Elliott Banks Browne powered his Buildbase Honda to fourth place overall at round seven of the MX Nationals series held at Preston Docks. A fourth and a sixth position over the reduced two motos across a problem-packed weekend for race organisers put the Red Bull athlete within three points of third spot overall.
Saturday’s schedule was wrecked before it had even started when the organisers announced that in the absence of the medical cover that had failed to materialise there could be no riding out on the sandy track. With the whole day’s activities on the brink of being cancelled the riders finally got out on the circuit much later in the day for some initial practice.
The delay hit programme did little to inspire EBB44 with him placing ninth in qualifying following on from the untimed and open practice session.
Sunday saw the race organisers face further problems as the electronic timing system failed to function correctly and they were faced to hastily assemble a manual lap scoring team so the reduced race schedule could finally get underway after the riders were restricted to just one sighting lap on the second morning.
Both races saw Elliott follow a similar pattern with the double MX2 national champion able to show his pace and run with the leading riders for the first part of each race before then facing frustration as his challenge faded. The roughened riverside sand circuit saw the twenty-four year old Buildbase Honda rider fight to hold onto the bars during the latter stages of each encounter as he continues to regain his fitness after an injury hit season.
Banks-Browne will return to action in two weeks time for the final round of the Maxxis ACU British Championship at the hard pack Foxhill circuit. In the meantime EBB44 will continue to train hard as he fights his way back to full fitness and as he looks to finish off his season with some results to match his talent and potential.
