Last Sunday the Phoenix Tools Premier Motocross Championship made its way up in to Wiltshire to Marshfield for round 7 in the series. Heavy watering had taken place the previous night and early morning which made things a bit sticky to begin with, but it was soon to dry and produced some top quality racing.
In the Phoenix Tools MX1 class it was Luke Hill on the Maunders Racing Honda who had set the fastest time in Qualifying and he was to take the early lead in the opening race from Maarten Cremers on the CCM with May there in 3rd, but it wasn?t long before May got the better of Cremers and was soon all over Hill. Hill was to keep May at bay until lap 3 when a slight mistake on a canvered right hander let May through on the Meredith Suzuki and was to ease away from this point and was soon well clear, but the battle for 2nd was on with Cremers trying everywhere possible to get pass Hill, but Hill held him off until 3 laps from the end when Cremers got the better traction on one of the hills and crept through on the inside and went on to take 2nd behind May. In the second Moto it was the 1989 250 2-stroke Yz Yamaha of Ben Milward with the best start with Cremers there again in 2nd just ahead of May who was in a real hurry and put in a blistering opening lap and passed both Cremers and Milward to take the lead and with a clear track he started to pull away. Cremers was to pass Milward and was giving his all to try and catch May, but May was lapping nearly a second faster and was getting away all the time and went on to take the win with Cremers 2nd and Alex Hussy who had only become an Expert this year a well deserved 3rd. The last Moto saw May hit the front from the word go and was looking good for the first couple of laps, but on lap 3 he had a problem as he seemed to lose power and was caught and passed by Hill and Ross Keyworth on the MX Vice Kawasaki who was soon under a lot of pressure from Cremers. May?s problem seemed to of vanished as he was soon back on the pace and was to catch and pass Cremers on lap 5 who was to slow right up with a problem to his front suspension and was forced to pull out. May was all over Keyworth in no time and was later to get pass, but he wasn?t going to catch Hill who took the win with Sam Chapman on the Hart Racing Honda coming through to take 3rd.
In the St Blazey MX2 class it was Championship leader Jamie Skuse on the DMX/Mx-Zone Honda who was quickest in qualifying and it was he who was to take the overall on the day by taking two wins and a second. Jamie was to lead the opening two races from the off and with his knowledge of this track was to storm away to take two wins, but a bad start in the last race was to leave him with a bit of work to do and he was to prove what a rider he is by coming through to take 2nd behind Luke Mellows on the Meredith Suzuki who had finished 2nd to Skuse in the other Moto?s. Wayne Shimell was also to have a pretty good day on the Maunders Racing Honda and was to take 3rd in all three races to maintain his 3rd place in the Championship behind Mellows and Skuse who now leads by 83 points with three rounds remaining.
In the M D Racing over 35 class there was some really tight racing and it was the Hanson?s Garage proprietor Keith Hanson who was to take the overall on the day. Championship leader Martyn Tucker had led the opening race initially before being passed by Hanson going down in to the valley, but Tucker was to come back and take the lead again on lap 3 and joining in on the action now was wildcard Jason Webb who was soon to pass both of them and hit the front and just held on to take the win with Hanson a close 2nd and Chris Brown taking 3rd after Tucker had made a mistake. In the second Moto it was a real tussle at the front from the off between Tucker and Hanson and this was to stay like this until the last lap when Hanson really piled on the pressure and passed Tucker and was to steal the win with Webb coming through for 3rd. The last race was much the same as race 2 with Tucker and Hanson battling it out swopping the lead all the time, but just as in race 2 Hanson got the better of Tucker on the last lap to take the win with Webb again 3rd.
In the Petersen Racing Junior Championship class this was to produce the best racing of the day with three different winners. In the opening race it was second place man in the Championship Michael Rowe on the Tyremarks KTM who led from the gate and was to ease away and soon had a cushion, but as the race went on the lead was gradually hauled in by Harvie Templeton-Banks on the Flashman?s M/c Yamaha who was now in 2nd and he was to catch and pass Rowe at one stage, but Rowe came back to take the lead on the same lap and went on to take his first win in the Championship with Championship leader Bill Farleigh taking 3rd. In Moto 2 it was all about Farleigh on the Phoenix Tools Kawasaki who was really on the gas in this one and raced away to take the win from Rowe with Templeton-Banks 3rd. In the last race we saw three different leaders during the race, but it was that man Templeton-Banks who was to be the star of the race coming through from not the best of starts to also claim his first Championship race win with Anthony Milliar 2nd and Farleigh 3rd.
In the Junior B class it was one of many female riders who compete in the South in the shape of 19 year old Danielle Hipgrave who was to put together three consistant rides with a 5th in race 1, a 2nd in race 2 and then taking the win in the last race to give her the overall on the day.
Words and Photo by Dave Rich
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