Hottrax Motorsport Racing Club National and Junior + Senior TAG Endurance Motorcycle Championships– Round Two at Snetterton, Nofolk on 17 + 18th May 2008 – words by Alfonso Lygo

Junior TAG Endurance Championship

A massive entry of 68 riders and 34 machines assembled on the grid for the 2 hour Junior TAG Endurance race in damp conditions at the Snetterton circuit. First round winners Team RHR (Robin Hooker/Stephan Capella) failed to make the grid following a testing accident by Capella leaving Team Trackcraft (Mark Linscott/Mike Dickenson) to take a wet pole position with a time of 1m 16.945s. New to series, IBEX Scaffolding Race Team (Kevin Maxted/Neil Gregory) impressed as next fastest with Gregory in only his fourth ever race. Top 600 outfit were Sorrymate.com (Jenny Tinmouth/Fergus Dalgarno) who were sixth fastest overall.

After the start it was Trackcraft who established and maintained a sensible lead to keep out of trouble for the duration of the race. IBEX had been caught out by the flag, initially loosing ground on the front of the field, but some sterling riding by track day instructor Maxted had them at the sharp end again. Carl Costa managed to dump his Triumph 675 only five minutes after starting the race after an unfortunate highside, whilst Team MIB struggeld for reliabilty following a practice excursion off the track.

At the half way point Trackcraft held a 90 second advantage over IBEX with Freaks of Nature Too (Mark Whiston/Dave Stewardson) and 2007 race winners, Co-Ordit Racing (Dave Wardle/Ian Walker) a lap down.

During the final hour of the race we saw Co-Ordit displace Freaks of Nature Too, Advance Bike Shipping (Mike Bull/Jason Pittaway) were fifth and the top six were rounded off by TCP Racing (Paul Flemans/Tim Fergus). In the 600 Junior race the very steady ETA Racing (Ian Courts/Darren Brearley) nailed top spot and 11th overall from DNR Motorsport (Richard Payne/Dave Brooking) and Sorrymate.com - all covered by less than a minute. Husband and wife team - Gasi Racing (Grant + Helen Gaskins) finished fourth a lap ahead of GBMoto Junior (Sam Godfrey/Phill Clarke), Lightside Endurance (Darren Nichols/Andy Buik) completed the top six. Trackcraft produced the fastest lap of the race at 1m 13.054s.

This was Mike Dickenson's only ride of the weekend - where BSB clashes with the HMRC championship the consistantly talented South African will fill in for regualr rider Pete Jennings who will be chasing points at British Superbike meetings.

Results

1            Team Trackcraft                                   94 laps *
2            IBEX Scaffolding racing Team                93 laps
3            Co-Ordit Race Team                             92 laps
4            Freaks of Nature Too                           92 laps
5            Advance Bike Shipping                        91 laps
6            TCP                                                  89 laps
7            Spellframe Racing                               89 laps
8            Name With Held                                 89 laps
9            Team Throttle Monkey                        89 laps
10          Team MIB                                          88 laps
11          ETA Racing                                        88 laps *
12          DNR Motorsport                                  88 laps
13          Sorrymate.com                                   88 laps
14          SMF Racing                                       88 laps
15          Dos Albaniles                                    87 laps
16          Rawlings Racing                                 87 laps
17          Team Sober                                       87 laps
18          Gasi Racing                                       87 laps
19          GBMoto Junior                                   86 laps
20          GT Racing                                         85 laps
21          Lightside Endurance                           85 laps
22          Damoose Racing                                84 laps
23          Team Monkey 6                                 83 laps
24          Twinwoods Racing                             82 laps
25          Freaks of Nature                                82 laps
26          Team Tortoise                                   81 laps
27          Pirate Racing                                    80 laps
28          Round All Racing                               77 laps
29          Rabbitt Racing                                  76 laps
30          Whitewall Racing                              66 laps
31          RC Racing                                       34 laps
32          S and P Racing                                30 laps
33          Radtec Racing                                 19 laps
DNS        Team RHR                                      88 laps *

* Class Winners

Fastest Lap Junior 100                        Team Trackcraft           1m 13.054s
Fastest Lap Junior 600                        Sorrymate.com            1m 13.347s

National + Senior TAG Endurance

Pole for the six hour encounter was snatched by last year's champions GBMoto (Mark Smith Halvorsen/Mick Godfrey/Pete Jennings/R1) from BSB refugees Co-Ordit Racing (Pete Bradshaw/Phil Bevan/Richard Cooper/R1) only minutes after GBMoto had stopped out on the circuit with electrical problems. Pre race testing included a spill for Macca as well as an engine change. Their pole time was set at 1m 10.474s, almost half a second quicker than Co-Ordit. Third fastest were Sweatshop Moores Racing 2 (Hugh Brasher/Nick Roake/John Paul Scott/R1), winners of the first round at Anglesey. A big pat on the back for Ducks Cross Racing (Jon Railton/Grant Wagstaff/Martin Landmann/R6) who were quicker than the Moores Racing R6 (Tony Jimenez/Mike Eglington/JimAgombar) - looks like a Yamaha lock out! The Moores R6 was rebuilt following Mike Eglington's crash at Anglesey a month ago, Mike also had the job of setting the bike up for Snetterton. Ducks Cross's Jon Railton will be having a busy year juggling HMRC, national Supersport racing and more importantly; his A levels.

It was good to see Co-Ordit at Snetterton with a strong rider line up - team proncipal Pete Bradshaw takes his racing very seriously and is no slouch, joining him was rapid Welshman and respected national rider Phil Bevan, often described as  Pembrey circuit specialist running a race school and track day business at this South Wales venue. To top the trio off the team bought in Nottinghamshire rising star Richard Cooper - best known for winning BMW Boxer Cup races around the world, riding BMW's development twin in long distance events and a couple of months ago had a terrific showing at Daytona Raceweek, he is still only 23 and works for sponsors Pidcock Motorcycles, he has an excellent career ahead of him. Bradshaw is keen to support this series and hopes to return when BSB and other commitments allow. The team came equipped with their Dean Ellison Superbike, a Superstock machine from the national series and a hybrid bike. Dean Ellison was pencilled in to ride for the team but will focus on getting back to full health, a commited team owner Bradshaw has developed an academy approach to developing motorcycle racing champions through from Roadstocks at Mallory, clubmans 600, national Superstock and BSB.

At the noon start, held in dry but cool conditions, it was GBMoto who shot off the line and built up an initial lead over Sweatshop, Ducks X, Moores and Co-Ordit. After only 30 minutes Throttle Monkey 72 Racing (Andy McKnight/Eric Chitty/Kevin Doughty) called in with a rear puncture and Co-Ordit replaced a worn rear slick; at the hour mark emerging star Richard Cooper hammered around on the Co-Ordit to make up some time, whilst GBMoto pitted for adjustments and Sweatshop took over the lead on the road. Despite some brilliant riding by Jon Railton the Ducks X R6 was the first retirement with a broken engine. AMA Racing (Mark Westcott/Andrew Parker/Mark Affleck/R1) had the first of two crashes out on the circuit which required attention before carrying on, also in the wars were Best Choice (Garry Jones/Hazel Drury/Sean Moss/R6) who had a testing crash and endured the whole of the six hour race coping with fuel flow problems and the oil warning light going on and off!

After two hours had run GBMoto came in for a very long pit stop whilst Co-Ordit were two laps down in second place who managed to secure the lead just before their pit stop which handed the lead back to the Sweatshop boys, GBMoto rejoining the field in a distant seventh place. Richard Cooper on the Co-Ordit R1 lost drive coming out of The Esses and shot straight into the pit lane for attention.

By half way point Sweatshop had a 4 lap cushion over their team mates Moores Racing R6 ahead of GBMoto and Team Viking - the stars of the show at Anglesey (Paul Clarke/Crispin d'Albertanson/John Leigh Pemberton/R6) who had taken a steady start and pushed gradually working their way up to fourth a lap down on class leaders Moores. Following his spill at Anglesey, regualr Viking Barry Salmon is currently relying on sticks to get about - meanwhile he was replaced at Snetterton by 53 year old Kent farmer John Leigh-Pemberton who has a healthy Isle of Man career both at the TT and Manx Grand Prix. Co-Ordit re emerged from the garage to tour for a couple of laps prior to returning with lack of drive, after another 35 minutes of tinkering they rejoined the action 47 laps down on the leader.

Throttle Monkeys were in the wars with reliability problems as well as a couple of crashes, after their smooth and successful race at Anglesey, this was not such an easy task. At the five hour mark GBMoto and Sweatshop were on the same lap separated by a mere 42 seconds, the Moores R6 was a distant third ahead of Team Viking and Darkside Endurance (Andy Buik/Darren Jones/Kevin Upstone/R6) whilst Phoenix Endurance (Shelley Pike/Pete Gibson/Andy Jones/R6) pitted with a broken exhaust bracket. Throughout the six hours it was good to see the pace car only make a couple of appearances to enable the ever vidulant marshals to recover debris from the track.

With under 30 minutes to run, GBMoto shot into the pits for their last planned stop with Pete Jennings taking over from MSH, they re-emerged onto the start/finish straight with a 5 second lead over Sweatshop Moores R1, ten minutes later John Paul Scott crashed the Sweatshop R1 at The Esses trying to close the gap and had to push the bike in which was taken over by Nick Roake for the final few minutes. At the drop of the chequer GBMoto took their first win of the season, ahead of Sweatshop who had lost four laps in the melee, Moores Racing, Darkside Endurance, Team Viking and the Throttle Monkeys - great racing from a great national series, the next round is at Pembrey on the 21/22 June - be there or miss out.

Spare a thought for Moores Racing Jim Agombar, as well as the 6 hour stuff he is peddling a TZ350 in the classic class, so far netting a win at Anglesey and Lydden as well as a second, also in Kent. The Moores Racing team dedicated their National Supersport win and their ProSuperbike runner up spot to Reg Morgan, a family friend of Mike and Kailah Eglington, who was a fan of Mike's racing and racing in general. The team's thoughts are with wife June and his daughter, Jan.

Results

GBMoto                                    282 laps *
Sweatshop Moores Racing 2         278 laps
Moores Racing                            270 laps *
Darkside Endurance                      269 laps
Team Viking                                268 laps
Throttle Monkey 72 Racing            257 laps *
Phoenix Endurance                      256 laps
Black Flag Racing                        249 laps *
Co-Ordit Racing                           235 laps *
Best Choice Endurance                  228 laps
AMA Racing                                 170 laps
Ducks Cross Racing                       63 laps

* Class winners

Fastest Lap GBMoto 1m 09.761s