-------------------- RSR Motocross Racing Team --------------------

Final Round Hampshire Motocross Club - West Meon - 19th November 2006

The last round of the Hampshire motocross club, where there were championships to be decided so there were nerves a plenty going on in the RSR racing camp.

Practise
All I can say it was wet muddy and cold! I took it easy to try and find some good lines but it was just wet. So wet that I had to my goggles off!

Qualifying
Gated about 10 th which I know is not good enough to qualifying so I got stuck behind some slower riders who had made a good start and got in my way. Soon passed them in about a lap and a half but there is only 4 laps in qualifying so the leading group got away and I had a lot to do. I was reeling them in but ran out of laps and crossed the line in 7 th . I had done enough to qualify.

125 championship race
This was it! The final 125 race of the season and I had a good chance of winning the championship with only myself and Lee Foyle in the chase. I felt really confident as I have been going to the gym for the last 3-4 weeks trying to improve my upper body strength and fitness. The gate dropped and I was in front then I lost most of my power and only managed 4 th to the first corner and came round in 5 th , I was thinking what's wrong with my bike? I feel good excellent grip with my tyres as I was going into the corners with so much confidence it was frightening, as I had no power I still manage to work my way through to 2 nd and on the last lap 3 rd place man over took me as I had nothing on the other riders going up the hills. So 3 rd it was and 2 nd in the championship, not bad. The power lost on the 125 was due to the power valves were not opening and gave me no power.

1st A Race
It seemed like hours from the 125 race to this race, but it was finally here. Got a fair start I think I was in about 10-11 place and holding mine own. I had my team mate Olly in front of me and I knew he had to stay in front of Dave Ponting. So I was in two minds what to do, try and chase Olly down or try and protect him from other riders. Well my answer was given to me pretty much straight away when Dave Ponting over took me. This was it head down crack on! Did about a lap and a half chasing Olly and Dave down when I came around to the finish where fellow RSR team member Ben was on the pit board given both of us 100% encouragement. I took my eye off the track for a second and came off in the corner. I got up with the rest of the field flying past me, but Mark Withers hit me at full speed. I was okay he was okay and we both went on to finish the race, not in our desired positions but in one piece.

2nd A Race
Feeling good about this race because I knew I had the speed and fitness to finish in a higher position than I have ever done before. Gated about 9 th felt good over taking a few people in the first lap. I then gave it to much throttle in one corner and the back end spun out on me and so nearly took out Olly and could have ruined his championship, but I did not and all was good for Olly. I stated dead last and I came storming through the field at a really good pace and could have taken a lot more positions but the race ended and the season as well.

I would like to say a big thank you to my wife Lorraine and our three boys Owen, Jack, Ewan for being there for me at most of the races and also a big thank you to my dad, Barney who maintains the bikes during the meetings.

I would also like to thank Olly Mayhew and his wife Angie for there words of encouragement through out the season and their friendship as well (cheers mate) and well done for winning that championship!! Also I'd like thank all our sponsors for their help throughout the season. COME ON NEXT SEASON!!!!

Winchester Motocross Club - Baybridge - 11th November 2006

Here we are at the mighty track of Baybridge (a flat field) but it was still hard going for all the riders concerned including myself. The schoolboys were there the week before and the track was not graded which lead to some good racing.

Qualifying
First to the first corner and lead it for the 3 laps out of 4 while I was having a good race with Hampshire and UMX racer Mark Withers which he ended up taking the win with me on hot on his heels and 3 rd place not to be seen.

Race 1
The junior A was mixed in with the experts. Not a great gate as I slid into a fellow rider out of the box, but that did not get me down I was over taken by a few riders but I got my head down and over took the ones that over took earlier and more to achieve 3 rd in the juniors and 9 th in the race beating a few experts.

Race 2
Better gate this time round I found myself in 3 rd place in the race and was mixing it up with the top experts and holding good pace and pulling away with the leaders until one expert could not get past me fairly and decided to tbone me and as a result I ended up on the floor. Got myself going again and finished 12 th in the race, the expert rider came up to me after the race and said sorry.

Southern Motocross Club - Northchapel - 5th November 2006

The SMX meeting was a perfect time to try out new parts for the bike. I picked up my team mate Olly enroute in the “truck of luck” but unforturely he was injured (get well soon) and couldn't ride so I had him there as adviser. Northchapel here we come!!

Practise
I was trying some new gearing on the 250 and it felt awesome and was also getting use to the new handle bars I had fitted. I was showing good pace and felt comfortable with the bike and the track which I had never ridden before.

Qualifying
Did not get a very good start and was in 8 th position but worked my way up to 4 th . I could have got higher but you can only do so much in 3 laps with the other riders holding me up.

Race1
Got a good gate was in about 6 th in the A group with 30+ riders running in my group. I made a couple of mistakes in one lap and I was down to 13 th such was the pace. I battled hard but the leaders by then had got away, still fairly happy with the result.

Race2
Did not get a great start, I think I was in about 12 th place and then had another rider ride into my leg which hurt! Lost me 2 positions and finished in about 14 th with a bad leg not happy!! But it was only a practise meeting.

Race3
Gated about 12 th and felt really good no signs of the bad leg. Found some really good lines and I was flying. I worked my way up 8 th and then my bike cut out. Pushed the bike back to the pits only to find the spark plug had fowled up. Overall felt good with performance and a big improvement from the last meeting.

WELL DONE TO BEN,OUR MAIN MAN IN THE TEAM FOR FINISHING 7 TH OVERALL IN THE C GROUP,NOT BAD FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT RIDDEN FOR 15 YEARS!!

9th Round Hampshire Motocross Club - Swanmore - 29th October 2006

Good old Swanmore, it has to be said it is one favourite tracks. The weather was good, I still had a bad cold but I wasn't going to let that get me down.

Practise
I took the 125 out in practise so I could get a feel of the bike and the track to prepare myself for the 125 championship race, it went well I was finding some good lines and I had good feeling about things to come.

Qualifying
Gated in about 5 th place went down the first hill and there was a bad accident which I just manage to avoid. So I was running in about 4 th place and contesting for 3 rd when the race was red flagged.

125 Shootout
Feeling a bit nervous about this one! I got round the first corner in 4 th not where I wanted to be. I held 4 th for couple of laps then dropped to 5 th then my flu like symptoms kicked in I got tired and fell back to finish 6 th . Not a good race for me and very disappointed.

Main A race
Got to the line and we were told by the clerk of the course that due to a accident in a previous race and the fear of running out of daylight there would only be one A-race but extended to 25 minutes plus four laps. Not good for my cold, anyway got on with the job in hand. Had a fairly good start running about 9 th and at a good pace for a few laps. Was maintaining my position but then the cold kicked in and I was losing energy fast. Slipped back and finished a lowly 17 th . Not very happy with the days racing but finished in one piece.

Final Round UMX - West Meon - 15th October 20066

Here we are at the final round of the UMX Championship at West meon,the sun was out the track looked good I was looking forward to racing!

I was out in third practise that went well and it gave me a chance to try out my new handle bars. Qualifying was ok I gated about 5 th and was running in that position and keeping with leaders until some guy on a KTM decided to fall off in front of me I had no where to go so I dragged my bike away from his and rode on by then I dropped down to 8 th and maintained that position until the last lap when I made a small mistake and was overtaken but still got into the main event.

First race.
I gated just behind my team mate Olly who grabbed the holeshot until some guy on a Honda ran into the side of me and pushed me wide and allowed four riders through. On the first lap I went to overtake someone and fell off on one of the fastest sections of the track, and had to wait for 30 riders to go through until I could get back on the bike by then the next man was 200 yards up track I battled hard and got myself up to mid pack.

Second race
Gated well again which was the key at this track as the pace was so fast! I was in about 6th place and overtook 5th and going for 4th at the same time Then it happened I fell off and had Paul Cannon land on top of me I couldn't get up until he was up, by then the rest of field was nearly half a lap in front me, battled hard and came through the field but I got arm pump and had to slow up a little for my own safety. Damm cold!! Draining all my energy.

Third race
Good start again in 3rd place dropped down to 4th kept that position for a while until I made a small error and ran over a berm and lost about three places, keeping good pace until my arms pumped up again and dropped down to 11th . A better race though, getting use to my new handle bars and trying to shake off a cold not a bad result. I managed to secure 9th in the championship with Olly in 19th after missing a few races, not a bad days racing for the RSR team.