Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club National and Junior + Senior TAG Endurance Motorcycle Championship and MotoGrande – Round One at Anglesey Coastal, North Wales on 18 + 19th April 2008 – words by Alfonso Lygo and images by britishsportphotography.com

Anglesey Start - Dry at the moment!	Team RHR - Junior 1000 Class Winners	Senior 1000 Winners - Throttle Monkey 72 Racing

MotoGrande - Race 1 - 18 laps

Despite starting from pole, Ian Courts (Suz 600) had to wait until the closing stages of the race to nail the win. For most of the time it was eventual second place Ian Roebuck (Kaw 600) who diced with Honda Hornet mounted Martin Stanier rounding off the top three. Whilst the naked 600 was fastest around the twists and turns it lost out on the short straights. The Kawasaki ZX10R of Phil Muldowney was the first one litre machine home finishing in fourth.

Results
1            Ian Courts*                              
2            Ian Roebuck                     
3            Martin Stanier                       
4            Phil Muldowney*                     
6            Darren Brearley                     
7            Dirk Diggler                       
8            Ed Pashley                       
9            Steve Callahan                    
10            Matt Iddon                       
11            Rob Knoyle
12            Gary Bransgrove           
13            Ben Muldowney                       
* Class winner
Fastest Lap             Ian Courts            1m 14.151s            75.252 mph

MotoGrande - Race 2 - 18 laps

The second encounter was a wet race and it was Martin Stainer (Honda Hornet 600) who shot off into the lead, as the race progressed GBMoto Junior racer Phill Clarke (ZX6R) overhauled the similar machine of Ian Roebuck to chase down Stainer getting his nose ahead at The Banking before easing off to finish second. In third place was the Kawasaki 600 of Clarke's team mate Samantha Godfrey who put in a solid performance, the top six were rounded off by Rob Knoyle, Ed Pashley (Triumph 675) and Aaron Hobart (Yam R6).

Results
1            Martin Stanier*                    
2            Phill Clarke                     
3            Samantha Godfrey         
4            Ed Pashley                     
5            Aaron Hobart                    
6            Rob Knoyle *                      
* Class winner
Fastest Lap            Martin Stanier            1m 26.074s            64.828 mph

Junior TAG Endurance Championship

2007 champion Mark Linscott (Team Trackcraft) was the only rider to break into the 1m 13s during early morning practice to secure pole position.

At the drop of the Welsh flag it was Wild West Wacing (Ross Millar/Rob Devall) who took an early lead ahead of Trackcraft (Linscott/Mike Dickenson) and Gasi Racing (Grant + wife Helen Gaskins, a paramedic). A pattern emerged of Trackcraft and MC Racing (Mark Wadeson/Jason McKinnon) swapping the lead until just after the 30 minute mark when Linscott was bought in for passing under a yellow flag, a punishment administered to MC Racing only minutes later. A brief shower coated the track at the half way stage bringing out the pace car followed by a rash of pit stops. Team RHR (Paul Evans/Robin Hooker) seized the opportunity to establish a one lap lead over Throttle Monkey (Geoff Rhodes/Dion Robinson) and Trackcraft.

In the closing stages of the two hour race, there were five teams on the same lap with Trackcraft lapping 2 seconds a lap quicker than the rest. RHR made the most of pit stops, pace car appearances and traffic to take the win by over a minute from Trackcraft with Freaks of Nature Too (Mark Whiston/Dave Stewardson) and Team Throttle Monkeys. ETA Racing (Ian Courts/Darren Brearley) who were the fist Junior 600 team home in 8th place.

Results
1            Team RHR*                        88 laps
2            Team Trackcraft                        88 laps
3            Freaks of Nature Too            87 laps
4            Team Throttle Monkey            87 laps
5            Combined Stabilisation            87 laps
6            Co-Ordit Racing                        86 laps
7            Wild West Wacing            85 laps
8            ETA Racing*                        85 laps
9            Team MIB                        84 laps
10            MC Racing                        84 laps
11            SMF Racing                        83 laps
12            Dos Albaniles                        83 laps
13            DNR Motorsport                        83 laps
14            RC Racing                        83 laps
15            Rawlings Racing            83 laps
16            Black Cat Racing            83 laps
17            Team Monkey Six            83 laps
18            SOBER                                    82 laps
19            Name With Held                        82 laps
20            GBMoto Junior                        82 laps
21            Gasi Racing                        81 laps
22            Roundall Racing                        80 laps
23            Freaks of Nature            79 laps
24            Pirate Racing                        79 laps
25            Sorrymate.com Racing            78 laps
26            Advance Bike Shipping            43 laps
27            Radtec Racing                        30 laps
28            S and P Racing                        9 laps
DQ            Spellfame Racing            84 laps
* Class winner
Fastest Lap             Team Trackcraft                        1m 12.719s             76.734 mph

National + Senior TAG Endurance

Sweatshop Moores Racing 2 (Hugh Brasher/Nick Roake/John Paul-Scott/Yamaha R1) dug deep in Saturday qualifying to grab pole from 2007 Champions GBMoto (Mark Smith Halvorsen/Mick Godfrey/Mike Dickenson/Yamaha R1) who struggled with gear selection problems in the windy conditions. Last year's Supersport 600 champs Moores Racing (Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/Jim Agombar/R6) were third fastest ahead of series newcomers - Throttle Monkey 72 Racing (Andy McKnight/Eric Chitty/Kevin Doughty).

Overnight rain persisted and continued throughout most of the day, after an overnight engine transplant it was GBMoto who took a short lead from Sweatshop Moores who retook the front spot early before the first wave of pit stops at the hour mark. After 90 minutes of racing second place GBMoto pitted with electrical problems, temporarily fixed with a new battery and loosing 7 minutes. Following a tyre change for leaders on the road Sweatshop Moores it was the other Moores Racing 600 that took the lead in front of GBMoto, Throttle Monkey and Team Viking (Paul Clarke/Crispin d'Albertanson). Moores Racing was out after Mike Eglington dropped the R6 at the entry to Rocket, rendering the bike unrecoverable. Whilst the pace car was out GBMoto came to sort out the rectifier problem. After two hours Sweatshop Moores were 2 laps ahead of the well ridden Team Viking Honda 600 and track day warriors Throttle Monkey surprised themselves by producing the fastest lap of the day.

At the half way point last years champion Mark Smith Halvorsen fell at the Banking necessitating the pace car to put in another appearance, the rider was shaken but in one piece and the R1 was recovered by team mate Mick Godfrey who returned to the pits to 'make adjustments'. Sweatshop Moores held a 2 lap lead over the mercurial Team Viking, with Darkside Endurance (Andy Buik/Nigel Slater/Kevin Upstone/R6) and Throttle Monkey another two laps away. For a while Team Viking was in the lead before being reeled in by the larger machine of Sweatshop Moores.

Come three quarter distance the GBMoto went down at Rocket with Mick Godfrey, rider OK but the R1 was now unrideable so it was game over! With an hour to run Sweatshop Moores held a slender lead over Team Viking who were comfortable ahead of Throttle Monkey, Darkside, TCP Racing (Paul Flemans/Craig McMullen/Tim Fergus) and newcomers Team First Form (Paul Robey/Tim Westley/ZX10R). In the closing stages, with 20 minutes to run, the top five teams were all on consecutive laps and as if that wasn't close enough Sweatshop Moores won ahead of Team Viking, on the same lap with Throttle Monkey in a solid third, TCP getting excited completing the penultimate lap via the gravel track secured a well deserved fourth ahead of Darkside, Team First Form, Phoenix Endurance who had a quiet race to finish in seventh.

Results
1            Sweatshop Moores Racing 2*            244 laps
2            Team Viking*                                    244 laps
3            Throttle Monkey 72 Racing*            243 laps
4            TCP Racing                                    241 laps
5            Darkside Endurance                        241 laps
6            Team First Form Racing                        235 laps
7            Phoenix Endurance                        235 laps
8            Black Flag Racing*                        234 laps
9            Best Choice                                    227 laps
10            AMA Racing                                    217 laps
11            GBMoto                                    161 laps
12            Moores Racing                                    77 laps
*Class winner
Fastest Lap            Sweatshop Moores Racing            1m 17.384s            72.108mph