The 2015 Battle of Britain started off the Clubs 50th Anniversary season in great style at our usual venue of Sandhurst Farm. The first Battle of Britain was run by the Folkestone Club in 1971 and amongst the winners were Graham Hurry, John Britcher, Roland Duke and in the Sidecars Dave Heath. This is the fifth time the club have been privileged to run the Battle of Britain.
The first to the line were the 350cc Solos and from the get-go Bob Dolman went away to take the win from Lee Bartlett and Brian Cornelius. Dolman went on to complete a four ride maximum to take his third title, having previously won it twice in the Upright class. Bartlett came second in all heats to take second overall and Cornelius took third in three to take third. The only other to finish in the top three was Connor Locke in the fourth leg.
1- Bob Dolman, 2- Lee Bartlett, 3- Brian Cornelius, 4- Connor Locke, 5- Megan Holtby, 6- Laurence Barber, 7- Mark Giles
The 250cc were out in race two and again they ran four points-scoring legs. There was some brilliant racing between Jed Collins and Tim Greig. Collins in his usual style went wide as Greig took the inside line. Collins took three heat wins to take his second major title in just two weeks, having previously won the Master of Midshires. Greig took second overall ahead of Jamie Pantrey who took two thirds.
1- Jed Collins, 2- Tim Grieg, 3- Jamie Pantrey, 4- Joe Nicholls, 5- Glen Bocking, 6- Ben Ilsley, 7- Connor Bell, 8- Richard Inwood, 9- Gary Cook
The Left-hand sidecars made their first appearance in heat three. The 2013 British Champion Will Penfold with passenger Ricky Pay took the win with a bit to spare from Gary Potter who was making his debut as a driver with passenger Simon Eels. In the second heat the current British Champs Martin Cuff & Colin Clark got the win from Dave Bryer & Kyle Fish. In the second round of heats Penfold and Cuff again took a win a-piece. The first meeting of the pair took place in race 21 and what a race it was. Penfold got a flier and kept the lead despite an equally brilliant ride from Cuff who chased all the way but just couldn’t get passed. In the final heat Bryer & Fish took the win from Potter & Eels. The final was set for another battle between the last two British Champions but Cuff & Clark turned the bike over on the line, fortunately both walked away. In the re-run Penfold & Pay showed their class and sped away to take an easy win from Bryer & Fish second and Potter & Eels third.
1- Will Penfold & Ricky Pay, 2- Dave Bryer & Kyle Fish, 3- Gary Potter & Simon Eels, 4- Billy Penfold & Martin Vokes, 5- Tom Penfold & Steve Collins
In the Uprights ‘returnee to the sport’ Nathan Morton took a win in race one from Max Pankhurst and Brian Cornelius. In leg two the very fast Steven Green took the first of his wins from Chris Mackett and Morton. Leg three saw Green, Mackett & Tom Meakins take the honours and in leg four Green completed his treble of wins ahead of Morton and Mackett. In the final Green took another win to go through the card unbeaten and he was followed home by Morton and Mackett.
1- Steve Green, 2- Nathan Morton, 3- Chris Mackett, 4- Tom Meakins, 5- Paul Morfey, 6- Barry Joyce, 7- Mick Norton, 8- Brian Cornelius
Mark Baseby took the first heat of the 500cc Solos in race 6. He was followed home by Australian Rodney McDonald. In the second heat Eastbourne Speedway rider Georgie Wood took the win from Lee Bartlett. In leg two wins went the way of Baseby again ahead of McDonald, and Wood ahead of Martyn Sturgeon. In race 26 Wood and Baseby met for the first time. In the first running Jack Nelson fell and in the re-run Baseby fell but remounted to take third behind Wood and Lewis Griggs. In the final heat of the day McDonald took the win ahead of Sturgeon. And so to the final, Baseby got the drop and Wood missed the start, but came from fourth to second by the end of the lap. That’s the way it stayed though and Baseby had his second Battle of Britain title, he first won in 2010.
1- Mark Baseby, 2- Georgie Wood, 3- Rodney McDonald, 4- Martyn Sturgeon, 5- Lewis Griggs, 6- Warren Atkinson, 7- James Wells
The Right-hand chairs were the last class to take to the track and in the first heat of the day Myles Simmons & Kevin Woodley, the defending champions, took the win from James & Dave Goudge. In race two seven-times British Masters Champions Mark Cossar & Carl Blyth took the win from Colin Blackbourn & Carl Pugh. In the second round of heats Robbie Wilson & Bradley Steer took their only win of the day ahead of Blackbourn & Pugh, and Cossar & Blyth took another win ahead of Rob Wilson & Andy Colvin jnr. In the third legs the Goudge brothers took a great win ahead of Wilson & Colvin, and Cossar & Blyth again beat Blackbourn & Pugh. In the fourth legs Simmons & Woodley tasted success again, this time ahead of the Goudge’s. In the final Cossar & Blyth got the lead from the gate and Simmons & Woodley were second coming out of the first bend, that’s the way it stayed to the finish. Wilson & Colvin came out of the first corner fifth but by the end got themselves into a podium finish ahead of Wilson & Steer.
1- Mark Cossar & Carl Blyth, 2- Myles Simmons & Kevin Woodley, 3- Rob Wilson & Andy Colvin jnr, 4- Robbie Wilson & Bradley Steer, 5- James Goudge & Dave Goudge, 6- Colin Blackbourn & Carl Pugh
Hope to see you all at our next meeting at Sandhurst Farm, the Mid-Summer Spectacular on 12 July.