SERIES KICKS OFF WITH A CRACKER!
Report by GWNNE TURNER.
Photos by CETRA EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY.
Results by DIXON EVENT TIMING.

It was all systems go for the WOR Events team yesterday (last Sunday) as the first round of the organisations’ Race Series kicked off with the GAS GAS X Country championship and a full field of riders were out to support the event.

Returning to a two-race format after a winter of just a single event on a race day had the mood very high in the paddock as the split of the races means that a 2 hour race runs in the morning for the Sportsman, Novice, Youth and Over 40 and then the 2.5 hour event in the afternoon looks after the Elite, Experts, Clubman and Championships Veterans.

Heavy overnight rain had left the place very wet underfoot but blue skies and some sunshine ensured that within a few hours the track had become awesome and fully rideable.

The venue is awesome and offered the riders a challenging 5.2 mile circuit that had just about everything that a good multi-lap, short course enduro event should have, including rolling open moorland, tight and technical forest sections, rocky lanes and some stream crossings for good measure.

The parking even turned out OK in the end and judging by the happy faces on the riders as they were leaving the venue a great day had been enjoyed by all. Some great racing took place over the two races with some new and familiar names taking the spoils.

2.5 HOUR EVENT:
This event had some new and technical going added in that the morning race did not have... a proper enduro challenge.

Jason Thomas, one of the UK’s top XC riders was in superb form as he led from lap one and produced a very determined ride indeed to secure his overall win. Jason was riding as a guest on Steve Ireland’s SHERCO 450 and seemed to gel really well with the bike and looked in flying form on the smooth 4 banger.

However, Thomas (pictured right) did have some problems and the fact that he still won and beat off some very strong challenges is a testament to the rider’s ability. First off Thomas lost the back brake on the machine in the second lap, then he bent the gear lever right back to the foot peg on lap 4, somehow he just kept on pushing, even changing gear with his hand on the mountain sections to take the event’s top place.

Jason commented at the end that it was one of the hardest races he had ever done because of riding with the two disabilities and he was glad to see the chequered flag.

Young KAWASAKI mounted Mark Roberts was second in the Elite class with a top notch ride. Mark has been training over the winter and it is certainly paying off for him now as he is developing into a fine scrambles rider with a very fast approach. Mark put over 3 minutes in-between himself and third placed Elite rider, Lincoln Brewster, that in it’s self shows how well the season has started for Roberts, coming after his Expert class win at the GBXC a few weeks ago. Brewster on his KBR GASGAS 300 was once again consistent and smooth all over the Welsh mountainside.

With the new Elite class catering for the really quick riders, it has opened the door to some new names to sit aloft the Expert podium and a real battle went off in this first round meeting.

Ben Wootton (CR250) secured the class win with a 1 second advantage over Harry Hillas. These two had been neck and neck coming into the event’s last stretch and after a slight coming together at the results zone the win was eventually awarded to Wootton by the race director as he was on hand to witness the photo finish. Big credit goes to Wootton though who had to catch over 5 minutes deficit from early race problems to catch the leaders.

Hillas’s KTM was a full 1.30 seconds ahead of third placed Expert, Pete Lightfoot. Lighty did well to make the finish after riding very well for the duration; he had a massive crash on the last lap and bent the front end of his HUSABERG.

The highly-competitive Clubman class was dominated by the three young Hare Scramble starlets that are Lewis Belfield (1st), Jamie Robinson (2nd) and Gary Daniels (3rd). These three are very much up and coming Experts and ride with a lot of maturity for their modest count of years. Belfield’s advantage over Robinson was almost the same as Robinsons’ over Daniels come the end with all three finishing on 10 laps.

Great Racing and well earned trophies.

The always-competitive championship veterans were out in force for this first round and with an Over 35 and an Over 45 class there were lots to challenge for. In the over 35’s Jack Twentyman simply blitzed away from the rest and took a brilliant 7 minute advantage over second placed Richard Main. Ian Barnett was third and took the final podium place.

The provisional results that came out for this over 35 class at the end of the event had some glitches in them as a mix up had occurred, Once the timing team had had chance to analyse the data on Sunday evening the top three were easily established even though the awards had gone to the wrong people on the day, the important championship points have not! All three of the top Over 35’s completed 10 laps as did 4th placed Chris Roberts.

Colin Jones (pictured right) is always a front-runner in the Over 45’s and out on a brand new KTM 250XCF was in fine form indeed. Jones was the only rider to complete 10 laps in his class as he took a comfortable victory from Dave Smith in second and Ray Whittle in 3rd.


THE 2 HOUR EVENT:
Starting the day’s proceedings was the very well supported 2 hour GAS GAS XC series.

The circuit was at its wettest and most challenging for these guys and girls and they all bravely took on the challenge and ended up enjoying a much drier track by the halfway mark.

Topping the race overall was Over 40’s racer Allan Hopwood. Hoppy had had a very late night coming from his birthday party but it did not stop him revelling in the conditions. Allan took the class win by 2.25 minutes on 9 laps from second placed Kenny Belfield.

Belfield (boss of team KBR) was flying early on but lack of bike fitness saw him tire slightly towards the end allowing the “Hopster” to get away. Third place went to the super smooth Dave Ellis on his screaming little KTM 125.

The Sportsman group was topped by the ever improving Aaron Tiley. Tiley the road racer showed he can also do it in the dirt. Aaron topped the class with 43 second advantage over Ryan Faulks in second and and a 51 second advantage over third placed Stephen Thornton.

The Novice victory was achieved by a Jaraslav Ceri who easily took a 1 lap advantage in the class. The second podium Novice was Colin Bott with Glyn Boughton in third.

Best lady was the hard-charging Kate Lloyd on her little 150 Honda with 6 laps and a top 7 novice finish to her credit.

Gethin Humprhies on his KTM 125 was a good 6 minutes clear of little Joe Wootton although Joe matched Gethins laps with the pair finishing on nine each. The final podium place went to George Knowles on his flying SUZUKI 125. The youth riders all put on a very good show early on when they had to take on the wet grassy test type fields.

And so... the season is off to a cracking start for the WOR Events team and riders alike.
A quality start to a very busy season of events and run with the same high standards that you would expect from the country’s leading events promoters.

WOR’ s next events are on the 15/16th March with the start of two new Championships… the TRAILTECH DARK ONE’S and the MICHELIN FAST CROSS... more details at www.worevents.com.

Ben Wootton