The 2014 Frittenden Flyer and South-Eastern Centre Championship were again run in conjunction for the second successive season this weekend at Sandhurst Farm, Frittenden.

First business of the day was to remember some famous names from the sport which they had served.  A minutes silence was held for Left-hand Sidecar legend Ernie Penfold, sponsor to many riders Mick Potter, and right-hand sidecar driver Paul Hebden who had died on the morning of the meeting.

The first to the line was the Unlimited Championship heats.  The first heat was won at a canter by James Shanes from ex Lakeside speedway rider Rob Mear. Heat two went to young Dane and Scunthorpe Speedway rider Thomas Jorgensen from Georgie Wood. Heat three went to Mark Baseby ahead of the 2012 winner Mitch Godden. Shanes didn’t appear in the final has he’d been injured earlier in the meeting and the win went the way of Jorgensen in only his second Grasstrack meeting.  Second went to Baseby and third to Godden.

Final Results: 1- Jorgensen 2- Baseby, 3- Godden, 4- Wood, 5- Mear, 6- Hickmott, 7- Newitt.

Race four was for the 250cc Solos and the first of a round robin.  British Champion Zach Wajtknecht won the heat from South-East Centre legend Dave Mears, and another youngster Luke Harris in third. Wajtknecht won race fifteen from Callum Walker and completed a clean sweep in race twenty-six beating Max Brown, in his first senior meeting, and Tim Grieg into second and third respectively.  The fourth leg, heat thirty-seven was taken by Callum Walker from Harris and Dijon Compton. In the final Brown and Compton took a tumble and in the re-run Wajtknecht raced away to take his first Centre Championship from Walker and Grieg just ahead of Ashley Hill.

Final Results: 1- Wajtknecht, 2- Walker, 3- Grieg, 4- Hill, 5- Cook.

In the Uprights Bob Dolman went through to the final undefeated and 2011 Flyer winner Graeme Brown went through having two firsts and a second. Going through third was Robin Pilcher and the other heat winner was Paul Morfey. In the final Dolman took the win and his second Centre Championship from Brown and Chris Mackett.

Final Results: 1- Dolman, 2- Brown, 3- Mackett, 4- Pilcher, 5- Meakins, 6- Morfey, 7- Mount, 8- Joyce.

The Left-hand Sidecars were the next out and in heat seven 2009 Centre Champion Will Penfold with Ricky Pay in the chair won from Eirwyn & Alex Balman. Defending Centre Champions Charlie Ridley & Harry McQuirke won the next heat from six-time champions Martin Cuff & Colin Clark. In the next round of heats Ridley & McQuirke completed the double and two-time Flyer winner Cuff & Clark got a first win ahead of Billy Penfold & Simon Eeles. In the final round of heat’s wins went to Penfold & Pay and Cuff & Clark. The final was a brilliant race – Penfold & Pay got a great start but had to hold off the very fast Cuff & Clark. Third went to Ridley & McQuirke.

Final  Results: 1- Penfold & Pay, 2 Cuff & Clark, 3- Ridley & McQuirke, 4- Bryer & Fish, 5- Aungier & Butcher , 6- Penfold & Eeles.

In the 350cc, a round robin, 2010 Centre Champion Georgie Wood got off to a flyer from Mark Giles and six-time winner Dave Mears. In the next heat (race twenty) Giles took his first win of the day from Nathan Irwin on a rare outing, and defending champion Matt Etherington. Three-time Flyer winner Etherington won race thirty-one from Giles and Irwin. Wood came in fourth on borrowed machinery and fifth went to comeback kid Chris Still. Leg four was again taken by Etherington from Wood and Giles in third.

Overall Results: 1- Giles, 2- Etherington, – Irwin, 4- Wood, 5- Still, 6- Barber, 7- Cornelius, 8- French.

Premier Solos, the 500cc class, were next to take the stage.  In the first leg favourite for the meeting James Shanes took a heavy fall on the second lap and was unfortunately unable to take any further part in the meeting. Baseby went on to win race ten from Gareth Hickmott and Jason Newitt. Race eleven went to Jorgensen from Godden and Charley Powell. In the second round of heats, wins went to double champion Godden over Powell, and Jorgensen over Rob Mear. A mention must go to Hickmott who pushed his machine for a lap and a half to take points. In the final leg Baseby got a win over Jorgensen and Godden beat Mear. In the final Jorgensen got away from the field to make it two wins on the day and a third win in just two Grasstrack meetings. Second went to Baseby and third went to Godden for a consecutive season.

Overall Results: 1- Jorgensen 2- Baseby 3- Godden, 4- Powell, 5- Hickmott, 6- Ward, 7- Newitt.

The Right-hand Sidecars again stole the show with some spectacular racing. In the class’ s first outing Paul Whitelam & Kieron Ivy beat the fast chasing Gary Shearer & Gary Bond, and in race thirteen Robbie Wilson & Bradley Steer beat Rob Wilson & Terry Saunters in a fantastic family battle. Race fourteen went to 2014 British Masters Champions Rod Winterburn & Liam Brown ahead of Myles Simmons & Kevin Woodley. The next set of heats saw wins for Wilson & Steer ahead of Shearer & Bond, Wilson & Saunters ahead of Blackbourn & Pugh, and Winterburn & Brown beat Simmons & Woodley. In the final round of heats, Pete Colvin & Steve Colvin got a flyer and led race thirty-four from Whitelam & Ivy. They led all the way until the final straight where Steve Colvin dropped off the back. Whitelam did an amazing job in avoiding the stricken rider to take the win. Winterburn & Brown completed a hat-trick beating Blackbourn & Pugh, and Wilson & Saunters beat Simmons & Woodley. The ‘B’ final was another fantastic race and only the first team over the line went into the ‘A’ final. Blackbourn & Pugh were brilliant away from the tapes, John Hiscock & Carl Bell went second and Simon Beaney and Gareth Bemister went into third. Owen & Farwell had other ideas and battled their way back from fourth to second just missing out on first from Blackbourn & Pugh. The final was a stunning one minute thirty four seconds of adrenalin-rush racing. From the off Simmons & Woodley and Wilson & Saunters went head to head, with the former just keeping Wilson snr at bay. Keeping up with the fast pace were the Masters Champions Winterburn & Brown but they couldn’t get past the battling Kent friends until the final fourth bend where Wilson went a little wide and Winterburn nipped inside just getting second with inches to spare. Simmons & Woodley just kept the lead to take their first Centre Championship.

Overall Results: 1- Simmons & Woodley, 2- Winterburn & Brown, 3- Wilson & Saunters, 4-  Whitelam & Ivy , 5- Blackbourn & Pugh, 6- Wilson & Steer.

 

Also decided at the meeting was the 2014 South-Eastern Centre Speed Shield Winners:-

250cc: Gary Cook,

350cc: Georgie Wood,

500cc: Gareth Hickmott,

500cc Sidecar: Nick Radley,

Upright:  Robin Pilcher,

RH Sidecar: Robbie Wilson,

LH Sidecar: Will Penfold and Martin Cuff.