Maxxis ACU British Championship Round 3 - Canada Heights 2015

Maxxis ACU British Championship Round 3 – Canada Heights 03/05/2015

The third round of the Maxxis ACU British Championship saw Verde Sports Racing take the long journey to Canada Heights in Kent with MX1 rider Josh Spinks hoping for better results than at Lyng and MX2 rider Jake Millward back on his race bike after his engine ‘issues’ in the third race at Lyng. The track had been revamped and was now running the opposite way around.  The rain on the Saturday evening bedded the track in well but made it very slippery in parts for the opening practice sessions.

Qualifying:

MX2 – Jake didn’t have much luck in qualifying.  A stone got stuck in the brake pads causing the front wheel to lockup in mid-air.  He pulled in and swapped his race bike for his practice bike which was nowhere near as fast.  That combined with the slippery track conditions, left Jake with a terrible 27^th gate pick.  Not an ideal way to start the day.

MX1 – Josh too didn’t have a very good qualifying.  Although he liked the track he just couldn’t get to grips with it at the start of the day.  Josh always does better in the races than in qualifying and he ended up with 16^th gate pick.

Race 1:

MX2 – With 27^th gate pick meant Jake was left with a gate at the Right Hand side of the start straight.  It was either hole shot or get squashed out.  Unfortunately it was the latter and he rounded the first bend in 26^th position.  But Jake pushed hard, passed rider after rider and finished an excellent 15^th place, despite his bad start.

MX1 – Josh got an average start coming round in 16^th place mid pack.  But he had a good steady race, managing to pick off a few riders, gaining an excellent 12^th place position in this tough class of GP riders.

Race 2:

MX2 – Jake tried a gate on the Left Hand side this time but he didn’t get a good gate jump.  But he was determined.  The track had dried out a little now and by the middle of the first lap he had settled into 12^th place.  He had an excellent race, chasing Karro and Sterry to finish home in 10^th position in such a stacked pack of riders.

MX1 – Josh got a mid-pack start and rode a good steady race.  This was only his second year at the Maxxis and each race was a learning curve.  He held in tight and finished 14^th place.

Race 3:

MX2 – Jake got an excellent start this time, rounding the first bend in 11^th.  But it just wasn’t his day.  Half way through the race he made a mistake coming up to the start straight, dropped the bike and slipped back to 18^th.  Try as he would he just couldn’t get past McCormick.  A red flag was then issued and the race was cut short, leaving him disappointedly in 18^th position.

MX1 – This was Josh’s best race of the day.  He rounded the first bend in 11^th.  Felt good on the bike.  Had an excellent steady race, made a few more passes and finished an awesome 9^th place in the Maxxis, just behind Irwin and Wilde.

Overall:

Overall a mixed days riding for the team.  Both Josh and Jake had some excellent top ten results but both also had some bad starts and a few offs.  Qualifying was something they both need to work on for the next round at Hawkstone Park.  The day was unsettled with a number of injuries and red flags but both riders came home safe and gained some very valuable points towards the championship.  Josh finished 9^th overall for the day which was awesome and Jake finished 12^th overall.  Both Josh and Jake now both sit 12^th place in the MX1 and MX2 championships with both riders confident and capable of moving into the top ten next round.

Quote from Jake Millward:

Really, really tough days riding.  Track was so brutal.  Managed 12^th overall.  Not the best but glad that I am walking away healthy.

Quote from Josh Spinks:

I left Canada Heights today with 9^th overall in the British Maxxis Championship.  Progressed throughout the day to get a 9^th in the last race on a gnarly rough track.  Really pleased to now be in 12^th place in the championship and confident of a top 10 spot.

Quote from Adrian Kirk:

A mixed weekend for both riders with an excellent race a piece.  It could have been better and more consistency is needed to get and keep in the top ten.