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BYMX Championship - Round Seven - Cusses Gorse Results
14 September 2010
The Express Insurance BYMX comes to a exciting
climax!
Following six previous action packed rounds the Finale of this
years 2010 Express Insurance BYMX series took centre stage at
Cusses Gorse in Wiltshire. With Monster Energy
again providing the free food and drink from their
mega hospitality unit and with Hucklebridge Events in
charge the whole event went like clockwork.
On course, and very much as expected the four
championship crowns went to the the pre event section
leaders, but it was far from plain sailing for Connor Walkley as he
had to fight his way through the pain barrier before claiming
his just rewards.
First up to crack the Cusses circuit were the Junior 65cc
lads. Three kids went into the final round with a serious chance of
winning the title but it was Number 151 Albie Wilkie who emerged
victorious in another powerful display. Albie controlled his nerve
beautifully and even had time for some showboating along the
way.
Things did not go the way of championship challengers Taylor
Hammal and Keenan Hird as the title slipped from their grasp
over the weekend. Hammal, in particular, was in the wars as a
crash in heat one left his bike with no power and a lump in the eye
with a rock slowed him considerably in the final race. He would
eventually card fourth. Hird's starts let him down as he had to
fight from several seconds down on more than one occasion but his
fighting spirit shone brightly as he claimed two heat wins and came
home second on the day. Wilkie, who has recently signed for Suzuki,
would go on to take three wins from his five races and also the
overall as he fired a warning shot to his small wheel rivals next
season.
Harry Kimber proved to be spoiler for the weekend in a fantastic
third while Jake Edey and Alexander Brown rounded out the top
six.
The small wheel division has been the pick of the bunch in 2010
and Cusses once again showed the depth of talent in the field and
how frantic, frenetic and rewarding motocross racing really can be.
The title was on the line this time around for Josh Gilbert (KTM),
Suzuki mounted Robert Yates and Honda star Oliver Osmaston. Yates
and Osmaston were looking for help if they were going to snatch the
title but fate didn't deal them a good hand as race contenders Sid
Evans and Jay Lamb were involved in a horrific crash. Lamb was
crocked but poor Evans was carted off with a broken leg.
As the action unfolded, race by race it was clear that Josh
Gilbert does not wilt under pressure easily and he that he was
ready to nail his first British title. Despite plenty of
argie-bargie throughout, Osmaston, with three wins, headed to
overall victory while Gilbert coolly and calmly came second overall
to bring home the crown. Josh Coleman returned to card his best
result since Norley in third with Robert Yates very disappointed in
fourth. The Essex boys Lewis Houghton and Alfie Bowtell were also
at it again sliding in fifth and sixth respectively.
The big wheelers were in no mind to be upstaged by their younger
counterparts as Ben Watson and Liam Garland put on a Cusses Gorse
master class at the front of the field while Adam Sterry kept his
head to take championship honours.
Despite a sixth in heat one Ben Watson rode consistently hard
and took the remaining four races to take his first overall win
since round two at Norley. Things are rarely as easy as they sound
and Liam Garland made sure Watson had to work for overall victory.
Garland took the first race win and led the decider but a small
mistake on a tight corner cost him the win. James Harrison took a
thoroughly deserved third overall, especially since he came from
the back to fifth in the final heat to bag his podium. In fourth,
then, we have our 2010 Big Wheel champion Adam Sterry. The
Wulfsport - Evo Tech Honda star rode hard early in the weekend
knowing that he could cruise relatively slowly come Sunday in order
to secure his title. Typically, the 14-year-old still fancied the
overall win right to the last but knew the championship was of
utmost importance and brought the bike home safely to the delight
of his family. Jack Kelly and Tom Neal both rode as hard as anybody
all weekend round out your top six.
In the youth Open division Connor Walkley headed the series
comfortably going into the event and should have cruised
to his second BYMX title. What erupted, however in five
no-holds barred races, was a corking finale with intrigue,
injuries, tension and downright doggedness which all fitted the
occasional perfectly. First to rattle Connor's cage was the
returning Ryan Houghton. Houghton was right in
the groove from the very off and all but for a
spill in heat one while leading he may well have taken the overall.
As it was, Ryan will have to be satisfied with a heat win in race
four and second overall. Ryan can also claim to have been in the
race of the weekend as he and Danger-UK College Harry McKenna tore
strips off each other in heat three while fighting for second.
Mckenna came off second-best in that encounter but was often the
fastest rider on track and only a crash or two prevented him from
climbing higher than fourth overall. Nathan Watson and Luke
Norris were unbelievably no further than two places apart in all
five races and scored enough points for fifth and sixth
respectively. The battle for title honours then rested on the large
shoulders of Connor Walkley and Tom Kelly. All fingers pointed to
Walkley until a race four crash resulted in some pain from his
chest and sternum. Out came the abacus to see if Connor had done
enough with two wins and two fourths to be champ. Kelly was in no
mood for messing around and promptly won the final race but Connor
bit the bullet and charged around at full tilt for third place in
the race and even took the overall to boot in a real "true
grit" champions performance, Tom Kelly finished in third
overall on the day but as the series runner up.
Finally, but by no means least, in the combined adult Two
stroke Championship races James Dunn once again illuminated
the proceedings with a polished performance that included four
individual moto wins on his 125cc Suzuki. Jim Davies on his
250 TM was the victor in the remaining moto. In the
final championship standings James Dunn topped the
125cc section while Luke Coppin is the Champion in the
250s.
Final Championship Standings
Jun 65
Wilkie 317
Hird 298
Hammal 290
McFayden 243
Edey 241
Brown 238.
SW 85s
Gilbert 297
Osmaston 288
Yates 276
Lamb 245
Houghton 238
Evans 236
BW 85s
Sterry 308
Watson 297
Harrison 264
Kelly 264
Garland 262
Southwood 222
Youth Open
Walkely 324
Kelly 291
Watson 282
Sharp 269
Norris 249
Milward 210
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