Sand Race Report May 3^rd 2008

Though this was the 3rd meeting of the season this was the first meeting of 5 in which the adult bike riders would be racing for championship points over 5 races per meeting thus reliability & staying power were needed to have any chance of winning either of the titles at stake. Reigning 500 champion Anthony Bougourd riding with a damaged knee is going to need all his skill in the remaining 4 meetings if he is to retain the title as UK rider Dan Winterton once again made his presence felt as he claimed 22 championship points to 2nd place Anthony Queripel on 19 whilst Anthony Bougourd on 13 lies in 3rd spot. Though the racing in this class was very close it also saw the first major injury of the season when Darren Clarke in the second race came off his bike breaking a collar bone & thumb. Racing was delayed whilst Darren was transferred to hospital & a replacement ambulance arranged to give medical cover, so later in the meeting with the time lost the organisers had no option but to cancel all races but Championship ones. In the 250 class Mark King did not get his customary bag full of wins as John Damarell managed to give him some close racing popping in 2 wins before also coming off his bike in the last race but without injury, thus leaving Mark on 26points to joint second places to John & Pete Le Page on 19 points.

Even in the Cadet class Dean Chandler suddenly found that he had stiffer opposition in the Rive twins as they had now moved up from 70cc machines to 100cc bikes which certainly improved their performances & gave Ricky-Lee 4 race wins. Joshua Lambourne on the smallest bike a 50cc KTM though outpaced is gaining valuable experience all the time.

With only 3 Racing cars/specials it looked as if Ian Shorto in the Berresford 1300 would have things all his own way but only managed to finish the first 2 championship races before mechanical problems intervened, thus leaving Trevor Le Page in the Allyson Hyabusa take the scratch race win & a surprised Colin Bridle in the 1993cc Skoda Special the remaining championship race win.

In the saloon classes Mark Ozanne was the only modified saloon, Eric Trump & Paul Stanford the only Production saloons to 1400cc whilst in the 1401-1800cc class Doug Le Fevre was joined by Bill Cohu in the slightly younger version of the Honda CRX. The main class challenges was in the over 1801cc class where Shaun Leigh in the Vauxhall Cavalier had to contend with Simon Carre’s Automatic Prelude & John Le Page out in a 2800cc Audi 80 whilst newcomer Jack Saunders was finding his feet in the smart white Toyota Mk 2 GT.

The next meeting at 10.15am on May 17th will be the first Motorcycle Team Challenge meeting between the Albecq All Stars & the Richmond Rebels.

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Paul Stanford.