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OPTOMA MORTGAGES D3-RACING KTM
 The Optoma Mortgages D3-Racing KTM team got off to a great start in the first round of the British Enduro Championship, defending champion Tom Sagar on a Factory 250 EXC-F topped the podium and new D3 rider Greg Evans aboard a 250 2 stroke claimed his first overall podium position in a BEC event in third place.
The Diss Club as usual organised a first class event in the popular Thetford Forest - Championship riders were asked to complete six laps of the sandy circuit, approximately 20 miles in length with each lap getting quicker. The first lap time there was a 70 minute allowance and gradually this was reduced down to 42 minutes on the final lap. With these quick check times there was little time to rest or work on the bikes, the last few laps our riders just had a few minutes to rest, fuel and drink. The tight controls claimed pre-event favourite Paul Edmondson as he hit a stump trying to pass a rider and crashed out of the race.
The main positions would be settled on the special test though, a tight and twisty test of just over two miles in the forest. Times would be very close on this and there was no room for error - last year Tom crashed on this same test and lost valuable seconds, costing him positions, this year he would not make the same mistake and rode safe but quick. The first test was timed on the first lap just 10 minutes after the start. After the first two tests Daryl Bolter was the fastest rider with Tom 2.6 seconds adrift in second. Greg was about another five seconds back in seventh. After the two tests the riders would complete the remaining four laps of the forest before the final test at the end of the day, there was a lot of excitement for the last test as 5 or 6 riders were within 10 seconds of each other and really anyone could have won.
Bolter set off very determined and his split time showed he was one second up on the previous runs. However, Tom had turned up the heat also and was one second up on Bolter a third of the way into the test. Bad luck for Daryl though as he crashed and lost around 30 seconds, you can’t give one second in this place, Tom recorded a test time the same as his previous two without incident and claimed the first place. Greg also put in a great effort on his final test and moved up to third overall. Thanks to all the D3 team who put in a great effort this weekend to help these two riders perform.
MPS Racing Husqvarna
Husqvarna and Wakely top E2 class at ’08 BEC opener
 Husky Sport backed MPS Racing Husqvarna team riders Daryl Bolter and Si Wakely got their ’08 British Enduro Championship campaigns underway at the Diss MCC organised Muntjac Enduro on February 24 where both riders performed well at the head of the Championship class. Switching from a 125cc two-stroke to a 250cc four-stroke for ’08 Bolter came agonisingly close to claiming his first ever overall BEC win only to finish fifth at the Diss MCC organised event following a mistake on the third and final test of the day. For Si Wakely the event marked his first in BEC competition mounted on a 450cc four-stroke and following three consistently fast special test performances he placed a deserved second overall as well as topping the Enduro 2 class.
Recording the fastest overall times on both the first and second runs through the sandy Muntjac special test Bolter looked to be heading towards his first ever overall BEC win as he took to the start of the third and final test of the day. Close to one second ahead of reigning British champion Tom Sagar on test one, on test two Bolter claimed an even bigger overall winning margin of close to two seconds, but on the decisive third and final test the European Enduro Champion fell and stalled his bike losing valuable time. Unable to start his bike instantly Daryl knew his hopes of winning the event were over and he cruised into the end of the test to claim an eventual fifth place overall result and as runner-up in the Enduro 1 class behind Sagar.
Thankfully the opening round of the ’08 BEC series ended on a much more positive note for MPS racing Husqvarna’s Si Wakely. Placing third on both the first and second timed special tests, Wakely held a comfortable lead in the Enduro 2 class going into the third and final test of the day. Placing second in the last test of the event, having at one point momentarily stalled his bike, he finished less than half a second behind eventual event winner Tom Sagar to claim a deserved Enduro 2 class win as well as finishing as the overall runner-up.
Rounding off a solid opening round to the ’08 BEC series for the MPS Racing Husqvarna team rider Gavin Houson placed his WR125 at the top of the overall Expert class results where he finished just under one second ahead of Bradley King.
Si Wakely: “I had three really good tests and felt I was getting quicker throughout the day. I injured my ankle two weeks before the event and then hit my foot on a tree stump in the first test, which meant I struggled to use the rear brake a little on that test. The rest of the day went really well though. I’m really enjoying riding the 450. Because there was so much traction and the bike has such great power I was able to spend most of the day standing up and riding smooth. I stalled my bike in the last test but I only lost a second or two. All in all it’s been a great event for me. I’m looking forward to round two in Scotland now.”
 Daryl Bolter: “I can’t explain how disappointed I am. By winning the first two tests and cleaning the going I’d put myself in a strong position to win the event, which would have been my first ever overall BEC win, and then on the last test I made a small mistake, my bike stalled, and that was it. My result went out the window. The first test didn’t go perfectly but I still managed to win that. Then on the second test I again made a few small mistakes and won that. The third and final test started perfectly, I know I was riding faster than on the first two, and then I hit a small hole coming into a corner and fell. It was a stupid little crash but the bike stalled and I couldn’t start it. This year is the first that I’ve raced a four-stroke so I’m not 100 per cent sure how to get the jetting perfect. I think the bike was a little too rich off the bottom and it just wouldn’t start. The bike was great all day but I just couldn’t get it started on that last test.”
2008 British Enduro Championship
Rnd 1, Muntjac Enduro
1. Tom Sagar (KTM) 14.15:76; 2. Si Wakely (MPS Racing Husqvarna) 14.18:55; 3. Greg Evans (KTM) 14.28:19; 4. Euan McConnell (TM) 14.30:86; 5. Daryl Bolter (MPS Racing Husqvarna) 14.42:96; 6. Gordon Crockard (Gas Gas) 14.44:81; 7. Ollie Moyce (Yamaha) 14.45:45; 8. Ashley Wood (Honda) 14.46:86; 9. Darren Carter (Honda) 14.47:23; 10. Dylan Jones (Yamaha) 14.48:35; 11. Ed Jones (KTM) 14.52.91; 12. Chris Hockey (Honda) 14.55:40; 13. Robert Jones (Yamaha) 14.56:44; 14. Andrew Edwards (KTM) 14:56.66; 15. Richard Hay (KTM) 15.01:95; 16. Paul Bolton (Honda) 15.05:19; 17. Kev Murray (Yamaha) 15.06:45; 18. Jonathan Hinham (KTM) 15.17:19; 19. Chris Tett (Honda) 15.23:28; 20. Tim Forman (Kawasaki) 15.30:88…
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