The GT Cup organisers had promised a corker. First there was sunshine, then overnight Saturday into Sunday came an almighty windy down pour, then as a result there was a bit of carnage in the paddock – but then there was a track in absolutely blindingly good condition.
So good in fact many claimed it was the best of the series so far. With the sun back out again for day two there definitely is a god. Well done Alfie Smith and the AS17 track crew, and well done Claudio, you pulled a right old rabbit from the hat!
The day two action at round six of this year’s GT Cup at Sherwood Notts culminated with one certain champion, one almost certain champion, and two new section leaders. The Auto’s were first up for action and even a first race lap scoring mix up could not stop formidable Charlie Heyman. The little fella proves round after round he is totally untouchable and this was yet another easy weekend in the office winning five from five.
The Heyman championship lead of 225 points is now a winning margin. The battle for the series runners up position tightened some what as second placed Harvey Cashmore crashed out of heat five – Freddie Wyard is now just nine short of the Cashmore total. Second on the weekend Wyard skilfully going 2-2-2-4-2. Joseph Ross claimed third overall with Jaygo Beasty, Callum Murfitt and Riley Stesel completing the top six.
In the 65’s with unlucky Ike Carter side-lined with injury the championship lead was up for grabs and claiming five storming race wins Eddie Jay Wade took his chance superbly well. The racing action was spiced up greatly with Lewis Hall and Reece Martin in the mix as wild card entrants. Lewis actually winning one race and matching Jay Wade blow for blow in speed but having to retire from the meeting following a heat four crash.
Reece going on to score nothing but second and third place results ending the meeting as a worthy meeting runner up. Second overall in championship terms went to Louie Kessell as he scored second best in all but the final heat where Lewis Woods stepped up to the mark. Lewis was no lower than points fourth weekend long and he finished in third overall.
The closest championship battle of all, and quite honestly a compulsive total watch was in the small wheel 85s. Tom Grimshaw verses Christopher Mills for the title in a roller coaster classic – and on the weekend just who could forget the super quick wild card runners Callum Green and George Sim -Mutch. Green won three heats impressing all as he did so, and likewise impressive was Sim Mutch as he won heat one. Grimshaw was first over the line in heat four beating off his former Powerband team mate Mills, but following a full on two day scrap it was Mills who took the series overall winning it by a slender two point margin.
With Grimshaw holding on to his series lead by a similar two points, it’s now all to play for at the series finale. Carl Budge took championship third overall and he extended his series advantage over Connor Ford. Over in the Big Wheel 85s the dominance, speed and sheer ability of guest Powerband rider Jordan Eccles was equally as compulsive to watch – ultimately Jordan chalking up five blistering race wins.
In the Championship dust up a series best showing from another of the Powerband crop George Grigg Pettite rewarded him with a Championship points total only bettered by Henry Siddiqui. Discounting the non scoring Eccles show Pettite claimed the maximum points haul twice as series leader Siddiqui cemented his Championship lead with three winning totals. Michael Ellis with a best of second in heat four finished in weekend Championship bronze, and finishing with a real flourish Aaron Gordon took a well good fourth overall.
With Rickie Roderick also out with injury there had to be a new section leader in the MXY2 youth division. Wild card Connor Clark making a return to Championship racing was in general a class apart as he won three times. And it could well have been a clean sweep for Clark such was his advantage. A first race untimely get off when leading and a heat three charge through the pack also featured in Clark’s weekend.
Heat three was the best race of the weekend as George Fountain jubilantly won it holding Clark at bay. Fountain also claiming a hard-fought win first time around. In Championship terms the other maximum points scores went to Kieran Banks twice and Adam Day. All totalled Day now has an 18 point championship advantage over Fountain with injured Roderick nine teen off top spot.
In the 125cc two stroke section it was all about the wild card runner in the shape of Frazer Curtis (weekend second overall), verses Championship leader Jim Davies and the all important young guns headed by Henry Williams. At the close of action Curtis and Davies had notched up two wins apiece with Williams turning it on best in heat four. TM mounted Davies once again claimed the overall win dropping just two Championship points and he now has a pretty much unassailable series lead.
15 year old Williams claimed Championship second overall as a spirited show (never lower than fifth) rewarded Husquarna pilot Lieghton Holmes with points third. 14 year old Jamie Carpenter another in the young teen tear away gang also excelled, especially on day two. Carpenter finished in weekend Championship fourth and series third.
With just one round to go Ady Peeble is doing his uttermost to apply some pressure on Scott Hambridge at the top of the Clubman MX2 standings. Following four cracking heat wins for Peeble the gap is now 51 points. Hambridge finished in weekend third bested with two seconds but spoilt by an unlucky race one score. Second overall went to Sean Bardwell as he confidently went 3-3-2-3.
In the top of the shop combined MX1/2 races MX1 leader Josh Spinks (LPE Revo Kawasaki) went bar to bar with MX2 leader Seb Osborne as Rob Davidson (MJW Kick Kawasaki) took the starring guest rider role. In Saturday action Spinks dominated with a brace of convincing wins as Davidson ran in second both times. Without doubt however the best action was saved for day two as an electrifying show from Osborne ranked as his series best. Coming from the back to overhaul Spinks in race three Osborne was on the very limits. It was entertainment overload as Davidson also worked his way forward eventually into another second place finish. And again in heat four Osborne excelled as he relegated Spinks into second place with Davidson third.
