Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club National and Junior + Senior TAG Endurance Motorcycle Championship and MotoGrande: Round One at Anglesey Coastal, North Wales

Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club National and Junior + Senior TAG Endurance Motorcycle Championship and MotoGrande – Round One at Anglesey Coastal, North Wales on 18 + 19th April 2008 – words by Alfonso Lygo and images by britishsportphotography.com MotoGrande

Race 1 – 18 laps

Despite starting from pole, Ian Courts (Suz 600) had to wait until the closing stages of the race to nail the win. For most of the time it was eventual second place Ian Roebuck (Kaw 600) who diced with Honda Hornet mounted Martin Stanier rounding off the top three.

Whilst the naked 600 was fastest around the twists and turns it lost out on the short straights. The Kawasaki ZX10R of Phil Muldowney was the first one litre machine home finishing in fourth.

Results 1 Ian Courts* Suz 600 2 Ian Roebuck Kaw 600 3 Martin Stanier Hon 600 4 Phil Muldowney* Kaw 1000 6 Darren Brealey Suz 600 * Class winner Fastest Lap Ian Courts 1m 14.151s 75.252 mph MotoGrande

Race 2 – 18 laps The second encounter was a wet race and it was Martin Stainer (Honda Hornet 600) who shot off into the lead, as the race progressed GBMoto Junior racer Phill Clarke (ZX6R) overhauled the similar machine of Ian Roebuck to chase down Stainer getting his nose ahead at The Banking before easing off to finish second. In third place was the Kawasaki 600 of Clarke’s team mate Samantha Godfrey who put in a solid performance, the top six were rounded off by Rob Knoyle, Ed Pashley (Triumph 675) and Aaron Hobart (Yam R6).

Results 1 Martin Stanier* Hon 600 2 Phill Clarke Kaw 600 3 Samantha Godfrey Kaw 600 4 Ed Pashley Tri 675 5 Aaron Hobart Yam 600 6 Rob Knoyle * Suz 1000 * Class winner Fastest Lap Martin Stanier 1m 26.074s 64.828 mph Junior TAG Endurance Championship At the drop of the Welsh flag it was Wild West Wacing (Ross Millar/Rob Devall) who took an early lead ahead of Trackcraft (Linscott/Mike Dickenson) and Gasi Racing (Grant + Helen Gaskins). A pattern emerged of Trackcraft and MC Racing (Mark Wadeson/Jason McKinnon) swapping the lead until just after the 30 minute mark when Linscott was bought in for passing under a yellow flag, a punishment administered to MC Racing only minutes later. Team RHR (Paul Evans/Robin Hooker) seized the opportunity to establish a one lap lead over Throttle Monkey (Geoff Rhodes/Dion Robinson) and Trackcraft. RHR made the most of pit stops, pace car appearances and traffic to take the win by over a minute from Trackcraft with Freaks of Nature Too Mark Whiston/Dave Stewardson) and Team Throttle Monkeys. ETA Racing (Ian Courts/Darren Brearley) who were the fist Junior 600 team home in 8th place.

Results 1 Team RHR* 88 laps 2 Team Trackcraft 88 laps 3 Freaks of Nature Too 87 laps 4 Team Throttle Monkey 87 laps 5 Combined Stabilisation 87 laps 6 Co-Ordit Racing 86 laps 7 Wild West Wacing 85 laps 8 ETA Racing* 85 laps 9 Team MIB 84 laps 10 MC Racing 84 laps 11 SMF Racing 83 laps 12 DNR Motorsport 83 laps * Class winner Fastest Lap Team Trackcraft 1m 12.719s 76.734 mph National + Senior TAG Endurance Following an overnight engine transplant it was GBMoto who took a short lead from Sweatshop Moores who retook the front spot early before the first wave of pit stops at the hour mark.

After 90 minutes of racing second place GBMoto pitted with electrical problems, temporarily fixed with a new battery and loosing 7 minutes. Following a tyre change for leaders on the road Sweatshop Moores it was the other Moores Racing 600 that took the lead in front of GBMoto, Throttle Monkey and Team Viking (Paul Clarke/Crispin d’Albertanson). Moores Racing was out after Mike Eglington dropped the R6 at the entry to Rocket, rendering the bike unrecoverable.

At the half way point last years champion Mark Smith Halvorsen fell at the Banking necessitating the pace car to put in another appearance, the rider was shaken but in one piece and the R1 was recovered by team mate Mick Godfrey who returned to the pits to ‘make adjustments’. Sweatshop Moores held a 2 lap lead over the mercurial Team Viking, with Darkside Endurance (Andy Buik/Nigel Slater/Kevin Upstone/R6) and Throttle Monkey another two laps away. GBMoto went down at Rocket with Mick Godfrey, rider OK but the R1 was now unrideable so it was game over! With an hour to run Sweatshop Moores held a slender lead over Team Viking who were comfortable ahead of Throttle Monkey, Darkside, TCP Racing (Paul Flemans/Craig McMullen/Tim Fergus) and newcomers Team First Form (Paul Robey/Tim Westley/ZX10R).

At the drop of the flag; Sweatshop Moores won ahead of Team Viking, on the same lap with Throttle Monkey in a solid third, TCP getting excited completing the penultimate lap via the gravel track secured a well deserved fourth ahead of Darkside, Team First Form, Phoenix Endurance who had a quiet race to finish in seventh. Results 1 Sweatshop Moores Racing 2* 244 laps 2 Team Viking* 244 laps 3 Throttle Monkey 72 Racing* 243 laps 4 TCP Racing 241 laps 5 Darkside Endurance 241 laps 6 Team First Form Racing 235 laps 7 Phoenix Endurance 235 laps 8 Black Flag Racing* 234 laps 9 Best Choice 227 laps 10 AMA Racing 217 laps 11 GBMoto 161 laps 12 Moores Racing 77 laps *Class winner Fastest Lap Sweatshop Moores Racing 1m 17.384s 72.108 mph