Last Sunday the St Blazey Mx Premier Motocross Championship made its way down to Whiteway Barton for the penultimate round of the series. This was only the second time this venue had been used in 2017 and the track was in prime condition. Rain had fallen early hours and a light drizzle was to persist mid-morning which made things a bit tacky, but there was still some good racing in all classes.
In the St Blazey Mx Expert Championship unfortunately entries were a bit down, but this didn’t lower the standard of racing as there was plenty of talent still on show. Jamie Skuse on the Tony Maunders Racing Suzuki went in to the penultimate round with 94 points lead over the Cab Screens Husqvarna of Dan Thornhill. In the opening race, it was Josh Gilbert on the Dave Thorpe Off Road/RFX Honda with the best start from Championship leader Skuse with the Hitachi Construction Ktm of Todd Kellett (Pictured No 98) tucked in 3rd. Gilbert was on a mission from the word go in this one and was to start to pull away on the opening lap, Kellett managed to get pass Skuse and was soon in to a rhythm and was to set his sights on Gilbert at the front. These two pulled away with Kellett closing in on Gilbert all the time who he eventually caught on lap 4 and this turned in to a battle royal for several more laps until on lap 9 when Kellett was to get the inside line at a fast righthander and squeezed through to take the lead and from there went on to take the win from Gilbert, but 3rd place was to go down to the wire with Thornhill after a long tussle with Skuse getting the better of him on the last lap to take 3rd. In the second moto, this time it was Thornhill with a blistering start from Gilbert with Kellett there in 3rd. Kellett got pass Gilbert on the opening lap and was soon looking to take the lead from Thornhill on the second lap, but Thornhill kept him at bay a further 3 laps until a slight mistake from Thornhill was enough to let Kellett take the lead on lap 5. Gilbert was soon all over Thornhill pressing, but then Gilbert on lap 6 grinded to a halt with a problem and his bike wouldn’t restart, which was later revealed moisture in the cut-off switch which was to end his race and give him a Dnf. Skuse moved up in to 3rd where he was to stay to take 3rd behind Thornhill and runaway winner by some 18 seconds Kellett. In the last race, it was Kelvin Townsend on the Tony Maunders Racing Yamaha who led this one from the off from teammates Jordan Carter and Skuse, but by the end of the opening lap Kellett had managed to pass them all and hit the front and was soon starting to pull away. Carter was soon in 2nd after passing Townsend, but he soon had Gilbert all over him trying to get pass which he did on lap 2 who tried his all to stay in touch with the leader. Thornhill was now on a mission after a moderate start and was soon up in to 3rd and was starting to close in on Gilbert, but Thornhill was to go down on a righthander with his handlebars going in to his ribs, he remounted a bit battered and was back giving his all and was to eventually finish in 4th behind Skuse and Gilbert with Kellett again taking a convincing win to make it a hattrick of wins on the day.
In the Expert Junior class which was ran with the Experts there was no stopping earlier Junior Championship leader before getting injured with a broken collarbone Jake Curtis-Stevens on the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki who showed that he was back fully fit and willing to go as he notched up another hattrick of wins and has now moved from 6th in the standing to 3rd with one round remaining.
In the R C Motorhomes MX1 2-Stroke Championship the day started off well for Championship leader Leighton Holmes on the J D Racing Ktm who looked good at the front in the first race and was running away with it, but on lap 6 his race was over as his chain snapped and through in to the lead came the JCT Developments/Inchains Yamaha of Ben Milward (Pictured No 113) who was to go on untroubled to take the win in the first one, but there was no stopping Holmes in the other two races once he hit the front who took both wins, but it was Milward who finished 2nd to him and with it took the overall.
In the R C Motorhomes MX2 2-Stroke Championship there was many wildcard entries which included Shane Sansom who was to take a hat trick of wins with Gary Roper taking 2nd overall on the day who has now closed the gap in the Championship to 139 points after Championship leader Tom Darlow didn’t have the best of days and had a Dnf in the last race with a throttle problem.
The M D Racing Over age classes as usual it was well supported with Wayne Shimell Over 35 Championship leader again taking the overall, but he was beaten again in the last race by his nearest rival in the standings Darren Banwell on the Cheddar Mx Ktm. In the Over 40’s things were a bit different to normal, as it was Leigh Williams who was to win all three races ahead of Championship leader Stuart Rawlings and has now closed the deficit to 26 points going in to the last round. In the over 45’s Richard Green is still unbeaten this year whereas in the Over 50’s David Ford took a hattrick of wins over Championship leader Steve Elford who now takes a narrow 6 points lead in to the final round in two weeks’ time.
In the JCT Developments Junior A class there was some good racing with Maverick Smith looking a clear winner in the opening race, but he was to get cross rutted towards the end of the race and went down which gifted the win to Ioan Thomson ahead of Dean Davies with Smith coming back to take 3rd. In the second moto, it was Davies who led early on before being passed by James Bailey who went on to take the win from Clint Townsend who got the better of Davies on the last lap. In the last race, this time it was a start to finish win for Smith ahead of Townsend with Reegan West finishing in 3rd.
In the JCT Developments Junior B class it was Thomas Sharpe who won the opening race from Darren Brock, but in the other two races Brock took the wins.
Report and Photos by Dave Rich
