Walsall Club held their third meeting of the ’08 Season at the ever-changing Hobs Hole circuit. The track had been graded over 5 weeks before the event, which allowed the ground to settle. After a muddy first two events the club were praying for a dry meeting. In fact the track was watered on the Saturday night because we were starting to worry about the dust.
On Sunday the track was looking in prime condition and as the first practice got underway, it was clear to see that the new layout was working well. By the end of the first and second blocks of racing the dust was starting to become quite intense on the first lap. Fortunately, we did not need the water bowser as we were blessed with two perfectly timed light showers which kept the show on the road without interruptions.
All in all I think it was a good, well-organised meeting. The track did cut up but in many places it stayed relatively smooth throughout the racing. This allowed the riders the momentary breather needed before entering the deep sand at the lower end of the circuit.
A special thank you must go out to Gordon Mycock, Bruce and Liz Bolton, Geoff Arrowsmith and Dan Tunnicliffe. Their extra efforts for the club go a long way and without them the meetings would not be as organised or such a big success.
Walsall Club's Point Scorers
MX1 Seniors David Jones (67) 24 points 3rd overall
MX2 Seniors Joe Wright (58) 17 Points 4th overall (3rd was on 18 points)
MX1 Juniors Scott Bradley (35) Top scorer on 14
Geoff Arrowsmith 9 points from 2 races
Inter Juniors Jack Grinsell (11) 24 points 4th overall. Trophies to 10th
Cannock at Abbotts Bromley 08.06.08 by Chris Pearson
Cannock club ran this week’s event at the ever popular Abbotts Bromley circuit. The track had been prepared to perfection, freshly plough-harrowed soil added more depth and lines throughout the track.
The track was watered late into Saturday night and Sunday morning, this was not to last as summer finally arrived. The racing was highly competitive and very entertaining in every class.
Walsall Club’s Joe Wright was on top form all day. Showing that you don’t need a 250F to win races, Joe hoisted his 125 KTM to the top spot in all three rides, coming away with the undisputed overall.
Walsall Club Trophy Winners
1st Overall MX2 Seniors – Joe Wright
2nd Overall MX2 Juniors U18 – James Smith
3rd Overall MX1 Experts – Chris Pearson
Acorns at Peacocks Hey 01.06.08 by Chris Pearson
Acorns hosted their first meeting of the season on Sunday at Peacocks Hay. The circuit had been totally revamped since the previous visit. The track was laid out with a series of spectacular jumps that all riders were capable of having a go at.
The start straight had also been moved into the centre of the track, some riders found this rather tight and ended up going straight on at the right hand bend as they were forced out by riders on the inside. Acorns club ordered the water for the morning to keep the dust down and prayed for the rain to miss in the afternoon. The meeting turned out perfectly on the day and the majority of the riders I have spoken are hoping for a return visit.
Congratulations to James Smith who put his 144 KTM to good work grabbing 3 out of 3 holeshots. He rode smoothly and confidently to seal his first two race wins in the MX2 U18 Juniors. Lying in 3rd in the final race on the last last lap, James slipped off on a polished inside line finishing the race in 9th place. Fortune favoured James as other riders had their troubles too handing him the overall.
Ash Arrowsmith was Walsall’s only other trophy winner with 3rd overall in the MX2 Juniors Over 18. Three solid finishes came as a result of good starts. Ash was literally jet-propelled from the gate in race 2, having almost 2 bike-lengths on the field from the off. Worth a £20 bonus from the old man in my book…
Burntwood at Branston 27.04.08 by Chris Pearson
The weather leading up to the Burntwood Barracudas opener was fairly dry, so dry that the club were even threatening to water on the Saturday night. The risk of rain forecast for Sunday morning was the decider. Opting not to water left the riders presented with a track in perfect condition.
The track ran pretty well all day and the weather was warm and dry. The weather turned for the worst during the final Open Expert race, which clearly added a handful of seconds per lap.
The hard packed surface became hard to corner on, accelerate and brake on. This proved quite tricky on some of the steeper downhills. However this only affected the last three races. Burntwood put on a good meeting that everybody could enjoy.
Walsall clubs sole trophy winner on the day was Sam Winter who battled hard all day with Aiden Starkey in the MX2 Juniors under 18. Sam finally came 2nd Overall picking up the final win of the day.
Hobs Hole 20.04.08 report and pics by Foto-x
Walsall ran their second meeting of the season at Hobs Hole last Sunday and although not as muddy as the opener, it was still a drab, overcast day with less mud, but mud nonetheless. This weather really does separate the men from the boys, which showed as the starting gate line-ups diminished as the day wore on. Charlie Hollis made easy work of the poor conditions, maxing out in the MX1 Experts while Dale Halls followed suit in the MX2 class.
The club had put in a lot of effort, in a short space of time, to restore the track after it was hammered at the last meeting and on Saturday, it was in pristine condition. Unfortunately heavy overnight rain had left it very wet and boggy, despite an ingenious move by the club to cover the jumps with tarpaulin and pallets.
To ease conditions, the smaller paddock was used, making access easier for vehicles and with a medium sized entry, most got on and off without too many problems. Walsall are very good are running timely meetings and this one was no exception, with all three blocks done and dusted (or should we say mudded) by 5pm.
In the MX1 Experts Charlie Hollis powered his Mission Control Honda to three easy wins, leading from start to finish in every race. Tom Fish looked good on his 450 Suzuki following his move to MX1 this season and followed Hollis in every time for second overall. Jonathan Slesser and Richard Meakin battled hard all day for the final podium place, with Slesser the overall victor with a 3-3-3 scorecard.
Dale Halls continued his winning form in the MX2 Experts posting three consecutive wins. The final two podium places were hotly contested with a trio of riders all in with a shot. Pete Weaver looked set for second overall only to fall in the final race keeping him out of the points. Andy Marchant and Derek Read took full advantage, both finishing on equal points, Marchant taking second overall after a great final race, which saw him finish the race in second place.
In the MX1 Seniors, competition was tough with a different winner in all three races. David Jones won his second race and two-second places gave him enough for the overall, followed home by Brett Williams who took the win in the final moto. Third place went to Michael Allsopp, who didn’t win a race, but consistent riding paid dividends.
Aaron Paskin took top honours in the MX2 Seniors, taking two out three for the overall only losing out to second place Daren Llewellyn in the opening moto. Scott Arnold was best of the rest in third.
Jay Rumbold cruised home to yet another victory in the MX1 Juniors with three straight wins, coasting until his upgrade to the Seniors at the beginning of May.
Matt Davis and Ian Chadwick were evenly matched with Davis nipping in for second two points ahead of Chadwick.
In the MX2 Juniors Over 18, Craig Ulliott’s winning streak continued posting maximum points. Craig Hartley had two good races and squeezed into second spot a point ahead of third place David Preston.
Sam Winter’s consistent form earned him overall honours in the MX2 Juniors Under 18 with two wins out of three.
However, with a handful of riders all in with a chance of a trophy, the final moto was entertaining to say the least.
With fallen riders deposited around the track it was survival of the fittest, the accolades going to Billy Bayliss and Josh Hickinbottom as they finished second and third respectively.
Only a small contingent of Inter Juniors braved the conditions which did not faze overall winner Lewis Ward, who took three out three followed in every time by Craig Perks. Third Place went to Iain Smith.
Another rough ride for Walsall but they dug deep and got on with it. It won’t go down as the most memorable meeting, but it ran regardless. With the next meeting scheduled for flaming June let’s hope for third time lucky!
