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The super Chavenage venue, scene of last months successful staging of the first ever ACU British Enduro Sprint championship witnessed yet more action at the weekend as the Midwest MCC held the second round of their Hewitt National XC series. Once again a bumper entry was in attendance to tackle the very dry, undulating Gloucestershire circuit, with for the first time racing for Youth riders. The kids in attendance proceeded to produce some great competition after first witnessing Midwest Racing supported riders Ollie Moyce and Tyson Maytom-Jones score a great 1-2 in the main Adult event aboard their Husaberg machines. Indeed it could have been total domination for the Midwest team as in
the opening few circuits of the Experts Adult event, Jamie Padget was also
keeping his teamates company up at the front until a re-occurrence of a
recent hand injury was to eventually force him out on lap four. Earlier in
the contest it was though the very experienced Ady Smith who had led the
pack away to commence their three hour blast aboard his two-stroke KTM
before dropping back to 5th spot. Another rider initially in contention
for honours and producing some very impressive lap times was James Jackman
until retiring on lap eight after his Yamaha lost all of its gearbox oil
and seized. So, after passing Smith before the completion of lap o In the Veteran Experts, winner Gary Baker and Alastair Bramwell both completed 13 laps.From here onwards,the next ten finishers all managed 12 laps with Marcus Barnes taking 3rd ahead of Terry Beecham, Stuart Keedwell and Chris Brown. The other class for Veteran riders at Chavenage produced a very interesting contest as the top ten finishers all managed a grand total of 11 laps.Although both Roger Billam and Richard Newman posted a fastest lap time of 15 minutes 14 seconds, it was Billam who was the class winner, nearly five minutes ahead of Malcolm Elliott whilst Newman finished 3rd. Clubman 2T and Arran Wells,Jason Hamblin,Mark Hamblin,Dan Morris and Andy Stagg all completed a total of 12 laps and both Wells and J Hamblin recorded an identical fastest lap time of 14 minutes and 35 seconds.Victor though was Wells just 26 seconds better than Jason Hamblin with the other Hamblin,Mark in 3rd.The top four in Clubman 4T,Daniel Price,Fredie Davis,Shaun Couzens and Darren Morgan also managed 12 laps of the flowing Chavenage circuit each. Taking the win in this class was Price,21 seconds ahead of Davis. Sportsman 2T and Wayne Tibbles was to be the first man home after blasting to a total of 11 laps completed,48 seconds infront of Sam Hoskins.Also managing 11 laps was Chris Stevens and David Threadingham the respective 3rd and 4th placed finishers.Likewise,the top two finishers in the Sportsman 4T,James Heath and Joshua Fusco also completed 11 Chavenage laps.Heath not only recorded the fastest lap time in this class but also finished an very impressive 5 minutes ahead of runner-up Fusco whilst John Brown,Michael Jones,Kevin Park and Steve Curtis completed the top six. As mentioned for the first time,a Midwest MCC event staged XC racing for youth riders.In a separate race lasting for 90 minutes and on a shortened circuit,there was four different groups.For the oldest kids in a MX2 class,George Hayes scored a great win,a full lap ahead of runner-up Jack Liddiard.In the Big-Wheeled 85cc class,the top three of Lewis Dowdeswell,Joshua Ford and Sam Widdicombe all managed 10 laps.In a race to the chequered flag, Dowdeswell was to earn the win,22 seconds ahead of Ford. In an incredibly tighter finish though,just a very slender 4 seconds separated Small-Wheeled 85cc winner Stefan Millward and runner-up Isaac Atherley.On the same lap total as the top two were Ross Jones,Jordan Ridgeway and Charlie Wood.The final class for riders aged 6 to 9 years saw seven gallant riders come to the start line.After 90 minutes of honest,competitive XC racing,Freddie Box was to take the win 27 seconds ahead of Josh Wilson,Luke Molter,Alfie Webb,Matthew Martin,Sam Nunn and Archie Hicks.Although finishing in 7th spot,Hicks did record the fastest lap time in this group,some 36 seconds quicker than Box!!.This was another great Midwest MCC promotion and there is certainly the promise of plenty more to come as the 2010 season unfolds!!,so get your entries in fast!!. RESULTS
The 1st round of the 2010 Hewitt National XC Championship got off to a cracking start at Chavenage Farm near Tetbury on Sunday 21st February. Overnight snow had dusted the fields with a light frosting. The sun shone but the air was cold. The Midwest team mate of Ollie Moyce & Jamie Paget had organised a training session the day before & their first job on Sunday morning was to chip the frozen mud off their wheels. Despite heavy snow in the North, Craig Reynolds & Lewis Belfield had slogged their way down to ride at Midwest for the first time. By the 11.00am, 208 riders were signed on & grouped in 7 ranks on the start line. As the flag dropped, Dave Nuttall whipped up his ktm to take the holeshot ahead of Aaran Poolman on his 09 Husaberg. In the slick conditions, the grass cambers of the opening mile were treacherous & by the 3rd corner Aaron had taken the lead. Jack Twentyman led of the Expert Vets away with Marcus Barnes close behind. Other Shooters were: Clubman 2T Robert Macfarlane, Clubman 4T Freddie Davis, Vets Kevin Butcher, Sports 4T Michael Jones.
As the bikes & riders flashed through the dappled light beneath the trees, the spectators gathered at the finish. Lap scoring was by transponder & there were 2 channels. The first through was Ollie Moyce (right JS) ahead of Aaran Poolman, Jason Fraser & Jamie Paget. The leading group were 30 seconds ahead of Dave Nuttall who slipped coming out of the gate & Premier team mate Rich Warner collided with him. Ian Francis pitted early with a loose plug. Kevin Bartlett snapped his chain on the start line. Tyson Maytom-Jones wrote off his Airoh helmet on a low branch. For Tyson most branches fit neatly into the low category. Dan Beavan & Ben Shuttleorth both retired with a snapped head bolts. James Blanch's clutch lever was jamming against his light switch assembly. James' solution was to have a fag. Neville Goodman was still nursing a hand injury he picked up in South Africa which would to be too much for him on the day. On lap 2 Derek Bawn dropped off the radar. He lost an hour getting back into race & he did very well clock up 9 laps. Matt Ridgway's dad John had 3 family members to support. His nephew Sam Tucker had been playing rugby the day before & he started the day with more bumps & bruises than most riders finished with. The close racing in the wet meant that mud became a problem for both the bikes & the riders. It clogged the rads & splattered their goggles.
After the event Ollie Moyce said that he hadn't had the best of starts & he had struggled with arm pump on the first few laps but it was probably the same for everyone. Once the course began to dry out he really enjoyed the ride & he was looking forward to a cheeseburger at the finish. Sadly the crowds had eaten all the buns.
Photos available from Jack Stringer NB This report has been amended after correction to the provisional results.
With ground conditions already saturated and yet more rain expected, most riders entered for the final round of the Hewitt National XC Championship probably expected to instead have a day off and endure taking the wife/girlfriend shopping!!. Not so though, as the organising Midwest MCC again displayed their determination to keep the punters happy by deciding to go ahead with the event. Held at a new venue at Ditteridge in Wiltshire and taking into account the very wet going, Midwest thoughtfully went about plotting a four mile circuit which was to cater for riders of all abilities. The careful planning enabled a majority of the entry to not only complete the three hour marathon but also enjoy a good old day of mud plugging, the only problem spot being a climb out of a wooded section which with the event reaching the one hour mark had to be cut out. This decision was to actually prove to be pivotal in the outcome of the Expert contest eventually won by Darren Wheeler but more of that later!!.
Tony Hobbs, Paul Hoskins, Stuart Jones and Garry Price all completed 13 muddy laps. Although Hobbs led the early exchanges and recorded the fastest lap time, Bevan took control on lap two, his victory margin being nearly three minutes. On his 125cc KTM, Nathan Etheridge was in supreme form at Ditteridge, leading the Clubman 2T contest from start to finish, in the process also recording the fastest time and completing two more laps than runner-up Ricky Sage. At the chequered flag, Sage had managed 15 laps, a total matched by Richard Multon, Neil Pettit and Keith Jones. In a super finish to this class, remarkably just over one single minute separated Sage, Multon and Pettit.
Although Josh Wyatt not only led the opening two circuits of the Clubman
4T contest ahead of Grant Churchward and Wayne Partington and also
recorded the quickest lap time,he was not to be the eventual victor of
this particular class.That honour was to go to Churchward who completed
a total of 16 laps,one better than runner-up Partington. Eventual Sportsman 4T winner Scott King set a blistering pace right
from the off and had already forged a four minute advantage over James
Heath and Sean Smith on completion of lap one. King then went onto also
record the fastest lap time nearly two minutes quicker than the next
best Niki Richardson. So on completion, King had chalked up a total of 13
laps with Smith on 11 and 3rd placed James Tucker on 10. RESULTS Results - Photos available from 25th November
Standerwick on the Wiltshire/Somerset border, another part of the vast Longleat estate, was the venue selected to host round 5 of the 2009 National Hewitt XC Championship on Sunday. The predominantly tight, technical woodland circuit ,cleverly plotted by the organising Midwest MCC and with the going rather on the soft side, was to produce a super test for all competing riders and a very exciting finish in the Experts class. After three hours of entertaining XC action, Matt Ridgway (above) was just 31 seconds ahead of a very determined Rich Warner in a contest which had seen the lead change hands on several occasions.
In the Veteran Experts class, the leading trio of Alastair Bramwell, Robert Sewell and Stuart Keedwell all completed a total of 13 laps. After holding a four seconds lead from lap one, Bramwell pretty much dominated proceedings all the way to the flag and finished just over nine minutes ahead of Sewell with Keedwell a further two minutes in arrears. Once again, Midwest MCC also promoted a class for Clubman Veteran riders with victory going to Trev Child. Aboard his 125cc GasGas, Trev remarkably finished a full lap ahead of Graham Reid, Terry Hoskins, Glenn Woodland, Garry Price and Stuart Jones.
The event was held in Norridge Wood in the shadow of Clay Hill part of the Longleat estate near Warminster. The Midwest team had laid out a superb course mostly in the woods where the many drainage ditches kept riders concentrated along with the tree stumps and roots and not using the fire roads there was no rest for riders . Late entry Tom Sager along with his father Paul both winning there
class which added a lot of interest for the many spectators Tom spending
time signing posters and having his photo taken with his supporters.
With the temperature souring the race started at 11.00 o'clock with the
200 riders facing a tough 3 hour race with the course changing as the
race progressed it became very unpredictable with most experts having
one or more falls. First class away the Experts saw Steve Grimshaw and
Rich Warner arrived at the first corner together, 1st Tom Sager 16laps,
2nd Darren Wheeler,3rd Rich Warner, 4th Derick Bawn 15 laps, 5th Anthony
Dean. Next away the Vets EXP. Alistair Bramwell got the hole shot followed by James Browning and Dave Potts, 1st Gary Baker 15laps, 2nd Alistair Bramwell, 3rd David Grimshaw, 4th Dave Potts 14 laps, 5th Lewie Davie. Clubman 2t Fredie Davies got to the corner first with Bebjamin Wyles right on his back wheel followed by Trevor Jones, 1st Nathen Etheridge15 laps, 2nd Trev Jones 14 laps. 3rd Peter Kyte, 4th Benjamin Wyles, 5th Neil Pettit, Clubman 4t Simon Evens and Stuart Davy Fought side by side from the line right into the corner with Andy Chub close behind. 1st Grant Churchwood 14 laps, 2nd Jason Webb, 3rd Mathew Lefever, 4th Asa Hurly, 5th Simon Evens, The Veteran class saw the most closely fought start with three riders together in line at the first corner Ian Griffiths Tony Hobbs and Paul Sager, 1st Paul Sagar 14 laps, 2nd Tony Hobbs 13 laps, 3rd Trev Child, 4th Glen Woodland, 5th Garry Clark, The sportsman 2t Dan Price was the clear leader off the line, 1st Dan Price 14laps, 2nd Robert Dixon 13 laps, 3rd Robert Lees, 4th Scott Thompson 12laps, 5th Thomas Janikowsi,
Expert class winner Tom Sager said he enjoyed the event and the woods were good but the ground became very unpredictable as the roots became exposed , Full results on Midwest website along with over 2000 photos of the event. Next Event Round 5 26th July
After having to cancel their May event through the landowner withdrawing permission at the last minute, the Midwest team upped their effort by putting in a lot of work to produce a top class course & adding another mile of more technical going which extended the lap time from 14 minutes at the last event to 18 minutes for the fast riders. Darren Wheeler (left) won the event completing 10 laps in the 3 hours. He was some distance in front of the next 3 riders: Keith Jenkins, Rich Warner and Tyson Mayton-Jones (below), all 3 of whom battled hard for the runner up award right to the end of the race. Matt Ridgway had a day when nothing went right for him. His bike
refused to start & he was last away in his class but he had
overtaken all but four riders before they entered the first wooded
section and at the end of the opening lap he arrived at the clock in
first place. Unfortunately it was then he realised that he wasn't
wearing his tag so he had to run 400 meters to the van, collect his tag,
run back & clock before setting off after Darren.. All classes were fiercely contested keeping the large crowd entertained. Many gathered around the river crossing in the hot sunshine as the riders struggled to climb the wet bank. Results: 1st Darren Wheeler 10 laps 2nd Keith Jenkins 10 laps 3rd Rich Warner 10 laps 4th Tyson Mayton-Jones (right) 10 laps 5th Derek Bawn 10 laps 6th Jeremy Box 10 laps Full results 1800 Photos available from Jack Stringer Next event 14th June at Twinhow
The unusually warm early spring weather continued to shine on the first round of the Hewitt National Cross Country Championship on Sunday 22nd March at Chavenage Farm near Tetbury. There was no need for an alarm as the morning chorus sang out at 5.30am. In the clear blue sky above, the silver undersides of jets at the tip of their jetstreams were lit by the before dawn sun like falling stars. While below the stars of the Enduro world descended on Gloucester at the start of a perfect day The land at Chavenage adjoins an airstrip which gave the 300 riders plenty of room for to park. The 7 mile lap consisted 2 blocks of deciduous woodland with tight twists & turns on the side of a gently sloping valley linked with fast open going for over taking. The ground was in perfect condition.
There were a couple of big hills on the inward half of the lap. One had it's own less steep bypass. Ian Clark overcooked his Gasgas 300 & looped out with enough force to snap his bars. Sportsman James Tucker snapped his brake lever but he had a spare in the van. Julian Crimp lost time when he stopped to assist an injured rider but he had a good ride at Reading's Chairman's Chase on the previous day so he was philosophical.
Before the race Matt Ridgway's dad commented - as a relative newcomer to Enduro from the world of MX - how pleasant & helpful everyone had been. As a first time visitor to a Midwest event myself I would like to say how pleasant & helpful the Midwest crew were. The entries will be filling up quickly for round 2 on April 19th. Photos available from Jack Stringer DVDs from Alan Campbell of Zebedi
5th at Midwest Bradley King's report I did my first race for the Midwest club today on what was a very good varied track at chavenage NR tetbury. the weather was spot on leaving a hard pack surface through the fields and wood. the front row was packed out with there not being a championship class we were mixed in with the experts. i got a top 10 start but struggled to make up the places and the first four of Matt Ridgeway, Ollie Moyce, Darren wheeler and rich Warner pulled loads of time on me as i ended lap1 in 7th. i tried to make up the places before my pit stop at the hour and a half mark i was 5th and a long way behind 4th placed rich. i got my head down and managed to gain time each lap and was under a minute behind rich but he got through just in time to make another lap and the flag dropped just as i came round. if i had made another lap it woulda been close. i was disappointed with my result as i was hoping for at least a top 3 but i rode well in the second half and still felt fit and strong at the end. next week i will be preparing for gbxc and the french uem round. Brad king - enduro and hare scrambles on GAS GAS UK EC250 - www.freewebs.com/bradking25 - supported by K4OFFROAD, TALON, STEVE PLAIN M/CS, MICHELIN, GAERNE, NAU, RENTHAL, MOTUL, KRIEGA, ROGERSHILL RACEWAY AND RUSH RACING.
In an incredible conclusion to the 2008 Hewitt National XC Championship, Gary Baker, Derry Millin g and Darren Wheeler all entered the final round of the series at Blackdog Woods, Chapmanslade with a mathematical chance of winning the Experts title. Within two dramatic laps though, it was to be all over for the unfortunate Milling after a heavy crash resulted in a broken leg, get well soon Derry !!. So it was now a two-way shootout instead between series leader Baker and Midwest Racing supported Wheeler. In the race to the flag, Wheeler was to be the victor completing eleven laps during the three hour blast whilst Baker finished one lap down in 4th spot.
In the Veterans Experts class, Alastair Bramwell required just six
points to mathematically take the Hewitt title, his closest challenger
being Jerry Adams. Although it was to be Ade Dark who took the win on
the day, Bramwell kept his composure to produce a great ride. Keeping
Dark in his sights, Bramwell matched Dark's nine lap total finishing
seven minutes down at the flag in 2nd spot. With Terry Beecham, Hans
Kaashoek and Stuart Keedwell also in the With the Clubman 2T title already in the bag, Ben Roberts was a non-starter at Chapmanslade so it was his closest challenger Seb Dexter (left) who was to take the win on Sunday. Completing eight laps,a total also matched by Dean Reed, Triss Ball, Anthony Rymer and Andy Howes it was to be a race to the finish. At the flag, Dexter was some twelve minutes clear of Reed and Ball, whilst less than a minute separated Rymer in 4th and Howes 5th.
Having already secured the Hewitt Veterans crown, Guy Mansfield-Smith wrapped his 2008 campaign in style with another win at Chapmanslade. At the conclusion he was to be just over two minutes ahead of Robert Shore after both riders had managed a total of eight laps. Two circuits down and hotly disputing 3rd spot in this class was James Browning, Stuart Jones and David Johnson. In the well supported Sportsman 2T class, Paul Jones had already wrapped up his Hewitt title, so was a non-starter at Chapmanslade. In his absence, Daniel Hosznyak scored a convincing win, one full lap ahead of Dale Hall, Jeff Cripps, Lee Neale, David Mears, Daniel Price, Darren Vincent and Robert McFarlane. Likewise over in Sportsman 4T,the Hewitt champion John Bradley was a non-starter. So it was Glenn Woodland,a previous winner at Ston Easton who was first past the winning post some five minutes ahead of Garry Price. More new venues and professional organisation, always catering for riders of all abilities, resulted in bumper entries and a great Hewitt XC series in 2008.See you all in 2009 when the forward thinking Midwest MCC will be also introducing classes for the up and coming XC youth riders.
FINAL HEWITT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
After ten laps of the latest Hewitt National Cross-Country championship round at Midford, near Bath on Sunday, Expert rider Darren Wheeler (left) appeared all set to record another victory. Leading the contest, Wheeler was forced to eventually retire from proceedings after losing his Husaberg oil breather pipe. Despite his frustration, the Midwest supported rider did gain some consolation though by taking home a trophy donated in memory of Nick Phillips who just a year earlier had been tragically killed in a farming accident. The trophy was awarded to the rider posting the fastest lap of the day, with Wheeler recording a time of 8 minutes 44 seconds on his sixth circuit.
In the Clubman 2T class, Ben Roberts produced a stunning performance to finish a full two laps ahead of his closest rivals. Triss Ball was to eventually take the runners-up slot over three minutes ahead of Seb Dexter. The next three riders all completed a total of 15 laps with Stuart David the fastest ahead of Simon Prideaux and Richard Multon. Over in the Clubman 4T class, Tyson Maytom-Jones recorded another victory chased hard by Jason Webb. Although Webb posted the fastest lap time in this class, he was nearly three and a half minutes behind Jones at the chequered flag.
RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP (ROUND 4)
 HEWITT
NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP Rd3 HELD AT CHAVENAGE ON
SUNDAY, MAY 11TH AND PROMOTED BY THE MIDWEST MCC
REPORT AND PICS BY MIKE WOOD.
Regardless of the terrain, three hours of non-stop cross-country racing is a severe test of endurance for any competitor and machine. So, throw in a challenging seven mile lap and scorching temperatures and that battle to reach the finish line also becomes a stern examination of a riders physical and mental strength. At Chavenage on Sunday during round three of the Hewitt National cross-country championship, an event again superbly promoted by the Midwest MCC, the heat was to be further increased by the appearance of top enduro rider Daryl Bolter (above) and Chris Tett. Despite the welcome inclusion of Bolter and Tett, Midwest Racing supported rider Darren Wheeler (right) was looking for an hat-trick of Expert class wins and he made a fantastic start to Sunday's event, and by the completion of the first seven mile blast had already forged a big early advantage with Bolter in tow. From here onwards a superb contest developed as the lead changed hands following required fuel stops. With just two laps remaining, the gallant Wheeler's challenge was then effectively destroyed by a fall. Remounting and quickly firing his Husaberg back to life, he still managed to take 2nd spot a clear eight minutes ahead of Chris Tett with Rich Warner 4th,Gary Baker 5th and Derek Bawn 6th. In the Experts class for Veteran riders, the first ten riders home at Chavenage all completed a total of nine laps. So, the verdict was decided by who was the quickest to the chequered flag. First man home was Marcus Barnes who after a full three hours of competition held a remarkably slender advantage of just 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Alastair Bramwell. Winner of round two of the Hewitt series, Jerry Adams, finished a further 2 minutes 25 seconds down on Bramwell and thus earn a very determined 3rd place finish.
Sunday's event saw Midwest Racing supported Tyson Maytom-Jones record his third victory of the series in the Clubman four-stroke class. However his march to victory was far from comfortable after he suffered an early scare on lap one, bending his gear lever. Undeterred, Maytom-Jones (left) along with Gary Sims, Wayne Partington and David Fowler all completed nine laps. At the finish, Tyson eventual winning margin was to be just over three minutes. All of the leading riders in the Veteran class at Chavenage managed a total of 8 laps. Taking victory in another extremely tight contest was Husaberg mounted Robert Shore, just 16 seconds in front of James Browning. Completing the top five in this class was Guy Mansfield-Smith, David Johnson and Pat Poole. Over in the always well supported Sportsman classes, victory went to Jeff Cripps and John Bradley respectively. Sportsman two-stroke winner Cripps held a 3 minute 19 seconds advantage over Paul Jones. In the Sportsman four-stroke competition, whilst Bradley took the win, his closest challengers also completing eight hot Chavenage laps proved to be Stephen Walker, Garry Price, Nathan Kennedy and Andy Chubb. RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES Rd3 EXPERTS 1 Daryl Bolter 2 Darren Wheeler 3 Chris Tett 4 Rich
Warner 5 Gary Baker 6 Derek Bawn.
At the beginning of 2008,the Midwest MCC promised to introduce new venues for their Hewitt National Cross Country championship. So keeping to their word, virgin land at Ston Easton in Somerset was selected for round two of the current series although typically the unpredictable British weather did its very best to ruin proceedings. Following persistent rain during both the previous day and overnight, ground conditions were left rather soggy in both the pits area and out on track. However the Midwest MCC are a very determined bunch, and refusing to admit defeat they decided to proceed with Sunday's event, a move which to prove totally correct as raceday was to be blessed by pleasant warm, sunny and most importantly, dry weather.
In the Veteran Expert class, winner Jerry Adams finished one full lap ahead of his closest rivals Marcus Barnes, David Lote, Stuart Keedwell, Alastair Bramwell and Gerald Poole. In the battle for 2nd place, Barnes was a clear seven minutes in front of his challenging pack.
Over in Sportsman 2T,Benjamin Wyles, Jeff Cripps, Paul Jones, Wayne Tibbles and Daniel Hosznyak all completed nine laps. At the flag, Wyles was nine minutes ahead of runner-up Cripps. In the battle for Sportsman 4T honours, John Bradley, Scott King and Colin Smith were locked together on 8 laps completed. Whilst Bradley took the win some twelve minutes ahead of his rivals, King just edged out Smith for the right to be runner-up. In the final Ston Easton class and completing another super Midwest MCC promotion, Guy Mansfield-Smith was top Veteran, just over a minute ahead of Stephen Milling whilst David Johnson took 3rd.Round three of the Hewitt National cross country championship is due to take place on Sunday, May 11th. RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP Rd2 EXPERTS 1 Darren Wheeler 2 Derry Milling 3 Rich Warner 4
Jeremy Box 5 Gary Baker 6 Derek Bawn.
Following a heavy overnight frost which had seen temperatures drop to minus 6 centigrade, Conditions were decidedly slippery for the opening round of the 2008 Hewitt National Cross-Country series at Chavenage on Sunday. Whilst the wooded sections remained frozen, the open fields slowly started to thaw and it was not until well past the halfway mark of the three hour blast that the going started to improve. Right from the off,the cambered downhill corners saw numerous riders parting company with their machines. Giving a clear indication of just how tricky the early stages were, eventual Experts class winner Darren Wheeler aboard his Midwest Racing supported Husaberg posted an opening lap time of 28 minutes,25 seconds. Eventually, Darren (left) was to complete a total of 9 laps of the seven mile
circuit, a total matched by all of the leading to six riders in the Experts
class. At the finish, Darren the 2007 Hewitt championship runner-up had
reduced his lap times
Aboard his GasGas machine, Paul Jones was a convincing winner of the Sportsman 2T class at Chavenage. Jones finished a full lap ahead of runner-up Daniel Hosznyak who in turn just edged out 3rd placed Shaun Street by a very narrow ten seconds. Whilst Stephen Walker topped the Sportsman 4T class, the battle for 2nd place was very tight with just one minute forty seconds separating John Bradley, Lee Burgess and Nathan Kennedy. The new class in the 2008 Hewitt championship is for Experts Veteran riders. Taking victory at Chavenage was the 2007 Hewitt Veteran champion Gerald Poole, completing 8 laps, his winning margin being just over one minute ahead of Jerry Adams. With Poole now in the group for Experts, it was Guy Mansfield-Smith who took the win in the other Veterans class. Mansfield-Smith managed 7 laps, a total also matched by James Browning, Paul Hoskins, Andrew Taylor and David Jarman. RESULTS HEWITT NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP Rd1 EXPERTS 1 Darren Wheeler 2 Chris Dustow 3 Rich Warner 4 Dave Nuttall 5 Gary
Baker 6 Neil Thomas.
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ne, the
immaculate Moyce led all the way to the chequered flag, finishing two
minutes ahead of his very determined teamate Tyson Maytom-Jones whilst
third placed Darren Wheeler was charging hard and just a very narrow five
seconds behind Jones.
The Chavenage course runs for 6 miles around a
picturesque Gloucestershire valley & this year it will be the venue for the British
Enduro Sprint Championship & a round of the ACU Hare & Hounds
Championship. With such a busy schedule COC Simon Molter
opted for a faster flowing course that would help to conserve the
ground. From the start the riders skirted 4 fields before
entering the first of 2 woods. There was less of the snaking
through the trees than last year but there was a big hill. It presented a challenge but
it's gravel base held up well. Darren Wheeler (left Martino) made short
work of the climb but it gave a few riders a warming work out. They then skirted more fields
before dropping down into the valley to cross the stream by the bridge.
Turning into a wide pasture the course invited the competitive to wind
open the throttle but there was still a bit ice about & several
riders simply kept on turning & turning.
The course then climbed the steep side of the valley & entered the 2nd wood.
At this point the marking clearly directed the riders along last year's
easy route but an Expert Vet suffered a bit of memory loss & forgot
why he was there. He took a
shortcut up the old hard route. By the 2nd lap a couple of logs blocked
the route as a reminder. Halfway around the 1st lap, Lewis Belfield's
gearbox selector failed while he was running in 3rd. Fortunately the KB
Racing team carry a full set of spares so Lewis could carry on.
By
the halfway point the sun had begun to work it's magic & the course
began to dry. The Chavenage course is very compact & a good crowd
had turned out to support the riders. Ollie Moyce held onto the lead, closely followed by Jason
Fraser but with less than 30 minutes to go Jason's new Suzuki ran out
of petrol. He had only had the bike for 3 days & he wasn't too sure
of the capacity. Ollie Moyce went on to take the overall win. He had enough of a lead to stop for a splash & dash on his last
lap. Jamie Paget (right Martino) clocked in for his final lap with a
half a minute lead over Darren Wheeler in 3rd. Jamie
did well to get so much out of his Husaberg 570 in such slick
conditions. Unfortunately he did not complete the last lap. Darren Wheeler was
2nd & Rich Warner was 3rd. Manchester
Xtreme's Craig Reynolds had a worthwhile journey in 4th & Dave
Nuttall pick himself up to finish 5th. Despite losing his gear selector
Lewis Belfield finished 6th with 12 laps. Aaran Poolman finished in 7th His fastest time was only 1second slower than the winner's.
Tyson Mayton-Jones nudged his way into 8th with one eye on the clock
& one eye on the rapidly approaching Jeremy Box. Jack Twentyman won
the Expert Vets ahead of Marcus Barnes. Aaran Wells was the best Clubman
2t & Pete King was the runner up. Freddie Davis led the Clubman 2t
from the start to the finish. Mark Hamblin was the runner up. Kevin
Barnes won the Vets ahead of Darren Jones. Sam Hoskins & Mike
Ridgway both clocked up 9 laps in the Sports 2t & Macej Devdzy was
the best Sports 4t as well as the worst selection possible in Scrabble.
So
with the expected rain somehow thankfully bypassing the Ditteridge area
and a strong breeze beginning to very slowly dry the extremely sticky
going, it was time for blast off although for Wheeler it was a disaster.
As the flagged dropped his Yamaha refused to immediately fire into life
thus leaving him in last spot and already having to chase the
disappearing pack. By the completion of a mud splattered lap one though
Wheeler had remarkably already recovered back to 4th spot behind leader
Rich Warner (right), Derek Bawn and Jeremy Box. Just one circuit later
and Wheeler was out in front and there he remained until lap and that
above mentioned change in route direction. Whilst Darren was mastering a
steep muddy climb littered with fallen riders and holding a comfortable
38 seconds lead, officials then decided to cut out the slippery section.
This sudden route alteration enabled the chasing Tyson Maytom-Jones
(top) and Warner to not only catch but also pass a surprised Wheeler.
Having one of his best rides of the season, Maytom-Jones then maintained
the race leadership until his Husaberg mysteriously lost all of its
water. Stopping to investigate the problem, Jones was now to be replaced
at the front by Warner although rapidly Wheeler was fighting back.In a
very tight finish, Warner thought he had taken the win but following a
rightful protest from Wheeler following the earlier course changing
incident, the latter was reinstated as the victor of the contest. Having
his first ride since the ISDE in sunny, Portugal, Midwest team rider
Ollie Moyce took an eventual 3rd spot with Bawn 4th,Keith Jenkins 5th
and Jones nursing his bike home for a hard earned 6th.
In
the Veteran Experts contest at Ditteridge, Gary Baker was in great form,
leading from start to finish and completing a total of 18 laps,two more
than 2nd and 3rd place finishers Marcus Barnes and Terry Beecham. If
Baker's victory was rather clear cut, the outcome of the Veterans class
was an awful lot tighter. Eventual winner Toby Bevan, 
From the off it was though Warner aboard his KTM machine who grabbed
the holeshot to lead the way ahead of Darren Wheeler, Ridgway, Neil
Thomas and Derek Bawn. Lap two and Ridgway was now in control until an
enforced fuel stop eventually handed the advantage over to Wheeler. Any
hopes though that Wheeler held of claiming another Hewitt victory were
to be dashed on lap eight when his Yamaha's radiator hose worked loose.
Losing some fifteen minutes on the leading pack, Wheeler was relegated
back to 6th spot, a full lap down on the leading quartet of Ridgway,
Warner, Bawn and Steve Biddle. In a frantic race to the finish, Warner
then inserted heavy pressure on Ridgway, but the accomplished young
Suzuki rider remained composed to take the hard-earned win.
Another GasGas pilot taking victory on the day was Clubman 2T rider
Ricky Sage. In the three hours, Sage along with Neil Pettit, Peter Kyte
and Richard Multon all completed a total of 13 laps. Although on the
opening lap Sage found himself chasing early leader Kyte, he patiently
waited before eventually taking control on his sixth circuit. At the
flag, Ricky was just under two minutes ahead of eventual runner-up
Petitt. In Clubman 4T,winner Grant Churchward was in super form,
finishing a full lap ahead of runner-up Wayne Partington and 3rd placed
Asa Hurley.
RESULTS
The
sportsman 4st A spectacular arrival at the corner by Nicholas Keen with
back wheel off the ground with feet up at seat height standing on his
arms nearly gaining control before colliding with James Tucker then
falling off, 1st Scot King 13 laps, 2nd James Tucker, 3rd Kevin Parker
12 laps, 4th Steve Chesterton, 5th Tom Aston,
Matt
caught him three laps later and both refuelled within sight of each
other at the half way point but two laps later Matts race ended on a
steep down hill section. A root flipped the back wheel sideways throwing
Matt off the bike which continued to make its own way down the hill.
When Matt picked the bike up the throttle cables had been ripped from
the throttle assembly.
The crowds attention then turned towards the finish line & at the end of the
opening lap it
was Midwest sponsored rider Ollie Moyce on a Husaberg 450fe who was the first to arrive at the control. Matt
Ridgway arrived
a moment later & slotted into the second gate. Each rider worn a transponder wristband.
Ollie missed his first swipe & Matt retook the lead. For the next
ninety minutes Matt & Ollie carved their way through the field.
Young Scott Clifford's 16th birthday celebrations came to abrupt end
when he hit a tree & ripped a hose but with a recent win in the
youth class at Stourport he has a bright future. Marcus Barnes lost the end of his
exhaust & retired noisily. David Lean also retired after a sudden
shortage of rear
wheel spokes.
Race leaders Ollie Moyce & Matt Ridgway (right) were on a one fuel stop
strategy & at the halfway stage Matt was first into pits & Ollie arrived a moment later. For safety reasons Midwest ban any outside assistance in the refuelling
area. Unfortunately lifting a fast filler full of a petrol whilst sitting on a bike
can be tricky & Ollie lost his balance.
He fell into a jumble of tools & was pinned under his bike.
Matt got away cleanly but he also had his problems in the woods &
dropped time after colliding with a back marker. With forty minutes to
go Ollie had a 60 second lead but Matt was closing & as the 2 riders
started their final lap Matt took the leading. Riding on their limit
both riders crashed. Matt burnt his arm on his exhaust & wrote off
his helmet. Ollie got away with less damage & took the win by 14
secs from Matt. 2008 Champion Darren Wheeler was 3rd. Gary Baker on a
Husaberg won the Expert Veterans ahead of Jack Twentyman. Nathan
Etheridge was the best 2T Clubman from Pete King. Wayne Partington
won the 4T Clubman ahead of Jason Webb. Roger Billam was the best Vet
from Tony Hobbs. Richard Cox who crashed on the first corner picked
himself up & finished 7th in his class.
After the race
Ollie & Matt stopped to congratulated each other on
what was for the spectators a gripping spectacle. Ollie said "I
really enjoyed the race & I'm glad to have won but I wish Matt
hadn't made it such hard work". Matt was also pleased with his
performance but he required hospital treatment for his burnt arm & he may be
unable to compete again for a week or two. 
Yet
again proving that XC riders are the 'toughest' breed of off-road
competitors, a 200 plus strong entry braved rain, sleet and even snow in
the bitterly cold conditions and help wrap up another superb Hewitt
series. At just after 11 o'clock it was the Experts class who led the
charge into the dense Blackdog Woods and thus begin the first of their
five mile long laps. On the conclusion of that hectic opening circuit it
was Wheeler who appeared first aboard his Midwest Husaberg and despite
briefly losing his advantage for three laps to Rob Pollard, he was to
regain his leadership and earn the eventual win, a full lap ahead.
Critically though both Pollard and Tom Smith both finished ahead of
Baker. With a riders best seven results from the eight Hewitt rounds
counting towards the final championship standings, Wheeler just edged
out Baker by a very tight one point !!.
frame,
Adams finished down in 16th spot, completing three laps. Earlier in the
contest, Marcus Barnes had been well in contention for a top six slot
until retiring on lap eight. 
Over
in Clubman 4T,series leader Tyson Maytom-Jones required 18 points to
earn the title. Having already proved victorious in six of the earlier
rounds, Maytom-Jones must have been in confident mood on Sunday, however
his hopes of success were then dealt a worrying blow on just the opening
lap of the contest when he picked up a rear-wheel puncture .With the
tyre coming off its rim, the Husaberg rider (right) remarkably managed
to somehow nurse his machine back to the parc-ferme. Following a quick
change of rear-wheel, Maytom-Jones still managed to complete the event
in a remarkable 2nd spot behind his main rival Gary Syms. Also recording
a total of eight laps in this group was Matt Dark, but it was a relieved
Maytom-Jones who was to take the championship win.
RESULTS 
With Midford another new venue in 2008,the forward thinking,
ambitious Midwest MCC organisers were rewarded yet again by a bumper
entry. At just after 11 o'clock, the Experts led the charge up the hill
and onto the fast flowing, grassy track. Quickly Wheeler took control
only to be halted by that afore mentioned mechanical gremlin. In his
absence Gary Baker completed a grand total of 19 laps to earn a deserved
win and the top award, one circuit ahead of Jeremy Box, Derek Bawn,
Derry Milling and Neil Thomas who were separated by just 2 minutes 37
seconds.
Sportsman 4T resulted in victory for Paul Jones, a full lap ahead of
Troy Webb, Jeff Cripps, Wayne Tibbles and Benjamin Wyles who all
completed 15 circuits. In a tight finish to the Sportsman 2T battle at
Midford, John Bradley, Colin Smith and Garry Price all recorded a total
of 14 laps. In the chase to the chequered flag, Bradley was to be the
victor, just over four minutes better than Smith. There was also close
finishes in both Veterans classes at Midford. In the Experts group
Alastair Bramwell, Jerry Adams, Gary McCoy and Marcus Barnes were the
leading group. Although Adams posted the fastest lap time,he was still 1
minute 37 seconds behind Bramwell when the finish flag eventually
dropped. Guy Mansfield-Smith, Andrew Taylor and Robert Shore disputed
the Veterans honours on Sunday, enjoying fifteen laps of the grassy
going. Taking the eventual victory was Mansfield-Smith some 1 minute 9
seconds better than Taylor with Shore in 3rd.
Clubman two-stroke racing saw victory go to Seb Dexter. Like the
Veteran Experts, speed was to be the deciding factor as the first eight
riders home all completed nine laps. Dexter finished Sunday's event 2
minutes 34 seconds clear. In a couple of very tight scraps to the finish
line, Ben Roberts beat Matthew Woodham, the winner at Chavenage during
round one back in February, by just 8 seconds for the runners-up slot
whilst a narrow 6 seconds separated Dane Palmer and Nerys Williams in
4th and 5th positions. 
Although
the saturated terrain, featuring plenty of open blasts along cambered
banks, uphill turns and a ride through a fast flowing stream claimed
many victims on the opening laps, the top Expert riders made a fast
start. Indeed before the traffic became congested and the ruts axle
deep, the eventual top five riders, Darren Wheeler (right), Derry
Milling, Rich Warner, Jeremy Box and Gary Baker all recorded the fastest
lap time of the day on the opening circuit. Aboard his Midwest Racing
supported Husaberg, Wheeler, the round one winner, was again to be
victorious completing 13 laps, a total matched by both Milling and
Warner. At the finish, Wheeler's winning margin was to be just over
three minutes.
Mitch
Pearce produced an incredible performance in the Clubman 2T class at
Ston Easton, completing 12 laps which was a full two more circuits than
runner-up Ben Roberts. In a tight tussle to the chequered flag, Roberts
was to be just a minute ahead of Andy Howes whilst a slender 43 seconds
separated the next four riders, Jez Dance, Peter Kyte, Seb Dexter and
Gary Taylor. Completing a great day for the Midwest Racing team, Tyson
Maytom-Jones was the top Clubman 4T rider at Ston Easton. Leading the
contest from start to finish, Maytom-Jones was a full lap ahead of two
incredibly tight battles. Kye Banks beat Gary Sims by just 24 seconds
for the runner-up slot whilst David Fowler outgunned Adrian Francis by
28 seconds for 4th spot.
by over ten minutes. When the chequered flag fell,
Wheeler was seven minutes ahead of Chris Dustow with Rich Warner 3rd,Dave
Nuttall (right) 4th,Gary Baker 5th and Neil Thomas 6th. In the Clubman 2T class, the
top four of Matthew Woodham, Martin Hillman, Ben Roberts and Peter Kyte all
completed a total of eight laps. Woodham's eventual winning margin was just
over three minutes.
Over in the Clubman 4T action, the top three of Tyson
Mayton-Jones (left), Mark
Saunders and Wayne Partington also recorded a total of eight laps during their
three hours of competition. At the finish Mayton-Jones was a clear eleven
minutes ahead with Saunders a further one minute plus in front of Partington.