Mudfest!
By TMX Archives on 17th Mar 06
After seemingly slipping off the motocross map in 2005 the British Masters MX series is back with a bang for '06. The five-round AMCA Pro-sanctioned championship has picked up British clothing manufacturer Wulfsport as a title sponsor and if round one at Matchams is anything to go by the British Masters are going from strength to strength.
The Matchams Park circuit is soft and choppy for the amateurs and schoolies on day one but it still makes for some good racing from the 200-plus riders in attendance. But as the Pro racers roll in to the venue overnight so does a band of stormy weather which dumps enough rain on the circuit to turn it into a right boggy mess.
Matchams regular Billy Mac makes easy work of the bad conditions to win the 125 class in fine style. An easy start-to-flag win in the opener is backed up by a come-from-behind second in race two. Brad Anderson wins the final moto but a start straight crash in the opener keeps the Tow Law resident down in third overall behind Wulfsport Honda's Shaun Simpson who sneaks second with a 3-4 scorecard.
Consistency is the key to success in the Open class as reigning 125 champ Danny Smyth takes the overall with second and third place moto finishes. Runner up is Monster Mark Hucklebridge whose 6-2 beats Jamie Lewis' 4-4 courtesy of the better second moto tiebreak rule.
Pioneer Yamaha's new signing Arunas Gelazninkas looks to have moto one in the bag but a late moto crash from the Lithuanian star allows Bike-it Dixon Yamaha rider Martin Barr to take the chequers. In moto two Mark Eastwood holds on to take the win after early leader Jordan Rose crashes out and Welsh boyos Mark Jones and Glen Phillips both suffer from rear sprocket failure in the grinding paste conditions.
The Wulfsport British Masters head to Culham Moto Park in Oxfordshire for round two on March 18/19. For more information on the revitalised series check out www.britishmastersmx.com
results
Pro 125
1 Billy MacKenzie (Bike-it/Dixon Yamaha) 50+47=97
2 Shaun Simpson (Wulfsport Honda) 45+43=88
3 Brad Anderson (Pioneer Yamaha) 35+50=85
4 Alan Keet (JMX KTM) 47+35=82
5 Kristian Whatley (Hanson Honda) 31+41=72
6 Shane Holmes (Yamaha) 30+31=61
Pro Open
1 Danny Smyth (Honda) 47+45=92
2 Mark Hucklebridge (MotoXtreme Kawasaki) 39+47=86
3 Jamie Lewis (PAR Honda) 43+43=86
4 Mark Eastwood (Wiseco Honda) 35+50=85
5 Alex Rach (PAR Honda) 41+37=78
6 Martin Barr (Bike-it/Dixon Yamaha) 50+24=74
Amateur 125
1 James Lane (Honda) 35+35+45=115
2 Ashley Williamson (Kawasaki) 43+37+29=109
3 David Hartley (Honda) 7+50+50=107
4 Sam Simmons (Yamaha) 45+13+47=105
5 David Blackburn (Honda) 29+30+41=100
6 Dave Wall (KTM) 27+33+39=99
Amateur Open
1 Richard-Mike Jones (Honda) 47+50+50=147
2 Danny Blakely (Yamaha) 50+47+45=142
3 Charlie Hollis (Honda) 45+35+47=127
4 Nigel Kibble (Yamaha) 43+45+39=127
5 Ray Syson (Kawasaki) 33+43+43=119
6 Mark Fernley (Yamaha) 37+29+41=107