The final round was going to be a real showdown for me with both the Clubman's and 250 championships still to be decided.  West Meon is still my least favourite track but the sun was shining and the track was as good as it gets.  I hadn't sat on the bike since Swanmore as my knee is still giving me grief so I was a bit nervous about the meeting, so much so I had invested in a pair of Asterisk knee braces. 

Practise and qualifying went well and I took second in the qualifier. The track was pretty sticky from the heavy rain but cutting up nicely. The braces were great and my knee felt well supported.

In the 250 championship there were only a handful of points between me and Jon Ashby and I needed to finish three places in front of him to take the title which wasn't going to be easy.  Made a great start and grabbed the holeshot only for Jon to blast round the outside.  I then got swamped by Luke Lambert and Paul Spacagna on the first hill.  I stayed with them and saw Luke take the lead from Jon.  I was matching Paul's pace but couldn't get past him until he made a small mistake and ran wide which let me through into third.  I pushed hard in an attempt to catch Jon but knew it would take a major mistake from him for me to take the title so finally conceded and backed off as the clubman's championship was always my main priority.  Still really pleased with finishing second in the 250 championship.

So to the A-group finals. I had a 5 point lead in the Clubman's going into the event and knew I just had to stay with the pack and keep it rubber side down to be in with a shout.  Not that easy round The Meon though.  Race 1 went to plan as I got a great start and stayed out of trouble with the leading pack.  As the race progressed my brother Ben gave me the news on the pit board that I was where I needed to be.  So I kept a steady pace and had a pretty lonely race which was great as I could concentrate on keeping the thing upright on the polished corners.  Brought it home in about 10 th but more importantly finished in front of my main clubman rivals.

The final race of the season was a real nail biter for me as I knew one mistake could cost the championship.  Made a good start again and tucked in behind my main rival Dave Ponting.  I followed him for a few laps and we both diced with Ian Webber.  I then made my move and passed Dave.  From there I went flat out for a couple of laps and managed to gap him and it was then I knew that I had it sown up.  The last lap was a nightmare and I was all over the place but brought it home to take the title.

I've finally done it! Hampshirec clubman champion after twice being the runner up and it feels great.  It's been a long, hard season with some really tough competition.  Low points of the year had to be breaking my wrist at Fobdown and the DNF due to an electrical failure.  The high points were the race win at Swanmore and of course crossing the line at West Meon to take the title. 

Congratulations to my RSR team mate Paul Dunford for finishing runner up in the 125 and top five in the clubman's.  Big thanks also to all our sponsors and everyone who helped out during the season especially my brother Ben.  Finally, thanks to my wife Angie for putting up with my motocross addiction and nursing me through my injuries.  Looking forward to next season already as we will be racing the DEP 2-stroke series as well as Hampshire and UMX.   See you there!!

I've been out of action for about 8 weeks with my broken wrist so was really looking forward to racing again at Foxholes with UMX. Unfortunately the day didn't quite go to plan.

I made a mess of my qualifier as I hit the start gate and so was dead last. I then crashed a few times trying too hard to get up into a qualifing position. Ended up in the C-Group and with UMX qualification being strict I was denied an upgrade into the A-Group.

So I treated the day as practise. My pace was good but race fitness was lacking after not riding for so long plus I'm just back from a 2 week holiday in Turkey. Was disappointed at being in the C-Group but three straight wins was good for the confidence after the accident.

Practise and qualifying went OK, struggled in the qualifier a bit as I made a crap start (again) and had to fight through from about 15th to finish 7th. Not easy as the pace was really hot and I find it difficult to pass at Fobdown without getting really aggressive as the track is one line in many places. To be honest I'm sad to see the triple has been replaced with a lame mini ski-jump as although the triple was tough it was one of the best pacing places.

The 250 race went OK although was a bit disappointed with a 7th place finish. There were some new faces in the race including the return of Gary Chappel so the pace was really hot. Made another average start, still struggling with the gates and had a race long battle with a very wide Yamaha. Still scored some good points but I'm sure the inevitable has now happened with Jon Ashby taking over the championship lead.

Made a much better start in the first A-Group race. Had a really strong race and finished in 8th place I think and was really pleased with my pace. Had a good battle with Ian Webber and made the pass stick on the uphill ski jump but couldn't match Dave Ponting's pace who was away.

Was confident going into the final race but made another crap start. Went for the big move at the first corner trying to make up some places but left my braking too late and arrived way too quick. Squeezed through a gap and thought I'd gotten away with it but then tangled with Dave Ponting and ended up going down taking him with me. Sorry mate! Feel onto another bike on my right and landed awkwardly on my wrist. Got back on board but on going through the whoops realised that my wrist was buggered and there was no way I could continue at any pace. Decided to finish the race even though I was in a lot of pain in dead last but was hoping to salvage at least a couple of points. On getting back to the pits I knew my wrist was done and I could feel claret running down my right side. Turns out I had a large, deep puncture wound in my side probably from a footpeg and have broken my wrist in several places. GUTTED!! So after a very long evening in Winchester A&E I'm now at home with my wrist in plaster and several stitches, bored sh*tless. 6-8 weeks out of action so I'm hoping I'll be ready for the next round in September.

Just need to give a massive shout out to "Factory" Paul Dunford aka "2 Bikes Paul" and his Dad for all their help with getting my bike loaded up and driving me and the misses back home after a 4 hour wait at the hospital. Cheers mate we would have been in real trouble without all your help!!!

Fobdown again and the rains stayed away leaving a dry track in great condition with the drop gates and a new tight and technical section all adding to the fun. The YZ had been given the star treatment and a full top end service so she was sounding real crisp and I couldn't wait to get out there and rip it up.

The qualifier went well, got a pretty good start and all was going well until I dropped it on the new slick grasstrack section. Kept it running and didn't loose any positions but served as a wake up call. Qualified for the A-Group and the bike was hooking up great.

In the 250 Shootout I made a great start and thought I'd got the holeshot only for Paul Spacagna to come screaming up the inside and Jon Ashby to sweep round the outside. Held 3rd place for a while but could hear Luke Lambert's thumping kwacker coming. He passed me (again) in spectacular style through the killer triple. Managed to stay with em for a few laps but they then started to gap me and pull away. Didn't help when I binned it in the whoops. Got a bit squirmy on the first one, bounced over a few and then cased it hard launching me over the bars. Fired the bike up (first kick - 2strokes rule!) and got going quickly but lost a place. Took a lap or so to catch up again and managed to fight back to finish 4th.

The first A-Group race saw a crap start and I got mugged out of the gate (really need to work on the drop gates). Blinding first corner though as I went inside and avoided the pile up. Was running well in the top 10 and had some good battles throughout the race. My pace was good for the entire race distance and didn't fade towards the end resulting in a solid 8th place finish.

Got a better start in the second A-Group race and rode a great first corner again taking the inside line and steaming up into 4th place through the whoops. Managed to hold on for the first lap but soon slipped back to 8th where I stayed till the flag.

Two solid results giving me 8th overall on the day my best result of the season so far. Well chuffed!

Back to The Meon then. Was really looking forward to racing (even though this is my least favourite track) and the drop back gates, a few changes to the layout plus the thousands of gallons of water dumped on the track would spice things up a bit.

In the Qualifier I lined up next to Paul Dunford on his split new shiny CR250. The gate dropped and I made a reasonable getaway but was squeezed out going down the start straight and had to get off the throttle to find some room. Arrived at the first corner mid pack only to find Paul lying on the track on the inside line with his new CR rubber side up. Had to jump on the brakes to avoid running him over and then pick my way round his stricken bike (didn't want to run that over!!). Got going and had to charge through the pack in an attempt to qualify. The heavily watered track was proving a challenge and there was an collection of bikes and bodies at most corners. Got through up to 8th place to qualify for the A-group. Not easy though!

In the 250 shootout I struggled with the start again and was mid pack into the first corner. Rode an aggressive first lap and got up into 6th place but the top 5 were already away. I could see the leaders and the gap was staying the same so I knew my pace was OK but I wasn't able to reel them in. Ended up overshooting one of the slow corners and stalled the bike which lost me more time. Got going again after 2 kicks (love the 2-stroke!) and settled for 6th place but on the last lap passed Luke Lambert who had retired from the race promoting me to 5th.

In the first main race I tried a new gate position which worked a bit better. Got away in the top ten and held the position for most of the race. Lost a few positions mid race and fell back to 12th place. There was a marauding pack of riders behind me for the rest of the race and it was pressure all the way to the flag as one mistake would have cost 6 or 7 places. Managed to hold them off and finished 12th.

I took the same gate position for the last race and made a much better start pulling 3rd place through the first corner and up the big hill. Slipped back to about 11th place after a few laps and from there was able to defend my position for the rest of the race.

Finished 11th overall on the day which I was really happy with as I'd finally got through a meeting at The Meon without stacking it! Hats off to Jamie, Spike and the rest of the team! The track held up well and the heavy watering meant no dust so we all got a full days racing.

Swanmore is another favourite track and I go well there so was looking forward to the meeting. The track looked great and I much preferred the new start layout. I'd given the YZ a good talking to after the nightmare at Fobdown and everything had been checked and double checked.

The qualifier went really well as I took the holeshot and quickly built a good lead. Stayed in front all race until the last lap when Luke Lambert caught and passed me. My pace felt good and the bike was running sweet.

Lined up on the inside for the 250 shootout and took the holeshot again. Led for a bit but was soon passed by Jon Ashby and Paul Spacagna. Managed to hang on to them for a while but was then passed by Luke Blanchard and dropped off the pace a bit. Finished the race in 4th place.

Took the same gate position for the 1st Main Race and pulled the holeshot again! The YZ was hooking up great and flying off the line. Parked it on the inside of the first corner while everyone else ran a bit wide and blasted away in the lead. I've led Hampshire A-group a couple of times but only for the first corner or so. This was a bit different though as I managed to hold onto the lead for nearly 4 laps and it felt awesome! I eventually got caught and passed by the top guns but held on for 7th.

In the 2nd Main Race I nearly got holeshot again but a Honda slipped in front of me (think it was Rob Whiting). Was running a strong 7th place again when it started to rain. I could feel the track changing pretty quickly with the polished inside lines turning into an ice rink so it was a case of rail the berm on every corner. Visibility was also an issue as I soon used all my tear offs (should have grabbed my roll offs before the start). Mid race I dived into a deep berm a bit hot and the front end tucked in spitting me off. Kept it running and quickly got back on board but lost 4 places. Held on for 11th after a long battle trying to pass Paul Moyes. On returning to the pits I found my shiny new DEP pipe had a gapping hole probably from the roost off a 450. Bummer! Knew I should have bought a guard for it!!

Finished 9th overall on the day and was really chuffed with my pace. UMX at Fobdown this Sunday, it's all go...

Well, things went from bad to worse at Fobdown as I was plagued with mechanical problems. I really like Fobdown and the track was perfect so was looking forward to a good day plus the sun was shining so it was all good. The qualifier started well as I took the holeshot again and led for a while. Got passed by a couple of guys and was running in third when I had a major moment. The throttle stuck wide open going through the triple jump! This was not cool! Out of control big time as I launched off the second jump wide open. Hit the top of the third one and nearly went over the bars superman style, landed still on full gas. Somehow kept it all together, pulled the clutch and hit the kill switch. Race over and new pants needed.

Got back to the pits and the bike was still revving up every time I started it. Big thanks to Ian Brown (#20) for helping strip the bike and carb. Problem was found to be with the routing of the cable. Unfortunately though we were running out of time as the 250 shootout was lining up. This is where a massive thanks goes to Peter Malone (#109) for sacrificing his 250 race and lending me his tasty KX250F. Cheers mate!! Owe you big time for that one!! So, off to the line on a completely different steed. A 250 fourstroke! Pulled a great start and was gonna take the holeshot again but Jon Ashby swept round the outside. Had a great race on Peter's bike finishing in fourth and it was a real eye opener for me as to just how good a 250F really is. Cheers again Peter, nice one, top bloke, beers are on me!!

The first A-group race was next and I was back on the YZ. I was still a bit apprehensive from what had happened in the qualifier but the bike seemed OK, until I got to the line that is. It started revving up again and was clear the cable was still causing a problem. I made the decision to race. Probably not wise but wanted to keep my championship alive. The first couple of laps went great, pulled another excellent start and was at the sharp end running in about sixth. The bike felt perfect until I had another major problem. She just cut out over the ski jump next to the start straight and that was that. So, back to the pits and ripped the plastics off again to find a wire had pulled off the coil. Bummer! Pushed the wire back on, bolted the tank and seat back on and got back into the race on the last lap only for the bike to cut out again. Not happy! Cheers to Roy and Dean for helping me push back to the pits again. Same wire had come off so crimped it back on securely plus a further adjustment on the throttle cured the problems.

The last race finally went as planned. Got a good start and managed to avoid the pile up at the kicker jump on the first lap. Was up in about fifth behind Dave Ponting. He went down in a rut on the hill section and I was through. Got passed by a few guys, the most spectacular was Luke Lambert acing the triple on the last lap to pass me. Nice one Luke!

Finished the race in 8th but a DNF in the first left me with a 19th overall. Not good so bring on Swanmore.

After a good meeting at Swanmore with UMX the previous weekend my confidence was pretty high going into West Meon plus I was eager to try out the new DEP pipe I'd just bought off ebay. However, me and The Meon never seem to get on. The qualifier went well again with me taking the holeshot and finishing third behind Luke Lambert and Lee Clayton. The bike was pinking badly though with the cold weather and new DEP pipe so I changed the main jet to a richer setting before the next race.

I was looking forward to the 250cc shootout again and lined up on the inside of the start gate. Made a reasonable start and finished the first lap in fourth place after a few tussles. The leading three were away so I got my head down and tried to close the gap to Paul Spacagna. We were on the same pace during the first part of the race but as the race progressed I could see I was catching him. I made a real effort in the last 2 laps and closed the gap but needed another lap to make the pass stick. We finished side by side and I just missed out on third but I was still happy with my fourth place. The richer main jet had improved the pinking and the bike was going great with the new DEP pipe giving more grunt.

The first A-Group race didn't go to plan. Made a reasonable get away but was mid pack into the first corner and got boxed in. Then some mistakes on the first lap saw a few more places lost. So, it was another case of head down and eat roost. I picked my pace up and charged through the pack up into the top 10 but that's when it all went wrong. I'd done all the hard work and broken through the mid pack mêlée only to throw it all away on the chalk face uphill section after the downhill double. Went inside, got off line, too much gas, back end out, done! All the guys I'd spent the whole race fighting came thundering back past me (all with big cheesy grins on no doubt) as I struggled to get going again. Managed to catch the back of the train but the last lap flag was out and the race was done. Not sure of the final position probably just inside the top twenty.

The last race was much the same as the previous one. Mid pack off the start again and fight through the field which was more and more difficult due to the hot pace plus a lot of the track was now one line. Managed to get up into the top 10 again and this time stayed on board to finish the race in 9th place which was much better. The result from the second race took me to an 11th place overall which I was really pleased with considering the first race mishap.

The first round of the Hampshire Motocross Club season saw a chilly return to one of my favourite tracks at Foxholes. Apart from a few practise sessions at Tony Moto I hadn't been on the bike since the last race at West Meon in November and so was raring to go. The track looked great during the practise session and the bike felt perfect. The qualifier went well with me taking the holeshot. Rupert Heaton passed me on the first lap so I tucked in behind him and followed him home to finish second.

My first main race of the day was the 250cc shootout which I was really looking forward to. I made the perfect start taking the holeshot but was soon passed by Paul Cowshall and Luke Lambert who were flying. Luke Blanchard also passed me early in the race which pushed me down to fourth but he retired after a couple of laps promoting me back into third. From there on I had a pretty lonely race and so pushed myself hard to the flag to finish third which I was very happy with.

In the first A-Group race I made another great start but was hustled to the outside of the second corner and lost a bunch of places. The usual first lap chaos resulted in a couple of riders going down on the inside of the hairpin after the tabletop causing a bit of a bottleneck. I was able to pick my way round the outside and grab a few places back. From there on it was head down and eat roost picking off riders as best I could. I missed the last lap flag and the race was over in a flash but had battled through to finish 9th.

I made a poor start in the final race and was mid pack into the first corner. Not really sure what happened in the blur of the first 3 corners but found myself up in about 6th place going into the tabletop. I really enjoyed the second race despite making a few small mistakes in the deep ruts. Some great battles and close racing throughout the race saw me finishing 9th again giving me 9th overall on the day. A good steady start to the season and managed to stay on board for all three races.