Maxxis ACU British Championship Round 4 - Desert Martin 2016

ANDO'S BACK ON THE PODIUM AT THE MAXXIS

The 4th round of the ACU Maxxis British Championship took us to Northern Ireland to a cracking track called Desert Martin.  A sand base, with lots of big jumps, steep drop offs, doubles, trebles, yet nice and wide and very fast.  Over the weekend it put some rain down but the track absorbed it well

Qualifying:

MX2:

This was by far Jake's best qualification if the year so far.  First lap out, whilst the track was relatively clear, Jake put in his quickest time and moved in to 3rd fastest out there for the whole of the qualification.  Then on the last lap, Steven Clarke sneaked a quick one in and set Jake back to 4th gate pick. Jake just loved the track, loved the bike and loved the ride.

MX1:

The track was very quick and everyone just seemed to be flying round.  Brad got a good first lap in but it was hard to get a clear run.  In the last lap Brad thought he had put a got time in but unfortunately he had to settle for 11th gate.  So now it was all down to getting out if that gate with a good start.

Race 1:

MX2:

Jake got a pretty decent start.  7th out the gate and soon into a comfortable position closing on Steven Clarke.  He rode steady, smooth and fast and soon saw himself in 5th spot and closing on the pack.  Then a small mistake caused a pretty big off for Jake.  Into a post, chain got stuck, he lost a good few places and too much time to gain back the ground he had lost.  So settling for a 15th finish still scored him valuable points towards the championship.

MX1:

An excellent jump out of the gate saw the Ando in 3rd.  As the pack squashed in to the first bend Brad got pushed back to 6th place.  It was a fast race.  Irwin, Searle, Whatley, Nicholls, Simpson then the Ando.  Irwin went well on his home ground until he made a mistake and was out of the race, moving Brad up into 5th.  Next was Seale to DNF leaving Jake Nicholls up front to finish first place in Moto 1.  Brad soon chased down Simpson and they were neck and neck for the last 2 laps.  Whatley started to tire and just before the finish line, Brad not only passed Simpson but he took Whatley too.  So the Ando got an excellent 2nd place in Moto 1.

Race 2:

MX2:

A horrendous start for Jake coming out the gate in 20th place and then to top it all he had a coming together with a few riders on the first bend.  It just wasn't going his way, but Jake pushed on.  Steady as you go. Taking a couple of riders per lap and soon moved up into 12th place.  Not an ideal way to finish the day.

MX1:

Another pretty good start for Brad, 6th out of the first bend again.  He was close on the back wheel of Elliot Banks Browne and within the first 2 laps Ando moved into 5th place.  It was Searle, Nicholls, Irwin and Simpson in front.  Brad closed in on Simpson and made a great pass on a sweeping rutted bend and moved into 4th.  The pair battled hard and then Whatley joined in and pushed Ando back to 6th.  It was Simpson, Whatley, and then Ando now and the race was on for which if the three would get the two remaining podiums! So Brad put his foot down and soon pushed past Whatley and charged hard on Simpsons back wheel.  Some last lap this was to watch.  Brad closed the gap right up but unfortunately the chequered flag came a bit too soon and Ando had to settle for 5th place, which gave him 2nd overall and his first podium in the Maxxis this season.


Overall

MX2:

Even though Jake didn't have the best of days, there were a number of other casualties to this rough deep sand track.  So Jake finished with 12th overall for the day and only lost one place in the championship, to Adam Sterry (who finished 1-1 today).  So Jake will now enters round 5 sitting 5th overall in the ACU Maxxis British Championship.

MX1:

2nd overall made it all worthwhile for Brad.  It moved him two places further up the championship table into 6th place giving him a much better chance of catching that 3rd place, which is just 20 points in reach now. 

Quote from Jake Millward:

Started off good in race 1 running 5th.  A mistake caused me a big off, got back going and pulled through to 15th.  2nd race got a bad start, had a coming together with a few riders in the 1st corner.  Pulled through to 12th.  Couldn't see, had no goggles on so just drove round to keep my position.  Feeling a tad emotional.

Quote from Brad Anderson:

It's about time I got back on the box at the British Championship.  It's been a long time and it feels good to be back up there.  2nd overall.  Thanks to the whole team, Steve Clitheroe and Chris Muir.

Quote from Team Manager Adrian Kirk:

A fantastic day for both Brad and the Team.  His first Maxxis Podium since he moved over to the KTM.  Both Brad and Jake now sit high up in the Championship table, Brad in 6^th place and Jake in 5^th and we are only half way through the season.    It was a long tiring journey back from Desert Martin but it was definitely