Latest News Articles from ACUQuadRacing.co.uk

Holmes Dominates British QX Opener

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ACU British Quadcross Championship, Round One, Mepal Moto Park, 15th April 2012

Words and Photography by Alistair Plant

Paul Holmes made an incredible comeback in the season's opening race, winning from last place and going on to take a comfortable win in race two, making him the man to beat in this year's ACU British Quadcross Championship. Staged at the demanding sand circuit of Mepal Moto Park and organised by West Devon MMC, the crowds gathered as 33 riders took to the line to battle it out over four separate race classes.

Held in conjunction with the British Sidecar Championship on a day of sunshine and hail, the track demanded the most out of riders both physically and mentally. Sand expert Holmes onboard his Holmes Racing Yamaha was just ahead of the inform David Wray riding his McQuaid Personal Training Honda with a difference of 0.13 seconds. Oli Samson rounded up the top three in third, showing improved pace since competing in the USA.

{David Wray took the fastest lap in race one}

Before racing commenced, a minute's silence was held in remembrance of the much loved Cumbrian rider Mark Watson. Mark's father and his best friend John Pattinson had travelled to support under 21 contender Conner Smith.

{Carl Bunce was on the pace and looking good for the start of the season}

With just five seconds separating the top 10 riders the competition was going to be tight as the flag dropped for the first of two 25 minute plus two lap races. Wray was fastest out of the gates, taking the holeshot and displaying blistering pace with the fastest lap as he pulled away from front runners Justin Reid, Oli Samson and Carl Bunce on his Arrow Self Drive Suzuki. Just a few seconds after the start Holmes crashed with Scott Sinclair, sending both quads into the air and leaving both riders on the track through a busy first corner.

{Reid, Samson and Bunce Battle it out in Race One}

"After I untangled my bike, the clutch lever had bent round which caused me to then stall in lap three but I pushed and rode hard until the last lap when I caught up to Wray and was able to make the pass with six corners to go." Explained Holmes after he passed his way through every rider to take an impressive first race win. Wray, who had established a good lead and was looking set to take his first British QX victory, had to settle for second with Bunce having passed the battling Reid and Samson taking third.

{Holmes takes maximum points going into round two}

Holmes took the holeshot in race two and was almost overtaken by the chasing Bunce, with George Calloway and Reid behind him. Holmes built up a 10 second lead and rode smooth through the deep sand all the way to the finish, taking fastest lap in the process. Bunce was riding well in second; "Paul and I had built a gap from the rest of the field and I stayed the same for the rest of the race to take second." It was also another solid performance from Wray who finished third and that's also how it finished overall.

In the Quad Under 21 class, George Calloway rode well with a ninth and fifth place finish overall, taking first in the class. Sheldan Seal and Conner Smith were also picking up valuable points, finishing second and third respectively. Smith had a difficult first race but showed character in race two with a charge to the finish which ensured him a place on the podium. Lindsey Duke bagged maximum points in the Quad Masters with Anthony Barrett taking second place but level on points with Clint Eagle. Anthony Canavan took first place and a strong lead in the Clubman Championship.
Round two will take place at Asham Woods near Frome on the 4th June, organised by Frome MCC. It is sure to be another superb day of quad racing action. For more details please visit www.acuquadracing.co.uk

RESULTS:

British Championship: 1 Paul Holmes (Yamaha) 40 + 40 =80, 2 Carl Bunce (Suzuki) 35 + 37 =72, 3 David Wray (Honda) 37 + 35 =72, 4 Justin Reid (Can Am) 33 + 33 =66, 5 Oli Samson (Yamaha) 28 + 31=59, George Callaway (Yamaha) 31 + 28 =59

British U21 Championship: 1 George Callaway (Yamaha) 40 + 37 =77, 2 Sheldon Seal (KTM) 35 + 40=75, 3 Conner Smith (KTM) 29 + 35 =64, 4 Dean Colhoun (Can Am) 31 + 31 =62, 5 Leon Rogers (Kawasaki) 33 + 29 =62, 6 Tom Claireaux (Honda) 26 + 33 =59

British Masters Championship: 1 Lindsey Duke (KTM) 40 + 40 =80, 2 Anthony Barrett (Suzuki) 35 + 37 =72, 3 Clint Eagle (KTM) 37 + 35 =72, 4 Chris Murphy (Suzuki) 33 + 33 =66, 5 Martin Sayer (Suzuki) 29 + 31 =60, 6 Simon Walton (Honda) 31 + 27 =58

British Clubman Championship: 1 Anthony Canavan (Honda) 37 + 40 =77, 2 Michael McCullagh 40 + 0 =40, 3 Jonny Harper (Suzuki) 0 + 37=37

British Quadcross Championship 2012 Starts Here!

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Untitled Document The 2012 ACU British Quadcross Championship opens in style on the 15th April 2012 at the sandy circuit of Mepal Moto Park. This year’s opening event is being organised by West Devon MMC and will be in conjunction with the British Sidecar Championship, guaranteeing an action packed day of highly competitive racing.

It will also be a time for reflection as we start the 2012 season without Mark Watson after he tragically lost his life in a road accident on Boxing Day last year. Mark would have certainly been a hot favourite for the British and European titles in 2012 and his death has deeply affected every part of the quad and sidecar fraternity.

Current QX Champ John Mitchell has recently announced he won’t be defending his title and is concentrating on new challenges as he enters the ACU British XC Championship events.

Throughout the winter months, the best UK riders have been training hard to compete for the British title. With the likes of Paul Holmes (Yamaha), Carl Bunce (Suzuki) and David Wray (Honda) performing strong during the 2011 season, we can safely say that the fight for the championship will remain as competitive as ever. This year will also see a number of budding champions rise from the youth ranks to battle for the 2012 championship. These “new kids on the block” will face fierce competition from a highly competitive and talented group of riders who battled hard in the 2011 season with the top 10 places being decided right down to the last race.

Changes for 2012 see QX, Under 21, Masters and new Clubman class battle it out in the same exciting race, ensuring a thrilling day’s racing.

No	Name	Surname	Sponsor	Machine	Hometown	U21	Masters	Clubman
2	Paul	Holmes	Holmes Racing	Yamaha 450	Harrogate
3	Oliver	Sansom	Cromwell Trucks	Yamaha 450	Sutton Coldfield
4	Carl	Bunce	Arrow Self Drive - JS Quads - ATV Only	Suzuki 450	Reading
5	Anthony	Barrett		Suzuki 450	Aylesbury		X
8	Sam	Bryan	Walsh - SLP	Honda 450	Notts
10	Richard	Tordoff	SL Accident Repair Centre	Suzuki 450	Elland
14	Justin	Reid	Justwin Racing	Can am 450	Comber
15	David	Coatsworth		Suzuki	Bishop Auckland
17	Thomas	Claireaux	Status Quads Ltd	Honda 450	Chester	X
19	Simon	Walton	Swan Flight	Honda 450	Sedgefield		X
22	Darran	Bridge		Yamaha 450	Stourbridge		x
24	Anthony	Canavan	Swan Flight	Honda 450	Sunderland			X
26	Clint	Eagle	Pope Racing - Mike Wheeler MC's - Maxima	KTM 450	Oxford		X
31	Michael	Robinson	Fillpack	Suzuki 450	Barnard Castle	X
43	Dean	Colhoun		Can-am 450	Saintfield	X
44	Jonny	Harper		Suzuki 450	Barnard Castle			x
52	Andrew	Willcock	AJW Racing	KTM 450	Hungerford		X
53	Paul	Broomhead	Anderson ATV - Fillpack Ltd	Suzuki 450	Darlington
54	Chris	Murphy		Suzuki 450	Oxford		X
57	Daniel	Emmerson		Suzuki 450	Bishop Auckland
58	Martin	Sayer		Suzuki 450	Barnard Castle		X
86	Davey	Nixon	Nixon Bulk Haulage	Honda 450	Hexham
88	David	Wray	McQuaid Personal Training - Wray Engineering	TRX450	Lisburn
89	George	Callaway	ATV's R Us - Callaway Scaffolds Ltd	Yamaha 450	Edington	X
92	Sheldon	Seal		KTM 450	Reading	X
93	Adam	Robinson	Fillpack	Suzuki 450	Barnard Castle	X
99	David	Cowan	Cowan Haulage Ltd	Leager 450	Banbridge	X
101	Scott	Sinclair		KTM 450	Oban	x
126	Michael	McCullagh		KTM 450	Omagh			X
151	Leon	Rogers	Rogers Racing	Kawasaki 450	Navan	X
152	Lindsey	Duke	L & G Plant Hire	KTM 450	Crook		X
555	Patrick	Carr	Hill View Farm	Yamaha 450	Aylesbury		X
660	Connor	Smith	One23MX.com - D3 Racing.co.uk	KTM 450	Isle of Arran	X
36	Geoff	Sharpe	Fourtech	Honda 450			X

ACU Launches New British Clubman and Masters Championships for Quad-Cross

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ACU Launches New British Clubman and Masters Championships for Quad-Cross

For the 2012 season the ACU Motocross Department have decided to introduction a new Championship. The new Championship classed will be called the ACU British Clubman Quad Cross Championship and the British Masters Championship, aimed at introducing new and returning riders into the British Championship.

The new classes will run in conjunction with the current QMX1 class and British Under 21, meaning that all riders will compete in the same race and then scored separately. For riders to be eligible for the new Clubman’s class they MUST HAVE NOT scored British Championship points in the 2011 season and be Under 35, while for the British Masters Class riders MUST be Over 35.

Riders wishing to enter these new Championship classes should complete the attached Registration Form and return it to Sonia Goggin by email Sonia@acu.org.uk or by post before Friday 16th March. Also for riders that have already registered for the 2012 season and would like to be considered for these new Championship, should contact Sonia on 01788 566404.

There are still a limited number of spaces available in both the QMX1 class and Under 21’s and riders wishing to register can also do so in the same way before Friday 16th March.

Please find attached the Championship Regulations and Registration form for the series;

The Dates and venues are:

15 April                                                                 Mepal
4 June                                                                   Asham Woods, Frome
17 June                                                                 Milton Park
5 August                                                              FatCat Moto Parc
26 August                                                            Langrish
2 September                                                      Dean Moor
16 September                                                   Wroxton

Dates for the 2011 Goldspeed ACU British Quad Championship on TV

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The dates for the 2011 Goldspeed ACU British Quad Championship races to be shown on TV have just been made available. Blood Sweat & Gear TV is shown on Saturdays on the Extreme Sports Channel found on Sky 419 & Virgin 527, The British Quads races are being shown on the following dates & times. Round 1 Silverstone 07/1/2012 10:00, 14:00, 19:00 hrs Round 2 Dunns 28/1/2012 11:00, 15:00, 20,00 hrs Round 4 Dean Moor 11/2/2012 10:00, 14:00, 19:00 hrs Round 6 Milton Park 18/2/2012 10:00, 14:00, 19:00 hrs Please note these are only the UK times, the series started later across Europe and the air times vary from territory to territory, the show will then be on regular repeat for three years .

Mark Watson dies in car accident

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It is with great sadness that the ACU has learnt of the tragic death of former Sidecar Cross Champion and Current International Quad rider Mark Watson on Boxing Day. British Championship front runner and European title contender, Mark Watson, died as the result of a car accident in Northumbria. Up until 2008 Mark competed in the Sidecar Cross racing, competing at British, World and also representing Great Britain at the Sidecar Cross of Nations. Mark won many titles in Sidecar racing including the Under21 title and in 2007 Mark became the British Sidecar Cross Champion Passenger while riding with his brother John. In 2008 Mark turned his talents to Quad racing and instantly became a contender for the British Quad Championship. Mark also represented the ACU National Team in the UEM Quad Cross of European Nations in September. Mark, who had a terrific seasons' racing this year only to suffer misfortune in the British time and again and the horrifying accident at the European round in Jauer, Germany, was well on the mend for 2012. Mark recently competed in the second round of the British Quad Supercross Championship at Belfast where he came very close to winning the event. Mark was definitely to be a hot favourite for the British and European titles in 2012. The ACU would like to pass their condolences to his family and all his friends at this sad time and assure them that our thoughts and prayers are with them. Update: Funeral will be held Monday 9th January at 1pm at St. Augustine, Alston in memory of Mark who was happiest in his racing enviroment if you wish to wear your race shirt as a tribute you can, otherwise wear what you feel comfortable in. Family flowers only, there will be collection boxes at the church as well as Alston house after the service for the air ambulance .

Mark Watson dies in car accident

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Mark Watson died in a car accident during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Mark, a well liked and popular rider in the British Quadcross Championships was preparing for the 2012 season. Few details are available about the accident however tributes are being left of Marks facebook page.

The January issue of QUAD Online will also carry a tribute to Mark. http://quad.tv

A tragic loss to the quad community and all our thoughts go to his loved ones at this difficult time.

Dates Confirmed for 2012 British Quad and Sidecar Championships

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The ACU Motocross Committee is proud to be announcing a bumper fixture list of dates and venues for the forthcoming British Quad and Maxxis Sidecar Championship. With a wide range of superb venues, both Championships will be played out over seven rounds, between the April and October months.

The British Quad and Maxxis Sidecar Championship will share venues for the opening three rounds of the Championships, starting at Mepal on the 15th April before moving to Asham Woods at Frome on the 4th June and Milton Park on the 17th June.

After round 3 of the Quad and Sidecar, both Championship series will split and head in different directions. For the Quad Championship round 4 will feature the British Youth Quad Championship running alongside the Adult British Quad Championship for a festival of Quad Racing at the fantastic Fatcat Moto Parc, while round 5 of the Quad Championship will take place at Langrish on the Sunday before the Maxxis British Championship on the Monday.

The sixth round for the Quads will take place on either September 2nd or 29th ( TBC) at Dean Moor in Cumbria with the Nett Quad Club running the event and the final or penultimate round will be on September 16th at Wroxton near Banbury courtesy of the Nora Off Road club.

For the British Maxxis Sidecar Championship the calendar will see the series move to Wooley Grange for round 4 after the success of last season’s event in the North East. The British Maxxis Sidecar Championship will finish off with rounds at Wakes Colne and Canada Heights.

The 2012 season is set to be a great season of racing for both the Quad and Maxxis Sidecar British Championships as they both will be visiting fantastic venues, which will produce great racing on both 3 and 4 wheels.

ACU British Quad Championship

15th April Mepal inc sidecars

4th June Asham Woods, Frome inc sidecars

17th June Milton Park inc sidecars

5th August Fatcat Moto Parc (Youth Quad Championship to take place 4th and 5th August)

26th August Langrish inc the Maxxis British solo championship

2nd or 30th September Dean Moor

16th September Wroxton

Mitchell Wins British Championship at Milton Park

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ACU Goldspeed British Quadcross Championship, Round Six, 2nd October 2011, Milton MX Park

Words and Photography by Alistair Plant

This weekend saw John Mitchell clinch the 2011 ACU Goldspeed British Quadcross Championship title at the ACU Events organised final round held at Milton Park MX track. Going into the round onboard his ATV World Yamaha 450, Mitchell needed to take four points to keep ahead of his only title contender Paul Holmes in an extended round, covering three races and with a maximum of 75 points.

{John Mitchell celebrates winning the British Championship - Click for high resolution image}

Paul Holmes qualified fastest and Stef Murphy took the holeshot in race one. Taking the lead, Murphy had started the day on joint points and battling for the under 21 championship with James Hellewell. Unfortunately, a crash and a subsequent disqualification on lap three; all but ended Hellewell’s chances to fight for the title. Meanwhile Holmes had worked his way up to second place and with 17 minutes left on the clock, took the lead. “Once I was leading the race I found a good rhythm and rode within my comfort zone while working a five second gap. I’m happy with the win and the points.” Holmes commented as he took the vital maximum points from the race.

It was Carl Bunce who took second place. After settling behind Murphy, he was able to pass and leave Murphy to grab third position. All eyes were now on Mitchell. He finished in fifth, ensuring he could not be beaten and claiming the 2011 championship. “I knew I didn’t have to win this one so I did what I was comfortable with. After getting a decent start I nearly got wiped out so I got up to fifth and nursed the bike home. I’m absolutely over the moon, delighted I’ve done it.”

{The action remained fast paced even in race three - Click for high resolution image}

With the title decided, there were still positions in contention and the under 21s to be decided. In race two, Ricky Tordoff made an impressive start, taking the lead and disappearing into the dust. However, soon Holmes was closing in and took the lead. With Bunce again on excellent form he moved into second place. Meanwhile, Mitchell had been busy working his way through while Holmes had spun out. Seizing the opportunity Mitchell took the lead, winning the race ahead of Bunce and a resurgent Hellewell who took third. It was a delighted Murphy who finished fourth and with it the title of under 21s champion. “I’m really pleased with the result, particularly after the poor start to the season but I found my bearings in the championship and happy I took the title in the last round.” Said Murphy. Despite his crash, Holmes managed to take fifth.

{Paul Holmes takes first place with the overall win - click for high resolution image}

After a restarted final race due to a false start, which had been cut to 20 minutes plus two laps, Holmes again took the early lead. He managed to maintain his position to take first place overall ahead of Bunce and Mitchell. “I managed to hold a really tight line to take third out of the first corner and took first by the end of the opening lap. I pushed really hard as I wanted to win the overall round after finishing second in the championship. I’m happy with that.” Commented Holmes on his first overall win of the season. It was also a great result for Carl Bunce as he explained: “Second on the day and third overall in the championship. Spot on really, good result.”
The battle in the masters championship saw Paul Harkness, Anthony Barrett and Darren Bridge battling it out for the 2011 title. Barrett won the first race but with two wins from the following two races it was Harkness who won on the day and took the championship. David Coatsworth wrapped up the Support round impressively taking maximum points ahead of Chris King and Sam Payne.

{Harkness, Barrett and Bridge Battled all day in the Masters - click for high resolution image}

There was plenty yet to be decided in the youth class championships with overall wins on the day, some incredible performances and championship titles for Leon Rodgers in the 250cc open class, Frazer McFadden in the 250cc modified class, Anna Dawson in the 250cc stock, Bailey Edwards in the 100cc geared, James Rawlins in the 100cc standard, Dafydd Davies in the 100cc modified and Jonty Wright in the 50cc standard. Despite a strong performance to win overall on the day, Jordan Harris had to settle for third in the championship as Brad Swinbank took the 250cc Standard 2011 title. It was a similar story in the 50cc modified class as Marcus Sprason won on the day with George Oliver doing enough to win the championship.

Results overall on the day:
British Championship: 1 Paul Holmes (Yamaha) 25 + 16 + 25 =66, 2 Carl Bunce (Suzuki) 22 + 22 + 22=66, 3 John Mitchell (Yamaha) 16 + 25 + 20 =61, 4 Stefan Murphy (Honda) 20 + 18 + 15=53, 5 Oliver Sansom (Yamaha) 14 + 14 + 18 =46, 6 Conner Smith (KTM) 15 + 10 + 12 =37

British U21 Championship: 1 Stefan Murphy (Honda) 25 + 22 + 25 =72, 2 Conner Smith (KTM) 20 + 18 + 20 =58, 3 Luke Cooper (KTM) 0 + 20 + 22 =42, 4 George Callaway (Yamaha) 22 + 15 + 0 =37, 5 James Hellewell (KTM) 0 + 25 + 0 =25, 6 David Cowan (Yamaha) 0 + 16 + 0=16

Masters (+35): 1 Paul Harkness (Honda) 22 + 25 + 25 =72, 2 Antony Barrett (Suzuki) 25 + 22 + 22 =69, 3 Darren Bridge (Yamaha) 18 +20 + 20 =58, 4 Chris Murphy (Honda) 16 + 16 + 18 =50, 5 Steve Bean (Suzuki) 15 + 15 + 15 =45, 6 Andrew Wilcock (Honda) 14 + 13 + 14 =41

Support: 1 David Coatsworth (Suzuki) 25 + 25 + 25, 2 Chris King (Yamaha) 22 + 22 + 18 =62, 3 Sam Payne (Honda) 18 + 20 + 20 =58, 4 Darren Jukes (Honda) 20 + 15 + 16=51, 5 Tom Charlesworth (Honda) 0 + 14 + 22 =36, 6 Phil Munday (Suzuki) 16 + 18 + - =34

250cc Open: 1 Leon Rogers (Kawasaki) 25 + 25 + 25 =75, 2 Scott Pounder (Honda) 22 + 22 + 20 =64, 3 Harry Moore (Yamaha) 20 + 18 + 18 =56, 4 Callum Bates (Yamaha) 0 + 20 + 22 =42, 5 James Swinbank (Honda) 18 + 15 + - =33, 6 Taylor Gibb (KTM) 16 + 16 + 0 =32

250cc Modified: 1 Frazer McFadden (Yamaha) 18 + 25 +25 =68, 2 Conner McKenna (Yamaha) 20 + 20 + 22 =62, 3 Jamie Morgan (Yamaha) 25 + 22 + - =47, 4 Murray Graham (Yamaha) 22 + - + - =22, 5 Adam James (Yamaha) 0 + 18 + - =18 (No other finishers)

250cc Stock: 1 Anna Dawson (Yamaha) 25 points (No other finishers)

250 Standard: 1 Jordan Harris (Yamaha) 15 + 22 + 25 =62, 2 Luke Davis (Yamaha) 22 +25 + 15 =62, 3 Brad Swinbank (Yamaha) 25 + 14 + 22 =61, 4 Jack Naylor (Yamaha) 20 + 20 + 18 =58, 5 Joe Ruby (Yamaha) 18 + 18 + 16 =52, 6 Tommy Pittaway (Yamaha) 12 + 16 + 20 =48

100cc Geared: 1 Bailey Edwards (Honda) 22 + 25 + 25 =72, 2 Harry Walker (Honda) 25 + 22 + 22 =69, 3 Harry Carmichael (RM) 20 + 20 + 20 =60, 4 Ryan Spratt-Wyatt (Cobra) 15 + 16 + 16 =50, 5 Ben Charlesworth (Cobra) 16 + 14 + 15 =45, 6 Conner Reece-Paxton (KTM) - + 18 + 18 =36

100cc Modified: 1 Dafydd Davies (Apache) 25 + 25 + 25 =75, 2 Ayrton Knowles (Cobra) 22 + 22 + 22 =66, 3 Connor Fitzgerald (Apache) 20 + 20 + 18 =58, 4 Declan McKenna (Cobra) 18 + 18 + 20 =56, 5 Thomas Chell (Pro Shark) 16 + 16 + 16 =48

100cc Standard: 1 James Rawlins (Pro Shark) 25 +22 + 25 =72, 2 Josh Birch (Apache) 22 + 25 + 22 =69, 3 Joeseph Jukes (Apache) 20 + 20 + 18 =58, 4 Vanessa Wilcock (Apache) 15 + 18 + 16 =49, 5 Nathan Penrose (Pro Shark) 18 + 16 + 14 =48, 6 Georgia Atkinson (Apache) 16 + 15 + 15 =46

50cc Modified: 1 Marcus Sprason (Pro Shark) 22 + 22 + 25 =69, 2 George Oliver (Cobra) 25 + 25 + 16 =66, 3 Shelly Smart (Pro Shark) 20 + 20 + 18 =62, 4 Alfie Joe Walker (Lawn Flight) 18 + 18 + 18 =54, 5 Dylan McKenna (Cobra) 16 + 16 + 20 =52 (No other finishers)

50cc Standard: 1 Jonty Wright(Apache) 25 + 25 + 25 =75, 2 Woody Jackson (Apache) 20 + 22 + 20 =62, 3 Brad Hopps (Lawn Flight) 22 + 15 + 22 =59, 4 Ewan Williams (Apache) 18 + 20 + 18 =56, 5 Joshua Talent (Apache) 15 + 18 + 16 =49, 6 Charlie Teale (Pro Shark) 14 + 16 + 15 =45

{Paul Winrow hands over the British Championship number one plate - Click for high resolution image}

Horror Accident Destroys Chances for Team GB at European QX-Nations

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2011 Quadcross of European Nations, 24th - 25th September, Jauer, Germany

Words by Alistair Plant, photos by David Barnes

Team GB riders Mark Watson, Paul Holmes and John Mitchell travelled to Jauer, Germany last weekend for the third annual Quadcross of European Nations. Supported by the ACU, team GB arrived in good spirits and were seen by many as the team to beat from the 17 countries entered for the European Motorcycle Union (UEM) hosted event.

The team’s chances of a win were however destroyed when Mark Watson suffered numerous facial injuries after a horrific accident in practice, leaving him in hospital for at least the next three weeks. Without Watson, the team were unable to get on the leaderboard, however well they went.

It was a team event and riders were divided into three separate groups for qualification races on Saturday. Three groups would then compete in separate heats on Sunday with the worst results from each country dropped. The country with the lowest total points score would win.

Watson and Mitchell went out together in the free practice session with Mitchell following close behind Watson when he landed badly off a tabletop. Mitchell was first on the scene:
“It was a horrific landing with his quad landing on it’s front bumper and and I knew it was bad. Mark was unconscious, there was a lot of blood and he was in a bad way”. Watson was subsequently airlifted to hospital having suffered a broken jaw, broken eye sockets and cheek bones. Despite both coming off in the qualification races, Holmes and Mitchell continued and each qualified fifth in their groups on Saturday.

Sunday’s first race involved both Holmes and Mitchell, with Holmes starting on the first row and Mitchell on the second. Holmes made a good start and was up at the front while Mitchell got up to seventh and was wiped out on a corner, hitting the floor and being left at the back. He managed to make his way back up to 14th place where he finished. Holmes meanwhile was riding impressively in third. With two laps to go he was able to pass Adrian Mangieu of France and took second place.

The second race involved Holmes again but sadly no Watson. Holmes battled hard in an intense race and took the lead after about 15 minutes. Keeping his cool he gained a 7.4 second lead ahead of Adrian Mangieu and Jan Vlaeymans to take the win.

{Paul Holmes won his second race on Sunday}

The final race of the event should have seen both Mitchell and Watson in action. Taking the holeshot and getting off to a great start, Mitchell led for four laps until local man and Germany's top rider Stefan Schreiber passed him and began to edge away. Mitchell established his own rhythm and settled for second place.

{John Mitchell took second place in his second race on Sunday}

Without any results from Watson, the GB team were unfortunately unable to effectively compete despite such strong finishes from the two riders. It was Belgium who took victory overall with Germany in second and the Netherlands in third. Reflecting on the weekend’s events, team GB manager Martin Fletcher commented: “It’s been a tough weekend and a terrible outcome for Mark. I can report he is going to have an operation this week to repair his facial damage and will be in hospital for up to three weeks. It was unfortunate how the scoring was calculated as both John and Paul were very impressive. Even if Mark had pushed his quad over the start line we would have finished fourth and we just needed a 10th place finish to win the event. But it wasn’t to be and we all wish Mark well and a speedy recovery.”

British Quadcross Championship – The Final Round

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The final round of the ACU Goldspeed British Quadcross Championship takes place this weekend with all classes participating at the ACU organised event. The decision has been taken to hold the final round at Milton Park on Sunday 2nd October and not over the full weekend as had originally been planned. Racing on Saturday has been cancelled due to lack of entries. Sunday’s event will see three races in each class as opposed to the original two race format. Despite the shorter weekend, there will still be plenty of action to entertain the crowds as a total of 13 championships are decided with riders battling it out for the prestigious British titles.

{Riders battle it out at Langrish, round five. Click the image to download in high resolution}

John Mitchell has been leading QMX1, winning every round until his main title contender, Mark Watson won in round five at Langrish and is 51 points behind him. Sadly, whilst competing in last weekend’s Quadcross of European Nations Watson crashed badly in free practice and having sustained numerous facial injuries will remain in hospital for at least three weeks, putting him out of contention for the championship. That leaves Paul Holmes as Mitchell’s only challenger for the title. With a maximum of 75 points available it’s tight in the rest of the standings and still all to play for in the top five.

Current 2011 ACU Goldspeed British Quadcross Championship standings:
John Mitchell (Yamaha) 225, Mark Watson (KTM) 174, Paul Holmes (Yamaha) 153, David Wray (Honda) 139, Carl Bunce (Suzuki) 130, James Hellewell (KTM) 125

It’s also going to be a close finish for the Under 21 Championship as James Hellewell and Stefan Murphy currently on equal points, battle it out as the main contenders in what has been a very competitive class. In the Masters, it’s also tight at the top with just 16 points currently separating the leading four.

Riders wishing to enter can still do so by visiting the Milton MX Park website where entry forms for the event can be found http://www.miltonmxpark.co.uk/events.html.

Riders and spectators alike can expect to see an enthralling and captivating conclusion to this year’s championship. Adult entry fees are just £5 and children only £3. Milton MX Park is situated in Northamptonshire, postcode NN4 0JF. Directions can be found on the Milton Park website.

The revised event timetable as follows:

Practice/Qualification
Commences at 9.00am and will be held in the following order:
50cc                               3 laps
All other Classes:           5 Minutes Free Practice followed immediately by 10 minutes qualification

Practice Order:
1st Session:       50cc
2nd Session:      100cc
3rd Session:      250cc
4th Session:      QMXM
5th Session:      QMX1

Race Order:     Racing Starts at approx. 10.45am

Race 1
50cc    8 Minutes plus 2 Laps
100cc 12 Minutes plus 2 Laps
250cc 15 Minutes plus 2 Laps
QMXM 20 Minutes plus 1 Laps
QMX1   25 Minutes plus 2 Laps

Lunch Break    Approx. 12.40 to 1.00pm Restart Racing at Approx. 1.00pm

Race 2
50cc    8 Minutes plus 2 Laps
100cc 12 Minutes plus 2 Laps
250cc 15 Minutes plus 2 Laps
QMXM 20 Minutes plus 1 Laps
QMX1   25 Minutes plus 2 Laps

Race 3
50cc    8 Minutes plus 2 Laps
100cc 12 Minutes plus 2 Laps
250cc 15 Minutes plus 2 Laps
QMXM 20 Minutes plus 1 Laps
QMX1   25 Minutes plus 2 Laps