Pos ----- Name------------------------------Points
1--------Paul Smith------------------------- 1123
2--------Paul Neale-------------------------1006
3--------James Shaw----------------------- 962
4--------David Anthony-------------------- 861
5--------Matthew Williamson--------------779
6--------Bradley Lofthouse-----------------685
7--------Daniel Parker---------------------658
8--------Edward Briscoe--------------------657
9--------Zac Stealey-------------------------655
10-------Sam Mitchell----------------------625
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Kawasaki Masters - Round Five
Landrake - Race report
Round 5 of the Wulfsport AMCA Masters championship travelled to Landrake 1.8km long and just a few kilometres from bustling Plymouth. With Paul Smith in the lead after the previous round, qualifying was eagerly anticipated – and didn’t disappoint.
The “usual suspects” were on form and top of the sheet was the familiar name of Paul Neele. Third too was not a great surprise as James Shaw rattled off at least two laps in the 2min 12 second bracket on the complex but well prepared track.
Behind him Paul Smith and Bradley Lofthouse rounded out the top five leaving a cat among the pigeons in the guise of Zac Stealey in a well deserved second place. With Stealey – who was in 12th position in the points stands after round four – upsetting the established apple cart the four Kawasaki Masters races at Landrake would be epic.
As the flag dropped of the first moto Neale got the holeshot followed by Smith, Anthony and Williamson. While Williamson drifted away from the leading pack to finish in a creditable eighth after dropping as low as 11th on lap six, the top two held station for lap after lap and finished in the same order, Neil first and Smith a strong second. James Shaw pushed up to third pace on lap two and was never ceded to join the others on the podium.
And Stealey? Well, not on the podium, but the hard charging qualifier did acquit himself well with sixth place.
Race two turned into a fight for forth, fifth and sixth as the top three ended in the same positions as they left the gate with Neale once more on the top step, followed by Smith and Williamson. A measured ride by Loftfhouse saw him gain a position in each of the early laps until he ended in forth place ahead of David Anthony and, that man again, Zak Stealey.
In race three it was perennial fast starter Paul Neale who blasted away with the holeshot closely followed by some familiar faces. Bradley Lofthouse hung on to Paul’s rear wheel for the first lap but eventually succumbed to the pace to drop to forth and then back up to third by the penultimate lap. It was not to be though and Lofthouse was pushed further back to finish sixth with David Anthony ahead of him then Zak Stealey, Mark Dyer and Paul Smith as runner up to Neale.
The final race of the day presented one last chance for honours – and with so many “nearly men” showing good form it was an eagerly awaited clash.
Paul Smith it was that dominated this encounter being pushed throughout by a gaggle of fast riders. Smith took the win from a gritty ride by James Shaw with Paul Neale relegated to third spot.
Behind them the order changed once again and a strong showing by Lofthouse had him in forth with yet another new name, Edward Briscoe in fifth.
A great days racing, and one that saw the points table flattened at the top with all to play for in round six.
Round 5 of the Wulfsport AMCA Masters championship travelled to Landrake 1.8km long and just a few kilometres from bustling Plymouth. With Paul Smith in the lead after the previous round, qualifying was eagerly anticipated – and didn’t disappoint.
The “usual suspects” were on form and top of the sheet was the familiar name of Paul Neele. Third too was not a great surprise as James Shaw rattled off at least two laps in the 2min 12 second bracket on the complex but well prepared track.
Behind him Paul Smith and Bradley Lofthouse rounded out the top five leaving a cat among the pigeons in the guise of Zac Stealey in a well deserved second place. With Stealey – who was in 12th position in the points stands after round four – upsetting the established apple cart the four Kawasaki Masters races at Landrake would be epic.
As the flag dropped of the first moto Neale got the holeshot followed by Smith, Anthony and Williamson. While Williamson drifted away from the leading pack to finish in a creditable eighth after dropping as low as 11th on lap six, the top two held station for lap after lap and finished in the same order, Neil first and Smith a strong second. James Shaw pushed up to third pace on lap two and was never ceded to join the others on the podium.
And Stealey? Well, not on the podium, but the hard charging qualifier did acquit himself well with sixth place.
Race two turned into a fight for forth, fifth and sixth as the top three ended in the same positions as they left the gate with Neale once more on the top step, followed by Smith and Williamson. A measured ride by Loftfhouse saw him gain a position in each of the early laps until he ended in forth place ahead of David Anthony and, that man again, Zak Stealey.
In race three it was perennial fast starter Paul Neale who blasted away with the holeshot closely followed by some familiar faces. Bradley Lofthouse hung on to Paul’s rear wheel for the first lap but eventually succumbed to the pace to drop to forth and then back up to third by the penultimate lap. It was not to be though and Lofthouse was pushed further back to finish sixth with David Anthony ahead of him then Zak Stealey, Mark Dyer and Paul Smith as runner up to Neale.
The final race of the day presented one last chance for honours – and with so many “nearly men” showing good form it was an eagerly awaited clash.
Paul Smith it was that dominated this encounter being pushed throughout by a gaggle of fast riders. Smith took the win from a gritty ride by James Shaw with Paul Neale relegated to third spot.
Behind them the order changed once again and a strong showing by Lofthouse had him in forth with yet another new name, Edward Briscoe in fifth.
A great days racing, and one that saw the points table flattened at the top with all to play for in round six.
Kawasaki Masters - Round Four
Foxhills - Race Report
They don’t come any more impressive than Foxhills, and when the 1.4km track played host to the forth round of the Kawasaki Masters the prospect of riding on such an auspicious track was no doubt daunting.
That said, the KX250F mounted riders pushed nerves aside for the qualifying session which witnessed James Shaw at the top of the sheet with an impressive 3min 15 sec lap, some four seconds ahead of Paul Smith in second. Daniel Parker, Mathew Williamson and David Anthony followed with Bradley Lofthouse and Jamie Hallet in sixth and seventh places respectively. Paul Neale was clearly not 100% in the groove as his eighth place showed, but nobody would bet against him in the races proper.
Race one bore this out with an impressive display by Neale leading for all but one of the laps. Canny Paul Smith was hard on his heels for second and James Shaw on the last podium step after being second for much of the race.
In the second moto Smith made good and won having led for the final six of the eight laps. Paul Neale was just behind him and Shaw now third, but none the less impressive.
The third race was won in determined style by Paul Smith. No one even got a sniff of the lead as he dominated from lap one until lap seven, a magnificent ride and a marker for the final race of the day. Following him past the checkered flag James Shaw and Mathew Williamson were pleased to be up at the pointy end. Not so perhaps for Paul Neale who realised that he needed to keep in the points to stand a chance of vying with Smith for overall championship honours.
Neale did better in the final race, finishing a creditable third but his nemesis, Smith was there, two steps further up the paddy by race end. Between them Shaw was a comfortable second and Williamson, quietly racking up points, a menacing forth.
They don’t come any more impressive than Foxhills, and when the 1.4km track played host to the forth round of the Kawasaki Masters the prospect of riding on such an auspicious track was no doubt daunting.
That said, the KX250F mounted riders pushed nerves aside for the qualifying session which witnessed James Shaw at the top of the sheet with an impressive 3min 15 sec lap, some four seconds ahead of Paul Smith in second. Daniel Parker, Mathew Williamson and David Anthony followed with Bradley Lofthouse and Jamie Hallet in sixth and seventh places respectively. Paul Neale was clearly not 100% in the groove as his eighth place showed, but nobody would bet against him in the races proper.
Race one bore this out with an impressive display by Neale leading for all but one of the laps. Canny Paul Smith was hard on his heels for second and James Shaw on the last podium step after being second for much of the race.
In the second moto Smith made good and won having led for the final six of the eight laps. Paul Neale was just behind him and Shaw now third, but none the less impressive.
The third race was won in determined style by Paul Smith. No one even got a sniff of the lead as he dominated from lap one until lap seven, a magnificent ride and a marker for the final race of the day. Following him past the checkered flag James Shaw and Mathew Williamson were pleased to be up at the pointy end. Not so perhaps for Paul Neale who realised that he needed to keep in the points to stand a chance of vying with Smith for overall championship honours.
Neale did better in the final race, finishing a creditable third but his nemesis, Smith was there, two steps further up the paddy by race end. Between them Shaw was a comfortable second and Williamson, quietly racking up points, a menacing forth.
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