20:39Last Sunday round 3 of the St Blazey Mx Premier Motocross Championship made its way to Crediton Raceway where things were a bit on the dry side and water had to be used to try and control the dust. Again, there was a fair entry in most classes, but unfortunately not so many Experts as they were competing elsewhere and the Premier Mx team decided to put the top six qualifiers from the three junior qualifying races in with the Experts race which proofed to make the racing more enjoyable for the many spectators in attendance.
In the St Blazey Mx Expert Championship class it was the Dave Thorpe Off Road/RFX Honda of Josh Gilbert who was quickest in qualifying and had first pick at the gate, but it was Championship leader Dan Thornhill on the Cabs Screens Husqvarna who was riding with a broken finger who was to have the best start from Gilbert with Jordan Carter on the Tony Maunders Racing Kawasaki tucked in third. Thornhill had a clear track ahead of him and was trying is upmost to get away from Gilbert, but the Cornish kid stuck with him and was to take the lead by the end of the opening lap. Tommy Alba on the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki was to move up in to 3rd after passing Carter and was giving chase, but a man who was in a real hurry on the Tony Maunders Racing Suzuki was Jamie Skuse (Pictured No 600) who didn’t have the best of starts who was flying up through the field and by the end of lap 5 was all over Carter pressing for 4th. Thornhill was to close on Gilbert mid race and was to take the lead on lap 6 after Gilbert was to stall his bike and Alba was soon all over Gilbert and with three laps remaining Alba was to move in to 2nd as Gilberts front wheel washed out entering a righthander, but he wasn’t going to catch Thornhill who took the win. In the second moto this time it was last year’s Champion Carter with the best start from Thornhill with Gilbert this time in 3rd and these three were to power away at the front with Thornhill desperately trying to get pass Carter, but it wasn’t until near the end of lap 2 that he eventually did get pass Carter as did Gilbert who was to stay with Thornhill for a further 4 laps before he really piled the pressure on and inched pass Thornhill to take the lead and did pull away at the front, but with 2 laps remaining Thornhill started to close again, but Gilbert held on to take the win by less than a second with Skuse taking 3rd . In the last race, Thornhill had the early lead from Gilbert with Loukas Maggio on the Dave Thorpe adventure Centre Honda with a better start in this one tucked in 3rd. Gilbert wasted no time in this one and got pass Thornhill within half a lap and took the lead and was starting to get away, but Thornhill dug deep and kept with him and regained the lead on lap 2. Maggio was still there in 3rd and had Skuse breathing all over him with Skuse getting pass a lap later when Maggio lost traction on a fast righthander. Thornhill and Gilbert were neck and neck for several laps with Thornhill holding his nerve to take the win by a whisker with Skuse a distant 3rd.
In the top Junior qualifiers class there was no stopping Junior Championship leader Jake Curtis-Stevens on the D S C Cornwall Kawasaki who showed his class with yet another hat trick of wins on the day and with it has extended his JCT Developments Junior Championship lead to 66 points.
In the R C Motorhomes MX1 2-Stroke Championship again there was some top-quality racing which was to produce three different winners in the shape of Ben Milward, Fraser Gardiner and the J D Racing Ktm of last year’s Champion Leighton Holmes (Pictured No 564) with the latter being the most consistant taking the overall on the day and with it has taken the lead in the MX1 Championship after three rounds.
In the MX2 class the day belonged to Gary Roper on the Sky Dive Buzz Ktm who took two wins and a second to claim the overall on the day and now heads the Championship by 9 points from young 15-year-old Tom Darlow.
The M D Racing Over age classes again was stacked with talent, with current Over 35 Championship leader Wayne Shimell on the TyreMarks/St Blazey Mx Honda again stamping his authority in the class with a fine hat trick of wins. In the Over 40’s it was wildcard Ben Harmon who was to denie Championship leader Stuart Rawlings the hat trick, but there was no stopping Richard Green and Steve Elford in the Over 45’s and 50’s who both increased their Championship leads with hat tricks of wins.
In the Junior A Class there was some fine battles all day with wildcard Charlie wood winning the opening race from Harry Mitchell, but it was Mitchell who took the honours in the last 2 races to take the overall.
Report and Photos by Dave Rich