Big Brother!
By TMX Archives on 22nd Nov 05
Words and photos by SuttyFuture West pull out all the stops as their Wulfsport-sponsored British supercross series heads home to its perennial starting point in Sheffield. Words and photos by SuttyFuture West pull out all the stops as their Wulfsport-sponsored British supercross series heads home to its perennial starting point in Sheffield. This is the ninth successive year that the Hallam FM Arena staff have opened its doors and welcomed Canadian promoter John Hellam and his crew into the ice hockey rink-sized arena.A talented line-up of 125 Pro class runners features no less than five North Americans with the USA's Alessi brothers starting out as favourites over the crash-happy Canucks - Colton Facciotti and Kyle Beaton - who've brought their much safer riding veteran compatriot Marco Dube with them.And the talent pool doesn't run dry there! South African Neville Bradshaw - who's running both classes on the Motovision Suzuki - is also thrown into the mix with last year's runner-up Stuart Flockhart and a whole host of hungry youngsters who are keen to make a name for themselves on the tight 30-second-lap course.The Open Pro class also has a couple of familiar names in there including ex AMA supercross winner Mike Craig and Yorkshire's off-road all-rounder Ryan Voase who'll both be going up against the hardcore Canadians who are running both classes on their 250cc four-poppers.After the fantastic opening ceremonies which see some dodgy dancing from the not so fantastic Sheffield Steelerettes it's time for the real action to begin with 125cc heat one.Jeff Alessi hits the front in turn one while Facciotti chases hard with local lad Carl Brogden running third until Dube makes a move into the final qualifying position.Heat two is another start to finish display of dominance by an Alessi. This time it's Mikey who secures the deal ahead of Bradshaw while Brad Turner beats off Danny Tollet to transfer directly to the main.The two 125 LCQs see Beaton, Wayne Garrett and Patrick Gilboy go through from the first while Disco Flock, Carl Brogden and brand-new Wulfsport Honda signing Scott Probert go through from the second to fill each and every gate for the 12-man 125 Main Event.The Open class heats see a little more in the way of racing. Mike Craig yanks the holeshot in heat one with Beaton - who's debuting the ally-framed zero-six YZF - and Alex Rach right there as they blast down the first rhythm section. Meanwhile, Bradshaw's struggled out of the gate and he's got work to do if he's gonna qualify directly to the final.As Beaton moves past Stingray and into the lead on lap three Nev makes a pass on Rach before chasing down the veteran Californian. Craig seems to crack under the pressure and as they head into lapped traffic gets a little desperate, nailing Eamon Bourke hard enough to put the Suzuki rider out of the race. Bradshaw sees his chance and moves through to seal second as the chequers fly - awesome stuff from Nevster!While heat one is a good 'un, heat two has to be the race of the early evening. It's a pair of 250 two-strokes out front as Glen Phillips gets out of the gate first on the Yamaha but he's got LPE Kawasaki's Ryan Voase for company and Voasey doesn't waste any time in sticking it to the Welshman.The pair scrap it out between themselves for four laps until Facciotti and Dube catch them up and then all hell breaks loose in the left-hander after the whoops - Voase comes out with the lead while Glen's back in fourth behind both maple munchers.Voasey can't stop the Canadian onslaught either as first Facciotti and then Dube move in front while Ryan wheezes his way to third. "I had the speed but I got so tired," reckons Ryan who recently wrapped up the UKXC series. "I think I'm used to being able to settle in to the races but tonight I struggled with going at 100 per cent right from the off."The Open class LCQs are action-packed affairs too and Phillips, Rach, Brogden, Turner, Danny Tollet and Richard-Mike Jones all book their way into the final but first up is the 15-lap 125 Main.As the gate drops and the pack head into turn one it's Mike Alessi who's bar-to-bar with Dube and Beaton as the Canadians try to push around the outside of the 17-year-old Californian. But as the pack leaves the 90 left-hander the running order is Alessis one and two as Mike's kid brother Jeff smartly cuts inside the bunched up pack and comes out of the turn right on the rear fender of his elder sibling.Both Bradshaw and Facciotti are buried midpack and battling forwards - taking an occasional swipe at each other in the process, although Colton's blatant take-out move is a little bit harsh next to Bradshaw's much friendlier little tap.While Mikey and Jeff are running out front Beaton's beginning to fade as he drops from third to fifth. "I rode real tight in the beginning and got a little arm-pump. It's real tight in here and everyone's running at the same speed so it's hard to make up time once you've lost it."Dube's running fourth on the KTM and Facciotti's third. "I just kept focussed and worked on making no mistakes," claims Colton later and if the Canadian keeps on keeping on the runner-up spot place is a possibility as Jeff seems to be slowing up."Round about the seventh or eighth lap my shoulder started getting a little tired and started hurting real bad," reckons the younger Alessi. "I just tried to put my head down and concentrate. Facciotti was riding real good but even after I backed off I had a three or four second lead over him at the finish."There's no slowing Mike though and even some semi-scary moments riding through the lappers don't phase the pint-sized AMA pro national winner who secures the first place prize money.While you could have almost guaranteed that one of the Alessis would win the 125 class the Open Main is still wide open as the 30-second board is turned to five and the 12 riders eye the startgate. When it finally drops it's Rach who's got his wheel ahead of Facciotti as they charge into turn one but Colton's got the inside and forces through to first in the corner.Bradshaw starts third but by the end of the whoops he's right on the tail end of Colton's Kawasaki and they hit the big double side by side with less than a foot between them as they sail through the fume-filled air. With Nev on the inside for the next turn it's pretty much a given who'll come out with the lead.Beaton, Dube, Voase and Phillips all chase hard as Facciotti once again hits Bradshaw hard enough to make the South African bobble. While Nev's regaining his balance Beaton blasts by for second but Nev bites back as Beaton bites down on some British soil which allows Dube to slip by for third. And that's how it stays to the flag - Facciotti wins it ahead of Bradshaw, Dube and Beaton with Phillips first Brit in fifth just ahead of Voase and Rach.results125 Pro1Mike Alessi(Red Bull KTM)2Jeff Alessi(Red Bull KTM)3Colton Facciotti(Kawasaki)4Marco Dube(KTM)5Kyle Beaton(Yamaha)6Neville Bradshaw(Motovision Suzuki)7Stuart Flockhart(Flockhartmx.com Honda)8Bradley Turner(Atlantic Promotions KTM)9Scott Probert(Wulfsport Honda)10Carl Brogden(Silvester Yamaha)Open Pro1Colton Facciotti(Kawasaki)2Neville Bradshaw(Motovision Suzuki)3Marco Dube(KTM)4Kyle Beaton(Yamaha)5Glen Phillips(Pioneer Yamaha)6Ryan Voase(LPE Team Green Kawasaki)7Bradley Turner(Atlantic Promotions KTM)8Alex Rach(Innovate Honda)9Mike Craig(MXW Honda)10 Carl Brogden (Silvester Yamaha)125 Amateur1Chris Bastik(Motoland Honda)2Daniel Matherson(Honda)3Ryan Mason(Yamaha)4Martin Downer(Motox.tv Honda)5Joe Pike(Honda)Open Amateur1Danny Blakely(Yamaha)2Oliver Brunskill(Silvester Yamaha)3Clemmy Mossop(Honda)4Dominic Blood(Honda)5Oliver Kemp(Honda)