A hat trick of wins, his second of the season at Tonfanau, has put Chris Mort (Honda 600) within only four points of clinching the Crewe and South Cheshire club’s 401-1100cc Open class championship.
Wet or dry conditions, it made no difference to Mort, who won all three of his races to take his tally of points for the season to a formidable 74.
Only James Evans (Yamaha 600) can now catch Mort in the fourth and final round of the series in August, but he trails by 26 points and there are only 30 points available at that meeting.
Evans could only manage two fourths and a seventh in his three races.
It was Jay Bellers Smith (PRJ Motorsport/Trickbits/FBMPerformance Triumph 675), who provided the main opposition to Mort.
It was the first time the 28-year-old from Merthyr Tydfil had been to the Tonfanau circuit since 2012.
Practice, run in dry conditions went well for Bellers Smith as he got re-acquainted with the mile long track.
He was impressed with the upkeep of the circuit, but struggled with the bumpy, final, fast right-hand corner.
Picking peg 18 for his start position for race one, run in torrentially wet conditions, Bellers Smith rode cautiously, searching for grip. To his surprise he was third home behind Mort and Joey Taylor (Yamaha 600).
Race two was run in similar conditions. Mort got the hole-shot into the 180-degree first corner, with Bellers Smith, who had been third on the starting grid, slotting into second.
Heavy spray stopped him catching Mort, who won by over three and a half seconds. Taylor was third, just under 12 seconds back.
Race three was run in almost perfect conditions except for a small damp patch going into the first corner. Bellers Smith, starting from second on the grid got a great start, sitting right on Mort’s tail throughout the eight-lap race, until he clipped the kerb on lap six ripping off a knee-slider.
After that Bellers Smith decided to back off and settle for a safe second.
It was a good warm-up for Bellers Smith for the Cock o’ the North races at Oliver’s Mount on July 19.
Three more wins for Alan Russell (Suzuki) in the Minitwins made it eight victories for the season, but that was still not enough to make certain of the title. He has 80 points, 13 more than Stuart Hall and 18 ahead of Vincent Brett on their Suzukis, but with 30 to be won in the fourth and final round of the championship, it is not yet over.
Russell was over five seconds clear of Hall in race one, but the winning margin was down to just over two seconds in the next. The third race was cut to seven laps after a red-flag incident, with Russell over five seconds ahead of Hall.
Teenager Sam “Good” Grief, like Russell, now has eight wins to his credit, but he is not yet sure of winning the 50cc championship. The 17-year-old has 80 points, 14 more than veteran Steve Porter, so the title chase will go to the final round.
Despite a poor weather forecast it was a bright start to the action and most of the practice was in dry conditions. That changed before the first race, into what can only be described as horizontal torrential rain.
The 50s, 125 and 250s were the second race on the programme, joined on the grid by two Honda GP RS 125 machines. As the lights changed, in still heavy rain, the two Hondas of Ian Cowles and Kimberley Rose were clear away, with leaving Dave Thorpe to lead the main pack on his Ducati 250. The race was red flagged after three laps when Kimberley Rose crashed at Paddock Bend.
The race was restarted over six laps, won by Cowles, with Thorp second, followed by Chris Bennion and Keith Powell on their Ducati 250s.
Grief on his Kreidler was the first 50 home, in sixth place overall, despite overheating clutch problems due to the restart. Colin Purslow, also on a Kreidler and Steve Porter (Yamaha), were second and third.
It had stopped raining, but was still wet for race two. There was only the one Honda on the grid, this time, ridden by Cowles, who led from start to finish. Thorp was second home, followed by Bennion and Powell. Grief was again first 50 home, in fourth place overall, followed by Purslow and James Widdowson on his Gellatly 50. Grief set a new 50cc lap record, despite the wet track, at 67.19mph.
The sun came out for the last race and the track was dry. Cowie again led from start to finish, chased by Thorp, Bennion and Grief. Grief dived up the inside of Bennion on the third lap at Paddock Bend. The race was stopped on the fourth lap after Widdowson fell at Hestletons Hairpin.
Cowles was the winner, Thorp second, Grief a very impressive third and Bennion.
Purslow and Ernie Perry on his Minerelli were second and third 50s. Grief broke his own lap record, upping it to 70.12mph.
Cowles moved to the top of the 125GP championship table on 49, two points ahead of Rose.
Dave Thorp now tops the Classic 125/250 Single Cylinder championship, thanks to those three class wins. He has 75 points, 21 more than Bennion, with the absent Ron Mullin, who was leading, now third on 48.
Caron Roberts concentrated on the three Classic 250 races, because the shoulder injury sustained in her spill at the last meeting had not healed.
In the first race she took it nice and steady in the wet conditions, finishing third on her Suzuki behind race winner, Geoff Hadwin and Tom Jackson, on their Suzukis.
Roberts felt more comfortable in race two, so she pushed a little more and emerged winner, a lap ahead of Hankey. The track was dry for the third race, where she finished third behind Hadwin and Hankey. Those results carried Roberts to the top of the points’ table on 74, 14 ahead of the absent Adrian Harrison.
The Classic over 501cc machines ran alongside the 250s. Two wins and a second place were enough to clinch the championship for Richard Ford, who on 89 points cannot now be caught.
Phil Leatherland was just one point behind 250GP reigning champion Simon Harris, coming into this meeting. His 1998 Honda RS, though, was not quite as quick as Harris’s TZ Yamaha and while Harris notched up three clear cut wins, Leatherland could only manage two fourths and a third. Gareth Willis (TZ Yamaha) had a good meeting with a third and two seconds.
Going into the final championship round in August Leatherland is still in runner-up spot to Harris, but now trails by nine points. Things went much better for Leatherland in the Forgotten Era up to 250cc class, where at the start of racing he was also just one point down on series leader, Dave Edwards (Honda CBR).
Leatherland, on his Suzuki RGV VJ22, won the first race, setting the fastest lap and beating Edwards, by just over a second after gambling on running on slicks despite the wet conditions.
Grief, having his second meeting on John Lewis’s Kawasaki, was third home, seven seconds further back. Leatherland won race two, beating Edwards by a little more than a second, again. Grief was third once more.
Leatherland completed his hat trick in race three. Second home was Caron Roberts (Yamaha), who started at the back of the grid. She gave the opposition a couple of laps to sort themselves before quickening the pace to close within six seconds of the winner. Huw Edwards was third, Grief fourth and Dave Edwards down in fifth place.
Leatherland, who only started racing in August last year, now leads the class by five points from Dave Edwards. He maintains both bikes himself, but has some sponsorship with development parts from The Tuning Works based in Sleaford, thanks to owner Sean Hadley.
Two wins and a second for Adrian Day (Honda 350) lifted him to the top of the Classic 251-500cc class, 19 points ahead of the absent Jason Markham.
Steve Birtles (Yamaha 1000) also took two wins and a second in the Forgotten Era over 501cc class, narrowing the gap on leader Paul Myler (Suzuki 1100) to 15 points.
Karl Bovill’s hopes of winning both the Forgotten Era 251-500 and 400 Supersport took a dive when he failed to score points in his third and FE race. He now trails John Price, who had two wins and a second, by 22 points.
Things are brighter for him in the Supersport class, where, despite only picking up 15 points in his first two rides, he leads the series on 69 points, six ahead pf John Price.
Martin McGrath now has 76 points and leads the Steel Frame class by 10 points from Dean Ephgrave,
Mark Berry and Adam Illman (Jacobs Suzuki 600) made sure of the Sidecar championship with victory in all three races. They have 63 points, 34 more than their closest rivals.
Results:
Crewe & South Cheshire Motorcycle Road Racing Results – Tonfanau -
Sunday 5th July 2015
400cc Super Sports & 250cc GP – Sponsored by Timekeepers - Steve & Ellen Gregory
Race 1 – Events 1 & 8 – 8 Laps:
1 S Harris (Yamaha) 5m
55.37s, 2 P Tye, 3 M Purslow, 4 J Price, 5 R Taylor, 6 W Collins,
7 L Mason, 8 K Bovill, 9 A
Timbrell, 10 P Millard, 11 G Willis, 12 P Odlum, 13 N Ward,
14 C Brain, 15 P
Leatherland, 16 M Brooks.
Race 8 – Events 1 & 8 – 8 Laps:
1 S Harris (Yamaha) 5m
55.37s, J Price, 3 K Bovill, 4 P Tye, 5 M Purslow, 6 P Millard,
7 W Collins, 8 W Jones, 9 L
Mason, 10 G Willis, 11 A Timbrell, 12 N Ward, 13 G Taylor,
14 P Odlum, 15 C Brain, 16 P
Leatherland.
Race 15 – Events 1 & 8 – 6 Laps:
1 S Harris (Yamaha) 4m
06.22s, 2 M Purslow, 3 W Jones, 4 G Willis, 5 L Mason, 6 P Millard,
7 W Collins, 8 P
Leatherland, 9 N Ward, 10 N Stenner.
Classic Machines 125cc – 250cc Single Cylinder &
50cc Machines & 125cc GP
Sponsored by Dr D Church & Dr R Bishdon
Race 2 – Events 2, 8 & 10 – 6 Laps:
1 I Cowles (Honda) 4m
57.04s, 2 D Thorp, 3 C Bennion, 4 K Powell, 5 S Measures, 6 S Grief,
7 R Aspden, 8 H Markham, 9 C
Purslow, 10 S Porter.
Race 9 – Events 2, 8 & 10 – 8 Laps:
1 I Cowles (Honda) 6m 36.40s,
2 D Thorp, 3 C Bennion, 4 S Grief, 5 S Measures, 6 K Powell,
7 D Wildey, 8 R Aspden, 9 H
Markham, 10 C Purslow, 11 J Widdowson, 12 S Porter,
13 E Parry.
Race 16 – Events 2, 8 & 10 – 4 Laps:
1 I Cowles (Honda) 3m 06.23s,
2 D Thorp, 3 S Grief, 4 C Bennion, 5 K Powell, 6 S Measures,
7 K Halliwell, 8 H Markham, 9 C Purslow, 10 E Parry, 11 S
Porter, 12 I Cowley.
450cc – 1100cc Open – Sponsored by North East Controls
Race 3 – Event 3 – 8 Laps:
1 C Mort (Honda) 5m 19.77s,
2 J Taylor, 3 J Bellers Smith, 4 J Evans, 5 S Gibbons, 6 J Wright, 7 P Myler, 8
L Mason, 9 P Williams, 10 T Griffiths, 11 L Evans, 12 L Elliot, 13 W Collins,
14 M Jones, 15 D Padfield.
Race 10 – Event 3 – 8 Laps:
1 C Mort (Honda) 5m 19.77s,
2 J Bellers Smith, 3 J Taylor, 4 J Evans, 5 J Wright, 6 L Evans,
7 S Gibbons, 8 P Williams, 9
T Griffiths, 10 L Mason, 11 M Jones, 12 L Elliot, 13 D Padfield,
14 N Stenner.
Race 17 – Event 3 – 8 Laps:
1 C Mort (Honda) 5m 19.77s,
2 J Bellers Smith, 3 J Wright, 4 J Taylor, 5 L Evans, 6 S Gibbons, 7 J Evans, 8
M Jones, 9 T Griffiths, 10 L Mason, 11 L Elliot, 12 W Collins, 13 P Myler,
14 R Astbury, 15 D Padfield.
Classic Machines 250cc, 251cc – 500cc & Over
501cc – Sponsored by Q B Holmes
Race 4 – Events 2 & 4 – 8 Laps:
1 R Ford (Norton) 6m 29.28s,
2 D Heap, 3 A Rees, 4 A Day, 5 G Hadwin, 6 T Jackson,
7 C Roberts, 8 K Hankey.
Race 11 – Events 2 & 4 – 8 Laps:
1 D Heap (BSA) 6m 11.63s, 2
R Ford, 3 A Day, 4 D Glover, 5 C Roberts, 6 K Hankey.
Race 18 – Events 2 & 4 – 8 Laps:
1 R Ford (Norton) 5m 37.30s,
2 D Heap, 3 P Johnson, 4 A Day, 5 D Glover, 6 G Hadwin,
7 K Hankey, 8 C Roberts.
Forgotten Era Machines 250cc, 251cc – 500cc &
Over 501cc
Sponsored by Caldo Oils Ltd (Rhuddlan)
Race 5 – Events 5 & 6 – 8 Laps:
1 P Myler (Suzuki) 5m
42.03s, 2 S Birtles, 3 M Taylor, 4 J Price, 5 P Tye, 6 K Bovill, 7 P Millard, 8
K Bartley, 9 N Ward, 10 M Clarke, 11 S Collins, 12 A Chadwick, 13 P
Leatherland,
14 D Edwards, 15 I
Blackburn, 16 S Grief.
Race 12 –Events 5 & 6 – 8 Laps:
1 S Birtles (Yamaha) 5m
40.95s, 2 P Myler, 3 M Taylor, 4 J Price, 5 P Tye, 6 P Millard,
7 K Bovill, 8 K Bartley, 9 M
Clarke, 10 S Collins, 11 N Ward, 12 A Chadwick, 13 P Leatherland, 14 D Edwards,
15 S Grief, 16 H Edwards.
Race 19 – Events 5 & 6 – 8 Laps:
1 S Birtles (Yamaha) 5m
23.04s, 2 M Taylor, 3 P Myler, 4 P Millard, 5 K Bartley, 6 S Mara,
7 J Price, 8 M Powell, 9 P
Tye, 10 J Nicklin, 11 N Ward, 12 P Leatherland, 13 C Roberts,
14 H Edwards, 15 M Clarke,
16 A Chadwick, 17 S Grief, 18 S Collins, 19 D Edwards.
600cc Steel Frame & Minitwins – Sponsored by www.bikers-retreat.com
Race 6 – Events 9 & 11 – 8 Laps:
1 J Wright (Honda) 5m
37.44s, 2 M Griffiths, 3 M McGrath, 4 A Russell, 5 S Hall, 6 D Ephgrave, 7 T
Griffiths, 8 R Taylor, 9 M Goodfield, 10 R Stockton, 11 M Brooks, 12 V Brett,
13 N Jefferies, 14 M Robinson, 15 J Bain, 16 S Berwick, 17 G Taylor, 18 J
Stezaker, 19 N Gauden.
Race 13 – Events 9 & 11 – 8 Laps:
1 J Wright (Honda) 5m
23.41s, 2 M Griffiths, 3 M McGrath, 4 A Russell, 5 D Ephgrave, 6 S Hall, 7 R
Taylor, 8 T Griffiths, 9 V Brett, 10 M Goodfield, 11 R Stockton, 12 M Brooks,
13 M Robinson, 14 J Bain, 15
G Taylor, 16 R Allman, 17 N Gauden.
Race 20 – Events 9 & 11 – 7 Laps:
1 J Wright (Honda) 4m
33.14s, 2 A Russell, 3 T Griffiths, 4 S Hall, 5 V Brett, 6 R Taylor,
7 R Stockton, 8 R Allman, 9
N Jefferies, 10 G Taylor, 11 M Brooks, 12 M Goodfield,
13 J Nicklin, 14 J Bain, 15
P Johnson, 16 N Gauden.
Sidecars F1 & F11 – Sponsored by Brian Glover
Race 7 – Event 7 – 8 Laps:
1 Berry/Illman (Suzuki) 6m
07.71s, 2 Howse/Ricketts, 3 Knight/Chaplow, 4 Walford/Hughes.
Race 14 – Event 7 – 8 Laps:
1 Berry/Illman (Suzuki) 5m
46.07s, 2 Howse/Ricketts, 3 Knight/Chaplow, 4 Walford/Hughes.
Race 21 – Event 7 – 8 Laps:
1 Berry/Illman (Suzuki) 5m
29.41s, 2 Knight/Chaplow, 3 Howse/Ricketts, 4 Walford/Hughes.
