British Championships 2012

After very heavy rain throughout the night, campers must have feared the worst when they woke up on Sunday morning. However, thanks to a strong wind, some Cornish sun and lots of track work by the club, the circuit was rideable for the British Championships to take place in 2012. In practice, the track immediately proved difficult for riders. The adverse camber of the pit bend proved a particular point of difficulty for many riders, especially on the slippery surface. After practice had finished, the club worked tirelessly to create a good racing surface. Although the circuit was still a challenge, it was much more ‘user friendly’ for the start of racing.

Race 1 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Steve Darvill, 2^nd. Chris Malone, 3^rd. Russell Little, 4^th. James Worrall, 5^th. Michael Randall, 6^th. Ashley Hill, 7^th. Antony Worrall

The British Championships opened up with a flying start by Russell Little. However, Steve Darvill sweeped past Little on the first turn and got away from the pack. Little was disposed of by Malone coming out of the first bend. Although the track looked grippy and patchy, it was far better than it had been in practice. Steve Darvill, mounted on two stroke equipment, makes a dream start to his 2012 campaign.

Race 2 (250cc Solos) 1^st. James Shanes, 2^nd. Adam Shipp, 3^rd. Danny Boyle, 4^th. Mickey Allen, 5^th. Ben Worrall

15 year old James Shanes proves the critics wrong by leaping out of the start and leading into the first turn. Determined Adam Shipp leant on Shanes heavily going into the turn but his challenge was not enough to outdo the youngster, who got a gap between himself and Shipp and started his first British championship in the perfect way. A great scrap for 3^rd saw Mickey Allen and Danny Boyle passing and repassing on the first two laps before the JRM power of Boyle saw him get away. A disastrous start for Brendon Warvill saw him pulling off on the first lap. From practice, Shanes looked quick and he proved his pace in this heat, beating the hugely talented Adam Shipp convincingly.

Race 3 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Harland Cook, 2^nd. Georgie Wood, 3^rd. Ben Ilsley, 4^th. Sam Radley-Smith, 5^th. Jon Shanes, 6^th. Adam Hawker

Harland Cook makes a great start and creates some breathing space for himself quickly. Georgie Wood chased him down and eventually drew close, but didn’t have enough to get on terms with him. Sam Radley- Smith and Ben Ilsley were both filled in heavily off of the start and had to claw their way through the pack to redeem some decent positions. It was obvious that visibility would be an issue for many riders.

Race 4 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Harland Cook, 2^nd. Georgie Wood, 3^rd. Dave Mears, 4^th. Mark Giles, 5^th. Mark Taylor

The line up in the 350cc solos looked fierce. As they came to the line for Race 4, any one of the riders looked like they could win. But it was Cook and Wood, straight out from the previous heat, who took up the lead with Tom Perry chasing them hard. Then Mark Giles dropped his machine on the top bend. Dave Mears, with nowhere to go, collided with the machine but all were okay and remounted for the rerun. The rerun saw Perry try to round Cook, only to be heavily filled in. He then pulled off the circuit, starting his day off disastrously. The visibility was indeed a problem as all the riders spread out for the remainder of the race, Mark Taylor seeing the need to completely remove his goggles. Cook finished the race without his steel shoe, but this did not slow him down.

Race 5 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Andy Mellish, 2^nd. Richard Smith, 3^rd. John Jeffries, 4^th. Josh Dingle, 5^th. Darren Drew, 6^th. Chris Malone

This race saw the first incredible clash between Andy Mellish and Richard Smith. At speed, they diced with one another. When Mellish ran wide, Smith was able to dive up the inside. When they exited the pit bend on Lap 3, the opposite happened, with Mellish streaking past Smith on the inside. Eventually, it was Mellish who was first over the line in this brilliant battle. After throwing the bikes at each other, it was no surprise that both riders had used more than the track to keep themselves on board, both receiving a warning from the clerk of the course for running outside the track markers.

Race 6 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Matt Ethrington, 2^nd. Chris Johnson, 3^rd. Martin Williams, 4^th. Barry Powell, 5^th. Andrew Whitaker, 6^th. Michael Peters, 7^th. Simon Phillips

Matt Ethrington started his latest British championship campaign in fine style, winning by a big margin against a more than capable line up. However behind him, the pack fought throughout. A notable manoeuvre was performed by Martin Williams, diving up the inside of Peters, Powell and Whitaker coming out of the pit bend and taking them all on the back straight. An impressive ride from Michael Peters early on was brought to an end when he caught too much drive and lifted, allowing first Chris Johnson through and then the rest of the pack. Another great race in this highly competitive class.

Race 7 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Radley/Radley, 2^nd. Harvey/Hogg, 3^rd. Carvill/Webb, 4^th. Beard/Daw, 5^th. Richards/Fletcher

This race provided entertainment for both first and third. After following Nick/Abi Radley for three laps, Harvey/Hogg dived up the inside of the father/daughter crew coming out of the top bend and appeared to become stuck together. It was Harvey who emerged from the bottom bend in front once the outfits had drifted apart again and went on to win the race, whilst Radley was clearly not happy with what had happened. The clerk of the course deemed that Harvey/Hogg had gone inside the track markers to pass the Radley’s and therefore reversed the result, giving Nick/Abi a win. Shaun Harvey and Danny Hogg pleaded their case after the race, but to no avail. The battle for third was equally as fearsome as Dave Carvill/Karl Webb were filled in on the first lap. Simon Beard/Carl Daw chased Carvill/Webb down but just couldn’t find a way around them. Controversy from the offset in the 500 chairs.

Race 8 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Dunn/Schadler, 2^nd. Bennett/Hughes, 3^rd. Read/Hopkins, 4^th. Moorcock/Goodwin

A fantastic gate by Scott Dunn saw him leave the rest of the pack and win easily. Mike Read/Mark Hopkins found themselves in 2^nd but went infield coming out of the top bend. This allowed Barrie Bennett/Efion Hughes to come on terms with Read and pass him on the entrance to the pit bend. Again, visibility was poor and the riders became spread out towards the end of the race.

Race 9 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Penfold/Webb, 2^nd. Cuff/North, 3^rd. Ridley/Bowles, 4^th. Pack/Chittenden

Dave Penfold/Richard Webb began the defence of their title in fine style with a huge win. A great squabble for 2^nd occurred however. On lap 4, Martin Cuff/Steve North ran hard into the top bend and rounded Charlie Ridley/Steve Bowles and the two outfits connected as Cuff came across Ridley. The two chased to the line with Andy Pack/Michael Chittenden in close proximity. It was Cuff on the 600cc machine who managed to take 2^nd.

Race 10 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Marley/Barker, 2^nd. Balman/Balman, 3^rd. Downs/Standing

Race 10 got off to a false start as the tape became hooked underneath the front mudguard of Eirwin/Alex Balman’s machine. In the restart , Paul Marley/Nick Barker got themselves away after the Balman’s got into more trouble on the start line. Marley/Barker never looked challenged here. A disastrous start for Billy Penfold/Gary Potter however. They came to a stop on the last bend after lifting, with passenger Potter paying close attention to a rather delicate area of his posterior!

Race 11 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Shanes, 2^nd. Shipp, 3^rd. Radley-Smith, 4^th. Ilsley, 5^th. A Worrall, 6^th. Little

Another comfortable win for a delighted James Shanes in race 11 raised many an eyebrow. A good battle for 3^rd early on between Ben Ilsley and Sam Radley-Smith saw both riders leaning on each other going into the pit bend on the second lap. Chris Malone stopped on the first lap and did get going again, but failed to complete enough laps. Russell Little and Antony Worrall scrapped heartily over the final place, with Worrall managing to tuck up the inside of Little on the last lap, Little struggling on the grippy surface.

Race 12 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Wood, 2^nd. Cook, 3^rd. Allen, 4^th. J Worrall, 5^th. Randall

Not to be outdone for a third time, Georgie Wood forces a mistake from Harland Cook going into the first turn and then never looks challenged. Cook recovers from his error to hold onto second comfortably. Sadly, Ben Worrall’s Honda machine packs up on the top bend. He would rejoin later in the meeting.

Race 13 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Boyle, 2^nd. Darvill, 3^rd. Hill, 4^th. Shanes, 5^th. Hawker

This was a comprehensive win for Danny Boyle, who looked far more himself in this heat. Steve Darvill followed up his first heat win with a second, seeing him well up the points table.

Race 14 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Mellish, 2^nd. Perry, 3^rd. Giles, 4^th. Jeffries, 5^th. Taylor, 6^th. Williams, 7^th. Peters, 8^th. Malone

Andy Mellish made a cracking gate and used it to get away from the pack and maintain a gap. Tom Perry’s machine leapt in the air on lap 1, giving Mark Giles second. After a valiant effort by Giles, Perry found a gap and past Giles but ran out of time to catch Andy Mellish, who took his second win. Some good racing by John Jeffries saw him hunt down and pass Mark Taylor for 4^th.

Race 15 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Dingle, 2^nd. Ethrington, 3^rd. Cook, 4^th. Johnson, 5^th. Drew

Josh Dingle wins in style in this race, providing some heart stopping moments as his bike bucked and reared on the patchy ground. Matt Ethrington managed to establish himself in second but an excellent battle was witnessed between Chris Johnson and Harland Cook for 3^rd, Cook eventually managing to fend off a quick looking Johnson.

Race 16 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Wood, 2^nd. Smith, 3^rd. Mears

Race 16 saw only three finishers but was anything but uneventful. Richard Smith gets himself in front on the first lap but runs very wide exiting the pit bend, allowing Georgie Wood through on the back straight. Dave Mears dropped his machine on the pit bend and remounted quickly, finding himself at the back. However, as other riders fall by the wayside, Mears finds himself back in fourth and on the last bend, Jake Quintrell spills the machine, gifting Dave Mears a third place which he could not have expected.

Race 17 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Dunn/Schadler, 2^nd. Radley/Radley, 3^rd. Carvill/Webb, 4^th. Read/Hopkins

Scott Dunn/Christian Schadler again make a great start and get away from the pack. Shaun Harvey/Danny Hogg chased Dunn/Schadler along with Nick/Abi Radley but Harvey/Hogg pulled up on lap 2 on the pit bend, giving Nick/Abi second and Scott Dunn an enormous lead. Later in the race, Dave Carvill reeled in the Radley’s and mounted an outside challenge but simply ran out of room. The last bit of action saw Scott Dunn/Christian Schadler gaining tremendous drive down the back straight, lifting the front wheel in the air in a heart-stopping moment.

Race 18 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Bennett/Hughes, 2^nd. Moorcock/Goodwin, 3^rd. Beard/Daw, 4^th. Richards/Fletcher

This race saw all four crews spread out before they’d even reached the first turn. Later on, Beard/Daw tried to find a way past Moorcock/Goodwin but there was no way through. Simon Beard/Carl Daw will desperately need better starts to improve as their race pace looks promising.

Race 19 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Penfold/Webb, 2^nd. Balman/Balman, 3^rd. Marley/Barker, 4^th. Ridley/Bowles

Another mightily impressive win for the defending champions. They really don’t look like being caught. Although Marley/Barker looked faster, they couldn’t find a way past Eirwin/Alex Balman. Problems on the line for Charlie Ridley/Steve Bowles saw them competing a lap down.

Race 20 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Cuff/North, 2^nd. Pack/Chittenden, 3^rd. Penfold/Potter, 4^th. Downs/Standing

This race saw a fantastic couple of laps. After a flying start, Mike Downs/Steve Standing lead. On Lap 4, Martin Cuff came up the inside of Downs, forcing him wide. Andy Pack followed Cuff through, picked up drive and divebombed Cuff/North going into the final bend. Their entrance speed was a little too much however and they  ran slightly wide, letting Cuff back in up the inside and through to the win. A great race.

Race 21 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Shanes, 2^nd. Allen, 3^rd. A Worrall, 4^th. Darvill, 5^th. Randall, 6^th. Shanes

A huge win for James Shanes saw him head into the semi finals on a maximum and the only rider to manage it. The rest of the field were spread out. Steve Darvill didn’t manage to make up ground after being filled in terribly early in the race. Mickey Allen saw off an early challenge from Antony Worrall.

Race 22 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Cook, 2^nd. Shipp, 3^rd. B Worrall, 4^th. Ilsley

Adam Shipp this time makes a great start but runs very wide coming out of the first turn. He still manages to lead but when he runs wide again coming out of the same bend, Harland Cook gets up the inside of him and passes him. Russell Little threw a chain whilst chasing the pack in this heat and dragged his stricken machine across the circuit just in time. The day ends badly for Danny Boyle as he crashes on the back straight after running wide. The race is awarded after three laps, only four riders managing to finish.

Race 23 (250cc Solos) 1^st. Wood, 2^nd. Radley-Smith, 3^rd. Malone, 4^th. J Worrall, 5^th. Hawker, 6^th. Hill

Georgie Wood took an emphatic win this time around with Sam Radley-Smith coming home in second, albeit with some hair-raising moments! For a while, it looked like Chris Malone might pass Radley-Smith, but the latter managed to ride two sensible laps to finish off the heat.

Race 24 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Perry, 2^nd. Wood, 3^rd. Quintrell, 4^th. Drew, 5^th. Malone

Tom Perry took his first win of the day in tremendous style, never looking like being caught by Georgie Wood. A great tussle for 3^rd between Jake Quintrell and Darren Drew saw Quintrell struggling to get the bike out of the bends and running wide. Drew, however, still tried to round Quintrell and that was where it went wrong for Drew, as he ran out of track on the back straight.

Race 25 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Dingle, 2^nd. Cook, 3^rd. Ethrington, 4^th. Jeffries, 5^th. Smith, 6^th. Williams, 7^th. Giles

The first running of the race ended swiftly. On a tight first bend, Josh Dingle pushes hard, shuffling the pack over. John Jeffries straightened up on the grippy circuit, avoided another rider and laid it down on the green grass before he would reach the fence. Although Jeffries was clearly unhappy, it was a clear example of first bend bunching which meant everyone would take their place in the rerun.

This was a close race. All of the competitors had looked capable of winning a race but it was local boy Josh Dingle who flew out of the gate and led the pack. After a few hairy moments, particularly on the bottom pit bend, he managed to stay in front and take his second win of the day. Could Josh Dingle win the British title on home soil? John Jeffries, going well in 2^nd, runs wide and allows both Mark Giles and Martin Williams up the inside of him, the two of them fighting keenly for all four laps. Further back, Richard Smith tried to fight Matt Ethrington but couldn’t get past. Ethrington was able to work his way through for a well earnt third. The circuit had become tremendously grippy and all of the riders were fighting their bucking machines.

Race 26 (350cc Solos) 1^st. Mellish, 2^nd. Johnson, 3^rd. Taylor, 4^th. Mears, 5^th. Whitaker, 6^th. Peters

Andy Mellish becomes the maximum man in the 350 class. Impressive returnee Chris Johnson (formerly Chris Phillips) had not had the best of starts out of the trap all day and this heat was no exception. He had to fight his way through from 4^th, passing experienced riders Dave Mears and Mark Taylor in the process. Mellish though, was looking impressive. He had even lost his steel shoe by lap 3 but didn’t let it slow him down at all.

Race 27 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Harvey/Hogg, 2^nd. Beard/Daw, 3^rd. Read/Hopkins

This time, Shaun Harvey and Danny Hogg came over the top of fast starting Scott Dunn/Christian Schadler heading into the first turn and block their progress. Harvey/Hogg then got away from Dunn/Schadler and both crews settled into first and second. On Lap 4, however, disaster struck Scott Dunn as he lifted violently half way up the straight. As the machine landed, it high sided, turning the machine over. This was a disaster for Dunn, who had won two heats and was looking like leading the championship.

Race 28 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Carvill/Webb, 2^nd. Bennett/Hughes, 3^rd. Radley/Radley, 4^th. Moorcock/Goodwin, 5^th. Richards/Fletcher

Nick/Abi Radley made a cracking start and led out of the first bend. But then they ran wide exiting the pit bend and allowed Dave Carvill/Karl Webb up the inside. On the following lap, the Radley’s make the same mistake, this time letting Barrie Bennett/Eifion Hughes slip through. This result saw the 500cc sidecar competition throw absolutely wide open. With so many front runners coming into trouble, only 5 points separated the top 6. It was going to be anybody’s title, but for now it was Barrie Bennett/Eifion Hughes who had capitalised the most on the mistakes of others, scoring consistently. Could consistency be enough?

Race 29 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Marley/Barker, 2^nd. Pack/Chittenden, 3^rd. Penfold/Potter

It was Eirwin/Alex Balman who made the jump out of the gate but appeared to miss a gear coming up the first straight, dropping them back to third. It went from bad to worse for the welsh crew, throwing a chain coming out of the first bend and ending their race. All the drama for the Balman’s let Paul Marley/Nick Barker win impressively on their v-twin Godden.

Race 30 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Penfold/Webb, 2^nd. Ridley/Bowles, 3^rd. Cuff/North, 4^th. Downs/Standing

Dave Penfold/Richard Webb look simply unstoppable. They won this race against good competition by a considerable margin. It doesn’t look like they can be stopped.

Race 31 (250cc Solo Semi Final 1) 1^st. Wood, 2^nd. Shanes, 3^rd. Shipp, 4^th. Allen, 5^th. Malone, 6^th. A Worrall

Georgie Wood made a tremendous start and leads into the turn. Adam Shipp also made a good start but ran very wide in the first turn. This allowed James Shanes up the inside. It was the first time that James Shanes had been headed and the crowd look on to see if he could reel in Georgie Wood, but it wasn’t to be: Wood looked impressive in this semi final. Sadly, Danny Boyle never took his place in this race and Jon Shanes failed to complete race distance. This result meant that Georgie Wood and James Shanes were tied on points, having dropped a race each. If Harland Cook was able to win his semi final, we would be faced with a three way tie going into the final. Could it be any closer?

Race 32 (250cc Solos Semi Final 2) 1^st. Cook, 2^nd. Ilsley, 3^rd. Darvill, 4^th. Randall, 5^th. Hawker, 6^th. Hill

Harland Cook duly rose to the occasion in the second semi final, winning it convincingly from Ben Ilsley; his most impressive ride of the day. Sam Radley-Smith’s day finished early as he pulled up on the first bend. Steve Darvill held onto a good third place, seeing him well up the order in the points. Harland’s win set up the final beautifully, with three riders all tied. It would be winner takes it all in the final!

Race 33 (350cc Solo Semi Final 1) 1^st. Mellish, 2^nd. Smith, 3^rd. Wood, 4^th. Taylor, 5^th. Ethrington, 6^th. Jeffries, 7^th. Malone, 8^th. Drew

Hopefully, this semi final will be remembered in the future for the tremendous race that took place, and not for the controversy which followed it. Andy Mellish and Richard Smith had a tremendous race. Andy Mellish looked much faster in the middle of the bends, but Richard Smith was able to make up for Mellish’s wide lines exiting the turns. It meant that the battle tooed and froed for three and a half laps before a title-defining moment occurred entering the final corner. Mellish, trying to come round Smith, ran out of room and appeared to clip Richard Smith’s back wheel. Smith was deemed the cause of the incident and was excluded from the results. This seemed, in truth, harsh on Richard Smith. Eventually, common sense prevailed and after a lengthy protest, Smith was reinstated into the results, albeit in second place.  It was such a shame as this was a fantastic scrap.

Race 34 (350cc Solo Semi Final 2) 1^st. Johnson, 2^nd. Cook, 3^rd. Mears, 4^th. Dingle, 5^th. Perry, 6^th. Giles, 7^th. Williams

Local hopes were dashed immediately as Josh Dingle reared on the line, putting him at the back of the pack. Chris Johnson, however, made a great start and showed all of the skill which made him a top rider in the late 90’s. He never looked challenged in this highly competitive race and ran home a solid looking win. Josh Dingle provided some great entertainment, determined to make up for a poor start. He bravely pushed through the pack, finally forcing a gap past Tom Perry on the last lap. The 350 class was very much Andy Mellish’s to lose. He headed into the final with a 5 point gap from any other rival.

Race 35 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Beard/Daw, 2^nd. Carvill/Webb, 3^rd. Moorcock/Goodwin

More controversy was seen in this race. Scott Dunn/Christian Schadler got themselves in front after their spill in their previous heat but they were hounded by Simon Beard/Carl Daw. Beard/ Daw swooped past Dunn/Schadler on Lap 3 but on the final bend, Dunn/Schadler came in hard on Beard/Daw, colliding with them in the middle of the bend. Understandably, Simon Beard was not happy and the clerk of the course had another decision to make. The obvious decision seemed to simply reverse the front two finishing positions but surprisingly, Dunn/Schadler were removed from the results entirely. This wrecked Dunn’s chances in the championships. After two opening wins, Dunn failed to score again and did not have enough points to make the final. A sad end to proceedings for Scott Dunn, who looked very quick.

Race 36 (500cc Sidecars) 1^st. Harvey/Hogg, 2^nd. Bennett/Hughes, 3^rd. Radley/Radley, 4^th. Read/Hopkins, 5^th. Richards/Fletcher

Shaun Harvey/Danny Hogg, knowing that they had to make up points, won this semi final by a substantial margin. Nick/Abi Radley once again made a good start but ran wide which opened the door for Harvey/Hogg. Current leader, Barrie Bennett managed to hunt down and find a way past Radley and continue his consistent form. Indeed, Bennett/Hughes led by two points going into the final. The class was still anybodies at this stage however. Although Bennett lead by two points, there were four other crews within three points of him. He would need to perform well in the final to cling on to his slender lead.

Race 37 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Penfold/Webb, 2^nd. Marley/Barker, 3^rd. Cuff/North, 4^th. Penfold/Potter

Paul Marley/Nick Barker made a great start this time, but as Dave Penfold changed gear on the v-twin Weslake machine, it appeared to have so much power. He nosed in front going into the first bend and then was simply unstoppable. It would take a huge disaster for Penfold/Webb to not win this title for the third time.

Race 38 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Pack/Chittenden, 2^nd. Ridley/Bowles, 3^rd. Downs/Standing

This last heat for the Lefties provided a fantastic spectacle. Again, former champion Mike Downs and Steve Standing made a great start and did their best to hold off the opposition. Ridley/Bowles and Pack/Chittenden tried to find ways past Downs but there were no gaps. Suddenly, on the final lap, Downs ran a little wide exiting the pit bend and Ridley came beside Downs. Andy Pack, however, pulled off another tremendous ride, driving his machine even tighter, drawing up the side of Ridley. The outfits were three abreast going up the back straight. It was Pack/Chittenden who pushed hardest into the final corner and although Ridley turned hard underneath and chased them to the line, it was to be Pack’s race. A fabulous battle between these three crews.

After race 38, a lengthy delay ensued. The decisions involving the 350cc solo semi final and the 500cc sidecar heat were debated, much to the exasperation of the big crowd. Surely, there needs to be a better way of dealing with this sort of thing in the upper echelons of our sport. A delay like this in a meeting of this standard should not happen. It did, however, give the club some more time to work on the circuit so that it was in a good shape for the finals.

Race 39 (250cc Solo Final) 1^st. Cook, 2^nd. Wood, 3^rd. Allen, 4^th. Ilsley, 5^th. Darvill, 6^th. Randall, 7^th. Shipp, 8^th. Shanes

In the winner takes it all final for the 250 class, tension was high. But it was two time champion Harland Cook who made the best of the start, leading out of the first turn. In hot pursuit were fellow title contenders Georgie Wood and James Shanes whilst Adam Shipp again was forced very wide in the first bend. Shanes and Wood banged elbows heading down the pit bend but with the inside line, it was always going to be Wood who would win the chase to the bend. Shanes, however, chased Wood closely and when Wood locked up, Shanes dropped the machine in reaction. He had nothing to be ashamed of however. A fine day’s racing from the youngster. This handed a great 3^rd place to Mickey Allen, perhaps having his best ride of the day. Harland Cook, however, looked untouchable in this final. He won convincingly, taking his third 250 title back to Watford with him.

Race 40 (500cc Sidecar Final) 1^st. Harvey/Hogg, 2^nd. Radley/Radley, 3^rd. Beard/Daw, 4^th. Carvill/Webb, 5^th. Bennett/Hughes, 6^th. Moorcock/Goodwin

Knowing that only a win would do, Shaun Harvey and Danny Hogg performed flawlessly in the final, winning by a big margin. So they had done what they needed to do. They had to rely on the rest of the pack, and specifically Barrie Bennett/Eifion Hughes. Sadly for Bennett/Hughes, they found themselves towards the back of the pack whilst most of the action took place in the battle for second. Nick/Abi Radley held second but Simon Beard/Carl Daw chased them hard. On the last corner, Beard dived underneath Radley, but ran wide allowing Radley back up the inside. But there was tragedy for Bennett/Hughes; they failed to improve on 5^th place and this meant they lost out on the title race. Bennett’s hell was Harvey’s heaven, who’s win gave him the points victory by one point. This earned Shaun and Danny their record breaking seventh British title, and Shaun’s eighth including his win as passenger in 1986. Second in the final was enough to give Nick/Abi Radley second overall whilst Barrie Bennett/Eifion Hughes finished a very creditable 3^rd.

Race 41 (350cc Solo Final) 1^st. Cook, 2^nd. Smith, 3^rd. Johnson, 4^th. Mears, 5^th. Mellish, 6^th. Ethrington, 7^th. Wood

The 350 title was Andy Mellish’s to lose in truth. He held a five point lead and really only had to finish in the top 6. But would he be able to handle all of that pressure on a circuit which had proved so difficult to all?

It was another fine win for Harland Cook. Having already won the 250 title and final, he looked super impressive in this final, winning from start to finish. Cornishman Josh Dingle’s day ended sadly when he dropped the machine on the first turn. He didn’t remount. All eyes, however, were on champion elect Andy Mellish. He started the race strongly, holding second, but he began to go backwards through the pack. First, Richard Smith disposed of him, much more easily than their previous meetings. Next, it was Chris Johnson and Dave Mears who passed him and finally Matt Ethrington pushed him towards the end. But Mellish had done enough; his four straight wins were enough for him to take his first British title in the most competitive 350 event for some years.

Race 42 (LH Sidecars) 1^st. Penfold/Webb, 2^nd. Marley/Barker, 3^rd. Ridley/Bowles, 4^th. Pack/Chittenden, 5^th. Cuff/North, 6^th. Downs/Standing

Try as they might, neither Paul Marley/Nick Barker nor Charlie Ridley/Steve Bowles could do anything to stop Dave Penfold/Richard Webb who simply dominated the event from start to finish. On a machine that first won the British championships in 1989, Dave Penfold/Richard Webb won their third British title in emphatic style; five straight wins. Sadly, the day ended darkly as Martin Cuff and Steve North collided with Paul Marley/Nick Barker after the race and Steve North was injured.

Final Standings

250cc Solos

1^st.          Harland Cook                     43pts

2^nd.         Georgie Wood                  41pts

3^rd.         James Shanes                    35pts

4^th.          Steve Darvill                       31pts

5^th.          Mickey Allen                      29pts

6^th.          Adam Shipp                        29pts

7^th.          Ben Ilsley                             28pts

8^th.          Michael Randal                 20pts

9^th.          Sam Radley-Smith           18pts

10^th.       Chris Malone                     17pts

11^th.       Danny Boyle                       15pts

12^th.       Antony Worrall                 15pts

13^th.       Ashley Hill                           15pts

14^th.       James Worrall                    15pts

15^th.       Adam Hawker                   15pts

16^th.       Jon Shanes                         12pts

17^th.       Ben Worrall                        10pts

18^th.       Russell Little                       9pts

350cc Solos

1^st.          Andy Mellish                      40pts

2^nd.         Harland Cook                     38pts

3^rd.         Chris Johnson                    34pts

4^th.          Richard Smith                    32pts

5^th.          Georgie Wood                  31pts

6^th.          Matt Ethrington                                29pts

7^th.          Dave Mears                        28pts

8^th.          Josh Dingle                         28pts

9^th.          Tom Perry                           20pts

10^th.       Mark Taylor                        19pts

11^th.       John Jeffries                      19pts

12^th.       Mark Giles                          16pts

13^th.       Martin Williams                 14pts

14^th.       Darren Drew                      14pts

15^th.       Chris Malone                     10pts

16^th.       Andrew Whitaker            8pts

17^th.       Mike Peters                       8pts

18^th.       Jake Quintrell                    6pts

19^th.       Barry Powell                       5pts

500cc Sidecars

1^st.          Shaun Harvey/Danny Hogg          26pts

2^nd.         Nick/Abi Radley                                                25pts

3^rd.         Barrie Bennett/Eifion Hughes     24pts

4^th.          Simon Beard/Carl Daw                   23pts

5^th.          Dave Carvill/Karl Webb                  23pts

6^th.          Paul Moorcock/Scott Goodwin  16pts

7^th.          Scott Dunn/Christian Schadler    14pts

8^th.          Mike Read/Mark Hopkins            14pts

9^th.          Keith Richards/Glyn Fletcher      9pts

1000cc LH Sidecars

1^st.          Dave Penfold/Richard Webb      35pts

2^nd.         Paul Marley/Nick Barker               28pts

3^rd.         Andy Pack/Michael Chittenden 23pts

4^th.          Martin Cuff/Steve North              22pts

5^th.          Charlie Ridley/Steve Bowles       21pts

6^th.          Mike Downs/Steve Standing      15pts

7^th.          Billy Penfold/Gary Potter             11pts

8^th.          Eirwin/Alex Balman                         10pts