SACU - Scottish Autocycle Union - Adult Motocross Championship 2008
 

Round 5.  Ardersier      Sunday 10th August 2008

 

 

JUST a stone’s throw from the battle field of Culloden, where the Scottish team saw its downfall on April 16 1746, the Highland MXC’s battle ground at Ardersier, just outside Inverness, was the site of yet more historic duels where Englishman Graham Riley came to defend his Scottish Motocross Championship lead from another Scottish onslaught.
However, through hellish bad luck and a huge get off, Riley lost his championship lead during the fourth round last weekend to former Scottish champion Neil Flockhart.
Even so, it was super-fit Tony Craig’s day with two race wins splitting a second race second spot who took the overall honours with Neil and his come-back king brother and reigning Scottish MX champ Stuart Flockhart who completed the podium in runner-up and third places respectively

  MX1 Start

Craig had his best day of the season so far start with fastest time in the qualifying session ahead of Bryan MacKenzie and Riley.
However, a ‘coming together’ on the start line of the first race as MacKenzie’s rear wheel spun on the concrete grid resulting in him hitting Craig’s rear wheel hard leaving MacKenzie on the ground and away last with Craig not that much in front of him, saw the two lads fight to get back in contention.
At the front early leader Graham Riley hit a stone on taking off from a jump and crash landed heavily and was out when his machine wouldn’t re-start.
Tony Craig was on a charge and came through to the lead just before the flag for his first win of the day in exciting fashion followed by Neil Flockhart and a hard riding and stylish MacKenzie.
Race two saw Craig and MacKenzie battle it out at the front with MacKenzie taking the win from his rival and the ever green current champ Stuart Flockhart in third spot – but “..Absolutely knackered.”
MacKenzie’s luck, like his cousin Billy’s, as the news came through of the GP man’s injury, ran out in race three as his con rod gave out and out the Kawasaki man went.
This helped give Craig the race win and the thereafter overall honours for the day with spare bike-mounted Tommy Fenwick second spot and Bobby Gold third place.
Neil Flockhart now leads the championship on 427 points with Bobby Gold and Tony Craig in second and third places.
Riley slipped to fifth place after his luckless weekend.

In the B class group Greg McDonald went home the happiest with two race wins after a first race third spot on a day of typical Scottish summer weather – sunshine mixed with torrential rain…
Morton Hannah grabbed runner-up position after his first race win helped, with super-Vet Paul Chiappa in overall third place.
The Championship has Youths supplying support races and the Autos were won by super-quick Aiden Campbell on the separate Auto track, with Owen Hendry and Aiden Darling taking home runner-up and third places respectively.
Ben Edwards got his day off to a grand start with the first Junior 65cc class’ race’ win, however, Keiran Hunter bettered his first race’s second spot with two subsequent wins, to snatch the overall honours leaving Edwards with the runner-up spot.
Third place went to the consistent RJ MacKenzie.
Ian Findlay snatched the overall Small-wheel 85cc class honours from Ash Darling and Keiran McCarroll in runner-up and third places respectively after some demon battles in the sand.
In the Big-wheel class a red flag was shown after early leader Lachie Josey had fallen hard and had to be stretchered off.
The re-start saw Ian MacKenzie take up the charge and the subsequent three races’ wins for the top spot on the day.
Runner-up was Murray Clunie with three consistent seconds and Kyle Angus rode his heart out for third place overall.
The Youth MX2 class provided colour and skill, the skill from overall winner and triple race victor David Plank and the colour from Crewe visitor, 16-year-old lady rider Kelly Newton, all in pink!
However, the runner-up spot went to Nick Watters and the consistent three thirds for Gavin Clunie slipped him into third place overall.

 
scottish motocrossCM

 

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