BSMA - Leads the way

Please Click on the link below for the complete listing of results

BSMA Best of British 2009

The BSMA Best of British 2009 National Series Round 5 was hosted by Severn Valley club at their well-established Brookethorpe venue in Gloucestershire.

Racing started with the Open class and a fine exhibition of riding from Marc Gunter, which set the scene for a brilliant weekend’s competition. Never under pressure, Gunter scored an impressive 5 race maximum. There was a good battle behind with Jamie Smith taking a deserved runner up spot. Ross Keyworth and Adam Cook were also in the mix but punctures and engine blow ups spoilt their efforts. Rhys Faulkner and Rob Lewis were never far behind giving them top 4 finishes. Top championship points went to Jake Grossman, with Sean Lock and David Ford just getting the better of Connor Pearce.

AMX were next to the line with support riders making this group spectacular to watch. In first place was Richard Williams with consistent top 3 positions. The star of the group was Lewis Abbott who, after a first race DNF, had three wins and a 2nd. Ricky Lethaby had three top 3 positions but only competed on day one. The championship riders all rode well with James Cole, always challenging for the top spot, scoring excellent points. Darren Banwell was super quick away in every race but was unable to hold his position. Warren Field and Patrick Collins improved as the weekend progressed.

Seniors group was by far the most competitive. Aaron Jenner headed the field in race 1, battling with Jansen Day and Liam Wright followed closely by Chambers Whittle. Charging throughout the race was Luke Dean who took the win on the line. Race 2 saw David Sweet take a great gate to flag win hotly pursued by Jansen Day. Luke Dean battled hard to finish 3rd. The red hot pace continued in race 3 with some really exciting racing, the win going to Luke Dean ahead of Jansen Day, Chambers Whittle, David Sweet and Aaron Jenner. They were chased hard by the improving Scott Bates and Cody Ling. Day two was just as hard to pick a winner as Jansen Day hole-shotted race 4. After being passed on lap 3 by Luke Dean, these two set an unbelievable pace, leaving Aaron Jenner a distant 3rd, with another excellent race from Scott Bates, chased home by Alex Hussey and Piers Skinner. The final race saw Jansen Day lead from start to finish to clinch overall honours, with Luke Dean coming through to nearly snatch the race win away on the line. Aaron Jenner was chased home by Liam Wright and Scott Bates.

Big Wheel 85 carried on the high standard of racing with hard fought battles down to 20th place. Jordan Divall, BSMA champion at Foxhill, led race 1 before going down under constant pressure from Sonny Thompson and Alex Meadows. He remounted to finish 6th. Luke Newman and Jay Thomas were always in contention. Race 2 was hole-shotted by Jack Gardner but he was soon passed by Sonny Thompson, hotly pursued by Alex Meadows. Third spot went to Alex Timms with Jordan Divall just edging out Jay Thomas in 4th. Alex Meadows took to the front in race 3 but was closed down by Sonny Thompson. Jordan Divall had to work hard to pass Karl Haycock with the improving Jack Gardner closely followed by Charlie Mills. Second day disappointment for Sonny Thompson in not finishing a lap left Jordan Divall in control taking race 4 from start to finish, chased home by Mr Consistent, Alex Meadows. Jack Gardner, Luke Newman, Jack Timms and Chase Neale were never far behind. Race 5 saw Jordan Divall at the front, chased to the line by Jack Gardner. Always in attendance were Jay Thomas, Zac Alsop and Karl Haycock.

Small Wheel 85 racing saw Liam Knight gain 4 excellent wins and a 2nd position to come out on top. Jack Wilson took the other win to finish 2nd overall. Curtis Blamey was always in contention and, despite a few mistakes, never gave up, deserving his 3rd position. Tyron Cleaver was never out of the top 6 all weekend and was rewarded for his consistency with 4th overall. Ben Beadle, with a disastrous race 3, recovered to take 5th spot pipping Rob Holyoake on equal points. These riders finished well clear of the remainder of the field.

Juniors group was once again dominated by the impressive Conrad Mewse, a star of the future! Jake Deacon, safe as ever, finished runner up with David Keet battling to the finish in every race taking 3rd overall. Dion Lewis, Alex Wilkie and Alexander Walton all had a good weekend, with Jake Curtis-Stevens and Corey Coombes having their own battle just behind.

Thanks from the BSMA management team, Chris Tucker, Vic Amor, Ken Lewis and Don Church to Severn Valley for providing us with an excellent venue, and especially the marshals for all their hard work, enabling the meeting to finish by 3pm on Sunday.

Join us for the final countdown at Stratford, hosted by the Coventry club – no marshals required.

Please see the full listing of round 5 points and positions.

BSMA Best of British 2009

The BSMA Best of British 2009 National Series Round 4 was held at Landrake Moto Parc.

The racing was the best so far of the series, with the first day in brilliant sunshine but the second day overcast. The weather would eventually prevent the completion of the meeting although the track was still rideable.

First to the line were the Open class with last year’s champion, Alan Pearce, riding as a support rider, still giving 101% as he gained a superb win from Brett Wheeler. In race 2 the battle resumed with this time Pearce chasing hard, only to somersault himself off the bike trying to pass Wheeler. He remounted to finish a close second, but no mistakes were made in race 3 with a clear win. Both riders were well clear of a good class field. Daniel Walsh and Ross Flashman battled hard to head the chasing pack. Good points were scored by championship runners Sean Lock and Connor Pearce.

AMX was dominated on the first day by Mark Young with three wins although he was made to work hard to catch and pass both Darren Banwell and James Cole. Warren Field, with some determined riding, took third place on the weekend. Support rider Ross Keyworth made life difficult for everyone, a close third in 2 races and never out of the top 5. Mark Young’s absence on the second day left it to Darren Banwell and James Cole to fight it out for top spot. Despite Darren winning race 4, it was not enough to topple Cole. Jack Tovey had his best results so far with three top 4 positions on day 1. Patrick Collins, Jonathan Pickett and Scott Hambridge completed the top 6.

The best racing of the weekend was the Seniors, with every point fiercely contested. Race 1 set the pace, with upgraded rider James Dunn giving series leader Aaron Jenner a hard time as they battled handlebar to handlebar, eventually finishing level on points for overall honours. Liam Wright had an excellent weekend, hole-shotting from James Dunn, he seemed to be on a roll after a race 3 gate to flag 1st place, but in the final race he crashed out when Dunn dropped it, picking up a stone in his chain, and finished well down the field. This left Jansen Day in front until the last lap when his enthusiasm got the better of him allowing Aaron Jenner to take the win, closely followed by a remounted James Dunn. The best ride of this race however was from David Sweet who almost caught the leaders, coming from last place after lap 1 to a couple of bike lengths adrift at the flag.

Big Wheel 85cc non-championship rider Sunny Thompson was the one to beat with 3 wins and a runner-up position. Challenging throughout the weekend was Alex Meadows who finished top of the series’ riders, giving Thompson some real opposition. Luke Newman had his best meeting for a while. Jack Timms, with a gate to flag win in race 3, was always amongst the action, with a below par Jay Thomas riding well coming back from a recent hand injury. Charley Mills, Zac Alsop and Jack Gardner all added to the excitement in this group.

Mr Consistency, Liam Knight, came out on top in the Small Wheel 85cc, winning just one race but with three runner up finishes. He was always in the mix as riders in front crashed out. Curtis Blamey, with two wins deserved his second overall, with Danny Lanfear, trying a little too hard and crashing out when leading race 1, eventually taking 3rd overall. Oliver Osmaston, the other race winner, looked to be challenging for top spot but had a disastrous DNF in the final moto. Ben Beadle, Greg Evans and Lewis Hughes all raced well to complete the top 6.

The Juniors group was won by Jake Deacon who turned the tables on Conrad Mewse, previously unbeaten up to this weekend. Conrad won races one and two unchallenged, but on day 2, with conditions completely different to day 1, he set a fantastic pace, maybe riding a little bit too aggressively, but crashed out in races three and four, remounting to finish 2nd in both. Both riders finished on 176 points with Jake taking the overall on the last race decider. David Keet battled to the finish in every race, gaining a creditable 3rd with Tommie Schofield always close finishing 4th, with Michael Ellis and Ethan Gattenby riding consistently to finish 5th and 6th respectively.

Congratulations to all the riders, parents and Cornwall committee for making this such an exciting and successful weekend. We look forward to the next round at Brookethorpe, hosted by Severn Valley.

Management Team Chris Tucker (Series Manager), Vic Amor (Time-keeper/finisher), Ken Lewis (Technical) and Don Church (Commentator/Steward)

Please see the full listing of round 4 points and positions.

The BSMA Best of British 2009 National Series Round 3 was held at Pontrilas, nr Hereford hosted by the Cotswold SSC.

A top quality permanent track, heavily watered and graded to perfection, resulted in top racing, despite the hot conditions. There was a real buzz at the meeting with several non-championship riders adding to the excitement especially in the Open and AMX classes.

First to the line were the Open group with support riders Marc Gunter and Alfie Smith setting a pace that could not be matched by anyone in this full line up. Race one went to Gunter, more than a minute ahead of Danny Iles. The rest of the meeting was a battle royal between Marc and Alfie, each gaining two wins and two seconds with Danny Iles a distant third. There was great racing for the minor positions between Sean Lock, Jake Grossman, Colin Thomas and Rob Newell.

A very competitive AMX line up was next to race with championship front runners James Cole and Darren Banwell holeshotting regularly but unable to stop support rider Adam Cook, on the limit throughout the weekend, from taking a deserved top spot. He was made to work hard for his victory, finishing equal on points with fellow support rider Richie Williams, whose strong finishing gave him two wins and three second positions. The championship riders added to the mix with James Cole, Darren Banwell and Warren Field really impressing. Jack Tovey was always close, battling with the unlucky Craig Badman (support), Dean Brown (support) and Jonathan Picket.

Senior racing was probably the best over weekend with a depth of good riders making any mistakes difficult to catch up. Aaron Jenner, the favourite before the start, came out on top with two wins and three runner up finishes. Jansen Day took two wins straight from the flag and finished second overall but crashed out in race three to spoil any chances of overall top spot. Alex Hussey, always quick early on, held on to gain an excellent 3rd overall. David Sweet, winner of heat one, had a disastrous race 4 when his bike stalled challenging for the lead, relegating him to last place. He remounted and, with some determined riding, gained a vital 23 points to give him 4th overall. Liam Wright improved as the weekend went on to gain 5th overall. Up from the Big Wheels, James Dunn tried his luck against the top Seniors and he certainly didn’t disappoint with some electric starts – definitely one to watch in the future.

Jay Thomas finished top of the Big Wheel 85s but looked as if he had blown his chances with a disaster in race two. He improved dramatically in his next three races with two wins and a second. There was a real battle between Jay and Jordan Divall in race 3 as they exchanged positions right to the line with Jordan eventually taking the win. He was ahead on points going into the final heat but despite problems costing him dear he finished a creditable 2nd overall, just edging out the improving Jack Gardner by 1 point. Alex Meadows was the unluckiest rider in the group when he sheared his rear sprocket whilst challenging for the lead in race 4. He showed his pace by winning race 2 by a mile. Luke Newman, Rickie Roderick and Chris Grindle completed the top six.
Small Wheel 85 rider Oliver Osmaston looked the quickest in the group but made mistakes in race 4 when leading and left the door open for a last race challenge from first race winner Liam Knight. However he showed his class with a start to flag win and 1st place overall. Liam, with three runner up positions and a 5th took 2nd overall with Danny Lanfear showing good speed to take wins in races 2 and 4 and a deserved 3rd overall. Curtis Blamey improved after a bad start to finish 4th with Rob Holyoake winning the battle for the minor positions from Alistair Evans and Ben Beadle.

Last of the competitors were the Juniors with Mr Maximum, Conrad Mewse, an exceptional young talent, never challenged. 2nd overall went to Jake Deacon, clear of David Keet, who tried hard in every race and finished 3rd with a consistent performance, with Jamie Carpenter in 4th. There was a real tussle between Albie Wilkie, Jack Roberts, Tommie Schofield and Jake Curtis-Stevens to complete the top six with just 4 points covering them at the end.

This was an excellent event run by a super club which had a lot of support, which was much appreciated. The next round will be held at Landrake 25/26 July.

Management Team Chris Tucker (Series Manager), Vic Amor (Time-keeper/finisher), Ken Lewis (Technical) and Don Church (Commentator/Steward)

Please see the full listing of round 3 points and positions.

RACE REPORT BSMA ROUND 3 PONTRILAS

RACE REPORT WHITEWAY BARTON 23RD & 24TH MAY 2009

The BSMA Best of British 2009 National Series Round 2 was held at the long established track of Whiteway Barton near Exeter with perfect weather and a much improved track layout. What a contrast the steep hills of Devon were from the first round on the sand track at Chippenham.

Everything was well set for a terrific weekend’s racing.

The enthusiasm of the South West club and the fantastic support from the competitors helped the meeting run like clockwork.

Junior riders started proceedings with Conrad Mewse from the Corsham club the rider to beat, 3 seconds a lap quicker than anyone in taking a superb maximum. There was a real battle for 2nd overall with Jake Deacon and David Keet both taking two 2nd spots in chasing Mewse, with Deacon finally prevailing thanks to three other finishes inside the top four. Tommie Schofield had four top 4 finishes but a DNF in race 2 cost him a top 6 placing. Jack Roberts finished the weekend in 4th edging out the consistent Albie Wilkes.

Small Wheel 85cc was a really competitive group with Ringwood rider Liam Knight taking 1st overall after 3 wins and two 2nd places. Danny Lanfear clinched the runner up spot with some consistent top 4 finishes whilst Curtis Blamey picked up two brilliant race wins in finishing 3rd overall, just 2 points behind Lanfear. Rob Holyoake, Tyron Cleaver and Greg Evans battled it out for the minor honours.

James Dunn from Severn Valley dominated the Big Wheel 85cc with a maximum haul. His pace downhill, style and aggression on this track makes him one to look out for in the future. Jack Gardner, with three 2nd places making up for a disastrous 2nd outing, picked up the runner up position, whilst Christopher Grindle took the final podium spot. Just 1 point separated the next three riders, Karl Haycock, Charley Mills and Zac Alsop. On early race form, Jay Thomas with 2nd place in races 1 and 2 looked to be Dunn’s closest challenger, but he was unable to repeat these efforts and finished just outside the top 6 for the weekend.

Senior racing was of the finest order with Aaron Jenner looking unbeatable once in front and rode to victory unchallenged in the first 3 races. David Sweet took 2nd overall starting with a poor race 1 result but coming back strongly to take runner up in the next 3. By race 4 Sweet was pushing Jenner all the way, as he tried 4 times at the same corner to pass, but Jenner held his line. Finally Sweet managed to pass on a difficult cambered corner, only for Jenner to take his 4th win with some determined riding on the last lap. The final moto saw David Sweet make a near perfect start to take the lead with Jenner back in 7th, but with some brave downhill passing made up 5 places only to suffer a back wheel puncture and his challenge for maximum points was gone. Alex Hussey, with two 2nd places was always in the equation and finished close on points in 3rd. Scott Bates and Jansen Day both raced consistently with Liam Wright just edging out the fast starting Gerwyn Pritchard for 6th place.

AMX were next to the line with 3 different race winners. James Cole came out on top with 5 podium finishes including a hard working final race win which clinched the 1st overall. Jack Tovey took a race 3 win, taking advantage of a Darren Banwell crash whilst leading, and finished just 2 points behind Cole. Warren Field took 3rd overall, with the unlucky Darren Banwell in 4th. He looked unbeatable until his race 3 crash, but came back strongly on day 2 with another win and a 2nd. Aaron Carmichael, Graham Lamb and Patrick Collins battled it out for the next three places.

The Open championship, with several support riders, made for some exciting spectating. Connor Pearce took 1st overall with three wins and two 3rd positions. Paul Hussey, with 4 strong rides, finished 2nd just 2 points in front of 3rd placed Daniel Boucher. Gary Pottenger, Thomas Hambridge and Aaron Collins completed the top 6. The quickest rider on show was Danny Iles, but alongside 2 wins, 3 DNFs meant he would only finish a disastrous weekend in 7th.

The BSMA management team would like to thank everyone or all their support at this superb meeting.

Chris Tucker (Series Manager), Vic Amor (Time-keeper/finisher), Ken Lewis (Technical) and Don Church (Commentator/Steward)

Please see above for a full listing of round 2 points and positions.

RACE REPORT CHIPPENHAM 21ST & 22ND MARCH 2009

BSMA Best of British 2009

The BSMA Best of British 2009 National Series Round 1 was hosted by East Anglia SSC at Wild Tracks, Chippenham. With glorious spring sunshine and perfect racing conditions, everything was set for a great weekend.

Junior riders were first to the line and the action was superb with the top two riders battling all weekend, the final result being in doubt until the last moto. Jake Deacon, hole shotting away, looked certain to take the overall, but he went too quickly into a tricky corner, washed out and was relegated to 20th spot. Until then he had three wins and a 2nd. Conrad Mewse, always in contention and the quickest qualifier, took full advantage and finished 1st on the weekend. Some consistent riding by Jamie Carpenter gave him a well deserved 3rd. Thomas Schofield, Michael Ellis, Jack Roberts and Daniel Knight could all have made 4th place but each rider had a bad result, understandable considering the effort they were making, and it was left to young Schofield to take 3rd place in the final moto, securing 4th overall.

A full line up of Small Wheel 85cc saw some really exciting racing all weekend, producing three different race winners. Oliver Osmaston set a fantastic qualifying time and seemed the one to beat, but a disaster in race one left the door open for Ben Beadle. Coming to the final race, both boys were level on points, and it was Oliver who took a final win to finish four points clear of Ben. Liam Knight, with three runners up positions, took a deserved 3rd overall, just edging out Curtis Blamey, the winner of heat three finishing in 4th , and leaving Danny Lanfear a couple of points further adrift in 5th overall.

Big Wheel 85cc, another full line up, had a degree of expectation with Scottish rider Matthew Fleming travelling south to pit his skills against the rest. Despite a disaster in race one, he recovered well to finish the rest of the weekend with two wins and two runners up positions. Jordan Divall, the hole shot specialist, also took two wins and was never out of the top three. These two riders provided some of the best racing of the weekend, with never more than a second between them at the line. Jordan finally took top spot with Matthew just behind in 2nd and James Dunn, the other race winner, just one point further adrift. These three were well clear of a large field, with Alex Meadows, Ricky Roderick and Charley Mills all working hard to complete the top six.

Next to the grid were the Seniors, who provided some fantastic encounters. Aaron Jenner finished top of this group with three superb wins. David Sweet took the other two motos, with Jansen Day completing the podium following four top three finishes. Jake Alsop, Luke Houghton and Alex Hussey battled hard all weekend to stay in touch with the top three.

The AMX group provided some superb encounters with Darren Banwell hole shotting almost every race, but being caught in four of the five by support rider Ricky Lethaby, begging the question could he have held off Lethaby or was he doing enough just to gain the maximum five wins in the championship. Nevertheless, this did not spoil the spectacle of the racing both riders gave to the public. Aaron Carmichael will have to pick up the pace to stay in front of James Cole. The weekend’s racing was made more exciting with support riders Sam Jones, Paul Willis and Nathan Braithwaite participating.

In the Open class, Steve Collins gained maximum championship points over the weekend with David Ford taking second overall, clear of Sean Lock, Jake Grossman and Connor Pearce. Support riders James Boutell and Charlie Evans assisted in upping the anti and making the racing more interesting, especially Boutell who took two wins with Steve Collins taking the other three.

Many thanks to East Anglia club for a superbly run event, completed well within the time, mainly due to the riders’ parents’ support with marshalling.

BSMA team: Don Church, Vic Amor & Ken Lewis

Please see the results BSMA Best of British Series day points Chippenham 21st 22nd March 2009 shown above for a full listing of championship points and positions