THE 2009 Safe Access/ SACU backed Scottish Adult Motocross Championship entered the penultimate stage at the superbly prepared sandy circuit at Ardersier, just outside Inverness, in the Highlands of Scotland at the weekend.
Series leader and former Scottish champion Stuart Flockhart went into the round full of confidence and with a healthy lead at the head of the table over rivals Ross Rutherford and Tony Craig.
However, after a hefty crash at the weekend, former Rob Hooper Suzuki and RWJ Honda GP runner Flockhart saw his series lead cut to just five points over Ardersier victor Craig and six to Rutherford to give the last round in September a super-charged feeling.
Twisted 7 Scandinavian import and MX2 British and Under 21 championship runner Rickard Sandberg took the final step on the podium in overall third spot behind Craig and runner-up Rutherford.
Flockhart took Pole position during timed qualification on Sunday morning just under a second faster than on form Rutherford and brimmed with early confidence on his TWMA Kawasaki.
However, Sandberg grabbed the first race Monster Energy holeshot and led Flockhart, Bobby Gold, Jamie Duncan, Sean MacDonald and slow starting Tony Craig.
Flockhart went through for the lead on the second lap, with Craig closing fast. However Flockhart’s day went down hill fast when he used his face to stop himself when his bike’s front wheel dug in and spat him off.
A grateful Craig went through to take over at the front and took his first win of the day.
Sandberg rode consistently for second with Rutherford holding onto third place at the flag.
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Sean MacDonald ripped round the very sharp left-hand first corner for the second race’ Monster Energy holeshot as Gavin Robertson found out how hard track safety tyres can be as he lost his back brake and ploughed head first into the tyres at the end of the start straight.
Sandberg hit the deck as he tried for the holeshot prize and started dead last.
Craig took over at the front on his Irvine KTM and he and Ross Rutherford on the ‘Bunga’ Honda fought out a tremendous race-long battle as Flockhart was on a championship damage limitation exercise while feeling decidedly second hand in third place.
ust over a second separated eventual winner Craig and Rutherford at the flag as Flockhart kept third.
Sandberg battled through from last to an eventual fifth place behind fast starter MacDonald in fourth.
The eventful third race got off to a flyer with Flockhart at the front, Craig was left with a dead engine on the start line – a switched OFF fuel tap was the cause! And he started way down on the pack once he realised what was wrong.
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| Richard Sandberg |
However, a few laps later Ross Fitzsimmons’ dramatic nose dive off one of the sandy jumps saw the race red-flagged as he was tended to on the track after the predictable crash.
The re-start saw Jamie Duncan’s usual last ditch effort to win the Monster Energy holeshot prize before pulling out!
Sandberg shot to the front and quickly opened up a gap on second placed man Rutherford that even the young ‘Bunga’ couldn’t breach.
A very relieved Tony Craig was involved again but again a slow start saw him down in 20th spot at the first bend but a dramatic ride through the pack saw him head for the front group by mid race.
The brilliantly spannered by Bryan (BC) Connelly Honda of Sandberg took the eventual victory with Rutherford in second place and a delighted Craig in third giving the very lucky young man the overall honours and to put the final round pressure firmly on Flockhart’s shoulders as the former champ suffered down in 17th place at the end of the race.
The B class championship is also exciting as series leader Lee Robson took the overall honours after a race win and two second places from runner-up and double race winner Richard Reid and third placed Gavin Clunie.
Unlucky Carl Dynes was onto the overall C class honours after two easy race wins, but a second race DNF cost him top spot.
That went to Grant Fraser with John Stewart and Gordon Prentice blasting to runner-up and third places respectively.
The Youths kept up the action with William Lambie holding off the close attentions of Aidan Christie for the overall Big-wheel 85cc honours.
Third place went to Kyle Angus after some tremendous battles.
The Small-wheel honours went to Ian Findlay with one of only two maximum scores on the day. Keiran McCarroll got better as the day went on finishing with a second place in the final encounter and the overall runner-up spot.
Third place went to Ash Darling.
The second maximum man was Ben Edwards as he swept all before him in dramatic style in the three Junior 65cc class races with Daniel Dey in runner-up spot and Jamie MacDonald in third unable to do a thing about his speed.
RESULTS
Championship overall:
1 Tony Craig 130 points, 2 Ross Rutherford 124, 3 Rickard Sandberg 123, 4 Sean MacDonald 109, 5 Ewan McLaren 101, 6 Stuart Flockhart 100.
Championship series with one round remaining:
1 Flockhart 596, 2 Craig 591, 3 Rutherford 590, 4 MacDonald 504, 5 McLaren 484, 6 Gold 484.
B class:
1 Lee Robson 129, 2 Richie Reid 128, 3 Gavin Clunie 110, 4 Gary Fleming 102, 5 Ian Wilson 99, 6 George Low 97.
C class:
1 Grant Fraser, 2 John Stewart, 3 Gordon Prentice, 4 Scott Foote, 5 Gordon Nicol, 6 Brian Andrews.
Big-wheel 85cc:
1 William Lambie, 2 Aidan Christie, 3 Kyle Angus, 4 Richie Cormack, 5 Jonathon Taylor, 6 Katy McNeil.
Small-wheel 85cc:
1 Ian Findlay, 2 Keiran McCarroll, 3 Ash Darling, 4 Keiran Hunter, 5 Morgan Robertson, 6 Calum Munro.
Junior 65cc:
1 Ben Edwards, 2 Daniel Dey, 3 Jamie MacDonald, 4 Aiden Campbell, 5 Finlay Reston, 6 RJ MacKenzie.
