Round 5 of the ACU Maxxis British Championship took us across the water to Cookstown and the fabulous track of Dessert Martin. A well prepared track, deep sand, very fast and definitely a favourite on the calendar.
QUALIFICATION:
MX1:
Brad was the first team member out and he found the track very fast which was a disadvantage for the two stroke bikes. The sand was deep and soft and it was difficult to get traction. He managed to slot in a reasonable time in his last lap and ended up with 13th gate pick for the day.
MX2:
This was Liam’s first race back since his big crash at Canada Heights. He was feeling a bit rusty and he got arm pump in qualification, which is a pretty alien thing to happen to Liam. However, he got a reasonable time in the second lap beforehand and managed to end up with 15th gate pick for the day.
RACE 1:
MX1:
Not a bad jump out the gate for Brad but he got squashed out on the first bend and pushed back to 18th. Not ideal on a fast track on a Two-Stroke. Brad gave it his all but the deep sand wasn’t forgiving. He battled with fellow two-stroke rider, Todd Kellett, and finished comfortably ahead of him but unfortunately for Brad, he only finished 12th in Moto 1.
MX2:
Not a bad jump out the gate for Liam Knight. Out the gate and round the first bend in 4th. He held his own for a couple of laps but then dropped back to 6th as Josh Gilbert and Martin Barr came through. He was sitting in 7th place when he approached the pit lane corner and Carpenter took the inside line and nudged Liam off the track, into the pit lane ditch upside down. Not great! Liam straightened his bars, got back on but now sat way back in 19th position. Not the best of situations on his first race back but he pushed on and finally finished Moto 1 in 18th place for 2 points.
RACE 2:
MX1:
Brads second start wasn’t great and he was sat mid pack round the first corner. But Brad always gives 100% and put in his all to try to keep up with those 450cc motors. It was tough but he passed a few and managed to finish 11th place in Moto 2. Not how he would have liked to finish and extremely frustrating but a good result on such a deep sand track on a two stroke bike.
MX2:
Liam got a reasonable start in Moto 2 and came round the first bend in 7th. The track was getting rough now and the ruts were deep and forever changing. It was a steady race and Liam held his own, swapping and changing from 9th to 7th. He managed to finish Moto 2 in a comfortable 8th place which wasn’t too bad for his first time back.
OVERALL:
So Brad got a 12 – 11 for 13th overall. But the good news is that he has moved up one place in the Championship and now sits in 5th place, just 22 points behind 4th place Krestinov.
Liam got an 18 – 8 for 13th overall and he now sits 11th place in the championship, despite missing the last round and having a virus for the first half of the season.
QUOTE FROM BRAD ANDERSON:
So frustrated to be racing in the MX1 class on the two-stroke especially on a track like Dessert Martin, where I am at such a disadvantage. It’s tough when I know where I would have finished today if I had been on the Four Stroke.
QUOTE FROM LIAM KNIGHT:
Gutted to have been knocked off in race one and only finish 18th place but happy to be back racing. Just 3 weeks to get bike fit again in time for the next round at Hawkstone Park.
QUOTE FROM TEAM MANAGER, ADRIAN KIRK:
I really felt for Brad today, it must have been so frustrating, especially when he always gives 100%. Good to see Liam back racing. He is going to put in some hard bike time now and should be fitter and stronger for the next round.
