 |
Richard
Tordoff
|
Cypress, CA (7/22/2008)
- Woodbridge and District MCC recently promoted
the 6th round of the 2008 ACU British MMX Quad
Championship, the beautiful but demanding Blaxhall
Pit circuit near Woodbridge the venue on Sunday
the 20th of July. With a full team line up for
this event, Dutch Champion Joe Maessen and
teenager James Hellewell making guest appearances
alongside Championship regular Ricky Tordoff,
the Filtec GYTR Team Yamaha crew came to the sand
based Suffolk circuit hoping to continue their
good run of form off late, and as the dust settled
it had been a bittersweet day for all involved,
Joe just missing out on a podium finish overall,
Ricky’s second row start after struggling
in qualifying hampering his chances of a good
result while James put in a sterling performance
on his British Championship debut at one of the
most demanding circuits in the series.
Race One
As usual a dry
and beautifully prepared circuit provided the
setting as the team mates took to the modified
Blaxhall track for timed practice, Joe putting
in a fantastic 3rd fastest time while Ricky
and James struggled slightly after initially
using smaller tyres and missing the opportunity
to get a fast lap together on the more suitable
larger tyres when the circuit was at it’s
smoothest, both Ricky and James forced to start
from the second row. As the gates dropped and
they charged up the start straight all three
riders got poor starts, Joe getting boxed in
on the approach to the first corner and completing
the first lap in an unusual 10th position while
Ricky and James second row starts left them
circulating in 16th and 29th respectively. Quickly
settling down and using the excellent handling
of the Lonestar / Ohlins TTX suspension to smooth
the bumps around the constantly changing circuit,
all three began making up places, Joe moving
up to 8th at half distance with James having
gained three places to 26th, but Ricky’s
charge through the field was negated at this
point, Ricky having to take evasive action while
challenging for 13th and being forced of the
circuit. With the circuit tram-lined in many
of the corners and the longer straights deeply
rutted, overtaking opportunities were scarce,
but using their array of skills to move past
their opponents the trio continued to make up
places to the chequered flag after fourteen
gruelling laps of the sandy circuit, Joe bringing
his Filtec GYTR Team Yamaha YFZ450 home for
a fantastic 6th, Ricky regaining his composure
to work his way back up from 24th to 19th, while
James had put in a superb racing debut to finish
ahead of many Championship regulars in 25th.
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ATV Racer
Joe Maessen
|
Race Two
A better start to the
second moto saw Joe complete his opening circuit
in 5th while Ricky and James got slightly better
starts to circulate in 16th and 27th. The days
racing had taken it’s toll on the Blaxhall
circuit which was yielding even fewer overtaking
opportunities than in the opening race, but
with the Goldspeed MXR and MXF tyres giving
superb traction in the loose surface the trio
were able to move off line to try to advance
up the leader board in the first half of the
twenty five minute plus two-lap race, Joe and
Ricky having gained positions for 4th and 15th
while James was applying tremendous pressure
for 26th. Using the potent power of the Yamaha
YFZ450 as the race entered the second phase,
all three riders continued to push hard to the
chequered flag while making up positions, Joe
moving up to 3rd to take a fantastic 4th overall,
Ricky blitzing the opposition to move up six
places to 9th and maintaining 2nd in the series
points table, while James had once again out
performed many more experienced regulars to
finish a respectable 24th.
Joe Maessen
“ Overall I’m happy with the result
but I know I could have done better in the opening
race. I got a bad jump on the gate in the first
race and the riders either side came across
the front of me and I ended up getting boxed
in. This track does get rough and it wasn’t
easy to overtake, but I was still able to move
back up to 6th by the chequered flag so that
was good. I got a batter start in the second
race but it was so rough it was almost impossible
to pass without taking unnecessary risks. I
just settled down and picked of the places,
and once I got in to 3rd I was able to catch
up to 2nd but ran out of time. I’m really
happy with my speed and fitness, and the Filtec
GYTR Team Yamaha that Richard and Ian prepared
was fantastic in all areas of the circuit.”
Ricky Tordoff
“ This has been a really frustrating day
for me and I’m disappointed with the result.
I tried the smaller tyres in practice but the
track had already started to develop deep lines
in the corners and by the time I changed to
the taller tyres I’d missed the best conditions
for a quick lap. The second row start put me
at a disadvantage but I was working my way up
in the first moto when I got forced of the circuit
while trying to pass an out of shape rider in
one of the rougher parts of the circuit. I was
able to salvage some points from that which
might come in handy at the end of the season.
The second race was a lot better, I got a decent
start but it wasn’t easy to gain positions
as there was basically only one quick line around
the circuit, but the bike was working really
well so I was able to work my way up to 9th.
I’m still 2nd in the points but the margin
is only five points now, so I’ll be working
hard in preparation for the next round at Duns
at the end of August to extend this gap.”
James Hellewell
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Yamaha
GYTR ATV Racer James Hellewell
|
“ I wouldn’t say that I’m
over the moon about the way things went today
as I’d have liked to have finished in
the points, but as it’s my first British
Championship race at this level on a circuit
that I’ve never raced before there are
a lot of positives that can be taken from the
meeting. I’ve never ridden a circuit as
demanding as this before and it really tested
my fitness, an area that I know I have still
to improve on, but despite the circuit being
so rough my wrist felt fine and didn’t
give any problems throughout the day. The Filtec
GYTR Team Yamaha YFZ450 was awesome around the
circuit and allowed me to work my way past some
of the more experienced British Championship
regulars who have raced here before, and the
tough conditions was good preparation for the
hectic five week European schedule which we
begin in Denmark at the start of August.”
Richard and everyone at Filtec GYTR Team Yamaha
would like to take this opportunity to congratulate
Paul Winrow and Winrow Honda Racing on winning
the 2008 ACU British MMX Quad Championship at
the weekend.
Brittish
Quad Championship Round 6 Race Results |
| Race
One |
Race
Two |
|
1. Paul Winrow
2. John Mitchell
3. Stefan Murphy
4. Carl Bunce
5. Mark Watson
6. Joe Maessen
19. Ricky Tordoff
25. James Hellewell
|
1. Paul Winrow
2. John Mitchell
3. Joe Maessen
4. Stefan Murphy
5. Mark Watson
9. Ricky Tordoff
24. James Hellewell
|
|
| Championship
Standings (after 6 of 8 rounds) |
1st - Paul Winrow 286
2nd - Ricky Tordoff 181
3rd - John Mitchell 176
4th - Paul Holmes 165;
5th - Stefan Murphy 158
15th - Joe Maessen 82
|
About Yamaha:
Yamaha ATVs and SxS vehicles are designed, engineered
and built tough! Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
headquarters are located in Cypress, California.
For more information on Yamaha, visit yamaha-motor.com.
www.yamaha-motor.com
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