The first Grasstrack in Cornwall for a year was run by Mid Cornwall Premier Club and took place at the Roche Boarded Circuit this past Sunday 6^th July 2014. The meeting was the British Upright Championship, with an excellent Sidecar support. The track was in excellent condition and the weather was superb.

In the 500cc Upright Championship Plymouth Speedway rider Richard Andrews and the spectacular Steve Daw looked unbeatable through the heats, only being beaten by each other when they met in rounds three and four. Steve Newsham was the only other winner, taking wins also in rounds three and four. The ‘B’ final went the way of Luke Cox with Chris Lambert taking second. The six finalists were Steve Daw, Richard Andrews, Steve Newsham, Mick Norton, Steven Russell and Colin Harris. Daw got the lead and looked all the way the champion, but he slid off on the back straight leaving Tiverton’s Andrews in the lead. Newsham, who had got faster all day, got by and took his first Upright title on count back from Andrews. Daw, although coming in last, took third overall.

The 250cc & 350cc Upright Championship heats were combined due to lack of entries. They had five scoring rides and in the 350cc the 1979 European Grasstrack champion Gerald Short took three wins and two seconds to take his second title in three years. Runners-up spot went to Chris Mackett with two wins and three seconds, and third went to Bristol’s Chris Malone. In the 250cc Richard Warry took five wins to take his first title, having been runner-up in 2012 and 2013. Third in last year’s championship Andy Humphries took the runner-up spot this time after having five second places.

In the Sidecar Support, there was some spectacular action on the boarded circuit. In the heats Midland based British Masters Champions Mark Cossar and Carl Blyth took four out of four wins. In-form and British SandAce Champions, Kent’s Robbie Wilson & Bradley Steer took two wins as did Cornwall’s own Myles Simmons & Kevin Woodley. The other wins went to Paul Whitelam & Kieron Ivy, Welshman Neal Owen & Jason Farwell, Matt Fumarola & Dan Crawford, and passenger/stand in driver Terry Saunters with Carl Pugh in the chair. Into the finals and passenger Terry Saunters, in for the injured Rob Wilson, took the win in the ‘C’ final from Wadebridge’s Darren Wilce & Luke Wright with Matt Huddy & Colin Endean coming in third. In the ‘B’ final, Fumarola & Crawford led from the tapes to take the win from three times British Speedway Champion and Bugle’s Matt Tyrrell & Mark Courtney. St. Austell’s Joe Sturtridge & Nick Dimock took third with Andy Cossar & Gareth Williams coming in fourth. Fifth went to Mick Stace & Mark Truscott. The ‘A’ final was a brilliant race with Robbie Wilson leading from the tapes with Whitelam, Simmons and Mark Cossar following out of bend two.  By the start of the last lap Cossar had moved into second chasing Wilson.  On the back straight though Robbie Wilson left a little room and Cossar squeezed in side to take a spectacular win.

In the other senior Support Class, Mark Nelson & Craig Cheatham took the Old & New Sidecar class from Alan Artus & Carl Pugh with Dave Rickard & Brett Allen coming in third competing in their first ever grasstrack on the newly designed 500cc Right-hand chair.

The Youth racing saw wins for local riders Jack Bree in the Juniors and Joe Nicholls in the Intermediates.

Congratulations have to go to Chris Tyrrell and team in reinstating Roche’s Boarded circuit as one of Cornwall’s Premier Sporting venues.