Harri Kullas became a two-time winner of the Steel Hawk Motorcycle Club’s ‘Rock it ‘til Sundown Midweek Summer Motocross Classic’ by winning the ‘Relax to Race’ Super final at Cusses Gorse MX last night.
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The Super Final followed an epic day of Youth and Adult racing on a track that was superbly maintained throughout the day in warm and windy conditions by Justin Barclay and his team. The Relax to Race Super Final consisted of the top 20 riders from the earlier two MX1 and MX2 motos, with Kullas looking in sublime form to take both ASA United Husqvarna MX1 Moto wins for overall victory in that class. In the final, the Cab Screens Deos Group Honda rider from Estonia once again catapulted from the start and with some superfast early laps maintained the pace to win the title for the second year, and in doing so getting to hold the new perpetual ‘Rock it ‘til Sundown’ Guitar aloft on the Podium.
Behind Kullas the battled raged hard for the number two spot with fast-starting Irish Apico Husqvarna racer Stu Edmonds holding off the impressive Jack Brunell until the fifth lap when ASA United Husqvarna’s Brunell got the edge to finish second ahead of Edmonds, who kept the advancing Gabriel Motocross KTM racer, Liam Knight, at bay for third. Knight would work his way past Chambers Racing Husqvarna’s Tom Grimshaw who looked rapid all evening long, and by coming fifth, would be the highest placed MX2 rider in the Super Final. Kullas’s Cab Screens teammate Dan Thornhill was never far behind and finished a solid sixth.
The start of the first ASA United Husqvarna MX1 class saw a red flag after a coming together between Brad Todd and Adam Chatfield as the pair were fighting for the lead. Chatfield would stay on, but Todd came down hard and needed treatment and would not take any further part in the event. Kullas who was in about sixth place at the time of the incident made the holeshot in the restart and was being chased hard by MSR Racing’s New Zealander Dylan Walsh, who had to relinquish the challenge as the Estonian sped off into the distance and had to settle for second. Josh Spinks was third just ahead of the hard-charging Knight in fourth and last years third-place finisher Jake Millward fifth. Thornhill, Edmonds, Brunel, Chatfield and Josh Taylor would round out the top ten.
In moto two Kullas once again powered to the holeshot and the early lead and never looked back for the win and the overall. The action was all occurring behind the leader as Edmonds was riding a blinder in second and being hounded by a more determined-looking Millward. Millward did eventually pass Edmonds, but the Irishman pounced straight back with a great move into second while a frustrated Millward would take a fall and drop back down the field. Knight once again showed late moto speed and would move past Edmonds with two laps to go, but again Edmonds was not done, and with fighting spirit he fought to the line, but by a nose it was Knight who would gain the upperhand for second, and with a 4-2 scorecard he would take the number two spot on the Podium. Edmonds would finish the moto in third and would match that feat in the overall classification. Brunell would finish moto 2 in fourth with Taylor showing his liking for Wednesday race action in fifth. The remainder of the top 10 was Millward, Chatfield, Callum Mitchell and Dan Thornhill and Joe Clayton.
In the MGS Offroad Training Events MX2 class, Rob Hooper Racing’s Taylor Hammal stamped his authority early doors by topping qualifying. After surfacing from the first corner of Moto one in fourth he made quick work of making his way to the front passing James Carpenter, Buildbase Honda’s Steven Clarke and Grimshaw to be in the lead by the end of the first lap. Grimshaw wasn’t done though, and he snapped at Hammal’s heels for the first half of the moto before the RHR Yamaha rider would start to break away to take the chequered flag over Grimshaw by 12 seconds. Clarke began to find his rhythm towards the end of the moto and finished just a few seconds shy of his rival to finish third with Carpenter fourth. Ike Carter’s move to the Adult ranks is proving successful and after trading places with Charlie Cole early in the moto he would finish 5th with Cole 6th, Rob Hooper Racing’s Sam Nunn in 7th, Dirt Hub’s Dylan Woodcock in 8th, year one ‘Rock it’ hero Adam Harris in ninth and Ryan Butler 10th.
Hammal would make a rare holeshot in Moto 2, and with Grimshaw in second the first laps saw these two setting a blistering pace with Grimshaw right on his rivals rear wheel, but a fall would quell his attack. Grimshaw would pick himself up and retain his second spot while Hammal would take the chequers by a comfortable margin. Carpenter came good towards the end of the moto and pressurised Grimshaw but would have to settle for third, followed by Woodcock, Cole, Nunn, Carter, Harris, last years Adult A winner Josh Coleman of Wulfsport Meredith Suzuki and GRT Holeshot KTM’s Kyle McNicol, who would round out the top 10. On the Podium it would be Hammal, flanked by Grimshaw and Carpenter.
In the Matrix Vets MX1 class those who braved the main MX1 group would win the day, and it was last years Champ Chris Brown who fared the best among the big guns and would be rewarded for his win with a huge stash of Matrix Concepts goodies courtesy of Madison.co.uk and a Bel-Ray maintenance pack from Rapid Moto Distribution. Ste Marlow would finish second with Chris Peaty in third, both also receiving Matrix prizes with all three podium racers in the Vets classes receiving a T-Shirt courtesy of Bravery.org.uk.
Paul Whillians mixed it with the young guns in the main MX2 race to take the £300’s worth of ODI vouchers, (again thanks to Madison.co.uk) in the ODI Vets MX2 group with Glen Bixby in second, also racing in the main ‘fastest 40’ MX2 motos. Sam Lewis was the highest MX2 Vet in the B race so would finish third. Sam Jones would win both Moto’s in the Adult B race taking the MX1 win too ahead of Sean Kettlewell and Perry Matterface. In the MX2 half of the B race Catherine King reigned supreme with the win from Charlotte Hall and Tom Gillingham.
The Steel Hawk Motorcycle Club would like to thank Justin and Christine Barclay of Cusses Gorse for providing a fantastic venue and all of their hard work on the day and leading up to the event. Roy Barton, Andy Watts and all of their track crew and site staff. Also all of the marshals and helpers, the catering and trade stands. A big shout out to their sponsors Relax to Race, Monsters of Dirt, Stolen Bike Co, ASA United Husqvarna, MGS Offroad Training Events and Crescent Yamaha, as well as all of those sponsors who provided such an amazing array of prizes and last but certainly not least, all of the riders and parents for supporting the event and leaving the site clean and tidy of rubbish….bar one bin bag left in the middle of the paddock! So room for improvement on that next year eh?!
Photo Credit – Dave Rich
