Sorrymate.com-Hottrax Motorsport 2011 Round Six at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire on 20th and 21st August 2011 – National and Junior Endurance, MICHELIN Power Cup, MotoGrande – Race Report - words by Alfonso Lygo

National and Junior Endurance Race – Three Hours

No less than 230 riders were entered in this bumper weekend, the perfect warm up for Bank Holiday's British Superbikes at the demanding Cadwell Park. It would have been a logistical nightmare to run Superpole, so Race Director Dave Mabbutt elected to run 2 x 20 minute qualifying sessions and aggregating the times to decide grid positions for the Le Mans start on Sunday afternoon. The mouth watering entry saw a number of wild card entries who would be unclassified at the end of the race as not to affect championship standing, including Superstar Karl Harris who earned pole for Splitlath Motorsport (KH/John Simpson) on his Aprilia RSV. Not always a power circuit, next up were top 600 plot Freddy's Gonna Get Ya (Freddy Pett and Russo). BLDS Couriers (Jonty Dixon/Byron Beckett) made the top three with other BSB outfit GB Moto (Pete Jennings/Ace Endurance man Alex Cudlin). PS Racing (Phil Atkinson/Steph Waddelow), 2011 championship pretenders; Sweatshop Racing (Mick Godfrey/Hugh Brasher), triple winners M & M Racing (Lewis Mason/Robbie Moore), TANC Racing (Chris Mason/Jon Otter) and Visorvision Team Traction Control (Paul Berryman/Keith Flint) packing out the front few rows.

Starting from the pit lane was John Yogi Burr (Initiatec JR Racing) after team mate Mark Roxborough fell off in the third MG600 race and Fergus Dalgarno (Sorrymate.com) with Richard Dilks suffering the same fate as Roxy.

Freddy's got a stormer of a start but it only took a short while for Karl Harris to steer the Italian V twin into P1 and begin to build a lead over GB Moto, TANC Racing, Freddys and DR4; Dramas for Vendetta Racing (Steve Blakeney/Alan Boyter) as the R6 shed a chain at Barn at the same time as Harris ran through the chicane deeming a stop/go penalty. At the 30 minute mark it was the usual pit stop drama and the leader board showed GB Moto leading and on the same lap as BLDS, DR4, PS Racing, Handbags & Shoes (Richie Cunningham/Tom Dale), TANC Racing, Sweatshop, Freddys and Splitlath. RAF man Simon Allen had a series of dramas - unable to start the 600 Honda, later reported to be touring with a smoking engine before coming off at Charlies, more frustratingly unable to get his transponder back to the pits till later for Al Waring to continue. Splitlath were on the gas and at 45 minutes were back at the front from Sweatshop, BLDS, Handbags, PS and GB Moto in their wake.
Half an hour later and Freddys were still on top, a shade up from GB, BLDS, Splitlath, Sweatshop and PS Racing. Blujets (Carl Hodgkins/Ash Rothwell) and TANC picked up a stop/go penalty as GB Moto were in for their pit stop - running a single bike they were re fuelling with cans & funnels, dropping them down to tenth.

Karl Harris had worked the Aprilia up to second and closing before the machine cried enough and started losing water at the bottom of the mountain, transponder plundered Irish youngster Simpson was out quickly. With eighty minutes to go Still Game Racing (Butterworth/Muir) fell at the Old Hairpin causing the pace car to make it's first appearance, the sudden slowing up caused DR4s Neil Garnham to clash with Tango & Crash's Ryan Myler – there was simply no choice for the points chasing rider; this caused the white flag period to be extended, GB Moto lost out big time being dumped a lap down the field.
With an hour left on the clock BLDS were ten seconds in front of Sweatshop who were only two seconds ahead of Freddys, six teams were a lap down on the leaders; PS Racing, M & M, Handbags & Shoes, Pit Stop (Marc + Peter Dilks), Splitlath and DR4. Handbags dropped out of the race as Tommy Dale retired his Triumph and was unable to get the transponder back to Richie Cunningham to continue, a bit later on Jon Otter bought his Suzuki into pit lane as the temperature shot off the scale loosing TANC a massive five minutes, following clutch issues the previous day, not the best of weekends for the 2010 Michelin Power Cup 1000 champion.

Cadwell was feeling a tad autumnal as the chequer dropped on the race which saw Freddys cross the line a whole lap in front of regulars Sweatshop and BLDS with Splitlath a couple of laps adrift along with PS Racing, M & M, the Pit Stop brothers and DR4.
After the time keepers had removed all the wildcards from the timing sheets; National 1000 experts Sweatshop were credited with the win to add a pile of points to their tally and two laps in hand over BLDS who are also taking the championship very seriously. Ridgeback (Mark Clark/David Stolliday) and Insignia (Einar Torlen/Rob Loveday) were third and fourth, only a missed gear apart with Council Racing (Danny Lister/Larry Haliday) and TANC Racing making up the top six. Newcomers PS Racing took honours in the National 600 class with a lap’s grace over title favorites M & M who had Pit Stop breathing down their necks in the closing stages. 1491 took a well deserved fourth spot with a lap over series returnees Tango & Crash (Ryans Peters + Myler) ably supported by John ‘Bongo’ Blundell in the pits. More newcomers Zimsa Racing (Chris Cahoon/Dale Thompson) took a worthy sixth ahead of Ducks Cross (Mike Eglington/Russ Horton).

Things were close in Junior 1000s which saw yet another win for Derek Redmond 4, a whole lap ahead of Blujets who were just over a second in front of Banzai Racing (Tom Webb/Rupert Thompson). Extreme Wraps (Loveday/Pearce) were fourth ahead of N I Racing (Charley Powell/Stuart Yates), Work in Progress (Dale Ward/David Toombes), Yorkshire Racing (Tony Norman/Neil Parkhouse), Derek Redmond 200 (Andy Dix/Jonathon Garnett) and Baby TANC (Graham Marks/Paul Pickering).
The smallest grid gave a deserved win for the very professional Brand Brothers (Martin and Peter) who luxuriated in a three lap cushion from Apex Racing (Nick Matthews/Glen Levy). The points table look very interesting as we next head for Oulton Park in four weeks time.

Michelin Power Cup 1000
Race 1
Looking at the timing sheets, the bike to have in MPC 1000 is the BMW as all top three places were bagged by the German machines; headed up by Mike Dickinson who looks like walking away with the silverware soon. The very competent top performer made no mistakes along the way after he dispensed with Rhalf Lo Turco in the early stages, Rhalf was then swallowed up by Honda man Shane Pearson in the second half of the race relegating Rhalf down to third some 12 seconds down the road - it will likely be these two who fight over the runner up spot in the championship as we enter the final two rounds of 2011. Gaz Evans was comfortable just outside the top free in front of Tonys Kielty and Simpson, Steves Sarson and Bentley with Andy Rouse and Greg Allsop not far behind. Retirements were last year's champ Jonny Otter carrying his #1 plate who headed for the pits with clutch problems, as did Pikua with James Osborn parking his Suzuki in Hall Bends.

Race 2
Pearson assumed control of the race from the starting lights with Lo Turco and Dickinson in hot pursuit until the red flag was thrown prompting a new six laps race to be declared. Dicko and Ralf got a cracking start but it was Pearson who hauled himself into second and was catching the leader, these two pulling a gap over a chasing Brazilian, Simpson, Kielty, Sarson, Harrison, Bentley and Rouse.

Race 3
Pearson was gagging for an MPC win and the final race of the weekend was his best bet, the top six of Pearson, Dickinson, Kielty, Lo Turco, Evans and Simpson held station for nine of the ten laps with Mike pushing Shane all the way. Ironically it was in front of the Shane Pearson Fan Club at the Mountain where Shane made a slight error allowing getfaster.co.uk Mike through into the lead to make it a full house of wins, not a walkover as the results might suggest.

Michelin Power Cup 600
Race 1
With fellow title chasing rival Grant Wagstaff away on Manx Grand Prix duty, Danny Imberg started the weekend off in fine style taking a well earned victory in a race where he was never troubled. It was left to Ady Allsopp and fellow Nottingham rider Peter Dilks to chase Imberg before Dilks fell off at Barn, remounted and eventually finished in twelfth at the end of ten laps. Nick Green peddled his R6 like fury to take third spot in front of another Dilks, Peter with Anthony Park and Simon Baseley filling the top six places. Damien Tierney, Daniel Ward-Clarke, Dominic De-Leon and Mark Clifford took the remaining top ten places. Imberg is now enjoying a cushion in the MPC as third man, Richard Charlton, is also on the Isle of Man for two weeks allowing others to blag some points in their absence.

Race 2
With Imberg searching for the right set up with a new shock he was Mr Consistent to keep it all going for the 10 lapper and to keep Allsopp at bay who in turn was fending off attentions from a charging Green from Marc Dilks, brother Peter who had a terrific run to follow Marc home in fifth only a couple of seconds away with Park in sixth, White, Tierney, Ward – Clarke and Baseley completed the Top Ten.

Race 3
Imberg was late exciting the paddock so started the race from the back of the grid. Allsopp made hay and dumped Park and Marc Dilks from the front. All the time Imberg was on a charge and was on fourth on lap two and took the lead a little later. Allsopp hung onto second from Green, Peter Dilks; brother Marc in fifth – the reverse of Race 2 after the race was stopped on the final tour following an incident which left a bike in the middle of the track. Ward – Clark was sixth in front of De Leon, Park, Paul Barker and Marc Clifford.

MotoGrande 1000
Race 1
After missing Pembrey, title contender Phil Brooks was back for Cadwell, Greg Allsop, also contesting the Michelin Power Cup races was also having problems with his R1. Local hero Phil Crow was out on his Be Em and turned pole into an emphatic win, at one time his lead was so dominant that he was able to cruise to the flag with a couple of laps to go. Big Phil was chased home by Brazilian Rhalf Lo Turco who was under a second ahead of Dan Fowler who was given a 10 second penalty for a jump start. With title leader Julian Hughes finishing in fourth ahead of Ash Daughtrey, Mallory specialist Gary Arden and Brooks he was able to extend his lead. Top Rookie Stephen Bridle was in ninth ahead of fellow rookie Adam Reeve with Derek Gulbransden, Andy Fenton and Andy Rouse making up the top dozen.

Race 2
Crow was swamped from the grid by Fowler who managed to keep the BMW at bay in second for half distance before Phil dived for the paddock only to re emerge a lap later. Lo Turco had worked his way up to second from new to series Fowler with Hughes and Daughtrey, Arden, Brooks, Bridle and Adam Reeve. Crow completed the race to finish in an eventual 11th place as well as taking the fastest lap.

Race 3
Crow stormed off from pole to pull out a huge gap over Lo Turco and Fowler who slid into second before our leader headed for the paddock again. This enabled Fowler to take control of the race to win from busy man Lo Turco and Hughes who was happy to bank lots of points for his season's campaign. Arden made fourth his own from Brooks, Daughtrey, Bridle and Reeve from Fenton and Gulbransden. Phil Crow rejoined the masses to post thirteenth place.

MotoGrande 600
Race 1
As dark clouds gathered a large grid took off before an early incident involving championship leader Andrew Nicholson and Streetbike star Martin Stanier bringing out the red flag. Joining us at Cadwell was 2010 titlist Sam Ludgate swapping his Triumph triple for an R6 and missing was current runner up in the table Shaun Champion. At the restart Dave Sellers stole the front position with Ludgate in pursuit, Matt Smith and Richard Dilks ahead of a blanket of four riders all covered by less than half a second; Paul O'Connor, Colin Norris, starting from the back of the grid Andrew Nicholson and Andrew Lund at the end of the shortened eight lapper. Chris Paul and Warren Verwey completed the top ten and Stanier made it back from the medical centre with a smashed finger.

Race 2
With a couple of fallers on the opening lap it took Ludgate a couple of laps to overhaul Sellars with Smith in third before the red flag was shown. For the six lap restart Ludgate made it a bit more convincing until the closing lap when Sam and Sellars disputed the lead on the run up to the last corner giving Ludgate the win from Sellars, Smith, Richard Dilks, Nicholson, Andy Lund, John Burr, Norris, Martin, Chris Paul and Verwey.

Race 3
This encounter was another to suffer from a red flag restart over six laps and it was Ludgate who did a sterling job in keeping Sellars at bay for the duration. Smith maintained his regular third spot holding a huge gap over Paul, Norris, Slater, Dean Martin, Warren Verwey, Vince Brett and Nick Matthews.

Desmo Ducatis
The Italian thumpers had three opportunities to strut their stuff over the sunny weekend in Lincolnshire; previous multi race winner Neil Appleby stole a couple of wins from Andy Challis, although Challis was able to take victory in the final race by less than half a second. Danny Hornblow took a trio of third places and Paul Payne posted three fourths. Top Class B honours went to Paul Bradbury with two wins and David Jenkins with a lone class victory over the weekend in a series that offers full grids close racing for the Ducati Desmo Due runners.