16:30Last Saturday the final round of the 2014 Phoenix Tools Premier motocross series took place in Cornwall at Landrake Moto Parc and was expected to be a cracker as there were double points on offer which could put the cat amongst the pigeons in all 5 Championships which had yet to be decided. Unfortunatley the weather was against the meeting with heavy rain falling early morning and the decision was made to delay the start. However after most of the practice and qualifying the track was starting to dry and was set to produce some good racing, but that was soon not the case as the heavens were to open up again which made things very tricky and hard going.
In the Phoenix Tools Expert Open Championship there was just 31 points separating defending Champion on the Phoenix Tools Rocket Honda Luke Hawkins and team mate Alex Snow so the pressure was on, especially on Hawkins as any bad mistakes or a Dnf could cost him the Championship. In the opening race it was Hawkins who seemed to get the best uphill start, but as they came back down it was Snow who emerged leading from Hawkins and young Todd Kellett on the S J Hodder/Apico Honda, but there were a few fallers in the conditions which included James Dodd on the TwoNineTwo/Factory Touch Honda who currently lied 4th in the standings just 9 points ahead of John May on the St Blazey Husqvarna. Snow was soon in to a rhythm at the front and was getting away, but on lap 3 he went in to a swooping left hander and the front literally went away and up in to the lead came Hawkins with Snow rejoining in 2nd just ahead of Kellett. Snow was really pushing on as to try and make up for his mistake and was closing on Hawkins all the time who he caught and passed on lap 5, but this was short lived as Snow entered the whoops section on the next lap and got it all wrong landing sideways and down he went which let Hawkins back in to the lead. Meanwhile further down the field all eyes were on Dodd who had clawed his way up through the field and was now challenging his closest rival in the standings May for 4th which was a real ding dong to the line with May just holding on to take 4th behind Kellett, Snow and Hawkins who rode a cautious race taking the win. In the second moto this time it was Hawkins who had the early lead from the D S C Kawasaki of Tommy Alba who was out on a spare bike after losing his front brake in the first moto with Snow tucked in 3rd. Hawkins had a clear vision at the front and was starting to get away which Snow was aware of and he soon got the better of Alba and on lap 2 was starting to close in on the leader, but a lap later Snow again tried a little too hard and came off in the whoops section and back in to 2nd came Alba. Snow managed to get back in the race in 3rd just ahead of Kellett, Dodd and May who were having there own battle for 4th, 5th and 6th, but May was soon to drop out of the equation when he went over the handlebars in the mud and took him ages to restart his bike which put him well down. Hawkins was well gone at the front by the end of lap 6 and from there went on to take the win with Alba taking 2nd from a distant Snow who took 3rd. In the last moto it was Hawkins from Snow and Kellett who were to head the pack from the off, but not a good one for Alba who went down in the slush and was right at the back of the field. Hawkins literally eased away at the front and put a space between himself and Snow and rode the race very cautiously as not to throw it all away and came home to take the win and with it retained his Phoenix Tools Expert Open title, Snow took 2nd with Kellett again taking 3rd.
In the Over 35 Championship class the conditions were just right for Championship leader Nick Life on the Gibbs Performance/St Blazey Yamaha who seems to relish in the wet conditions and he showed his class by winning the opening race after many riders struggled with Life lapping everybody else. Life was to continue his winning ways in race 2 with a start to finish win and he was to do the same in the last race, but not without coming off and getting dirty like the rest. This was to give Life the 2014 M D Racing Over 35 Championship which he claimed in fine style with only being beaten at the first round by Brian Wheeler who wasn’t eligible for points so Life scored a maximum of points through the year which is some achievement.
In the Over 40’s class it proved a good day for Championship leader Chris Brown on the TwoNineTwo/Factory Touch KTM who was to take all three race wins, but he had to be at his best as he was pressed by Steve Locke on the S J Hodder Honda in the first and last race and by David Ford on the Projuice KTM who was right on his tail for most of the second race, but in the end it was Brown who was declared 2014 M D Racing Over 40’s Champion.
In the Over 50’s class there was a new overall winner for this round and that was Sammy Doble on the M D Racing 490 Maico who showed his riding ability from the many years of riding who was denied a hat trick of wins by Championship leader Mark Gleadhill who had done enough to become M D Racing 2014 Over 50’s Champion.
In the Tyremarks Junior Championship class the battle was set as there was great pressure on the shoulders of Championship leader Jack Stevens on the D S C Kawasaki who had a 69 points advantage over Lewis Barfoot, but with the very wet conditions Stevens had to be on the top of his game which he did and rode very constructive and kept out of trouble. Joe Clayton on the Wheeldon Farm Honda was to win the opening race from wildcard Jordan Carter, but Joe didn’t take any further part in the meeting and it was Lewis Barfoot who piped Carter in the other 2 races, but the Champion was to be Stevens.
Report and Photos by Dave Rich