 4 years has make steady but noticeable improvements and never fails to post a finish and today to take victory in the biggest class of the day is a great achievement that he can be very proud and happy with, Bradley Warton took runners up spot and yet again showed what he is capable of but needs to ride more regular as definitely a class winner, 3rd and as true to the form book with another podium was Rob Knight.

Sportsman Class
Probably the youngest rider out there Adam Brady showed how a Trials riding background can so help you in Enduro and showed some great skills in various situations that i witnessed that gave him a very much deserved win from the very experienced class leader Richard Turner who rode very well but looked like he had enough towards the end as fatigue became a big factor, 3rd and another youngster who spent a lot of time separated from his bike today but never gave up and as entertaining as ever was Ben Harding.

Photos - Results

SEEC Hare n Hounds Championship
Penultimate Rd, Bagshot 
Hosted By London Fire Brigade Enduro Club 04-11-2012
Report Rich Troth

A nice flowing technical 4 mile course was laid out on Saturday and with a full entry it was all looking good until the early hours when the heavens opened up and 8 hours of torrential rain very nearly ended the event but riders were turning up in their droves and it was game on although delayed for 30 minutes, it was inevitable that the going was going to be tough with that much rain and tough it was and credit truly given to all that finished.
Championship Class
Well it needed more than 8 hours of rain to douse the fire that ignited James (Jacko) Jackman as he truly demonstrated what a class act he is especially when its gnarly wet and damn horrible and led from the off and did not relinquish the lead once and lapped right up to second place overall (Phil Wiffen) with 12 laps completed, 2nd went to Jack Twentyman who was back on his old Yamaha and dare i say he looked happy, fast and comfortable, 3rd went to Tony Williamson who was flying in second place until he lost his rear brake completely.
Expert Class
Phil Wiffen simply loved the lap and the conditions and it showed as the trials ace used all his expertise and made it look far easier than it was and to finish with 12 laps and be 2 laps clear of runner up has to be one of his Enduro highlights, runner up was the teenager Dylan Baynton who has already shown the enduro world what he can do in the youth divisions and now up with the men he is showing his worth and a definite star of the future and has a great eye for different lines, Dan Alldred was 3rd with a very consistent ride from the local man, George Hayes 4th and still getting to grips with the 250 from the 125, Malcolm Coles blew his engine on lap one, Jack Hooper was on his new steed did not post a finish also James Foxley was circulating for a while but no finish posted.
Veteran A Class
He won last weekend in his comeback event so it would have been a shame to tarnish the record so another victory for the very fit Chris Howman who had to work very hard to pass eventual runner up Darren Osborne and then to keep him at bay, both completed 11 laps, 3rd went to Chris Stanger whose little 150 could be heard for miles screaming for its life trying to climb the rutted wet climbs, 4th on his new bike (Ex Daryl Bolter) was Paul Armstrong who for some bizarre reason seemed to be smiling and enjoying the power of the 350 beast and a big bonus for Paul was to finish on a bike still in one piece, 5th and early leader in the class was Dennis Harrison, 6th to Steve Bird who as usual was consistent lap after lap and seemed to avoid the mass carnage areas, 7th Team Psycho's Tom Moore who seems to have got his enthusiasm back, 8th Steve Taylor whom simply dug deep and kept moving but did not seem to enjoy the conditions (Really), Richard Alldred came home 9th on the big 450, Nick Dyer 10th who did not look comfortable from the off nor did Paul Hearn who retired after 1 lap.
Clubman A Class
With his brother and closest rival Brad Mair away with work commitments it was left to Steve White to chase Jason Mair and chase he did but a few mistakes and partings from his machinery left him with too much to do, so Jason took the victory by a lap from Steve. 3rd to John (JB) Brown who just loves a challenge and todays must of been one of his toughest and well rewarded with that final podium. Richard Ball finished 4th, 5th Andy De-Merist, 6th Paddy Twentyman. Tom Harbon was riding very well but no finish posted. Aaron Dibnah on a borrowed bike DNF. Shaun Turner 4 laps but DNF, Tristan Robinson DNF'd due to a nagging ankle injury.
Veteran B Class
A superb win for the tallest man in the paddock Stephen Brooman whose leg length must of helped him up the gnarly climbs. Runner up and another rider with a never give up attitude and will be very happy with this podium Nick Littlecott. 3rd Dene Hart who was consistent lap after lap but did seem to be more comfortable as the event wore on. 4th to ex road racer Simon Minch on the big 570 whose goal was to finish (job done). 5th Paul Reich. 6th Colin Cowley who did not look comfortable in the conditions. Kevin Gurr 7th. 8th Big Wayne Straughair who brought back childhood nightmares to me as when he emerged from the dark woods covered in mud and slime he resembled a creature from the darkest swamps.
Clubman B Class
The Isard Brothers both started lively and seemed to find a rhythm and sort of look after each other but Matthew (6th place) had a problem after 7 laps which left Daniel to take a well earned victory, with runner up Rob Saunders hounding him all the way. 3rd and eager for the points was Dom Wilson whose goal was simply to finish and score points (mission accomplished). 4th Rick Gardner whose pained expression was clear to see lap after lap. Russell Johns 5th. 7th to the very colourful Felix Warren who actually looked like he was enjoying himself although looks can be deceiving. Michael Toussaint 8th and seemed to get better as the event wore on. 9th Andrew Hains. Completing the top 10 was Timothy Tubb which was a terrific result considering he does not like these conditions. Other notables Richard Hobbs 6 laps completed, Shaun Hayward who could be heard swearing under his helmet constantly all day and still managed to complete 6 laps. Rob Knight despite filling me in with his rooster completed 5 laps. Bernie Coyne out on his new bike sadly got a puncture and posted 5 laps. Richard Jones posted 4 laps on his Gasgas as did Darren Giggs, Keith Workman seemed to lose interest as his close friend and rival Timothy Tubb surged ahead and posted a DNF. Shane Babey posted DNF. Oh nearly forgot there was an overweight butcher on a KTM going around and apparently posted 6 laps which we all know is a lie.
Sportsman Class
Matt Coyne not only his debut outing on his new bike, but also his debut win, and to win in such conditions is a testament to his personality...well done Matt. Runner up Team Psychos Chris Welch who so looks like Herman Munster, 3rd Richard Turner, 4th Seb Chilvers who definitely seems to excel the tougher the conditions, Stewart Churchyard 5th and am sure will be over the moon with this position, 6th Adam Brodie, 7th The very tall Howard Perry, 8th to a bottle of lucazade in the guise of Nick Palmer, 9th John Coyne who rode like he didn't steal it. Completing the top 10 Ben Lewis whose video i have since watched and how he got another 3 laps in is beyond me as it looked hard. Other notables Matthew Casey the teenager on his very first enduro and to finish is an outstanding accomplishment and then to be placed 11th in class is nothing short of a miracle. Nick Rumble bumbled his way round for 4 laps. Jack Coyne posted 4 laps. James Ford 4 laps. Mark Slade (yes the cheerful one) posted a finish with 2 laps. Bradley Warton, Ian Wells, Bruno Studley and Justin Denn no finishes posted. Rider 130 whom is believed to be Mark Staines was seen acting suspiciously behind some bushes half way round the course and upon further investigation using a high powered telephoto lens it was discovered that his camel back was a secret food stash, containing burgers, hot dogs and other junk purchased from the burger bar earlier. Photos

Bolter Extinguishes all in final
LFB SPRINT ENDURO 06-05-2012
CHAWTON PARK FOUR MARKS HAMPSHIRE

London Fire Brigade had gone all out in preparation for their stand alone race format and with the help of Docklands/ Extreme rider Chris Salt (Kriega KTM) and the end result was a 4+ mile course scattered with obstacles varying from jumping 8ft deep ditches, jumbo tyres to ride over, logs in abundance and 2 cars to ride over and many more hazards and of course the well known resident MX circuit, combined with a wood that was like an ice skating rink and required the upmost skill over the 4 x 4 ruts, visible roots and deep bomb holes but thankfully the LFB team had put in an open grassy field that was top gear and helped clean off the tyres and give the riders a sort of respite, a very well thought out circuit that did have easy/hard routes but the easy routes were well penalised with time penalties.

The format was simple 3hours in the morning and ride as many laps as you want with each timed, top 15 in each class (Championship/Expert and Clubman) go into the afternoon heats, where top 5 qualify for final that is 2 laps for Championship and Experts and 1 lap for Clubman.

The day kicked off and first out on circuit was the Isle of Wight Teamsnapper rider Jack Ayres on his KTM then as the minutes ticked away the course became busier and busier and due to each lap being timed there was always a good gap between riders which no doubt helped all, Brad Armstrong (Teamsnapper KTM) tried the hard route over the cars but then quickly realised that the fastest route was to take easy route and keep momentum going also not sure whether Brad was not confident in qualifying for the final but between him and James DeMerist (Husqvarna) they did many laps which was great to see as both love their time on their bikes, not sure what James does sometimes as whenever in my view he looks so damn near perfect yet he just misses out at the sharp end but 100% committed, Chris Stanger (Stainger Glass, Teamsnapper NOT orange bike) decided today was about fun and did not take too seriously although you would have thought different in the way he jumped off the car sideways as he saw a slower rider pass him by going the easy route and although did qualify handsomely for the final he was too damn lazy to be bothered but then again Chris is coming on 50 yrs of age which did surprise a few other riders as most believed Chris was well into his 60's. Paul Hearn (RAF Honda) did sign on and was visibly seen by many and his bike was in parc ferme but sadly due to Paul's allergic reaction to soft wet mud he was unable to race and we all wish him a speedy recovery as later went to hospital as got hands dirty whilst putting bike back in van so the RAF mantle was left to Nathan (Jack) Daniels (RAF/Teamsnapper Yamaha)who is still getting back to bike fitness did the RAF proud and always great to see young Connor cheering his Dad along, Malcolm Coles (Finch Cycles/TS Yamaha) started steady and was finding his feet and got well into the qualifying zone when he had an off that looked like a broken arm but still stayed and watched the finals, The REME was represented by Tony Cotty (KTM)and Dan Beaven (KTM) and Dan was his usual confident self and posting very consistent top times so was enjoying himself, Tony is a great rider and rides in 2 British championships currently but sadly his undoing as always is Teamsnapper Cameras or to be more precise me as when he spots me he either drops it, overshoots it, misses it, loops it, or simply just crashes and today over the pallets and then very skillfully ......... or luckily saves a big one over the cars but still qualifies and gets good start and from what I saw Joey D braked very early and Tony had nowhere to go and had nasty looking fall which ended his day, Was great to Steve (Doppy) (KTM) Dopson not only back in the country but having a ride on Daryl Bolter KTM of which Doppy loved and I understand that he is returning to the UK and will be yet again a regular on the scene and very much welcomed as well. My school mate from yesteryear Warren Slevin decided to go into the Woods of Doom to watch his son Drew on the Teamsnapper Yamaha and luckily he did as the 8 ft ditch was slightly mistimed by Drew due to hazardous run up and ended half in and half out the ditch and if Daddykins had not been there well we would still be looking for the young Drew in the dark wet ditches of the Woods of Doom, Drew qualified ok and was a credit to his Dad and TS in the finals. Tom Moore and Chris Welch (Team Psycho) and without 3rd team member who is still on remand had a very mixed day with both seen and photographed dancing on the car obstacle and when questioned later they were not only quite surprised they had been seen but also surprised I did not know about their entry into Britain's Got Talent contest apparently they were practising their Morris Dancing and due to the odd nature of these two guys I felt it was not my place to tell them that Morris dancing was not about shaking your stuff over two old motor cars, although good to see Tom back after injury and Chris to qualify for finals. Not sure what happened to Jack Hooper (Honda) as had quick hello to me as he balanced on the pallets (Cracking Photo) so am thinking bike problem, was great to meet David Biles (KTM) who very kindly wore a Teamsnapper race shirt of which we were very thankful and hopefully bring him better luck next time and of course his regular sparring partner Mark Kirby(KTM) who both really don't care about conditions as long they have fun and young Josh Kirby (KTM)who despite his teenage years beat some very experienced riders in reaching the final but sadly clutch had expired in the qualifier but enjoyed his day nether less, another rider having clutch problems was my good friend Manny on the Teamsnapper Yamaha but still stayed to the very end and thoroughly enjoyed the day's proceedings, Daniel Lucas (DL Joinery Honda) had a mishap very early on and damaged his back but stayed on to support his good friend Dom Wilson (Honda) who had a cracking day by making the final, Paul (Burnie) Burnett on the John Deere KTM when on the bike was riding well and visibly enjoying but a puncture did sour his day, Tom Harbon (Suzuki) the ex road racer getting better on the rough stuff week after week and regular rider Matt Hubbard (Halycon Books KTM)although makes hard work for himself sometimes never gives up and always willing to try the hard routes, Father and son team Marc and Myles Morley Freer (Teamsnapper/Bike Tech/Marla Blinds Gas Gas)who both rode well with Marc making the final, fair play to Myles for doing some of the hard routes including the cars, great to see BSEC regular Stephanie Rowe (AJP) out there and quite openly admitted it was hard work especially in the Woods of Doom but as with Stephanie she just digs in and gets on with it, My ex riding buddy Chris Davey (Teamsnapper KTM) was having fun and to be honest surprised me when he went over the cars but retired early after coming off and damaging ribs and when I spoke to him later he said he did not realise there was an easy route, which did make me chuckle, was nice to have quick chat with the very laid back Simon Soanes about previous event at slab but his son Thomas (Teamsnapper Gas Gas) was not a happy bunny in these conditions and his frustration was plain to see but hopefully enjoyed, Teamsnapper rider Andy Marriner whom I had not seen for a while and still never got to chat properly had a great time and always game on and that was evident early on and won't let an obstacle beat him, a great ride Andy. Regular Southern rider Darren Perry (Jemca Lexus Husaberg) looked very comfortable everywhere except in the Wood of Doom where I just felt the top heavy Husaberg was a bit of a handful on that slippery surface especially at slow speed, Carshalton MCC rider Dave Ford (Gas Gas) made no time getting used to the track and his times were very consistent and from my angle his Achilles heel was the Wood of Doom, Carl Mexter (KTM) I have no idea what happened to Carl as saw him once early on in a bit of trouble and never saw again so hoping all is good, Jack Claridge (KTM) whom I know nothing about and still don't but hopefully enjoyed his day and hopefully see again in the SEEC rounds, Paul Gentle (KTM) managed not only to miss Kaka (Private Joke) but rode damn well all day and even at the end was still buzzing and sure he gained some experience from it as well as to try and "Don't forget your race kit next time lol". John Weller (Kawasaki) whom I was told it was his first enduro, well if that is true then fair play John as you rode your socks off making the final and love the bbbaaarrrpppp of that Kawasaki, Phil Davies (Teamsnapper KTM) made most of the championship riders look like pussies the way he JUMPED the cars each lap and was having a ball despite his son Elliot not riding until he landed awkwardly damaging his ankle but running at the sharp end all day, Kingston MCC rider Matt Coyne (Teamsnapper KTM) said to me in the morning try and make me look good in your pictures, well Matt I did not need to as you did Teamsnapper proud as well as the Coyne Clan with some great skills and balls over some of them obstacles especially the cars.

Championship Final
Daryl Bolter (Crescent KTM) had been evidently the quickest rider all day in qualifying, last LFB sprint winner Rich Ely (Edmondson/Teamsnapper KTM)was not having the best of days but the saying "over trying" comes to mind as not only loves the format but usually excels in these conditions, local riders and regular championship class winners Mark Kirby (KTM) and David Biles (KTM)were both having mixed fortunes in qualifying, Si Wakely (Midwest Husaberg)was on form and eager to beat team mate Aaron Smith (Midwest Teamsnapper Husaberg) who was riding well and staying on, new kid on the block Max Varney (Moto-Ward Teamsnapper Yamaha) who was eager to take scalps, part time soldier Dan Beaven (REME Teamsnapper Beaven Plant KTM)was well in the mix, Bradley King (K4 Kawasaki) having a very up and down day and not his usual smiley self, Jack Turner (KTM)albeit not been riding as much lately but the technical woods had his name written all over it but lost time in the MX section , however when confidence is riding high as it was with Daryl there was not another rider on this planet who could have beaten him today and with tongue in cheek he actually left the line last as if to make a statement and what a statement he carved through the field and appeared from the woods and after 1 lap had a 30 second lead from Si wakely, with Aaron Smith and Max Varney Jostling for 3rd , Rich Ely had tried to double jump a ditch and mistimed and was over the bars, Dan Beaven was on Max's tail but could not get close enough to pass, Bradley King was trying so hard he was making mistakes and the frustration was showing.

Experts Final
The qualifying was hard, aggressive and not for the weak with the mighty Joey D (Teamsnapper KTM)stamping his no nonsense approach, Tom Moss (Family Moss Yamaha) the super fast newcomer to Enduro and the very skill full and wise headed George Hayes (Teamsnapper KTM) were the favourites and rightly so with George getting the holeshot followed by Tom and Joey, Tom took an almighty clout as he flipped over his bike just 25 seconds into the race but got back on and rejoined in last place on and most certainly his race was over, all was quiet for a while then Joey came out of the woods with a great lead of some 25 seconds but coming into the arena he came off over one of the obstacles and with bike damage his final was sadly over, George never looked back and kept cool to take the lead and now in 2nd was the man in orange Gareth Hughes (KTM)who had been riding consistently solid throughout the day and a great joy to watch over the obstacles but somehow Tom Moss from last place with a bike that had bits hanging off was hard on Gareth's tail and with a very skilful undertake in front of the large crowd in the arena area he snatched second.
Clubman

No denying the ability and skill level of Darren Osborne (P&H KTM) who seems to tell his steed what to do and it appears that it dutifully obeys each and every command and took the race win, although chasing hard Jack Ayres (Teamsnapper KTM) from the Isle of Wight was visibly grinning from ear to ear to come over the line in 2nd , and in 3rd with his son yelling him on from the sidelines Marc Morley Freer whom had worked his socks off throughout the day and even lost his seat in qualifying much to the crowds amusement.

My rider of the day went to Tom Moss (Family Moss Yamaha) who seemed to come from behind all day and had fair amount of bad luck but to have such a big off in the final not only damaging the bike but must have been winded himself at the very least and in last place and to get 2nd place in only one and a half laps at that standard had me shouting and cheering as unseen by Kaka before of which I thank you. (CD Disc of all photos plus print and Hoodie on way to you next week)

My moment of the day was nothing short of spectacular as Aaron Smith (Midwest/Teamsnapper Husaberg) hit the finishing line jump in qualifier with one lap to go chasing down Si Wakely (Midwest Husaberg) but Aaron being Aaron (In My Opinion) saw the camera and was a bit transfixed and jumped very high at a very high speed landed past his braking point and not only over shot the bend but missed a deep trench and totally lost control without losing bike completely as Shaun his dad and marshalls running frantically getting him back up and straight when over the jump comes the Moto-Ward Teamsnapper Yamaha of Max Varney and as Max banks his steed into the turn Aaron comes leaping from sidelines which makes Max goes wide very nearly taking Aaron out and then the pair full chat for last lap with what I can only imagine what they were both thinking as they battled for 3rd place.

Conclusion
In my time in this great sport of Enduro this event has to go down as not only one of the most exciting but also due to the paddock atmosphere where there were no egos and everyone willing everyone on, crowd was clapping and cheering riders over finish line that it also has to be one of the most enjoyable.

Many riders have contacted me today via email/text/facebook to express their thanks to Zade Alassad and crew of which I won't mention as will miss someone out accidently and don't want to offend but you know who you all are and never have had such feedback from an event and you only have to read the forums and various facebook pages what a successful event and day it was, so from Teamsnapper and all the riders/supporters/helpers etc etc a massive WELL DONE and THANKS for not only putting together one hell of an event that was a spectacle but for making the Enduro Community better for it.

Rich T (Teamsnapper) Photos www.teamsnapper.co.uk 

 www.lfb-enduro.com  

London Fire Brigade MCC Sprint Enduro

Well there we have it, the first ever LFBMCC Sprint event was run on Sunday the 5th Sept and has generated overwhelmingly positive feedback from the Press, spectators but mostly from the riders who were able to enter this last minute event...

With morning qualifying getting underway at 10am sharp, riders set off to ride, for the first time, a course they'd been walking since Saturday afternoon.

The starting marshal drops their hand and competitors blast off the line one at a time at 10 second intervals, pitching into a sharp left puts the bike on the hard pack MX track, bouncing off the berm of a right hand turn puts them over a tabletop and down the long straight. Next it's into another right berm then off the MX track and into the EnduroCross straight, Half buried Aircraft tyres (said to be off Concord!) followed by a sea of truck tyres and straight into the oil drum triple jump which puts them right onto the railway sleeper steps back onto the MX track...

Almost imediately riders hurled their bikes up the sheer, overgrown sides of two tabletops, caught their breaths along a short grass stretch then it was into the Colosseum! with huge tracker tyres to be tackled and two cars to be jumped before getting into the real enduro part of the track...where the work begins!!

Into the gnarly, root infested woods... with two big Chalk pits several water crossings, calamity cavity and countless deep 4x4 ruts and the only respite being the root covered clay areas in between, it took a proper enduro die-hard to put in a good time in the woods!
Exiting the big woods put riders down a short straight and into the second woodland section, tight and nagery but not too challenging then onto the lower MX track and over the Bone-Yard (a pile of jumbled railway sleepers, large rocks and loose earth) and into the finish.

With 5 minutes of the morning session left, it was a flurry of rev's as riders took to the track to make sure of their qualifying position! After all it was only the top 15 who go through to the final heats... plus points are awarded to those top 15 in order of qualifying position!!

And so the afternoon heats got under way after a short break for lunch... A LeMans start saw riders run to the bike and take off for a points scoring ride! With one heat per class then the grand final (for which they score double points!), riders really had to dig deep to finish well.

Richard Ely dominated the Championship class on a borrowed KTM, Max Varney gained his first win in the Expert class aboard his 125cc Yamaha while Darren Osbourne took a convincing victory in the Clubmans on a KTM...
So there we have it the first ever LFBMCC Sprint Enduro... roll on next year!!

For Results check out: www.lfb-enduro.com  - Video

Share