In contrasting styles, Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie and Hitachi Construction Machinery KTM UK’s Shaun Simpson won their respective classes as the series continued – after the short mid-term break – at Blaxhall Pits in the East of England.
MX2
Anstie won his three motos with relative ease whilst Simpson, who was beaten in the opening MX1 encounter by Wilvo Forkrent KTM’s Steven Frossard, took two race wins which included a charge from absolutely last to first in the final moto of the day.
Anstie’s three moto wins and the accompanying 75 points now means he leads the championship after Dyer and Butler KTM’s Steven Lenoir needed to dig deep in the final race after a first lap crash with Pendrich Height Services Kawasaki’s Bryan MacKenzie and the two had to fight their way through the field on a not so easy to pass sandy circuit.
Eventually Lenoir limited the damage to climb up to eighth by the chequered flag which was still just enough to give him the second step on the podium with Apico Husqvarna’s Steven Clarke recording his best result of the current campaign with 3-5-3 finishes to take third on the day.
With three rounds remaining Anstie now heads the championship by 10 points from Lenoir who held the red plate for just two rounds.
MX1
Shaun Simpson had his toughest fight of the year so far to stand on the top step of the podium.
Frossard laid down a marker in the morning qualifying session and stormed the first moto after Simpson made a relatively poor start and by the time he was on the pace the Frenchman had cleared off into the distance.
Red Plate holder Simpson won the second moto but drama unfolded early in the third race when he crashed within three hundred meters of the start and came from last to first, carving his way through the field and setting no less than five fastest laps in succession.
Frossard’s 1-2-2 results gave him second overall while Buildbase Honda Racing Team’s Kristian Whatley took third with 3-9-7 finishes.
Returning from injury, Frossard’s team-mate, Jake Nicholls just missed out on the lower step of the podium by one point after making a dramatic last corner move on MBO Power ASA Scaffolding Yamaha’s Brad Anderson.
MXY2
The event also incorporated the third round of the MXY2 championship which was turned upside down with the main series contenders having a difficult day.
After three gruelling races, Wildcard Rider Conrad Mewse riding a 125 two-stroke KTM topped the podium with 4-1-1 results which just edged out Robbie Dowson who recorded 1-2-3 finishes with Robert Yates third with 3-5-5 moto finishes.
Despite recording a DNF in the second moto, Oliver Osmaston now leads the championship after his main challenger Jay Hague crashed out of the first moto and was not deemed fit to ride for the remainder of the day.
The next round of the series takes place on the first hardpack track of the series at the Foxhill circuit on July 19.
