After the cancellation of Valence the previous week, the team were looking forward to its first serious race of the season at the Hawkstone International MX.
The terrible weather leading up to the event led many to expect that the meeting may fall by the wayside as it had the previous year but surprised many when the track and paddock were in superb condition. The scene was set for a great day’s racing in front of a bumper crowd.
With Jake Nicholls sitting this one out after his recent training injury it was left to Adam Sterry and Matiss Karro to fly the flag for the team. Sterry was first out in MX2 quali and he set a great time which gave him fourth fastest. Karro went one better in MX1 with third quickest.
Sterry was away well in MX2 moto one and rounded the first bend in third but a small mistake cost him three places. He looked comfortable until mid-race when a charging Van Dominik tried an aggressive pass and took the two of them out. Although he remounted and continued to the end of the race he was in obvious discomfort and had to sit out the rest of the day with a damaged ankle.
In MX1, moto one Matiss Karro made a great start and was into the first turn with Searle and Simpson. The three of them set an impressive pace which only Todd Waters could live with. Karro started to suffer from arm pump and had to concede third place to Waters but he regained the spot back later in the race to finish in a fine third place.
In the second moto Karro blasted out of the gate and took a superb holey from Simpson and Searle and hung onto the lead. When Searle came to a stop midway through the race it was left to Karro and Simpson to battle for the race win and the overall. Simpson managed to make a pass on Karro and although he stayed in touch for the remaining laps he couldn’t find the extra pace needed to get close enough to mount a serious assault and had to settle for second, bagging a well deserved second overall.
In the mixed Superfinal the MX2 boys got a second head start leaving the MX1 guys to chase them down. Karro was away in ninth and progressed to fifth by the end of the first lap. The irrepressible Herlings moved through to the lead and Karro followed him through in a secure second.
Simpson dropped out with a bike problem and Searle crashed twice so the pressure Karro had to endure was from Petrov but he upped his pace and left the Bulgarian in his wake – cruising home for a comfortable second place.
Following an x-ray, Adam Sterry was cleared of any sever injury and following a short recovery period, will be back on his bike.
