The MX1 Red plate holder, Route 77 Energy Honda’s Tanel Leok, dramatically crashed out in the first half lap of the opening moto and Foxhill yesterday to allow MBO Sport Yamaha’s Kristian Whatley to take over the lead of the class.
With just three rounds remaining, Whatley now leads Team STR KTM’s Jonathan Barragan by 14 points with Buildbase Honda’s Nicolas Aubin a further 13 points adrift.
Whatley stormed to wins in the opening and third (mixed race) moto were the MX1 machines fared much better than MX2 on the steep Wiltshire hills. Whatley then backed this up with a fourth in the second race whilst Matiss Karro returned to the championship with strong 2-2-3 results. Barragan took the lower step on the podium with 3-3-2 finishes.
MX2
Despite facing strong opposition, Putoline Honda’s Neville Bradshaw was delighted with his first overall win, which he ground out with a strong ride in the mixed race. It completed a happy and eventful weekend for the popular South African as he celebrated becoming a father for the first time with the birth of his son, Tatum.
He opened with a third and a second, but a seventh place finish in the mixed moto three was enough to secure the overall from Pendrich Kawasaki’s Bryan MacKenzie who went 5-4-8. Championship leader Elliott Banks Browne (HM Plant KTM UK) had a poor day by his standard – EBB won the opening moto in convincing style after defending strong challenges from Monster Energy Yamaha’s replacement, MX2 GP rider, Dean Ferris.
But a crash in the second moto meant he had to ride the later part of the race with his clutch lever dangling from the handlebars. EBB still took third place overall and carries the red plate to the next round.
The 2013 Maxxis British Motocross Championship now heads across the Irish sea to Desertmartin in three weeks time.
