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Richard
Tordoff
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Europe (9/4/2008)
- The Filtec GYTR Team Yamaha squad travelled
North of the border to Duns Motocross Park on
Sunday the 31st of August, Ricky Tordoff and Dutch
team-mate Joe Maessen taking part in the penultimate
round of the 2008 ACU British MMX Quad Championship,
with teen sensation James Hellewell competing
in the penultimate round of the 2008 ACU British
Qualifier Championship. After a six week break
in the series the trio made a welcome return to
British Championship action intent on delivering
a good team result, and as they packed up and
headed home after another superb days racing,
James had stolen the show in the Qualifier class
with a fantastic last to first opening moto victory
to finish 2nd overall, while Ricky and Joe had
also put in gutsy performances despite a frustrating
race meeting to finish 5th and 15th overall respectively.
Race One
The hard working crew at Quad
Racing Scotland in conjunction with the circuit
owner had ensured that the two-miles long Duns
circuit was in optimum condition as the riders
headed out in timed practice, Joe posting a
respectable 9th fastest time on a maiden circuit,
while Ricky still managed a fantastic 7th fastest
despite being limited to just two flying laps
after breaking an axle. The opening moto of
the day brought mixed fortunes for the riders,
Ricky and Joe getting fantastic drive up the
start straight to round the first corner in
2nd and 5th, Joe getting tangled up with Lindsey
Duke in the next corner before getting underway
and completing his opening circuit in a lowly
22nd, Ricky charging past Paul Winrow to lead
the field out on the second lap. With the Lonestar
/ Ohlins TTX suspension handling beautifully
around the fast flowing circuit, Ricky and Joe
set a blistering pace in the early stages of
the race, Ricky swapping positions with Winrow
several times in the opening laps before gradually
pulling away by half distance, while the flying
Dutchman had scythed his way through the field
to make up eleven places in seven laps! Using
the abundant power of the SCT tuned YFZ motors
to maintain their frantic pace, Ricky had increased
his lead to two seconds with Joe moving up three
places to 8th with less than ten minutes remaining
when disaster struck, Ricky suffering from a
severe stitch in his side. Unable to push at
full race pace Ricky tried in vain to fend of
the challenge of the leading pack, Ricky taking
the chequered flag after thirteen frenetic laps
for a fantastic 4th, Joe crossing the finish
line in an impressive 8th after making up fourteen
places.
Race Two
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ATV Racer
Joe Maessen
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A wet and slippery circuit greeted the riders
for the start of race two, steady rainfall in
the forty-five minutes prior to the race turning
the polished hard pack surface in to ice like
conditions. As the gates dropped both riders got
a good start and headed out on the opening lap
in 9th and 10th position, Joe moving up two places
to 7th by the end of the lap while Ricky had been
nudged of the circuit near the end of the lap
before rejoining and crossing the line in 15th.
With the Goldspeed MX-R and MX-F tyres giving
fantastic grip in the treacherous conditions,
Joe and Ricky began to move their way through
the field in the opening laps, Joe gaining another
three positions for 4th with ten minutes gone
with Ricky having moved up a place to and now
challenging for 13th, but unfortunately Joe’s
progress was to come to a dramatic end, the rear
swinging arm on his machine breaking on landing
after one of the many big jumps and leaving Joe
unable to continue. With the circuit conditions
worsening as the race progressed, Ricky used his
vast skills and the excellent handling of the
Yamaha YFZ450 to negotiate his way through the
pack, moving up to 13th at half distance before
charging through the field in the closing stages
to take the chequered flag for a superb 9th place
finish, Ricky taking 5th overall on the day and
still in contention for the runner up spot in
the championship standings.
