Warren wraps up SM1 title

SR Off-Road Aprilia rider Sam Warren convincingly wrapped up the MotoGB SM1 championship at Snetterton on the weekend with pole position, two race wins and the Superfinal victory.

The SM1 title comes on the back of the overall MotoGB British Supermotard championship the team won at the previous Pembrey round in South Wales.

Warren’s clinical display began on the right note at the warm and sunny Norwich circuit which featured smooth tarmac mixed with a fairly rough flint-rock off-road section. The young Derbyshire rider secured pole position in SM1 by eight tenths of a second from Mathew Pope who was riding another SR Off-Road prepared Aprilia.

In the first race Warren got the holeshot and maintained the lead throughout though he was challenged by Andy Mitchell in the early part of the race before he made a break. Controlling the pace to the chequered flag it was all the SR Off-Road Aprilia team needed to take their first SMI title.

Speaking after race one team boss Mick Spencer said that the pressure was now off and Warren could go out and enjoy himself for race two.

“Sam was pushed pretty hard by Andy at the start of the race but he kept his head and started making a break towards the end which enabled him to comfortably control the race. With the SM1 title now Sam’s, the pressure is off so we can really enjoy ourselves for the rest of the day.”

Warren led off the line in race two but a banzai charge by Keith Farmer on the first corner allowed him to snatch the holeshot. Farmer held up the Aprilia rider for a few laps before he got past and then set about opening up another gap which was stretched to more than two seconds by race end.

Having won the overall Championship title at the previous round Warren was determined to take the Superfinal win once again at Snetterton. Starting after the SM3 field he quickly caught the smaller machines and ran away a comfortable winner over Jochen Jasinski.

With the British titles in the bag the SR Off-Road Aprilia team are not turning their attention back to the international arena with Warren representing British hopes alongside Matt Winstanley and Christian Iddon in the upcoming Supermotard Des Nations to be held on the 1^st October at Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland.

Warren and the British team are confident of strong performance at the Des Nations and from there the SR Off-Road Aprilia outfit will be tackling the final World Championship rounds in Italy and Greece.

Pic supplied courtesy of Sid Lidguard at ASP Photoshop, contact asp.photos@virgin.net

News Release: Tuesday 12^th September, 2006 back to top

Moto GB British Supermotard Championship Round 6 – Snetterton

Brilliant sunshine, high temperatures and hard racing were the order of the day at the final round of the Moto GB British Supermotard Championship held at Snetterton Circuit near Thetford. Although Sam Warren (Aprilia UK) had already wrapped up the Overall Championship title at Pembrey two weeks ago, all the individual class titles were up for grabs and in many cases, the battles went down to the wire with the winners only being decided after the respective final races of the series. The ultimate role of honour is as follows:

Challenge Class Champion:	Kevin Ridley	KTM 450
SM3 Class Champion:	Raoul Spangenberg	Kawasaki 250
SM2 Class Champion:	Ricky Higgs	Honda 450
SM1 Class Champion:	Sam Warren	Aprilia 550
Overall Champion:	Sam Warren	Aprilia 550

SM1 Sam Warren (UK Aprilia 550) had just one thing on his mind in SM1 and that was 1 point. This was all that separated him from a second 2006 British title and although it may have been tempting to play it cool and aim for a points finish, Warren finished his season in style with pole position in qualifying, two SM1 race wins and the fastest lap of the day. Although the results indicate a whitewash, the reality was that Warren had to work extremely hard for his honours with Keith Farmer (Wulfsport SMR Husaberg 650), Andy Mitchell (DCR Husaberg 650) and Ady Smith (UK KTM 660) who all at some point, took the battle to the new double British Champion. Farmer came the closest to an upset, leading Warren for some time in race 2 until an error allowed Warren to assume his now regular position at the head of the field, although Mitchell too also applied pressure at every opportunity during his duels with the Aprilia rider. Ultimately Warren proved that although the Aprilia 550 and indeed, his whole team set-up were new for this season, he genuinely has the talent to return to the Grand Prix scene with renewed confidence and dice with the World’s best.

SM2 Ricky Higgs (Honda 450) is another rider who like Warren, has never won a British title before. His strategy for Snetterton was different in that he had organised his race plan for a ‘points finish’ in race 1 and then hopefully with the pressure gone, an all out attack in race 2, he eventually claimed a 4^th & a 3^rd respectively. This was perhaps quite fortunate as on the day, nobody had an answer to the speed of flying Frenchman Mickael Zammit (MW Racing CRF 450). Zammit also claimed pole position and two race wins, but even this was not enough to stop Higgs claiming the title after race 1. Jochen Jasinski (Moto Supplies Husqvarna 450) had good weekend with two second places despite still riding with a knee injury, whilst Nigel Scott (Aprilia 450) also proved his form at Pembrey was no fluke as he just missed the podium with a 3^rd and 4^th place. Newcomer to this level of competition Jack Grover (Honda 450) shocked many people with his 5^th place in qualifying but then made a bid for crash of the series after a spectacular coming together with the fast chicane at Coram corner. He recovered to bravely finish both races albeit a little worse for wear!

SM3 & Challenge In the Challenge class, Scott Woodacre (Aprilia 450) went to Snetterton needing just a handful of points to claim victory over season long arch rival Kevin Ridley (KTM 450), but it wasn’t to be, as he suffered a DNF with an exhaust problem in race one and then with 3 laps to go of the final race and with one hand on the trophy, he suffered another DNF with a fuelling problem thus handing the title to Ridley by 4 points. Paul Wilby (Honda 450) took two easy wins in the class at Snetterton, but didn’t figure in the title chase as Snetterton was his first foray at British Championship level! Paul Rhodes (Aprilia 450) did enough to keep 3^rd position in the series ahead of Stuart Jones (KTM) who scooped 3^rd place on the day.

In SM3, Colin Spink (Suzuki 250) won both races at Snetterton, but still finished in runner up position to Namibian Ex-Pat Raoul Spangenberg (Kawasaki 250) who clinched the class title by just 9 points. These two riders, together with Lee Cunliffe (sadly missing at Snetterton having to ride in the KTM Junior Cup in Germany) have provided some outstanding entertainment in 2006 and have underlined why countries like France successfully run a 125/250 series to enable young riders to get started in Supermoto. Watch for some exciting news on SM3 early next year.

Superfinal With all the titles sewn up before this race, the last Superfinal of the series was an opportunity for all the riders to have a no holds barred, nothing to lose, out and out conflict. From the start Sam Warren and Andy Mitchell put on an excellent demonstration of high speed, synchronised sliding as they tussled for the lead. The crowds were deprived of a grandstand finish after Mitchell suffered an untimely puncture leading to retirement, just as he seemed ready to pass Warren on the off-road section. Behind this battle, Jasinski held a slender lead to claim 2^nd place from Lee Jones (Husaberg 650) and Matt Pope (Aprilia 550) whose battle ended when Pope ran on at the esses leaving Jones untroubled on his way to his first and well deserved Moto GB Podium.

Highlights of the season’s final race from Snetterton race will be shown on Motors TV at 8.30pm on Friday 22^nd September. Further details of broadcasts (including broadcast repeats) may be found on www.motorstv.com

Details of the 2007 Moto GB British Supermotard Championship will be publicized on www.motogb.net early in 2007. back to top

Moto GB British Supermotard Championship Round 5 – Pembrey

Sam Warren on his SR Off-Road prepared Aprilia UK SXV 550 claimed the title of 2006 Overall Moto GB British Supermotard Champion at Pembrey after winning the Superfinal, albeit a puncture having sidelined arch rival Ady Smith on his KTM UK LC4 660 during their furious battle for the outright honours.

Andy Mitchell (DCR Husaberg UK) pictured opposite on the off-road section at Pembrey, put his previous Moto GB difficulties behind him as he blasted back into the reckoning with a superb overall SM1 win and 2^nd place in the Superfinal. In SM2 meanwhile, Mickael Zammit aboard the MW Racing Honda was a walking advert for the word ‘commitment’. Having competed in the French Championship on Saturday & Sunday, he left France aboard the last flight out on Sunday night and eventually arrived at Pembrey at 3.30am via the back of an MW Racing Team Van! He then proceeded to race in two classes and record some outstanding results including an SM2 race win and elevated himself to 2^nd place in the SM2 standings and 6^th in SM1.

The Challenge Class title slipped a little further away from Kevin Ridley (KTM) as he DNF’d in Race 2 whilst main rival Scott Woodacre (Aprilia) scooped another pair of well deserved wins setting himself up for the finale at Snetterton in two weeks time. Whilst SM3 may lack the big horsepower of SM1, it certainly doesn’t lack action and with just 19 points between the top 3 protagonists and 50 available at Snetterton it’s anybody’s guess as to the outcome of this exciting class.

Elsewhere, despite favourable weather conditions and a fast, flowing track, incidents abounded and several riders recorded unusual mechanical problems and/or crashes.

SM1 Grand Prix Star Christian Iddon (Factory Aprilia) had a fraught weekend of disappointments at Pembrey which started as early as qualifying and got progressively worse! He claimed an uncharacteristic 6^th place in qualifying after swapping bikes due to an unusual electrical glitch. At the sharp end, Sam Warren claimed Pole Position ahead of Ady Smith and a revitalized Andy Mitchell. Several fast Husaberg mounted riders including Lee Jones, Greg Kinsella and Carl Shield having qualified well but suddenly disappeared with engine related problems during the races, which gave the SM1 field a subsequent ‘slimmed down’ feel. Race 1 saw a first corner pile up apparently caused by Dean Hillier (Aprilia) which effectively took Iddon, Keith Farmer (Wulfsport SMR Husaberg) and Matt Pope (Aprilia) amongst others out of contention and allowed Warren Mitchell and Smith to conduct their own high speed battle just ahead of Zammit. Smith and Mitchell had a coming together on the off road section which allowed Zammit to claim 3^rd as a recovering Mitchell worked his way back up the field to an eventual but important 4^th place. In Race 2, the three way battle for the lead this time comprised of Warren, Iddon and Mitchell as Smith was delayed early on in the race battling with Zammit. Warren unfortunately succumbed to a puncture which denied him the chance of sewing up the SM1 Class Moto GB Title with a round to go and left Aprilia honours in the hands of Iddon. An on-form Mitchell however fended off Iddon and subsequently claimed both the win and the overall SM1 honours.

SM2 Ricky Higgs (Honda) tightened his provisional hold on the SM2 title with a good haul of points from both races and Pole Position in qualifying to boot, this despite a slip up in the 2^nd race where an on-road error dropped him from 2^nd to 4^th place at the flag. He battled hard in Race 1 with an on-form Nigel Scott (Aprilia) and saw off the challenge mid-race but had no answer to Zammit in Race 2 who claimed a lights to flag victory. James Addy (Appleyard KTM) made a welcome return after a motocross injury sidelined him from Round 4 and despite being a non-starter in race 1 with an electrical fault , he battled back to a deserved 2^nd place in Race 2. Jochen Jasinski (Moto-Supplies Husqvarna) lost second place in the standings thanks to a DNF in Race 2 which left Chris Hodgson (Robinsons KTM450) to pick up the remaining pieces and claim more useful points. Although Higgs has a great points advantage after Pembrey, Zammit and Jasinski are both mathematically capable of winning the SM2 Title at the final round at Snetterton.

SM3 & Challenge As mentioned above, Scott Woodacre (Aprilia 450) extended his advantage over Kevin Ridley after the latter DNF’d in Race 2 and looks a very good bet indeed for the Class Title at Snetterton. Matt Edwards (KTM) improved on his Ingliston personal best with a Podium Position whilst avoiding another first corner incident which saw a large number of riders skittled by the unfortunate Tim Bycroft (TM). Guy Monk enjoyed his Challenge Class debut and claimed the last step of the podium on his first time out.

In SM3, Colin Spink (Suzuki 250), Lee Cunliffe (KTM 250) and Namibian Ex-Pat Raoul Spangenberg (Kawasaki 250) put on a great show once again and the post race results provide a great showdown for the finale at Snetterton. It’s possible that if Spangenberg clinches the title, then Kawasaki may well record a historic British Supermotard Championship Title for the Japanese marque.

Superfinal Andy Mitchell shot into the lead of the Superfinal hotly pursued by front running favourites Iddon, Warren & Smith but it wasn’t long before bad luck settled the outcome of both this race and the 2006 Overall British Supermotard Champion Title. Poor Ady Smith retired after 5 laps with a puncture which instantly ended his aspirations for this particular title. At the time, Warren was in 2^nd place behind Mitchell but needed to win to ensure that mathematically he couldn’t be beaten with a round to spare. After some frantic pit boarding, Warren eased ahead for the win and his entry into the record books. Mitchell finished 2^nd whilst Northern Ireland’s Keith Farmer dug deep and pulled of a string of fast laps and passes to record his first ever Moto GB Podium Position in 3^rd place. Iddon’s desperate weekend was topped by his retirement after 8 laps with yet another puncture on his SXV 550.

Highlights from Round 5 of the Moto GB British Supermotard Championship at Pembrey will be first shown on Motors TV at 8.00pm on Friday 8th September.

Further details of broadcasts may be found on www.motorstv.com back to top

Moto GB British Supermotard Championship Round 4 – Ingliston

Brilliant sunshine, high temperatures and hard racing were the order of the day at Round 4 of the Moto GB British Supermotard Championship held at Ingliston Showground near Edinburgh. The Moto GB series regulars were joined on this occasion by Matt Winstanley, the Robinsons of Rochdale / KTM UK rider making his Moto GB series debut and thanks to a combination of his superb riding and all kinds of unexpected problems in the Aprilia camp for arch rivals Sam Warren (Aprilia UK) and Christian Iddon (Aprilia UK), Winstanley emerged with three straight wins and the admiration of the massed Scottish spectators. The event itself was unusual in that it was a feature of the outside entertainment package at the Fast and Modified Car Show and many first-time Supermoto spectators were enthralled by the high speed “backing in” antics of Britain’s fastest Supermoto racers.

SM1 The three Grand Prix riders in the entry list were devastatingly fast in qualifying with Iddon just claiming Pole Position ahead of Warren and Winstanley, all three riders covered by just one tenth of a second at the send of the session. Warren elbowed his way to the front at the start of race one and the two Aprilia’s pulled out a slight lead from Winstanley. All this came to nought however as Iddon by his own admission attempted a “very optimistic” pass on Warren resulting in the two Aprilia’s colliding and effectively gifting the win to Winstanley. Warren recovered to second after yet another off-track excursion as he took avoiding action when a backmarker crashed in front of him. Greg Kinsella (SD Racing Husaberg 650) took advantage of the Aprilia incident and finish a fine 3^rd place just ahead of a recovering Iddon who set the fastest lap in the process. The second SM1 race saw Winstanley claim the holeshot, but the two Aprilia’s were only inches behind him for the first couple of laps as they sized up where to pass. The streak of Aprilia bad luck came into play again however as Iddon and Warren attempted to outbrake each other and Winstanley into the tight left at the end of the main straight. This time there was no contact between the Aprilia team mates but once again, Winstanley was gifted a sizable lead which he capitalized on and he proceeded to coolly convert this into another superb race win and the SM1 overall honours. Back in the paddock meanwhile, Iddon discovered that in the excitement of the now infamous outbraking manoeuvre, he had broken a finger as he clipped one of the course markers and he sat with an ice pack debating whether he could ride in the Superfinal.

SM2 Although bereft of the glamour of the Grand Prix riders in SM1, the 450 class provided some excellent racing with Ricky Higgs (Honda CRF) claiming two authoritative wins ahead of Jochen Jasinski (Moto-Supplies Husqvarna), young French rider Mickeal Zammit (MW Racing CRF) and George Clements (TRM Honda). Clements had actually claimed his first Pole Position in Saturday’s qualifying sessions, but Higg’s race pace was just too much for the other three riders who never the less provided bar banging action for the spectators in both races. Clements tied with Zammit for the final podium spot but lost out thanks to his poorer result in race 2. Championship contender James Addy (Appleyard KTM 450) was sidelined at Ingliston with a broken collar bone, sustained whilst training on his motocross bike, which left Chris Hodgson (Robinsons KTM450), Justin Carter (450 Honda) and last but not least; Rob McNealy to provide even more great racing in the lower places.

SM3 & Challenge

Scott Woodacre (Aprilia 450) continued his regular exciting duel with Kevin Ridley (KTM 450) during both races in the Challenge class and eked ahead to lead Ridley for the first time by just 6 points in the title chase after Ingliston. Paul Rhodes (Aprilia 450) claimed a fine pair of third positions, just ahead of Matt Edwards who made the long drive from Sudbury worthwhile with his best ever Moto GB finishing record.

In SM3, Colin Spink (Suzuki 250) lost the lead in the Championship standings for the first time as Lee Cunliffe (KTM 250) claimed a pair of superb race wins and Namibian Ex-Pat Raoul Spangenberg stole second place behind Cunliffe in each race. 10 points now covers 1^st to 3^rd in the SM3 title race and proves that the smaller engined bikes are just as entertaining as the SM1 monsters.

Superfinal

Sam Warren took no part in the Superfinal as an amazing freak incident resulted in his Aprilia 550 bursting into flames in the assembly area. The Belper based rider was “…shaken, not burned….” however thanks to lightning reactions of an MRO marshal with a fire extinguisher. A subsequent technical inspection revealed a faulty fuel hose. Iddon was no doubt wondering how long the Aprilia bad luck would continue as he watched the conflagration in disbelief and his subsequent Superfinal race pace was blighted by the injured finger sustained in the second SM1 race. Winstanley & Iddon held close station from the start, but the events of the day obviously affected the High Peak rider’s concentration and he succumbed early in the race to another outstanding race performance from Winstanley. MW Racing claimed their second podium of the weekend as the ever improving French youngster Mikael Zammit steered his way around the many battles raging during the Superfinal to claim 3^rd place.

Highlights from Round 4 of the Moto GB British Supermotard Championship at Lydden Hill will be first shown on Motors TV at 8.00pm on Friday July 28th.

Further details of broadcasts (including broadcast repeats) may be found on www.motorstv.com

The next round of the 2006 Moto GB British Supermotard Championship takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, August 28th at Pembrey Circuit in South Wales. back to top

Moto GB British Supermotard Championship Rounds 2 & 3; 24^th & 25^th June - Lydden Hill

The bright sunshine at Lydden Hill for rounds 2 & 3 of the Moto GB British Supermotard Championship was a welcome contrast to the previous round’s monsoon-like conditions and the very agreeable weather certainly allowed riders to demonstrate the art of ‘backing it in’ in fine style at several corners around the fast and demanding Kent circuit.

SM1 Sam Warren (Aprilia UK 550) was the class of the field in SM1 with double wins on both Saturday and Sunday, although German rider Jochen Jasinski (Moto Supplies Husqvarna 610) was very definitely up to challenge before an error in Saturday’s second race followed by mechanical problems in that day’s Superfinal relegated him to SM2-only racing on Sunday. Ex-Enduro Champion Ady Smith on his KTM UK was easily the best of the rest and was really enjoying the high corner speed layout used over the weekend. The luck of the Irish deserted the Emerald Isle’s Greg Kinsella (SD Racing Husaberg 650) who failed to finish twice with mechanical mishaps on Sunday after two solid third places on Saturday whilst Andy Mitchell (DCR Husaberg UK 650) claimed victory from the jaws of defeat after crashing heavily on Saturday but then returning to claim overall 3^rd on Sunday. SM2 The 450 class provided some excellent racing with the SM2 race resembling the World Cup at one stage with Germany leading Belgium, just ahead of France with England bringing up the rear!

Ex-European Champion and Mettet Superbiker winner Belgian Thierry Godfroid (Kawasaki) proved that age is no barrier to performance as the veteran rider battled hard with Jochen Jasinski (Moto Supplies Husqvarna 450), young French rider Mickeal Zammit (MW Racing 450) and a horde of fast English riders including; James Addy (Appleyard KTM 450), Chris Hodgson (Robinsons KTM450), George Clements (TRM Honda 450) and last but not least; Ricky Higgs (Honda) whose form around Lydden Hill’s energy sapping high speed curves was his best ever, resulting in him claiming the overall win on Saturday and leading the SM2 championship outright by 7 points after 3 rounds. Jasinski claimed the overall win on Sunday and was consistently fast, smooth and exciting to watch over the whole weekend.

SM3 & Challenge

Scott Woodacre switched to an Aprilia 450 to continue his assault on the Challenge class and the decision appeared to be a good one as he had the perfect weekend with 4 individual race wins. Kevin Ridley (KTM 450) the overall Challenge class points leader after 3 rounds defended well, but goes to the next round in Scotland with Woodacre snapping right at his heels. Both Paul Rhodes (Aprilia 450) and Stuart Jones (KTM 450) swapped positions all weekend both on the podium and on track and are ready to pick up the pieces if either Woodacre or Ridley make an error.

In SM3, Colin Spink (Suzuki 250) just clung onto his points lead after SM3 newcomer Lee Cunliffe (KTM 250) put the cat amongst the pigeons at Lydden Hill winning 3 out of the 4 races leaving both Raoul Spangenberg (Kawasaki 250) and Spink with plenty to think about before the next race.

Superfinals

Once again Sam Warren demonstrated his mastery of all types of Supermoto circuit layouts, from the slippery, tight off-road sections at Cadwell Park to the high corner speed layout at Lydden Hill, Warren appeared to calmly and professionally have the answer. Ady Smith never gave up for one second over the weekend, but ultimately his pace was just short of that of the Aprilia UK rider’s seemingly unassailable advantage. Andy Mitchell, Greg Kinsella, Chris Hodgson, Nigel Scott (SM Racing Aprilia 450), Jochen Jasinski and Theirry Godfroid all starred in the arduous Superfinals, but ultimately nobody had an answer for Warren, which leaves the Derbyshire based rider with a healthy lead in both the SM1 and the Overall title chases and no doubt; a rather large grin on his face! The next round of the 2006 Moto GB British Supermotard Championship takes place on Sunday July 16^th at the Fast & Modified Car Show at the Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston near Edinburgh. For details please visit www.fastandmodified.com back to top

Moto GB British Supermotard Championship Round 1 - Cadwell Park

21 year old High Peak resident Christian Iddon will debut his full factory specification 550 SXV Aprilia at Round One of the 2006 Moto GB British Supermotard Championship this Saturday, May 20th at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire. This is the first time that one of the innovative full factory spec Grand Prix machines has been seen in England.

Hoping to halt Iddon in his tracks will be the cream of the UK’s fastest Supermoto riders with a smattering of foreign riders thrown into the mix.

Top British riders including Sam Warren (Aprilia UK), Andy Mitchell (Husaberg UK), Ady Smith (KTM UK), Keith Farmer (Wulfsport SMR Husaberg), James Addy (Appleyard KTM), Greg Kinsella (SD Husaberg) & Davy McKee (Alice Racing Aprilia) plus a huge supporting cast of motivated riders will all be hoping to hold back both Iddon and a brace of fast Frenchmen; Alex Thiebault (MWR) and Mickael Zammit (MWR)

The first round of the 2006 series marks a triumph for Supermoto in the UK as it underlines the strength of the ‘new for 2006’ alliance between the three member clubs; NORA Sport, MRO & Southern Supermoto. The Moto GB British Supermotard Championship is the only top flight televised series in the UK and will visit several prestigious venues during its’ six fiercely contested rounds. The series is underpinned by the highly successful NORA Sport and Southern Supermoto Championships and riders (and spectators alike) now have a vast choice of dates and venues for Supermoto racing during 2006.

Round 1 of the Moto GB British Supermotard Championship features practice & qualifying from 9.00am – 11.30am with the now traditional Supermoto ‘bar to ‘bar race action from 11.45am. Cadwell Park is located on the A153 between Louth and Horncastle. The circuit has been specially modified to provide a spectacular Supermoto layout which incorporates section of the famous ‘Woodlands’ road-race circuit.

Tickets cost £12 at the gate or £10 if pre-booked online with Motorsport Vision.

For further information:Cadwell Park: Tel: 01507 343248

or www.motorsportvision.co.uk/cadwell-park/

Moto GB: www.motogb.net back to top

April Members Competition

Win yourself a set of 12 Motorcycle Touring Maps of Britain and Ireland. These are weatherproof maps split into 12 areas of Britain and Ireland, so you only need to carry the maps you will use. You can write on - wipe off the maps, and they also include locations of biker meeting places across Britain and Ireland.

We will also throw in a CCM Owners t-shirt.

The competition is open until the end of April to all full members.

Members please log in for full details. If you are not already a member, please click on members in the main menu for more information.

Triple A Racing/Maxxis Goldspeed Competition

In December, we ran a competition in conjunction with Triple A Racing, of Manchester. They provided us with an awesome prize of a pair of Maxxis Goldspeed Street Sport tyres with a retail value of £145.70, together with runners up prizes of Maxxis Goldspeed goody bags.

Be sure to visit the Triple A Racing on-line store - For all things Supermoto!

Inside you can browse a complete range of Supermoto products, compare specifications, check prices and order items for delivery to your home or business premises. Visit store

The competition questions were set by Triple A racing, together with a tricky tiebreaker. How would you have fared?....

1) What is the phone number for Triple A Racing?

2) Name the 2005 Irish 450cc Supermoto Champion who won the title riding on Maxxis Goldspeed race tyres

3) What is the RRP excluding VAT of the latest Maxxis Goldspeed road legal, pre-cut slick front tyre?

4) What score did Supermoto Magazine give Maxxis Goldspeed Street Sport tyres in the ‘Value for Money’ category of their Supermoto tyre test shoot out?

5) Maxxis Goldspeed produce pre-cut slick rear tyres in two sizes; 160 / 60 x 17 and 165 / 56 x 17. Which size is the road legal version?

Tiebreaker (no more than 20 words) – I deserve a free pair of tyres for my CCM because……………

The competition was open to full members of the CCM Owners Group and they were breaking down the door to get their entries in for such a fabulous prize. The entries were then sent off to Triple A racing to make their decision on the winner. I'm sure the members gave them a tough run, but they came up with a winner and 2 runners up:

The winner - Robin Scales of Essex!! his winning tiebreaker -

“With Maxxis Goldspeed, I can be as good as I think I already am”

Robin wins the excellent pair of Maxxis Goldspeed Street Sport tyres. He has already taken delivery and is somewhat pleased!!

The runners up, each receiving Maxxis Goldspeed goody bags are:

Richard Smith of Devon: "If they're good enough for champions they're good enough for my CCM"

Mick Bisson of Oxfordshire: "1) Mine are trashed 2) I'm skint and 3) my Mrs says I should have them or else..."

"Hi Folks. Just a quick message to say a big thank you to you and to Triple A Racing for organising the competition. Seemed to be quite a success with many of the members getting involved and having a laugh along the way, which is exactly the way this great site is as a whole.

I've attached a photo of the Goody bag I got. Thanks again for a fantastic site and I look forward to the next competition."

Richard Smith

Well done to everyone that entered and a big thank you to Triple A Racing for coming up with a fabulous competition and prize.

Maxxis Goldspeed Tyres - what the reviews say:

".....the performance is fantastic - bags of grip, even at high angles of lean..... there's terrific wet weather performance..... Got a Supermoto? Get these on it." RIDE Magazine

".....for a genuine Supermoto all rounder do-it-all set of boots, we'd plump for the Goldspeeds which are the daddies..... a real Supermoto bargain compared with some of the others..... made the bike feel nimble and very flickable..... good grip all around the track...." Supermoto Magazine

Be sure to visit the Triple A Racing on-line store - For all things Supermoto! Inside you can browse a complete range of Supermoto products, compare specifications, check prices and order items for delivery to your home or business premises. Visit store
back to top

BIKERS UNITE FOR AFRICA!

Join Nick Sanders and the team on the Devils Run!

Devils Bridge Cumbria to Devils Bridge Wales
15th & 16th July 2006

For further information & to register visit...

http://www.devilsrun.co.uk
Book Early to Avoid disappointment

Email: devilstodevils@yahoo.co.uk back to top

Moto GB British Championship Format

Moto GB have confirmed the classes and format for the MRO organised 2006 British Supermotard Championship. The race day programme is quite unlike any other previously seen in British Supermoto racing and is aimed at adding extra value for both competitors and spectators alike.

A typical Sunday timetable will feature free practice, qualifying, two championship races per class, consolation races and the day’s climax; the Moto GB Superfinal. At first glance, this seems quite a conventional approach, but there some innovative additions which add the extra value for all concerned.

There are four 2006 British Supermotard Championship classes as follows:

SM1:              Any Supermotard machine with a cylinder capacity between 451cc & 950cc

SM2:              Any Supermotard machine with a cylinder capacity between 251cc & 450cc

SM3:              Any Supermotard machine with a cylinder capacity between 124cc & 250cc

Challenge: Any Supermotard machine with a cylinder capacity between 124cc & 950cc

Each of the above classes will feature two championship races. Due to to their higher entry limit, the SM1 & SM2 classes will also feature consolation races for non-qualifiers thus ensuring every competitor enjoys a minimum of 2 championship races.

The Moto GB Superfinal will feature the top 8 riders (based on aggregate scores from the two championship races) from SM1, SM2 & SM3. The remaining 8 places on the grid will be selected by the championship promoter. The race will be greater in duration than the other races on the card and the starting grid will be handicapped. SM3 riders will line up in the first 8 positions; SM2 riders in the next 8 positions, SM1 riders in the next 8 positions and the eight promoter’s choice riders will occupy the final grid positions.

Championship points will be scored for the first 15 places in all the individual classes and for the first 8 places in the Moto GB Superfinal. The winner of the SM1 class will be the ‘SM1 British Supermotard Champion’ with the same denomination for each of the other 3 classes whilst the top points scorer after all 6 Moto GB Superfinals will be the outright 2006 ‘British Supermotard Champion”.

British Supermotard Championship race entries will cost £85.00 with any additional classes costing £48.00. Riders cannot submit an entry for the ‘Challenge’ class alone.

An MRO Championship Conditions document giving this information in official format will be available within the next 3 weeks.

Published: 30 January 2006 back to top

Moto GB Final Supermoto Calendar for 2006 Announced

Moto GB have confirmed the final Supermoto calendar for 2006 after implementing revisions to provisional dates issued last October. The congested fixture lists of leading British Circuits have been modified due to alterations within F1, TOCA, Moto GP, and BSB schedules, leading to consequential Moto GB date revisions.

Southern Supermoto and the National Off-road Racing Association (NORA) each have only one date change, whilst the Motorcycle Racing Organisation (MRO) have some notable differences to their original schedule which include the confirmation of previous 'TBA' venues.

The Scottish round of the 2006 Moto GB British Supermotard Championship organised by MRO has been announced and features a welcome mid-season diversion from conventional racing circuits. The superbly located Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston, just outside Edinburgh is confirmed as the venue. Races will be run over the weekend in association with the hugely successful ‘Fast and Modified’ car show ensuring that thousands of new spectators to Supermoto racing witness all the action at close quarters.

Visit the ‘Fast and Modified’ website at www.fastandmodified.com

The provisionally scheduled stand-alone championship prologue however will now be filmed during the first round of the series at Cadwell Park on May 21^st, whilst other revisions relate merely to date changes at larger circuits.

Competitors have quickly recognised the cost saving benefits of the Moto GB alliance, together with a fantastic choice of events for 2006 and this has seen Moto GB licence applications reach record levels at this point pre-season.

Click here for the full 2006 events calendar

Published: 19 January 2006 back to top

2006 British Supermoto Championships: The dates and venues for the 2006 British Supermoto Championships are as follows:

Round 1: 14/15 January 2006, Three Sisters, Wigan.
Round 2: 11/12 February 2006, Three Sisters, Wigan.
Round 3: 4/5 March 2006, Three Sisters, Wigan.
Round 4: 28 May 2006, Lydd, Kent.
Round 5: 29/30 July 2006, Langbaurgh, Middlesborough.
Round 6: 23/24 September 2006, Olivers Mount, Scarborough.
Round 7: 21/22 October 2006, Three Sisters, Wigan.
Round 8: 4/5 November 2006, Rowrah, Cumbria.

CCM starts 2006 in a winning way

2006 opened with a return to the race track for the CCM factory, and what a return it was with their new FT35R flat tracker grabbing two heat wins and a semi final victory before having to settle for a lower placing in the final. Snow prevented the planned Christmas Shorttrack meeting taking place on 28th December, but with some quick rescheduling and some bright sunshine Scunthorpe Raceway was in great shape when the action took place on 2nd January.

British superbike supreme Steve Plater headlined the CCM assault, with Andrew Moore of Elite League Speedway fame stepping in at the last minute to ride the second machine prepared by the Bolton based manufacturer.

Despite the great pre-race expectation surrounding Plater's debut aboard the FT35R, it was actually Moore who proved to be the sensation of the show by grabbing a heat win first time out. Whilst Plater continued to adapt well to this new discipline throughout the day, and transferred to the final by virtue of some safe and consistent riding, Moore was simply on a charge.

Another heat win saw Moore through to the second semi, here he produced the ride of the day to come from second to last to take an emphatic win against an experienced and quality field. This was an incredible feat when you realise that little over six months ago CCM's FT35R was no more than a concept drawing, but here at the first ever competitive outing it was winning races.

Unfortunately, Moore was unable to repeat his form in the grand final, and had to pass the mantle to Plater to be the highest placed CCM rider across the line on this occasion. After twelve furious laps and with ten riders fighting it out, Plater's experience brought him home with a result both he and CCM could be proud of during this, their first collaboration.

Confirming that he had enjoyed his day Plater commented. "I only managed to get in ten laps practice, three heats which saw me into the semi final where I managed to qualify for the final. It was a really good day and a great experience thanks to CCM, which I thoroughly made the most of. I'm hoping to compete in a few more races throughout the year around my road racing calendar."

CCM's Managing Director Gary Harthern remarked. "It was great to see CCM back racing again, and winning races first time out was far more than we expected. We are planning on running two or three guest riders at all the Shorttrack meetings this year, so hopefully we can build on success we have had at Scunthorpe and become a real force to be reckoned with."

For more details about short track racing in the UK please visit www.shorttrackuk.com

A full resume of Steve Plater's racing career can be found at www.steveplater.com

Press Release 06/01/06 back to top

Moto GB Announce New British Supermoto Venue

The Moto GB alliance, today, continued with their stated mission of improving the profile and professionalism of British Supermoto events by announcing a new venue for British Supermoto racing.

Moto GB comprising of Southern Supermoto, the National Off-road Racing Association (NORA) and the Motorcycle Racing Organisation (MRO) recently agreed to pool their resources in order to deliver cost savings and greater choice for their members together with safety improvements and increased professionalism to British Supermoto events across the board. Today’s announcement is seen as an emphatic demonstration of the continuing implementation of this process.

The new venue is Teesside Autodrome near Middlesborough in the North East of England. This superb venue has recently undergone wide-ranging enhancements, with a major circuit extension and increased facilities being added as the first part of an impressive and long term development plan for the former British Steelworks site. At 2.1 kilometres in length and with many different layout permutations, thanks to pro-active planning, the circuit offers Supermoto Racing exciting new challenges. The Teesside circuit development team are currently reviewing options for a new Supermoto off-road section as part of the overall circuit enhancements and Moto GB have pledged their support to the team over this coming winter.

As part of this support package, Moto GB enlisted the services of British Superstar Christian Iddon to test the circuit’s suitability for Supermoto racing. Iddon is highly qualified to assess the unique challenges and safety aspects of a prospective Supermoto venue as he currently enjoys the status of Britain’s most successful Supermoto Racer. The recent addition of the Moto 1 Crown, to his impressive long list of achievements, merely underlines the young Derbyshire rider’s all round talent and suitability for the job.

“This is a brilliant venue” said Iddon after the exhaustive 4 hour test. “There’s a real variety of corners; fast and slow, there’s some great gradient changes, which add interest plus it’s multi-directional. If the new off-road section is as good as the existing tarmac circuit, this might just be the best Supermoto venue in Britain”

Press Release 31.10.05 www.motogb.net

For further details of Teesside Autodrome; www.teessideautodrome.co.uk
For further details on Christian Iddon; www.christianiddon.com back to top

Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship battle recommences at Rowrah

After a long lay-off the simmering battle between Winstanley and Iddon is set to continue at the fifth round of the Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship on the 6^th November at the Rowrah circuit in Cumbria.

Looking back, it was June of last year that the British series last made a visit to the circuit located on the Western edge of the Lakes District National Park. It was Christian Iddon in the SM1 (Open) class who dealt best with the conditions that included intermittent rain and interrupted racing with two wins. In the SM2 (450cc) class KTM mounted Winstanley had a good day to extend his lead with a double win.

Little has changed this year with the SM1 rivalry between Christian Iddon and Matt Winstanley proving to be one of the highlights of the 2005 Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship. Following some heated moments at Rockingham the two were at it again in round four with the second SMI race at Sunderland producing an absolute thriller. The pair clashed on several occasions with Iddon gaining the “upper hand” on the day despite broken bones in his wrist and hand sustained in an earlier fall.

It didn’t go all their way though, with Warren stealing Winstanley’s thunder in the opening SM2 race picking up his first win of the season following on from a pole in SM1. Belgian ace Fred Fiorentino kept them honest virtually claiming the third podium step as his own with up and comers James Addy and Matt Gordon forcing their way into the top five for the first time in the SM2 class.

Another to look out for at Rowrah is local lad Chris Hodgson from nearby Maryport in Cumbria. Riding a KTM in the SM2 class he has put in some good results this year and is on the verge of breaking into the top 10 on a regular basis.

As with other British Championship rounds Saturday 5^th is a practice day with the main event commencing on Sunday 6^th November from 9.30am. The Rowrah circuit is situated near the coastal town of Whitehaven in Cumbria. Further information on the event is available through the British Supermoto Championship website, www.britishsupermoto.com.

01.11.05 back to top

"Joe Maxwell Engineering was established in 1973 in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, and have been actively involved in engineering from agricultural, precision engineering to developing and manufacturing sub-sea equipment.

As a company, we have always had a keen interest in building, tuning and racing motorcycles, and have taken this a stage further by manufacturing frame kits, wheels etc. for a range of classic motorcycles. Classic Motorcycles such as CCM.

We are working in conjunction with CCM Motorcycles. We will be continuing to produce the classic machinery.

With kind permission from Mr Alan Clews, the creator of the CCM Motorcycle, we have reproduced the 1974 model. CCM(Clews Competition Motorcycle) is a classic motorcycle conceived by Alan Clews in 1970s.

These bikes are being successfully ridden by Scott Maxwell and ex-CCM factory rider, Mike Barnes. We intend to manufacture parts including Frame Kits, Wheels and Hubs, also gear box parts or complete clusters with splined clutch centres and electronic ignition at affordable prices.

See us at the Motorcycle show at NEC, Birmingham, 27th October -> 6th November."

Thanks to CCM Motorcycles, we were able to send one of our members and a guest to the NEC Motorcycle Show on the press day. This is what he had to say:

"The girl in front of me wearing the briefest of latex shorts and a top the size of a fan belt seemed to be heading for the CCM stand, I followed. I should have known better, on she wiggled to the KTM stand next door, I, however, resisted the allure of the beautiful, tempting, sultry models there, both bikes and girls, and instead stopped at the CCM stand. No girls in latex and fan belts here, something else as attractive caught my eye, the R35. This is the way CCM should be going instead of, in my opinion now I have seen it in the flesh, the truly hideous FT35. As I said in the Forum, when the first pictures were released, it really does look like something someone’s made in their garage on Heartbeat, from the fuel tank, which looks like it was constructed by Blunkett & Wonder Sheet Metal Works, to the exhaust bracket, which looks like it was made by hand with a bolster chisel, to the headlight assembly, which looks like half of a Cyborgs helmet. How can something like this come from the same factory as the gorgeous R35. As you may gather I didn’t like the FT35, some may say it’s an acquired taste but I fail to see how someone could acquire a taste for this. My apologies if you like it but I really can’t see a) them selling enough to make it pay and b) it catching on with other manufacturers, I may be wrong, after all I think Keira Knightley’s a bit odd looking and the Honda X11 was a good looking bike so it could be CCM’s big success story.

The R35 is a different story though, how can Suzuki hope to compete with this with their DRZ400SM, where the Suzuki is a bit bland looking the R35 looks as sharp as a razor, where the Suzuki has dated, yawn inducing looks the R35 looks like it’s arrived from the future, even the build quality on the R35 looks top quality, time, though, will be the test for this. CCM really seem to have got it right, the way the exhaust downpipe bends around the frame is simply exquisite, the “alien” type headlight is the type that everyone knew looked good for years and have been junking their original lights for, the contours of the tank, beautiful, the swinging arm, beautiful, the digital instruments, beautiful, in fact, if it had a 650 engine I’d buy one tomorrow and there’s the only problem, I think it will just be too slow for most people. I’ll wait till the version with the Suzuki SV650 engine comes out. Are you listening CCM?

The CCM stand itself? A bit of a disappointment. Obviously pride of place went to the FT35 resplendant on its plinth in the centre, apart from this the only new bikes there were three R35’s and an R30, the rest of the stand being filled with various old machines, nice to see a few but not everyones cup of tea .

The rest of the show is as you would expect and have been going to for years. Plenty of cheap deals on helmets, clothing etc, an off road experience which you have to book for and loads of overpriced food. The highlights for me were KTM 950 supermoto, a supermoto you CAN go to the South of France on, the orange Yamaha 660 supermoto which looks like a KTM with reliability, and (honestly) the R35 which, in my opinion, is the best looking bike there."

CCM launches another new model on the count down to the NEC show

With only a little over a week to go now before the start of the International Motorcycle show at the NEC, Birmingham – British manufacturer CCM has launched its second new model in as many months, as the company goes from strength to strength under its new ownership.

The R35 is the latest in the R model series from the Bolton based bike maker, and uses a winning formula that has been updated with both flair and attitude. The R35 carries the smaller 400cc liquid cooled power plant compared to its more established R30 elder brother, which will continue to be produced alongside this new model. Breathing through a 36 mm Mikuni carb, the compact engine provides incredible torque throughout its 5 speed gearbox.

The steel tubular frame is cushioned by White Power suspension front and back, fully adjustable 48mm diameter forks are designed to give positive feedback to the rider and are beautifully matched to the multi setting PDS rear shock.

Adding to the sports theme, Brembo braking systems offer great stopping power with a 320mm diameter disc at the front and a 220mm at the rear. Performance is matched with comfort with a pair of broad 17 inch wheels.

The stunning body work is available in five vibrant colours, and along with Magura fat bars and the latest Acumen digital speedo, are all presented as standard production options .

For those customers looking to make their R35 even more unique, custom variations such as carbon rims, magnesium wheel kits, 450cc stage 1 big bore kits, power silencers, rear foot rests and carbon body work can all be specified at the time of ordering.

“ It is a very exciting period for CCM, we are still dealing with the interest created by the launch of the FT35 flat tracker, and before that has had time to subside we are now launching yet another new model. The R35 is a clear statement that CCM has not lost sight of its core customers and is sure to be a favourite amongst CCM owners both old and new. ” Commented CCM’s Managing Director Gary Harthern.

“ The factory is a real hive of activity right now, as everyone is working hard to put the finishing touches to the bikes we will present to both the press and the public at the NEC in just over seven days time. Both the FT35 and the R35 mark yet another chapter in CCM’s rich history, and have certainly re-established the brand in the market as a niche British manufacturer of quality and bespoke bikes.” Continued Harthern.

Both the R35 and FT35 will be officially launched at the International Motorcycle show at the NEC on Thursday 27th October at 1pm – Stand T201 Hall 19.

Ex CCM riders Niall Mackenzie and Nick Jefferies will be interviewed by Jack Burnicle prior to the new models being unveiled.

Full details on the new R35 are available at www.ccm-motorcycles.net

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The Thunder Rolls on as British bike maker CCM takes a brave new step

Bolton based CCM motorcycles is set to enter a bold new era when it launches its brand new FT35S model at the International Motorcycle show at the NEC later this year. The street version of its American style flat tracker marks a radical shift in direction for the British manufacturer, although the new model does take strong influences from the firms successful off road history.

Following a buy out late last year CCM is now back in the care of the Clews family who originally started the company back in the early seventies. However whilst founder Alan Clews remains a big part of today’s business, it’s his son in law Gary Harthern who is the new driving force and providing the much needed finances for this exciting new project.

“ I think what CCM needed was a fresh set of eyes and a clear vision of where it is going in the future. Whilst we will continue with the R30 and other new similar models, I wanted to create a new ethos that would reach out to the road riders, but give them something a bit different. CCM has a great off road tradition, and I believe that the FT35 range will be great for riders who are looking for excitement without the need for getting dirty.” Explained Harthern.

The FT35S prototype is currently going through its final phases regarding cosmetic styling, but will closely resemble the original drawings shown here, when it is revealed in the flesh to the public in October. The plan is for the road going range to have three engine sizes. With a 400cc single, a bigger 650 cc single and maybe even a 750 cc twin currently being evaluated, all are believed to breath through Mukuni carbs.

The retro style American flat track racer is based on a completely new chassis that has a much reduced seat height compared to any previous CCM model, and that has an ultra low centre of gravity to give the bike a very nimble feel whilst still maintaining straight line stability at speed.

The White Power upside down forks have reduced travel to suit, as does the oversized White Power single rear shock that connects to an all new, shorter cast aluminium swing arm without the need for any linkage. Brembo callipers front and rear will provide the stopping power, whilst the K+N type air filter and low slung exhaust give the FT35S that real Harley flat tracker feel.

Alongside the road going range CCM is also developing a full on race model that will not be street legal, as it will be stripped bare, with all the lights and unnecessary parts being removed to save weight where at all possible. The idea behind this is to create a bike purely for track use, either for fun or for proper competition use. CCM’s Sales and Competition Manager, Austin Clews has admitted that they have been watching closely the emergence of the British flat track scene and he hasn’t ruled out a full factory assault on the series next year.

“ A big part of CCM’s heritage has been its racing success, so it would be great to recreate some of that winning magic back on the track. Winning at the weekend does certainly help selling bikes in the week, but at the moment our resources are being directed in to making sure that the FT35S is a real object of desire by the time it reaches the dealers’ showrooms.” Commented Austin.

Production is scheduled for early 2006 with initial customers expected to take delivery of this very special machine late in the first quarter of this year. Anyone wanting to get their hands on one of the first batch as they roll of the production line shouldn’t delay in placing their order, as an undisclosed overseas customer has already placed a sizeable order after having seen the factory drawings and proto type machine. At the time of going to press no price had been confirmed, but it is expected to be in the region of the existing R30 model range when it is officially launched.

Full details on the new FT range are available at www.ccm-motorcycles.net

New end can available from Sportax Motorcycles

Sportax Motorcycles have had a new end can made by DEP for the CCM 604e.

This will fit straight onto existing mid pipes for CCM 604e.

Suitable for enduro riders, below 94db!

Retail: £157 + vat / carriage.

Sportax also have cam belts available at £12.50 plus VAT.

Please contact Malcom or Tara at Sportax Motorcycles for more information.

15.08.05 back to top

Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship finale now at Three Sisters

Series organisers are pleased to announce that the final round of the Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship will now be held at the Three Sisters circuit in Wigan on the 4^th December following the cancellation of the next round at Scarborough.

Scarborough track owners have indicated that the off-road section of the track would not be ready in time for the fifth round of the British Championship which was scheduled to be held on the 25^th September. The decision to withdraw well in advance of the September date has given organisers and riders plenty of time to make alternative arrangements.

British Supermoto Championship spokesperson Eddie Nelson said that the Scarborough track owners remained totally committed to Supermoto and hoped to host a round next year.

“The track owners took the sensible decision under the circumstances to cancel the meet and have given us plenty of time to arrange an alternative date and venue. All parties are obviously disappointed but we are all hopeful of seeing Supermoto at Scarborough next season.”

This announcement means that the next round of the British Supermoto Championship will be at Rowrah in Cumbria on November 6^th. With the final round at Three Sisters not until December a number of initiatives can now be planned by organisers to see out the 2006 season in style.

Further details will be available shortly on the Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship website www.britishsupermoto.com. Entry forms can be obtained as usual through the AMCA, contact number 01543 466282.

CCM supports five day classic extravaganza in the Lake District

CCM Motorcycles is proud to announce that it will take pride of place as title sponsor for the forth coming Nostalgia event to be run by the Kendal Classic Motorcycle Club from 17th through to 21st August 2005 inclusive. More info on event - click here.

This well established event, now in its third year, has attracted riders from all over the UK. The traditional scramble on the Sunday will be a suitably prestigious finale to this classic sporting occasion with many well known names from yester era competing for top honours.

CCM will be in full attendance with key factory personnel on hand to answer any questions about the full range of models that the Bolton based British manufacturer will have on display.

The five days of activity will kick off on Wednesday 17th August with a road bike tour of the famous Lake District conducted by Robert Wilson who has a wealth of FIM rally experience. The following day (Thursday 18th August) will see the action shift away from the tarmac, as Maurice Newsham of TRF and ISDT fame heads a trail ride of Howgill Fells.

The off road theme will continue on Friday 19th August as Maurice Newsham is joined by his team to offer an extensive trail around this beautiful region, the routes being both suitable and open to both modern and classic machines.

Saturday 20th August marks the start of the competitive action as the Greeves supported trial gets under way. In addition to this there will be an even bigger and better display of classic bikes and a good selection of trade stands to make it a show within a show. The well known rider Peter Gaunt is this year’s guest of honour.

This great five day classic extravaganza will be brought to a close by the scramble that will take place on Sunday 21st August, as veteran rider Jimmy Aird looks to retain his title as man of the meeting, which he gained twelve months ago.

This is a not to be missed event, and one that CCM is extremely proud to be associated with. For more information about the various activities please contact Peter Remington on 01539 560695.

Ironman Iddon wins awesome SM1 battle despite broken hand

The SM1 rivalry between Iddon and Winstanley is proving to be one of the highlights of this year’s Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship and following on from some heated moments at Rockingham the two were at it again in the second SM1 race of the day which proved to be an absolute thriller. The pair were embroiled in a tense battle for much of the race after Warren was overtaken early on by Winstanley. The KTM rider was then relegated to second after a clash with Iddon on the final turn followed by a near miss on the start/finish straight. Iddon went on to take the win despite broken bones in his wrist and hand sustained after a fall in the first SM1 race.

It didn’t go all their way though, with Warren stealing Winstanley’s thunder in the opening SM2 race picking up his first win of the season following on from a pole in SM1. Fiorentino kept them honest virtually claiming the third podium step as his own with up and comers James Addy and Matt Gordon forcing their way into the top five in the SM2 class.

SM1 Qualifying

Sam Warren was on it for SM1 qualifying posting his first pole of the season by just a few hundredths of a second over Matt Winstanley with Christian Iddon almost half a second further back.

1. Sam Warren, 2. Matt Winstanley, 3. Christian Iddon

SM2 Qualifying

Matt Winstanley was the only rider in the SM2 class to record a time in the 1 minute 10’s with Sam Warren continuing his strong form to place second. Fred Fiorentino was third with a welcome return to the front row for Rob Cross in fourth.

1. Matt Winstanley, 2. Sam Warren, 3. Fred Fiorentino

(SM2 Race 1) Maiden win for Warren

Matt Winstanley took the holeshot in the first race of the day but wasn’t able to hold the lead for long after a low speed fall dropped him to eighth. This allowed Sam Warren to snatch the lead on the first lap and promoted Rob Cross to second which he held for most of the race before a fall in the dirt section denied him of his first podium.

Warren was able to maintain the lead for the entire race despite some very close attention from Cross then newcomer James Addy who following a tough round at Rockingham found some form and finished the race in a commendable fourth place. Fiorentino as always was lurking in the lead bunch and a hard charging Winstanley fought his way back through the pack to finish second. Warren though wasn’t going to be denied and he took the chequered flag for a well deserved first win of the season.

1. Sam Warren, 2. Matt Winstanley, 3. Fred Fiorentino

(SM1 Race 1) Winstanley wins battle with Warren

Warren was in the thick of it once again in the SM1 race taking the holeshot and holding the lead position for half the race over Winstanley and Iddon. Iddon got past Matt on the first lap to take second before he went down in the dirt section on lap four breaking bones in his wrist and hand which allowed Winstanley and Fiorentino through.

Winstanley eventually got past Warren who was then caught by Fiorentino who had a bad start and finally Iddon on the second last lap. Speaking after the race Winstanley said the first SM1 race was a reasonably straight forward affair.

“I messed up in the first SM2 race and went a little hot into the corner. The track was still a bit cold and I lost the front-end letting Sam through. In the SM1 race Christian got past me at the start but then he fell and I got around Sam by the middle of the race. The only job then was to avoid the back-markers.”

1. Matt Winstanley, 2. Fred Fiorentino, 3. Christian Iddon

(SM2 Race 2) Winstanley back to the fore

After something of an upset in the first SM2 race Winstanley returned to his winning ways in the second outing of the day taking a relatively easy win. Warren though was out to keep him honest and pushed him as hard as he could finishing seven seconds in arrears. He was though a little lucky to get to the grid after trouble starting his bike in pit lane. Fred Fiorentino once again rounded out the podium with another fine third place finish.

Rob Cross’ bad luck continued following a storming start which saw him hold down fourth place in the early part of the race before another DNF prematurely ended his day. This elevated Matt Gordon to fourth at the finish which capped off his fifth in the first SM2 race. Warren said that it had been a really good day.

“It’s been a good day out. Picking up my first win of the season is great plus a pole position in SM1 was a real bonus. I pushed Matt as hard as I could in that race and kept him honest.”

1. Matt Winstanley, 2. Sam Warren, 3. Fred Fiorentino

(SM1 Race 2) Iddon wins a cracker

The two great protagonists put on a fantastic show for the final race of the day with Warren and Fiorentino in the mix to make a freight train of four riders making many a back-marker rather nervous. It was Warren who drew first blood taking the holeshot and held the lead for the first couple of laps. Winstanley eventually got past him and then a coming together on the final turn allowed Iddon to take the lead. This was followed by the two nearly clashing again on the start/finish straight.

With everyone holding their breath the Husaberg and KTM riders fought tooth and nail for the remainder of the race. Completely oblivious to the goings on behind them Fiorentino and Warren closed in with third place also changing hands a number of times over the last few laps. It was Iddon though in the end who won out taking the narrowest of wins from Winstanley with Fiorentino third.

1. Christian Iddon, 2. Matt Winstanley, 3. Fred Fiorentino

(SM4) Dichello all class

Gennaro Dichello continues to lead by example in the SM4 class for Junior’s picking up another clean sweep of a pole position and two wins. In fact, his qualifying time on the little 80cc machine would put him on the back row of the grid in both the SM1 and SM2 main events such is the young riders class. Keeping him honest are the two Oliver’s of Pope and Harrison with Lewis Cornish coming home third overall on the day.

SM4 Overall: 1. Gennaro Dichello, 2. Oliver Pope, 3. Lewis Cornish

Naturally Best, Rider of the Day

The cheque for the Naturally Best, Rider of the Day has already done some travelling this year heading over to Belgium in the hands of Fred Fiorentino at the last Sunderland outing. This time its gone West to Ireland courtesy of Irish Supermoto champion Greg Kinsella. Having very nearly won the award last time out at the Warden Law Motorsport Centre Greg qualified well in SM1 and had some bad luck in the second SM2 race. He then fought back from 25^th to eighth in the final SM1 race.

British Supermoto Championship heads North once again

The Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship will be heading North once again this weekend for the fourth round of the series at the Warden Law Motorsport Centre in Sunderland which will feature a completely resurfaced off-road section.

More than a 100 riders, representing the biggest contingent of starters for a championship round for some time made the inaugural trip to the Rockingham Motor Speedway just out of Corby in the Midlands a fortnight ago and what a weekend it was.

They loved and hated the track in equal measures with many rating the long straight and corner nestled against the Turn 4 grandstand as being one of the best yet seen in Supermoto. Throw into the hat a treacherous first corner transition which caused much heartache and tears and we had a true spectacle at the Rock.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Vivaldi British Supermoto Championship was last at the Sunderland Karting NE circuit (May 31). It generated its own excitement with the first race of the day witness to the biggest and most spectacular crash seen in the British Championship this year.

With a number of riders falling on the first corner right in front of a chasing pack all the ingredients were there for a major incident. As a testament to the toughness of Supermoto riders they all got up, dusted themselves down and got stuck back into it.

As with Rockingham it will be KTM rider Matt Winstanley along with Husaberg pilots Christian Iddon and Belgian Fred Fiorentino who will consistently be in the fight for the podium places in the SM1 and SM2 classes. They aren’t the only ones though, that are likely to be at the pointy end of the field. Look out for emerging talent Sam Warren who will be pushing the established front runners all the way as will Ady Smith who has broken his run of bad luck with his first podium for the season at the Motor Speedway.

As with other British Championship rounds Saturday 13th August is a practice day with the action proper commencing on Sunday 14th August from 10am. For information on the Karting North East circuit including directions logon to www.kartingnortheast.com and click on the “About Us” section.

This is a not to be missed event, and one that CCM is extremely proud to be associated with. For more information about the various activities please contact Peter Remington on 01539 560695.

Warren wraps up SM1 title

News Release: Tuesday 12th September, 2006 back to top

News Release: Tuesday 12^th September, 2006 back to top