Going into the final round of the British Masters series I was lying in seventh position in the overall Championship. Foxhills is one of my favourite tracks and the conditions on the day were perfect with the ground being nice and tacky. Qualification did not go to plan and I qualified in 21st position.
Race 1
I did not have a very good start, but I managed to sneak up the inside on the first corner putting me in about 12th position. As I went down the hill into the third corner, there was a big pile up and a bike fell in front of me, putting me into the fence. I managed to get going very quickly. The track was extremely fast, so a lot of the riders were racing at the same speed making it difficult to make up any time on the other riders. I kept pushing hard, probably too hard and progressed up to 15th position by half way through the race. I started to make some small mistakes and tensed up in the bike resulting in arm pump.
The second half of the race was poor for me and I dropped back to 17th position at the finish flag.
Race 2
Yet again my start was rubbish and I came round the first lap in 24th position. The track had become a lot rougher than race one and I managed to find some good racing lines in the first few laps of the race. I pushed really hard in the first half of the race making some good passes progressing up the 15th position. My pace was good and unlike race one I managed to keep pushing to the end of the race and capitalising on mistakes by other riders progressing me to 13th position at the end of the race.
I finished 13th overall on the day and was really pleased to find out that I secured 7th overall in the Pro Open Championship only 11 points of 3rd place. 2007 has been an extremely successful year with 7th in the British Masters Championship and 3rd in the AMCA Championship. Thank you to all my sponsors who have made this possible.
AMCA Championship – Round 7 - Nympsfield
The last round of the 2007 AMCA Championship was held at Nympsfield near Stroud. The track preparation was first class and it was a perfect stage to finalise the Championship standings for 2007. Aaron Crowder was hot on my heals going into the event with only nine points separating both of us. I qualified in sixth position, but the lap times between the top six riders were all within two seconds, so I was not too concerned with my pace.
Race 1: I grabbed the holeshot in race one, but left my braking too late, which enabled Aaron Poolman and Paul Burns to come underneath me. I followed Paul Burns for a couple of laps and should of made the pass on him quicker, because before I knew it I made a small mistake in a corner and David Campbell (DC), Ben Saunders and Clinton Barrs came flying passed me. I made the pass on Burns within the next half a lap and held onto the back of the riders in front of me.
Barrs had a puncture half way through the race which promoted me to fourth place. My mechanic kept me informed on the pit board that Crowder was sixth in the race, so I was happy to settle for fourth at the finish.
Race 2 : I had another cracking start in race two to find that the race was stopped on the first lap. There is still a question why the race was stopped?
In the re-run I had an awful start. I came round the first lap in twenty five position and Crowder had gained the holeshot. I knew I had to put a charge on to come through the field, but as my pit board kept saying I needed to stay calm because I still had a twelve point advantage over Crowder at this stage. By half way through the race I had moved up to twelve and Crowder had slipped back to fifth. I made some more quick passes to move me up to ninth by the end of the race. Crowder finished in sixth, which meant there was a nine point gap going into the last race.
Race 3: The pressure was on. Race three was red flagged with only 28 seconds away from the race counting, Crowder had crashed and was back in tenth and third place in the Championship was in the bag!
I had to stay focused and positive because I knew that my pace was good and I could beat Crowder if I stayed out of trouble. I had a good start in the re-run and I just missed the massive pile up on the inside of the first corner. DC took the lead, followed by Crowder, Burns and myself. Luck was on my side because Crowder went out of the race on the first lap with a puncture. I quickly passed Burns and pushed really hard for half the race, knowing that third in the Championship was already mine. I had some really good lines and felt comfortable. In the last quarter of the race I eased my pace and Barrs passed me for second and that is how it finished at the end of the race.
For the first time in three years I have finished an AMCA Championship series. What a relief!! Third in the Championship is a massive achievement for me, especially with the high standard of riders in this years Championship. I would like to thank all my sponsors, everyone who has helped me and a massive thank you goes out to my mechanic ‘SK’ who has travelled to every meeting this year and spent hours in the week preparing the bikes.
This weekend is the last round of the British Masters series at Foxhills.
British Masters Round 5 at Matchams
Matchams Park was the next stop on the British Masters tour for Round 5 of the Pro Open Championship.
I knew the weekend was going to be very tough because I had been on holiday for just over a week to America to watch the MX Nations at Budds Creek and I had come home with man flu and mega jet lag.
Two 30 minute races around one of the roughest tracks around made me sweat my cold out. Things did not improve in qualifying, as I clashed with Jamie Law over the whoops section and got catapulted off the bike landing on my head, giving a massive headache all day.
There was a very poor turn out of riders in the Pro Open class with only 21 riders on the start line.
Race 1: I had a fairly good start in race one coming round the first corner in tenth. I got caught up with some other riders in the second corner which pushed me back to sixteenth. The race seemed to last a life time and after the twenty minute mark I was really struggling with my body being so run down. I kept pushing hard and managed to move up to 14th position by the end of the race.
Race 2: Race 2 was a disaster but still finished 13th in the race. Work that one out! I crashed on the first corner and by the time I had got going the rest of the riders were miles in front. I pushed really hard for six laps and was managing to slowly catch up with the other riders at the back of the pack. I suddenly lost my back brake down one of the hills and nearly went straight over the berm at the bottom of the hill. I kept going for a further two laps, but I was really struggling to stop. I came into the pits to pull out of the race. SK my mechanic told me to continue going round because loads of other riders had pulled out of the race and I was in 13th place. I went back out and just finished the race in 13th.
This weekend is the last round of the AMCA Championship at Nympsfield. It’s been a long season and it would be nice to finish in the top three in the Championship. There’s a lot of hard work to achieve this at the weekend, so I will keep you updated next week.
AMCA Championship Rd.6 at Wymeswold
The Wymeswold track was well watered on the Saturday evening in preparation for Sunday’s racing. The track was yet again very difficult to pass, so a good start played a major part of the race. The start was very fast and dangerous and Race Two had to be stopped due to a massive pile up with Clinton Barrs being taken to hospital with exhaust burns.
Qualifying went really well, taking second spot right at the end of the qualifying session.
Race 1: I had an awesome start, taking the holeshot. Ben Saunders was hot on my heals closely followed by David Campbell (DC). I was pushing really hard to try and pull a gap, but Saunders kept the pressure on. On lap five Saunders made a pass, but I quickly went back past him on the next corner. A lap later Saunders went back past me over the whoop section and I again moved back in front on the following corner. A few corners later Saunders went through the ropes after he tried to go round the outside of me.
I had a small gap over DC and I began to really tense up towards the end of the race. I made too many mistakes allowing DC to pass me with twp laps to go. I held on to finish the race in second.
Race 2: After the re-run of race two I gated in fifth and quickly moved into third on the second lap. DC had already pulled a massive gap and I tried to hang onto the back of Saunders to get away from the other riders behind. On lap four I made a small mistake dropping the bike in a corner. The bike took ages to restart, putting me back in 18th position. I charged back through the field moving up to 11th position by the end of the race and for the final 4 laps I did not have a back brake.
Race 3: Race three was a complete disaster. I had a poor jump out of the gate and then ended up in a massive pile up on the first corner. Fortunately I and the bike were ok, but it left me right at the back of the pack. The red mist was out and only a lap later I had a massive crash over a small table top, totally wrecking the bike. It was impossible to continue in the race, so I had to pull out.
To summarise the day, it went from good to complete rubbish, but that is what happens in this sport sometimes. On the positive side, I am still third in the Championship even with this poor result.
AMCA Championship Rd.5 at Warmington Lane
The fifth round of the AMCA Championship took place at Warmingham lane on Sunday.
The track was in perfect condition because it was heavily watered on the Saturday evening and a few showers during Sunday kept the dust down.
Race 1 The track was very difficult to pass, so the start was very crucial. I had an excellent start in race 1, gating in second place behind Ben Saunders.
With the rain coming down the track was slippy and David Campbell (DC) passed me on the second corner.
I held onto the back of Saunders and DC who had a quick pace. At mid distance the two in front were gradually pulling away and I had an easy third position which I held onto till the end of the race.
Race 2 I had poor start in race two, coming round the first corner in 12th position. I had to take things steady for the first lap because the rain was coming down again and the track was once again slippy.
Getting a poor start made a huge difference to my race, because the top three riders were able to pull a huge gap on the other riders that were stuck in traffic behind them.
At the mid point of the race I moved into sixth position and pushed really hard to catch the riders in front. I worked really hard but at the finish, I could not progress any further than 6th position.
Race 3 Out of the start gate I tangled with both the riders either side of me.
It was another shocking start and I came round the first lap in 20th place.
The track was drying out perfectly and I had some good lines, giving me some different options to pass the other riders.
I know that Clinton Barrs was out front and I needed to gain as many points as possible. By mid race I was up to 9th position and was catching the riders in front with ease. My speed and fitness was good and I carved my way through to 5th position by the end of the race.
It was a huge effort to progress this far up the field, especially on a track that was difficult to pass on.
I finished 5th overall, with three solid rides which has helped me consolidate third in the Championship. I aim still aiming to try and take at least one overall victory towards the end of the year.
Next week is the IMBA round in Germany, so I will provide an update early next week.
AMCA Championship Rd.4 at Branston
After my good form the week before at Kerry I was looking forward to round 4 of the AMCA Championship at Branston.
I do find Branston a difficult track to ride and would class it as one of my least favourite tracks.
However, congratulations have to go out to the Burntwood club who put on a professional event.
During qualification I felt really comfortable with the track and the way I was riding. After putting two fast in, I found myself in second place and I knew I could go quicker, because on those two laps I was held up by others riders.
Right at the end of qualification, I got a clear lap in and took pole position. It was a confidence boost taking my first pole of the year.
Race 1 I came round the first corner in third place and down the first straight I managed to move into first position.
I had some very good lines on the track and tried to stay smooth because the extremely hot condition was taking a lot of energy out of me. I had David Campbell (DC) on my back for the first six laps of the race and we had managed to pull away from the other riders.
On lap seven a back marker got in my way on the tight track and DC managed to get past.
DC quickly pulled a small gap, but I managed to keep the pressure on him. The pressure paid off and DC fell on the corner just before taking the last lap flag.
The last lap seemed like a life time, but it came and it was a great feeling to take my first race win of the season.
Race 2 The first couple of laps of race two were extremely strange.
The Branston track is very tight and difficult to pass the other riders.
I gated on eighth position, but some how managed to pass some quick riders and move up to second place behind Clinton Barrs by lap two.
I pushed really hard to stay with Clinton, but his pace was fast and he broke away at the mid point of the race.
The hot conditions were not to my liking and at the three quarter point of the race I ran out of steam.
Eventually Ben Saunders past me towards the end of the race demoting me to third place at the finish.
Race 3 Between race two and three I felt really dehydrated and tired due to the hot conditions.
I had a terrible start in tenth position and it took me ages to get up to sixth position.
Once I was in sixth the others riders had pulled a large gap over me.
I tried to push hard to catch the other riders, but I was sick twice during the race and was glad to see the finish flag.
Overall I was pleased with my performance and even though I finished fourth overall there were only five points separating the top four riders.
Round five of the AMCA Championship takes place at Warmingham Lane this coming weekend.
AMCA Championship Round 3 at Kerry
After all the poor weather we all had last week, I thought that I would be arriving to a mud bath once again. It was the complete opposite, with the ground being very dry.
The six hours of rain on Saturday night, put the track in perfect conditions for Sunday. Race day was extremely long and my final race did not finish until gone 19.00.
I was extremely nervous during the day, because for the last two years I have broken bones on the last weekend in July while competing in an AMCA Championship event!!
Race 1 After qualifying second, I felt really confident going into the first race. I gated in third place behind Ben Saunders and Jamie Powell. I quickly moved into second place trying to stay on the pace of Saunders. David Campbell (DC) passed me on lap three, relegating me back to third. I pushed really hard to stay with Saunders and DC and we managed to pull away from the rest of the field. DC went down and I managed to catch Saunders, ready to try and make a pass. With just over eleven minutes on the clock the race was stopped, 50 seconds short of the race standing.
Race 1 – Re-run Frustrated that the first race did not count, I was more pi**ed off when in the re-run I gated twelve. With the track being very rutted, it was difficult to pass. I managed to move up to fifth place by mid race and set my sights on Aaron Crowder in fourth. I pushed really hard to catch Crowder, which I did really easily, but then struggled to make the pass. Too many small mistakes prevented me from progressing any further than fifth.
Race 2 I had good start in race two, moving into second very quickly. DC passed me on the first lap and he went on to catch Ben Saunders and take the win. My pace was good, but the speed of Saunders and DC was just too much. I pushed really hard till the end of the race and came home in an easy third place.
Race 3 Race three did not start till gone 18.30, so it was difficult to keep the concentration levels up for the whole day. I had another good start behind Ben Saunders and Clinton Barrs. I was aiming for a third overall on the day, which would have given me my first podium of the year. Knowing that Barrs had finished poorly in race two I was not worried about his progression. I managed to stay with Barrs for a two laps and then he managed to pull away. With four laps to go DC was on a charge and caught me up. I had to grit my teeth and up my pace on the very rough and demanding track. By the end of the race I held DC off to take third place.
Overall it was a good day, taking my first podium of the year. Next weekend is the fourth round of the AMCA Championship at Branston.
AMCA Championship Round 2 at Condover
On arriving at the Condover track on Saturday evening, it was very clear that the Shrewsbury club had put a lot of effort into preparing the track for the AMCA Championship round.
Unfortunately the rained started about 4am on Sunday morning and did not stop all day. The track conditions were more of a survival course, rather than a race meeting.
Qualification: With the conditions of the track it was really important to put in a steady lap and try and stay out of trouble. I managed to do this very early on in qualification, setting a time of 3mins 15 seconds. This put me in third place. I tried to complete one faster lap, but I was held up by fallen riders on the track. At the end of qualification, I was in fourth place, which I was happy with, because the start was a lottery.
Race 1: This was the first time I have ever experienced going down the start straight and not being able to actually see anything for the first four corners. The conditions were appalling and very dangerous. I was in fourth place, so god knows what the riders were like behind me!! I quickly moved up to third place with David Campbell out front and David Wright in second.
On lap two Wright stalled his bike and I moved up to second. I had to concentrate 100% and pick my lines carefully. I was in an easy second place with only a lap and half to go and lost my concentration and went over the handle bars over a small jump.
By the time I had picked myself up and re-started the bike I was back in fourth place. I crossed the line in fourth place.
Race 2: With most of the riders and the Shrewsbury club wanting the meeting to be cancelled, it was decided by the AMCA officials to continue with the meeting. The rain had not stopped all day and conditions were horrendous. Streams of water were running down the hills to the lakes at the bottom.
I think I gated about tenth in race two, but let’s say mid pack because I could not see a bloody thing!! Goggles were off after the first corner and on the fourth corner I followed Jason Rennie through a deep rut and he fell off in front of me. I had to wait for Jason to remount his bike before I could go anywhere. By mid way through the race I had moved up to eighth place. Unfortunately a stone jammed in my front sprocket, locking the chain and the back wheel solid.
It took me 3-4 minutes pushing the bike backwards and forwards before the stone released itself. I was a lap down and I just kept going thinking of the points for the championship. I managed to creep home in 13th position.
Race 3: Cancelled. At last they saw sense!
Overall it was a disappointing day, but as always I try to take the positives out of the day and I have now progressed from fourth to third in the AMCA Championship. Round 3 takes place on 29th July at Kerry. Let’s hope the weather improves.
GB IMBA @ Upton Court
On arriving at the Little Hereford track for round 4 of the IMBA Championship the paddock was a complete mud bath. My initial thoughts were that the meeting should have been cancelled earlier on in the week. However, the track was covered in grass and was in perfect condition.
Race 1. It was another day of poor starts which made me have to work twice as hard. I came round the first corner in 20th position and managed to sneak up the inside in the second corner and move up to 12th place. By the end of the first lap I was up to 10th and felt really comfortable with my speed to push further up the field.
The track was in perfect condition, but very fast, so it was difficult to make up time on the other riders. My lap times were on par with the leaders and by half way through the race I had progressed up to 5th position. I managed to catch the riders in 3rd and 4th place on the last lap, but I ran out of time to make a pass. Clinton Barrs fell on the last lap, which moved me up to 4th place at the finish.
Race 2. I gated in 10th place and my first lap was a disaster. Even though I did not lose any positions, I took a trip into the ropes and fell off in one of the tight right hand turns. I lost too much time to riders in front of me, which meant I had a mountain to climb. I was again very happy with my speed and fitness and caught up with some of the riders. I made calculated passes and by the end of the race I had moved up to 5th place. I was happy with my progress through the field, but I was really disappointed with my first lap.
Race 3. This was the best race of the day for me. My start was the worst I had all day, but again I managed to sneak up the inside on the second corner and moved into 10th place. The track was at its best, with more lines appearing as the track became rougher. I went on a complete charge and within three laps I was up to 5th place. I had Jamie Powell and Rick De-Feu in front off me and I managed to catch them both and pass them by half way through the race. I set my sights on the Belgium rider and Clinton Barrs who were in front. I pushed really hard to the end of the race and managed to catch both of the riders, but I was unable to make a pass.
I finished 4th overall on the day and it was good to see the top four places being covered by the Great Britain team.
Druids at Anchor Hill
With the AMCA Championship going to the Kerry track towards the end of July, it was important to race there because I have never been there before. On arriving at the track I was impressed with the lay out and amazed how dry the track was after the amount of rain that had fallen.
Race 1
The rain started to fall heavily for the start of race one. I took the holeshot, but the track was very slippy and on the second lap I made a small mistake that allowed Jamie Powell to pass me for the lead.
I stayed on the back of the impressive Powell until the fifth lap and I slipped out on the exit of corner. After I remounted I had lost a lot of ground on Powell. I pushed hard all the way to the end of the race, but I had to settle for second.
Race 2 I hit the gate at the start of the second race which put me at the back of the pack. I worked really hard to come through the pack. By lap four I had moved up to fourth position and was closing on second and third places quickly.
Towards the end of the race I passed Justin Bolton for second place, but Jamie Powell had pulled a big lead, so I had to settle for second again.
Race 3
I came round the first corner in third place. I passed Justin Bolton for second place on lap one and set my sights on catching Jamie Powell. Powell was riding very strongly and I managed to keep the distance to a minimum. I pushed really hard and I was really harder with my fitness, but with Powell being on his home track, the advantage paid off and I finished second again.
Next weekend is the next round of the IMBA Championship at Little Hereford near Tenbury Wells. It is always an honour to represent your country especially in your own country. Bring it on!
