Josh Gilbert (Buildbase Honda) grabbed the MX2 series lead in the opening race at round five of the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship supported by Pro Clean at Desertmartin but lost it in moto two when a technical problem forced him out.
Starting inside the top 10 in the first 25-minute plus two lap race, Gilbert made a succession of quick passes and carved his way through the field up to fourth.
A much better start in the second moto saw him leading but he slipped back to fourth and then had to withdraw with a technical issue.
“I didn’t get a great start in the first moto – I was about eighth – and struggled to find a rhythm the whole race,” he said, “so it was good to get up to fourth and I briefly took the championship lead when Dylan [Walsh] finished behind me.
“In race two I got into the lead within three corners and then Dylan, Bas [Vaessen] and Alvin [Ostlund] passed me but once I settled down I felt that I was riding a lot better and found the flow and felt like I was edging Alvin in a bit but I could feel my bike slowing up a little bit and then it stopped. It was frustrating and I’m gutted to be honest but there’s still time to pull the points back.”
With Gilbert out, Dylan Walsh (REVO Husqvarna UK) strengthened his hold on the MX2 series leader’s red plate and extended his lead to six points over team-mate Alvin Ostlund who moved into second in the standings with Bas Vaessen (Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee) tied on points with Gilbert in third.
The Kiwi had to pick himself up off the floor in the first turn of race one before charging through the pack to claim a hard-fought fifth with Ostlund bringing it home in second. In the second moto Walsh took the holeshot, swapped passes for the lead and then controlled the race from the front.
Soaking up the pressure from second-placed Vaessen, Walsh led every lap and ran out winner by just under a second from the Dutchman to take third overall.
“I’m happy with the way I rode – it was unfortunate in the first race but I salvaged a lot of points,” he said. “I really liked the track. It’s difficult to always be learning new circuits – you don’t get much time – so you have to adapt quickly but I’m the first person in the class this year to hold onto the red plate so I’m happy about that.”
Picture © Nuno Laranjeira
