ACU opens British Youth MX Championship to Junior Adult Riders.
Having released seven quality venues for the 2009 British Youth Championship season, the ACU Motocross Committee have introduced a new class for 09 which will consist of 40 riders in this inaugural year to register and compete in a British Championship Adult Clubman class at each event.
Sonia Goggin, Motocross Competition Secretary commented “ The class will be primarily for adult junior riders who would like to compete in a national series but this will also allow former youth championship competitors a chance to continue their relationship with the series especially if a younger brother or sister is competing in a youth class. The winner of the new series will be crowned the ‘British Clubman Motocross Champion 2009’
With a strategy of ensuring the venues are capable of running in inclement British weather if necessary, the ACU’s flagship Youth series takes in rounds from Suffolk to Devon, Dorset, Cumbria and Scotland before finishing at the most high profile venue in the country, Foxhill in Wiltshire.
All of the events will take place over the traditional two day format and will include timed training for start positions and include four full length races of 16 minutes plus one lap which will give a full race programme.
Dates and venues;
March 28th and 29th - Mildenhall
April 25th and 26th - Leuchars
May 16th and 17th - Little Silver
June 20th and 21st - Dean Moor
July 18th and 19th - Cusses Gorse
August 29th and 30th - Brampton
September 12th and 13th - Foxhill
Registration forms are now available from Sonia at the ACU Motocross Department, phone her on 01788 566404 or download the forms from the British Youth Motocross Championship website www.bymx.org.uk.
BEN WATSON - ACU ACADEMY RIDER REPORT
Hi Ben Here,
Weston Beach Race
2 weeks ago i came away from weston super mare with the SW 85 beach race win. I was feeling confident about the race on saturday as i watched the quad races. The track looked awesome there was a motocross section with big whoops and tabletops also the sand was dry. I couldnt wait to get out on the track as im quick in the sand and it was like a dutch track. My dad got my bike sorted with the goldentyre holeshot and he siliconed the electrics up to stop the water getting in them.
On sunday morning my brother ryan took my bike into the parc ferme and got a place right on the front row so i could get a good start. The weather was boiling and i was looking forward to racing. At the start of the race i got right to the front. on the first lap i came round in about 2nd in class and 10th in the race. after about 1 1/2 laps id already passed daniel clark to take the lead. i was putting in some quick laps so my bike wouldnt run for as long as we thought. On my first pit stop i lost track of were our petrol was so i lost about 30 secs. At my second pitstop i had quite a big lead, (about 1 minute from liam knight) and i was running about 9th in the whole race. On the last lap my brother nathan seized his bike up on the long straight. He was in third. This handed me 8th in the whole race and my 3rd weston win in a row.
Elite Youth Cup - Canada Heights
Last weekend was the last round of the elite youth cup at canada heights. On saturday the track looked mega. My dad said its one of the best we have in britain. When qualifying started i went and checked the track out. It was starting to get very technical with deep ruts and sharp bumps. In my class i ended up 3rd which was good as i needed the start round here. In the first race adam sterry got the holeshot and was gone. i gated about 5th but was riding quick. Through the race i passed up to third behind dunn. Then on the last lap sterry had a big over the bars handing me 2nd. In the second race i had pretty much the same gate as race 1. Dunn had took the lead and sterry was behind me, probably still hurting from the crash. at the end of the race i had pulled through to take another 2nd. In the last race on saturday i got an awesome start and started to pull a gap. Dunn was in about 5th but i knew he was strong down the hills so i had to still push hard.
Toward the last laps he was right on my back. we were battling right to the end and on the last lap he slowed off a bit so i finally got a win. On saturday night the orgainizers had got a freestyle show and party planned for everyone. They were goons that could do backflips!!
also the hog roast was nice. i had 2 sandwichs!! On sunday the track hadnt been fully graded which i liked because the track rode well when it was rough. In the first race i got another top 10 start i pushed hard the whole race and finished third. In the final race of the weekend i was heading for a holeshot and on the first corner i clipped someones back end and slid out!! i was dead last. i quicky got up and started to pull through. mid race i was about 10th and i had a group of about four riders in front of me. in the next two laps i had passed them and got into sixth. 5th was too far to catch but i was happy to get this high from last. i ended the weekend on 2,2,1,3,6 this gave me 2nd overall and moved me up one place to take third in the championsip.
Next weekend I'm heading up to the Hallam FM arena for the first round of the British supercross in Sheffield, Looking forward to it and want the win. Look out for 98 on the Small wheels and Supermini class!!
Report from Final Round of 2008 Moggstar BYMX at Longdon
The Severn Valley MCC club played host to the final round of the Moggstar ACU British Youth Motocross Championship at Longdon, following a last minute switch from Brookthorpe due to the bad weather, over the past couple of weeks. There were some nerves on day one of racing, but come day two, with better track conditions and the nerves subsiding, some great end of season battles were witnessed by all.
The Big Wheel 85 boys got the racing underway on day one, and it was series leader Luke Hawkins who took the lead, followed closely by Daniel Hutchinson and Nathan Watson. Hawkins kept the lead for a couple of laps, until a fall, Hutchinson took over the lead as Hawkins struggled to get the bike started, with Watson just behind him, closely followed by Luke Newman. Lap four and Hawkins was back in third and chasing hard when again he came off in the tricky conditions, and slid down the field
again. Bradley Pocock who had a bad start was making his way up the field, but all too late, as Hutchinson took race one, with Watson second, Pocock finally got past Newman to take the third place. Race two and Ryan Houghton took the lead, as everyone else was sorting themselves out after a first corner crash. Newman had missed the clash and was giving chase along with Watson. Houghton held the lead for five laps, but Pocock and Matthew Fleming who were having a great battle caught him, and the three battled for the lead, Houghton saw Pocock sail past on lap six, and go on to win race two. Houghton was soon under pressure from Fleming, who took him on lap seven to claim second place, Houghton eventually settling for third. Hawkins had another bad race and finished down in eleventh after getting up to fourth, place only to try a move on Houghton on the last lap which didn’t work and down he went again, and problems starting the bike saw him struggling again.
Ben Watson was the man on a mission in the Small Wheel 85s as he blasted a start to finish win in race one, leaving Callan Cooper and Michael Eccles to battle for second and third. Cooper eventually won the battle with Eccles to take second place. Eccles took third, just ahead of Tom Neal in fourth. Series leader Jordan Godwin was having a terrible time with the track conditions and finished down in seventeenth. Race two and Watson again took off in the lead, to take his second start to finish win, but this time Tom Neal took the second place, with Rickie Rodderick claiming third, just ahead of Eccles and Cooper.
Race one in the Junior 65 class saw Danny Lanfear the overall winner at the last round at Cusses Gorse continue his form, as he took the lead ahead of Alfie Bowtell and Robert Yates. Championship leader Ben Green was way down the field after a bad start and was way down the field struggling with the conditions. Bowtell took over from Lanfear after a fall, and went on to win race one. Lanfear and Yates coming home second and third. Race two and another pile up at the start, made it difficult for Green, as he came off again, letting Bowtell take the lead, with Henry Williams in second, and Ryan Snaith in third place. Bowtell then dropped his bike on lap two, and let Williams take the lead with Lanfear who was down in 20th place on lap one after the melee at the start, back up to second to put the pressure him, Lanfear got him on lap four and went on to win race two, Yates came home second, and Snaith getting the third place.
Race one of the Big Boys of the Open class saw Edward Allingham get the holeshot, with Scott Elderfield, now on the PAR Honda in second and Lewis King on his two stroke TM machine in third, Allingham could only hold his team mate Elderfield for just one lap, as he flew past and went on to win race one. Allingham settled for second, but the battle was behind as King dropped his bike on lap two to let Joe Gregory take third place, and Josh Waterman came
Home in fourth. Race Two and Elderfield got to the first corner first ahead of King, Jack Rowland, Connor Walkley and Allingham all tussling for the second place. Elderfield went on to take his tally to two race wins and also take the Championship with one race to go on day two. King came home in a credible second place on his two stroke machine, Allingham eventually got past Rowland to take the third place.
Day two and with the mist and fog lifting and all the nerves gone from day one, racing got underway with Big Wheel 85 class. Luke Hawkins must have slept well, as he took the lead in Race three and was never headed all race long to take the win. Pocock claimed second and Luke Dean third. Race Four and Hawkins again had a bad start, and it was Jamie McCanney who hit the front, with Dean and Pocock on his back wheel. Pocock eventually took the lead on lap three, and by lap four, he was in a battle with Hawkins for the lead. It went on right up to the last lap when Hawkins tried a move and got in front, only to bin it on the next corner, Pocock couldn’t miss Hawkins as he hit him hard. Pocock won but was more concerned about Hawkins to take the praise. Dean finished second and McCanney third. Hawkins came in eighth but had done enough to retain his number one plate, and the championship.
Only one other rider managed to take all the wins, apart from Elderfield in the open class that was young Ben Watson in the Small wheel class. Race three saw him take another start to finish win. With Callan Cooper taking second ahead of Michael Eccles third. Race four and Watson claimed his fourth start to finish win, with Cooper and Eccles again finishing second and third. Jordan Godwin the series leader had a real bad weekend but did enough to take the championship overall.
Danny Lanfear took the win in Race three for the 65 class, with Yates second and Bowtell third. Race four and Yates took the win with Lanfear in second and Todd Kellett third. Lanfear took the overall on the weekend, with Yates second and Bowtell third. Ben Green came home Fourth Overall and had done enough to take the Championship win.
Elderfield who had already won the championship went out looking for the overall, but Jack Rowland kept him at bay until lap four in race three of the open class, Elderfield won his third race, ahead of Rowland in second and Allingham third. Elderfield took the overall with three race wins, Allingham claimed second and Waterman third, over the weekend.
Results Weekend
Open Class
1. Scott Elderfield (Champion) 2. Edward Allingham 3. Josh Waterman 4. Tommy Fenwick 5. Lewis King 6. Joe Gregory 7. David Games 8. Marc Dean 9. Daniel McCanney. 10. Charles Stuart.
Big Wheel 85
1. Bardley Pocock 2. Daniel Hutchinson 3. Jamie McCanney 4. Ryan Houghton 5. Luke Hawkins (Champion) 6. Luke Dean 7. Jake Millward 8. Luke Norris 9. Aaron Pipon 10. Nathan Watson.
Small Wheel 85
1. Ben Watson 2. Callan Cooper 3. Michael Eccles 4. Rickie Rodderick 5. Tom Neal 6. Corie Southwood 7. Robert Davidson 8. Stuart Fee 9. Matthew Callaghan 10. Alistaire Evans. 12. Jordan Godwin (Champion)
Junior 65
1. Danny Lanfear 2. Robert Yates 3. Alfie Bowtell 4. Ryan Snaith 5. Ben Green (champion) 6. Jason Meara 7. Stuart Simpson 8. Lewis Houghton 9. Henry Williams 10. Sam Braithwaite.
Overall Championship Results
Open Class
1. Scott Elderfield (Champion) 800 points. 2. Edward Allingham 689. 3. Lewis King 668. 4. Joe Gregory 655. 5. Tommy Fenwick 655. 6. David Games 637. 7. Josh Waterman 598. 8. Daniel McCanney 580. 9. Connor Walkley 519. 10. Jack Rowland 499.
Big Wheel 85
1. Luke Hawkins (Champion) 1057 points. 2. Daniel Hutchinson 988. 3. Ryan Houghton 981. 4. Bradley Pocock 912. 5. Jamie McCanney 843. 6. Bryn Clarke 823. 7. Luke Norris 807. 8. Jake Millward 780. 9. Luke Dean 773. 10. Matthew Fleming 745.
Small Wheel 85
1. Jordan Godwin (Champion) 1028 points. 2. Michael Eccles 1003. 3. Callan Cooper 910. 4. Ben Watson 882. 5. Rickie Rodderick 855. 6. Corie Southwood 854. 7. Tom Neal 813. 8. Robert Davidson 762. 9. Liam Knight 734. 10. James Dunn 713.
Junior 65
1. Ben Green (Champion) 1089 points. 2.Robert Yates 1030. 3. Jason Meara 983. 4. Ryan Snaith 907. 5. Jay Lamb 847. 6. Josh Gilbert 826. 7. Stuart Simpson 824. 8. Sam Braithwaite 819. 9. Lewis Houghton 766. 10. Danny Lanfear 740.
ACU and FUTURE WEST AGREE TERMS FOR BRITISH SUPERCROSS
The Auto Cycle Union and John Hellam of Future West International have agreed terms to secure the future of The British Supercross Championship for the next five years. John has been involved in running Supercross in the UK for a consecutive 10 years or so and has vast experience in running the sport in Canada. The 2008 / 2009 series will get under way at the traditional Sheffield Arena on 25th October for round 1 and then move to Liverpool's Echo arena on 23rd and 24th January for rounds 2 & 3 and finishing off at the O2 in London for round 4 on 31st January. To overcome the issues of registration and entry using the online system last year, all of the paperwork will be dealt with through the ACU offices as with the Outdoor Championships.
As a first for this year there will be a British Championship class solely for ACU Licence holders excluding the International riders creating a truly British Champion. There will also be a new Supermini class that will encompass the 85cc Big Wheel class as well as the older of the 85cc Small Wheel class.
All of the other usual classes are catered for; Pro SX1, Pro SX2, Clubman Lites, Clubman Open, Youth Lites, 85cc Small Wheel, 65cc Junior and the Autos.
This years Auto class will be sponsored by COBRA MOTO USA with the overall series winner being offered a COBRA Factory ride for the 2009 season.
Regulations and Registrations are available for download from the forms link here