May
Round 4. Bassenthwaite
RDH Motorhome Centre National Twinshock Championships
Round 4
Cumbria TSC
Whittas Park, Bassenthwaite
Report Geoff Shuttleworth
Pictures Andrew Boardman
The fourth round of the RDH Motorhomes sponsored National Twinshock Championships took place on Sunday at Whittas Park, Bassenthwaite, in Lake District hosted by the Cumbria Twinshock Club, who had done a tremendous job on Saturday, power harrowing and watering the circuit, leaving it looking in pristine condition.
Sunday dawned with wall to wall sunshine, something the twinshock series is not accustomed to and it was the MD Racing Over 50’s who made an early start with evergreen Pete Mathia taking the holeshot in what was to be the first of three start to finish faultless victories. Pete Lightfoot came from a fifth place start to take runner up on the final lap of the first race, from Martin Snape and Chris Barker. In the second and third legs Snape rode steady races for two runner up spots ahead of Lightfoot and Barker.
In the MD Racing Over 60’s there was some added spice with the former works CCM pairing of Jimmy Aird and Norman Barrow joining the fray for the first time this season, but Airds lightning start didn’t last long as he came to grief exiting the bomb hole leaving him with badly bruised ribs. This left Jack McEwan to romp away with three clean cut victories, and Barrows day was spoilt by machine trouble in the second leg, even so he did bagged a pair of seconds, but this left the Captain Bill Brown to take second overall from Michael May.
Next up was the Wulfsport Masters with guest rider Alex Rach showing everone how it’s done with a hatrick of victories, and was only headed on one lap by Pete Mathia having a rare outing in the top class. Reigning Champion Roy Wells managed to stay with Rach in all three legs but just couldn’t find a way past him. Howard Standfield finished top four all day to take third overall, as did Alan Eaves who took a well earned fourth.
In the CI Sport / DEP Pipes Intermediates consistency was the order of the day as race one winner Matt Murphy DNF’d race two before finishing second in the final leg. It was a similar story for Nigel Sowerby who won races two and three but broke down whilst leading the first.
So it was left to Robin Cowgill to take the spoils with three third places from Carl Hodgson and Sowerby.
The Toughsheet Recycling 125’s had a poor turn out but the racing was close with Lee Holland taking a clean sweep, and the overall. John Davies got the better of Sean McCrea by virtue of final race position for the runner up berth, but McCrea still leads the title chase.
As usual there were some great battles in the Falcon Shocks 250’s, but it was Aaron Jordan who got better as the day wore on with third, second and a final race victory to claim the overall. Richard Wood won race one, but his retirement from race two, left race two winner Carl Lillywhite to take second overall from Andy Holland in third.
Gary Parker with his smooth riding style, once more dominated the Cheshire County Crossers Vets class, although Alan Eaves did get the better of him in the final race, taking second overall even with a second race mishap. Andy Farr took the final podium position from Robert Dobson again by virtue of final race position.
In the LPE Clubman class series leader Chris Anderton had a fight on his hands as Mike Murphy took the first race, passing Trevor Guy on the final lap, with Anderton third. But Anderton showed his class by coming back to takes races two and three ahead of Murphy. The Burrows Haulage Rider of the Meeting award presented by Dick Do Racings Chris Houseman, went to a well deserved Phil Bayman who rode the races of his life to claim third overall.
In the third race there was a nasty crash which took out several riders, with the worst affected being John Kirkham who unfortunately badly broke his arm and Rupert Hills after riding well all day suffered burns to his arm from a hot exhaust, we hope they both get well soon.
The final class to the line was the Motolink Yamaha Evolutions, and for once reigning champion Roy Wells made the long journey worthwhile, getting the better of Gary Parker winning two out of three, with Parker taking the first race and pushing Wells all the way in the others. There was a three way tie for third with Mike Smith, Graham Lightfoot and Richard Chinn.
MD Racing Over 50’s
1 Pete Mathia 2 Martin Snape 3 Pete Lightfoot 4 Chris Barker 5 Alan Hardy 6 Rob Waddington
MD Racing Over 60’s
1 Jack McEwan 2 Bill Brown 3 Michael May 4 Norman Barrow
Wulfsport Masters
1 Alex Rach 2 Roy Wells 3 Howard Standfield 4 Alan Eaves 5 Kieron Jackson 6 Paul Baldwin
CI Sport / DEP Pipes Intermediates
1 Robin Cowgill 2 Carl Hodgson 3 Nigel Sowerby 4 Matt Murphy 5 Martin Speak 6 Ashley Wainwright
Toughsheet Recycling 125’s
1 Lee Holland 2 John Davies 3 Sean McCrea 4 Graham Appleton 5 Adrian Hoskins 6 Ryan Newbury
Falcon Shocks 250’s
1 Aaron Jordan 2 Carl Lillywhite 3 Andy Holland 4 Richard Wood 5 Chris Woodward 6 Steve Kitching
Cheshire County Crossers Veterans
1 Gary Parker 2 Alan Eaves 3 Andy Farr 4 Robert Dobson 5 Phil Daley 6 Steve Ward
LPE Clubman
1 Chris Anderton 2 Mike Murphy 3 Phil Bayman 4 Rod Spry 5 Charlie Gardner 6 Stuart Hodder
Motolink Yamaha Evolution
1 Roy Wells 2 Gary Parker 3 Mike Smith 4 Graham Lightfoot 5 Richard Chinn 6 Rob Stringer
Burrows Haulage Rider of The Meeting
Phil Bayman
