FINAL ROUND FOR LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP CONFIRMED.

The ACU are pleased to announce the final round of the 2008 ACU British Ladies Championship The event has been placed with the prestigious final round of the Maxxis ACU Championship at the high profile Hawkstone Park venue in September.

Roy Barton, the series manager said “ we are delighted that having to change the original date from an MMX event due to a clash of dates that we were able to place the final round of the ACU British Ladies Championship at an event and venue that befits its status. We were anxious that in its infancy this Championship class is given every opportunity to grow”

With no MXY2 (Youth) races scheduled for this round the Ladies races will fit nicely into the schedule to give race day fans extra value for money. The event will take place on Sunday 21^st September, with timed qualification commencing at 9am with the first race at 12.15pm.

ACU Maxxis British Championship series Manager Brian Higgins commented,  “I am sure the ladies races will enhance the event and give race day fans a chance to see our top girls in action. We have to remember the top riders have been snapped up by professional teams and I am sure each and every one will be fighting for all important championship points”.

The first round of the 2008 series took place at Little Silver in February, but the ACU have had difficulty in scheduling the other round due to date changes in the world championship calendar in which some of the ladies compete.

Further details on entries can be obtained from the ACU Office on 01788 566422 or 01788 566404

Wayne Smith set out to increase his lead in the ACU British MMX Open class championship at the weekend and certainly achieved his aim. Emberson Pioneer Yamaha mounted Smith set fastest qualifying time 0.2 seconds ahead of STR Honda’s Jordan Rose with Animal Motomag Twisted 7 Kawasakis Bryan MacKenzie in third.

It was MacKenzie, Smith and Rose that set of at the front of the pack in Race 1 with macKenzie holding on to the lead until Smith made his move on lap out of the 15 that they would eventually complete. Local rider Jamie Law got away in 8^th on the Relentless Suzuki and made his way up to third behind MacKenzie with one lap to go. By the time they came round to the chequered flag it was Law in second with Neville Bradshaw moving his Honda up in to third and MacKenzie slipping to fourth. Smith took the chequered flag with an eleven second lead.

Race two saw Smith get away from the gate in front and go onto  win by a fifteen second margin. Similarly Jamie Law  managed to get away in second, a position he held to the flag. A tremendous battle raged for third between Rose, Bradshaw and Roses team mate Jim Murro getting used to the big 450 STR Honda. Bradshaw would eventually go missing on lap 7 leaving Rose to finish Third with Murro in fourth. MacKenzie completed the first lap down in 27^th but clawed his way up through the pack to finish in twelth spot.

Two wins out of two gave Wayne Smith a well deserved overall victory and a healthy 42 point lead at the midway stage of the Championship. Smith was joined on the podium by STR Honda teamates Jordan Rose and Jim Murro. Mark Hucklebridge had a bad day on the MotoXtreme Kawasaki picking up just 27 points but maintains his second place in the standings

Alex Snow came to round three with his Team KTM UK KTM with the series lead in the PAR Homes Under 21 championship and was looking to stay close to Kritstian Whatley who recently signed to the CCM team and was proving his main challenger for the championship. By the end of the 20 minute qualifying session Whatley heading the ranks from Snow by 0.6 of a second.

Snow completed the end of lap one in the first race in seventh place with Whatley in second behind PAR Honda rider Shane Carless. Whatley piled on the pressure and took a lead he wouldn’t relinquish on lap 4. Carless finished second ahead of Ashley Greedy who signed for the Talbot Cars Suzuki team in the week leading up to the event. Snow was struggling to make much progress and finished the race in 6^th place.

Race two started better for Snow coming round in second behind Greedy with Whatley back in sixth. Snow was finding it hard to maintain the pace however and eventually succumbed to Daniel Arnold Racing’s Michael Phillips and Whatley made the pass in to third on the very last corner with the pair crossing the line just 0.1 seconds apart.

Ashley Greedy took the overall ahead of Kristian Whatley by having the better second leg position after tying on points and his last corner manoeuvre moved Philips up to third. Alex Snow still maintains the Championship lead but just 2 points ahead of Kristian Whatley with Ashley Greedy in third.

Paul Winrow brought his Winrow Racing Honda to round three with the Championship lead knowing that good points scoring positions in both races would be essential for his championship aspirations. Current champion John Mitchell riding for ATV World Yamaha has had a bad start to the season and needed to play catch up. Mithcell and Winrow headed the qualifying session with only 0.13 of a second separating them and young KIK Honda rider Wayne Tyson in third.

Lindsey Duke on the L&G Plant Honda led the first race charge with Leon Beda on the 131 racing Yamaha and William Waggott on another KIK Honda in third with Winrow fourth and Mitchell down in thirtieth. Winrow forced his way through to the lead on lap 4 on stormed ahead to win by a 13 second margin. Mitchell was riding like a man on a mission and forged ahead to salvage sixth place at the flag with Waggott in second and Beda third.

Race two saw Mitchell come round in the lead with Beda and Duke behind him and Winrow down in eighth but the second lap saw Mitchell go out with a broken rear axle promoting Beda to the lead where he would stay until the end. Winrow came through to second on lap 6 but was demoted back to fourth first by Waggott and then by Paul Holmes on the second ATV World Yamaha who eventually finished second with Winrow moving back up to third.

Leon Beda and Paul Winrow both finished the day on 45 points with Beda taking the overall based on the second leg position. Two consistent rides saw Willie Waggott take the third podium position. Winrow now holds a 38 point championship lead over Richard Tordoff with David Hammersley in third. Mitchell problems continue and see him in eighth place, 78 points off of the lead.

Refreshing support for ACU British MMX Championship

and Moggstar BYMX Championship

  
The ACU’s Motocross Department welcomed an additional sponsor to both the Moggstar BYMX Championship and newly revised ACU British MMX Championship during
February 2008. 
 
With the recent launch of their new refreshing 100% pure fruit juice carbonated drink SUSO will be offering their support to both Championship’s which cater for Youth, Under 21, Open Class, Quads and Ladies Championship competitors.
 
Brian Higgins, Chairman, ACU Motocross Committee said, “The ACU obviously welcomes the support given by SUSO to these Championships, but their ‘No Can’t Do’ branding fits perfectly with the attitude needed for our young motocrossers to reach the next level of competition.”
 
Sean Uprichard, Chief Executive, SUSO said,  “SUSO soft drink is committed to collaborating with passionate people who combine belief, experience and like mindedness, advocating, encouraging and supporting No Can’t Do attitude.  SUSO is proud to support and inspire these talents from within the Youth through to the adult British motocross scene.”
 
The first round of the ACU British MMX Championship takes place this weekend, 24th February 2008, at Little Silver Motocross Park, Near Exeter.  Round 1 of the Moggstar BYMX Championship takes place on 28th – 29th March  2008 at Desertmartin, Northern Ireland.
 

Moto Media Partners

Moto Magazine gave the 2008 MMX series a welcome boost by getting involved as series media partners for 2008. As well as advertising in the magazine Moto will be sending along a reporter to all rounds for covering in the magazine as well as on their website. A certain amount of video footage will also appear on the website following each event.

Series Manager Roy Barton commented " Moto are already working closely with the ACU Motocross Academy and producing some excellent coverage and we are looking forward to receiving the increased profile that this extra coverage will give to the MMX Championship for 2008"

Moto will also be attending the events to retail the magazines and merchandise and will be supplying merchandise prizes throughout the year.