After four days of track preparation and watering for their hosting of the latest round in the 2014 AMCA 2T and Veterans title chase, the North Wilts MXC must have then been devastated to see the Wiltshire area hit by 48 hours of thunderstorms.
Indeed with torrential rain also flooding many surrounding local areas, and with less than 24 hours before the scheduled start time, the telephone lines to club secretary Nick Bartle became red hot as worried riders questioned if the event would actually take place.
However North Wilts MXC although being one of the smallest AMCA clubs are also very organised, hardworking and determined so it was YES, the meeting was ON and what a wise decision that was to prove to be.
Incredibly there was no mud and on a circuit that was in fact exceedingly dry, everyone enjoyed three full blocks of great action.
At the top of the AMCA 2T and Veterans classes it’s still as you were with both Adam Harris and Simon Lane blasting to maximum points scores to thus extend their advantages in the respective Championship tables.
In the AMCA 2T class, James Lane making his first appearance of the season aboard a very rapid 2003 250cc Honda took a brilliant overall runners-up slot with Kieran Mulloy in third.
Over in the Vets, with Simon Lane dominating, Matt Ryder and Brian Staples chased him home in all three encounters to bag respective second and third overall positions.
So on that surprisingly dry track, the Vets class sponsored by Surefit Windows were first into action and it was Matt Ryder who grabbed the holeshot although immediately his main title rival Simon Lane was right on his tail with Stephen Baddeley, John Heath, Shaun Copeman, Brian Staples and Colin Conduit right in the mix.
For three laps, Ryder resisted the pressure from Lane before the Gloucester based Honda pilot found a way through. From here onwards, Lane pulled the throttle wire tight before storming to victory with Ryder having to settle for second.
On a charge, Staples moved from sixth up to third followed through by the high flying Conduit and Heath as Paul Wieczorek, Copeman, Simon Bracey, Martin Atherton and Shaun Hayles completed the top 10.
After his fine start, Baddeley went missing with one lap remaining whilst moto one proved rather disastrous for home club favourite Wayne Holder. Making a great start, Wayne crashed hard on the exit from turn three of the opening lap, eventually retiring on lap eight.
Desperate to make amends, Wayne held ninth in the early stages of moto two only to stall on lap three and drop back to 14th.
Upfront it was Lane leading in style from gate to flag as Ryder and Staples gave chase. Although the front three rather dominated proceedings, this race though was all about two great tussles as Copeman, Atherton and Heath locked horns for the right to finish fourth whilst Wieczorek and Bracey hotly disputed seventh.
At the flag, Copeman won his particular struggle as Wieczorek just got the better of Bracey. For Conduit though moto two was to prove rather disastrous as his Kawasaki seized on lap three.
Showing that the fantastic AMCA spirit still exists, Conduit was though able to compete in moto three as Brian Staples very sportingly offered him the use of his spare bike. Conduit was ready to race but it was that man Lane who again galloped to another fine win ahead of that dynamic duo of Ryder and Staples with Conduit on that borrowed machine getting home in eighth.
Once again the Vets produced some great action in this final clash of the day with Heath, Copeman, Baddeley, Atherton, Wieczorek, Hayles and Bracey in the mix as Holder finished with a 12th place.
What a contest the opening AMCA 2T clash sponsored by Wootton Bassett Service Station produced with a race right out of the top drawer.
Kieran Mulloy (twice), Jamie Dobson and finally Adam Harris all took turns to lead but that’s only part of the story. For most of the contest the proverbial blanket could well have covered the top five riders of Mulloy, Dobson, Harris, James Lane on that 2003 Honda and Harry Bradley.
Then with just four laps remaining, Harris the double AMCA 2T Champion made his move to snatch a great win with Mulloy taking second and Bradley third.
In the closing stages, Dobson dropped down to seventh as Matthew Bath on a late, great charge moved up from eighth to bag a hard earned fourth just ahead of Lane. Completing the top 10 in this classic opener were Richard Lloyd, screaming 125cc pilot Will Hughes, Aiden Wharton and James Price.
In all motocross championships there are pivotal, memorable motos and the second clash of the day at Spirt Hill was certainly one such event as Adam Harris produced a truly stunning ride.
Hitting the start gate, Adam was relegated to last place as Dobson grabbed the holeshot. Undeterred, Adam was quickly right on the gas and charging hard and incredibly by lap four he had sliced right through the pack to start to hunt down the leading trio of Dobson, Lane and Mulloy.
By lap eight the remarkable recovery was complete as Harris gloriously scorched into the lead and bagged another win, what a truly brilliant performance. In the closing stages, Lane also overhauled Dobson for second as Mulloy, Bradley, Lloyd, Bath, Hughes, Wharton and Josh Williams chased hard.
After that outstanding performance, Harris made light work of moto three as he stormed to a smooth, classy gate to flag win. Three laps from home, Lane then again got past Dobson for second with Bradley taking fourth, Mulloy fifth and Bath sixth.
The battle of this race though was for seventh spot as Hughes and Lloyd really slugged it out in a classic with never more than a couple of yards separating the two high flying 2T aces. With Sam Callow ninth and Aston Illsley 1oth, Luke Ryder produced a very brave ride to pick himself up from a big turn one collision and recover back to earn 11th.
Backing up the Championship classes was some outstanding support action as Jamie Comley (Inter Juniors) and Wayne Meacham (Seniors Unlimited) hit the headlines as they bagged maximum points scores. In that Inter Juniors contest, young Comley was simply superb as he scorched to three big wins, chased home on each occasion by the equally impressive Ben White with Darren Roberts taking third.
Over in the Seniors Unlimited as Meacham marched to glory, Jason Bryan and Alex Hoyland were the next best.
In the Juniors Unlimited racing, it certainly produced an intriguing case of the experienced taking on youthful exuberance with veteran Nigel Batchelor on his 450F Kawasaki just edging out the hard charging young Jack Roebuck on a 125cc KTM.
The other Junior action for MX2 riders saw Graham Puckett take victory from Thomas Green and Rory Jones. In the one remaining support class for Experts Unlimited, Joshua Scott and Joe Russell finished level at the top on 164 points apiece, overall victory though going to Scott courtesy of his crucial and decisive last moto victory.
Well done again to the North Wilts MXC for getting it on and many thanks to all the event sponsors.
Results
Experts Unlimited sponsored by M & M Motors/Distant Thunder Fireworks 1 Joshua Scott 164 points 2 Joe Russell 164 points 3 Kristofer Ayres 151.
Seniors Unlimted sponsored by M and S Van and Truck Rental/JG Security and Electrical 1 Wayne Meacham 180 points 2 Jason Bryan 147 3 Alex Hoyland 145.
Juniors Unlimited sponsored by Asphaltic Roofing Supplies 1. Nigel Batchelor 168, 2. Jack Roebuck 164, 3. David Gully 145.
Juniors MX2 sponsored by Residential Window Cleaners/The Purple Plumbing People 1. Graham Puckett 170, 2. Thomas Green 147, 3. Rory Jones 138.
Inter Juniors sponsored by Window Fitters Mate 1. Jamie Comley 180, 2. Ben White 162, 3. Darren Roberts 140.
